Kougher Sentenced to Life Plus 20 Years for Indecency with Child Charges
It will be 40 years before Bradley Curtis Kougher, 41, will be eligible for parole following a decision by a Hopkins County jury in Eighth Judicial Court Thursday evening. Kougher was found guilty of a Felony 1 Indecency with a Child and a Felony 2 Indecency with a Child. It took the jury less than 15 minutes to find him guilty and just over an hour to determine his sentence. He was sentenced to life in prison for the Felony 1 and 20 years for the Felony 2. The sentences will be stacked leading to the 40 years before eligible for parole.
Witnesses, including the children violated, family members, law enforcement from Canada, and others presented a picture summarized by District Attorney Will Ramsay in his closing remarks to the jury. Ramsay stated that Kougher had a history of activities regarding inappropriate activity toward children and needed to be stopped before he harmed others.
Following the decision by the jury, a member of the family personally thanked a Hopkins County Sheriff’s Investigator for not giving up in bringing Kougher to justice. Both members of Canadian law enforcement present for the trial and who served as witnesses thanked the local District Attorney and other members of local law enforcement for their work in bringing justice.
Bringing Kougher to justice did take time. In the fall of this year, Ramsay and members of his team flew to Kentucky and Florida to meet with victims. The District Attorney told KSST News that the state and his office would bear most of the expense of the trial and it would cost the county very little. Court costs of around $1300 were assessed to Kougher by the judge. Ramsay said to bring justice to this situation was worth every penny spent.
Wildcats, Lady Cats Soccer Battle Strong Teams in First Day of Tournament Play
Humble 1, Wildcats Soccer 0
In their opening game in the 2018 Longhorn Challenge in Austin Thursday, the Wildcats’ soccer team just came up short against Humble losing 1-0. Wildcats Soccer Coach Nicky Wiggins said Brandon Diosdado, Rafael Lopez, D.J. Abron, Alexis Escobedo and Andrew Escobar played well. He added Lopez, the goalkeeper, had six saves. The Wildcats managed four shots on goal. Coach Wiggins said Humble was a very seasoned team. He said the Wildcats played hard. Coach Wiggins said the Wildcats turned the ball over and he added Humble capitalized on mistakes the Wildcats made. The Wildcats are now 2-4 for the season. They now play Austin Lanier at 11 a.m. Friday. Lanier was impressive Thursday winning their opening game of the tournament 5-0 against Pflugerville Weiss.
Lady Cats Soccer 0, Amarillo Canyon Randall 0
The Lady Cats’ soccer team and the Lady Raiders of Amarillo Canyon Randall battled to a 0-0 tie on Thursday, January 11, the opening day of a three-day Paris tournament. The Lady Cats season record is now 4-1-1. They will now face Tyler Chapel Hill Friday at 1 p.m. in the tournament. Chapel Hill also played to a 0-0 tie Thursday against Paris.
Distinguished Guests from Texas A and M University Commerce Visit KSST
Dr. M. Lavelle Hendricks, a professor at Texas A and M Commerce is also the pastor of East Caney Missionary Baptist Church. He also is responsible for organizing the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Ceremony 27 years ago. The event has grown in attendance and in stature, and this year will include dozens of recognitions of local persons who reflect the values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his lifetime. During a Good Morning Show interview on KSST and Channel 18 TV, Hendricks brought along two guests who also uphold the high standards of humanity of Dr. King. Dr. Ray Keck, University President, and Noah Nelson, Vice President of Media Relations will have speaking parts during Monday’s public event. They will be joined by elected officials, public servants, church and school leaders, members of the African-American Leadership Conference and youngsters who are pursuing paths to education and meaningful careers. An abundance of uplifting music will be presented by local choirs and soloists. An offering will be taken and attendees are asked to make a $10 or generous donation to the AALC headquartered at Texas A and M University in Commerce. The event will begin on Monday January 15, 2018 at 7 pm at Morning Chapel Missionary Baptist Church at 208 Fuller Street in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
Supplementation of Cattle Diets During the Winter By Mario Villarino
According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Beef Specialists, supplements for cattle must be chosen to meet particular nutrient deficiencies. Body condition is a key factor in the choice of supplements. Thin cows are relatively more deficient in dietary energy than in protein. In contrast, fleshier cows may need extra protein, if they need anything. To minimize supplementation, use forage supplies logically.
In general, hay (excluding supplemental alfalfa, etc.) should not be limit-fed with standing forage. Limit-feeding of hay encourages cows to reduce grazing and fails to use pastures while quality is reasonably good. For example, assume available forage for grazing or feeding includes some tame pasture (such as coastal bermudagrass), some native range, and some hay.
As winter approaches, the tame pasture should be used first, native range next, and hay last. That way each forage is utilized most efficiently, and there is a better chance some hay will be left in late winter to early spring when high quality green growth begins but is limited in amount. It is difficult to make general recommendations about supplementation of protein and energy.
Usually, dry mature cows in medium or higher body condition on typical dormant warm-season pasture or low quality hay often need only 1 pound to 2 pounds a day of a high protein feed. (On extremely low quality forage, such as tall-grass prairie in winter, 3 pounds to 4 pounds of high protein feed may be needed.) A thin, dry, mature cow may require 2 pounds to 4 pounds daily, but of a medium-protein, high-energy supplement. After calving, all of these amounts essentially should be doubled.
Daily feeding usually is not necessary when using high-protein supplements such as cottonseed meal cubes. Instead, depending on the amounts, weekly required totals can be divided and fed every other day, twice a week, or even once a week. In fact, nondaily feeding of these supplements often is more efficient. However, combination protein-energy supplements, especially breeder/range cubes and meal-grain mixes, that are required in larger daily amounts, generally should be fed daily for best forage utilization, highest animal performance, and greatest efficiency. Self-fed, controlled consumption can be accomplished with some feeds, especially oilseed meals and meal-grain mixes, by including an intake limiter such as salt. Cattle then will consume salt in maximum amounts of approximately 0.1 percent of body weight, or about 1 pound of salt consumption daily by a 1,000-pound cow. So, to obtain supplement consumption of 3 pounds daily in a 1,000pound cow, a mix of 1 pound salt to 3 pounds supplement should be provided.
When using salt to limit consumption, plenty of high quality water must be available. Also, cows consume more of a salt-limited supplement when it is located close to a water supply. Perhaps the most common supplement is a high quality 20 percent CP breeder/range cube (high or all-natural protein and low crude fiber), or the equivalent. Such a supplement often is a compromise for the common situation of low quality forage and low to medium body condition. But this must be fed in adequate amounts, typically 3 to 6 pounds a day, to be effective.
In fact, with the exception of managing weight loss in fleshy cows, there are few situations where feeding smaller amounts of such cubes is applicable. If a producer is unwilling or unable to assume the cost of required amounts of these cubes (or the equivalent), then a lower amount of a higher protein feed should be fed. But realize, however, that body condition, reproduction, productivity, and profit are likely to decline if nutrient requirements are not met. For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Mario Villarino DVM, Ph.D.
Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
1200B Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
903-885-3443
Three Great Opportunities with Approaching Deadlines By Johanna Hicks
Three Great Opportunities with Approaching Deadlines!
If you are the least bit familiar with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in Hopkins County, you know that we always have something going on! Extension provides many educational programs, so today, I want to focus on three upcoming events.
1) ¡Si, Yo Puedo Controlar Mi Diabetes! is a 7-lesson series to help individuals manage their type 2 diabetes. This series is slightly different from my previous diabetes sessions because it will be presented in Spanish. Angela Doddy, Christus Trinity Clinic, is spearheading the event, with support from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. The series will begin on Tuesday, January 16, and proceed each Monday thereafter, ending on February 26. Sessions will take place at the Hopkins County Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, in Sulphur Springs. Two times are being offered with the same information presented at both sessions – 1:30 and 5:30 p.m.
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by four main key points: food choices, physical activity, checking blood sugar, and taking prescribed medications. All sessions in this series are free, and will be presented by medical personnel using research-based and evidence-based information. If you know someone who could benefit, please encourage them to attend.
For more information, contact Angela Doddy, 903-244-1424 or the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 903-885-3443.
(FYI – Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes will be held in April. The 5-lession series will cover nutrition and self-management topics, and will include refreshments, recipes, door prizes, and a notebook of materials. Cost for this series will be $25. Watch for more details to come or call my office for dates!)
2) Master Wellness Volunteer Program allows those who have a passion about health and wellness to share that passion with others via worksite wellness programs, community events, and more. Obtain knowledge and skills to live a healthier lifestyle and encourage others to do the same. Participants will receive 40 hours of training and give back 40 hours of service. In 2017, Hopkins County Master Wellness Volunteers contributed over 700 hours of service to our community and reached over 8,000 people! That is quite an accomplishment!
The 2018 training will begin on Tuesday, January 23, with a face-to-face session. The session will be held via a statewide simulcast beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs. Featured speakers will include:
– 9:00 – Dr. Susan Ballabina, Executive Associate Director (my former student at Tarleton State University!), welcome and the role of Extension in Community Health
– 10:00 – Andy Crocker, Extension Program Specialist, Master Wellness Volunteer Program Overview
– 11:00 – Mike Lopez, Extension Program Specialist, Walk Across Texas
– 12:00 – I’ll provide lunch and discuss what Extension does in Hopkins County. I also hope to have current Master Wellness Volunteers share their experiences.
– 1:00 – Renda Nelson, Program Director, Better Living for Texans
– 2:00 – Luisa Colin, Special Initiatives Coordinator, The Many Faces of Diversity
– 3:00 – Odessa Appel, Extension Assistant, Dinner Tonight
– 4:00 – wrap-up and adjourn
Three sessions will be done online as self-study assignments, and we’ll reconvene on Wednesday, February 28 with another face-to-face session at the
Extension Office. The registration deadline is January 16 and the regular cost is $75, college students $25. Join our fabulous group of existing Master Wellness Volunteers! You will receive “Volunteer Connection” newsletter 6 or more times per year, and we have two luncheons annually where we are able to unwind and simply visit with each other.
To register, go to http://agrilife.org/mwv. Call the Extension Office at 903-885-3443 if you have questions.
3) Twogether in Texas Marriage Education workshop will be held on Saturday, February 10. Engaged couples, married couples, and seriously dating coupes are all invited to participate. Topics include: Marriage Expectations, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Money Management, and Goals & Dreams. There is no charge for the course, and engaged couples will receive a certificate to save $60 (state portion of the fee) upon applying for a marriage license. The certificate is good for one year, so even if the wedding planned for later in the year, the savings is still applicable.
Two more workshops are scheduled in 2018, so if February 10 doesn’t work for you, take advantage of one of the other dates: Saturday, May 12, or Saturday, August 25. All workshops will cover the same topics.
Morning and afternoon refreshments, as well as lunch will be provided, but I do request that couples call my office at 903-885-3443 if they plan to attend so adequate preparations can be made.
As a reminder to our Hopkins County 4-H members, we will have a 4-H Sewing Fun Day on Saturday, January 27, at 10:00 a.m. Also, for any 4-H member interested in the Nutrition Quiz Bowl, we will have a meeting at 1:00 p.m. that same day.
Closing Thought:
Look for the good in others and in yourself – Vicki Hitzges
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
Game Day: Wildcat, Lady Cat Soccer in Tournament Play
Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats’ soccer teams will be playing in their second tournament of the season this Thursday through Saturday (January 11-13).
The Wildcats are in Austin for the 2018 Longhorn Challenge. It’s being played at the newly renovated Charles Alan Wright Fields at the Berry M. Whitaker Sports Complex at UT Austin. The Wildcats open play at 1 p.m. Thursday against Humble from the Houston area. The Wildcats, coached by second year head coach Nicky Wiggins, come in with a season record of 2-3. They played five games last week in a Forney tournament. The Wildcats got wins against Royse City and Amarillo Tascosa and lost to West Mesquite, Forney and Longview.
The Lady Cats are playing in a Paris tournament that they have won the past two years. They open play in the tournament Thursday at 1 p.m. against Amarillo Canyon Randle. The Lady Cats come in with a season record of 4-1. They finished in second place at a Terrell tournament last week. The Lady Cats defeated Dallas A Plus Academy, Lindale, Athens and Garland in the tournament last week before losing in the finals to Class 6A Richardson. Lady Cats Coach Joel Bailey noted that his team has scored 21 goals in their first five games.
Both the Austin and Paris tournaments run through Saturday.
Testimony Given in Kougher Case Involves Witnesses from Hopkins County to Canada
The story of Bradley Curtis Kougher, 41, who is on trial in Eighth Judicial District Court for one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 6-years of age, a Felony 1; Sexual Performance by a Child under 14-years of age, a Felony 1; Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact, a Felony 2; and Attempted Sexual Performance by a Child, a Felony 2 is revealing a series of situations stretching from Hopkins County Texas to Canada.
Kougher, a truck driver, faces charges for sexual activities with a child in his home in Hopkins County and testimony revealed that he also shared time with a family in Kentucky. In Canada, he crossed into the country from the U. S. with his personal computer containing approximately 65 files of pornography of which five seemed to be child pornography. Although not tried in Canada after concerns regarding evidence, two members of Canadian law enforcement that now work with child pornography not only in Canada but through Interpol around the world, testified regarding the files on Kougher’s computer.
Testimony is also being given by the children who made outcry regarding Kougher. The children are testifying as to where, when, and how they were violated. Kougher has been identified in court by each of the children who have testified as they point him out in the courtroom.
According to a member of the court, it is though the jury will deliberate the verdict in the case this afternoon and, if guilty, a sentence is also possible today.
Board Member Election for Texas Corn Producers Begins Monday, January 15
The Texas Corn Producers Board will hold elections in three of its five voting regions to elect five board members where current members’ seats are expiring. The TCPB election is conducted by voting regions and will be held from Jan. 15, 2018, until Jan. 29, 2018. There are two seats open for election in Voting Region Three, which includes Hunt, Delta, Lamar, Hopkins and a large number of counties in North-Central, Northeast and East Texas.
Corn producers eligible to vote in the elections are persons, including the owner of a farm on which corn is produced or the owner’s tenant or sharecropper, engaged in the business of producing corn or causing corn to be produced for commercial purposes for at least one production period during the three years preceding the date of this election (Jan. 29, 2018). The producer must reside within one of the counties to vote in the respective voting region. Ballots containing the nominations of all persons who have validly filed will be available Jan. 8, 2018, at grain elevators and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in each of the appropriate voting regions, or by writing TCPB.
For a ballot to be valid, it must be mailed to the TCPB, 4205 N. I-27, Lubbock, Texas 79403, with a postmark date of no later than Jan. 29, 2018.
Commissioners’ Court to Discuss Courthouse Annex in Friday Work Session
Following the Friday 1 p.m. Hopkins County Commissioners’ Court special meeting, Commissioners will meet in a budget work session to discuss the construction of a courtroom annex adjacent to the New Hopkins County Jail. The courtroom annex was on the Monday, January 8th regular session agenda but commissioners tabled the item when questions regarding the building of a second building for offices for the District Attorney and District Clerk were presented by more than one commissioner.
The courthouse annex would be a 100 seat courtroom attached to the county jail to facilitate inmate transfer to and from the jail without having to use transportation to the current county courthouse. The annex would also facilitate public safety during the transfer and during times when certain trials are being conducted.
The desire for the courthouse annex began during the time current County Judge Robert Newsom was serving as District Judge for the Eighth Judicial District. The need for the courthouse has not evaded his attention now that he serves the county. Although commissioners are concerned about the cost, the building will not increase tax dollars and will be paid from money already available and that are to be used in connection with the jail and courtroom facility.
During the Friday Special Session, Commissioners’ Court will have the opportunity to take up again the Monday tabled item to purchase new, technologically updated voting equipment for elections. During a budget workshop following Monday’s session, County Clerk Debbie Shirley explained to commissioners, who had said the new machines were too expensive, that she has wanted to improve the voting equipment in the county for some time and that funding for the equipment is available. The county has been offered a reduced price by one of the two companies that are approved to sell the machines by the Texas Secretary of State Office.
