Bergin Appeals Settlement; Posts $245,000 Bond; Trial Begins January 4
An appeal of a settlement reached in a pre-court hearing involving the custody of hundreds of cattle seized by Hopkins County Law Enforcement and the SPCA of Texas and owned by George Lawrence Bergin, 61, of Sulphur Springs has been filed with the County Clerk’s office and will be heard by a jury in Hopkins County Court at Law January 4th according to local officials. Bergin was arrested December 4th and charged with Cruelty to Livestock-Fail to Provide, a state jail felony. The cattle appeared to be suffering from malnutrition.
According to officials, a jury will be selected in County Court at Law January 3rd and the trial will begin January 4th. The appeal was filed Wednesday at the County Clerk’s office and the trial must take place within the next 10 days following the filing of the appeal.
In the settlement made December 13th, Justice of the Peace B. J. Teer signed an order calling for a public auction of the animals. A bond in the amount of $245,000 was set to perfect the case. Bergin had 10 days to appeal and the Justice of the Peace had an additional 5 days to file the paperwork with the court. The settlement and the custody of the cattle will not affect the state jail felony criminal charges against Bergin.
Currently, the livestock are being treated by a Veterinarian and to receiving proper nourishment at an undisclosed location. If the appeal fails, the cattle will be sold at a livestock auction barn. Bergin nor any of his family can, by law, bid to purchase the cattle. Bergin seeks to regain custody of his cattle. County Commissioners Court approved an expense of $94,000 and smaller amounts for a total of $127,651.62 for the care and feeding of the cattle.
If the appeal is not granted, then all money from the sale of the cattle will be paid first to the state and county. Any money above the expenses of the county and the state will go to Bergin. If the sale falls short of the amount of expenses, Bergin could be liable for the amount remaining.
According to the SPCS of Texas, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office began seizing and taking custody of approximately 200-400 allegedly cruelly treated, starving head of cattle from six Hopkins County properties near Sulphur Springs, on Monday, December 4. Due to the number of cattle and the multiple locations, the animals’ removal continued through Wednesday, December 6. The SPCA of Texas assisted in removing, transporting, taking inventory of and collecting evidence for the case, and will also provide expert witness testimony. The SPCA stated the animals did not have access to appropriate food or water and were not receiving proper care. Deceased cattle were also found on the properties along with an unknown number of skeletal remains of cattle. SPCA states the Bergin faces a state jail felony, which carries a punishment of up to two years in state jail and up to $10,000 fine.
The cattle were found on six different properties encompassing an estimated 2,700 acres of bare pasture land. Most of the cattle are emaciated. No hay was found on the properties. The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and the SPCA of Texas have received multiple complaints of animal cruelty in this case and attempted to work with Bergin to bring the animals’ conditions into compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code. SPCA states he refused to provide sufficient appropriate food, water and care for the cattle, the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and the SPCA of Texas agreed that it was in the animals’ best interest to obtain a seizure warrant and remove them.
Aviation History: The
VC-118A (Douglas DC-6) 53-3240 was built as a VIP transport and delivered to the 1254th Air Transport Wing at Washington International Airport on December 23, 1955. In July 1961 the 1254th ATW along with 53-3240 were relocated to Andrews AFB. The aircraft soon became President John F Kennedy’s favorite plane to transport him to the short landing strip at Hyannisport, Massachusetts.
VC-118A 53-3240 served as the official Air Force One for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. The last propeller driven aircraft to be designated as the primary Presidential transport, the VC-118A was overshadowed with the introduction of the Boeing VC-137s. Both Presidents preferred the larger, faster jet aircraft for longer trips. The VC-118A was used primarily for short trips to airports that were too small for the big VC-137. John F. Kennedy needed to frequently fly to Hyannisport, Massachusetts with its short runway, the Air Force had to use a prop plane. The Douglas fit the bill well and stayed on with the Johnson administration to fly L.B.J. to his Texas ranch. Once the VC-137 became the primary Presidential aircraft the VC-118 was used as a back up plane and to transport lower ranking VIPs.
Douglas VC-118A 53-3240 is on display at Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, where it now sports the same livery as Jackie Kennedy had designed for SAM 62-6000.
VC-118A 53-3240 was input to E-Systems in Greenville, TX one time in November 1973 for maintenance before being retired.
The included information comes from local Sulphur Springs resident Tony Hughes. Mr. Hughes worked on, performed engine run up, pre-flight/post flight and flew as an aircraft mechanic observer on FCF’s (functional check flight), along with supervising hangar and flight line operations for over 40 years (1956-1996) at the Greenville, Tx. plant, formerly known as TEMCO. The Greenville plant started as Temco (Texas Engineering & Manufacturing Co.) and changed to Ling-Temco Electronics, Inc. in 1960, then Ling-Temco-Vought, Inc. in 1961. The company changed again to LTV Electrosystems, Inc. in 1965, and E-Systems, Inc. in 1972. In 1995 a merger changed the name to Raytheon/E-Systems, and now the company has been managed by L-3 Communications since 2002.
#11 Wildcats, #9 Lady Cats, and Saltillo Basketball in Tournament Play Beginning Thursday
This week the Sulphur Springs Wildcats will play in a three-day Allen tournament beginning Thursday, December 28. The tournament is a varsity only tourney featuring lots of Class 6A teams, some with top 25 rankings. The Wildcats resume district play at Marshall on January 2. They are home January 5th against Texas High. The Wildcats are ranked #11 in Texas Class 5-A boys basketball.
The Lady Cats are # 9 in Texas Class 5-A girls basketball. The Lady Cats will resume play in a three-day Idabel, Oklahoma tournament starting Thursday. The Lady Cats compete again in district play at home against Marshall on January 2.
Saltillo Lions will face North Hopkins in a Tournament at Boles beginning Thursday.
Lady Lions play Whitesboro in a tournament in Leonard Thursday.
Commerce Man Arrested Locally for Possession of Meth
A traffic stop by a Hopkins County Deputy at the intersection of Loop 301 and Jefferson Street led to the arrest of Tony Lee Wilkinson, 48, of Commerce. Wilkinson’s nervousness alerted the officer to possible drug possession. That led to a search of the vehicle that located 15.62-grams of suspected methamphetamine.
Wilkinson was asked to exit the vehicle and during a pat down search, a glass pipe commonly used to smoke meth was located in his pocket. He stated that he had methamphetamine in the vehicle.
Wilkinson is in Hopkins County Jail Charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams. His bond is set at $35,000.
Meal a Day Menu December 25th-29th
Meal A Day Menu
December 25th – December 29th
Monday
CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS
Tuesday
Chicken Cacciatore
Mixed Squash
Garlic Toast
Wednesday
Frito Chili Pie Casserole
Re-fried Beans
Corn
Thursday
Diced Ham Macaroni and Cheese
Provence Vegetables
Roll
Friday
Chicken Spectacular
Pickled Beets
Roll
Aviation History: THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL JET AIRPLANE – VC-137B 58-6970
USAF procurement of the Boeing 707 was very limited, amounting to three Model 707-153s designated VC-137A’s serial numbers 58-6970, 58-6971 and 58-6972. When delivered in 1959 these had four 13,500 lb dry thrust Pratt & Whitney J57 (JT3C6) turbojets; when subsequently re-engined with 18,000 lbf dry thrust TF33-P-5 (JT3D) turbofans they were redesignated VC-137B.
The first presidential jet plane was known as SAM (Special Air Missions) 970. This aircraft, as well as any other Air Force aircraft, carried the call sign “Air Force One” when the president was aboard. Delivered in 1959 to replace Eisenhower’s Super-Constellation, the high-speed jet transport was a flying Oval Office with a modified interior and sophisticated communication equipment.
Jet technology gave a president the opportunity to meet face-to-face with world leaders easily. SAM 970 has carried presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon as well as VIPs such as Nikita Khrushchev and Henry Kissinger.
By 1962, SAM 970 was replaced by a newer Boeing VC-137C 62-6000. But SAM 970 remained in the presidential fleet ferrying VIPs and the Vice-President until June of 1996.
Though she never was designated the official “Presidential aircraft,” she served as Air Force One many times and saw her share of history. (Columbine III, a Lockheed Super Constellation, retained that designation until the end of Eisenhower’s administration and a DC-6 known simply as ‘3240 served for the first years of Kennedy’s administration.) Without President Eisenhower’s knowledge, the CIA outfitted ‘970 with secret reconnaissance cameras in preparation for his planned trip to Moscow. That trip was scuttled, ironically, because of the shooting down of Francis Gary Powers in his U-2 spy plane over the USSR on May 1, 1960. In 1962 ‘970 carried John Glenn to Washington the day after his orbital flight, and in the early 1970’s she (and 62-6000) shuttled Henry Kissinger to Paris for the secret peace talks with North Vietnam. After the delivery of Aircraft 62-6000, ‘970 was relegated to service as backup, but in the process shed her plain Air Force markings in favor of Loewy’s striking blue and white livery. Affectionately known as “Queenie”, ‘970 retired with full military honors to the Museum of Flight in Seattle on June 18, 1996.
E-Systems in Greenville, TX performed depot maintenance on SAM 970 beginning in 1973 through 1994.
The included information comes from local Sulphur Springs resident Tony Hughes. Mr Hughes worked on, performed engine run up, pre-flight/post flight and flew as an aircraft mechanic observer on FCF’s (functional check flight) at the Greenville, Tx. plant, formerly known as TEMCO. The Greenville plant started as Temco (Texas Engineering & Manufacturing Co.) then changed to Ling-Temco Electronics, Inc. in 1960, then Ling-Temco-Vought, Inc. in 1961. The company then changed it’s name to LTV Electrosystems, Inc. in 1965, then E-Systems, Inc. in 1972. A merger changed the name to Raytheon E-Systems in 1995, and now the company has been managed by L-3 Communications since 2002.
Two Local Men Arrested for Contraband Found in Vehicle During Traffic Stop
Billy Don Campbell
Billy Don Campbell, 51, of Sulphur Springs, is in Hopkins County Jail following a traffic stop that found him in Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams and Violation of Probation for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, less than 1-gram. Also arrested in the stop was Tracy Odell Marshall, 48, of Dike what is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, less than 1-gram.
Tracy Odell Marshall
A Sulphur Springs Police Officer on patrol in the 1000 block of South Davis Street around 8 a.m. Thursday morning noted a Red Silverado Chevrolet pickup run a stop sign leaving Georgia Street turning onto Peach Street. Then the officer noted the vehicle fail to signal a turn onto South Davis. During the traffic stop, the officer noted Campbell, the driver, to be very nervous and the officer asked consent to search the vehicle. Consent was not granted and a K-9 unit was called to the scene. The K-9 made a positive alert and a search conducted found the contraband.
Courthouse Window Repair Approved; Commissioners Meet Next Week to Discuss Sale of Property on Main Street
Hopkins County Commissioners Court awarded a contract to Phoenix I Corp, of Farmers Branch, to do restoration and repair on the courthouse windows on lower floors. The project slated to begin in January and continue for three months will cost $145,000. Restoration and repair on the windows on the upper floors was carried out in 2008.
Next week, Thursday, January 4, 2018 at 9 a.m. commissioners’ court will conduct a work session in the first floor meeting room to discuss bids for the purchase of county owned property at 110 Main Street and 118 Main Street. The properties currently house the District Attorney and District Clerk offices. County Judge Robert Newsom stated that the minimum bid must be $400,000 and there will be a one year wait before the owner can take possession of the property if a bid is accepted in a later Commissioners’ Court meeting. Newsom noted that during the year following the sale, a new 100-seat courtroom and District Attorney and District Clerk offices would be built on county property near the county jail to facilitate public safety and to add technical advantages to the courtroom if approved by the court.
Lake Fork’s Patriot Sporting Challenge Makes $100,000 Donation to Folds of Honor
Garry Schnabel, Executive Director of the Patriot Sporting Challenge and Chuck Roy, founder and board member, visited the KSST Good Morning Show to share some good news about the success of the inaugural event of the 501c4 organization and it’s 501c3 arm, PSC Patriots. Plans are now going forward for the 2018 Patriots Sporting Challenge which will further the work of the national organization, Folds of Honor. Following is a press release, dated December 13, 2017.
Yantis, Texas – The Patriot Sporting Challenge recently presented to the Folds of Honor Foundation a check for $100,000 to support the educational opportunities for dependents of those U.S. Servicemen who have been lost in action or significantly disabled.
The Patriot Sporting Challenge’s inaugural event “Lunkers, Bunkers and Clays” was held at Lake Fork Texas on October 27 & 28 and featured 42 competitive 4-man teams competing in a trilogy of sporting events. This was a first ever challenge that coupled fishing, golf, and shooting sports into a tournament format for determining a Challenge Grand Champion. The Links at Land’s End, Hidden Lakes Resort, and Lake Fork presented the competitors a challenging arena for the competition. The winners received a trophy that is on permanent display at The Links at Land’s End as well as significant cash and merchandise prizes.
The check presentation was held in the corporate headquarters of Skeeter Boats in Kilgore, Texas and was attended by Mr. Jeff Stone, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Skeeter and Ms. JoAnne O’Bryant, Senior Marketing Project Manager. Skeeter was a Signature Sponsor for the event. Mr. Kelly Jordan, a Skeeter Professional Staff member, also attended and added his appreciation as a participant in the Challenge.
Accepting the check for the Folds of Honor was Diane Nemecek, Regional Development Manager. Presenting the check was Garry Schnabel, Director of the Patriot Sporting Challenge.
Mrs. Nemecek was thrilled to receive the donation and said, “This is an overwhelming honor to receive these funds to support the Folds of Honor’s mission statement, ‘Honor the Sacrifice by Educating their Legacy.’ This money will forever change the life of many dependents that have been adversely affected by the loss of a military family member. Many educational scholarships will be made possible by today’s gift.”
For more about the Folds of Honor, including mission statement and history, see www.foldsofhonor.org
Check out the challenge course at www.golflakefork.com, details of the shooting competition venue at www.hiddenlakeshr.com, and Lake Fork Texas at www.lakeforktexas.com and Facebook Patriot Sporting Challenge.
Tira News December 22, 2017
By Jan Vaughn
We want to express our sympathy to the family of Travis Eugene (Gene) Lewis, son of the late Barney and Edna Lewis. He passed away December 19th in Armuchee, Georgia. Rachel Lewis reports that a memorial service will be scheduled for a later date. Siblings are Wanda Clayton, Dorothy Hargrave, Gary Lewis, Judy Lewis and Richard Lewis. Please be in prayer for the family.
The Tira City Council would like to express their appreciation to the North Hopkins Beta Club and Danna Lewis, their sponsor, for their generous donation of food for the Tira Food Pantry.
Linda Petty had back surgery on Monday, December 11th, at Methodist Surgery Center in Addison. Mick reports, “The back surgery went well, but she had some heart issues on the 2nd day after the surgery, so our two-day stay turned into a 5-day stay. I think all is well now and we go back for a follow up this Friday. We can’t thank our family and friends enough for their help and prayers.”
Regina Taylor, of Sulphur Springs, Brenda Allen, of Yantis, and Yvonne Weir and I, from Tira, went to Hot Springs, Arkansas on Friday. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf, overlooking Lake Hamilton, and then drove around downtown and up the mountain. That evening we went to Garvan Woodland Gardens for their beautiful Holiday Lights event. Later we had a delicious meal at the Bleu Monkey Grill. On Saturday, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, and then spent the day shopping before returning home.
I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-945-2190 or 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
