Failure to Appear on Sentencing Date Results in 15 Years Not 10
Justin Pendergraft, 33, of Sumner, Texas pled guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams and was to be sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice if he turned himself in on his sentencing date. He had agreed to the terms. However, he did not appear and on Wednesday was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Pendergraft was speeding on South Loop 301 when DPS Trooper King made the traffic stop. King noted that Pendergraft was noticeably shaking even though the temperature on the date of the stop was 68. Trooper King also noted a knife just above Pendergraft’s head in the auto. Pendergraft was invited to step out of the auto and asked if he had anything illegal in the vehicle. With his head down, he replied, “Yes.”
Trooper King found a black pistol between the driver’s seat and console, which he considered within easy grasp of Pendergraft, when in the vehicle, and in the passenger’s seat, he found methamphetamine. It was also found that Pendergraft had been previously convicted of more than one felony.
Lady Cats’ Volleyball Opens in Scrimmage Action Friday
On day two of the Lady Cats’ volleyball season Wednesday (August 2), there was another morning conditioning session. After a break, team tryouts continued for a second day. After the Wednesday sessions, Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Justin Maness is expected to assign players to the varsity, JV and freshmen teams. The Lady Cats return eight players from last year’s varsity team that won 30 games to set a new school record for volleyball wins.
Thursday (August 3) will mark the varsity’s first day to practice as a unit this season. They will have their first scrimmages at home Friday (August 4). The Lady Cats will scrimmage Cumby at 10 a.m. Friday in Wildcats Gym. Cumby will scrimmage Commerce at 11 a.m. The Lady Cats will then scrimmage Commerce at noon in Wildcats Gym. The Lady Cats will also scrimmage against several opponents Saturday (August 5) in Wills Point.
The Lady Cats will open the regular season at home next Tuesday afternoon (August 8) against North Lamar and Sherman. According to Coach Maness, the Lady Cats open the season against North Lamar at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Wildcats Gym. North Lamar will face Sherman at 3 p.m. The Lady Cats will then play Sherman at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Wildcats Gym.
SSHS Band Beating the Heat
The Sulphur Springs High School band practice has begun as the musicians get ready for the first football game of the season . The Flute section practiced their “Foga”or “flute yoga” warm-up. All of the band members practiced scales as well as the school fight song and popular songs such as “Will you be my girl”. There are a total of 120 students in the band and they were divided into 9 different groups based on instruments. Each instrument group and the color guard squad had their own space in the high school to practice.
Check out some pictures of the students practicing!
50 Wildcat Football Season Tickets Left as of 10 a.m. Wednesday
Wildcats’ football season ticket week coordinator Lynette King said the first person seeking a season ticket upgrade or additional tickets showed up at Sulphur Springs High School just before 5 a.m. Wednesday. Ms. King said they got what they were looking for.
When the doors first opened at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday in the high school Media Center, Ms. King said there were 25 to 30 ticket holders who had renewed their tickets earlier this week and who were seeking upgrades or additional tickets. She said at that time there were a little over 100 season tickets available including some Ms. King described as really good tickets. As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, there was no line and some 50 or so tickets still available. Ms. King said several current season ticket holders came by to check and see if there were any seats available for sale near their season ticket location. Ms. King said tickets on the first row, which were avoided in the past, now have become hot commodities. Those new row 1 seats are now six feet higher than they were in the old Prim Stadium.
If there are any season tickets left at the end of the day Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., they will be available for the general public Thursday and possibly Friday. 
Hopkins County Grand Jury Indicts 43 on August 1st
August 1, 2017 – A Hopkins County Grand Jury handed down 43 indictments Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Not all arrests have been made but those individuals who have been arrested and indicted include:
CEDILLO, WESLEY LANE
Cedillo, 18, listed as homeless confessed to vandalizing the glass restroom on the west side of Celebration Plaza Wednesday night.. He stated that he shattered the glass with his ring. Cedillo wearing a ball cap and in the company of a female companion. He shattered the window and vandalized the flower beds and a flag pole nearby according to Detective Fox.
Dana Gandy-Haynsworth, 26, of Mt Vernon for Abandon Endanger Child Criminal Negligence. Special Crimes Unit, working with Child Protective Services, arrested Gandy-Haynsworth, at the CPS office in July. CPS opened an investigation in June of this year testing Gandy-Haynesworth, her husband and their 4-year old child. The 4-year old child tested positive for Methamphetamine. Both the biological mother and the biological father tested positive for a variety of controlled substances. The biological father is in a drug rehab program at this time. His arrest is pending his release. The 4-yr old child has been placed with relatives.
Andrianna Maria Hollis for Abandon Endanger Child Criminal Negligence.
Ashley Reaqueal Nichols and Donald Bryan Nichols individually for two counts of Abandon Endanger Child Criminal Negligence.
Julie Dexter Davis, 25, for Possession of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. It began with a Hopkins County Investigator, Corley Weatherford, finding stolen articles for sale online. It ended with one arrest in a pasture following a chase and another at the residence where the stolen items from five or six burglaries in the south part of the county were found when deputies were serving an arrest warrant. When deputies approached the residence they found a number of the stolen items in the carport. They knocked on all the doors of the house but no one inside the residence responded. The deputies loaded the stolen property into a patrol vehicle and went to a side door where Davis was exiting the residence. They inquired about Mowrer but were told he was not there. They were given consent to search the house and as they searched, a deputy noted a green tinted zip lock bag located on a night stand near Davis’ property. Inside the bag was a substance believed to be methamphetamine. She was indicted in April for Engage in Organized Criminal Activity.
Jeffery Edward Mowrer, Jr, 25, on four separate indictments: Tamper Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to impair; for Burglary of Building; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon; for Evading Arrest Detention with Vehicle. Mowrer was located by deputies in a vehicle on State Highway 154 according to Sheriff Lewis Tatum. The deputies gave pursuit. Mowrer and a passenger in the vehicle fled onto several county roads and then through a fence into a pasture. After Mowrer drove through a second fence onto another property, the passenger exited the vehicle and gave himself up. Finally, Mowrer exited the auto and was caught by a deputy. During an inventory of his vehicle, a handgun was found in the air filter of the 1992 model auto. Mowrer was being sought at the home of Julie Dexter Davis (see above).
Thel Wallace Renfro of Plano on two separate indictments: Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams; Tamper Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair. Renfro attempted to drop a Snus tin and push it under his seat but law enforcement noted the act and found not only Snus, a Swedish brand of snuff, pouches in the tin but also a clear baggie with pills inside. The pills were methadone weighing 3-grams.
Meldrick Dewayne Roland, 26, for two indictments: Theft of Firearm; Unlawful Possession of Firearm by a Felon. Roland, of Sulphur Springs, was arrested when Sulphur Springs Police responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of Locust Street. There they found Roland in close proximity to a Chevy 2500 Pickup. He admitted that he was the last person in the vehicle and the one who drove the pickup to the location. In the vehicle was a firearm laying in plain view with the window down. A check on the firearm showed it to be stolen.
Kayla Renea Roth for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than or equal to 1-gram. Roth, 26, of Summer Texas was arrested at the corner of Highway 19 and FM 71 by a Hopkins County Deputy. When the deputy made a traffic stop, Roth showed signs of methamphetamine use. Roth said she had been arrested in Gregg County for Possession of meth a month ago but had not used meth since that arrest.
Daryl Christopher Simmons for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Johnny Lee Speed for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. Speed, 35, of Pickton was stopped for a traffic violation and showed signs of nervousness. He gave consent to the deputy to search his vehicle on FM 3019 at CR 2381. In a brown wallet containing his social security card was a clear baggie containing suspected methamphetamine.
Nathaniel Stuart for Possession of Marijuana more than 4 oz. but less than 5 lbs.
Brittany Quae Darty for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Billie Irvin Murphy for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Sarah Elizabeth Frazier for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone.
Justin Dwayne Humphries for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. When a Hopkins County Deputy attempted to stop for a traffic violation Humphries, 23, made a quick turn onto Taylor Street in Como to avoid the stop. The deputy had attempted to stop the small passenger car that Humphries was driving for driving on the improved shoulder of the highway while headed eastbound on State Highway 11. After the turn onto Taylor Street, he stopped at a residence and walked to the door of the house. The deputy approached and asked for his driver’s license. Humphries admitted his license was suspended. No information of insurance could be provided by the driver or by county dispatch in a state records check. He stated he had nothing illegal in the vehicle. However, an inventory of the vehicle resulted in a bag of methamphetamine and a pipe. Also a clear baggie containing a black substance believed to be Black Tar Heroin was also found. The meth tested to 5.8-grams and the Heroin tested to just under 1-gram.
Danini Marie-Davis Jackson for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 400-gram.
Jorge Jaramillo, 37 of Saltillo for Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon. A dispute between co-workers at a residence on CR 3368 brought the attention of Hopkins County deputies. A small handgun and a partially empty box of ammunition were located in a consensual search. The weapon had been displayed during an altercation between the parties the previous night.
Xavious Amad Taylor, 21, of Dallas for Theft of Firearm. Cumby Police stopped a 2002 Jeep Cherokee at the 113-mile marker for having a broken tail light. The smell of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle created the need for a probable cause search inside the vehicle. A stolen Ruger 9MM semi-automatic pistol was found underneath the back passenger seat. The firearm had been stolen out of Sherman, Texas according to a records check.
Alejandro Trillo, Jr. for Possession Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 400-grams. Trillo was traveling I-30 when the arrest was made.
John Anthony Weston for Money Laundering more than $2,500 but less than $30,000.
Anthony W. Worley for Unlawful Possession of Firearm by Felon. Hopkins County Deputies responded to a call in reference to an assault that occurred on CR1100 July 4th around 9 a.m. Worley, 52, admitted to having a revolver in his possession. A records check showed him to be a convicted felon. The weapon was found underneath the bed in the residence.
Elijah Ray Loera for Credit Cart or Debit Card Abuse Elderly
Colten Blake Skinner for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Barney Dwayne Ebey for Escape While Arrested/Confined Felony. Ebey,53, was returned to Hopkins County Jail after he escaped from a work group at Hopkins County Civic Center. He was located 12 hours later near Athens, Texas when he was tracked by dogs from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Ebey had been in a Tyler hospital where he had been under observation after being transferred from a Henderson County hospital due to medical reasons.
Todd Joseph for two indictments: Permit Facilitate Escape Correction Facility; Hinder Apprehension or Prosecution Known Felon. Saranzinski, 55, assisted Ebey in his escape.
Robert Jay Aaron for Aggravated Assault Date/Family/House with Weapon. Sulphur Springs Police were called to the 800 block of College Street they made contact with the victim, they were told that Aaron, 28, had grabbed the female victim and knocked her to the ground holding a knife to her throat.
Trudy Louise Adair for Assault Public Servant. Adair, 54, a former Sulphur Springs resident that now lists St Louis as her home, struggled with officers in downtown Sulphur Springs but while being booked in at Hopkins County jail, she bit the jailer and became violent hitting the jail staff. A Hopkins County Deputy was asked to assist the jail staff with Adair after a female Sulphur Springs Police Officer had arrested Adair for Public Intoxication.
Sharon Sue Allen for Possession Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Kyle Reese Butler for Possession Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. Leaving your baggie of suspected cocaine in the backseat of the vehicle that takes you to jail may not be the move most wise. Butler, 29, of Mt. Pleasant was stopped by Sulphur Springs Police in the 800 block of Gilmer Street for a traffic violation. The result was a baggie of marijuana found in his right front pocket. The baggie contained less than 2 oz. of the green leafy substance. He was arrested. However, when he was transported to Hopkins County Jail a baggie of suspected cocaine was found in the back seat of the transport vehicle where Butler had been sitting.
Tyrek Treyvon Cork for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 3 less than 28-grams in a Drug Free Zone. Cork, 18, of Sulphur Springs was walking on the wrong side of the street in the 300 block of WA Street in Sulphur Springs. A Sulphur Springs Police officer found him to be in possession of a controlled substance.
Keri Amanda Crump for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. Crump, 28, of Sulphur Springs was the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle that had been involved in a single vehicle crash that occurred on I-30 eastbound at the 111-mile marker. Crump admitted to deputies at the scene she had smoked PCP just prior to the crash.
PJC SS News
CERTIFICATION REVIEW
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center welding instructor John Plemons, left, reviews instructions for the upcoming certification welding tests with students Melissa Hamilton, center, and Erik Tussey, both of Sulphur Springs. Hamilton is a first semester structural welding student and Tussey is in third semester advanced welding. For information about the welding program call 903-885-1232 or go by the PJC-Sulphur Springs campus located at 1137 Loop 301 East.
CHESS Homeschool Book Fair and Open House a Success
McDearmont Named to Downtown Revitalization Board; Council Approves Items on Agenda
Dr. Scott McDearmont was named to the Downtown Revitalization Board Tuesday night during the Sulphur Springs City Council August meeting. The council also approved all items on their agenda. Among the items a resolution supporting BEF Foods application for an Enterprise Zone Project that will add additional equipment for a Macaroni and Cheese line. The council extended the case management contract and collections contract with GHS, a local company.
Property located at 792 Wildcat Way will be rezoned from Single Family to Heavy Commercial. According to a sign at the location, Landmark Storage will build additional storage units including climate controlled units. Properties on Jefferson Street and College Street were rezoned to single family to fit the traditional zoning in the areas where they are located.
Council also approved the second and final reading for ordinances regarding Combination Tax and Surplus Revenue Certificates of Obligation and General Obligation Refunding Bond Series 2017.
EDC, Saputo, Clayton Homes Partner with Teachers
Monday, August 7, 2017, at noon the Economic Development Corporation will honor two industries and teachers involved in a partnership that allowed the teachers to do job shadowing that will facilitate writing curriculum focused on skilled needed to work in those industries.
The industries, Saputo Dairy Foods and Clayton Homes, have enjoyed having the teachers and working with them in the project according to Roger Feagley, EDC Executive. The teachers received a stipend from the EDC during the project and an additional $250 will be awarded to the one that develops the best classroom lesson plan.
