Child Pornography Found on Inmate Cell Phone
Carlos Omar Casillas
During an inventory of a cell phone belonging to Carlos Omar Casillas, 22, an inmate in Hopkins County Jail, Sheriff’s investigators found child pornography. Casillas is charged with 5 counts of Possession of Child Pornography and is being held on a $30,000 bond for each count in addition to other charges against him.
Wildcats Remain Perfect in District with Victory Over Class 5-A #3 Ranked Hallsville
The Wildcats’ baseball team used a strong pitching effort by Ryan Humphries to defeat the state’s #3 ranked Class 5A team, Hallsville, 5-1 at Eagle Stadium Tuesday night. The game featured two teams with perfect 5-0 records in district play coming in. The Bobcats also came in with an 18-2 record.
Humphries allow just a single run on only 3 hits. He struck out two and walked four. Humphries improved his record to 4-0 in district play.
The Wildcats scored their five runs utilizing eight hits. The Wildcats scored a single run in the first. Mason Buck was hit by a pitch. He moved to third on two passed balls and he scored on a Heston Golightly single. The Wildcats added two runs in the third mixing in some Eagle Stadium magic. Buck doubled and he scored when a lazy fly ball ended up falling fifteen hit behind the left fielder who lost track of the ball. Golightly ended up with a triple at third. He scored on Triston McCormick’s fly ball. The Wildcats built their lead to 5-0 in the fourth. Easton Silman walked and Michael Arnold singled. Both players moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Dawson Draper. Silman and Arnold scored on a Gavin Millsap single.
Hallsville narrowed the lead to 5-1 with a walk and an RBI double in the sixth. Hallsville threatened in the seventh with a walk and a single but the next hitter flied out with the last batter hitting into a game ending double play.
The Wildcats move into first place with a 6-0 record in district play. They are now 12-5-1 for the season and they have won eight straight games. The Wildcats open the second half of district play at Eagle Stadium Friday against Pine Tree. The Wildcats opened district play at Pine Tree with a 13-8 win back on March 14.
Lady Cats Win on the Road in Hallsville
The Lady Cats’ softball team won a road district game at Hallsville, 4-2 Tuesday. The win improved the Lady Cats district record to 6-2 and their season record to 19-6.
The Lady Cats did their damage early scoring single runs in the first and second and two runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead. Hallsville could only manage single runs in the third and sixth innings off of Lady Cats’ pitcher Bailey Haggerty. Haggerty struck out three. Both teams had eight hits. The Lady Bobcats committed three errors and the Lady Cats had two.
For the Lady Cats, Alli Fite and Macee Hollins each had two hits. Alyssa Abron walked three times and Jaye Doughtie and Sadie Stroud each walked once. Fite, Kristen Allen and Abron had one RBI each.
Next the Lady Cats play Pine Tree at Lady Cat Park Friday evening. The Lady Cats hope to avenge a loss at Pine Tree back on March 14.
Wildcat Golf Qualifies For Regional Tourney; Place Second in District
The Wildcats’ golf team almost caught Hallsville Tuesday for the district championship coming up one stroke short but they qualified for the regional tournament by finishing in second place. The Wildcats shot a second day 312 to go with a 302 first round to finish with 614.
The Wildcats were led by Alex Motes who shot 74 and 75 for a 149, good enough for a second place finish in the medalist race. Matt Calhoun also shined with a 74 and a 77 for 151 total, good for third place in the tournament. Motes and Calhoun made the All-Tournament First Team. Caleb Lewis shot 75 and 80 for 155. Andrew Escobar shot 79 and 83 for 162 total. Carter Lewis had an 87 and 80 for 167. Competing as medalists Cameron Morris shot 81 and 82 for 163. Colten Bench had 90 and 86 for 176.
The district tournament was played at the Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club.
City Manager’s Report, April 4, 2017
BILL BRADFORD ROAD – DONE!
LOCUST STREET – The utility work (water, sewer, gas) is complete. Cement stabilization and concrete work has begun at the north end of Locust. Work will progress from north to south.
MOORE STREET. – Utility work has begun on Moore Street.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT – Work has begun at the wastewater treatment plant. The contractor has excavated one very large hole to accommodate 3 new clarifiers, installed an underdrain system for the clarifiers and begun foundation work on the building that will house blowers for the new digesters.
CLAIMS – We one minor workers’ compensation claim in March and one liability claim arising from a police officer who backed into another vehicle.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT – Total suspended solids (TSS) came in at 1.63 mg/L, well within the limit of 10 mg/L.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES – Finance Director Peter Karstens will present a year-to-date summary of revenues and expenditures.
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Conducted 31 building inspections, 17 electrical inspections, 17 plumbing inspections, 5 mechanical inspections and issued 23 building permits.
- Made 18 extensive street repairs following utility repairs.
- Repaired 455 potholes.
- Repaired storm drain at Como & Bill Bradford.
- Made concrete repairs in the Woodbridge subdivision following storm drain repair.
- Repaired collapsed storm drain on Jackson.
- Helped the County attach new courthouse lights to our computerized lighting system.
- Responded to 227 animal control calls while achieving a 55% adoption rate.
- Responded to 34 accidents, wrote 658 traffic citations, recorded 73 offences and made 73 arrests.
- Performed multiple routine maintenance items as well as repairs at the wastewater treatment plant and the water treatment plant.
- Repaired 6 water main breaks, and replaced 12 water meters.
- Unstopped 30 sewer mains.
- Repaired 11 sewer mains.
- Washed 70,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Flushed 35 dead end water mains.
- Operated Cooper Lake Pump Station on emergency power for 2 days while Oncor made upgrades on the substation.
- Treated 129 million gallons of potable water.
- Responded to 138 fire/rescue calls including 5 structure fires.
- Checked out 3,022 items from the library.
- Hosted a 32 team softball tournament.
- Sold 2,510 gallons of AvGas and 7,953 gallons of JetA fuel.
TxDOT Turned 100 Years Old April 4th
AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Transportation turned 100 years old today and celebrated with an employee event at its downtown Austin headquarters office located in the DeWitt Greer building at 125 E. 11th Street. The event featured a travelling exhibit with a refurbished 1918 Liberty Truck and a time capsule that included some interesting items that have been used in the agency’s century-long history. The Centennial event highlighted the agency’s ongoing mission of connecting Texans to what matters most – the people and places they love.
“We are extremely grateful for the century of support from our elected leaders and citizens who have helped us build one of the greatest transportation systems in the world,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “As a long-time TxDOT employee, I have been blessed to know and work with so many extraordinary people who have helped shape the daily lives of all Texans. As we celebrate our past, we look forward to delivering new projects that will keep Texans moving for the next 100 years.”
As the state’s economy and population continue to grow, TxDOT remains committed to meeting Texas’ ongoing and ever-changing transportation needs. In the early 1900s, the goal was connecting farms and ranches to market; today, it’s safely moving goods and a population of more than 27 million across a nation-leading 80,000 miles of state-maintained roadways – even in the midst of historic growth in our population and trade.
To commemorate this 100-year milestone, TxDOT invites the public to visit its centennial website. The public also is invited to “Track the Truck” and join in the celebration as a refurbished, 27-foot-long 1918 Liberty Truck makes its way across the state as part of a traveling exhibit that tells the district-by-district story of the agency’s 100-year history. Along with the truck, the exhibit will feature historical photos and a visual timeline highlighting significant dates and achievements.
“Our traveling centennial exhibit affords us a great opportunity to thank the public and share a uniquely historical perspective of how our roadways have evolved from their early beginnings into the expansive network we know today,” Bass said.
The TxDOT Story
Born as the Texas Highway Department on April 4, 1917, the earliest incarnation of the Texas Department of Transportation was tasked with a challenge that continues today – there’s a lot of ground to cover in Texas.
In its first nine months, the Texas Highway Department registered nearly 200,000 automobiles and drew the first official map showing the routes of 8,865 miles of improved roadways that would tie Texas together.
As Texas grew, so did the department’s responsibilities. In the 1970s, its scope would stretch beyond roads and highways to local and regional public transit providers. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the agency was assigned additional duties, including aviation and railroads along with ports and waterways. It also was given a new identity – the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT for short.
Today, TxDOT continues to address the state’s ongoing and growing transportation needs. From its humble beginnings of 10 employees and a 1918 construction project creating a 20-mile road between Falfurrias and Encino to the world’s first precast network arch bridge in Fort Worth, TxDOT has grown into one of the state’s largest agencies with more than 11,000 team members maintaining 80,000 miles of Texas roadways.
It’s been a century of service and TxDOT looks forward to the next 100 years of connecting Texans to what matters most.
TxDot logo
Branch Receives 5-Years in TDJC in Plea Bargain Agreement
Amy Michelle Branch, 44, pled to five years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Tuesday afternoon in a plea bargain agreement in Eighth Judicial District Court, according to Assistant District Attorney Clay Harrison.
Branch was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams with Intent to Deliver, a Felony 2.
Saltillo Lady Lions Defeat Yantis 24-9 in District Win
The Saltillo Lady Lions’ softball team scored early and often in a 24-9 district victory at Yantis Monday night. The Lady Lions actually had to rally after trailing early. The Lady Lions led 3-2 after the first inning but then fell behind 5-3 after two innings. Saltillo went ahead 11-9 after three innings.The Lady Lions scored the games last 13 runs. The game was called after five innings.
Melissa Groenewold had a big game with a home run, a triple and a single. Madison Simmons hit a double and two singles. Tori Mobley had three singles. Rainie English, Melissa Tawil, Kasey Sanders and Christie Gurley had two singles apiece. Shelby Matlock and Jordan Sustaire each had a single.
Workshop Focuses on Prescribed Burning
by Adam Russell
CANTON – A workshop focused on prescribed burning will be April 21 in Canton.
The event, co-sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will begin with registration at 8 a.m. at the Van Zandt County Farm Bureau, 281 E. Texas Highway 243.
Cost is $20. Organizers ask that attendees RSVP with the AgriLife Extension office in Van Zandt County at 903-567-4149. The event includes lunch and refreshments.
Topics and speakers include:
- Why Burn? Fire History and Fire Effects – Chris Schenk, TPWD statewide fire program leader, Tyler.
- Planning a Burn, Including Weather and Fire Behavior – Larry LeBeau, TPWD wildlife biologist, Tyler.
- Tools, Equipment and Resources – Heidi Bailey, TPWD wildlife biologist, Van.
- Burn Contractors – Kevin Bowman, Bowman Land Management president, Athens.
- Safety, Liability and the Law – Jason Ellis, Texas A&M Forest Service district forester, Jacksonville.
Demonstration burns will be conducted at 1 p.m., weather permitting, following the speaker presentations.
One Texas Department of Agriculture integrated pest management continuing education unit will be available for attendees.
“Prescribed fire is the most efficient, effective and cheapest management tool for managing native habitats in East Texas,” said Tommy Phillips, AgriLife Extension agent Van Zandt County. “We invite residents from Van Zandt and all surrounding counties to come learn about this great time honored tool of land management.”
