Wildcat Soccer Picks Up Win; District Play Begins Friday
Wildcats Soccer Coach Nicky Wiggins said his team played real hard in a 1-0 victory over Pittsburg on the road Tuesday night. Johnathan Alvarez scored the Wildcats’ goal. It was the Wildcats’ final non-district game.
Coach Wiggins said Pittsburg was a pretty good team and he added they were very physical. He called the match a good little dogfight to be in right before district play. Coach Wiggins said the atmosphere was good in Pittsburg with fans from both teams really getting into the game. With the Wildcats in the lead, he said every time Pittsburg got past midfield their fans thought they were going to tie up the game. Coach Wiggins said his team made the game a little more exciting than it should have been. He said the Wildcats created some opportunities but he told his players they needed to finish some of those and score some goals.
Coach Wiggins said his team is excited about starting district play at Pine Tree Friday night. The Wildcats finished non-district play with a 7-1-1 record. Pine Tree is always at the top of the district standings but the past two seasons, the Wildcats have played Pine Tree as good as anyone in the district. Coach Wiggins said he’d have to contact former Coach Andy Holt to learn his secret against the Pirates.
Happy Birthday to the Lone Star Flag
On January 25th, 1839, the second Texas Flag was adopted. Our current flag is a much different version than our Texan forefathers saw. Texas’s first flag boasted a blue background with a yellow five-point star in the middle and represented our state for a little over two years, beginning in 1836. The design of our current flag is accredited to Charles B. Stewart of Montgomery County. For years Texans considered the origins of our flag to be a mystery until 1997, when President Mirabeau Lamar commemorated Montgomery County as the birth place to our red, white, and blue flag. The striking red, blue, and white are stated to represent bravery, loyalty, and purity. Early appearances of the “lone star” were said to represent Texas’s independence from Mexico, but now represents all of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State, and Country. One hundred and seventy eight years later, students across the great state of Texas stand, salute, and pledge to our Lone Star Flag.
Friday Gras in the Celebration City
The Celebration Association is sponsoring Mari Gras Sulphur Springs style! The celebration will kick off with a Krewe of Barkus Parade at 4 PM, followed by a lighted parade, a $10 Hypnotist Show, and a $15 Masquerade Ball that will be held at 219 Main St. Festivities will begin February 24th, to enter the parade call Kaydee Hauerwas at 903-335-9900.
Daddy-Daughter Dance at Children’s Museum
The annual Valentine’s Daddy-Daughter Dance set for Saturday February 4, 2017 will have a theme of “Princesses and Tiaras”. The event will be held at the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum in Commerce, Texas from 6:30-9pm. Advance ticket cost is $35 per couple, and will be $40 per couple at the door, with admission for addition young girls at $10 each. A caterer, DJ, a balloon artist and princess crafts are included in the special theme of the evening. Contact the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum at 903-886-6055.
January Hopkins County Grand Jury Indictments
Forty-six indictments were handed down by a Hopkins County Grand Jury Tuesday, January 24, 2017.
Juan Daniel Santana-Mendez was indicted for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.
Nakia Dean Lindsey was indicted for Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Murder. Cumby Police recognized Naka Dean Lindsey, 35, of Cumby as he was driving on West Main Street in Cumby. Officer Ray Embro knew a warrant for Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Murder had been issued for Lindsey. He is being held in Hopkins County Jail on $500,000 bond. Investigator Corley Weatherford of the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office filed for the warrant following his investigation of an incident that occurred when Lindsey assaulted a family member.
Eric Dean Marshall was indicted for arson.
Tiffany Epps
Two indictments each for Injury to a Child were handed down against a Sulphur Springs couple. Tiffany Nicole Epps, 29, and Glenn Anthony Epps, 37, were arrested at the Child Protective Services Office in Sulphur Springs in December regarding two felony warrants for injury to a child. Epps and her husband were involved in a lengthy investigation by the Special Crimes Unit and CPS Agents regarding the sale and use of cocaine from their residence, 525 South Locust Street in Sulphur Springs. During the completion of the case the two youngest kids of nine living in the home tested positive for cocaine. Warrants were issued for both the mother and the father. The first arrest of the pair occurred on November 23 at their residence. During the search at that time by the Special Crimes Unit, a rectangular mirror containing a quantity of suspected crack cocaine weighing over 1-gram was in plain sight on top of the inside AC unit. Another clear bag containing over 1-gram of suspected crack cocaine was observed on the end table next to the bed. The Epps’ residence was within 1000 feet of a daycare center, a drug free zone, enhancing the charges. Child Protective Services was also involved in the arrest. There were nine (9) children living in the residence and present during the possession and delivery of the controlled substance. He is in Hopkins County Jail charged with two felony warrants for manufacture and delivery of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 and Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, over 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone being held on a total of 120,000 bond–$40,000 for each of the three charges. He is also being held on the Injury to a Child charges. She is being held on a $75,000 bond for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, over 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone and on two $50,000 bonds for the two counts of Injury to a Child.
Glen Anthony Epps
Otto Hall, Jr. was indicted for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Deputies responded on a December Tuesday night at 10:32 p.m. to a vehicle repossession involving shots fired on County Road 2400 in the Pickton area. The victim, a tow truck driver, stated that someone fired a weapon at him from the house where he was repossessing a vehicle. Deputies took note of bullet holes on the rear of the tow truck. Otto Hall, Jr, 76, of Pickton admitted he took shots at the tow truck.
Indicted for Theft of a Firearm was Carlos Thompson. Thompson was one of two Arkansas men arrested for Theft of a Firearm Christmas Eve near Cumby. When the auto they were driving failed to maintain a single lane near the 110-Mile Marker on I-30, Cumby Police made the stop. Next to the passenger was an open alcoholic beverage container. Both men were arrested and a probable cause search of the vehicle revealed a concealed firearm behind a folding arm rest in the back seat of the vehicle. A check on the firearm serial number showed it to be stolen. Both men had prior felony convictions. Thompson was also indicted for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Chester Thompson was in indicted for Theft of a Firearm (see above).
Haylee Brook Chester was indicted for Theft of a Firearm. As Hopkins County Deputies went to a residence in Sulphur Springs in reference to a wanted person, they found in plain view on the kitchen table a stolen Smith and Wesson .380 Bodyguard handgun and in plain view in the bedroom, a clear plastic baggie containing a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine. Haylee Brooke Chester, 21, and Jaspen Quayshawn DeBase, 25, both of Sulphur Springs were arrested. DeBase is charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Theft of a Firearm and violation of state parole.
Jaspen Quayshawn Debase was indicted for Theft of a Firearm and for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (see story above).
James Michael Morris, Jr. was indicted for Burglary of a Building and for Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair. Morris, 31, of Sulphur Springs was arrested by Hopkins County Deputy Todd Evans when Evans noted a defective license plate on the 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe Morris was driving on County Road 3528 at FM 67. Morris was wanted on a warrant for burglary of a building, a case that was under investigation by the Sheriff’s office following Morris arrest for arson on Thursday, December 22, 2016. As Evans initiated the stop, Morris turned onto the county road and a black article came out the window of the Tahoe. Morris denied the article was his. Evans arrested Morris on the warrant and retrieved the black article, a sunglasses case that contained several glass pipes busted and items. Morris was charged in December with setting a vehicle on fire on December 12th after falling a couple of months behind in car payments. He had turned himself in at the Sheriff’s Office at that time. Now Morris is back in Hopkins County Jail being held on Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with intent to Impair, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Burglary of a Building.
Jake Adam Blunt was indicted on four counts. He was indicted for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Fraud Use/Possession of Identifying Information and Items less than Five, and two counts of Credit Card Abuse. When officers responded to the 600 block of Church Street, they found a stolen vehicle and Jake Adam Blount, 22, of Longview who had taken the vehicle along with identifying information of the Sulphur Springs resident/owner of the Lexus. While the officers were at the location, Blount walked up but when he saw them, he immediately tried to leave the area. Sulphur Springs police officers stopped him and patted him down for security. Blount gave consent to search his pockets. There the officer found the Lexus key fob, two credit cards, and a black wallet containing another credit card and the driver’s license of the vehicle owner. Blount admitted to taking methamphetamine and possibly Xanax. He was taken into custody and EMS was called. He was transported to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital—Sulphur Springs ER. From there, he was taken to Hopkins County jail.
Nethasher Nicole Goodlow was indicted for Theft of Property less than $2,500 with two or more previous convictions.
Indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-gram, less than 200-gram:
- Larry Vencent Ray Villarreal
- Destiny Darlene Bradshaw, also for Possession of a Controlled Substance
- Garland Shane Robinson
- Corey Butler
Indicted for Possession of Marijuana more than 4 oz, less than 5 lbs:
- Austin Olly Kethvong
- Juan Carlos Banda
- Rodney Jerome Clayton, in a Drug Free Zone
Indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, less than 1-gram:
- Edgar Delgado
- Moises Caballero
- Dana Michelle Delozier
- Kimberly Rae Dotson
- Kaitlin Suzanne Jameson
- Thomas Dale Latin
- John Phillip Smith
- Halley Marie Stairs
County Clearance Rate High; Sheriff Praises Deputies and Investigators
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department clearance rate remained high as investigators and deputies in the department went about their day to day work in Hopkins County during 2016. Sheriff Lewis Tatum said the department is well prepared to do the work. Thanks to changes that brought salaries up, very few leave the department and the experience is proving valuable to the county.
He stated the deputies and investigators continue to follow up all cases and as necessary are working with other agencies to recover stolen items. “Anytime deputies go out on a call, they look for suspects and recover property, do interviews. They don’t just wait on the investigators,” stated Tatum. He said the deputies work the case until investigators arrive and continue to work with the investigators as needed. According to Tatum, their tenacity serves to train them in the practicum needed to work as investigators as they advance. He stated those that do go to other agencies amaze those agencies in the skills and abilities shown as they work cases.
Regarding his investigators, Tatum said they have an amazing work ethic. What they bring to the table with computer labs, forensics, and their commitment to continue to go out to solve cases and recover items enables the success of the department. Tatum said that although not all cases are solved quickly, they do try to clear all the cases as quickly as possible. He stated there are those cases that can be more difficult.
During the year 156 offenses were reported with four (4) unfounded. Of the 152 actual offenses 151 were cleared by the department.
During the year, five rapes by force were reported and four arrests were made. All but one assault was cleared. Assaults included aggravated assault by firearm, knife, and dangerous weapon, aggravated injury using hands, fists, and feet. Only one simple assault has not resulted in an arrest. Burglaries and motor vehicle theft also resulted in arrests.
No criminal homicide or robbery using a weapon was reported in the county.
Over $140,000 in property damage resulted from arsons reported in the county. Six structure fires and one motor vehicle fire were reported to the county. Only one of the five structure fires resulted in an arrest thus far. The motor vehicle fire resulted in an arrest.
In 2016, Sulphur Springs Police Department saw no homicides reported during 2016. There were five sexual assaults, six robberies, 17 aggravated assaults, 19 burglary of a habitation, 17 burglary of a building, 128 theft over $200 and 16 motor vehicle thefts during the year.
Miller Grove Homecoming King and Queen
Winnsboro Police Activity January 16-22, 2017
Two arrests, one accident, 136 calls for service, 43 citations issued, and 37 warnings written as Winnsboro Police complete the report period January 16-22.
On Thursday, January 19, Patrick Ryan, 26, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 under 1-gram in a Drug Free Zone, Tampering or fabricating physical evidence, Possession of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 3 less than 28-grams Hydrocodone in a Drug Free Zone, Possession of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 3 less than 28-grms Alprzolem in a Drug Free Zone, and Possession of Marijuana less than 2 oz in a Drug Free Zone.
Saturday, January 21, James Kidd, 34, of Winnsboro was arrested for public intoxication.
There was a minor two vehicle accident in the 8900 block of West Broadway with no injuries on Wednesday, January 18th.
PJC Modifies Workforce Programs
The Paris Junior College Board of Regents has approved the modification of three workforce programs – vocational nursing, networking/CISCO, and mechatronics – to comply with new state requirements and better meet local industry needs.
Changes to many programs began when the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board mandated 60-hour degrees. PJC’s associate degree nursing program was already modified. Now the LVN program certificate will have the same material taught in fewer hours.
Changes to the Computer Networking/CISCO and Mechatronics programs come in response to industry advisory committee recommendations. Advisory committee requests are forwarded by faculty to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, which then forwards approved ideas to the board of regents.
“They’re paying to hire folks,” said Vice President of Workforce Education John Spradling of the industry advisors, “and we’re responding to what they design.”
In other business, the Regents:
- Received the monthly financial report showing PJC’s income remains ahead of expenses.
- Authorized commissioning of PJC police officer Christie Buzbee (full-time) and Richard Adams (part-time).
- Discussed options for redistricting across Lamar County. A meeting has been called for Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m. to allow regents to hear from the redistricting attorney.
- Received an update on community college tuition rates statewide, showing PJC remains below the state average in both in-district, out-of-district, and out-of-state tuition and fees. Initial budget bills filed in the Texas legislature have significant funding cuts for community colleges.
- Approved the employment of Campus Police Officer Christie Buzbee and Educational Talent Search Advisor Tiffany Dawes, and the resignation of Accounting Instructor Shannon Brown and Licensed Vocational Nursing Instructor Tiffany Crenshaw.
Musical Instruments at PJC-Sulphur Springs Campus
Texas Named Automated Vehicle Proving Ground
“With five of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities in Texas and our population expected to potentially double by the year 2050, Texas must be a leader in new technology that addresses transportation challenges,” said Texas Department of Transportation Deputy Executive Director Marc Williams. “This partnership puts Texas at the forefront of automated vehicle technologies that likely will shape the future of transportation around the world.”
Texas’ booming population and economy make it an ideal test site for automated and connected vehicle technology. This technology is increasingly being developed and tailored to address congestion and increase safety, by reducing human error. It also offers opportunities to improve how people and goods move throughout their communities and the nation at large. Testing it, in different environments and uses, is an important step in assuring these technologies will be safe and reliable.
Texas was one of 10 regions selected from an applicant pool of more than 60. Texas offers a unique statewide capability, starting with existing controlled environments on research campuses such as Texas A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Campus in San Antonio. Texas’ additional testing environments are available in several municipal and regional areas, and include unique settings such as barrier-separated lanes, medical districts, transit bus corridors and border crossings. These varied and unique test sites will help the USDOT develop guidelines for automated vehicle technologies.
The rapid rate at which this technology is progressing will ultimately require a formal testing plan to be developed and approved by the appropriate state and local agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Until then, initial testing will take place on closed research proving grounds.
TxDOT joins the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Transportation Research (CTR), Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and 32 municipal and regional partners to form the Texas AV Proving Grounds Partnership.
