Community Calendar January 12-17, 2017
Lone Star Heritage Quilt Guild will host a Day Circle on Friday January 13 at 9:30am at Our Savior Lutheran Church. Members and persons interested in learning to quilt/sew are welcome to attend. Bring a sack lunch if you wish. No children, please.
A Brisket Supper fundraiser is planned for the James and Sarona Brown family on Saturday January 14 at 5pm in the new gym at Sulphur Bluff High School. James is Pastor at Cross Timbers Cowboy Church at Mahoney and Sarona is Music and Youth leader. Their children are students at Sulphur Bluff ISD. For details, contact LouAnn Tatum at 903-332-0068. There will be live Christian music. If you would like to donate desserts, please drop them off at the gym. The meal is by donation.
Mitchell Chapel Church of God in Christ has a BBQ Sandwich plate fundraiser on Friday January 13 starting at 10:30 am 402 South Jackson Street.
The annual Children’s Health and Safety Fair will be held on Saturday January 14 from 9:30-11:30am at the Children’s Museum in Commerce. Admission to the fair and all play areas will be free on Saturday morning.
Registration for the Spring semester is ongoing at Paris Junior College-Sulphur Springs Center at 1135 E. Loop 301. There will be Saturday registration on Jan 14 from 10am-2pm. First day of class is Jan 17.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Celebration will be held on Monday January 16 at 7 pm, hosted at Morning Chapel Baptist Church. It is free and open to the public. Several dozen individuals will be recognized for their service to the community.
Monday January 16 is MLK Day, a Federal holiday in observance of the birthday of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Postal services will be closed, banks will be closed, the library and government offices will be closed.
Creativity in Drug Use Creates Problems for Inmate
Rhonda Gaye Rozell, 46, of Tyler and an inmate in Hopkins County jail found the offer of methamphetamine by a sister inmate to be too tempting. Rozell was in a holding cell in the book in area of the jail when Linnea Colynn Brown removed methamphetamine from her person and prepared the meth in a line (see story here). Rozell tore a piece of paper and made a make-shift straw. Both inmates used the straw.
Rhonda Gaye Rozell
Rozell picked up crystals off the floor and was seen in a video eating the crystals. Rozell is charged with Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence and Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Jail Inmate’s Sharing Spirit Results in More Charges
Jan 12, 2017 – An inmate in Hopkins County Jail had a sharing spirit this week. Linnea Colynn Brown, 33, of Arkansas was arrested Monday January 9th for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 over 1-gram, less than 200-grams during a traffic stop. While in jail, she removed a packed from her person, took out methamphetamine and used some. She also shared the meth with another inmate. She then concealed the packet in her person once again.
Linnea Colynn Brown
Add Tamper Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair, another charge of possession similar to the first and Manufacture/Deliver Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 under 1-gram.
In her arrest Monday, Brown and a male companion were stopped by Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Michael Russell for a traffic violation at around 2:15 a.m. Monday at the 135 mile marker of eastbound I-30. An arrest report indicated Sgt. Russell detected the smell of marijuana coming from inside the car. During a search, a passenger in the car was found to have 14 amphetamine and dextroamphetamine pills inside a coin purse in her purse. The pills were weighed at 3.13 grams. Later the deputy found a pouch under his truck. It contained a spoon, a cotton ball and a vile. The car driver admitted tossing the pouch under the truck while the deputy was talking with the girl.
Back to College
BACK TO COLLEGE
Aileen Negrete, left, is getting help from PJC-Sulphur Springs Center secretary Iris Gutierrez, right, as she works out a class schedule for her return to college for the spring semester. Negrete, from Sulphur Springs, is accompanied by her sister, Davila Borrego, center. For registration and financial aid information, go by thethe PJC-Sulphur Springs campus, located at 1137 Loop 301 East.
Chamber Connection January 12, 2017
SAVE THE DATE!!!
It’s time for the 91st Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet! “An Evening in the Woods,” dinner and community awards will be held at the Hopkins County Civic Center on Thursday, February 16th at 6:30 p.m. Awards including Citizen of the Year, Woman of the Year, Caregiver of the Year, Community Pride Award, Agriculturist of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, and Educator of the Year will be presented to deserving citizens of Hopkins County. There will also be a raffle of a guided duck hunt AND a guided fishing trip that will be drawn that evening. So please join us for a beautiful “Evening in the Woods”. We look forward to seeing you there! Individual tickets are $30 and available at the Chamber of Commerce. Whole tables that seat 10 people are available for $500.
More Chamber News:
Today!!!
Coffee off the Square is hosting their winter menu tasting! Go by and sample their new daily specials and enjoy some great food and fellowship from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.!!! Coffee Off the Square is located at 204 Church Street in Sulphur Springs.
Beauty Grace Boutique, owned and operated by Ana Velasco, has moved to a larger store at 101 Bill Bradford, Suite #21. It’s next door to her previous location. Ana wanted to provide her customers with more room to shop her ‘ever-growing’ inventory. Her new hours are Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Her phone number is 903-919-5033. Please stop by and see the wonderful selections she has just for you.
Ribbon Cutting for Cobblestone Realty on Tuesday, January 17th at noon
Make plans to join us for a ribbon cutting celebration at Cobblestone Realty, 215B on Main Street in Sulphur Springs, on Tuesday, January 17th at noon. Cobblestone has branched into this area and is opening an office in Sulphur Springs. Refreshments will be served, so please make plans to come by!
Grand Opening Celebration for Mahoney Oaks Retreat on Friday, January 27th
Mahoney Oaks Retreat, a brand-new retreat venue in Hopkins County, is hosting an Open House and Ribbon Cutting in celebration of their grand opening. The open house will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Ribbon Cutting will be held at noon. Mahoney Oaks is located at 5678 FM 1537 in Sulphur Springs. Please make plans to come by and explore this new venue!
4-H presents Sewing Fun Day & Food Challenge on Saturday, January 28th
4-H Sewing Fun Day and Food Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, January 28th, at 10:00 a.m. They will be making Alzheimer’s Activity Mats and easy make-and-take projects. The 4-H Food Challenge and Consumer Decision-Making practice contests will be held at 1:00 p.m. Bring a sack lunch (drinks provided). All activities
will take place at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200-B W. Houston Street in Sulphur Springs. Contact Johanna Hicks at 903-885-3443 for details.
Master Wellness Volunteer Training Begins January 30th and Goes Through February 27th
This training takes place every two years, and 2017 is the year! Individuals learn about food safety, nutrition, working with diverse audiences, finding reliable resources on the web and much more. The training will be held on five consecutive Mondays, January 30, February 6, 13, 20, and 27, at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, Sulphur Springs, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Upon completing the training and passing a
certification exam, volunteers agree to give 40 hours of service by assisting the Extension Agent with programs, day camps, program preparations, health fairs, and other services. Contact Johanna Hicks at 903-885-3443 for more details.
CHRISTUS Mother Francis Hospital -SS will host Women with Heart on Tuesday, February 7th
CHRISTUS Mother Francis Hospital in Sulphur Springs, along with Advanced Heart Care, present the 2017 Women with Heart Dinner on Tuesday, February 7th, 2017, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hopkins County Civic Center. There will be a free dinner and prizes. Women with Heart is an annual program conceived to celebrate and honor women who have survived heart disease. To nominate a woman who has survived and triumphed with the help of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-SS and Advanced Heart Care, please visit the following link. https://www.tmfhc.org/care-treatment/heart/your-heart-health/womens/women-with-heart/. If you have any questions, call Lakan Johnson at 903-438-4462 or e-mail [email protected] / Sherry Moore at 903-439-4062 or e-mail [email protected].
Twogether in Texas Marriage Education Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, February 11th
The next Twogether in Texas Marriage Education Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, February 11, at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200-B W. Houston Street, Sulphur Springs, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This free workshop will cover marriage expectations, communication, conflict resolution, money management, and goals & dreams. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Engaged couples who attend the workshop will be given a certificate to save $60 upon applying for a marriage license. Contact the Extension Office at 903-885-3443 to enroll.
New Members to the Chamber of Commerce…
Welcome to our newest members of the Chamber of Commerce: Simply Competitive Energy, Northeast Texas Disposal, Shady Lake RV Park, and B & D Signs of Texas. We are excited about having you!
Cowboys fans… get ready!!! Sunday is going to be FUN!!! Have a wonderful weekend!
Lezley Brown
President/CEO
Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
300 Connally Street
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
903-885-6515-office
903-885-6516-fax
www.sulphursprings-tx.com
Cumby Robotics Teams are World-Ranked!
Cumby ISD Robotics Teams 6834A and 6834Z competed in Houston, Texas on Saturday January 7, 2017 and qualified for the National Championship to be held in Iowa in April. Teams A and Z teamed up to win the Tournament Championship. Team A took the Excellence Award and placed Second in Robot Skills. Team Z received the Judges Award and placed First in Robot Skills. Both teams will compete in Richardson on January 14. Both teams are currently ranked among the top 50 in the world which will allow them to compete in the Vex World Championship in April, which will be televised on ESPN. Sponsors are being sought to help offset the cost of attending State, National and World competitions. Contact Cumby ISD coaches Lee Gifford or Jennifer Dracos if you are interesting in sponsoring, at 903-994-2260.
TEAM A MEMBERS are: Ken Chapin, Hunter Milam, Presley Clampitt, Kadden Cota, Caden Phillips and Lacy Jacobs.
TEAM Z MEMBERS are: Larek Walker, Will Chapin, Jesslin Bond and Hannah Jarvis.
COACHES are Nick Walker and Lee Gifford.
Fort Worth Stock Show Pass Giveaway
Want a One Day Pass to the Fort Worth Stock Show? Listen to Afternoon Drive 4 – 6 PM Thursday January 12th, and Friday January 13th, 2017 to hear the winners. Like this post, and like KSST on Facebook to enter. Subject to availability.
Passes can be picked up at the KSST Studios during business hours.
Superintendents Press Conference Opposing A-F Grading System for Schools–Video Presentation
During the last legislative session in Texas, a law was passed requiring the Commissioner of Education to develop a system that would give every campus and district in the state a grade from A to F in five domains. As required by law, the commissioner has developed a system and prepared a report for the legislature that is a preliminary attempt to comply with the law. The report is unofficial and one possible method of assigning letter grades to each campus and district using only 4 of the 5 domains. The Texas Education Agency states that this report is a work in progress. The final criteria for rating schools will not be established until the summer of 2017 with the first set of grades to be released in August of 2018.
On December 8, 2016, the Texas Education Agency published the School Report Cards for every district in the state. The purpose of the report cards is to “inform parents and guardians about a campus’s individual characteristics and its academic performance.” Using the 2015-2016 data, every district in Hopkins and Delta County Met Standard and earned multiple distinctions. Mike Morath, Texas Commissioner of Education, stated “Earning one or more distinctions is noteworthy and should be a source of pride in a community.” Now, a different rating system using the very same data from 2015-2016 will be released using an A-F rating for all campuses and districts. Districts which met standard and earned distinctions may now receive letter grades of C or below.
This report could lead to very negative feelings among teachers and our communities. Our teachers work hard every day to educate all of our students in Hopkins and Delta County. With the student population becoming more diverse, teachers are asked to find new ways to reach students who are in poverty, as well as those who are limited English speakers. They have accepted every challenge and done an amazing job of meeting the changing standards that the legislature and the Texas Education Agency have set before them. Our teachers are to be commended.
After conducting our own analysis of the 2015-2016 data and looking at the School Report Cards published by TEA, we believe we are meeting the ideals and expectations of our communities in Hopkins and Delta County, and will continue to do so.”
The Superintendents of Hopkins and Delta County:
Shelly Slaughter Michael Lamb Steve Johnson Kay Handlin
Cumby ISD Sulphur Springs ISD Miller Grove ISD Como-Pickton CISD
Dustin Carr Darin Jolly David Stickels Denicia Hohenberger
Sulphur Bluff ISD North Hopkins ISD Saltillo ISD Cooper ISD
Video by Doug Haston, Channel 18 News
Castleberry, Jackson-Grant Sentenced Wednesday Afternoon
Wednesday afternoon in Eighth Judicial District Court, James Christopher Castleberry pled guilty to Delivery of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 More than 1-gram, less than 4-grams and was sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
James Christopher Castleberry
Castleberry will serve the first five years day-for-day before being eligible for paroled because the delivery was in a drug free zone. This is his second trip to the TDCJ. If he commits a felony in the future, he will be eligible to be sentenced to 25-years to life. Castleberry’s plea bargain was made in the face of five separate charges involving drugs and burglary of a building. His arrests involved in the charges occurred from March to September, 2016. His most recent arrest was in January and involved methamphetamine in a Cheetos bag.
Corie Jackson-Grant
Also in court Wednesday afternoon, Corie Jackson-Grant pled guilty to theft of a firearm and was a sentenced to six months state jail time. Jackson-Grant, 20, was facing three state jail felony charges including unauthorized use of a vehicle and two thefts of firearm charges.
Winnsboro Police Report January 2-8, 2017
Two arrests, 124 calls for service, 27 citations, 32 warnings, and no accidents complete the January 2-8, 2017 Winnsboro Police Department report.
On Sunday, January 8, James Swann, 33, of Winnsboro was arrested for driving while license invalid with previous convictions.
On Thursday, January 5, Jason Bearden, 38, of Winnsboro, was arrested on a Wood County warrant.
