Special Offering of Heifers, Bulls and Mixed Cow/Calf Pairs at Auction
by Paul Bailey
The Sulphur Springs Livestock and Dairy Auction will close out 2016 with a special offering of heifers, bulls and mixed cows and cow/calf pairs along with their regular Monday, Dec. 19 livestock sale.
The special offering of cattle will begin around 3:30 p.m. and will include 25 big Simmental/Angus heifers — all bred Angus bull “Special Focus” for March calves. Also being offered at the sale will be 15 Brangus heifers, all heavy bred to Angus bulls, and seven first-calf Brangus pairs.
Ten virgin Angus bulls will be offered during the sale. These are purebred bulls with no papers, and are nearing 2 years old. They have been Trich and fertility tested.
There will also be 25 mixed cows, bred to Angus and Charolais bulls. And buyers will also have the opportunity to bid on 125 mixed cows, 30 of which will be pairs, bred to Charolais and black bulls.
This will be the final sale of 2016. The next livestock sale will be held on Monday, Jan. 2.
Upcoming Information Meeting For New Foster/Adoptive Parents
Anyone interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent is invited to an information meeting at The Way Bible Church located at 674 FM 2560 in Sulphur Springs, Texas on January 9th, 2017 at 5:30 PM. This will be a collaborative meeting with Azleway Child Placing Agency. “In our local community there is a tremendous need for foster parents… Our children need your help and anything you can do will be much appreciated,” stated Laci Alexander, Foster & Adoptive Home Developer for Child Protective Services, in an email to local news outlets and churches. According to the Department of Family and Protective Services in 2015 alone, 27,895 Texas children were placed into CPS custody. 23.5% of those children were under the age of 3 years old.
Lady Cats Soccer Opens Season With Paris Scrimmage December 29
Lady Cats Soccer Coach Jesus DeLeon is in his eighth year as head coach of the Lady Cats. His prospects for this season look very bright. He returns all of his starters except one off of last year’s 19 win team that won two playoff games before bowing out in a regional quarterfinal game. Coach DeLeon talked Lady Cats’ soccer on KSST and Channel 18 TV’s Saturday Morning Coaches Show.
He said he expects his team to compete for the district championship. Coach DeLeon said the Lady Cats won’t be able to sneak up on anybody after their success last year. The Lady Cats began practice on November 28. Lady Cats returning starters include goalie Abbi Hale, defenders Jo McMillan, Kam Winberly and Payton Pierce. Midfielder Erika Lara is moving to defense to replace last year’s starting senior Mary McMillan. Other returning starters include midfielders Taylor Robinson, Ciarra Rico and Faith Singleton. Maria Nunez, who played a lot last year, also returns. Returning forwards include Gracie Boyer, Makenna Kager and gifted goal scorer Mileena Zirretta. Mileena had 28 goals last year.
The Lady Cats open their season with a scrimmage at Paris on December 29. Coach DeLeon also praised the hardy followers of the Lady Cats who have endured lots of harsh weather to cheer on the Lady Cats.
Starbucks is Hiring
Starbucks is how hiring as the pre-Christmas opening date nears. Those interested in applying for a job can go to https://www.starbucks.com/careers for more information.
“Updated” Durant Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child Pornography
Monday morning in Eighth Judicial District Court, Dathan Artemus Durant, 58, was sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for Possession of Child Pornography, a Felony 2. Durant was charged in June, 2014. He, along with another Cumby man, was arrested in a child pornography sting operation. The two cases were not related. Durant’s case was developed through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Monday morning, Assistant District Attorney Clay Harrison called Hopkins County Investigator Corley Weatherford as his only witness. Weatherford is skilled in forensic investigation and currently works with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Investigator Weatherford, who recently attended the U.S. Secret Service computer forensics school, has been working with state and federal prosecutors on a number of child exploitation cases. Defense Attorney Martin Braddy did not call any witnesses.
Durant pled guilty to the charge and went before the Judge for sentencing. The range of punishment was 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Judge Northcutt denied the Defendant’s request for probation and sentenced him to the maximum of 10 years in prison with no fine. He will be eligible for parole in two and a half years.
District Attorney Will Ramsey stated, “People of Hopkins County should feel proud to have a Sheriff’s Office committed to seeking justice for those who prey on children. Investigator Corley Weatherford is one of the best in Northeast Texas at pursuing these cases. Assistant District Attorney Clay Harrison meticulously prepares for trial and is an outstanding advocate in the courtroom. This ceaseless effort protects our community and ensures that Hopkins County remains a wonderful place to raise a family.”
In June of 2014, Hopkins County Investigator Corley Weatherford received an online tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip revealed that a group of child pornography photos and videos named the “Vicky” series by federal law enforcement had been downloaded to the Defendant’s home computer. After obtaining a search warrant, Hopkins County investigators searched Durant’s home and seized two computers. Forensic experts were able to retrieve thousands of images of child erotica from the Defendant’s hardware, as well as illicit search terms he had entered while looking for images and internet history showing underage websites. The Defendant was using peer-to-peer online file sharing programs to download, access, and view images and videos of child pornography.
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She Told Officer Syringe Used to Shoot Up Meth
At a local truck stop, a female sitting in a pickup truck and moving her jaw uncontrollably with sores on her face attracted attention to a possible need. Local law enforcement responded. Noting a green pouch and what appeared to be a syringe in the driver’s seat, the officer sought consent to search the vehicle. She told the officer that she used the syringe to shoot up methamphetamine.
In his search he found two syringes in the green pouch along with a clear baggie of crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine.
Alicia Anne Blunt, 32, of Wolfe City is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram. She is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Alliance Bank Employees Donate Canned Food to Meal A Day
Alliance Bank Employees participated in a Canned Food Drive for Meal A Day located at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center on Martin Luther King Blvd. Monday morning, Kevin Monk and Jessica Kurtgen dropped off the food collected.
Left to Right: Riley Dunahoo, Jessica Kurtgen, Mona Giles, Kevin Monk, Beverly Mulson, Pamela Johnson, Shirley Edington and Maggie Thomas
Lady Cats Win 3, Lose 2 in Winnsboro Hoopfest
Lady Cats Win 3, Lose 2 At Hoopfest
The Lady Cats’ basketball team had three wins and two losses at the Winnsboro Hoopfest Thursday through Saturday. The Lady Cats lost in the consolation final of the Gold Bracket made up of the top two teams in each pool. The Lady Cats Saturday afternoon lose was in a rematch with Longview, 44-34.
The Lady Cats led going into the fourth quarter, 28-27 but were outscored in the final quarter 17-6 by the Lady Lobos. Similar to their other loss in Gold Bracket play, 46-31 to Lindale Friday morning, the Lady Cats were plagued by cold shooting against Longview. In both losses, the Lady Cats shot 29% from the field and 20% from three-point range. Daieyshia Pruitt led the Lady Cats against Longview with 12 points. Kaylee Jefferson and Autumn Tanton added 7 points apiece. Tanton also had a team leading 7 rebounds and Jefferson had 6.
The Lady Cats did get a Gold Bracket win Friday afternoon against Winnsboro, 52-37. To get to the Gold Bracket, the Lady Cats won their pool with two wins Thursday, 42-38 over Longview and 76-12 over Whitehouse. The Lady Cats record is now 7-3.
They will be back in action this coming Thursday through Saturday at an Edgewood tournament.
