Pritchard Sentenced to Five Years Day-for-Day in TDCJ
Tuesday in Eighth Judicial District Court, Nicole Pritchard plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance greater than 4-grams and less than 200-grams in a Drug Free Zone. She was sentenced to five years day for day in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Nicole Rae Pritchard, 2016
On October 13th in Eighth Judicial District Court, Assistant District Attorney Matt Harris filed a motion on behalf of the state to hold bonds for Nicole Pritchard as insufficient for the two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance greater than 4-grams and less than 200-grams with which she had been charged. She was accused of committing a new offense while out on bond for those two charges. In the hearing, Harris called Officer Joe Scott and Sgt. Mark Estes with the Special Crimes Unit who testified for the state regarding the new charge. Judge Eddie Northcutt found that the defendant had committed the new offense and held her bond insufficient. She was returned to Hopkins County Jail.
In the original offense, a traffic stop on East Loop 301 found a vehicle carrying three individuals that pulled up to make contact with Ellis, Jr. and Carrizales. Brandon Jon Stowater, 18, was riding in the front passenger seat. Investigators clearly noticed Stowater attempting to hide something in the area of the seat. Stowater was then taken out of the vehicle and detained for the officers’ safety. The investigator could see in plain sight a Marlboro cigarette package with the top slightly opened in the passenger door. A clear plastic Ziploc bag could be seen sticking out of the cigarette pack. The bag was retrieved by the investigator and was found to contain approximately 7.7 grams of methamphetamine and a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana. At that time, the driver and remaining passengers were asked to exit the vehicle. Pritchard, 25, was one of the passengers for Possession of a Controlled Substance greater than 4 grams and less than 200 grams
Crosstown Trail Approved; City Manager Files Monthly Report at Tuesday Council Meeting
Attendance at the Sulphur Springs City Council Meeting Tuesday night was boosted by members of the Chamber of Commerce Adult Leadership Class. However, unlike previous years, this year’s class sat through a 12 minute lack luster meeting. Council approved with little discussion a $79,750 contract for engineering that will lead to the building of Crosstown Trail.
The trail will connect Coleman Park to Buford Park and Celebration Plaza by a walking tract that will cross Main Street and also pass the High School and Civic Center. Council expects the design to be completed in two months and work to begin in March or April of 2017 and work completed by the end of 2017. The $1.1 million project is funded by grants from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Transportation. The city will contribute $200,000 to the construction.
City Manager Marc Maxwell reported to the council:
BILL BRADFORD ROAD – Concrete street and curb & gutter improvements are underway on Bill Bradford Road. 5W Contracting has poured concrete from Gilmer Street to Carter Street which is about one-third of the length of Bill Bradford Road. All utility work is complete.
DAVIS/TOMLINSON PARKING LOT – Parking spaces are constructed on two sides, Davis and Tomlinson. Work will begin on the Main Street side soon. The center area will be grass turf.
JEFFERSON STREET PARKING LOT – When the County opted into the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone they committed to building a parking lot, and the City committed to beautification of the parking lot. The county completed its part of the bargain two months ago, and now the city has completed its part. We will probably come back in the spring and add Bermuda turf and some rose bushes. The new lot has 77 spaces.
LOCUST STREET – Utility work has begun on Locust Street. The Capital Construction Division is replacing the sewer main. After that will be water improvements followed by street reconstruction.
CLAIMS – We did not have any workers’ compensation claims or liability claims in October.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT – Total suspended solids (TSS) came in at 2.81mg/L, well within the limit of 10 mg/L.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES – Finance Director Peter Karstens will not present a year-to-date summary of revenues and expenditures since the year just started.
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Responded to 125 fire/rescue calls including 1 structure fire.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 86 fire hydrants.
- Performed 77 fire safety inspections/surveys.
- Responded to 42 accidents, recorded 71 offenses, wrote 434 tickets and made 56 arrests.
- Seized 25 pounds of marijuana.
- Made 11 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit.
- Hosted a showcase softball tournament (32 teams).
- Fertilized athletic fields.
- Performed acres and acres of mowing and shredding.
- Replaced all light bulbs around Coleman Park.
- Sold 2,165 gallons of AvGas and 7,669 gallons of JetA fuel.
- Conducted 35 building inspections, 23 electrical permits, 17 plumbing inspections, and issued 14 building permits.
- Responded to 193 animal control calls, and achieved a 61% adoption rate.
- Patched 41 potholes.
- Installed a new pump for the water feature on the Veterans Memorial.
- Repaired the city’s car wash.
- Performed preventative maintenance on several wastewater treatment plant items.
- Converted most of the lighting at the airport terminal to L.E.D.
- Repaired 17 water main ruptures and replaced 26 water meters.
- Unstopped 11 sewer mains.
- Repaired 3 sewer mains.
- Washed 70,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Treated 153 million gallons of water.
- Flushed 36 dead-end water mains.
- Hauled 46 loads of water plant sludge to the landfill.
Meet New Family Nurse Practitioners
Leah Irving and Jordan Potts are now working as Family Nurse Practitioners in their home town, Sulphur Springs! The women met during advanced schooling and upon graduation from UT Tyler in the summer of 2016, both were hired by Christus Mother Frances Hospital Sulphur Springs to work in established practices within Christus Trinity Clinic. Both have had nursing careers already …. Leah as a hospital nurse in Sulphur Springs since 1996, and Jordan with Mother Frances hospitals in Tyler and Winnsboro for the past seven years. Each is married and raising a family in Sulphur Springs.
Both women are eager to serve patients in new and broader ways. As Family Nurse Practitioners, they can see patients of any age with any range of illness or need. Although not doctors, FNP’s can diagnose, treat illness and prescribe medication. Leah’s supervising physician is Dr. Horne at the main local clinic of Christus Trinity Clinic, and Jordan’s supervising physician is Dr. Coker at the 111 Medical Circle clinic location. Both are accepting new patients.
Limited Ballots Help Increase Early Voting Numbers
Tuesday 711 ballots were cast in early voting in Hopkins County. According to Debbie Shirley, Hopkins County Clerk, a number of limited ballots have been cast this year. Limited ballots are cast when one Texan moves in to a different county than the one where they are registered and were not able to or failed to move their registration before the deadline. If you are registered in another county in Texas and have not canceled your registration to vote in that county, you can vote a limited ballot in the county in which you now reside. A different form is needed to tabulate the vote according to Shirley.
Early voting is open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Thursday, November 2, early voting is open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Early voting takes place at 128 Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs. Fourteen (14) polling places will be open on the day of the General Election, Tuesday, November 8.
KSST will broadcast local results as they are available and will report Texas and national totals at :15, :30 and :45 past the hour beginning at 7:15 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m.
Tuesday Night Fire Under Investigation by County Fire Marshal
Hopkins County Fire Marshal is investigating a fire that occurred Tuesday night on a ranch near Cumby. A trailer house on the property used as a cabin for guests was totally consumed. The result of the fire was discovered shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The Fire Marshal arrived on the scene at 9:10 a.m. Wednesday to begin his investigation.
Lady Cats Volleyball Season Ends at Bi-District
The Lady Cats’ volleyball team surprised a powerful Forney team by winning the first set of their bi-district match before the Lady Jackrabbits rallied to win three sets in a row for a 3-1 win Tuesday night in Edgewood.
The Lady Cats came out playing some of their best volleyball of the season. After trailing most of the first set, the Lady Cats got hot down the stretch to take a 25-23 win. The Lady Cats got off to a good start in set two before Forney evened things up at 11-11. It was anyone’s set until Forney won the final two points to take a 26-24 win and even the score at 1 set apiece. The Lady Cats fell way behind in set three and trailed at one point 19-10. The Lady Cats fought back but finally fell 25-21 and Forney had a 2-1 lead in sets. The Lady Jackrabbits got off to another strong start in set 4 and wrapped up the set and match with a set 4 win, 25-17. Forney will advance to area competition.
The Lady Cats end the season with a 30-12 record. The thirty wins are the most for a season in school history breaking last year’s record of 28. The Lady Cats were 9-3 in district matches and finished second in the district standings. The bi-district game marked the final volleyball game for two Lady Cats seniors: setter Tori Moore and right side hitter Rita Hill. The Lady Cats will return 8 players off this team. Plus the Lady Cats JV and Freshmen teams were big winners this season.
Five of the varsity volleyball players are expected to play on the varsity Lady Cats’ basketball team.
Winnsboro Police Report October 24-30
Winnsboro Police made four arrests, answered 168 calls for service, and issued 50 citations and 48 warnings during the October 24-30, 2016 report period.
Arrested were:
Torie Bradley, 29, of Tyler, on October 28th on a Smith County Warrant
Jason Goines, 35, of Winnsboro on October 29th on a Gregg County Warrant
James Rockwell, 42, of Plano on October 29th on three Collin County Warrants
Daniel Wetzel, 21, of Winnsboro on October 29th for Franklin and Hopkins County Warrants.
“Updated” Second Arrest Made in Sunday Night Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Charlie James Williams
Tuesday morning Sulphur Springs Police made a second arrest related to a disturbance in the 400 block of Van Sickle Street Sunday night. Charlie James Williams, 30, brother of Lucas Wayne Williams, 24, is in Hopkins County Jail. Lucas Williams is currently held on two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Charlie Williams is being charged with one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
Lucas Williams is being held on a total of $150,000 bond. Charlie James Williams is being held on $75,000 bond.
Sunday around 11 p.m. Sulphur Springs Police and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call the 400 block of Van Sickle Street. There they found one individual with a laceration above the left eye and the second victim had a stab wound. Both victims were transported to CHRISTUS Mother Francis Sulphur Springs Emergency Room for treatment. The individual with the laceration stated he had been hit with a baseball bat.
Lucas Wayne Williams
Sulphur Springs Police continue to investigate the incident.
Investigation Continues into Saturday Double Stabbing
The investigation continues into the cause of a double stabbing early Saturday morning that resulted in two brothers being flown to medical hospitals in two separate cities and the suspect walking a couple of blocks to the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office to surrender to custody. Lead Investigator David Gilmore told KSST news that he is awaiting an opportunity to interview the two victims who remain in the hospitals. Both are improving.
Saturday, Sulphur Springs Police were called to apartments at 512 Church Street in reference to a disturbance. There they found a 16-year old male and a 21 year old male, brothers, stabbed by another subject. The suspect in the incident is Meldrick Roland. Roland is in custody at this time. He was also wanted on several warrants by local police.
No charges have been filed against Roland at this time. He was held in Hopkins County Jail held on misdemeanor warrants but has made bond.
