Sulphur Springs Senior Olympics
Local Church Gets Creative In Wake of Pokemon Go Craze
Pokemon Go hit the app stores in the last week and sparked a new craze among all age groups. Players, or Pokemon Trainers, travel around to pokestop locations that are predetermined by Nintendo through GPS location on their cellphones. At a pokestop location, Trainers find and capture virtual Pokemon. In earlier years Niantic developed Ingress, a virtual reality game where a mass amount of players take part in an augmented reality. Ingress is a global game of intrigue and mystery. All “Pokestops” were originally Ingress Portals, and Nintendo has stated they will not add any additional Pokestops to the game.
Many dangers, such as robberies, have presented themselves but the postitive outcomes seemingly outweigh the negative. Families and friends play these games together while they’re active and interacting with people who they wouldn’t normally encounter. The local Church of the Nazarene observed several new visitors who came to find new Pokemon in the church parking lot and soon discovered they were a Pokestop location. Originally, the church changed their welcome sign with the message, “Welcome Pokemon Go,” and soon had a sign made with a Poke Ball and the church service times. The church hopes that several of the Trainers that stop by will stay for service. The church is also looking into purchasing “lures” for the Pokemon Go app.
Basics at Brunch Quarterly Meeting
On Monday April 18th, at 10:30 am Ross & Shoalmire will be holding a Basics at Brunch meeting. This is a free brunch provided by Rock Creek, and includes an informative program that will be held every quarter at the Sulphur Springs Senior Center. Elderly Law Attorneys Kristen Ishihara, John Ross, and Lisa Shoalmire will speak on different topics each meeting. They would like to invite you to listen in to this quarter’s topic “Willis & Probate…what YOU need to know about them.” They promise you will be glad you attend.
Being a resource to your community is the most important thing to them and they look forward to seeing you at the “Basics at Brunch” program, at 10:30 am. Vendors will be set up with educational information about their businesses. Come find out what services are provided in your area. They will end the program with door prizes.
For more information email [email protected], call 903-212-7313, or visit the Sulphur Springs Senior Center at 150 MLK Drive, Sulphur Springs.
Local Ranger Assists in DPD Shooting Investigation, Memorials
Texas Ranger John Vance, who offices in Hopkins County, has been on call since Thursday night at 9 p.m. when Dallas Police officers were ambushed. He was on alert as the drama unfolded through the night and went off duty at 3 a.m. Friday morning. However, he was back on duty in his responsibilities with the Ranger Crime Scene Team reporting to assist DPD with the investigation following all the activities surrounding the death of officers and the death of the shooter. Now, he is also on stand-by for memorials for the officers as he and others ensure the safety of those involved.
Ranger Vance is lead officer for the Hostage Negotiations Team and a member of the Major Crime Scene Investigation team. The teams are set by regions in Texas, a Tier 1 Security Specialists, a Special Operations Department of Public Safety team. These teams include every element of law enforcement from SWAT to bomb squads both on land and underwater. The teams work with local, state, and federal agencies. The teams are prepared to deal with any emergency that might occur.
With memorial services for the officers and the U S President in Dallas, it has been a busy time for Vance and others in law enforcement and emergency services.
texas flag courthouse
TxDOT Urges Caution on State Highway 19 North of Sulphur Springs
Texas Department Of Transportation wants Hopkins County residents to know they are aware of the pavement problem on State Highway 19 North of Sulphur Springs to the intersection of SH 19 & SH 24. TxDOT is working with the contractor who recently finished resurfacing that highway to find and implement a solution.
In the meantime, TxDOT asks all motorists traveling along SH 19 to please slow down and refrain from using the shoulder of the road. “Please drive safely along this stretch of highway until we can get a solution in place,” states a TxDOT official.
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Como Resident Arrested For Methamphetamine
Jessica Ann Darby, 28, of Como was arrested on a felony warrant Thursday. While the arrest was in progress, Hopkins County Deputies asked for and were granted consent to search her residence. In plain view was a bowl containing a glass pipe commonly used for smoking methamphetamine and two clear baggies containing a small amount of meth. She then denied consent to search further for narcotics.
Deputies obtained a search warrant and returned to find inside her bedroom another glass pipe and another clear baggie containing meth. Other small baggies with small amounts of meth were also found.
Darby is in Hopkins County Jail. Her bond has been set at $5,000.
Another Drug Based Injury to a Child Arrest Arrest Made
Christopher Charles and Jessica Lynn Reidhle of Emory were arrested at the Hopkins County CourthouseThursday on awarrant for Injury to a Child. Christopher, 30, and Jessica, 29, are another couple that exposed their child to methamphetamine and the child tested positive for the substance in a Child Protective Services and Sulphur Springs Police Department Special Crimes Unit investigation. Both are being held in Hopkins County Jail with bonds set at $30,000 each.
This is the fourth arrest (totaling eight individuals arrested) made in the past four months by the Special Crimes Unit involving couples or individuals who caused injury to a children while using or manufacturing methamphetamine. See stories here, here, and here.
Franklin County Commissioners Sign Agreement for Hopkins County EMS Services
Franklin County Commissioners Court signed an agreement with Hopkins County Hospital District to provide ambulance serve to Franklin County. The agreement comes after an attempt last year to provide the service but, at that time, the commissioners voted to utilize Titus Regional Hospital services. This year, they are choosing Hopkins County EMS. The agreement calls for long term service.
According to Franklin County Judge Scott Lee, the court chose Hopkins County based on what they saw working in Delta County and the financial system in place. Lee stated the fact that an ambulance would be stationed in Mt Vernon to serve the county and would be manned by a team of paramedics who would be there on a 24-hour shift was a selling point. He said the Titus EMS drove over to Franklin County on 12-hour shifts and were not stationed in the county.
Franklin County will be purchasing an ambulance through Hopkins County Hospital District over a 4-year period. “They wanted us,” Lee stated. He said this joins Hopkins, Delta, and Franklin into a unit just as it is a unit in the 8th Judicial District Court. He said it works well for the county.
Since Hopkins County Hospital District, which owns the local EMS service, is a non-profit, Lee stated this would enable the county to break even after payments for services were made.
EMS Director, Brent Smith and shift captains Kevin Hitt, Jeff Sanderson and Danny Wilburn did a presentation of the services EMS can provide to the Franklin County Commissioners on Thursday, July 14th. The commissioners signed a four year contract with Hopkins County EMS. The contract also includes a 2 year automatic renewal. The contract will be effective January 1, 2017.
Animal of the Week: Tabitha
Tabitha is a 10-12 week old domestic short-haired cat. She was found in the backyard of the Animal Shelter after she was apparently dumped there by her previous owners. “She was hiding under all of the shelves and crates that we have back there,” Animal Shelter Officer Barbi Blanch said. “I don’t know how she got here, but somebody probably dumped her here and that is where she ran so that she could hide underneath stuff. I had to set a squirrel trap to catch her.”
Tabitha is very playful with other kittens and has learned how to use the litter box. She still, however, is nervous around other people, especially strangers. “She’s gentle with other kittens, she’s not hard on them but she does like to play with them,” Officer Blanch said. “I’ve seen her play nicely with them and she has a ball. When she was by herself, she was miserable and just stayed in the back corner. She’s more social with other cats than people. Once we can get our cat numbers down, then I can spend more time with her.”
Tabitha is just one of many kittens currently at the Shelter. With such a large number of cats, the Animal Shelter is holding a special on adoption of rates of cats: only $35 as opposed to the normal $85. None of the kittens, including Tabitha, have had their shots since the Shelter is out of vaccinations at the moment. “We have tons of kittens and a full grown cat that the owner surrendered to us that is petrified,” Officer Blanch said.
Last week, the Shelter had an off-site adoption special for the release of the movie “The Secret Life of Pets”. The event at the local movie theater brought much needed publicity to the Shelter and its many animals. “We got a lot of exposure from a lot of folks, but we didn’t adopt any from over there,” Officer Blanch said. “One of our long time Shelter animals from foster care did get a new home over the weekend as well as the last of the Brady Bunch, the Heeler mom and her pups that were brought to us from the county.”
Currently, the Animal Shelter’s two service trucks are out of commission due to overheating of one truck and electrical issues with the other. While they are in repair with the city mechanic, the Shelter officers are currently operating with a backup truck lent by the police department. The Animal Shelter will be at an off-site adoption event at Tractor Supply from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Shelter will be closed Saturday, but anyone wanting to call the Shelter and adopt one of their many kittens can do so at (903) 348-1868.
Back to the Basics: County Roads and the Commissioners Court
by Allison Bledsoe
County roads are a necessity for the rural communities that bring Hopkins County to life, but very few inhabitants know much about them and how they are maintained. We’re bringing our readers back to the basics with a quick lesson on county roads and what just exactly they entail.
County roads are defined as public roads that have been accepted for maintenance by the Commissioners Court to the standards set by the Commissioners Court. Roads are classified as first, second, and third class. To give a little more definition to our terminology, each county is separated into four precincts. Each precinct is governed by one of four Commissioners. The Commissioners then answer to the Commissioners Court that is governed by the County Judge. A County Commissioner independently has no authority to establish a county road or change it’s status. In Hopkins County, the current Commissioners Court is composed of Judge Robert Newsom, Beth Wisenbaker, Mike Odell, Wade Bartley, and Danny Evans.
In Chapter 251.004 of the Transportation Code, it is stated that County Commissioners are the supervisors of the public roads in a county unless the county itself adopts an optional system of administering the responsibilities. Five different road management options exist currently. The first is the Road Supervisor System, within this system County Commissioners are supervisors of public roads in unincorporated areas of the county and supervise the public roads in the Commissioner’s precinct at least once each month and provide a report during the ninth month of the county’s fiscal year. A close alternative to this management plan is the ExOfficio Road Commissioner System. The County Commissioner takes care of the roads in his or her precinct, such as laying out new roads, construction or changing of new roads, and the construction of bridges. With authorization from the Court, the Commissioner may hire employees that are hired from the county road and bridge budget. The County Commissioner under the ExOfficio system must also provide a road report, much like the Road Supervisor System.
The third option is the Road Commissioner System, this is where things begin to differ in a sense of what is normal to inhabitants of Hopkins County. Four precincts, four Commissioners, and the Commissioners Court still exist, but 1-4 Road Commissioners are employed under the supervision of the Commissioners Court. Road Commissioners may operate in a system where the road districts are countywide or consolidated. The Road Commissioners are expected to ensure that all bridges and county roads are in good condition, as well as to establish a system of grading and draining public roads. The Road Commissioners spend funds on public roads, bridges, and culverts. Under this system, Road Commissioners are required to give regular reports to the Commissioners Court. In the fourth option, the Road Superintendent System, it is very similar to the Road Commissioner System. Each county or precinct is assigned a Road Superintendent that will serve a two-year term. The Road Superintendent is under the general supervision of the Commissioners Court. He or she directs the laying out of roads, construction, as well as grading and drainage of the road systems. The only major difference is that the Road Superintendent must file a sworn report at each regular term of the Commissioners Court.
The fifth option is a little more complicated, especially in regards to how it must be implemented in the beginning stages. The County Road Department System is it’s own department that is ran by a County Engineer. The Commissioners Court is still involved, but as a policy-making entity rather than the head of the public road system. The Commissioners Court appoint a licensed engineer. There is no time limit on his or her term. In the event that the county cannot hire an engineer, a County Road Administrator may be appointed. The Engineer and Administrator both make vital decisions like hiring and firing. The only requirement for this position is experience in maintenance, road building or other types of construction. In this system, road activity such as construction or maintenance is to be based on the whole county. Precincts or districts do not play a role in the use of county equipment, road construction, or maintenance. All resources are spread among the entire county.To implement the County Road Department System a petition signed by %10 of the numbers cast in the last election for governor, then is certified by the clerk and then the change may be voted on in the next election.
The last component of the road system is the road report that each Commissioner, Road Engineer, Road Administrator, etc., is expected or required to complete in the ninth month of the counties fiscal year. All Texas counties are required to track the cause of the degradation of roads and keep these records in the event that the county is audited. The Road Report must contain the amount of money needed for maintenance of the roads for the next fiscal year, the condition of each road, culvert and bridge in the Commissioners precinct, the number of traffic control devices broken or defaced in the year, any new road that should be opened, and the reason for any road, culvert or bridge degradation.
The Hopkins County road system falls under the ExOfficio system. Several of the surrounding counties are also ExOfficio, but Rains County has implemented the fifth option, the County Road Department. Fannin County is the closest reported county to Hopkins that has adopted the Road Commissioner System.
