TxDOT Says Don’t Drink and Drive
AUSTIN – A prisoner in his own body. This is how Sean Carter describes his life following his fateful decision 11 years ago to get into a vehicle driven by a drunk driver. When the driver slammed into a tree, then-22-year-old Sean was left severely injured and unable to walk or talk.
“Don’t drink and drive,” Sean said, via the aid of an iPad. “And please, don’t make my mistake of riding with someone who has been drinking. If I knew then that my decision would affect the rest of my life, you can bet I would not have gotten in that car.”
Today, Sean continues his life’s mission of warning others about the consequences of drinking and driving by sharing his story through the Texas Department of Transportation’s “Plan While You Can” campaign. The campaign is intended to save lives and decrease alcohol-related crashes all year long, but with a particular emphasis during holidays such as the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. During the 2015 Fourth of July weekend,* there were 355 alcohol-related crashes in Texas, resulting in 19 fatalities and 32 serious injuries.
“Drinking and driving is stupid!” said Texas Transportation Commissioner Jeff Moseley. “The concept is simple: Save your own life and the lives of others by planning for a sober ride.”
The “Plan While You Can” campaign – which coincides with an increase in drunk driving enforcement along with local no-refusal efforts – includes a multi-city tour that stops at shopping malls in Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock and Waco. Shoppers are invited to test their driving skills during a two-minute interactive game that simulates sober-to-impaired driving conditions, including difficulty in steering, delayed reactions and blurred vision. In addition, two large video monitors will allow mall shoppers to watch 30-second videos from the Faces of Drunk Driving website featuring Sean’s story as well as other stories from drunk driving crash victims in Texas.
Drivers under the influence of alcohol can face up to $17,000 in fines and legal fees, the loss of a job and other costs. As always, TxDOT strongly encourages everyone to plan for a sober ride before going out. Visit SoberRides.org to find alternatives to drinking and driving, such as:
- Calling a taxi or using a transportation app on your smartphone.
- Asking a sober friend or family member for a ride home.
- Spending the night.
For media inquiries, contact Tim McAlavy at [email protected] or call (903) 737-9213.
Schlotzsky’s Opening Day Announced; DQ Managers Needed; Repavement Begins
Schlotzsky’s Deli and Cafe located on Gilmer ST has begin employee training for nine employees and the remainder of the employee will begin training some time after July 8th. The opening day for customers had been set for July 14th but has now been moved to July 28th.
On the south side of Broadway, the site of the second Dairy Queen has been chosen and managers are needed. Anyone interested can apply at [email protected].
The Sulphur Springs School District has begun repaving the high school parking lot. The SSISD Maintenance Department is in charge of the project which is expected to be completed before the start of the 2016-17 school year.
Brashear Community Receives New Pressure Tank
The community of Brashear Tx, is receiving a new pressure tank which will be completed today June 27th. A construction worker on site was quoted as saying that the reason for the new tank was that the first the pressure tank was was built over 45 years ago. The Brashear Water Supply Corporation is building the new tank since the old tank was at risk of explosion.
Meal-A-Day Menu, July 4th-8th
Meal A Day Menu
July 4th – July 8th
Monday
Chili Cheese Dogs
Cole Slaw
Lays Potato Chips
Tuesday
Sliced Ham
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Roll
Wednesday
Cheese Burger Casserole
Ranch Style Beans
Corn on the Cob
Thursday
Chicken Spectacular
Stewed Squash
Pickled Beets
Friday
Meatloaf
Macaroni and Cheese
California Blend Vegetables
Roll
Karon Weatherman
Program and Marketing Director
Senior Citizen’s Center
150 Martin Luther King Blvd
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
(903) 885-1661
Flood Advisory Issued for Hopkins, Delta, and Lamar Counties
A flood advisory has been issued for Hopkins, Delta and Lamar Counties. As of 2:22 p.m. radar indicated thunderstorms that were producing heavy rainfall across the area. Excessive runoff from thes thunderstorms will cause minor flooding in low lying areas and areas with poor drainage. The Advisory extends until 5:15 p.m. today. Some water crossings in the area may become impassable.
Volleyball Camp Directed by Lady Cats New Coach
ssisd volleyball lady cats
New Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Justin Maness welcomed 25 girls, who will be entering the fourth through the seventh grades, to his three-day girls volleyball camp Monday morning. Coach Maness said he hoped some more girls would show up Tuesday. He was also expecting a good number of girls, who would be entering eighth and ninth grades, for an afternoon three-day volleyball camp. Coach Maness said he wanted to see volleyball grow and get bigger in Sulphur Springs.
He noted that four or five years ago in Texas, girls participating in volleyball surpassed those play basketball. The morning session with the younger girls was heavy on fundamentals. One of the drills taught the girls the proper way to set up the ball to the net. Coach Maness said he wanted to teach the girls good base skills now in hopes that there would be less to teach them later. He expected his older girls camp would be a bit more technical.
Coach Maness had been the head coach at Paris Junior College for all ten years of its existence until the program was ended recently. He said he was excited about his opportunity to coach the Lady Cats. Coach Maness praised the job done by former Coach Allison Irvin who left to take the head coaching job at new Denton Braswell. He said he hoped to build on the job done by Coach Irvin. Coach Maness said he wanted to speed up the Lady Cats’ game and make it more intense. He added his goal was to put volleyball on the map in Sulphur Springs.
Volleyball workouts for the Lady Cats begin August 1.
Commissioners’ Court Approves Right of Way Purchase Funds for Highway 11 West Project
Hopkins County Commissioners Court approved $142,000 to be contributed to the purchase of right of way for a Texas Department of Transportation project that will eliminate a curve in State Highway 11 West. Highway 11 West will have a new section of roadway built approximately 1 mile west of the Sulphur Springs City limits.
The new roadway will route traffic south houses along an extended curve in the roadway where a number of accidents have occurred over the years. TxDOT is expected to begin letting contracts for the new and wider roadway in the next few months. The old roadway will become a Precinct 4 County Road.
The court also traded the Haz Mat Trailer, which has not been used in years, to the Paris Fire Department. In exchange, the Paris Department will redo air packs for the Hopkins County Fire Department. Almost all of the air packs, worn by firemen when fighting fires, are unusable. Paris Fire Department will also provide Dive Team Assistance to the county.
Pope Sentenced to 39 Years for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
Brandon Lynn Pope,31, was sentenced to 39 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Monday morning in 62nd Judicial District Court. In a hearing before Judge Will Biard Assistant District Attorney Matt Harris had filed motions to have Pope’s probation revoked for two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
The motion petition was granted and the court moved to the punishment phase. Harris called witnesses from Hunt County, Farmers Branch, Texas, and Hopkins County Law Enforcement to testify that for the last four years Pope had failed to register as a sex offender and had lied about his identity.
An aggravated sentence means that Pope will not be eligible for parole for 19 and one half years. The aggravated sexual assault date back to charges in 2010.
City Object of Countersuit
June 27, 2016 – Dallas attorney, Michael R. Goldman has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Sulphur Springs. His lawsuit is a countersuit against the city. Currently, the city has on file a federal lawsuit that is seeking up to $63 million against his client, Noorallah Jooma, who lives in Denton County. The city’s suit is over alleged waste disposal and storm water violations—an illegal tap into the city’s sewer system that caused the death of a city worker. The story regarding the countersuit first appeared in the Dallas Morning News this past weekend.
Goldman’s countersuit states that private attorneys in the case are billing at an excessive rate of $950 an hour.
In the countersuit, Goldman claims that Sulphur Springs’ contingency fee contract has language that allows the law firm to “needlessly drag the lawsuit out as long as possible so that they can seek greater amounts in attorney’s fees at trial.”
Goldman claims the lawsuit has no merit but that the cost of attorneys provides an incentive to win the case.
City Manager Marc Maxwell told KSST News that he could make no comment on the case.
