Shasore Returned to Hopkins County Jail To Face Charges
May 5, 2023 – Abdullateef Olasun “AB” Shasore was returned to Hopkins County Jail this week. He was arrested at the Tarrant County Jail were he was serving time for another conviction.
Shasore and an accomplice were arrested in 2022 after they attempted to withdraw thousands of dollars from a Sulphur Springs, TX bank. The funds did not belong to them. See that story here.
Nigerian born Shasore, who is 22 years old is being held on a $250,000 bond.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Dallas Democrat Colin Allred Announces 2024 Challenge To Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz
May 4, 2023- U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, announced Wednesday he is challenging U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for reelection.
The three-term congressman made the announcement on a three-minute video posted on social media. Allred had been considering a campaign for months and it was no surprise when he announced he was running.
Allred’s campaign begins as an uphill battle. A Democrat hasn’t won a statewide election in Texas since 1994, and while Cruz’s 2018 reelection race against Beto O’Rourke was surprisingly tight, Democrats have not been able to replicate such a close contest since then.
Cruz’s campaign responded by calling Allred “too extreme for Texas,” stated his faithful voting record with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Ted Cruz has some of the highest job-approval ratings among republicans in the state and has gathered considerable influence in the senate since his last reelection. Cruz has now become a staple part of the Republican image through his years serving the state of Texas.
Several harsh words and accusations were exchanged through both campaigns from Senator Cruz and Representative Allred.
Allred is also a civil rights lawyer who worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Barack Obama. While, Cruz is running for a third term in the Senate after toying with making another White House bid in 2024
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, is also likely to run but is not expected to make any announcement until after the legislative session, which ends May 29.
MasCo Prepares For Equipment Auction in Winnsboro on Saturday
May 4, 2023 – Sulphur Springs agricultural equipment dealer Shawn Massey and the team at MasCo Equipment are holding the 2nd Annual Equipment Auction in Winnsboro on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Massey tells KSST News, “Several hundred lots are already consigned to the sale and more lots are coming in daily.” Not only will there be the usual assortment of ag and construction equipment, but smaller items have also been consigned including trucks, trailers, and boats. Massey continued by saying, “We even have a very rare low-mileage 1991 Corvette ZR-1 hitting the auction block during the sale. There will be something for everyone, from hand and power tools, to boats or backhoes.”
The auction starts at 10 a.m. Saturday morning and bidders should register before the auction starts. On-site bidder registration starts at 8 a.m. If you would like to register for Live bidding in advance you can email Masco at: [email protected]
Online bidding will occur simultaneously on some items through EquipmentFacts.com. You can find a link to the items listed with MasCo online here: Online Auction Items
The auction takes place at 1208 E. Broadway St., Winnsboro, TX 75494
Miller Grove Cemetery Annual Memorial And Homecoming
May 4, 2023- Miller Grove will be holding their annual memorial service and homecoming this Saturday May 6th at the Miller Grove Methodist Church at 10:30 am.
Located at 7819 FM 275, Cumby, TX.
Dike Election Receives Interest at State Level
All eyes are on the rural area of Dike, Texas as an election to make Dike an incorporated municipality is set for Saturday, May 6th at the Dike Community Center.
A recent solar plant project has disrupted the quiet life in Dike. Some residents’ in Dike have banded together to have their Class C Incorporation request put on the ballot to add an extra layer of protection for landowners in that area. Tyler based KLTV recently interviewed Dike resident Kirk Reams who voiced his displeasure with county officials “not allowing Dike residents’ to voice their opinions or concerns.” Reams stated that by the time other residents found out about the project the solar deal was already done. Reams says that incorporation would help protect Dike residents from future projects. Donna Tubb, who is against incorporation, was quoted by KLTV as saying “that not all of her family were asked about incorporating.” See KLTV’s story here: Dike Community to Vote on Incorporation
Texas State Network News picked up the KLTV story Thursday morning distributing the plight of Dike residents to it’s 3 million weekly listeners statewide. The ongoing “David vs. Goliath” fight has pitted some residents against county officials who have aligned with foreign energy entities to bring the massive solar project to the once quiet rural community. Engie Solar, through their subsidiary Hopkins Solar, LLC, received approval from Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court as well as other taxing entities for taxable valuation reductions of over 90 percent.
Blattner Energy, LLC is in charge of contructing the project and has recently caught the eye of a state-level office as the TCEQ recently cited the construction company for multiple violations regarding water and sediment runoff. That story can be found here: Blattner Battles State of Texas.
Early voting for the incorporation has already concluded with 59 of the 218 eligible voters voting early. The remaining eligible voters will be able to cast their vote on election day Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 7 am until 7 pm at the Dike Community Center on Highway 69 in Dike.
Dallas Resident Attempts to Outrun Police
May 4, 2023 – BRANDON DONNELL JOHNSON was arrested this week after he attempted to flee law enforcement on Interstate 30.
At around 10PM Wednesday night, Greenville TX Police advised Hopkins County Dispatch that they were in pursuit of a black Chrysler 300c heading east on I-30. Greenville PD terminated their pursuit near the Hunt Hopkins County line. Cumby PD then started to pursue the Chrysler. The fleeing car was traveling at 100mph.
Working in concert with Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies, a stop strip device was deployed. During that deployment, a Deputy incurred a finger laceration. That laceration required medical attention at a local hospital.
After BRANDON DONNELL JOHNSON’s car hit the device, he pulled into a truck stop of the western edge of Sulphur Springs. Johnson, age 20, was taken into custody by Cumby PD. The 300c was impounded.
Because a member of law enforcement was injured during the incident, Johnson’s charge was elevated to a felony.
He is charged with:
38.04(B)(2)(B) EVADING ARREST DET CAUSE SBI (Serious Bodily Injury)
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Banuelos-Rios Arrested on Theft Related Warrants
May 4, 2023 – JUAN ANTONIO BANUELOS-RIOS was arrested this week on theft related warrants. His current bond totals $60,000.
JUAN ANTONIO BANUELOS-RIOS was arrested in February of this year after deputies found close to $300,000 worth of stolen equipment in his possession. See that story here.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
City of Dallas Confirmed Struck By Ransomware, Shutting Down Several IT Services
May 4, 2023- Dallas Texas has confirmed Wednesday to have been struck by a ransomware attack which caused several IT based services to shut down.
The Dallas Police Department was also affected by this attack which led to 911 dispatchers having to write down received reports for officers rather than submit them via the computer-assisted dispatch system. The Dallas County Police Department’s website was also offline for part of the day due to the incident but has since been restored.\
During the attack several network printers on the City of Dallas’ network began printing out ransom notes this morning, with the IT department warning employees to retain any printed notes.
The perpetrator of the attack is believed to be a cybercrime syndicate by the name of Royal Ransomware. The Royal Ransomware is believed to have risen to power after the Conti cybercrime syndicate shut down its operation.
When launched in January 2022, Royal utilized other ransomware operations’ encryptors, such as ALPHV/BlackCat, to avoid standing out. However, they later started using their own encryptor, Zeon, in attacks for the rest of the year.
Towards the end of 2022, the operation rebranded into Royal and quickly became one of the most active enterprise-targeting ransomware gangs.
Like other ransomware gangs, Royal is known to steal data from networks before encrypting devices. This stolen data is then used as further leverage in extortion demands, with the threat actors warning that they will publicly leak data if a ransom is not paid.
At this time, it is unknown if any data was stolen from the City of Dallas during the attack.
Texas Utility Commission Push For More Gas-Powered Electricity In Light Of Threats Of Summer Power Outages
May 4, 2023- Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake on Wednesday warned that Texas’ main power grid is at risk for outages this summer if wind turbines don’t produce enough electricity when it’s needed. He further explained that more on-demand power sources, such as natural-gas-fueled power plants or batteries need to be built to make the grid more reliable.
Lawmakers are evaluating a new economic tool that Lake’s agency approved, called performance credits. These credits would increase electric customers bills an estimated 2% and direct the funds to companies that operate on-demand power sources, with a goal of persuading them to build more power plants or keep existing plants in service longer.
Lake’s statements were based on the Grid Operator’s seasonal report that studies how much electricity the system is expected to be able to produce in various, low-probability scenarios, compared to demand.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) found that the grid may not be able to meet a very high demand for power at the end of a typical work day if it coincides with extremely low wind and an extreme number of unexpected outages at other plants. ERCOT also stated that low winds and a very high demand for power after sunset could lead to power outages.
Renewable energy supports have pushed back on the characterization that the grid’s reliability rests on the renewables alone.
After the near collapse of the grid during the February 2021 winter storm, having left millions without power, several Texas leaders blamed renewable energy to be the cause of the problem. Later analysis showed that all types of power generation faltered in the storm.
National Day Of Prayer May 4th 2023
May 3, 2023 – National Day of Prayer will be held on Celebration Plaza May 4th starting at 6pm and going through 7:30pm.
The First Thursday of May
The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. The National Day of Prayer Task Force is a privately funded organization whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. The Task Force represents a Judeo-Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.
Significance of the National Day of Prayer
The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.
