Winnsboro Police Report a Busy Holiday Period
Three arrests, two multivehicle accidents, 198 calls for service, along with 70 citations and 63 warnings written made for a busy seven day period (December 28, 2015-January 3, 2016) at the Winnsboro Police Department.
Ryan Bonner, 22, of Winnsboro was arrested on December 30th for Possession of a Controlled Substance under 1 gram.
Robert Regan, 43, of Mt Vernon was arrested December 31st on a City of Winnsboro municipal warrant
Jacob Parrish, 22, of Gilmer was arrested the first day of the new year for violation of a protective order and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Two accidents were investigated as 2015 ended. The department worked a five (5) vehicle accident on the 31st. A grey Chevy truck, a tan Chevy Impala, a tan Toyota Prius, and a white Chevy Malibu were stopped on Highway 11 East in the eastbound lane at an active railroad crossing. A witness stated that a white Chevy 3500 pulling a trailer failed to stop in time to avoid striking the rear end of the Chevy truck. This created a domino effect and each in turn struck the vehicle in front of it.
The second accident was on 852 West involved a red Kenworth 18 wheeler turning into a feed store. Silver one-ton GMC dually attempted to pass but struck the front drivers side of the 18 wheeler causing damage to both vehicles.
Hopkins County Grand Jury Indictments For January
Forty indictments were handed down by a Hopkins County Grand Jury Monday, January 4, 2016. The Grand Jury indictments included a number of individuals who have yet to be arrested and therefore their names are not released at this time. The sealed indictments will be executed by local law enforcement.
Those indicted, whose names are released, include:
For online solicitation of a minor for sex:
Zain Jahangir, 29, of McKinney. Jahangir had arranged a meeting with who he thought to be an under 17-year old minor for sex. When he arrived in Sulphur Springs, he could not find the arranged location. A phone call made set a new location for the meeting at a convenience store on Main Street. He was waiting at the new location in the vehicle he had described when local law enforcement officers arrived and arrested him for online solicitation of a minor.
Lyndon Kyle Sillings, 26, of Oak Cliff was arrested by local law enforcement including the Crimes Against Children division and charged with online solicitation of a minor. Sillings had been communicating with someone he thought was under 17 and arranged a meeting in Sulphur Springs. Unable to provide his own transportation, he was transported to Sulphur Springs by his step-mother and step-brother who thought they were bringing him here to meet family they did not know. The step-mother and step-brother became involved in the arresting procedure but were released when their story was confirmed by a confession by Sillings. The family members returned to Oak Cliff where they would explain the happenings of the day to Sillings’ wife.
For engaged in organized crime:
Wes Gerald
Curtis Anthony August-Adams
Curtis Anthony August-Adams, 17; Caleb James Bryant, 21; Wes Gerald, 40; Morgan Leigh Oboyle, 23
Morgan Leigh Oboyle
An undercover buy-bust created the necessity for the Special Crimes Unit to rush a house located at 734 I-30 East, which is the South Service Road of I-30, Wednesday. The rush was necessitated when a confidential informant that had entered the house to make a purchase was held against his will when the sellers discovered his true purpose. The informant was assaulted and his communication devices including cellphone were taken from him by force. The Special Crimes Unit rescued the informant and arrested the three males and the female. They were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.
James Caleb Bryant was also indicted for Aggravated Assault in Retaliation.
Other indictments include:
- Kerry Louis Bailey for evading arrest detention with vehicle and with previous convictions
- Dustin Howard Brown for burglary of a building
- Keith Allen Burnham for theft of property under $2,500, two or more
- Charles Graham Clifton for theft of property over $2,500 but under $30,000
- Justin Scott Crawford for theft of property under $2,500, two or more
- Demetrius Evan Pryor for theft of property under $1,500, two or more
- Jerry Layne Coker for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance under 1 gram
- Denzil Scott Harris on two counts—one for theft of property under $2,500, two or more and the second for possession of a controlled substance more than 1 gram but less than 4 grams
- Dylan Lee Reed for possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram
- Shelley Lewis Watkins for Driving While Intoxicated
- Cody Lynn Wells for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance under 1 gram
Twogether in Texas Marriage Education Workshop
Twogether in Texas Marriage Education workshop will be held on Saturday, January 23, at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs. The free workshop will start at 8:30 a.m. and end around 3:30 p.m. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Topics include marriage expectations, communication, conflict resolution, money management, and goals & dreams. Engaged couples will receive a certificate to save $60 upon applying for a marriage license. Contact Johanna Hicks at 903-885-3443 to reserve seats.
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
SSHS Soccer Teams Begin Season
Wildcats Soccer Coach Andy Holt is ready for the regular season to start so he can see his team in action for real. Their scrimmages are over. The Wildcats lost to Royse City, 1-0 last Thursday afternoon. Then came the annual Alumni Scrimmage this past Saturday. At Royse City, Coach Holt said he saw a lot of good things along with some things that need to be addressed again. He did some tweaking during the Alumni Scrimmage. Coach Holt said this year’s Wildcats team has a lot of potential. The Wildcats open the regular season at a three-day Forney tournament beginning Thursday. The Wildcats will match up with Carrollton Newman-Smith, Royse City, Forney and College Station the first two days.
Lady Cats Soccer Coach Jesus Deleon calls his team this year one of the smartest and the deepest he has coached. They are also young and talented. Coach Deleon says there is very little difference in his #1 player and #18. During scrimmage season, the Lady Cats have blitzed John Tyler at Rose Stadium, 4-0 and Pleasant Grove here in town at the High School Track Soccer Field, 4-0. Coach Deleon says his sophomores are scoring goals. The team has one last scrimmage before the regular season begins. A Tuesday night scrimmage has been moved to the artificial turf at Paris due to field conditions at Gerald Prim Stadium. The JV plays at 5:30 p.m. and the Varsity at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Then the Lady Cats open the regular season at a three-day Terrell tournament starting Thursday. Opponents Thursday and Friday include Lindale, Huntsville, Terrell and Dallas Conrad.
Memorial Hospital’s Express Care Opens for Business Tuesday
Combining humor and the serious, Memorial Hospital CEO Michael McAndrew welcomed the public to an open house and ribbon cutting Monday afternoon for Express Care, an Memorial health clinic established on the south side of Sulphur Springs in what was once the Radio Shack building. McAndrew stated his confidence in the Express Care staff as he pointed out those utilizing the services would receive both good care and speedy care at the Broadway Street location.
Express Care will welcome patients Tuesday. Dr. Darrel Pierce, Colbie Cross, PA-C, and Kalee Kirk, PA-C will rotate seeing patients on-site. Hours of operation will be Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Following McAndrew’s comments, a Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting. Then, KSST’s Doug Haston with camera was given a tour of the facility. The tour not only featured each room but also procedures that would be performed in the room.
Wildcats, Lady Cats Resume District Play Tuesday
Tuesday, Wildcats and Lady Cats resume district play following the holidays.
Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta said it was a rough afternoon last Saturday as the Wildcats opened district play with a 71-35 loss at Texas High. He said the Tigers did a good job of forcing the Wildcats to play their style of basketball. Coach Cipoletta said the Wildcats committed a ton of turnovers and were bothered by the Tigers’ press. The Wildcats were led by Keaston Willis who scored 25 points. The Wildcats are 0-1 in district play and 7-10 overall as they host Mt. Pleasant in Wildcats Gym Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. Coach Cipoletta said Mt. Pleasant is good enough to contend for the district championship. He said they have a big kid who he believes is the district’s best player. Coach Cipoletta said the Tigers also have a good senior class.
The Lady Cats’ basketball team spent part of their holidays with a combination of vacation and basketball during an Idabel Oklahoma tournament last week. It was a chance for Lady Cats Coach Jeff Chapman to return to a place where he was coach for 12 years before coming to Sulphur Springs. The Lady Cats gave the Coach a hard time for being so well known around town. Coach Chapman said the team also had the chance to bond on the road. They also took two out of three games in the tournament held Monday through Wednesday last week. The Lady Cats clobbered Haworth, Oklahoma 61-30 on Monday and then squeezed by Tulsa Edison, 40-38 Tuesday. Edison had won the tournament for the past three years. The Lady Cats lost to Wright City, Oklahoma, 48-29 on Wednesday in the championship game. Coach Chapman felt his team put pressure on themselves. The tournament also featured what Coach Chapman called a playoff atmosphere and was played before a packed house. The Lady Cats return to district play Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on the road at Mt. Pleasant. The Lady Cats are 2-1 in district play and 15-5 overall. Coach Chapman said the Lady Tigers want to press and play a fast tempo game. He added they like to go quickly up and down the court and score on layups.
PJC-Sulphur Springs Campus Announces Continuing Ed Classes for January
January brings many options for both job skill and fun classes from the Paris Junior College-Sulphur Springs Center continuing education department.
To register for these classes or to obtain further information, call 903-885-1232.
Cake Decorating Part 1: Colorful Cakes & Cupcakes combines easy decorating techniques with unique designs through three basic icing techniques. Learn how to adjust icing textures and tips and tricks on icing a cake. Tuition includes a basic decorating kit and icing for a dozen cupcakes. Students should bring one dozen cupcakes of any flavor along with 15-2 inch squares of wax paper. The class is offered from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11.
Computer Essentials Level I is designed for the person that has very limited computer training. The student will learn basic computer tasks, using windows, proper mouse and keyboard techniques, computer lingo and “buzz” words. The class will meet from 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Jan. 12-19.
“Let’s Get Social” teaches how to setup a Facebook account, define privacy settings and learn the risks. Other social sites to be discussed will include Twitter, SnapChat, InstaGram and Pinterest. The class will meet on Thursdays, Jan. 14-21, from 4 to 5 p.m.
The Initial Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers class on lifesaving skills for respiratory and cardiac emergencies will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22. The American Heart Association certifies the class.
Microsoft Word Level 1 covers creating, saving and opening documents; editing documents; cut/copy/paste and find/replace; formatting text and paragraphs; formatting documents; and creating and formatting tables. The class meets Fridays, Jan. 22-29, from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Cake Decorating Part 2: Basic Piping and Flowers is offered on Monday, Jan. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. Students will learn how to make professional looking flowers and designs through the use of basic piping, writing and flower techniques, as well as tips and tricks to make common flowers include roses, chrysanthemum, and hydrangeas.
A Nurse Aide class will be offered from 5 to 9 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, Jan. 25-Feb. 17, and the clinical meets Mondays-Thursdays, Feb. 16- March 1 from 5 to 9 p.m. The class offers preparation for entry level nursing assistants.
Computer Essentials, Level 2 – Internet teaches students to feel confident when surfing the Internet. The class includes learning to print only what is needed instead of the entire website, how to know if a website is secure before entering personal data, and basic tips and tricks for effective searching. The class will meet from 4 to 5 p.m., Tuesdays and a Thursday, Jan. 26 – Feb. 2.
Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers Recertification for CPR certified cardholders is offered from noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27. The American Heart Association certifies the class.
Proposed Charging Station for Tesla On City Agenda Tuesday
Sulphur Springs City Council will consider a proposal that Tesla Motors representatives have already stated would be advantageous to both the city and Tesla vehicle owners. A charging station for Tesla vehicles to be built along Tomlinson Street in Sulphur Springs would be the only charging station between Rockwall and Hot Springs, Arkansas, according to City Manager Marc Maxwell.
The location of the eight space charging center was first questioned by Tesla because it was 1.2 miles from the interstate but after reviewing the downtown area; they said their owners would spend the 45 minutes needed for recharging to visit shops and restaurants in the area. Tesla representatives stated that their drivers do have apprehensions when they leave the interstate but stated that the downtown area here would cause those apprehensions to diminish. Tesla will pay for the station and all costs involved in recharging the vehicles.
City Manager Marc Maxwell states that those who drive Tesla are often decision makers and have disposable income. He hopes that they will not only visit downtown merchants and restaurants but will also consider the city a place for expansion of their business.
City Council to Consider Additional Downtown Parking
A space that is currently used for parking but not designated for parking, at the corner of Davis and Main Streets, is the proposed site for additional downtown parking. On the busiest of days the lot usually contains 44 to 47 vehicles but with the planned parking some 74 vehicles will be parked there. The proposal will be presented to the Sulphur Springs City Council Tuesday night during their January session. City Manager Marc Maxwell said an additional 30 spaces will be added.
Maxwell stated that no parking structure will be placed at the location due to cost. He said it costs 12-times as much to build a structure as it does to provide street level parking. The spaces will be placed on both sides of Tomlinson Street as well as along Main and Davis Streets. An area of parking along Tomlinson Street that is currently used for police parking will be incorporated into public parking.
The proposed parking area also includes eight (8) parking spaces that will include recharging stations for Tesla vehicles. The city will lay conduit and build the pad for the charging station. This will add little cost to the parking proposal according to Maxwell.
Sanitation Solutions Begins Service in Sulphur Springs
Sanitations Solutions, the new trash service for Sulphur Springs, made their first commercial pickups Saturday and will begin residential service today (Monday, January 4, 2016). According to City Manager Marc Maxwell there has been and will be no interruption in garbage collection as Sanitation Solutions begins their service to the city.
Days set for residential trash collection will not change according to Maxwell. If the resident’s trash has been picked up on Monday and Thursday or the Tuesday Friday schedule, those days remain the same. Maxwell reminds residential customers to have their trash curbside by 7 a.m. on the day of their scheduled pickup. The usual time of pick up may change. The contract calls for trash to be placed in bags and no more than six bags be placed curbside on collection day. Maxwell said that if trash exceeds limits, it may or may not be picked up during the next two weeks. He reminds customers that they may take excess trash to the landfill once a month. To use the landfill for free one must present their water bill.
This is the first change in trash service companies in 20 years. Sanitation Solutions, the new service company, will keep the expense the at the same rate for the city.
