SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMS AT COOPER LAKE STATE PARK
Cooper Lake State Park
SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMS
AT COOPER LAKE STATE PARK
FOR AUGUST, 2015
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AUGUST 1
9:00 am ORIENTEERING – Reservations required Meet at Coyote Run
Trailhead/Compasses will be provided.
2:30 pm WHAT’S A KNOT & WHAT’S NOT/KNOT TIEING PROGRAM – Meet at Post Oak Amphitheater at DOCTOR’S CREEK (Rope will be provided)
AUGUST 8
9:30 am LIP SMACKIN’, GOOD EATIN’/DUTCH
OVEN PROGRAM – Meet at Honey Creek
Amphitheater (Bring a fork and bowl to sample the food)
2:30 pm DISCOVER THE TREES AT COOPER
LAKE STATE PARK – Meet at Honey
Creek Amphitheater and take a hike with a Ranger
around our Nature Trail (.2 miles) Bring water.
AUGUST 15
9:30 am GEOCACHE TREASURE HUNTING – Meet
at Honey Creek Amphitheater (GPS receivers will
be Provided)
2:30 pm LEAF IMPRESSIONS – Meet at Pelican Point Group Pavilion
at DOCTOR’S CREEK. After talking a little about leaves you can
find one of your own and make an impression of it in plaster or
make a rubbing with crayon.
AUGUST 22
2:30 pm NIGHT SKY ACTIVITIES – Meet at Gulls Bluff Group
Pavilion Make a “Sky Wheel” and learn about the night sky.
(Bring water.)
8:00 pm THE WONDERS OF THE NIGHT SKY /STARGAZING –
Meet at Honey Creek parking lot
AUGUST 29
9:30 am GUIDED CANOEING TOUR – Meet at Park
Headquarters. $12 Canoe rental for up to 3 people (Bring water, cap, sun screen). Call the park office to RESERVE your canoe.
PROGRAMS MAY BE CANCELLED BECAUSE OF WEATHER! CONTACT THE PARK OFFICE FOR UPDATED INFORMATION.
903 945-5256
Body of Missing Man Found Sunday
Lee Jones
Missing since Sunday morning July 12, the body of Lee Jones, 79, was found Sunday afternoon about one mile from his home on Hopkins County Road 1180. A search team from Bowie County found Jones in rough terrain just south of the County Road, according to Lewis Tatum, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Chief Investigator. Justice of the Peace Brad Cummings pronounced Jones dead around 5 p.m. at the scene. He also ordered an autopsy.
Lewis said the Bowie County search team was led by the Bowie County sheriff and manned by a number of volunteers who used dogs, some walked and others rode horses during the search. According to Lewis, the search area was brushy with dense undergrowth, creeks, and ditches. “Our condolences to the family in their loss,” Lewis said and “We hope this will bring some closure for them.” He also expressed his thanks to the Bowie County team and all others involved in the search.
Jones had health issues including diabetes and dementia. Search teams including Texas Department of Criminal Justice cadaver dogs, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Rangers had scoured the area in their searches.
Rumors had spread Wednesday July 15th that Jones had been found that morning. The assistance of the public had been sought by law enforcement since Jones was reported missing. Sighting of individuals thought to be Jones had been reported in many areas including Commerce, the local Brookshire’s Grocery, and two reports from the Brashear area. A DPS Dive team had also been involved early in the search.
Veracruz Charged With Murder in Franklin County
James Dale Veracruz has officially been charged with Murder, a First Degree Felony, in the shooting death of Darrell G. Blankenship. Franklin County Justice of the Peace Jim Alford magistrate Varacruz, setting his bond at $1.5 million Friday, July 24, 2015.
James Dale Veracruz
Franklin County Sheriff, Ricky Jones said his department along with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers Service investigated the murder of the 50 year old Blankenship who was pronounced dead at the scene of shooting at the Scroggins Store in Franklin County. Blankenship lived in a residence on the south side of the Scroggins Store. Veracruz was placed in custody at the scene. Veracruz, 36 years old of Linden, Texas located in Cass County, Texas, was at that time held on warrants out of Cass County for burglary.
At 7:59AM Franklin County Sheriff’s Office 911 Operators received a 911 call of a possible shooting at the “Scroggins Store” located at 14818 Farm to Market Road 115 and the intersection of Franklin County Road 4425. Upon Deputies arrival at location they first encountered the suspect and placed him in custody. Victim was pronounced deceased by Franklin County Justice of the Peace Jim Alford and the body will be taken to Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas for an autopsy.
Want to Learn to Sew?
Want to Learn to Sew?
With the resurgence in the interest in home food preservation, we have distributed lots of packets outlining safety procedures and recipes for preserving the harvest. Another skill which took to the “back burner” for a while is sewing, but I have received calls lately inquiring about a basic sewing workshop. The last workshop I led was November, 2013, and it spilled over into 2014 for six month because participants wanted to continue coming! So, I have scheduled a mini-workshop. Now I just need participants! Below are the details:
- What: Basic Sewing Workshop
- When: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, August 10-12, 2015
- Where: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200-B W. Houston, Sulphur Springs
- Time: 8:30 a.m. to noon (could spill over into the afternoon if needed, except on Wednesday)
- Cost: $10 (includes materials for a make-and-take project)
- To register: call 903-885-3443 and leave your name and phone number
- Bring: sewing scissors, pins (preferable with the ball heads), tape measure; optional – rotary cutter & cutting mat, acrylic ruler
- What we’ll cover: threading the machine & filling a bobbin, completing a quilt block pillow (materials furnished), reading a pattern envelope & instructions, preparing the fabric for marking & cutting.
Our office has eight sewing machines available for use, but if you would like to bring your own, you are welcome to do so. Class will be limited to 8 participants due to the nature of the workshop. If you have sewn before but perhaps need assistance with a project, bring it!
Diabetes Education
Do you or a loved one have diabetes? The summer series of “Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes” and “Cooking Well with Diabetes” are scheduled for August, and we are now taking reservations.
“Cooking Well with Diabetes” is a 4-lesson series which includes cooking demonstrations. Topics are: Carbohydrate Foods, Making Foods with Fat Better for You, Double-Pleasure Side Dishes, and Celebrating Sensibly with Diabetes. Participants will have the opportunity to sample 3 recipes and will receive a notebook with handouts and recipes. The series is scheduled for Mondays & Thursdays, August 17, 20, 24, and 27, 1:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200-B W. Houston, Sulphur Springs. Cost for the series is $25 for individuals (or couples sharing a notebook), which includes all materials, recipe sampling, and “graduation” gifts.
“Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes” is a 5-lesson series which include topics on nutrition and self-care. Lessons include: How Food Affects Your Blood Glucose, Are You Eating the Right Number of Carbohydrates?, Beyond the Diet: Improving Your Blood Glucose with Physical Activity, Improving Your Blood Glucose with Medication, and Celebrating Diabetes Control: Having your Cake and Eating it, too, While Avoiding Complications. This series is scheduled for the same days as listed above, plus Monday, August 31, 6:00 p.m., same location. Cost for the series is $25 for individuals (or couples sharing a notebook), which includes materials, refreshments, and “graduation” gifts.
Seating is limited to 30 per series. Please call 903-885-3443 to sign up and indicate which series you wish to attend.
Closing Thought
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us” – Helen Keller
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]
Not Using, Just Selling; Emory Woman Charged on Seven Counts
A 33-year old Emory woman was charged with seven offenses after a traffic stop just before midnight Thursday night. Hopkins County Deputy Shea Shaw stopped a vehicle on Highway 19 South at FM 1567 West. His arrest report indicates he saw a baggie of marijuana in plain site. The deputy also saw a woman attempt to destroy some crack cocaine in a bottle she had hidden on her person. The woman also claimed ownership of 1.74 grams of methamphetamine found in a pocket of a male in the vehicle.
At the jail, the woman was found to have .29 grams of methamphetamine on her person. The woman told the deputy she was not using the drugs but was just selling them. Sheila Ann Grimes had a magistrate’s hearing with Justice of the Peace Brad Cummings who charged her with seven crimes and set bonds totaling $65,000. Ms. Grimes was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance over 1 but less than four grams, one count of tampering with physical evidence, 3 counts of possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram and one count of possession of a prohibitive substance in a correctional facility. One man in the car with the woman, a 39-year old Emory man, was fined $329 for a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. A third person in the vehicle, a man, was not arrested.
Low Quality Forage Hits East Texas
OVERTON — East Texans have made a lot of hay so far this year, but because rains delayed harvesting, fertilization and herbicide treatments, much of it may be of low quality, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist.
“That’s why it’s as important as ever to be able to produce high-quality winter forages this year,” said Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton.
Corriher-Olson and her colleague, Dr. Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Overton, will be conducting a training, “Winter Pastures for Central and East Texas,” on Aug. 14.
The training will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton.
“One of the big problems with hay from overly mature summer forages is often low energy content,” Corriher-Olson said. “We’ll be discussing how to make up for this as well.”
Registration for the program is $60 before Aug. 5 and $75 before Aug. 11, after which registration will be closed. Registration includes lunch and program materials. Register online by going to https://agriliferegister.tamu.
Corriher-Olson said the program will address many of the issues people commonly have about establishing winter pastures:
— Cool-season forages and variety selection.
— Monthly and seasonal forage production potential.
— U.S. Department of Agriculture Internet soil survey demonstration.
— Establishment and fertilization.
— Grazing and utilization strategies.
— Impact of cool-season annuals on warm-season perennials.
— Appropriate mineral supplementation.
— Armyworms and other cool-season forage insects.
— Estimated costs of establishment.
Banta said time will be allotted for a question-and-answer session after the presentations.
The program will offer two continuing education units to Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator license holders — one in the integrated pest management category and one in general.
Maps and driving directions to the Overton center can be found by going to http://overton.tamu.edu and clicking on “Center Information” on the left panel.
For more information, call Michelle Sensing at 903-834-6191.
Sentences Handed Down in 8th District Court Thursday
In the Eighth Judicial Courtroom of the Hopkins County Courthouse, Oscar David Ramirez was placed on 10 years deferred probation Thursday, July 23, 2015. Ramirez was arrested and booked into Hopkins County jail on September 4, 2014 charged with sexual assault after an 18-year old Sulphur Springs woman accused him of drugging her before the July 13th assault at a bar restaurant. The establishment is no longer in business here.
Others who came before the court and received sentencing Thursday:
Joshua Cain Strickland received six (6) years deferred probation for online solicitation of a minor in March of this year.
Leo Strong was sentenced to four (4) years in a penal institution for possession of over 4 grams and less than 200 grams of a controlled substance.
Lucas Sampson received 10 years deferred probation for possession of a controlled substance over than four (4) grams and less than 200 grams.
Ira Lorand Davis, Jr. received 10 years straight probation for a January 29th charge of fraud in the use and possession of 50 items or more of identifying information.
Georges Albert Richard Tene received 10 years deferred probation for a January 29th charge of fraud in the use and possession of 50 items or more of identifying information.
Murder in Franklin County; Suspect in Custody
MOUNT VERNON, TX (07-23-2015) Franklin County Sheriff, Ricky Jones announced today that his department along with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers Service are investigating the Murder of a 50 year old white male victim. Deceased is Darrell G. Blankenship who lived in a residence on the south side of the Scroggins Store. JP Jim Alford pronounced Blankenship dead and ordered an autopsy. A White Male Suspect was placed in custody at the scene. Suspect is James Dale Veracruz, 36 years old of Linden, Texas located in Cass County, Texas. Suspect is being held on warrants out of Cass County for burglary at this time. Sheriff Jones stated a warrant for Murder will be forthcoming by days end.
At 7:59AM Franklin County Sheriff’s Office 911 Operators received a 911 call of a possible shooting at the “Scroggins Store” located at 14818 Farm to Market Road 115 and the intersection of Franklin County Road 4425. Upon Deputies arrival at location they first encountered the suspect and placed him in custody. Victim was pronounced deceased by Franklin County Justice of the Peace Jim Alford and the body will be taken to Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas for an autopsy.
Sheriff Jones requested if anyone has any information concerning this offense, they are urged to contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (903) 537-4539 or Northeast Texas Area Crime Stoppers by phone at 903-577 TIPS(8477) or at www.netacrimestoppers.org.
KSST lost a partner today.
Mike Norton
KSST lost a partner today.
Michael J. Norton passed away Thursday July 23rd, 2015.
Michael J. Norton was a part of KSST’s 68 years of broadcasting in Hopkins County. Mike developed the station’s website, KSSTRadio.com, from scratch. He also sold advertising for the station, and gave his input on any topic that came up. Mike also took photos and wrote articles for the website. Mike was a devoted family man, and was kind to everyone.
A North Dakota native, Mike always joked about how Texans thought it was cold here. He almost always had a tumbler of cold coffee in his hand or in the console of his pickup. He loved a good Reuben Sandwich. We will miss you Mike.
For those who knew Mike well, this image and text sums up his attitude for most things.
