Cooper Lake Nears Full Mark
Cooper Lake is as close to full as its’ been in quite some time after recent rains. Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell said Monday the lake is just two feet, three inches below capacity. Back in December, he told the City Council the lake was some 13-feet low. The last time the lake was completely full was in late 2010. Maxwell credited the coming of El Nino in the Pacific for the wetness here.
Hospital Adds Neurologist
The long search for a neurologist has ended for Hopkins County Memorial Hospital. Hospital CEO Michael McAndrew told the board Monday night that Dr. Vikas Pandey had signed and sent back an agreement with the hospital. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Chris Gallagher said he expected Dr. Pandey to start work in mid-July or August 1 at the latest. He added the hospital was very lucky to have him. They have been searching for three years.
In other business, the hospital board canceled their May 9 board election. Only incumbents Dr. Suzanne Thomas Bankston and Dr. David Black filed to run during the filing period. They will be sworn in for another term at a later meeting.
“Updated” Seriously, Obey Flood Water Barricades
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department made three separate arrests of men Friday and Saturday who moved and then drove around a barricade put up by TXDOT to keep people off a flooded road. The incidents involved a barricade placed on FM 71 West near the Delta County Line. A 60-year old Sulphur Springs man was arrested Friday and a 30-year old Yantis man and a 49-year old Commerce man Saturday.
The 60-year old Sulphur Springs man was arrested for moving and driving around a barricade put up by TXDOT to prevent people from driving on a flooded roadway in Hopkins County. A Sheriff’s deputy saw the man go around the barricade on FM 71 West half a mile east of the Delta County line at around 5:45 p.m. Friday. . The driver told authorities he was being nosy and wanted to observe how bad the road was flooded. The deputy stopped the man about fifty yards from where water was flowing over the roadway.
Then Saturday two more were arrested, a 30-year old Yantis man at 308 p.m. and a 49-year old Commerce man at 7:56 p.m. The Sulphur Springs man and the Commerce indicated they were curious to see how much flooding there was while the Yantis man expressed an interest in doing some crawdad fishing.
JP Brad Cummings set a $1,000 bond for each of the three.
“Updated” Three Killed in Fatal Accident
Three teenage females from Mt. Vernon were the victims in a fiery one-vehicle fatal accident just north of Sulphur Springs at 5:40 a.m. Saturday. They have been identified as 17-year old Nicole Barela, 18-year old Andrea Cook and 16-year old Shyanne Kull.
The vehicle, a dark truck, burst into flames as a result of the wreck. The three inhabitants were burned beyond recognition preventing identification. The vehicle license plate and vehicle ID number were also destroyed. JP Brad Cummings pronounced the three people dead at the scene and ordered an autopsy from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Dallas in an attempt to determine who they were and what caused their death. The truck was being driven south on Highway 19 when it went off the road and struck a tree causing it to rollover. It ended up on its’ side in the southbound lane. The accident is being investigated by troopers Allen Hale and Brandon Stribling.
Maxwell in Martin Play, A Community Players Production
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell is a cast member for the current Community Players production of The Underpants at Main Street Theatre. It opened Thursday. There are also a Saturday night and Sunday afternoon production this week and Thursday and Friday evening and Sunday afternoon stagings next week. Maxwell plays the King of Germany. Comedian Steve Martin wrote the play.
Field Conditions Delay SSHS Baseball & Softball
The Wildcats’ baseball team’s district game at Mt. Pleasant was postponed by rain Friday night. The Wildcats, 1-0 in district and 4-5 this season hope to play the game Monday.
The Lady Cats’ softball team’s home game against Mt. Pleasant Friday evening was postponed due to rain. Lady Cat Park was too wet. Mt. Pleasant will try to play a postponed game against Texas High Monday so the earliest the Lady Cats can host the Lady Tigers is Wednesday or Thursday. The Lady Cats also have road trips next week to Greenville Tuesday and to Hallsville Friday.
SSHS Soccer Season Ends
The Lady Cats’ soccer team lost their season and district finale at Hallsville Friday night. The loss was an extremely bitter pill as it eliminated the Lady Cats from the playoffs. They end the season 7-6-1 in district and 8-11-3 for the season.
All season long the Wildcats’ soccer team had the tendency to come up one goal short. It happened again Friday night on Senior Night at a waterlogged Gerald Prim Stadium as the Hallsville Bobcats escaped with a 2-1 overtime win. The winner came on a penalty kick after a player was fouled barely inside the box. Johnathan Alvarez had the lone Wildcat goal. The Wildcats ended up 4-9-1 in district and 6-13-4 for the season.
School Districts Owe Staggering 111.5 Billion in Debt
Flynn lays out HB 114
School Districts Owe Staggering 111.5 Billion in Debt
Austin-State Representative Dan Flynn (R-Van) today presented information in support of his Transparency Legislation HB 114 and HB 1378. This information was troubling to many in the audience, as throughout the state, when it was revealed that the total school district municipal debt is more than 112 billion dollars and over 20 school districts are indebted with over a billion dollars in debt.
Stated Rep Flynn, “Texans deserve transparency in local bond elections involving schools and other governmental bodies. Texans deserve the right to know how much debt there is and hope my legislation will help shine light on this vital issue.”
Flynn’s legislation which would require transparency in ensuring Texans are fully informed of the actual level of debt and its consequences as well as putting limits on Capital Appreciation Bonds. Those type of bonds are used often as a tool to help school districts but are also very susceptible to abuse. Said Flynn, “Many are concerned when they learn their ISD’s are indebted in the billions of dollars. It appears the overuse of this tool could be could be an open invitation to get around current limits on spending and borrowing and there is an urgent need to reign in this type of abuse.”
More worrisome, Texas has extremely high levels of local debt. Some of the highest in the nation. According to the Texas Bond Review Board local governments have almost 200 billion in local outstanding bond debt and it is worth noting that local debt makes up 83 percent of all public debt in Texas.
Debt Service as of 8/31/2014
Principal
Interest*
Total Debt Service
Public School Districts
$67,963,542,470
$44,257,744,199
$112,221,286,668
Cities, Towns, Villages
$67,802,254,274
$37,341,065,833
$105,143,320,107
Water Districts and Authorities
$31,306,548,675
$17,501,923,930
$48,808,472,605
Other Special Districts and Authorities
$15,918,003,391
$16,044,571,619
$31,962,575,009
Counties
$14,131,821,815
$7,297,042,886
$21,428,864,700
Community and Junior Colleges
$4,768,060,367
$2,478,634,576
$7,246,694,943
Health / Hospital Districts
$3,437,504,772
$2,879,898,753
$6,317,403,525
Total
$205,327,735,763
$127,800,881,794
$333,128,617,557
*Excludes Build America Bond subsidy
According to Representative Flynn, “To ensure voters are adequately informed about any new debt they are being asked to approve transparency of the levels of debt, payments and per capita burden need to be disclosed on a regular basis. These transparency requirements should apply to all political subdivisions including cities, counties, school districts and special taxing districts.
HB 1378 and HB 114 seek to enhance the transparency of political subdivision debt obligations as a means to allow the citizens of Texas a method to see what they are voting for and what it does to debt on themselves and their child and grandchildren before they vote.
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Stuck in Mud; Stuck in Jail
A 35-year old man and a 24-year old woman, both of Dallas, were arrested in Hopkins County very early Thursday morning for having a list of identity information for more than fifty other people and for having some illicit drugs in their possession. They also had a 6-year old boy with them.
Wesley Aaron Lawrence and Tamara Rose Story have been charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, possession of a controlled substance and endangering a child. Justice of the Peace B.J. Teer set bonds for Lawrence and Story at $55,000 total. Sheriff’s deputies had been sent to investigate a report of a truck not belonging at an address and stuck in the mud just before 1 a.m. Thursday. The truck was in the front yard
of a residence on County Road 4778 just off of Highway 19. Both occupants seemed to be nervous according to deputies. Consent to search the truck was given and deputies found a small piece of paper containing meth along with a list of identifying information for more than 50 people outside the Hopkins County area. The couple in the truck were arrested and Child Protective Services took custody of the boy.
Wesley Aaron Lawrence and Tamara Rose Story have been charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, possession of a controlled substance and endangering a child. Justice of the Peace B.J. Teer set bonds for Lawrence and Story at $55,000 total. Sheriff’s deputies had been sent to investigate a report of a truck not belonging at an address and stuck in the mud just before 1 a.m. Thursday. The truck was in the front yard of a residence on County Road 4778 just off of Highway 19. Both occupants seemed to be nervous according to deputies. Consent to search the truck was given and deputies found a small piece of paper containing meth along with a list of identifying information for more than 50 people outside the Hopkins County area. The couple in the truck were arrested and Child Protective Services took custody of the boy.
Tamara Rose Story
Wesley Aaron Lawrence
Pickton Veterans Memorial Fundraiser
Pickton Cemetery Association is sponsoring a stew-fundraiser at the Pickton Community Center Saturday in support of the Pickton Veterans Memorial. The memorial will honor those residents of Pickton who “answered the call and their unselfish service preserved our liberty”. The fundraiser is set for March 28. Stew will be served from 11 am. until 12:30 p.m. Cost for the stew is by donation.
A short program will follow the stew at 12:30 p.m. and a live auction will begin at 12:45.
For more information call Robert Rose, 903-886-2686. If unable to attend, donations may be mailed to:
Pickton Cemetery Association
PO Box 108
Pickton, TX 75471
