Como-Pickton Students, Staff Honor Veterans
On Friday, November 11, 2022, Como-Pickton students and staff honored local veterans during a special program at the school. CPFFA officers, along with Coach Joe Garcia’s (Active Reserve) AVID class lead the program for the entire district and community members. Como-Pickton band performed during the program.
“We had an incredible Veteran’s Day program today! Thank you FFA, Band, and Coach Garcia’s AVID class for honoring our hometown heroes,” said CPCISD Assistant Superintendent Lydia Walden
Como-Pickton students and staff honored veterans with a special program Nov. 11, 2022. 
Presentation of flags during the Veterans program at Como-Pickton school, lead by CPFFA. 
The 13 folds of the flag ceremony 
Coach Garcia presented the flag to Pickton Veteran Tommy Walters and thanked him for his service. 
Como-Pickton FFA officers, along with Coach Garcia’s (Active Reserve) AVID class, lead the Nov. 11, 2022, Veterans Program 
The POW/MIA table ceremony 
A U.S. Air Force Veteran was among those honored during the program at Como-Pickton school Nov. 11, 2022. 
Please call the school if you can help locate other Como-Pickton graduates who have served in the military, so they their picture can be added to the wall of honor.
Rep. Slaton Files Bill To ‘Charge Illegal Aliens With The Crime Of Criminal Trespass’
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Yesterday, Representative Bryan Slaton of House District 2 filed House Bill 91 that will, if passed, empower Texas law enforcement and prosecutors to arrest and charge illegal aliens with the crime of criminal trespass.
Representative Slaton issued the following statement in a Nov. 15, 2022 press release:
“The crises at our southern border has taken a nose-dive under President Biden, and it has not abated. Lip-service and half-hearted attempts at securing the border are not enough. We must empower our Texas Law enforcement to do something about the flood of illegal aliens and cartel activity, and HB 91 will be an important tool in that fight. Rather than simply apprehending illegals and turning them over to federal agents, who will then release them back into the country, we can charge them with criminal trespass and prosecute them under our own State laws.”
FDA: Foundational Rule To Improve Traceability Of Contaminated Food Finalized
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced an unprecedented advancement in foodborne illness prevention through the finalization of a rule to more effectively trace contaminated food through the food supply, whether sourced in the U.S. or abroad.
The final rule establishes additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for those that manufacture, process, pack or hold certain foods, including fresh leafy greens, nut butters, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables and ready-to-eat deli salads. In collaboration with industry, the FDA will be able to more rapidly and effectively identify the origin and route of travel of certain contaminated foods to prevent or mitigate foodborne illness outbreaks, address credible threats of serious adverse health consequences or death, and minimize overly broad advisories or recalls that implicate unaffected food products.
“This rule lays the foundation for even greater end-to-end food traceability across the food system that we’re working on as part of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative,” said Frank Yiannas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food policy and response. “This standardized, data-driven approach to traceability recordkeeping helps create a harmonized, universal language of food traceability that will help pave the way for industry to adopt and leverage more digital, interoperable and tech-enabled traceability systems both in the near term and the future.”
Foods subject to the final rule requirements appear on the Food Traceability List (FTL). To determine which foods should be included on the FTL, the FDA developed a risk-ranking model for food tracing based on the factors that Congress identified in Section 204 of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). These foods include fresh leafy greens, melons, peppers, sprouts, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and tropical tree fruits, as well as shell eggs, nut butters, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, ready-to-eat deli salads, cheeses (other than hard cheese), finfish and crustaceans.
The FDA released a proposed rule in 2020 and held a public comment period where comments were received from food producers and other stakeholders through early 2021. In response, the agency has made several changes to the final rule so that it better aligns with current industry approaches to food traceability and harmonizes points in the supply chain where records must be maintained.
Key features of the final rule include:
- Critical Tracking Events: at specific points in the supply chain – such as harvesting, cooling, initial packing, receiving, transforming, and shipping FTL foods – records containing Key Data Elements are required.
- Traceability Plan: information essential to help regulators understand an entity’s traceability program. These include a description of the procedures used to maintain required records, descriptions of procedures used to identify foods on the FTL, descriptions of how traceability lot codes are assigned, a point of contact for questions regarding the traceability plan and a farm map for those that grow or raise a food on the FTL.
- Additional Requirements: maintenance of records as original paper or electronic records, or true copies; providing requested records to the FDA within 24 hours of a request (or within a reasonable time to which the FDA has agreed); and providing records in an electronic sortable spreadsheet when necessary to assist the FDA during an outbreak, recall or other threat to public health.
Foodborne illness affects millions of Americans each year. Today’s action progresses the agency’s commitment to better protect the public by ensuring a safe and wholesome food supply. Enhanced recordkeeping requirements for FTL foods will allow for faster identification and rapid removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, ultimately resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths.
Brashear Man Sentenced On Continuous Sexual Abuse Of A Child Charge
A 44-year-old Brashear man was sentenced by a Hopkins County jury Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, on a continuous sexual abuse of a child younger than 14 years of age.
(HCSO Jan. 7, 2022, jail photo)
Jury selection was conducted Monday in the continuous sexual abuse of a young child trial of John Robert Sievers, Jr. The trial proceeded in the 8th Judicial District Court.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Matt Harris with District Attorney Will Ramsay assisting. The defense attorney of record for Sievers was Clay Johnson.
A continuous sexual abuse of a child charge is a first-degree felony offense, punishable upon conviction with “imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life, or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than 25 years,” according to Title 5, Chapter 21, Section 21.02 of Texas Penal Code.
The Hopkins County jury found Sievers guilty on the continuous sexual abuse of a young child, then Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, sentenced the Hopkins County man to life in prison, according to court reports.
Sievers was taken into custody elsewhere and transported to Hopkins County jail Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, on warrants for continuous sexual abuse of a young child as well as violation of probation on an abandoning or endangering a child-criminal negligence charge. He was held on the probation charge, with bond set at $75,000 on the felony sexual abuse charge, jail and arrest reports stated.
He was first arrested on Nov. 14, 2020, at a County Road 4131 residence on three warrants for abandoning or endangering a child-criminal negligence and one warrant for tampering with physical evidence with intent to impair warrant; he remained in the county jail until April 5, 2021, in lieu of the $85,000 in bonds set on the charges, according to jail and arrest reports.
Proposed Guaranteed Maximum Price Contract For Construction Of Trusty Building Approved
The proposed guaranteed maximum price agreement for construction of a trusty building was approved by Hopkins County Commissioners Court, readying the project for the start of construction in approximately 1 month.
The Commissioners Court was asked to “consider and take appropriate action on the proposed Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and Amendment Number 1 to the construction manager-at-risk agreement with SEDALCO Construction Services for construction of the Hopkins County Trusty Building; and to authorize the County Judge to execute required documents related to Amendment Number 1 of the agreement.”
County Commissioners, the sheriff and his personnel met a couple of weeks ago with DRG Architects and Sedalco to review bids submitted to Sedalco for the project. Monday, the Commissioners Court was presented with the GMP. Jeremy Smith, project director at SEDALCO Construction Services, was present at Monday’s meeting to formally present the report and any questions related to it.
Wayne Gondeck with DRG Architects, which was also involved with construction of the current 200 bed Hopkins County Justice Center (new jail/sheriff’s Office), were on hand Monday morning during the regular Commissioners Court meeting.
“What that means is you have a base contract with the construction manager-at-risk for the pre-services and construction services for hte construction of this building. What this does is this sets the price for that, the guaranteed maximum price, and it initiates the actual construction of that project. But All the terms and conditions of that construction have already been reviewed and determined by the base contract. This is basically setting the price today of the project,” Gondeck said.
Smith presented the proposed contact with a GMP of $4,799,477 for a 48-bed trusty facility, which is still within the budget for the project. After the previous meeting, he noted, his company got back pricing for fiber to connect security between the current jail and law enforcement center with the new building to be constructed across the street. With that added expense, Smith said as discussed, he did adjust some other things as discussed to keep costs within budget.
“I just want to make note that the funds for this are the American Rescue Funds and there’s $4,900,000 sitting in there right now. It’s not coming from the general fund, or road and bridge fund. It’s coming from the American Rescue Fund that’s been set aside for this project,” County Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook noted.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley and Aulsbrook emphasized said that means no bonds were needed or sought, nor any other debt incurred to fund the project, only funds awarded to the county by the America Rescue Fund.
“What we have basically, is what we talked about. The first month will be all paperwork. Actually, Will Burgess is back here and will be the contract manger,” Smith said, pointing to the individual in the courtroom. He’s already started working on contracts and letters of intent to the subtractors to get those guys locked in and ready to go for us. So, once this is signed we’ll actually go to release those contracts to those vendors and get those submittals and everything going so we can get materials started.”
Smith noted two alternate options discussed by the construction and architects and the county officials at the recent meeting: stockpiling on site, which could save $48,879, and is not included in the price as it was being presented for consideration at Monday’s meeting; and certain permit costs, whether the city is willing to provide some assistance with that expense, which would be credited back to the county if granted. The first would stockpile soil dug out, which if hauled off by the county could result in the nearly $49,000 savings noted.
Work crews likely wouldn’t be on the job site until December, Smith noted.
Bartley said that could mean some county employees would not be available to haul the dirt away immediately, due to people being off at different times during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Smith said the dirt wouldn’t have to be hauled off right away. It could be stockpiled in the back and hauled off in later.
The county judge said as he understands, the sooner hte project can get moving the better, as the jail has been at maximum capacity for a while.
“We’ve been needing this for quite a while. It’s exciting to get this under way so we can continue our growth down there,” Sheriff Lewis Tatum said.
“I think it’s going to be a plus for our trusty program that the sheriff’ implements, that it will keep trusties a little bit more separate from the general population. To me it should help those men and women, maybe in their self confidence maybe to get rehabilitated, to be productive citizens once they get out of jail,” said Bartley.
“It will go a lot of things for us. They will be able to maintain themselves a lot better and prepare themselves to go back into the city and our civilization instead of being incarcerated so much. Also, it will make it so much easier for us to get them in and out of the jail. You are going into a maximum security facility. This way, minimum security, it will be easier for the people picking them up and letting them off,” Tatum said.
The sheriff noted that the facility will benefit the city, county and all residents, through the trusties who save the city and county money in the labor they provide in various areas and departments.
“I know it’s a lot of work he and his staff are going to do, but in the long run helps everyone out,” Tatum said.
Bartley made the motion which Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price seconded, to approve the GMP and authorizing the county judge to sign the documents related to that. The motion was unanimously approved by the Commissioners Court.
Fruitvale Man Jailed On Felony DWI Charge
4 Others Booked On Misdemeanor Intoxication Charges
A 38-year-old Fruitvale man was jailed on a felony DWI charge and four others were booked in on misdemeanor intoxication charges over the Nov. 11-13 weekend.
SH 19 DWI Arrest
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies Drew Fisher and Isaac Foley reported stopping a silver Chevrolet sedan at 11:42 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, for reckless driving, after first observing the vehicle tires spun at a four-way stop sign, then seeing the car continue at a speed of10% or more above the posted speed limit on State Highway 19 north of Sulphur Springs.
Upon contact with the driver, the deputies alleged the 38-year-old Fruitvale man displayed clues of intoxication. He agreed to attempt standard field sobriety tests. Justin Scott Tanner was taken into custody at 11:57 p.m. Friday for further investigation of DWI, according to arrest reports.
Tanner initially agreed, then refused to perform a blood draw to check blood content. The deputies obtained and executed a blood search warrant requiring the blood draw. The man was booked into Hopkins County jail at 1:43 a.m. Nov. 12, 2022, for third or more driving while intoxicated. He was released from the county jail later Nov. 12, 2022 on the felony charge, according to jail and sheriff’s reports.
Birthright Intoxication Arrest
HCSO deputies responded at 8:31 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, to a complaint of a disturbance at Joe Bob’s in Birthright. After speaking with both parties reported to have been involved, the deputies determined a 41-year-old man to be the aggressor in the disturbance, deputies noted in arrest reports.
Deputies reported the man was belligerent and intoxicated in a public place, making him a danger to himself and others. Thus the Sulphur Springs man was taken into custody at 8:42 p.m. Friday and transported to jail. He was booked in at 9:20 p.m. Nov. 11 on a public intoxication charge. He was released from jail the next day on the misdemeanor charge, according to jail and arrest reports.
Weaver Drive DWI Arrest
The driver of a Jeep Wrangler was contacted at 9:54 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, on Weaver Drive by Sulphur Springs Police, who asked him to perform field sobriety tests.
When the 30-year-old Sulphur Springs man refused, but stated he’d had several intoxicating beverages. He was also alleged to be unsteady on his feet, was thick tongued, had bloodshot, glassy eyes and alcohol emitted from him. The Sulphur Springs man was reported to have vomited several times, SSPD officers noted in arrest reports.
The 30-year-old was taken into custody at 10:19 p.m. Saturday. He agreed to a blood draw. Afterward, he was transported to the county jail, where he was booked in at 3:52 a.m. Nov. 13, on a DWI charge. He was released from jail later Sunday on the Class B misdemeanor drunk driving charge, according to jail and sheriff’s reports.
I-30 DWI Arrest
Cumby Police responded to a reckless driver complaint on Interstate 30 east. The officer spotted what he believed to be the vehicle in question, a red Nissan Titan, near mile marker 111 and followed it. Near mile marker 112, the Cumby policeman alleged the driver failed to maintain a single lane of traffic, almost striking an 18-wheeler.
The officer initiated a traffic stop at 9:50 p.m. .Nov. 12, 2022. The pickup stopped near mile marker 114. While speaking with the driver, the Cumby policeman reported smelling a strong alcohol odor that increased as the 28-year-old Irving man spoke. He tested all six possible clues on standard field sobriety tests administered, and had no vertical nystagmus on horizontal gaze nystagmus tests. A walk and turn and one-legged stand tests were not administered due to the man’s health conditions, which were not specified in the affidavit for probable cause on the arrest reports.
As a result, the Irving man was taken into custody at 10:07 p.m. Nov. 12, and transported to the county jail, where the 28-year-old was booked in at 11:39 p.m. Saturday on a DWI charge. He was released from the county jail on the misdemeanor charge Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, according to jail reports.
SH 11 East DWI Arrest
HCSO deputies reported seeing a Ford van at 11:52 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, on State Highway 11 east near FM 1870 fail to maintain a single lane of travel. The van pulled onto the shoulder prior to the deputy activating the emergency lights on his patrol vehicle.
Upon contact with the driver, a deputy alleged the man spoke with a thick tongue and admitted he’d consumed alcohol. He was was taken into custody at 12:10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 for suspicion of drunk driving, after refusing to complete field sobriety tests. He did, however, agreed to a blood draw, when was taken at the hospital at 12:37 a.m. The 25-year-old Sulphur Springs man was booked into Hopkins County jail at 2:22 a.m. Nov. 14, 2022, on a DWI charge.
He remained in the county jai later Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, on the misdemeanor DWI charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
KSST does not publish the names or photos of people charged with misdemeanor crimes in staff-generated reports, only those accused of felony offenses.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
Walk-Ins For Flu Shots Welcome From 1 to 3 Weekdays At CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic
Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ
By Jennifer Heitman, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
Flu Shots: Do Not Delay, Get Yours Today!
Flu shots are available at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, 105 Medical Plaza. Schedule an appointment with your provider today at 903.885.3181. If your provider has seen you in the last six months, you may walk in for a flu shot weekdays between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
BIBS Mom Support Group: Guest Speaker Haley Jackson
We welcome postpartum and breastfeeding moms to attend our BIBS mom support group. Come meet other moms and learn something new!
Kristi Couch, R.N. leads BIBS meetings, and this week she has invited Dr. Haley Jackson to be the guest speaker. Dr. Jackson is a Physical Therapist from Texas Pelvic Health. She will be talking about pre and postnatal care and pelvic physical therapy.
This meeting will be held on Friday, November 18, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Medical Plaza, 113 Airport Rd, Sulphur Springs. Please RSVP to Kristi Couch at 903.348.4767.
Are you expecting?
At CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs, we want to be there to help celebrate one of life’s special milestones: the birth of your baby. We created our Birthing Center with your family in mind. Our friendly and experienced physicians, midwife, and nurses are ready to provide the care you need before your delivery, during your stay and after your baby is born.
- Level II NICU (32 weeks and greater) with
- Dedicated local pediatricians ready to care for your newborn
- Level II Maternal designation
Before your delivery
- Free birthing and breastfeeding classes (in person or virtual). Call 903.439.4090 for more information.
- Tour the Birthing Center (in person or virtual)
During your stay
- LDRP rooms for one room throughout stay
- Board Certified Physicians and certified Nurse Midwife
- Different pain options for labor including Nitrous Oxide
- Meals for Mom — special meal planned just for you
- Well Baby Nursery
- New state-of-the art Birthing Beds and Panda Infant Warmers
Want to see our Women’s Birthing Center? Schedule a tour today! For more information on
classes and tours, please call 903.439.4090.
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals-Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties.
For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
- Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
- Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
- Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
- Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
The Welding Shop at the Paris Junior College Sulphur Springs Campus
WELDING PROJECT
Ethan Leach of Pickton works on his structural welding project at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center welding shop. For information about the welding program or other workforce education programs call 903-885-1232.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Rep. Slaton Again Files Legislation To Designate Child Gender Modification As “Child Abuse”
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Today, Representative Bryan Slaton of House District 2 filed legislation that, if passed, will bring an end to the practice of child gender modification in the State of Texas.
HB 42 will designate genital removal surgeries, chemical castration, puberty blockers, and other sex change therapies as child abuse.
Representative Slaton commented, “For years, Texas has failed our children by allowing them to be subjected to cruel child abuse in the form of sex-change surgeries and therapies. This child gender modification is child abuse, plain and simple. It is finally time that the Texas House, like the Senate, step up and defend innocent children from these bogus medical practices.”
Similar legislation passed the Texas Senate last session, but the bill failed to move through the Texas House, and died.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report for Nov. 7-13, 2022
Winnsboro Police Department each week provides a media report with information about department activity. WPD activity for the week of Nov. 7-13, 2022, included:
Arrests
- Juanita Perez, 30 years of age, of Dallas, was arrested on Nov. 9, 2022, Possession of 1 Gram or More But Less Than 4 Grams of a Penalty Group 1 Controlled Substance.
- Brandon Albrightson, 45 years of age, of Crowder, Oklahoma, was arrested on Nov. 12, 2022 , for Assault Causes Bodily Injury.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 133 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 15 citations and 19 warnings during this reporting period.
