Tira Community Center Reopening For Gatherings
By JAN VAUGHN, Tira News correspondent
The Tira City Council met on Sunday, March 7, 2021 and voted to reopen the Tira Community Center for gatherings. Due to the continued need to keep people as safe as possible, the fee has been raised to $100 to help cover the expenses, including cleaning and disinfecting the building after each use. To reserve the Community Center call Janie Lewis at 903-945-2395.
Allen Joslin, Tira Mayor, led the group in discussions regarding upkeep and repairs, and other routine business. Council Member Joyce Dodd gave an update on the Tira Food Pantry and contributions received. We want to express our appreciation to all the donors. Tony Macy, Tira Volunteer Fire Chief, presented a report about the department’s activities, needs, and upcoming
training.
This is Spring Break week for many of the area schools. I hope to be able to report about some of those activities next week.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-438-6688 or [email protected]
Women Jailed On Controlled Substance, Probation Violation Charges
Two women were jailed on controlled substance charges, one for possession and the other for violating probation on a controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
Industrial Drive Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Elijah Fite initiated a traffic stop on a black Ford Mustang at 3:05 a.m. March 11 in the 100 block of West Industrial Drive. Fite alleged the driver, identified in arrest reports as Paula Maria Lucero, failed to give straight forward answers and seemed nervous when he spoke to her.
A search of a fabric bag insider her purse in the car revealed a glass vial containing a crystal-like substance and a bag containing a green, leafy substance he suspected was marijuana, Fite alleged in arrest reports.
The 49-year-old Stockton, California woman was taken into custody at 3:16 a.m. Thursday. Deputy Nick Marney arrived at the scene to complete an inventory of the car prior to it being impounded. Fite transported Lucero to jail.
While processing the evidence, Fite alleged in arrest reports, the crystal-like substance tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 1.65 grams, resulting in Lucero being booked into Hopkins County jail just before 5 a.m. March 11, 2021, for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Lucero remained in Hopkins County jail on the felony controlled substance charge late Thursday morning, according to jail reports.
Warrant Arrest
A 49-year-old Sulphur Springs woman turned herself in at 3:40 p.m. March 10 at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant.
Deputy Drew Fisher escorted Sherry Lynn Webb into the county jail and released her to jail staff. Webb was booked warrant for violation of probation on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
She was held in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning, March 11, 2021 on the charge, according to jail reports.
Webb was arrested June 6, 2019 on the controlled substance charge after Sulphur Springs Police reported finding a methamphetamine pipe with a large crystal-like rock the officer believed to be methamphetamine during a search of her vehicle and purse as part of an East Loop 301 traffic stop, according to 2019 arrest reports. Webb was released from jail June 8, 2019, on a $5,000 bond on the controlled substance charge, according to jail reports.
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.
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.
Updated: Search For Wanted Man Ends With Arrest
*Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office launched a search for a wanted man who allegedly fled just before 9 a.m. Thursday, March 11, before deputies were able to contact him regarding a complaint. The man was reported to be in custody by 11:30 a.m. March 11, officials reported.
According to sheriff’s reports, Williams was in the area of FM 2653 causing a disturbance. Williams is accused of threatening a previous victim in another case. He reportedly left the location about a minute before deputies arrived. The search was launched. An item the man was reported to have been holding when left the location was soon located nearby.
Williams, according to the sheriff’s report, is wanted on a bond revocation for deadly conduct-discharging a firearm.
HCSO deputies and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were still searching the area of FM 2653 south of Brashear near County Road 1118 for Steven Brett Williams shorty before 10 a.m. March 11. Texas Department of Criminal Justice tracking dogs have been requested to respond at the location to assist in the search.
*HCSO officials asked anyone who saw the man to call 911; he had been apprehended by 11:30 a.m., the sheriff reported.
Meal a Day Needs Volunteer Cooks
Karon Weatherman, Director of the Seniors Center in Sulphur Springs is also the Director of the Meal a Day Program, housed inside the Seniors Center in Sulphur Springs. Karon is reaching out to the community to fill an important need for local, housebound Seniors who rely on Meal a Day services.
We need cooks! Meal A Day is losing a Wednesday and Thursday cook. Next week is his last day. He is moving to be closer to his children. If you have been thinking about Volunteering in your Community, Meal A Day could really use your help. He cooked both days but you would only have to come in one day. Hopefully more than one cook will step up to the plate.
The Cooks come in at 7:00 AM and are usually finished by 11:00 AM. You do not have to be a Chef.. None of us are. We just need people to help us cook the food and serve it up. The Drivers come in to pick up the food for deliveries around 9:30. The cooks leave after the kitchen is cleaned up unless we need to prep for the next day or make desserts. Let me know if you are interested in helping us out. Call me at (903) 885-1661 or email me at [email protected]. Thank You.
106 COVID-19 Fatalities Confirmed For Hopkins County
While many businesses were preparing to fully reopen and many people were celebrating the lifting of mask requirements Tuesday, Texas Department of State Health Services announced the 106 COVID-19 fatalities have now been confirmed for Hopkins County, including two deaths which occurred this month. Eleven additional residents were also reported to have contracted the virus this week, according to the COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard.
That’s five additional COVID-19 deaths reported in the last week. Two of the confirmed COVID_19 deaths occurred on March 2, the three other COVID deaths occurred in February. In fact, the five coronavirus deaths reported for Hopkins County in February (one each on Feb. 7, 10, 16, 20 and 26) is the least fewest monthly total since July, the first time Hopkins County had any confirmed COVID-19 deaths, when 2 deaths were reported.
Of the 106 fatalities, 57 were residents of the four nursing facilities in Sulphur Springs, including one nursing home death reported on Feb. 23, according to Texas Health and Human Services’ March 10 COVID-19 nursing facilities report, which reflects statistics only through Feb. 24, the most recent data available from HHS for Texas nursing facilities.
That’s 0.29 percent of the Hopkins County population (106 of 37,084 residents) who have died as a direct result of COVID-19. Red River County also has a COVID-19 fatality rate of 0.29 percent (35 of the population of 12,023 residents). That means Hopkins and Red River County have had the same fatality rate among the entire population as El Paso County, where 125,985 of 839,238 residents have had confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,422 residents who have died a result of the the virus over the last year.
In the 9-county area included and within 100 miles of Hopkins, only one other county has a higher fatality rate among all residents than Hopkins and Red River counties; Lamar County has a 0.30 fatality rate (150 COVID-19 deaths out of the 49,859 population). Although Hunt County has had the most confirmed positive cases (5,255), Hunt also has the lowest fatality rate among the total population in the 9-county region (0.16 percent or 153 death out of the 98,594 population). Not surprising is the fact that Hunt County also has the lowest fatality rate among confirmed-COVID-19 positive residents: 2.93 percent of confirmed COVID-19 positive Hunt County residents (154 of 5,255) have died as a direct result of the virus during the last year.
Red River County has the highest fatality rate among residents who have received lab-confirmed positive molecular COVID-19 test results over the last year: 8.77 percent of Red River County’s confirmed COVID-19 cases (35 of 399 cases) ended in death. Hopkins County has the second highest COVID-19 fatality rate of 6.92 percent among residents confirmed by molecular testing to have COVID-19 over the last year (106 of 1,531 positive cases).
Delta County, which not only has the smallest population (5,331 residents), also has the smallest confirmed COVID-19 cases count (173), and the fewest number of COVID-19 fatalities: 11 of the 173 confirmed cases died for a 6.36 percent death rate among virus-infected Delta County residents and 0.21 percent among the total population.
Titus County, which has about 4,335 less residents than Hopkins, has had only 82 fatalities from among 2,674 confirmed cases (third highest number of cases in the 9-county region), giving Titus County the second lowest fatality rate (3.07 percent) among infected individuals, but 0.25 percent among the total population of about 32,750.
State Expanding COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility To Include Anyone 50 Or Older
Beginning March 15, anyone age 50 or older in Texas will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, Texas Department of State Health Services announced Wednesday afternoon.
More than 93 percent of coronavirus deaths in Texas have been in people age 50 and older, with those ages 50 to 64 accounting for 20 percent of all fatalities. Including this group to the vaccine eligibility list should help further reduce the number of people who are hospitalized and die from the disease across all races, ethnicities and occupations, DSHS noted.
“We’ve seen a remarkable decrease in the number of hospitalizations and deaths since people 65 and older started becoming fully vaccinated in January,” said Imelda Garcia, DSHS associate commissioner for laboratory and infectious disease services and chair of the Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel. “Expanding to ages 50 to 64 will continue the state’s priorities of protecting those at the greatest risk of severe outcomes and preserving the state’s health care system.”
More than half of all Texas seniors had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 30 percent those are fully vaccinated. The number of COVID-19 positive patients in Texas hospitals has fallen by two-thirds from its peak in mid-January. There are about 5 million Texans between the ages of 50 and 64; more than 1 million of them are already vaccinated, according to the DSHS report.
The state’s COVID-19 vaccination program began with Phase 1A in December with health care workers and long-term care facility residents and staff. Later that month, Phase 1B rolled out with people 65 years and older and individuals with medical conditions that put them at a greater hospitalization and death from COVID-19 added to the vaccine eligibility list. Texas last week added school and child care workers to the eligible population, following a directive from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
More information on the new 1C priority group (50-64 years) is available at dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine/EVAP-Phase1C.pdf.
Overall, more than 7 million doses have been administered in Texas. About 4.7 million people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 2.5 million are fully vaccinated.
In Hopkins County, where COVID-19 vaccines are still relatively hard to come by due to the more limited supplies allocated to local providers than in more populous areas with hubs and super hubs, a total of 6,063 people had received vaccinations, 2,498 people who are fully vaccinated and 3,766 who have received one dose but are still awaiting the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of 11:59 p.m. March 9, a total of 1,021 people ages 65-79 with Hopkins County addresses (474 men and 547 women) had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The next largest group of fully vaccinated individuals in Hopkins County were those between 50 and 64 years of age (211 men and 363 women). Another 473 Hopkins County residents ages 16-49 years (146 males and 326 females) are fully vaccinated and 428 age 80 and older (159 men and 269 women).
Another 1,600 adults ages 65-79 (740 men and 860 women) have received the first dose of the vaccine and are waiting for the second dose. A total of 843 Hopkins County residents ages 50-64 years (326 men and 515 women), 674 residents ages 16-49 (220 males and 453 females) and 646 residents ages 80 and older (239 men and 407 women) had were waiting the requisite 3-6 weeks to receive the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and 4-6 Weeks to receive the second dose of the Moderna vaccine. The majority of people vaccinated in Hopkins County received the Moderna vaccine as that’s typically the brand of COVID-19 vaccine allocated to local providers.
However, DSHS last week reported that a total of 200 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine were allocated to Hopkins County this week, 100 each to Brookshire’s Pharmacy and to CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.
Sulphur Springs, Cumby, Miller Grove, Saltillo, Yantis ISDs Continue Mask Policies
Cumby ISD joins Sulphur Springs ISD as both continue to follow COVID-19 policies already in place regarding masks at school. SSISD announced the district’s determination regarding masks on March 4 and the Cumby ISD superintendent reported the district’s stance on the matter Wednesday morning. Miller Grove, Yantis and Saltillo ISDs will continue to follow current policies pending review of TEA and UIL guidelines as well, officials have reported.
Cumby ISD plans to continue following the COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place this school year, at the recommendation of Texas Education Agency, the superintendent announced around 11 a.m. March 10. Any questions regarding COVID-19 protocols, including mask requirements, may be addressed to Cumby ISD Superintendent Shelly Slaughter at [email protected].
Below is the notice posted around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 10, by Miller Grove ISD that the mask policy remains in place, at least until the March 22 school board meeting, after which the district will notify staff, students and families if any charges are approved.
Both Yantis ISD and Saltillo ISD shortly after Abbott announced GA-34, noted that their districts will continue to follow the COVID-19 related policies each school district has operated under this school year until they can review TEA and UIL guidance to determine how GA-34 might impact campuses.
Saltillo ISD administrators on March 3 and Yantis ISD administrators on March 2 noted they will communicate to staff students and families if any changes are made to COVID-19 operating protocols, including those related to masks. No additional notices have been posted.
What’s In the Bag? by Mario Villarino
On any visit to a nursery or a big-box garden center one will find many types of soil additives and amendments. It can be confusing to any gardener, as compost, mulch, potting soil, and potting mix are all commonly sold in bags. Selecting the right product for your garden will not only improve your soil, but also result in healthier, more productive plants. Knowing what is in the bag and how to use it can be the key to gardening success.
Compost is one of the best things a gardener can add to the soil. Compost is the end product of decomposition of plants, leaves, grass, and even food scraps from the kitchen. Finished compost will be dark, moist, and earthy smelling. Compost can be used as a mulch or lightly tilled into the soil, as both uses will immediately add nutrients and improve your soil’s ability to retain moisture.
Mulch is used to add a protective layer on top of the soil to help conserve moisture and block weeds from flourishing in your garden. Natural mulch, made of organic materials, and mulch made of non-organic materials are available for sale in bags, Some artificial mulches are made from recycled rubber chips, usually colored to add appeal. These mulches should be avoided, as they do not break down in the soil, do not hold moisture, and add nothing to the health of your soil.
Natural mulches, on the other hand, add tremendous amounts of nutrients to the soil as they break down, turning into compost. Shredded tree trimmings, made from Cyprus, cedar, or pine bark, are readily available in bags, and make excellent mulch. Pine bark mulch is light weight, and may wash away during a heavy rain. Colored natural mulches come in red, brown, or black, and add an immediate blast of color to the garden. However, this color is short lived, as the dye used to color these mulches usually fades after a few months.
Don’t forget to look for mulch in your own landscape! Leaves and lawn clippings make wonderful mulch, and re-using these in your garden will keep your soil healthy, give better control of weeds, and save money. Master Gardeners are taught to “Compost once, mulch forever”, with the idea of re-applying mulch regularly as it breaks down into compost. This practice will keep your soil healthy and nutrient rich for each growing season.
Potting soil and potting mixes are two products that can be easily confused. Potting mixes are soil-less, and composed of organic matter and/or peat moss for water retention, and vermiculite or perlite to help manage drainage and nutrients. Fluffy in texture, potting mixes are lighter than potting soil, and allow for seeds to germinate quicker, and space for tender new roots to grow. Potting mixes are more expensive than potting soil, and they need to be replaced periodically, as they break down over time and lose nutrients.
As the name implies, potting soils contain soil. Ordinary soil from your landscape is naturally rich in nutrients, but when used in containers, it will quickly become compacted, hindering air circulation, and easily becomes waterlogged. Potting soil, however, contains some of the same materials used in potting mixes, moderating some of the disadvantages of plain “dirt.”
Potting soil is generally slightly cheaper than potting mix and will last longer than potting mix, but due to its dense texture, drainage is poorer, and seeds have a more difficult time germinating.
Whatever the soil in your garden needs, it probably can be found in a bag at any nearby garden center. Knowing what’s in the bag will go a long way to gardening success. Happy gardening!
Two Women, Three Men Jailed On Controlled Substance Or Related Charge
Two women and three men were jailed Tuesday, March 9, on either a controlled substance or related charge. One was arrested as a result of a traffic stop, one a disturbance and three were from warrant arrests, according to jail reports.
Kyle Street Traffic Stop
Sulphur Springs Police Department Officer Sean Hoffman conducted a traffic stop on a Toyota Corolla at 1:51 p.m. March 9 on Kyle Street at Texas Street.
The 39-year-old Sulphur Springs driver reportedly showed nervous indicators while talking to Hoffman. When asked if she had anything illegal inside the car, Kristina L. Ullman allegedly admitted to having a scale used to weigh marijuana in her purse but said it was her cousin’s scale. Hoffman found two syringes loaded with liquid and blood mixed on them, making it hard for the officer to tell what type of substance the syringe was loaded with, the officer noted in arrest reports.
While she was being booked into Hopkins County jail, a jailer found two bags containing a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine and a bag containing miscellaneous dangerous drugs, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports.
Ullman was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports. She remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday morning, March 10, 2021, on both charges, according to jail reports.
Phyllis Court Disturbance
SSPD Officer Tyler Francis responded on Phyllis Court to a disturbance. Upon contact with a 39-year-old Sulphur Springs woman at the location he asked dispatchers to conduct a records check using her ID information.
Katrina Jane Crowson was taken into custody at 4:20 p.m. March 9, 2021, on warrants for bond forfeiture on forgery of a financial instrument and possession of less than 1 gram of a controlled substance charges.
Crowson, who jail reports show is also known by Katrina Jane Humphrey, Katrina L. Lile and Katrina Jane Lile, remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday morning, March 10, 2021, on both felony charges. She was originally arrested on April 4, 2020, on the forgery and controlled substance charges after police found her with counterfeit currency and heroin at a local business, according to arrest and jail records.
Wanted At Adult Probation Office
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office was notified a wanted person was at the Adult Probation Office in Sulphur Springs.
Deputy Bobby Osornio took Clayton Ryan Hanson into custody at 4:39 p.m. at the Hinnant Street office and transported him to jail. The 23-year-old Sulphur Springs man was booked into Hopkins County jail at 5:15 p.m. March 9, 2021, on the warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest reports.
Hanson remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday morning, March 10, 2021, on the warrant, according to jail reports.
Tuesday was the fourth time Hanson has been jailed related to the controlled substance charge. He was first arrested on Oct. 9, 2016 for possession of a controlled substance as well as a theft charge. He spent May 25-July 5, 2017 in the county jail, serving a commitment for the charge. Hanson then spent Feb. 4-July 31, 2020 in jail for violating probation on the charge, according to jail records.
FM 2560 Arrest
HCSO Deputy Chris Baumann was made aware March 9 of an outstanding warrant for Jimmy Wayne Gill’s arrest.
Baumann and Sgt. Scott Davis traveled to the 26-year-old Sulphur Springs man’s FM 2560 residence and took him into custody at 8:18 p.m. March 9. Gill was booked into Hopkins County jail at the warrant for violation of probation-possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, the deputies alleged in arrest reports. The offense occurred on March 5, 2021 according to arrest reports.
Gill remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday morning, March 10, 2021 on the charge, according to jail reports.
Arrested In Emory on Hopkins County Warrant
HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis was made aware of a warrant for Devan Dale Munoz‘s arrest March 9. Davis, aware Munoz had been staying in the Emory area, contacted Emory Police Officer Keith Lewis.
Lewis was able to located and take Munoz into custody. The Emory officer transported him to the Rains-Hopkins County line, where he released custody of Munoz to Davis at 9:22 p.m. March 9, 2021.
Davis transported Munoz to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked for bond forfeiture on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports. He remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday morning, March 10, according to jail reports.
The original offense, Davis noted in arrest reports, was alleged to have occurred on July 10, 2020. Hopkins County jail reports show Munoz was arrested July 10, 2020 on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, after claiming the contraband found in the pants he had on wasn’t his as the pants weren’t his either. He was released later that day on a $10,000 bond on the felony charge, and indicted on it in December 2020. Munoz is also known by Deven Dale Munoz and Devin Dale Munoz, according to jail reports.
