Hicks: Hopkins County 4-H Members Earn Hefty Scholarships
Tucked away at the end of my column las week was mention of two Hopkins County 4-H members who earned sizable scholarships from the Texas 4-H Foundation.
I wanted to give them the recognition they deserve for their accomplishments.
If you keep up with my column, you have read about these two young ladies, but previously, the amounts of their scholarships were unknown.
As it turns out, they each received the highest amount awarded through the Texas 4-H Foundation’s Houston Livestock & Rodeo Scholarship – $20,000.
Jorja Bessonett has been in the news a lot lately. Not only is she Valedictorian for Miller Grove High School, but she is an accomplished athlete, scholar, and all-around good person!
Jorja has been a Hopkins County 4-H member for 10 years.
She started out as a Clover Kid on the heels of her older sister, Aleigh, who also received a $20,000 scholarship her senior year. Jorja’s major 4-H projects have been Food & Nutrition, Clothing and Textiles, Family Life, Beef, and Health & Personal Safety.
4-H awards have included the Gold Star Award, Danforth “I Dare You” award, state record book award, Outstanding Junior and Intermediate awards, and numerous community service projects.
She plans to attend Texas A&M University – Commerce, and major in Kinesiology, followed by a Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program.
Savannah Allen, daughter of Sara Allen, is a senior at Sulphur Springs High School.
She has been a Hopkins County 4-H member for 10 years and has held offices on the club, county, district, and state levels, most recently as a Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador.
Her major projects have been Beef, Leadership, Photography, veterinary science, food & nutrition, and livestock judging.
Some of her 4-H Awards include Gold Star Award, Danforth “I Dare You” award, Vet Tech program completion, numerous public speaking awards, Outstanding Intermediate and Junior awards, and numerous community service projects.
Savannah’s younger brother, Blaine, is also active in the Hopkins County 4-H program. Savannah plans to attend Texas A&M University with a major in Animal Science and minor in Ag Economics focusing on real estate.
Previous recipients from Hopkins County were Travis Hicks, Sara Forsman, Cade Goldsmith, and Aleigh Bessonett, plus many more before I came on board with the Extension Service.
Our staff is so proud of these two young ladies and those who came before them.
These young ladies truly exemplify the 4-H pledge: I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service, and my Health for better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world.
Closing Thought
Advice for graduating seniors: Have fun, be safe, make good choices, make your bed, call your grandmother!
Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Community Health Agent
Hopkins County
P.O. Box 518
1200-B W. Houston
Sulphur Springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443
60 Bottles Of Medication, Stolen Gun, Marijuana Found During I-30 Traffic Stop
Hopkins County sheriff’s Office Deputies Drew Fisher and Nick Marney reported finding 60 bottles of medication, a stolen gun and misdemeanor amount of marijuana during an Interstate 30 traffic stop early Sunday morning.
The deputies stopped a Chevrolet Avalanche at 1:49 a.m. May 16, 2021, at the rest stop on I-30 east in Hopkins County for an expired registration. Deputies conducted a probable cause search of the truck after smelling a marijuana odor. The search revealed a GLOCK pistol and more than one bag of marijuana in a backpack in the back seat where Jeremiah Nahum Jones sat. The 23-year-old Little Rock, Arkansas man claimed the bag. A records check using the serial number showed the firearm to have been reported to Arkansas authorities as stolen. The suspected marijuana weighed 3.7 ounces.
As a result, Jones was taken into custody at 2:19 a.m. Sunday on theft of firearm, possession of 2 ounces or more but less than 4 ounces of marijuana and unlawful carrying of a weapon charges.
Fisher reported 60 bottles of plain Promethazine were also located in the vehicle. Promethazine, a generic name for the phenothiazine drug Phenergan, is often prescribed as an antihistamine for allergies, to relieve severe nausea and vomiting such as that resulting from chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as a sedative or sleep aid, according to www.drugs.com. The driver, a 24-year-old Little Rock man, was arrested on a misdemeanor possession of a dangerous drug charge,.
Both Arkansas men were released from Hopkins County jail Sunday, the 24-year-old on a $2,000 bond on the dangerous drug charge; and Jones on $9,000 in bonds: a $5,000 bond on the firearm charge, and $2,000 each on the misdemeanor marijuana and weapon charges, according to jail reports.
Zoom Meeting for May HC Genealogical Society ‘Social History Can Enhance Family Stories’ is Thursday May 20
The May 2021 meeting of the Hopkins County Genealogical Society will be presented by Zoom meeting on Thursday May 20 at 7pm. The address to register for the Zoom meeting is listed below. Presenter is Susan Kaufman, currently Director of Education in the Texas State Genealogical Society. Her theme will be ‘Using Social History to Enhance Family Stories’.
“Using Social History to Enhance Family Stories” by Susan Kaufman, Senior Manager of Houston Public Library’s Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
This presentation will help you to find sources to help you to understand the context in which your family lived, celebrated, cooked, listened to music, and other daily activities that help provide the stories that make our families come alive. Family history research put in context goes beyond just a name, date and place on a pedigree chart. Social history helps us to better understand lives, provides a background to our research, adds interest to the pedigree chart and can also lead to additional records.
When we look at our pedigree charts, so many questions begin to swirl in our heads.
We want to know what the day was like for those names. What did they wear, how did they cook, what did they cook, how did they grieve, how did they get to the place they were, what was their environment like, what challenges did they have? What were their fashions, how did they get from one place to another? What was the trip across the ocean like? What hardships did they live through? Were they persecuted? What happened to them as they settled? How did they, why did they have to defend themselves? We want to know what role society played in their lives…and what role they played in society.
What is social history and why should we care?
Social history is history on the micro level, examining how families fit into, were part of, and can help answer the impact society had on them. Social history helps us to better understand lives providing context to our research. Social history fills in the gaps between the birth, marriage and death of an ancestor. It helps us to understand how they worked, how they played, and who they were.
It is the study of ordinary people’s lives. It is the stories we were told as children, heard as adults, and the memories we share. These are the stories of life. Our families live in social context, with a circle of relatives, friends, acquaintances all placed in a world of activity. These stories are the fabric that weaves and creates a “family history” We want to know how our ancestors lived and what life was like for them. This creates a picture in our mind of who and what they were.
Researching the historical context of your family gives us broader picture of what our families thought about, what events were impacting their lives, how they worked, events that were part of their lives. In addition, as a bonus, it might even make the most reluctant person who is not even interested in “genealogy’ become interested in “family history”
When: May 20, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting by clicking HERE
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Dinner Bell Menu For May 19, 2021
Our Community Partner Ist Choice Home Health, Stephanie and Warren Mitchell, gifted Dinner Bell with 350 pounds of prime packaged ground beef for which we are very grateful!!!!
MENU
Hamburger Steak with Brown Onion Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Fried Cabbage with Kale and Other Baby Greens
Garden Salad
Yeast Rolls
Southern Pecan Praline Cake
Grab and Go continues with meals being distributed under the covered driveway on the Northeast Corner of The First United Methodist Church Campus at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
CONTINUE TO PRACTICE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. COVID HAS NOT DISAPPEARED! DINNER
BELL CARES about your HEALTH! Hope you drive through for a meal. Promise it will be good!
GET YOUR COVID INOCULATION. DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
Lady Cats Softball Regional Semifinal Schedule Firmed Up
Lady Cats softball head coach David Carrillo announced Sunday, May 16, that the Regional Semifinal playoff series dates and times have been set, weather permitting.
Sulphur Springs is set to take on the Lucas Lovejoy Leopards in the fourth round of playoffs held this week.
Game 1 is set to tee off at 7 P.M. on Wednesday, May 19 in Rockwall.
Game 2 will also be in Rockwall two days later on Friday, May 21 at 7 P.M. as well.
Game 3, if necessary, will begin in Rockwall at noon on Saturday, May 22.
The Lady Cats softball team are in the Regional Semifinals after taking care of the Huntsville Lady Hornets, 1-0 (8 innings) and 7-5 in the Regional Quarterfinals last week.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Meal A Day Menu For May 17-21, 2021
The meals are prepared at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center five days a week for Meal A Day program recipients.
The Meal A Day Menu for May 17-21, 2021, includes:
- Monday – Beef Pot Pie, Candied Carrots and Broccoli
- Tuesday – Sweet and Sour Chicken, Rice, Egg Roll and Oriental Vegetables
- Wednesday – Beef Lasagna, Italian Vegetables and Garlic Toast
- Thursday – Baked Ham, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Beans and Roll
- Friday – Salad Plate: Chicken Salad, Pasta Salad, Potato Salad, Three Bean Salad, Tossed Salad and Crackers
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
SH 11 Traffic Stop Results In Location Of Contraband, 2 Arrests
A State Highway 11 traffic stop resulted in the location of contraband and 2 arrests, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Elijah Fite and Drew Fisher reported stopping a Honda Accord just after 1 a.m. Saturday, May 15, 2021, on SH 11 west at County Road 4824 for a traffic violation. Upon contact with the occupants, passenger Alyssa Renee Legendre allegedly admitted there was a marijuana cigarette in the car.
Deputies had the 23-year-old Lewisville woman and the driver, identified in arrest reports as 42-year-old John William Legendre Jr. of Yantis, step out of the vehicle. Proving her statement true, deputies found a marijuana cigarette as well as other drug paraphernalia, and a broken glass pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke methamphetamine in the car. A crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine was found amid debris from a broken glass pipe in a Taco Bell food bag on the passenger side floorboard and broken glass in the driver’s side floorboard. The substance field-tested positive for meth and when scooped up weighed 0.25 grams, Fite and Fisher alleged in arrest reports.
Both John William Legendre and Alyssa Renee Legendre were arrested for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. Both were released from jail later Friday, May 15, 2021, on a $5,000 bond set on the controlled substance charge., according to jail reports.
Como, Dike Men Jailed For Felony DWI
In less than 24 hours, Como and Dike men were jailed for felony DWI, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
FM 69 North Reckless Driver
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Aaron Chaney responded to a call about a reckless driver at FM 69 north at 11:53 p.m. May 13. He spotted a Dodge Ram pickup, which fit the description of the vehicle being driven recklessly. the pickup passed by the deputy and turned into Dike Post Office driveway. A man got out and walked to the front door of the building.
When the deputy explained why he as contacting him, the man didn’t make eye contact wit the deputy and appeared nervous. The deputy reported seeing what appeared to be an open container in the console and checked it out. The beverage was still cold. When asked, the man claimed it was the only alcoholic beverage he’d consumed.
The man reportedly swayed back and forth during horizontal gaze nystagmus testing, during which he displayed all six possible clues of intoxication and failed standard field sobriety tests. The deputy also alleged alcohol could be smelled on the man. Chaney allowed the man to lock his vehicle and leave it for a family member to pick up later, then took him into custody at 12:26 a.m. May 14 for DWI, the deputy noted in arrest reports.
Daniel Ray Penson upon arrival at the jail reportedly agreed to a blood test. It was taken at the hospital and and the 31-year-old Dike man was transported to jail and booked for driving while intoxicated, third or more offense.
He was released from jail later Friday, May 14, on a $15,000 bond on the third-degree felony DWI charge, according to jail reports.
Penson was also booked into Hopkins County jail on motions to revoke on two DWI charges on Nov. 7, 2017; and on a DWI, third or more offense warrant on Jan. 18, 2019, jail records show.
FM 71 West Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Drew Fisher and Nick Marney stopped a Oldsmobile sedan at 7:45 p.m. May 14, 2021 on FM 71 west at County Road 4767 for speeding.
Upon contact with the driver and lone occupant, deputies reported smelling alcohol in the vehicle. Deputies noticed alcoholic beverages in the passenger side floorboard.
Driver Bryan Keith Burkham allegedly admitted to consuming two alcoholic beverages prior to driving. After conducting standard field sobriety tests, the deputies took the 57-year-old Como man into custody at 8 p.m. May 14 for further investigation of DWI.
Burkham reportedly agreed to provide a blood sample for testing of blood-alcohol content. The sample was taken at the hospital, then Burkham was transported to jail. He was booked at 9:19 p.m. May 14 for driving while intoxicated, third or more offense.
The Como man remained in Hopkins County jail on the third-degree felony DWI warrant Saturday evening, May 15, 2021. Bond was set at $50,000.
Burkham was also booked into Hopkins County jail for DWI, third or more offense, on Oct. 12, 2014, then sentenced to serve weekend commitments on the charge beginning on Feb. 27, 2015; booked on another third or more DWI charges Nov. 16, 2017 and sentenced Dec. 20, 2017 to 4 years in Texas Department of Criminal Justice on the 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.
1 Jailed On An Indictment And 6 Others On Felony Warrants
One man was jailed on an indictment and at least five others were jailed on felony warrants over the last three days in Hopkins County, according to arrest and jail reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office was notified a 28-year-old New York man was being held at Plaquemines Parish jail in Davant, Louisiana, at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, May 12, 2021, on a Hopkins County charge. HCSO Deputy Amanda Weatherford traveled to Louisiana, took Thomas Russell David Barnes into custody and transported him to Hopkins County jail. The 28-year-old Saratoga, New York man was booked into Hopkins County jail at 5:20 p.m. May 12 on an indictment for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
Barnes remained in Hopkins County jail Saturday morning, May 15, 2021, on the UUV indictment. His bond was set at $10,000 on the charge, according to jail reports.
Andrew Angel Garcia turned himself in at HCSO at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday on an outstanding warrant. Deputy Dan Turrentine escorted the 27-year-old Nevada, Texas man into the county jail, where he was booked for violation of probation, which Garcia was on for an April 2, 20219 possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone charge, according to arrest and jail reports. The violation is alleged in arrest reports to have occurred on April 26, 2021.
Garcia, who is also known by Andy and Devin Salazar, remained in Hopkins County jail, remained in Hopkins County jail Saturday, May 15, 2021, on the charge, according to jail reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Victor Reyna responded to just before 5 a.m. May 12 in the 1000 block of East Industrial Drive to what was reported as a vehicle crash. A records check revealed the 28-year-old Dallas man with a Ford Mustang at the location to be wanted by Texas Pardon and Parole Board. Reyna took Patrick Jay Bond into custody on the warrant for violating parole, which he was on for a felony assault charge, according to arrest and jail reports. Bond was held in Hopkins County jail Saturday, May 15, 2021, on the charge, according to jail reports.
Jonathan Glenn Boughton turned himself in at 2:16 a.m. Friday, May 14, 2021, at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Justin Wilkerson escorted the 40-year-old Sulphur Springs man into the county jail, where he was booked for bond forfeiture on a Sept. 29, 2020 felony hindering apprehension or prosecution of a known felon charge, according to jail reports.
Boughton remained in Hopkins County jail on Saturday, May 15, 2021. His new bond on the third-degree felony warrant was set at $20,000, twice the original bond he was released Dec. 22, 2020 on, according to jail reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Drew Fisher and Sgt. Tanner Steward stopped a Chevrolet Silverado at 9:48 p.m. Friday at Super Handy on Gilmer Street for expired registration. The driver admitted his license had been expired since July 25, 2019. The 57-year-old Sulphur Springs man was taken into custody at 10:06 p.m. May 14, 2021, on the expired driver’s license charge, according to arrest reports. He was released from Hopkins County jail Saturday, May 15, 2021, on the misdemeanor expired driver’s license charge, according to jail reports.
The driver agreed to let the deputies search the pickup. The officers located a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive as methamphetamine scattered on the passenger’s side floorboard. The passenger, identified in arrest reports as Rosa Lynn Toney, claimed possession of the substance and was taken into custody. The 49-year-old Sulphur Springs woman was booked into jail for possession of 0.025 gram of suspected meth, Steward and Fisher alleged in arrest reports.
Toney, who is also known by Rosa Lynn McPherson Coursey and Rosa Lynn Coursey McPherson, and Rosa Lynn McPhearson, remained in Hopkins County jail Saturday afternoon, May 15, 2021, on the possession of controlled substance charge; bond was set at $5,000, according to jail reports.
HCSO Deputy Amanda Weatherford was alerted Wesley Lane Cedillo was in custody in Roosevelt, New Mexico on six Hopkins Courtney warrants. She traveled to New Mexico Friday and took custody of the 22-year-old Portales, New Mexico at 7:14 a.m. May 14. Weatherford transported the man to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked on warrants for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, theft of a firearm, violation of probation on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, bond forfeiture on a possession of less than 1 gram of a PG 1 controlled substance, violation of probation on a criminal mischief charge and bail jumping /failure to appear, according to arrest reports.
Cedillo was held in Hopkins County jail Saturday afternoon, May 15, 2021, on all six charges, according to jail reports.
HCSO was notified that a 21-year-old Sulphur Springs man was being held Friday at Wood County jail. Deputy Steve Huffman traveled to the Wood County jail and took custody of Christopher Roy Mosher at 5:14 p.m. May 14, 2021, and transported him to Hopkins County jail. Mosher was booked into Hopkins County jail on the warrants for manufacture/delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group and violation of probation, which he was on for a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
Mosher was held without bond at Hopkins County jail Saturday morning, May 15, 2021, on both felony warrants, 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.
Great Start to Operation VET Event, BBQ Cookoff, Games and Benefit at VFW
Friday evening was the opener for the annual Operation Victor Echo Tango, or OVET event in Sulphur Springs. Largely put on by a local family and sponsors, the grounds were full and the atmosphere lively in the ‘old rodeo arena’ section on the north side of the VFW grounds at 1 Veterans Drive along I-30. I arrived at sundown to discover that it looked like a tent city, with music playing, all available parking spaces filled and rows of cooking canopies already set up. Families and cooking teams were just kicking back, preparing a pre-contest evening meal, ready to share with friends and others just out strolling and taking in the festival atmosphere. To me, it felt upbeat, colorful and exciting. Cost to get on the grounds was $10, with all veterans and military personnel admitted free. According to Josh Wilburn, whose family provides the leadership for OVET, stated that it’s all for our local veterans, especially those experiencing need. The actual BBQ Cook-off would begin on the grounds at 8am on Saturday May 15, 2021. The event’s history reaches back to the ‘Hot August Nights’ annual cook-off of several years ago which was tied in with the Hopkins County Fall Festival, and the event has evolved over the past few years to an exclusive focus upon the needs of local Veterans, and a salute to their service to their country. This year it was hosted by Sulphur Springs VFW Post 8560 and the Ladies Auxiliary.
According to Josh, ‘presented by Wyatt’s Towing and Recovery, the annual “Salute the Veterans” BBQ Cook-off is back. This event is dual purposed, it is a competition but more so, an event that seeks to honor true heroes, our U.S. Veterans. The “Salute the Veterans” BBQ Cook-off was created to provide a family-friendly platform where the public is encouraged to come and help us show our appreciation for all those who have unselfishly sacrificed for our everyday freedoms.As mentioned before this is a competition; teams from across North Texas come to vie for trophies and prizes while competing in multiple categories. The public can purchase All You Can Eat (WHILE QUANTITIES LAST) tickets and sample, arguably, some of the best BBQ around. That is just the beginning of the festivities, with DJs and live music and scavenger hunts.
According to the OVET Facebook page, ‘Our mission is: 1. To improve financial concerns of veterans and/or their family. 2. To help veterans and/or their family with job placement. 3. To assist veterans and/or their family with housing concerns. 4. To assist veterans and/or their family with medical concerns that they may be facing. 5. To assist other organizations that have a similar purpose. We look to empower our nation’s heroes with needed resources. We accomplish this by assisting these veterans and their families ourselves, or by connecting them with those who can help meet their individual needs. Eligible veterans must reside within Hopkins or the counties which touch the boundaries of Hopkins County. Contact the OVET office in Sulphur Springs at: OperationVictorEchoTango.org, at 110 Main Street downtown Sulphur Springs or at 903-558-1000.
