San Antonio Man Leads Cumby Police On A Vehicle Pursuit
A San Antonio man lead a Cumby policeman on a vehicle pursuit on Interstate 30, after failing to fully pay the wrecker service that pulled his vehicle out of the mud, according to arrest reports.
Cumby Police Officer Nicholas Geer responded at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 3 on the south Interstate 30 service road near mile marker 112, where a motorist reported his vehicle was grazed and run off the road by another vehicle. When contacted, however, the driver reportedly admitted to being pushed off the road but not struck by another vehicle and asked for a wrecker to respond.
When asked for a driver’s license the 33-year-old San Antonio man reportedly gave a number that came back to an ID card issued to Gilbert Collier. He was issued a citation for not having a driver’s license. The wrecker pulled Collier’s Hyundai sedan out of the mud and they began working out payment for the $150 wrecker fee. He paid $74 and went back to his vehicle, Geer reported.
Worried Collier would leave without paying the remaining balance, Geer said he asked the San Antonio man to step out of the car. Instead, Geer reported that Collier refused, so he reached for the key to shut off the ignition. Collier then allegedly grabbed Geer’s hand and put the car in drive and sped off while holding the officer’s arm. Geer reportedly received only a minor scratch on his hand.
Geer initiated a vehicle pursuit of Collier’s car using his patrol vehicle along the south service road. He continued east to the I-30 entrance ramp. The vehicle’s tires were spiked by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Aaron Chaney around the 120 mile marker. Collier continued east on I-30 for about a mile before stopping.
Geer and HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis and Deputy Bobby Osornio approached the car. When Collier refused officers’ orders to get out, they removed him from the car and put him face down on the ground in hand restraints, the Cumby officer alleged in arrest reports. Collier was put in a patrol vehicle while officers inventoried the vehicle, finding a black bag with a lighter, pipe and liquid substance, which were seized, prior to the car being impounded by the wrecker service.
Gilbert Ray Collier was booked into Hopkins County jail at 2:49 a.m. Jan. 4 on a felony evading arrest in a vehicle charge and theft of service for the portion of the wrecker fee left unpaid when he left, according to arrest reports. Gilbert remained in Hopkins County jail Monday evening. Bond was set at $10,000 on the evading arrest charge and $5,000 on the theft of service 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.
Vaccine Availability Remains A Challenge For Most
With information changing daily, patience is certainly a virtue if you are wanting to receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines. Almost as quickly as CHRISTUS Mother Frances Clinic announced that they would release some vaccines for Phase 1b recipients this week, all of the appointment times were taken up. Some local pharmacies continue to take names even though they do not know if and when they will receive vaccines, and the two local national chains, CVS and Walgreens, are not taking names at all other than healthcare workers. Most of the doses from national chains are designated to go to long term nursing facilities. In fact, KSST News was told late last week by staff of Walgreens that they believed their vaccine doses would not be made available to the general public until March or April.
Now for the good news. CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs hopes to wrap up the initial offering of their doses to healthcare workers and first responders by the end of this week. Their staff has been working diligently to reach out to any eligible healthcare worker and first responder in their coverage area and make the vaccine available to them. That process is close to completion and then the hospital will be able to make even more doses available to the next phases.
Even though the local pharmacies don’t know the quantity or timing of their next batches of vaccine, the manufacturers are sure to continue to ship vaccines to those pharmacies as they become available. Also, two more manufacturers are getting closer to approval of their vaccines. Johnson & Johnson is in the process of getting emergency use authorization by the FDA, as well as AstraZeneca has had their vaccine approved in the U.K. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a “one-shot” dosage, which should make it’s distribution a little easier. Approval of these two vaccines will certainly make more doses available overall, and they both have easier storage protocols as compared to the original Pfizer vaccine.
As we move forward, our local situation is sure to improve and the vaccines will be made available to each group sooner rather than later. Patience is a virtue.
KSST News will keep you informed of the latest information, as we receive it.
Four Jailed On Possession of Controlled Substance Charges
At least four people were jailed on possession of controlled substance charges over the weekend, according to arrest reports.
Martin Luther King Drive Traffic Stop
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Silas Whaley stopped a black Chevrolet Tahoe at 9:01 p.m. Jan. 2, in the 400 block of Martin Luther King Drive for a traffic violation.
After contacting with the 36-year-old Sulphur Springs man driving, Whaley reported conducting a probable cause search of the SUV. Several rectangular shaped pills, divided into four sections and later identified as Xanax, were found in the pocket of the man’s hoodie inside the vehicle, Whaley alleged in arrest reports.
The driver, identified in arrest reports as Devonta Qukashawn Brown, was taken into custody and jailed at 9:22 p.m. Jan. 2 on a possession of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone as the stop occurred less than 1,000 feet from a drug-free zone, according to Whaley noted in arrest reports. Brown was released from Hopkins County jail Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 on a $5,000 bond on the charge, according to arrest reports.
Saturday was the second time Brown was booked into Hopkins County jail in three months. He was a also jailed Oct. 9 on a no insurance/failure to maintain financial responsibility charge and no valid driver’s license charge, according to Hopkins County jail records.
State Highway 154 Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Aaron Chaney reported stopping a Kia Sedona at 9:13 p.m. Jan. 2, on State Highway 154 south, just north of County Road 2300, for a defective head light.
While speaking to a 51-year-old Sulphur Springs woman in the minivan, Chaney said he suspected her to be under the influence of methamphetamine based on her actions. Mary Angela Denton allegedly took deep breaths and long inhales, and her lower jaw moved seemingly uncontrollably from let to right, a sign of bruxism. So, Chaney said he asked her if she had anything illegal in the vehicle and requested permission to search the minivan.
She became emotional and admitted to having a pipe used to smoke narcotics, Chaney noted in arrest reports. Chaney and HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis, who responded with Chaney on the traffic stop, advised Denton to exit the vehicle. Due to her emotional state, the deputies reported they put her in handcuffs prior to conducting a vehicle search.
The deputies allegedly found a bag with less than 1 gram of a crystal-like substance they believed to be methamphetamine and a burned glass pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke meth in a small handbag. Additional drug paraphernalia also was allegedly located, according to arrest reports.
As a result, Denton was jailed for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group one controlled substance. She was released from jail Jan. 3, 2021 on a $5,000 bond on the felony charge, according to jail reports.
Interstate 30 Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Richard Greer reported stopping a black Nissan Rogue at 1:10 p.m. Sunday for traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour on Interstate 30 east at mile marker 119.
Upon contact with the driver, Greer noted the 42-year-old Dallas woman appeared to be agitated and under the influence of an unknown type of narcotic. Geer further alleged the woman, identified in arrest reports as Shanna Kay Segleski, to be evasive when speaking with him and when answering questions, claiming to she’d been speeding because she needed to urinate.
Segleski reportedly agreed to allow the SUV to be searched. Greer reported finding in the front passenger area of the vehicle a lockbox containing a bag with a crystal-like substance he believed based on his many years of experience in law enforcement to be methamphetamine, as well as a couple of baggies with what appeared to Greer to be marijuana or hashish and numerous items of drug paraphernalia.
The lockbox and contents were seized as evidence and Segleski was jailed for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest reports. Segleski remained in Hopkins County jail Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, on the felony charge, according to jail reports.
Gaines Street Traffic Stop
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Cameron Robinson Jan. 3 reported seeing a woman he recognized as Cecily Elizabeth Saffel, a woman he knew had a suspended driver’s license, driving a Pontiac Solstice on WA Street at Martin Luther King Drive. Robinson stopped Saffel at 4:25 p.m. Sunday on Gaines Street at Fuller Street, and verified the woman’s license was indeed suspended with previous convictions for driving while license invalid. So, the officer took the 25-year-old Sulphur Springs woman into custody for driving while license invalid, according to arrest reports.
Saffel allegedly admitted to concealing contraband on her. At the jail, 3.7 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine were recovered, according to police reports. Consequently, Saffel was also charge with possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone, according to arrest reports.
Saffel remained in Hopkins County jail Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. Bond was set at $1,000 on the driver’s license charge, according to jail reports. Saffel was booked into Hopkins County jail three times in 2020: on Jan. 31, 2020, on warrants for driving while license invalid and not taking care of a failure to maintain financial responsibility charge; Oct. 1 for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana in a drug-free zone; and on Oct. 5 for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to jail records.
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.
Restaurants & Retail Reduced To 50% Capacity For At Least Another Week
The Trauma Service Area F hospitalization rate remained over 15% for yet another day on Monday, January 4th meaning the reduced capacity will be in effect for restaurants, retail, gyms, and other businesses for at least another 7 days. Per Governor Abbott’s Executive Order, the COVID-19 hospitalization rate will have to remain under 15% for seven consecutive days for the capacity restrictions to be lifted. With 207 Covid patients in our region, the hospitalization rate remains at 19.6%. Only 1 open ICU bed remains open in the eight county service area.
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom confirmed to KSST News that city and county law enforcement officers are authorized to monitor capacity restrictions as well as state agencies including TABC, which will monitor establishments that serve alcohol.
Wildcats and Lady Cats Soccer Teams Open The Regular Season Monday
The Wildcats Soccer Team opens the regular season with a road game Monday, January 4, at Terrell. The schedule calls for a JV 2 game beginning at 4 p.m. A JV 1 contest will follow at 5:30 p.m. The Varsity Wildcats take on the Tigers beginning at 7:15 p.m.
The Wildcats wrapped up a six date scrimmage season on Saturday evening with their annual Alumni Scrimmage. Wildcats Soccer Coach Alexi Upton has high hopes for his Wildcats as they get 2021 started with games that count.
The Lady Cats Soccer Team opens the regular season at home against Kilgore. There will be a JV contest at 5:30 p.m. The Varsity Lady Cats take on the Lady Bulldogs at 7:15 p.m. Both games are at Gerald Prim Stadium.
The Lady Cats also wrapped up a six date scrimmage schedule on Saturday with an Alumni Scrimmage. The only scrimmage match the Lady Cats lost was their very first one, a 2-1 loss to Royse City at The Prim back on December 10.
KSST Radio will bring you Kilgore and the Lady Cats’ soccer live from Gerald Prim Stadium beginning at 7:15 p.m. The broadcast is expected to feature live video and audio streaming. The game will also be videotaped for replay at a later date on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
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.
Saltillo Lions Basketball Team Comes Up Just Short At Hooks, 53-50 on Saturday
The Saltillo Lions Basketball Team was on the short end of the scoreboard Saturday, January 2, as home-standing Hooks outpointed the Lions, 53-50 in a non-district game.
The game was close after three quarters with Saltillo up 45-43. Hooks outscored the Lions 10-5 in the fourth quarter to get the win.
Andrew Redburn led the Lions with 17 points. Chris Boekhorst had 12 points. David Whitworth added 9 points. Coy Collins scored 3 points.
The Lions are now 6-8 for the season. Next, they play a district game at Yantis on Tuesday.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report Dec. 28, 2020 To Jan. 3, 2021
The Winnsboro Police Department media report for the week of Dec. 28, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021 included the following activity:
Arrests
Jonathan Koerner of Quitman was arrested on Dec. 30, 2020, for possession of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1, 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 66 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 2 citations and 15 warnings during this reporting period.
County Officials Report Certain Businesses Required To Reduce Capacity from 75 To 50 Percent Due To High Hospitalizations In Area
COVID-19 Vaccine Available Now At Hospital To 1A Individuals, Later This Week at Clinic To 1B Individuals
Hopkins County officials late Monday morning reported they have received letters stipulating that certain Hopkins County businesses are required to scale back from 75 to 50 percent capacity because of “high hospitalizations” in this Trauma Service Area for 8 straight days. The hospital and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic do now have vaccines which will be available to individuals who fall within 1A and 1B of the state vaccination schedule.
Business Capacity Levels
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said county officials did receive a letter over the weekend confirming that certain Hopkins County businesses must reduce capacity from 75 to 50 percent, effective Jan. 2, because COVID-19 patients accounted for 15 percent or more of the overall capacity in Trauma Service Area F hospitals for 7 days. Among the businesses and entities required to reduce capacity are retail, manufacturing, restaurants, gyms and exercise facilities and classes, museums and libraries.
In the past, TABC and state officials have monitored bars and restaurants in relation to COVID-19 measures, local officials reported. Newsom said city and county law enforcement have the authority to monitor for violations of these opening reductions of businesses and restaurants, but it would be at their discretion.
The high hospitalization also means that elective surgeries in TSA F impacted counties also are to be suspended.
Counties within the “high hospitalization” TSAs are to remain within these guidelines until the TSA goes 7 consecutive days in which COVID-19 hospitalizations account for less than 15 percent of total hospital capacity for the entire region. TSA F was on day 8 of high hospitalizations on Sunday.
Three counties — Delta, Red River and Morris — in TSA F are exempt from these scaled back measures, as they have filed the required paperwork attesting that the county has had fewer than 30 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the last 14 days.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs CEO Paul Harvey reported while this will impact the local hospital some, the hospital does not do a lot of elective surgeries so that order will have less impact on the facility. The hospital in Bowie County, in Texarkana is the one having the biggest impact on these number, Harvey noted, with a bit of a spike reported.
He said CMFH-SS had 29 in the COVID Unit Monday morning, leaving six beds available.
“We are in good shape. I believe we only have three on vents. He have plenty of PPE and now have vaccines,” Harvey said
When asked about the hospital’s ICU capacity, as the available ICU beds throughout TSA F are reported to be very limited, with only 1 reported by Texas Department of State Health Services to be available in the area on Sunday, Harvey noted the hospital has sufficient beds to care for the patients they are seeing. He explained that the hospital has two different ICU units available, that COVID-19 ICU is available in one unit. The hospital has COVID-19 patients on the first floor and an area on the second floor is available for monitoring milder cases of COVID-19. The third floor has beds available as well, should they be need. The hospital currently has the resources available to “keep doing what we need to do to assure our patients are taken care of.”
“We continue to be able to operate and are taking care of any patients for COVID and non-COVID. As patients in, hopefully, they are discharged in right way to get those patients taken care of,” Harvey said. “We have room for expanding what we have, if we go above 35 patients, that we can take care of COVID right now.”
Additional information regarding the reduction in capacity and service is available in Governor’s Order GA-32, which was enacted in October. For a list of TSAs with high hospitalizations, click here.
Daily updates regarding COVID-19 hospitalization percentages can be viewed on the DSHS COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data link by clicking here.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Initially, three locations were approved in Hopkins County to receive Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.: Brookshire’s Pharmacy, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic and CMFH-SS. Brookshire’s received their allocation and has been vaccinating patients who meet 1A and 1B requirements. The hospital was completely removed from this list a couple of days after being approved and the clinic was delayed in receiving the vaccine. After working with local emergency management officials and state officials, Harvey said the hospital and clinic had both received an allotment of the vaccine on Monday and had begun administering it to first responders and health are workers.
Unfortunately, that means Hopkins County is 2 weeks behind the originally scheduled vaccine administration to 1A and 1B individuals. Thus, the hospital will focus on administering the vaccine to health are workers and first responders this afternoon and Tuesday.
Local emergency and hospital officials will be reaching out top individuals to get those who want the vaccine in over the next couple of days. First responders and health care workers who are considered 1A and eligible to receive the vaccine can contact Holly Ragan at 903.439.4033 for questions regarding vaccine scheduling.
Should there be any left over vaccinations after 1A scheduling is complete at the hospital, the hospital will work with the clinic to ensure all doses available are utilized. Vials contain 10 doses each, which must be used within 6 hours of opening. CHRISTUS has also reached out to offer vaccines to 1A individuals in three other surrounding counties which the hospital serves (Franklin, Delta and Rains Counties) as those counties were not allocated any of the vaccine. Harvey said he hopes to wrap up 1A this week and move on to 1B, to offer it to more individuals.
The conference room located on the first floor of the medical plaza building across the parking lot from the hospital, will be used by CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic from 8:30 to noon Wednesday and Saturday to administer the vaccine to individuals who fall within 1B of the vaccination distribution plan. Call in advance to schedule an appointment; expect to be asked a few questions related to 1B requirement. Go online to CHRISTUShealth.org for information about scheduling vaccines for 1B individuals at the clinic.
Those receiving the Moderna shot in Sulphur Springs will need to receive a second dose of the vaccine in 28 days. At the time of testing at the hospital or clinic, the 1A or 1B individual will be scheduled to return for a second dose.
The vaccine is made available to 1A first responders and health care workers at no charge. At the clinic, if the 1B individual has insurance, it will apply, but those who do not have insurance will not be charged for the vaccine.
“At the clinic it will be both ways. If they have insurance, that’s fine. My goal is to ensure that we not make payment an issue. We want to take care of our own,” Harvey said. “If we break open 10, we need to us 10 and not way an of this.”
General information related to vaccine distribution and allocations by county can be found on the DSHS website and Vaccine Data Dashboard.
Will Ramsay Sworn In As DA In Franklin County Courtroom
While a swearing-in service is an important part of serving in a elected office, for brothers Will Ramsay and Landon Ramsay the occasion this year was especially memorable.
Will Ramsay would normally take the oath of office in Sulphur Springs, but this year was sworn in to his third term as 8th Judicial District Attorney on New Year’s Day 2021 in the District Courtroom in Franklin County alongside his younger brother, Landon, who was sworn in as Franklin County Attorney. Making the occasion even more memorable for the pair, their dad Lanny Ramsay swore them in. Many longtime residents of the area will recall Lanny Ramsay for his 20 years of service as 8th Judicial District Judge.
January 3, 2021 COVID-19 Update: Only 1 ICU Bed Remains Open In Region
As local Hopkins County officials wait for direction from Governor Abbott’s office on latest state mandated occupancy restrictions, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 continues to rise in our region as well as across the state. The latest Texas DSHS Dashboard shows only 1 ICU bed is open and available in the 8 county region known as Trauma Service Area F. This same region now has a COVID-19 hospitalization rate of 19.48%, and marks the 8th consecutive day of 15% or more of COVID-19 positive patients as a percentage of total staffed hospital beds.
Trauma Service Area F passed the threshold of 7 consecutive over 15% days on Saturday, January 2nd, which means Hopkins County joins the over 175 other counties in the state to have their restaurant, retail and other occupancy rates dialed back per Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32. The entire region will now have to have seven consecutive days of below 15% Covid-19 hospitalization rate to be relieved from these restrictions.
Governor Abbott issued Executive Order GA-32 on October 7, 2020. This order originally opened up businesses and relaxed occupancy restrictions but only if the hospitalization rate remained low in the region. Fourteen out of the 22 Trauma Service Area regions in Texas have now exceeded the 15% threshold including the Dallas region (which includes Hunt County) and the Longview Region (which includes Wood and Rains Counties).
