Sulphur Springs Man Arrested On CR 4784 On Rains County Warrant
A 48-year-old Sulphur Springs man was arrested on CR 4784 on a Rains County warrant Tuesday night.
Hopkins County Sheriff‘s deputies observed a silver Honda Civic traveling north on FM 2653 around 10:30 p.m. July 21, 2020. A records check showed the vehicle registration for the displayed license plate had expired in 2017. The car pulled into a County Road 4784 driveway, according to arrest reports.
The deputy saw two individuals he recognized walking down CR 4784. The driver of the vehicle did not appear to deputies to be familiar with the area, as the car left one driveway and entered another one, an/or was attempting to avoid contact with officials, Sgt. Tanner Steward alleged in arrest reports.
A man exited the car, then began walking toward the front door of the residence. Steward contacted the man. A records check showed the man to be wanted in Rains County, Steward noted in arrest reports.
Consequently, Todd Ray Parnell was arrested at 11:06 p.m. July 21,2020 by Steward and Deputy Chris Baumann on the outstanding possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance warrant. Parnell and the two individuals who had been walking on CR 4784 made an agreement for the car to remain at the location. Parnell was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he remained July 22; bond on the felony Rains County charge was set at $50,000, according to arrest reports.
Todd Ray Parnell was jailed in 2017 on a Tamper Fabricate Evidence ($10,000 bond) charge.
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.
PJC Announces Spring Graduates
Paris Junior College is pleased to release the certified roll of graduates from the spring graduation ceremony of May 22, 2020, that was held virtually.
Students from area receiving associate degrees:
Commerce: Austin Driver, Ashley Flanagan
Como: Elaine Scaff
Cooper: Harley Briggs, D’nasha Henderson, Whitney Watson
Cumby: Colby Lindsey
Dike: John Hammer
Emory: Misty Mattson
Klondike: Matthew Nesom
Ladonia: Hannah Cantrell
Mt. Pleasant: Lucas Rolf
Pickton: Yaquelin Diaz
Sulphur Springs: Fressia Alvarado, Olga Bonilla, Tyler Harris, John Koonce, Beverly Luna, Federico Muro, Ayana Pryor, Chastity Pyron, Miracle Ramon, Hannah Van Vleet, Bennie Whetstone, Autumn Wilson
Sumner: Sadie Froese, Grace Hignight, Sara Sexton
West Tawakoni: Pathik Bhakta
Wills Point: Mariely Aguillon
Yantis: Lanie Smith, Laura Willits
Students from area receiving certificates included:
Campbell: Leslie Hines
Como: Marco Gonzalez
Cooper: Ashley Myers, Racheal Vaughn
Dike: Melissa Carrell
Klondike: Mikka Blevins
Lone Oak: Meagan Moore
Point: James Kiser
Sulphur Springs: Fressia Alvarado, Cindy Aranda, Alexandria Chancellor, Johnathan Stevenson
Wolfe City: Maci Ferguson
Crime In Sulphur Springs Rose During First Half Of 2020
City’s January-June Offense Total Remains Below 100 for 4th Consecutive Year
Crime in Sulphur Springs was up in five of the seven major offense categories during the first half of 2020. Overall, 93 offenses were recorded by Sulphur Springs Police Department during the first half of 2020, the same as in 2018, but is still 26 more crimes recorded in the first half of 2020 than during the first 6 months of 2019, when the 20-year record low was set at 67 offenses.
This year is also one of only 6 years since 2000 in which the overall number of offenses reported in the 7 major crime reporting categories was less than 100 during the first 6 months of the year. In fact, in only 3 other years since 2000 were fewer cases reported from Jan. 1-June 30: the record low of 67 offenses reported in 2019, 72 offenses in 2017 and 81 offenses in 2012. In 2011, only 95 offenses were recorded by SSPD.
The city crime total for Jan. 1-June 30, 2020 was also only a little over half the record high of 181 offenses recorded from Jan. 1-June 30 in 2004 in Sulphur Springs, according to SSPD reports.
Violent Crimes Against People
Crime was unchanged in two of the four offense categories for violent crimes against people but rose in the other two categories during the first 6 months of 2020 in Sulphur Springs, according to SSPD reports.
Four sexual assaults were reported during the first half of 2020, the same as in 2019 and 2003. In only three years – 2002, 2011 and 2012 – were no sexual assaults recorded during the first half of the year by SSPD. This year’s tally is still only one-third the record of 12 sexual assault recorded from Jan. 1 to June 30 of 2013.
For the third straight year, three robberies were reported from Jan. 1 to June 30 in Sulphur Spring. Three additional years, 2001, 2004 and 2007, had three robberies by June 30 as well. The most robberies reported during the first half of the year was set at seven in 2000. In the 20 years since, five robberies each were recorded in 2008 and 2010. In only 2014 were no robberies reported in the first 6 months of the year in Sulphur Springs.
Twelve aggravated assaults were reported in 2020, the same as in 2003, 2004 and 2007. The fewest number of “assaults other than simple” reported from Jan. 1 through June 30 since 2000 was four in 2013. In only seven of the last 21 years have the total in this category been a single digit: the record low of four aggravated assaults in 2013, five in 2018, 6 in 2009 and 2016, seven in 2014, and nine in 2017 and 2019. The most aggravated assaults recorded during the first 6 months of the year was set at 20 cases in 2000 and repeated in 2001.
SSPD made reports of three homicides, a new record January-July high for Sulphur Springs.
According to Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson, the 2020 homicide cases include one murder and two manslaughter cases. In the murder case, a 30-year-old was accused of the stabbing death of a 25-year-old on April 18 on College Street. The two other homicide cases stem from an early morning crash on Interstate 30 May 24, in which two elementary aged boys died; warrants were issued for the arrest of SUV driver on two counts of manslaughter in connection with the wreck,
2020 is only the sixth time since 2000 that any homicides or murders have been recored during the first 6 months of the year in Sulphur Springs, two in 2003 and one each in 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2018.
Property Crimes
Crime also rose in all three of the offense categories involving property crimes, according to data provided by SSPD.
The largest increase overall was in the “thefts over $200” category. A dozen more thefts were recorded by SSPD in 2020 than the 32 thefts recorded during the first part of 2019, tying 2012 for least theft reports since 2000. The 44 thefts during the first half of 2020 is only a little more than half the record high of 86 thefts reported in 2006. This category includes theft at retail businesses and thefts of items during vehicle burglaries, according to Ricketson.
Six more vehicles were stolen from Jan. 1 through June 30 of 2020 than the 13 reported during the same time frame in 2019. That’s the most vehicle thefts recorded by SSPD in the first half of the year since the record high was set at 25 vehicles in 2001, and repeated in 2003. Since 2004, less than 20 vehicle thefts have been reported during the first 6 months of the year.
Vehicle burglaries and subsequent thefts, Ricketson noted, are often the most preventable offenses, avoided by locking vehicles and removing keys and valuables from inside of them, but often hardest to catch. SSPD was fortunate over the last year to catch people in the act of vehicle burglaries and thefts, and were able to break up more than one burglary and vehicle theft ring, the chief reported.
Eight total burglaries were also reported to SSPD during the first half of 2020, two more than in 2019, when the record low was set. In fact, 2019 and 2020 are the only years since 2000 in which fewer than a dozen burglaries were reported during the first six months of the year. The most burglaries reported from Jan. 1 to June 30 since 2000 was 70 burglaries in 2004, the first year in which SSPD started tracking home and building burglaries separately.
During the first half of 2020, SSPD logged four burglaries, only one more than in 2019. This is the only the fifth year in which less than 10 residential burglaries were recorded from Jan. 1 to June 30 in Sulphur Springs. The four home burglaries during that period this year is only about 1/12th of the record high of 47 home burglaries during the first half of 2004. For the last 20 years, there have been fewer than 30 home burglaries, and fewer than 20 for 7 years.
There was also one more building burglary in 2020 than the three recorded during the first 6 months of 2019. This category peaked at 23 cases in 2004. The most building burglaries recorded from Jan. 1 to June 1 in any year since 2004 was 16 in 2006; in the remaining years 12 or fewer building burglaries were reported. In fact, single digit totals were recorded in seven of the 17 years SSPD has been tracking building and home burglaries separately:
Ricketson attributed the decline in burglary cases and lower overall crime totals over the last several years to the many proactive officers in the police department.
North Hopkins ISD Announces Plans To Reopen School
North Hopkins ISD announced, on the school website and social media pages, the district’s plans to reopen school on August 19, 2020 with in-person and at-home learning options.
Below is the July 22 release:
July 22 COVID-19 Update: 3 New Cases in Hopkins County
At 5 p.m. July 22, Hopkins County Emergency Management officials reported they’d received notification of 3 new COVID-19 cases for Hopkins County.
That brings the total of COVID-19 cases for Hopkins County to 133 cumulative cases since March. Of those, 72 Hopkins County residents have recovered from COVID-19, leaving 61 active cases, according to Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom.
The same 3 patients who were in the COVID-19 unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs on July 21 remained in the hospital on July 22. One patient is a Hopkins County residents. Two are residents of other counties, the local officials reported.
The Hopkins County Freedom Ball that was rescheduled in the spring until August has been pushed back until 2021, out of concern for the health and safety of all veterans, guests and participants. Hopkins County Veterans Services Officer Danny Davis said the Freedom Ball Committee met and made the decision not to cancel the ball but have rescheduled it for May 15, 2021, which is Armed Forces Day. Col. Joel Newsom will be the guest speaker.
Lady Cats Volleyball Wraps Up The Edge Conditioning Program Thursday
Lady Cats volleyball players began The Edge conditioning program back on June 8. It will conclude Thursday, July 23.
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner says it’s been a good summer. She said middle school and high school players have showed up and worked hard. Coach Dorner says it’s been good getting the girls back in the gym to work out the kinks before the season gets under way. Volleyball practice for this season starts Sept. 7.
As for The Edge, Coach Dorner says she has had a good core group that has showed up. She says they are now in a lot better shape and don’t die like they did at the first. Coach Dorner says the ones who showed up, worked hard and listened to the coaches improved their volleyball skills. She says The Edge conditioning program was especially important after girls missed out on off-season work during the spring.
Coach Dorner says there will tryouts for varsity and JV team slots on Aug. 10.
AD Coach Owens Has Filled All Vacancies On Coaching Staffs For This School Year
Wildcats Athletic Director Greg Owens has filled all the vacancies on his coaching staffs that cropped up after the abrupt end of the 2019 school year.
Steven Moreno, who was working as an At Risk Aide at the Middle School, is now the Assistant Lady Cats Soccer Coach for Head Coach Javier Aguayo. Coach Moreno, a former Wildcats soccer player, is replacing assistant coach Kristov Martinez, who resigned.
Coach Owens has retained all of his head coaches and only had to find five new assistant coaches to fill vacancies on coaching staffs.
He lost two varsity football assistants, Cameron Warren, now the Defensive Coordinator at Commerce for Coach John McSheffery, and Chris Valdovinos, now Defensive Coordinator at Mexia for Coach Triston Abron. Coach Owens promoted two freshmen coaches to replace them, Jason Meskimen and Kevin Hatcher. He hired Kendall Mathis and Ira Franklin to fill the slots for freshman team coaches.
Coach Owens hired a Wildcats Assistant Basketball Coach, Jacob Sexton, who is filling in for Assistant Coach Joe Garcia, who is on military leave with the National Guard. Coach Sexton will be the freshman basketball coach.
Coach Owens also hired an assistant Lady Cats Basketball Coach for Head Coach Brittney Tisdell. Timothy Aguillon replaces Katelyn Webster who resigned.
City Considering Pursuing Grant To Repair, Add New Sidewalks On Oak Avenue
Officials for the City of Sulphur Springs anticipates applying to Texas Department of Agriculture for a Texas Community Development Block Grant Program 2020 Downtown Revitalization Program Grant. The city anticipates the funding would be used for sidewalks on Oak Avenue.
At the July 7, 2020 meeting of Sulphur Springs City Council, GrantWorks was set to be the TDA qualified administrator for the grant, and will only collect a fee if the city receives the grant. At that time, city staff indicated the funding would be used for one of two potential projects, replacing water and sewer lines on Tomlinson Street or for sidewalks on Oak Avenue.
After further research for both projects, the infrastructure upgrades on Tomlinson were determined to be much more expensive than the potential grant funding the city is eligible to apply for. The cost to replace or repair extremely old water lines and add new tie-ins was estimated at $1.5 million.
“The grant parameters are within $50,000 and $500,000 of what they will award,” Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski said.
The program requires a minimum 3.5 percent cash match, which on a $500,000 project would be $17,500. The city anticipates using in-house engineering staff to cover the additional costs. The city engineer is still working on the project to determine the full scope and cost of the project. The total cost could be less than the maximum $500,000 allowable grant request. That would mean the city’s required matching amount would be less as well, which would provide improvements to the downtown area, Niewiadomski noted.
The Oak Avenue project would be a better fit for the grant program, as 51 percent of the project has to be ADA focused. The project would enhance the “pedestrian network” around downtown by adding sidewalks in areas that have none and replacing deteriorating walkways in others. The sidewalks would be more ADA focused and oriented for accessibility, to enable someone with mobility issues, including someone in a wheelchair, to access the downtown area from Oak Avenue. The funding would include ADA ramps and crosswalks as well.
People could walk from the new Senior Citizens Center, to be constructed on Oak Avenue, to downtown. Easier walking access to other parking areas along Oak Avenue to downtown would be possible, officials noted during a public hearing conducted via Zoom Tuesday evening, July 21, 2020.
Officials invited anyone with other ideas, needs or additional concerns regarding the downtown area to voice them.
The application deadline is September 1, 2020. Niewiadomski anticipates presenting to the City Council at the August council meeting a proposed outline the scope and cost of the project. The application would be made available for public view upon request.
Projects will be scored in September. Officials hope to be notified by Christmas whether they city will be awarded a grant, although the exact time frame is unknown as the work schedules for TDA employees have also been impacted by COVID-19. Those approved to receive grants would have 2 years to construct their projects once a contract is struck with TDA.
East End Allegiance Back to School Fair Set August 16
In an email to KSST News from Bridgette Cooper, President of East End Allegiance: Our Youth; announced the 2020 Back to School Fair. The nonprofit organization in Sulphur Springs, TX is devoted to making a difference in the lives of our youth. Our mission is to empower our youth to be self-sufficient and confident in their being through; education, enrichment activities, training, mentorship, and community involvement.
We are preparing for our 3rd Annual Back to School Ready “Drive-Thru” event August 16, 2020 at 5pm at Pacific Park. Due to the nation’s pandemic, COVID-19; we have opted out of having activities and haircuts for the youth community. It has been announced that school will continue, rather its in person or through distance learning. This year our goal is to give away 75 backpacks filled with school supplies and hygiene bags.
We are seeking donations to make this event successful and meet the needs of the youth in the community. All kids will receive a backpack, school supplies, hygiene bag, and a meal to go! Donations are greatly appreciated and needed.
Donations of drinks, napkins, hotdogs, small bag chips, hotdog buns, and condiment packages are needed to prepare the meal to go. Our non-profit organization relies on support of generous donors such as you. Your donation will help ensure that we are able to meet the needs of the youth and prepare them for a ready start for the school year. All extra donated items will go to SSISD. Attached is the official donation letter.
I can be contacted at 972-802-8705 any time. If you would like to meet with me, please don’t hesitate to call. Arrangements can be made to pick up items. Donations can be made at Alliance Bank. Jady Pogue Martin is assisting this year with our event; she can be contacted at 903-348-3510 and she is local. We thank you for your consideration of our request and look forward to hearing from you.
We’re a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and I am asking that this information be shared with the community.
Chamber Connection for July 23: Latest Stew Contest News
By Lezley Brown, President/CEO, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
I know that you are all wondering about the 2020 Stew Contest, and whether or not it will be cancelled. The answer is … we don’t know yet, but the Chamber is doing everything in our power to plan this year’s stew in a
way that will keep everyone safe. Cooks’ letters have been mailed out this week. Once we know how many cooks will be cooking in the contest, we will take our safety and logistics plan to our city and county officials. We will all sit down together to make a decision.
Until then, we have something fun for you! Last year, we sold a very limited number of shirts that we named Stew + 75482. We are bringing these back by popular demand! These are not the shirts that will be sold for the 51st Annual Contest (BRACE yourself for those!), but these shirts celebrate Stew and the location in which it is held. You may purchase these in short sleeves, long sleeves, and hoodies; and you may choose light grey or royal blue. Call the Chamber to place your order!
The deadline is fast approaching for the upcoming Adult Leadership class. The Adult Leadership Class is a community leadership development program sponsored by the Hopkins county Chamber of Commerce. The
course was created in 1989 with the concept of offering leadership training and community involvement for emerging business and community leaders. Leadership Sulphur Springs is a nine-month session, with meetings
held once a month. For more information and to get an application, please call the Chamber of Commerce at 903-885-6515. Deadline to apply is Aug. 1.
Bare Bones BBQ & Soul Food hosts ribbon cutting
Bare Bones BBQ & Soul Food will host a ribbon cutting celebration on Thursday, July 23, at noon. They are located outside of Backstory Brewery, 211 Magnolia Street in Sulphur Springs. Make plans to come by and welcome this business to Hopkins County. Please wear a mask if attending.
Goodwill is hosting a bottled water drive
Goodwill is having a Bottled Water Donation Drive from July 15 through Aug. 15. They are collecting cases of water (6 bottles and up) to deliver to the homeless shelters and food banks. They will accept water donations at our local store located at 1320 Shannon Road West in Sulphur Springs.
Hunt Regional is offering Mobile Mammography Coach in Sulphur Springs
Hunt Regional Hospital is offering the Tubby Adkisson Memorial Mobile Mammography Coach on July 29 in the Spring Village Shopping Center in Sulphur Springs. All insurances accepted at Hunt Regional are also accepted for the Mobile Mammography Coach, including Medicare and Medicaid. To schedule individual screening mammograms, please call ( 903) 408-5010. Appointments and pre-registration are requested.
Business Highlight
During the year 2020, The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is highlighting a business each week.
Please join me in congratulating our Business of the Week for July 23, Northeast Texas Heart of Hope. You can read biographical stories at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page and Instagram page.
