2 Men Jailed On Felony Warrants
Two men were jailed on felony warrants, according to sheriff’s reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Tanner Steward and Deputy Justin Wilkerson reported taking Charles Damon Williams into custody at the Hopkins-Delta County line at 11:55 p.m. April 22. The 41-year-old Cooper man was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked around 12:20 a.m. April 23 on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance warrant. The offense, according to arrest reports, allegedly occurred March 19 on Church Street.
Williams was released from the county jail later Thursday, April 23. Bond was set at $10,000 on the charge, according to jail reports.
Anthony Louis Mills reportedly turned himself in at 5:41 p.m. April 18 at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Kevin Lester took the 28-year-old Sulphur Springs man into custody and escorted him into the county jail, where he was booked on Sabine County warrants for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, disorderly conduct and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to arrest reports.
Mills was released from Hopkins County jail later April 18. Bond was set at $5,000 on the felony tampering with evidence charge and $1,000 each on the weapon and disorderly conduct 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.
Man Allegedly Ran From Officers Wednesday Night
A Sulphur Springs man allegedly ran from officers who contacted him about a parking violation, resulting in his arrest on a felony charge, according to arrest reports.
Special Crimes Unit Sgt. Joe Scott and Sulphur Springs Police Officer Zach Brown reportedly contacted the 26-year-old man at 10:51 p.m. April 22 after observing the man sitting in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Altima illegally parked facing traffic on Freeman Street.
The man allegedly stepped out of the car, then ran away from officers. Officers “caught the subject and brought him to the ground with the least amount of force necessary to make the arrest,” Scott alleged in arrest reports. A small amount of marijuana was also allegedly found in the Altima.
Jaquarius Oqeyth Johnson was booked into Hopkins County jail shortly before midnight April 22 on an evading arrest or detention charge, which was enhanced to a felony due previous convictions, according to arrest reports.
Johnson remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning. Bond on the evading charge was set at $5,000, according to arrest reports.
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.
Man Caught Knocking On Window Arrested On Trespassing Charge
A 19-year-old Sulphur Springs man caught knocking on a window, possibly in an attempt to break into the building, was arrested early Wednesday morning on a criminal trespassing charge, police alleged in arrest reports.
When Sulphur Springs Police officers arrived on North Davis Street, they reported seeing the man, who fit the suspect description inside of a fenced in back yard, where he was standing near the back of the residence, according to arrest reports. A no trespassing sign was posted on the fence, according to police reports. Thus, the man was placed into custody at 4:25 a.m. April 22.
The Sulphur Springs teen allegedly denied attempting to break into the residence. In fact, he claimed to have been invited to the residence by the complainant, police alleged in arrest reports. The complainant, however, denied not only inviting the teen to the residence but also denied knowing the 19-year-old at all, according to arrest reports.
Consequently, the 19-year-old was booked into Hopkins County jail at 5:37 a.m., then released later Wednesday on the charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
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.
NETBIO Sale Still On For May But With Some Restrictions
The Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization will hold its next pre-conditioned calf and yearling sale on Wednesday, May 20.
Producers have consigned nearly 5,000 head of cattle to the sale. The sale, held at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Market, will begin at 1 p.m.
Calves consigned to the sale will have been weaned by April 5 and have had their boosting shots by April 20.
Due to COVID-19 guidelines that restrict large gatherings, Sulphur Springs Livestock has arranged the auditorium so that auction attendees are seated six feet apart. This restricts seating to 33 people and they will be reserved for buyers. Buyers are asked not to bring extra people with them to the
auction.
Sellers are encouraged to watch the sale online. The auction is broadcast on the Internet at LMA Auctions.com. Buyers planning to purchase cattle online should contact the Sulphur Springs Livestock Auction office prior to the day of the sale to sign up as an Internet buyer.
The cafe will be closed to dine-in customers in accordance to COVID-19 guidelines, but to-go orders will be available. Customers can call 903-348-1582 to place an order, or if they are on site they can go to the north door of the cafe to order.
For more information, call the Sulphur Springs Livestock office at 903-885-2455 or visit their Web Site at www.sslivestockauctions.com.
HCSO: Sulphur Springs Man Accused Of Attempted Indecency With A Child
April 23, 2020 – Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputies Wednesday took into custody a 35-year-old Sulphur Springs man accused of attempted indecency with a child by sexual contact, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office had received a complaint of a possible child sexual offense. An investigation was launched. A forensics interview was conducted. Based the investigation, HCSO officers sought and obtained a warrant for Joseph Dean Winship’s arrest for criminal attempt to commit indecency with a child by sexual contact, according to HCSO Chief Investigators Corley Weatherford.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tanner Steward, Deputy Justin Wilkerson and Deputy Drew Fisher just before 5:30 p.m. April 22 received information Winship was inside his Sulphur Springs residence and attempted to served the warrant. Deputies located Winship in a closet, according to arrest reports.
Winship was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked on the warrant for criminal attempt-indecency with a child by sexual contact, according to arrest reports.
According to Texas Penal Code, a person commits criminal attempt:
“if, with specific intent to commit an offense, he does an act amounting to more than mere preparation that tends but fails to effect the commission of the offense intended.
(b) If a person attempts an offense that may be aggravated, his conduct constitutes an attempt to commit the aggravated offense if an element that aggravates the offense accompanies the attempt.”
c) It is no defense to prosecution for criminal attempt that the offense attempted was actually committed.
(d) An offense under this section is one category lower than the offense attempted, and if the offense attempted is a state jail felony, the offense is a Class A misdemeanor.
Winship — who is also known by Josuah, Jo-Jo and Jo Jo Winship — remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning on the third-degree felony 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.
Application Process Open For SSISD Head Start And Pre-Kindergarten Programs
The application process for SSISD Head Start and pre-kindergarten programs for the 2020-2021 school year is under way for new-to-the-district children. As with everything these days, registration will be conducted differently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These programs, for children who will be 3 or 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, are typically housed at Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center. Parents/guardians may complete the process to see if their children qualify for either program.
Head Start provides certified teachers/assistants, two nutritional meals and a snack per day, full-day educational services, outdoor playground facilities, limited transportation services, social services, parent involvement activities, speech/hearing/vision evaluations, health/dental screenings and accepts children with mild, moderate or severe disabilities as determined by individual needs.
To apply, first collect all of the following information as it applies to the household and child:
- Parent ID/Driver’s License
- Household Income — (2019 Tax Returns, 2019 W-2 Forms)
- If above documents are not available, a notarized letter from employer, including yearly salary, must be on official letterhead.
- TANF, SSI, SSA, Child Support/Alimony, Military Documents (LES/FSSA)
- Proof of Residency (Recent Electric/Water/Gas Bill) – You must reside in Sulphur Springs Child’s Official Birth Certificate
- Child’s Social Security Card
- Child’s Up-to-date Immunization Record
- Current Medicaid, Private Insurance or CHIP Card
- Food Stamp Card
- WIC Card
- Foster Care 2085 Form
- IEP – Individualized Education Plan
- Dr.’s Notes Concerning Allergy/Health Needs
- Custodial or Court Orders
The contact Rita Taylor, ERSEA sSpecialist, by email at [email protected]. Parents/guardians who do not have an email address, may call the school at 903-885-4516 to leave their name and the best contact number.
Parents/Guardians will receive a response to schedule an interview via telephone. After the interview process, applications can be emailed or mailed. Completed applications can be dropped off at Douglass, Monday-Friday, between 7:30 and 11 a.m. Parents/guardians will be notified by letter if their child has been accepted or put on a waitlist. If accepted, the district’s Skyward, online application must also be completed.
African American Studies Course Approved By SBOE
AUSTIN, Texas – April 22, 2020 – During its first-ever virtual meeting, the State Board of Education gave final approval to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for an African American Studies course for high school students. This is the second ethnic studies course adopted by the board following the passage of Mexican American studies in 2018. Texas is now the first state in the nation to offer standalone Mexican American studies and African American studies courses for its students.
Like Mexican American Studies, African American Studies will provide Texas students a broad overview of the history of African Americans; the course addresses a variety of topics including history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, culture, and science and technology.
The course originated as an innovative course developed by the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). The course, implemented for the first time in the 2019-20 school year, is currently being taught at 16 DISD schools.
Under current board rules, an ethnic studies course in Native American studies, Latino studies, or Asian Pacific Islander studies approved by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath as an innovative course will be presented to the SBOE for discussion and consideration for TEKS inclusion.
In addition to adopting the African American Studies course, the board gave final approval to the Texas State Plan for Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). The Perkins State Plan will provide a renewed vision of career and technical education (CTE) programs for the 21st century. The plan will support students in achieving challenging academic, technical, and employability skills, so they are well prepared for high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations in current and/or emerging professions. The plan also incorporates key elements of the State Board of Education Long-range Plan for Public Education.
More than 1,100 viewers tuned in for the live stream of the meeting, which included a virtual performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” by an ensemble from the Lufkin High School Band.
“It’s a great honor to know that our state acknowledges the band’s hard work and achievements, and an even greater honor having the opportunity to play for them,” said Lufkin Band member Tolu Ojori.
Board Chair Keven Ellis also praised the TEA staff for overcoming all the challenges of coordinating a virtual meeting, which allowed the board to conduct its important business in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luminant Demolishes Coal Silo At Old Thermo Mine As Part of Reclamation Efforts
Luminant demolished the coal silo at the old Thermo mine today (April 22), as part of their ongoing reclamation efforts. That puts the City of Sulphur Springs one step closer to being able to use the old mine property.
“Luminant is under obligation to the State of Texas to reclaim the property. They have one more area to reclaim, two including this one. The other area is the large hill,” said Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell. “This is part of that process. It was part of the agreement they they’d come in and conduct all reclamation efforts. They are under obligation to do that,”
The agreement between Luminant and the city was for Luminant to begin reclamation efforts in those areas with the demolition of the old coal mine silo. The old silo was dropped today. Luminant has hired a subcontractor to come in and clean it up, according to the city manager.
“We are working the plan,” Maxwell said. “This is a step closer to city being able to use it.”
Luminant has submitted a proposed plan to reclaim the land for the are including the large hill, but that plan has yet to be formally accepted by the Railroad Commission.
Once the former owner’s plan is approved, reclamation work is expected to take a few months. The land will then be monitored for five years, then go into an extended period of responsibility for another 2-4 years with continued monitoring, Maxwell explained during a January public hearing for the annexation of the former Thermo mine property into the city.
COVID-19 Update: All 4 Patients Have Recovered; 137 Negative, 8 Pending Tests
While the COVID-19 numbers across the state continue to rise, all four of the people with Hopkins County addresses who tested positive for COVID-19 have now recovered.
The third recovery was confirmed shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, April 20, to the Hopkins County Emergency Management Team, and the fourth recovered patient had been confirmed at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 22.
No new confirmed positive cases were reported since the April 20 HCHD/EMS update, marking a total of 17 days without any new positive cases of COVID-19 confirmed for Hopkins County.
While eight more screenings were sent for testing, eight additional tests came back negative. That’s a total of 149 COVID-19 screenings from Hopkins County, and 137 confirmed negative test results. That leaves 8 test results still pending, according to Smith’s report.
| HOPKINS COUNTY COVID-19 TESTING TOTALS AS OF: | 3/21 | 3/27 | 3/30 | 4/02 | 4/06 | 4/10 | 4/15 | 4/20 | 4/22 |
| Total Confirmed Positive Cases | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Total Confirmed Negative Tests | NA | NA | 16 | 41 | 65 | 97 | 115 | 130 | 137 |
| Total Pending Cases | NA | NA | 44 | 32 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Total Screenings Sent for Testing | 31 | 53 | 62 | 76 | 89 | 114 | 126 | 141 | 149 |
| Total Confirmed COVID-19 Patients who Have Recovered | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| COVID-Related Deaths | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Overall, 200 of Texas’ 254 counties have reported positive cases of COVID-19, which is 10 more than reported on April 20. All counties in Northeast Texas had reported cases by April 20, including Red River and Marion Counties, which had no confirmed cases on April 15. Red River County still has only case and but Marion County had three more positive cases for a total of six confirmed novel coronavirus cases, according to the April 22 Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Health and Human Services data.
As of the April 22 report, 48 additional COVID-19 deaths were reported in Texas, for a total of 543 fatalities reported to DSHS and HHS.
An estimated 1,635 additional Texas patients have recovered from COVID-19 in the last two days, increasing the total number of Texas recoveries to 7,341 as of the April 22 report. Overall, 76 of the 254 Texas counties have reported COVID-19 fatalities.
Throughout the state, 26,389 additional COVID 19 screenings have been sent for testing over the past two days, up to 216,783 total screenings for Texas as of 12:15 p.m. April 22 reporting.
An additional 1,611 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed throughout the state during the past two days, with only 873 new cases in the last 24-hours of the reporting period. That brings the total of Texas confirmed positive COVID-19 cases to 21,069.
Demographically, 35.9 percent of Texas COVID-19 patients are white, 26.7 percent are Hispanic, 11.7 percent Black, 4 percent Asian and 0.8 percent considered “other” and the race or ethnicity of the other 21 percent of patients is “unknown.” By gender, 48.6 percent of COVID-19 patients in Texas are male and 47.8 percent female, and 3.6 percent are pending further information.
The number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals increased by 269 patients over the last two days to 1,678 in the hospital for COVID-19 as of the April 22 report. Throughout Trauma Service Area F, within which Sulphur Springs is located, 19 COVID-19 patients were reported to be in regional hospitals, according to the state report.
| TEXAS Reports (DSHS/HHS) | April 10, 2020 | April 15, 2020 | April 20, 2020 | April 22, 2020 |
| Total tests | 115,918 | 151,810 | 190,394 | 216,783 |
| Cases reported | 11,671 | 15,492 | 19,458 | 21,069 |
| Lab Confirmed COVID-19 Patients Currently In Texas Hospitals | 1,532 | 1,538 | 1,411 | 1,678 |
| Estimated Number of Patients Recovered | 1,366 | 3,150 | 5,706 | 7,341 |
| Fatalities | 226 | 364 | 495 | 543 |
While the number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases remains small, only four confirmed cases during the 37 days HCHD/EMS has been reporting testing results, all four cases are presumed to be community spread, Hopkins County Emergency Management Team reported when announcing each new case.
Thus, local officials urge everyone to continue practicing social distancing, proper hand-washing techniques, good hygiene, and the stay at home, stay safe guidelines established by Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Orders, and in the Hopkins County public health emergency disaster declaration. Doing so will help keep the Hopkins County positive number low by helping to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 through the community during the duration of the stay home, stay safe order.
Disturbance Complaint Resulted In Arrest
A disturbance complaint resulted in arrest of a 30-year-old Sulphur Springs woman on a public intoxication charge, according to police reports.
Upon arrival in the 600 block of WA Street at 9:36 p.m., Sulphur Springs Police officers encountered the woman, who reportedly had slurred speech, was unsteady on her feet and was alleged to have been involved in the disturbance.
She kept walking out onto the street, after being warned numerous times by officers to stay on the property while they investigated the disturbance, police alleged in arrest reports. At one point, she almost fell down, according to reports.
The 30-year-old allegedly failed a standard field sobriety test. Believing her to be a danger to herself and others in her condition, police took her into custody at 9:59 p.m. April 21, on a public intoxication charge. She was released from Hopkins County jail on the misdemeanor charge Wednesday, April 22, according to jail reports.
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.
