National Peace Officers Memorial Day Observed
May 15, 2020 – Firefighters and local elected officials joined local law enforcement officers, Hopkins County Marine Corps League and American Legion members Friday morning downtown as they observed National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Held during National Police Week, National Peace Officers Memorial Day is a time to honor those law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Congress authorized the president to designate May 15 to honor peace officers. John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962, for May 15 of each year to be designated as “Peace Officers Memorial Day” and the week in which it falls as “Police Week.”
Read at the observance on Celebration Plaza Friday was the proclamation issued May 8 by President Donald Trump affirming May 15, 2020, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and designated May 10-16, as Police Week. In the document Trump pledged to “honor of our hardworking law enforcement officers” by lighting the White House in blue on May 15, 2020.
Trump also called upon “all Americans to observe Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I also call on the Governors of the States and Territories and officials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day. I further encourage all Americans to display the flag from their homes and businesses on that day.”
Local officers and firefighters lined the sidewalk to the flag to pay honors to their fallen brothers and sisters. The Marine Corps League and American Legion lowered the flags at Hopkins County Veterans Memorial in honor the law enforcement officers who have fallen, or suffered permanent disabilities, in the line of duty to serve and protect their communities. The US flag in the center of on Celebration Plaza was lowered as Taps was played.
Showing Off For Friends Resulted In DWI Arrest
Showing off for friends while driving reportedly resulted in a Sulphur Springs man’s arrest for drunk driving Thursday night.
Sulphur Springs Police officers responded just after 11 p.m. May 14 to what was reported as a crash in the 400 block of Bill Bradford Road. However, while en route to the crash, they were advised the vehicle involved in the crash had turned north on to Carter Street.
Officers located what they believed to be the vehicle involved in the Bill Bradford Road incident on Carter Street. On contact with the man, the 23-year-old allegedly admitted he was “showing off for friends,” when his car drifted and hit the curb.
The man, according to arrest reports, displayed glassy eyes and an alcohol odor was detected on his breath. Based officers’ observation during sobriety testing and contact with the man, police believed him to be intoxicated and took him into custody, according to arrest reports.
The 23-year-old Sulphur Springs man allegedly refused to submit to a blood test for analysis, so police sought and obtained a warrant requiring a blood draw. The sample was taken at the hospital, then the man was taken to jail for DWI, according to arrest reports. He had been released from Hopkins County jail by noon Friday, May 15, on the Class B misdemeanor DWI charge, 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.
Man Accused Of Attempting To Falsify Drug Test
A 31-year-old Sulphur Springs man was accused Thursday morning of attempting to falsify drug test results at a parole hearing, according to arrest reports.
When Brandon Michael Stahl arrived Thursday morning for a parole hearing, he was taken into custody at 7:15 a.m. May 14 by Hopkins County Sheriff‘s Sgt. Richard Greer on an outstanding parole warrant.
As Stahl was being escorted into the county jail, he allegedly admitted to having a bottle was during he intended to use in an effort to pass a drug test which was also scheduled that day. The bottle was collected and Stahl was booked into jail not only on the violation of parole warrant but also on a new charge for attempting to falsify drug test results with a falsification device, according to arrest reports.
Stahl remained in Hopkins County jail Friday morning, May 15 on the parole warrant. His bond on the Class B misdemeanor false drug test charge was set at $1,000, 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.
High Speed Vehicle Pursuit Ends With Felony Arrest
A high speed vehicle pursuit that began in Sulphur Springs concluded with a felony arrest on FM 2653 Thursday, after the suspect’s vehicle began experiencing mechanical difficulty, according to sheriff’s reports.
The chase reportedly initiated from an attempt by Hopkins County Sheriff‘s Sgt. Richard Greer to locate a wanted person. Greer reported seeing a dark-colored Hyundai passenger car around 3:05 p.m. May 14 stop at the Fisher and Lee Street intersection, then leave in a fast manner. The operator of the car, Greer alleged, matched the description of the wanted person he was attempting to locate.
The car allegedly turned onto South Davis Street, then, took off at a high rate of speed, turning west onto Industrial Drive and continued traveling in an erratic manner and high rate of speed along the service road, despite the officer’s attempt to stop it.
Greer continued following the car, with the lights and siren of his vehicle on as the Hyundai continued westward on the north service road at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, the sheriff’s officer alleged in arrest reports.
As the pursuit continued, with additional deputies and sheriff’s investigators responding to assist, the Hyundai began smoking badly and appeared as if the motor had been damaged from the manner in which the car was drive, Greer noted in arrest reports. As the vehicle approached FM 2653, the deputy reported the car began slowing, then made a right hand turn onto FM 2653, where it stopped.
Greer positioned his patrol vehicle in a manner to potentially prevent the operator from fleeing on foot. Greer ordered the man to exit the dark blue Elantra and get face down on the road; the man complied and was placed into handcuffs, according to arrest reports.
The man was identified as Robert Wayne Preas, a 28-year-old Sulphur Springs man who reportedly had an outstanding parole warrant and as well as a Delta County warrant for a family violence assault causing bodily injury with previous conviction charge. Preas was taken into custody at 3:12 p.m., and transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked on both warrants as well as a new evading arrest or detention with a vehicle charge, according to arrest reports.
Preas remained in Hopkins County jail Friday morning, May 15. He was held on the parole warrant. Bond was set at $20,000 on the third-degree felony evading arrest with a vehicle charge and $25,000 on the Delta County warrant, 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.
Free COVID-19 Testing Continues At Mobile Collection Site In Sulphur Springs
Free COVID-19 testing got into full swing at 9 a.m. Friday morning at the mobile collection site in front of Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. This marks the second time the free mobile testing has been offered in Sulphur Springs.
On April 30, the National Guard conducted the first mobile test collection in Sulphur Springs, with 82 screenings conducted at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. All came back negative for COVID-19, according to Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom.
Testing continues today, but registration is required. The judge it is his understanding that the group is prepared to conduct up to 130 screenings at the Civic Center on May 15. Anyone who exhibits symptoms or feels they have been exposed to someone who has novel coronavirus 2019 may be tested.
Anyone working in the fields of healthcare, public safety or critical infrastructure will automatically be accepted for the testing even if the person has no symptoms.
Call 512-883-2400 or go online to txcovidtest.org to register to take the swab test. Those registering will be asked some simple brief questions about any symptoms they may have.
Testers don’t have to be Hopkins County residents to test Friday at the free testing site. In fact, tests may be scheduled at any of the state’s mobile test collection sites free.
Those registered will simply stay in a vehicle. Check in with the National Guard stationed near the entrance to the driveway in front of the Civic Center. ID is to be shown through closed window in the vehicle. Testers then are directed to a place in line behind other vehicles to await their turn to be tested while still in their vehicle. The sample will be taken. When the results are in, the person tested will be notified of the results.
If testing at any other type of test location, those being tested should be sure to enquire about associated fees. A list of available and upcoming testing locations, free or otherwise, can be viewed online at covidtest.tedem.texas.gov. Check the map, then click the site or additional information including times, address and directions.
Independence Day Concert and Fireworks Postponed Until Further Notice
Yet another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic is the annual concert and fireworks display from the Sulphur Springs Symphony League and it’s sponsors. The event that was scheduled for June 27, 2020 has been postponed until further notice. Another date later in the year is possible, but has not been finalized. This annual event is a favorite for thousands of spectators that gather on Celebration Plaza in Sulphur Springs, and not only honors our veterans, but offers a program of patriotic music before the finale of fireworks.
KSST and ksstradio.com will keep updating any information we receive about this event.
Saltillo Elementary, Junior High To Hold Drive-Through Awards Pick-Up May 18-19
Saltillo Kindergarten, 8th Grade Graduations Slated Aug. 18
Saltillo ISD announced plans for graduation ceremonies for seniors, 8th graders and kindergarteners. Saltillo elementary and junior high are slated to hold drive-through awards events next week.
Drive-Through Awards
From 3 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, Saltillo Elementary will conduct “drive through awards.” Families of pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students will arrive in the car rider pick-up line for the awards. Any work or library books they students have yet to turn in should be brought to this program. They will be turned in as the family drives up. Teachers will have all of the student’s belongings, along with awards, ready to send home with them at that time.
Junior High has scheduled a drive through awards from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 19. Families will line up in their vehicles in the car-rider pickup line. Any work or library books that students still have out should be turned in as they drive through the line to receive their awards.
Kindergarten, 8th Grade Graduations
Kindergarten and 8th grader graduation ceremonies have been pushed back, planned for Thursday, Aug. 13. That is the night of the scheduled open house for the 2020-2021 school year.
This decision was made after much consideration and discussion among school officials pertaining to the safety and wellbeing of Saltillo ISD families. As these near, additional details will be provided, according to Saltillo ISD administrators.
Senior Graduation, Baccalaureate
A baccalaureate service is set for 7 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at Weaver Baptist Church for seniors and their parents. Local social distancing guidelines will apply, however, and scheduling is contingent on local COVID-19 case numbers remaining low.
The Saltillo senior graduation ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 29, outdoors in the main parking lot, the school announced.
All students and guests will be required to follow social distancing guidelines, safety and security protocols, and other health measures at graduation. In order to do so, Saltillo ISD graduation ceremonies will move outdoors to the main parking lot of our school. A full list of protocols and guidelines provided by Texas Education Agency for schools regarding graduation celebrations can be downloaded from the TEA website.
Saltillo ISD will provide additional information for students and guests As the event nears.
70-Year-Old Arrested For Murder In Connection With Winnsboro Auto Shop Stabbing
A 70-year-old man was arrested Wednesday, May 13, for murder in connection with a Winnsboro auto shop stabbing, according to Winnsboro Police Chief Andy Chester.
Shortly after 11 a.m. May 13, Winnsboro Police Officers were dispatched to a report of a man with a knife Bob’s Auto Repair on East Carnegie.
“Upon our arrival we located a 54 year old white male, inside the shop area, with multiple stab wounds to his upper torso. Officers located a 70-year-old white male in the parking lot and detained him. It was determined that the 70-year-old white male, identified as Billy Dwaine Cotten of Winnsboro, was the suspect with the knife. Steven Wayne Lancaster, a 54-year-old employee of Bob’s Auto Repair, was transported to CHRISTUS/Mother Francis in Winnsboro and then flown to Tyler. Lancaster was pronounced dead shortly after 3 p.m.,” Chester alleged in a press release.
Cotten for arrested for murder in connection with the Winnsboro auto shop stabbing. His bond was set at $50,000 on the charge. Cotten was released from jail on bond Thursday, May 14, according to Wood County jail reports.
The investigation into the stabbing is still ongoing, according to Chester.
Pickton Man Arrested On Failure To Register As A Sex Offender Charge
May 14, 2020 – A 36-year-old Pickton man was arrested Wednesday on a failure to comply with sex offender duty to register charge, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office investigators reportedly received information that a sex offender who is require to register every quarter with authorities in the area in which he resides had not done so property. The man, identified in reports as 36-year-old Douglas Eugene Hanson, was reportedly registered in Wood County but had been living in Pickton for approximately 1 1/2 year, HCSO Investigators Michael Russell and Wade Sheets noted in arrest reports.
The investigators spoke to the owner of the property where Hanson was alleged to have been living. They received confirmation Hanson had lived in the rent house for more than a year, according to arrest reports.
The sheriff’s investigators contacted the man at his place of work. Hanson allegedly admitted he has lived in Pickton for approximately 1 1/2 years and has not yet registered with Hopkins County authorities as he is required to do. Consequently, the investigators took the man into custody at 9:30 a.m. May 13 for failure to comply with sex offender duty to register for life.
Hanson remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning, May 14. Bond was set at $25,000 on the second-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.
COVID-19 Financial Impact On Hopkins County Estimated At $1 Million
Business shutdowns and other measures in place due to the COVID-19 have impacted everyone, including local city and county governments. Hopkins County officials estimate a current COVID-19 financial impact of about $1 million less in revenues.
“I talked with our auditor. We are down about $1 million,” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said. “Sales taxes will be down. Fees and fines are going to be down due to a lot of tickets and things not paid. Right now, property taxes we anticipate are holding up. They are being paid so far, as well they need to do. We have done well in Hopkins County. The Civic Center is down because they are not producing anything right now.”
However, the county is in a better position than some, due to the reserve fund built up over the last few years due to conservative management, according to the county judge.
“We had prepared ahead of time, knowing these times come. I think, financially we can handle it,” Newsom said. “It’s not the end of the world. We are going to look at our budget and see how things look moving forward.”
He commended the county’s employees who continued to work during the pandemic, even when doing so meant having to temporarily close lobbies and utilize drop boxes, mail, phone an electronic communications to conduct business.
“Our people continued to work through this. I am proud of our county employees,” Newsom said Wednesday afternoon. “We are not losing any staffing. No one has been laid off. Everybody remained at the helm, which is a real positive thing for our citizens and employees. We are going to continue work. The county remained at work through this time. Some worked at home but the rest have been here.”
Even the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center staff continued working, despite the loss of events due to COVID-19 restrictions and related cancelations, according to Newsom.
“We worked everybody every day,” said Hopkins County Regional Civic Center General Manager Lonnie Fox said. “We just keep going. All of our staff have still got jobs. We have been doing some deep cleaning.”
“I am really proud of our Civic Center staff. They have helped the school do the virtual graduation, helping to make it happen in the facility. They have assisted in COVID-19 testing held two weeks ago and another is planned Friday and have assisted in other ways,” Newsom said.
The county precinct crews are getting busy working on roads, the sheriff’s office is “in full force,” and the jail “is functioning very well and is COVID-free,” according to Newsom.
Hopkins County officials will look at the budget again as the pandemic progresses to see if any areas will require adjustments. Currently, the additional funding allocated this year to each precinct budget for additional road repairs will remain in those budgets, according to the judge.
“At this point, we are leaving it in roads. We prepared ahead of time for this type of thing,” Newsom said.
Crews have really just begun work patching and rebuilding county roads, but expect to be in full swing moving forward, as weather and resources permit.
Hopkins County officials also anticipate applying for federal funding designated in the CARES Act for “reimbursement of direct expenses incurred by cities and counties due to COVID-19.”
State officials May 11 announced $5.06 billion in funding available to local governments in Texas through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The U.S. Department of Treasury has directly sent over $3.2 billion to the 6 cities and 12 counties in Texas with a population greater than 500,000. The remaining $1.85 billion will be available to other cities and counties throughout the state to apply toward “reimbursement of direct expenses incurred by cities and counties due to COVID-19.”
According to Governor Greg Abbott, the remaining cities and counties in Texas that did not receive direct allocations from the Treasury are eligible to apply to the state for a $55 per capita allocation from the $1.85 billion.
Newsom anticipates applying for as much of the state and federal funding as the county is eligible to request, including funds designated to help local entities offset the costs of any overtime by emergency management and other personnel “due to the COVID-19 crisis.”
Newsom said Hopkins County also plans to apply for funding to help reimburse the expenses of installing glass on office counters at Hopkins County House Annex and the district and county clerk’s offices, among other measures taken by the county.
“We are getting the glass to protect them from the public and to protect the citizens too. This will help with social distancing in areas where they lean in to talk. This is an advantage to taxpayers to take advantage as well as an option of protection for our employees,” Newsom said. “They will continue to do what they are doing. Hopkins County has done extremely well. We are blessed in every way.”
Governments with a grant agreement will be able to immediately draw down 20 precent to their allocation. After those jurisdictions provide documentation on the initial funding, they will then be able to access the remainder of their allocation on a reimbursement basis. The unallocated funds will be reserved for local expenses as future outbreaks and the long-term impacts of COVID-19 are better known, state officials stated in a letter sent to cities and counties. Local leaders too were encourage to work together to address expenses that cross jurisdictional lines, according a press release from Governor Greg Abbott’s office.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management will administer the reimbursement process and will partner with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to provide individual assistance to each city and county throughout the process. Information on how to apply for funding, as well as guidance about eligible uses, can be found at online at: www.tdem.texas.gov/crf.
