5 Percent Cost Of Living Increase Approved For All Full-Time County Employees
All full-time Hopkins County employees and elected officials will benefit from a 5 percent cost of living increase in pay in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
The pay increase was factored into the 2019-2020 county budget, which was approved by Hopkins County Commissioner Court at their regular meeting Monday morning.
Commissioners first approved the 5 percent increase for elected officials, then the budget and tax rate. The increase for elected officials includes $75 a year for longevity pay, and an additional supplement for the sheriff this year, according to Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom and Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook.
Newsom noted that at a conference he attended last week, a map of Northeast Texas showed areas with growth. Hopkins County was among the communities experiencing growth in development. Some other areas further east are losing population and industry, he said.
The county judge said the current budget should put the county in a better position next year to face challenges imposed by the tax cap passed recently by legislators. The tax cap won’t impact the county this year, but will next year.
The commissioners court unanimously approved the same tax rate of $0.624892 per $100 property value. Of that, $0.5396355 will be applied to maintenance and operations and the remaining $0.085237 toward the principal on bonds repayments and other indebtedness.
While unchanged, the county property taxes are expected to generate 6.39 percent ($752,789) more revenue in FY 2019-202 than it did this year. This is due to largely increases in property values and $272,117 from new property added to tax roles in the last year.
Brinker VFD Recognized For Dedication Service
Hopkins County Commissioners Court and County Fire Chief Andy Endsley Monday morning recognized Brinker Volunteer Fire Department members for their dedication and 25-years of service to the community.
“This is part of the ongoing celebration of not only Hopkins County Fire Department’s 20th anniversary but celebrating all the VFD’s in our county. It’s a great honor to be able to do this,” said Endsley.
“I would just like to thank the commissioners. Without you, we wouldn’t be. I look forward to working with you and appreciation your support. I’m honored to do this,” said Wade McDaniel, captain for Brinker VFD.
McDaniel said that he was a volunteer in Sulphur Springs previously. So, when he moved to Brinker he approached the fire chief and was allowed to continue his passion of serving his community as a member of the volunteer fire department. He also expressed appreciation for all who helped lower the ISO rating for the area, which has allowed him to save a lot of money on his house insurance.
“We love our community, and do anything we can for them. We appreciate you and Andy as well,” said Jamie Foster, chief of the Brinker VFD.
“The thing to emphasize to anyone listening is that they are volunteers, that servanthood that’s beyond the call of duty. They are not getting paid anything. It’s just because you want to serve. That’s huge. In the past it’s been used, today it’s even more. So thank you very much,” Newsom said.
Mack Pitts, who was present during Monday’s court session, said he lived behind Brinker VFD. When his mother-in-law lived with them, his family called upon Brinker for a couple of times for assistance when his wife needed help getting her mother up. He commended the firemen on the professional manner in which the members do “exactly what they need to do.”
Pitts complimented Endsley, who served as Brinker’s chief prior to accepting to position as HCFD chief, and noted the current officers are following in his footstep, establishing an “excellent reputation” for the volunteer fire department.
The department was formed on March 24, 1994, as Brinker Volunteer Fire Rescue by Carl Nix, who served as chief; with Lee Huff as president and Teresa Hugg as secretary treasurer; and members Brian Knowles, Allen Story, Harrell Hettich, Max Bradford, Glenn Smith, Dusty McIllwain, Jerry Horton, Bobby George, Don Brooks, Beth Gilpin and Ronald “Squirrel” Wells.
Brinker’s first fire truck was attained due to the efforts made by area fire departments outside Hopkins County and the Texas Forestry Service. The volunteer department’s first service call was to a grass fire on County Road 3341 on Aug. 8, 1994.
In 2001, the department suffered a catastrophic fire in the station’s bay area, and had to rebuild. In 2004, The Brinker Volunteer Fire Rescue was awarded a FEMA grant for a custom pumper. Another grant from the Texas Forestry Service allowed funds for a tanker.
The department prospered from 2005 to 2011 with Herb Scott as fire chief, followed by the leadership of Chief Andy Endsley and the Fire and EMS Academy – Fire In Texas.
The current members of Brinker VFD are Chief Jamie Foster, Assistant Chief Austin Corley, Captain Wade McDaniel, Carl Nix, Conner Nix, Jeff Strickland, Brady Crouse, Mike Corley, Brandon Foster, Brody Sproles and Brenden Clark.
“The Hopkins County Commissioners Court urges all citizens to applaud the outstanding efforts of the Brinker Volunteer Fire Department, to recognize the dedication in their perseverance to provide protection to all people and their property and, offer heartfelt appreciation for the servanthood of each one. Thank you very much,” County Judge Robert Newsom read from a proclamation, which was framed and presented to Brinker VFD officers Monday morning during Commissioners Court.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report for Sept. 2-Sept. 8, 2019
Arrests
- Dean Marks, age 52, of Quitman, was arrested on 09/06/2019 on Possession of Controlled Substance PG1>=1G<4G.
- Sean Earle, age 29, of Yantis, was arrested on 09/07/2019 for on multiple Hopkins County Warrants.
Accidents
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a 3 vehicle accident on 9/05/2019 in the 800 block of North Main. No injuries reported.
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a 2 vehicle accident on 9/6/2019 in the 200 block of North Main. No injuries reported.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 155 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 48 citations and 51 warnings during this reporting period.
2 Dallas Area Women Arrested In Sulphur Springs On Marijuana Charge
Two Dallas area women were arrested Saturday night in Sulphur Springs for misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Sulphur Springs police reported stopping a Chevrolet Cobalt around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 7 on Oak Avenue at Hinnant Street for an equipment violation. On contact with the 25-year-old DeSoto woman driving and the 25-year-old Lewisville passenger, the officer alleged he could smell a marijuana odor emitting from the car. A search of the car allegedly yielded less than 2 ounces of suspected marijuana, resulting in both women being arrested on for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana in a drug-free zone.
The passenger also allegedly initially identified herself by name, but claimed not to have any ID on her. An ID card with a different name and photo that was identical to the woman was allegedly found in the passenger’s purse. The woman claimed the ID belonged to her twin sister, and insisted her name was the name she’d told him. When she was placed into handcuffs, however, she admitted she’d lied about her name and admitted the ID found in her purse was in fact hers, officers alleged in arrest reports. For her dishonestly, the woman was charged with the Class B misdemeanor offense of failure to identify with intent to give false information, according to arrest reports.
Both women were released from jail Sunday, Sept. 8. Bond on the marijuana charge was set at $2,000 each; the passenger’s bond on the the failure to ID charge was set at $1,000, according to jail reports.
4th Annual “Fruit of the Spirit Awards Banquet” Brings Cowboys’ Everson Walls to Town as Speaker
Pastor C.J. Duffey of Colorblind Ministries invites the community to be present as nominees are honored during the Fruit of the Spirit Awards and Banquet set for Saturday September 14, 2019 at 3pm in the Sulphur Springs High School Cafeteria, 1200 Connally Street. Nominees in nine categories of public service and ministry in Hopkins County were compiled during 2019, and recipients were selected for recognition. The event will also include a banquet meal by Duffey’s BBQ, musical entertainment by Charles and Kenya Chaffer and a motivational program by featured speaker Everson Walls, a Dallas Cowboy 4-time Pro-Bowl player and Hall of Fame nominee. Walls will also hold a book signing for ‘A Gift for Ron” recounting memorable experiences on and off the field. It was written for his friend and teammate, the late Ron Springs, to whom he had donated a kidney. Attendees can also meet Walls, one of the most prolific and decorated defensive backs to ever play the game of football, as well as get autographs and snap a photo with him free of charge.
Tickets to the awards banquet are $25 advance and $30 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Good News Christian Bookstore, at Jay Hodge Chevrolet and at Legacy Choice Hospice in Sulphur Springs. Or you can phone for tickets to be delivered this week, by calling 903-335-4764. Proceeds will go to benefit the Lord’s Work Food Pantry to help continue feeding the citizens of Hopkins County.
Sam Tatum Family, Friends Celebrate his 80th Birthday
Sammy Lewis Lee Tatum was born in September 1939 in Chitra, Oklahoma, the second among five siblings. His 80th birthday was observed at Sulphur Springs City Hall on Sunday September 8, 2019 with pulled pork sandwiches and picnic sides served buffet-style to the many dozen friends who came to wish him well. Afterward, a beautifully decorated birthday cake was sliced and shared with everyone. Sam’s sons Darrin and Lewis and their families helped host the party.
Sam greeted everyone with a handshake as they came through the door, and a memorable time was had as friends reminisced and shared stories, laughter and fellowship. Sam’s brother Dub Tatum and his wife Peggy of Holdenville, Oklahoma were in attendance as were fellow members of the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse. Many long-time friends from the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association were also present to wish him well.
In addition to Dub, they have another brother, Billy Joe Tatum, and two sisters Jewel and Carolyn who were not able to attend. According to Dub, their father was an Oklahoma farmer and rancher, and at one time, a deputy sheriff. Sam, Dub and siblings were raised in the country and rode a bus eight miles to school at Gertie, near Allen, Oklahoma. As a youth, Sam learned to work their team of mules, and the family raised corn, peanuts and cotton. Like many of their neighbors, the family made part of it’s income by raising a big crop of cucumbers which they could sell to a pickle canner in a nearby town. According to Dub, their two acres of cucumbers had to be picked all the time, it seemed. They could fully pick half the entire field in one day when cucumber production was highest, and the other half the next day, then start over, and so on. They stacked the cucumbers in vats near the railroad tracks and the vats would be picked up and taken by train to Calvin, not far from McAlester.
Sam married Linda Collier in Sherman 1960 and moved with their two sons to Hopkins County in 1981. Darrin Tatum and wife Michelle and family also live nearby. Lewis Tatum became Hopkins County Sheriff in 2017. Lewis married Michelle Orrick in Denison in 1981 and they have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. Sam’s career was with TXU, and when he retired 1993, he began working for FEC Electric in Greenville. He is still working there and also has a yard service. Besides his more than 25 years of volunteer service in the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse, Sam also does leather repairs and likes to make saddle accessories and tooled leather goods.
At Least 5 Arrested Over Weekend On DWI Charges
At least five people were booked into the county jail over the weekend on driving while intoxicated charges, including one man accused of felony DWI, one who ran into a ditch and two on warrants.
Joe Daniel Adams, 33, of Marshal was arrested at 7:53 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 30 by troopers for a third or more driving while intoxicated offense. Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers Chris Sorley and Rebekah Saathoff responded with county officers at mile marker 115, where they stopped a motorist reported for driving at more than 100 miles per hour on I-30, according to arrest reports.
The driver was allegedly identified using a Texas Department of Criminal Justice card as 33-year-old Joe Daniel Adams of Marshal. The officers reported smelling alcohol on him; he also had red eyes, slurred speech and dilated pupils, troopers alleged in arrest reports. He allegedly told them he was not going to do standardized field sobriety tests. When he was asked to at least try to do the tests, he agreed he would, according to arrest reports. The man swayed while in the instructional position for horizontal gaze nystagmus tests and refused to do the HGN test.
The man allegedly admitted to officers that he’d consumed two 24-ounce beers. He agreed to do the walk and turn test and one-legged stand sobriety tests. However, when placed in position for them, he fell off balance. When asked to start over, he fell off balance again and put his hands behind his back. He refused further testing and was taken into custody for suspicion of DWI.
The 33-year-old Marshal man refused to provide either a breath or blood sample for analysis, so a warrant was sought from and signed by Judge Clay Harrison, according to arrest reports. He allegedly warned officers he would resist the blood draw. Deputies transported him to the hospital for the sample. True to his word, troopers alleged in arrest reports, Adams resisted when it was time for him to be stuck with a needle. Troopers Saatthoff and Sorley, and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies Tanner Steward and Drew Fisher had to hold Adams down to restrain him so the sample could be taken. Afterward, Adams was transported to jail, where he was booked at 11:40 p.m. Sept. 7 for DWI, third or more offense.
He remained in custody Monday morning, Sept. 9, on the third-degree felony charge. Bond was set at $25,000, according to jail reports.
In a separate incident, a 38-year-old Sulphur Springs man was arrested at 10:25 p.m. Sept. 7 on Fuller Street for surety off bond on a driving while intoxicated. Sulphur Springs police officer responded to a call of a possible murder in the 800 block of Fuller Street.
Upon arrival, they found the man inside the residence, where he was reported to be highly intoxicated. A records check showed a warrant for his arrest for surety off bond on a second offense DWI charge. Officers were unsuccessful in locating the girlfriend. He was jailed on the warrant; the offense was alleged to have occurred on Sept. 5, according to arrest reports.
He was released from jail Sunday, Sept. 8, on $2,000 bond on the charge, according to jail reports.
At 5:01 a.m. Sept. 7, sheriff’s deputies arrested a 30-year-old Sulphur Springs man for driving while intoxicated.
Deputies were dispatched to a complaint of a possible drunk driver on State Highway 11, west of FM 1870, where a Dodge Dakota reported ran off the road and was stuck in a ditch.
A deputy conducted field sobriety tests on the Sulphur Springs man, on whom he alleged a strong alcohol odor was smelled. The man allegedly claimed he’d fallen asleep driving. He failed standard field sobriety tests and was taken to jail for further investigation of DWI, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
The man allegedly agreed to a blood draw for analysis; the sample was taken at the hospital and he was booked into jail on the DWI charge, according to arrest reports.
He was released from the county jail Sept. 8 on a $1,000 bond. His arrest Sept. 2 marked the second time this year he has been jailed locally on an intoxication charge. He was jailed and later released from Hopkins County jail on Feb. 15 on a public intoxication charge, according to jail reports.
A 29-year-old Wills Point man was arrested in Winnsboro and released to Hopkins County deputies at 10:43 p.m. Sept. 7 on Hopkins County warrants for DWI and not taking care of failure to maintain financial responsibility, unsafe speed and driving while license invalid, according to arrest reports.
He was released from jail Sept. 8 on $1,000 bond on the DWI charge, according to jail reports.
A 21-year-old Sherwood, Arkansas man was arrested at 10:31 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, by DPS troopers for driving while intoxicated. He was reportedly stopped on I-30 at mile marker 120 for speeding. While talking with the driver, the trooper alleged he could smell alcohol on the man. The Arkansas man allegedly showed numerous clues of intoxication on arrest reports and tested 0.118 on a portable breath test, which his well over the 0.08 limit. The driver was arrested. The Toyota Camry was released to the passenger. The man reportedly voluntarily provided a blood sample for testing. He was arrested for DWI and issued a speeding ticket, troopers alleged in arrest reports.
He remained in the county jail Sept. 9. Bond was set at $1,000 on the DWI charge, according to jail reports.
Grand Jury Signs 51 Indictments During September Session
September 9, 2019 – The Hopkins County Grand Jury signed at least 51 indictments during the Sept. 5 court session. At least 30 people were named in the charges, including 10 people accused of more than one offense.
Charges ranged from criminal negligence, sexual assault of a child, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault of a public servant and attempting to take a weapon from an officer to fraud, forgery, money laundering, burglary, theft, bail jumping and unauthorized use of a vehicle. More than 20 of the charges were for alleged controlled substance and drunk driving offenses.
Jennifer Doolan Petty was indicted on an assault of a public servant charge.
She was reportedly stopped July 16 by Cumby police for suspicion of drunk driving. A trooper was contacted to conduct a DWI interview. She was reportedly taken into custody and “refused to provide a voluntary specimen” for testing, so a search warrant was obtained for a blood draw. Upon arrival at the hospital lab, Petty allegedly resisted the search and had to be restrained, kicking the trooper in the leg in the process. The blood sample was reportedly taken for analysis and the woman was taken to jail.
Petty was booked on three charges, including, assault of a public servant. She was released from the county jail July 17; bond on the assault charge was set at $20,000, according to jail reports.
Indicted for injury to a child, elderly or disabled person and assault of a family or household member that impeded breathing was Juan Ines Peralta.
The 27-year-old Sulphur Springs man was accused in arrest reports of grabbing his wife around the throat, making it hard for her to breath, during a July 9 disturbance. When she attempted to leave, he allegedly chased her outside to the street, grabbed her, dragged her back onto the property and into the garage, dropping her and shutting the door.
The woman had red marks on her neck, where Peralta was alleged to have squeezed it, as well as marks on her foot, allegedly from being dragged, police alleged in arrest reports.
The wife was reportedly holding their young child in her arms, trying to prevent her from being hurt. The little girl had a mark on her leg, also resulting from the disturbance, police alleged in reports immediately following Peralta’s arrest on July 9.
Peralta was released from jail on July 10 on $25,000 bond on the assault charge and $10,000 bond on the injury to a child charge, according to jail reports.
Brittany Rennea White, 26, and Misha Michelle Price, 25, of Oklahoma City were both indicted for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft of a firearm. White also was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The women were arrested at a Cumby rest stop July 23 in a car that a Hunt County patrol officer discovered, using a license plate check, had been reported to Oklahoma City authorities as stolen, as had a firearm found in the ca. White garnered the second firearm charge due to a prior felony conviction, sheriff’s investigators reported following the pair’s arrest.
Both women remained in Hopkins County jail Sunday, Sept. 8. Bond was set at $5,000 on the unauthorized use of vehicle charge and $5,000 on the theft of firearm charge. White’s bond on the unlawful possession of firearm by a felon charge was set at $10,000, according to jail reports.
Indicted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was Justin Arley Bryant.
The 20-year-old Sulphur Springs man was accused June 27 of pointing a gun at a 19-year-old Sulphur Springs woman and telling her she couldn’t leave, when she tried to end their relationship, police noted in arrest reports. While shouting at the woman, Bryant allegedly pointed the weapon out an open window and discharged the firearm, police reports noted.
Bryant was released from jail on July 3 on $200,000 bond on the charge, but was taken into custody again on Aug. 29, on an insufficient bond charge, according to arrest reports. He remained in the county jail Sunday, Sept. 8; his new bond was set at $1 million, according to jail reports.
Janie Louise Broglin was indicted for unauthorized use of a vehicle.
The 21-year-old Fort Worth woman was reportedly found in a Nissan Altima between the eastbound lanes of Interstate 30 near the 114 mile marker and the south service road. The front of the vehicle was reportedly partially blocking the westbound lane of the service road, officers alleged in arrest reports.
Broglin allegedly claimed to be traveling from Fort Worth and had run out of gas. A records check of the car’s license plate number revealed the car had been reported to Mesquite Police Department as stolen, resulting in Broglin’s arrest, deputies alleged in reports immediately following her arrest on July 18.
The woman remained in the county jail Sunday, Sept. 9; her bond was set at $5,000 on the charge, according to jail report.
Indicted for assault of a family or household member that impeded breathing was Carlos Alberto Valle.
The 24-year-old Sulphur Springs man was accused of choking his girlfriend multiple times and of holding her in a bedroom at his residence against her will during an argument about a doctor’s appointment. The 17-year-old reportedly crawled out a bedroom window to get away from Valle, police alleged in reports immediately following his arrest at shortly before midnight July 25.
The teen had “injuries consistent with strangulation,” and had “defensive contact injuries around her hands and fingers,” police alleged in reports. The young woman, who was reported to be pregnant, was transported to the hospital, according to arrest and offense reports.
Valle reportedly told officers the teen had a mental health disorder and had hit him in the face. He had a small scratch on his face, according to police reports.
He was booked into the county jail early July 26, and released later that day on $25,000 bond on the assault charge, according to jail reports.
Indicted for unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of 4 ounces or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance was Travis W. Danker.
The 37-year-old Tennessee man was in a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder stopped by state trooper on Dec. 29, 2018, on Interstate 30 for speeding. A records check reportedly showed the vehicle to have been reported stolen. He and an Illinois man in the car were both taken into custody by troopers. A methamphetamine pipe with a residue in it, two handguns, a large quantity of methamphetamine and assorted drug paraphernalia were allegedly found in the vehicle, according to arrest reports.
Danker remained in the county jail until Jan. 9, 2019; his bond was set at $35,000 on the controlled substance charge and $5,000 on the unauthorized use of a vehicle charge, according to jail reports.
Dillon Curtis Derry was indicted on two charges of abandoning or endangering a child-criminal negligence and for evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.
The 23-year-old Arkansas man was accused on Aug. 3 of lead deputies on a high speed chase from State Highway 154 south in Hopkins County onto county roads into Wood County with an infant and small child in the car, according to arrest reports. He allegedly took sharp turns and corners at high rates of speed before abruptly stopping at a County Road 1730 residence in Yantis, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
As soon as the car stopped, the driver allegedly jumped out and ran. He jumped a barbed wire fence and ran through a Yantis pasture before being taken into custody. The Arkansas man allegedly told Chaney he ran because he thought he was wanted in Arkansas on felony charges.
Derry remained in Hopkins County jail Sept. 8. His bond was set at $5,000 each on the child endangerment charges and $15,000 on the evading arrest or detention with a vehicle charge, according to jail reports.
Indicted for sexual assault of a child was Jose Alberto Lopez.
The 21-year-old Sulphur Springs man was arrested June 27 by sheriff’s investigators on the sexual assault charge as well as a controlled substance charge and three misdemeanor warrants. Tips were made to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alleging a Sulphur Springs man was soliciting minors online for photographs and had recorded sex with a 16-year-old reported to be his girlfriend, according to sheriff’s investigators. After an investigation that spanned more than a month, sheriff’s investigators eventually got a phone number on which they reportedly contacted Lopez. Lopez refused to voluntarily report to the sheriff’s office to talk to officers, according to sheriff’s reports.
Sheriff’s investigators reported finding Lopez and a minor inside a Sulphur Springs residence. Lopez allegedly admitted that the minor was his girlfriend, with whom he’d had a sexual relationship for more than a year, but told sheriff’s officers the girl’s parents knew what was going on between them. Lopez also allegedly admitted to having sex with the minor and recording it, and that it would likely be on his phone, a sheriff’s investigator said following Lopez’s arrest. Lopez allegedly confessed to soliciting additional nude images from other minors online, the sheriff said following Lopez’s arrest.
Lopez remained in Hopkins County jail Sunday, Sept. 8. Bond on the sexual assault of a child charge was set at $100,000, according to jail reports.
Alberta Lene Duffey was indicted for theft of property valued at less than $2,500, but with two or more previous convictions.
She was arrested on July 27 at Walmart. Police responded to a disturbance complaint at the store. They were told by store staff Duffey and another woman selected items, concealed them and passed all points of sale without paying for them. Total value of the recovered items was less than $100. However, because of Duffey’s history, the charge was enhanced to a felony offense, police alleged in arrest reports.
Jail reports show Duffey has been jailed locally at least four times since April 2, 2007 on theft charges; she also has been sentenced at least twice to serve 30-day commitments for theft, and was on probation for a theft charge.
Duffey remained in Hopkins County jail from July 27 through Aug. 17 on the felony theft charge; bond was set at $5,000, according to jail reports.
Indicted for possession of 4 gram or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and money laundering in the amount of $30,000 or more but less than $150,000 was Isaiah Hanna.
The Wisconsin man was arrested Dec. 1, 2018, following a traffic stop. A Cumby officer, in arrest reports, noted he suspected involvement in criminal activity by the occupants of the auto. A free air sniff by a police canine reportedly resulted in a probable cause search. Cumby police alleged 5.5 grams of suspected cocaine, a firearm, and a large quantity of money were found in the vehicle, according to arrest reports.
Hanna was booked into the county jail Dec. 1, 2018, on three charge including the controlled substance and money laundering offenses. He was released from jail Dec. 3, 2018. Bond was set at $30,000 on the controlled substance charge and $15,000 on the money laundering charge, according to jail reports.
Trent David Floyd Wolfe was indicted on two forgery of financial instrument charges.
The 20-year-old Brashear resident was accused of writing two checks for a total of more than $600 on his former employers’ bank accounts. One account holder alleged Wolfe admitted to taking the checks when confronted about it, according to police reports. Wolfe was allegedly caught on surveillance video at the bank passing the checks, the police detective alleged in reports following Wolfe’s arrest.
He was booked into the county jail Aug. 1 and released the next day on $5,000 bond each on the two forgery charges, according to arrest reports.
Indicted for fraudulent use or possession of identifying information was Maria Cristina Lopez-Castillo.
The 25-year-old Fort Worth woman was arrested July 30 on the charge. She was accused of having forged Social Security and Texas ID cards when the vehicle she was in was stopped by a deputy in Cumby. A forged Social Security card with the woman’s name and a fake number on it was found in the console; and the Texas ID card with her name, date of birth and address on it was found in the driver’s side front pocket. A records check using the number on the ID card showed it belonged to a deceased person, a deputy alleged in arrest reports.
Lopez-Castillo was released from the county jail on July 31 on a $10,000 bond on the fraud charge, according to jail reports.
Joseph Daryl Passmore Jr. was indicted for continuous sexual abuse of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact.
The 30-year-old Sulphur Springs man was arrested July 24 on warrants for both charges; he remained in the county jail Sunday, Sept. 8, in lieu of $100,000 on the sexual abuse charge and $50,000 on the indecency charge, according to jail reports.
Indicted for criminal mischief resulting in loss of damages of $2,500 or more but less than $30,000 was Jessy Isaiah Garcia.
The 20-year-old Sulphur Springs man was first accused of the offense on Jan. 13. He was located at a Hillcrest Drive gas station, after he allegedly fled Walmart. He had allegedly stalked a woman to Walmart, hit the car she was in, then struck a man who attempted to calm him down multiple times with a baseball bat, according to arrest and police reports. Garcia was accused in arrest reports of causing damage to hood of the arresting trooper’s car on Jan. 13 as well.
He was arrested on a warrant for the criminal mischief charge on July 16, and remained in the county jail Sept. 8, according to jail reports.
Jeremy Randall Hill was indicted for burglary of vehicles with two or more previous charges.
Hill was arrested July 1 on a warrant for the charge. He was previously sentenced in October of 2010 to an 8-year sentence for burglary and one year in a state jail for theft of a firearm, according to jail reports. He more recently was arrested in April of 2018 on three vehicle burglary charges and on a theft charge for offenses alleged to have occurred in March 2018 on Helm Lane, according to jail and prior arrest reports.
Hill remained in Hopkins County jail Sept. 8. Bond was set at $20,000 on the vehicle burglary charge, according to jail reports.
Omar Sanchez was indicted for attempting to take a weapon from an officer.
The 30-year-old Sulphur Springs man was arrested on the charge on July 15. He was accused of striking another vehicle late July 14 with the Jeep Wrangler he was driving, then to have fled in the vehicle, which the complainant was reportedly following. When Sanchez turned of State Highway 154 onto a dead-end county road, the following vehicle parked at the intersection to await law enforcement; Sanchez allegedly struck the vehicle in the intersection with his vehicle and continued north, according to arrest reports.
Deputies reportedly got the Jeep stopped on State Highway 154 at County Road 1444. Sanchez was ordered out of the Jeep, and when he failed to do as instructed was removed by deputies, the officers alleged in arrest reports. He then allegedly began resisting the officer’s attempts to take him into custody and the deputy deploy his Taser on him. Sanchez then allegedly grabbed the Taser and tried to take it away from the deputy.
Sanchez was jailed at 3 a.m. July 15 on three charges, including attempting to take a weapon from the officer, according to arrest reports.
Sanchez was released from jail later July 15; bond on the weapon charge was set at $5,000, according to jail reports.
Indicted for theft of material such as aluminum, bronze or copper was Calum Len Foldenauer.
The 22-year-old was arrested by Winnsboro police and transported to Hopkins County jail on the charge on Aug. 8. He was released from jail on $5,000 bond on the charge on Aug. 14, according to jail reports.
Kenneth Wayne Higdon was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The 43-year-old Como man was arrested on the charge on Aug. 5. Deputies were dispatched to his travel trailer, where he and his 25-year-old wife had allegedly argued about communications on she’d had on Facebook with a male she had previously worked with. She allegedly bit his nose off during the disturbance because he bit her thumbs, which were red. The tip of his nose was missing. Both were arrested for family violence assault, according to arrest reports.
Kenneth Higdon also was accused of displaying a gun during the initial altercation, according to arrest reports. The deputy reportedly found a handgun in the living room area of the travel trailer where the Higdons live. Mr. Higdon allegedly told the deputy he had been on parole for two years; a records check confirmed he had two felony convictions, resulting in Kenneth Higdon being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
Higdon was released from jail on Aug. 6. His bond on the weapon charge was set at $10,000, according to jail reports.
Indicted for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence was Chrystal Brooke Vargas.
The 37-year-old Sulphur Springs woman was reportedly arrested at her residence on July 17 on a warrant for the charge. She was released from jail July 19, on $10,000 bond, according to jail reports.
Infant Venzor was indicted for bail jumping and failure to appear. The 20-year-old Dallas woman was in a vehicle stopped April 28 by Cumby police. The vehicle was confirmed to have been reported stolen on April 25 to Dallas Police Department. Venzor and the male in the car were arrested for unauthorized use of a vehicle. She was released from jail May 2 on $5,000 bond on the stolen vehicle charge. She was indicted for bail jumping and failure to appear on a local charge, according to court records.
The remaining offenses were for drug and alcohol offenses.
Jennifer Wilkes, Joseph Andrew Newman and Amanda Katherine Miller were each indicted for driving while intoxicated, third or more offense. Miller was also indicted for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone.
Also indicted on controlled substance charges were:
- Bolivar Herrera Cavazos — possession of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance with intent;
- Gonzalo Chairez-Navarro — possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance;
- Brandon Keith Dokes — possession of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance;
- Justin Lee Earhart — possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance;
- Jodi Denise Gibson — possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance;
- Jamie Lee Lindsay — possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance;
- Curtis Leroy Marler — possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and for manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone;
- Lydia Elizabeth Monteneri — possession 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance;
- Deanthony Rayon Moore — manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone;
- Wesley Robert Rose — possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance;
- Jonathan Wayne Smith — manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, manufacture or delivery of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone, and possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone with intent; and
- Michael Anthony Williams — possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Sulphur Springs ISD To Hold Hearing On Targeted Improvement Plans For 3 Primary Campuses
Security, HR, Campus Updates To Be Presented During Sept. 9 School Board Meeting
A public hearing regarding targeted improvement plans for three primary campuses will be conducted during Monday evening’s regular meeting of Sulphur Springs Independent Shcool District Board of Trustees.
The public hearing is required due to Bowie, Lamar and Travis Primary campuses’ state ratings, and will be conducted by Assistant Superintendent Kristin Monk. Community members are encouraged to attend the meeting to voice any questions, comments or concerns they may have regarding this targeted improvement plans for three of the four primary campuses; Barbara Bush was not rated based on STAAR scores because the campus did not have house students in the grade levels in which the state tests are administered.
Superintendent Michael Lamb is slated to discuss the district’s accountability ratings during the administrative reports portion of the 6 p.m. school board meeting.
Monk and Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams will present program updates about elementary and secondary programs during the school board meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Rusty Harden is slated to present a human resources and security update during the administrative reports and information portion of the meeting. A report will be given by representatives from Sulphur Springs Elementary regarding campus highlights.
During the action items portion of the meeting, District Business Manager Sherry McGraw is expected to discuss and present for approval a contract with Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP, for administrative and any judicial appeal of property value study findings conducted by the Comptroller’s Office. A study of property values in the past has resulted in the Comptroller reducing their assigned value, which in turn resulted in additional state aid for the district.
Williams is expected to present for board approval an a revision to FMG (Local) policy, which has to do with school-sponsored field trips in general, out-of-state trips and/or overnight trips, and additioanl guidelines regarding school-sponsored travel. Proposed is extending the limit on absences from school for school-sponsored travel from two to three days.
Also submitted under the consent agenda are 7 items: tax credits and supplements, delinquent tax collections, financial statements and bills payable, all for August 2019; quarterly investment report; organizational flow chart for Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center; and Head Start Mission Statement and statement of philosophy, and personnel policy summary. Unless requested by a board member for an item to be removed, these matters will be considered for approval under one action.
Trustees then have the option to enter into executive session to discuss any personnel or real property matters fitting Title 5, Chapter 551, Section (.072) and (.074) of Texas Government Code. If any items are pushed forward from the closed session for action, the board will reconvene in open session to take vote on them.
SSISD Board of Trustees meets regularly at 6 p.m.the second Monday of each month in SSISD Administration Building, 631 Connally St. The Board Room is located at the back of the building.
