Texas Attorney General Shoots Down Franklin County’s Fight Against Solar Plant
August 17, 2023 – Angela Comenero who is serving as provisional attorney general for the State of Texas dealt a blow this week to nearby Franklin County who has been searching for solutions to fight proposed solar plants.
Angry residents in Franklin County have asked their county commissioners to impose restrictions on proposed solar farms in their county, including a 180-day moratorium on commercial solar development. The county attorney in Franklin County has warned that the moratorium may not be enforceable. County commissioners later rescinded that order and the county attorney asked for an opinion on the matter from the State Attorney General’s office back in February of 2023.
In May of 2023, the serving Attorney General Ken Paxton was removed from office as the 149 member House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton. Paxton could not continue serving in his position as he faces those charges. Brent Webster was immediately named as acting Attorney General and then a few days later, Governor Greg Abbott named former Texas Secretary of State John Scott as interim Attorney General. In early July of 2023 Governor Greg Abbott then named Angela Colmenero as the current interim Attorney General.
With all of the controversy and changes in the State of Texas Attorney General’s office, it seemed that Franklin County’s request had gotten lost in the shuffle, but Colmenero did indeed issue an opinion on the matter stating that Texas law doesn’t give county governments specific authority to ban the development of solar farms. Although the law does give counties control over roads and public health, those same laws would not cover a ban of a solar farm.
Gary E. Smith is an attorney representing some residents in Franklin County and doesn’t believe that the attorney general’s opinion will slow down the fight for the residents. Smith mentioned the residents as well as the commissioners of Franklin County, should be enforcing codes relating to transportation, health and safety. Smith indicated that the fight will continue.
Rural residents all over Texas are attempting to fight the huge Solar companies which are almost exclusively owned by foreign entities as these companies lease thousands of acres and clearing the land to install hundreds of thousands of solar panels. Smaller nearby land owners, which the companies are not interested in their land, suffer the consequences of noise pollution, diverted water runoff, and having their serene surroundings destroyed.
Unfortunately, the final damages won’t be known for some time, as most of the tax abatements will run for 20 years. The local school districts and county commissioners retain some power by not allowing the tax abatements or negotiating better deals with the billion dollar companies.
Veteran Meal-A-Day Volunteer Driver Plans to Leave
August 16, 2023 – With eleven years of Meal-A-Day delivery experience, this college bound volunteer will leave us… someday. Her delivery efforts began with her mother at the wheel. Now old enough to drive on her own, she continues to serve others. Soon she will head off to college, possibly Yale. (Notice the shirt.)
Anyone can make a difference at Meal-A-Day. You can drive, navigate, cook, or donate to the effort. If you would like to be a volunteers driver, call Amanda at 903 885 1661.
Hopkins County Genealogical Society and Hopkins County Historical Society Annual Joint Meeting to be held August 24, 2023
It is time again for the Hopkins County Genealogical Society’s annual joint meeting with the Hopkins County Historical Society. This year it will be held on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 7:00 p.m., in the Winifred Building at Heritage Park, 416 Jackson Street North, Sulphur Springs, Texas. (This event replaces our regular third Thursday meeting held at the library)!
Once again Paula Altenbaumer will be portraying a historical pioneer woman of Hopkins County. This year she will be presenting the Hargrave family, a very early and prominent family here.
We hope you will join us for this always enjoyable presentation. Light refreshments will be served following this event.
The Northeast Texas Children’s Museum has a new Interactive Sports Wall for the Kids to Check Out
(August 15 Commerce, Texas) Bringing a new dimension to the exhibits at the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum is MultiBall, an interactive sports wall. This gaming platform makes sports more attractive for all ages. With precision sensors and motion tracking, MultiBall provides a variety of fun games for all ages. This exhibit will be officially opened on Wednesday, August 23 at 10:30 AM. With a variety of 40 games played with balls on a sports wall, this new exhibit will be a popular attraction to the Children’s Museum for years to come.
MultiBall can be found in only four other places in Texas, The German company which created MultiBall offers an experience that can be educational and fun. Different games are provided for a variety of ages. The exhibit is free until September 12; after that date there will be a $2 fee for an hour of MultiBall.
The exhibit is sponsored by Russell Armstrong, CFP, of Commerce. Russell has been involved with the Children’s Museum since it began 20 years ago, but this is his first sponsorship within the museum. Bob Stachowiak and Dennis Anderson built the wall and installed the accompanying projector. “Russell, Bob, and Dennis are so important to the Children’s Museum. They have been instrumental in providing this exhibit, but they have been long-time supporters of the museum, ” said Sharline Freeman, Executive Director. “We are expecting this to be one of our most popular exhibits”, Sharline continued.
MultiBall will be the second recent large exhibit to be added to the Children’s Museum. In April, a Fossil Dig was added with the sponsorship of Lake Ralph Hall, the Perot Museum, the Upper Trinity Regional Water District , and Ladonia Chamber of Commerce. The accompanying mural shows life in this area for the last 65 million years.
The Northeast Texas Children’s Museum attracts visitors from throughout northeast Texas. Projected attendance for 2023 is 50,000 visitors.
TXDOT, Law Enforcement Step up Effort to Curb Drunk Driving
New law also takes effect Sept. 1 targeting drunk drivers who kill parents of young children
Aug. 15, 2023
AUSTIN — As Labor Day approaches, TxDOT is reminding all Texans about the dangers of drunk driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced an increased enforcement period from Aug. 18 to Sept. 4. Texas law enforcement agencies are among those that will increase their efforts to pull over motorists suspected of drunk driving.
“Too many people are killed on our roads each year—especially during holidays—due to impaired driving. These crashes are inexcusable and 100% preventable,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “If you spend time with friends or family and decide to drink, make the right decision and plan ahead for a sober ride by taking a rideshare, taxi, public transit or designated driver.”
The harsh reality is people continue to choose to drive after drinking. Last year, there were 345 DUI-alcohol related traffic crashes over the Labor Day holiday weekend alone, resulting in 20 fatalities and 62 serious injuries. Over the course of the year, a person was killed every 7 hours and 17 minutes in Texas because of a DUI-alcohol-related traffic crash, resulting in 1,203 people losing their lives.
The increased enforcement period comes as a new law is set to take effect on Sept. 1 that will require someone convicted of intoxication manslaughter to pay child support if they kill a parent with young children.
Erin Crawford Bowers was six-months old when her parents were killed by a drunk driver. She is now a married mother of two living in New Braunfels. She is sharing her story across Texas to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.
“I just wanted my father to walk me down the aisle or my mom to be there when I had babies,” said Bowers.
Drive Sober. No Regrets. is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
State Fair of Texas Announces New Minors Policy
August 15, 2023 The State Fair of Texas is proud to be a family-friendly environment for visitors of all ages to celebrate all things Texan. As an added safety measure, the State Fair is implementing an AFTER 5 P.M. MINORS POLICY.
During the 2023 State Fair of Texas, starting at 5:00 p.m. daily, all minors, age 17 and under, must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone (21+) when entering the Fair. Parents, guardians, or chaperones may accompany no more than six minors 17 years of age and under. The State Fair will require all accompanying parents, guardians, and chaperones (21+) to present a valid ID upon entry starting at 5:00 p.m. daily. Once inside the fairgrounds, the parent, guardian, or chaperone is not required to remain with the minors; however, the State Fair encourages that they stay in communication with each other and be aware of their location on the fairgrounds during their visit. For more information on the new policy and other State Fair-related questions, please visit BigTex.com/KnowBeforeYouGo.
“Public safety is our top priority. We are committed to providing a safe and welcoming experience for all who attend our annual celebration of Texas,” said Jaime Navarro, chief operating officer for the State Fair of Texas. “Comparable policies are being instated industry-wide, and the State Fair of Texas believes this policy is the best course of action to enhance the existing safety measures for all fairgoers, vendors, and employees.”
The State Fair of Texas’ full Guest Code of Conduct can be found on BigTex.com/CodeofConduct, and will be posted at each State Fair pedestrian entry gate. Join us for the 2023 State Fair of Texas themed “Explore the Midway,” taking place at Fair Park from Friday, September 29 through Sunday, October 22.
The Paris Junior College Welding Class Underwent Certification Testing
CERTIFYING
The summer welding class at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center welding shop underwent certification testing Tuesday. Student Nickolas Niemirowski of Campbell has his project inspected by Instructor John Plemons. Nickolas, along with the rest of the class, passed certification.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
SSISD Changes Academic Calendar One Week Before Classes Start
The Board of Trustees of the Sulphur Springs Independent School District met this week and made sweeping changes for the 2023-2024 Calendar. The first day of classes for students remains to be August 22, 2023, but several staff prep days have now been changed to instructional days meaning students will report to the classroom on those days. This change is to create more time for students in the classroom.
The six extra days that students will now have to attend class are:
- September 25, 2023
- October 16, 2023
- November 6, 2023
- December 11, 2023
- February 12, 2024
- May 10, 2024
Students and Teachers will pick up an extra holiday on April 1, 2024 as that day was previouly listed as a Staff Prep day but will now be designated as a Holiday in observance of Easter (which this year falls on March 31, 2024).
Teachers will still report for Staff Prep days on January 8 & 9, 2024 as well as March 18, 2024 and May 24, 2024. Two “weather make-up days” remain on the calendar for SSISD for February 23 & May 17, 2024.
The revised SSISD 2023-2024 calendar is shown below.
Speeding Leads to Arrest on Warrants and Drug Charge
August 15, 2023 – Cumby Police stopped a speeding vehicle this week and a records check revealed multiple warrants.
CHRISTOPHER STEPHEN MARTIN, age 41 of Cumby, was found to be wanted by Hopkins County and the US Marshals. Martin was arrested and placed in a patrol car. The grey pickup he had been driving was about to be released to his mother. Martin had provided consent to have the pickup searched before she took possession, but he changed his mind and attempted to prevent the search. A K-9 unit was called, and made a positive hit on the pickup. A probable cause search was performed.
A bottle of prescription drugs was located in the center console. The label had been removed. The owner of the pills was unable to be determined. Martin, who lists himself as unemployed and disabled, was also charged with possession of dangerous drug. The pickup was released to his mother.
He is charged with:
1 37.09(C) TAMPER/FABRICATE PHYS EVID W/INTENT TO IMPAIR
1 481.115(B) POSS CS PG 1/1-B <1G
1 US MARSHAL VOP
1 483.041(D) POSS DANGEROUS DRUG
This is not the first time Martin has been in Jail. In 2014 he was arrested in Hunt County Texas. Martin, then 31 years-old, received two indictments for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and one indictment for possession of a controlled substance. Martin was alleged in the indictments to have been in possession of a rifle and a pistol during a January 2 incident in the 1200 block of Walworth Street in Greenville.
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.
SSISD Announces After School Program
August 14, 2023 – Students from ages 5-11 will be able to spend their afternoons on school days at the Barbara Bush campus as the school district releases the information this week for parents. SSISD will be accepting students for the program which starts August 22 and lasts until May 23, with the after school program not being held on regular school holidays. The After School Program will be offering homework help, play-based learning as well as an afternoon snack. There is a $75 charge for the Monday-Friday program (plus processing fees) and students will be transferred by bus to the campus. The students will spend each afternoon at the campus from 3:30pm until 5:45pm.
Interested parents should contact:
Amanda Cochran 903-348-6131 or Patricia Garcia 903-885-2153 x1107
There is also an online registration option here: SSISD After-School Program Signup
