The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 202, No. 48, Ed. 1 Friday, November 28, 1997 Page: 1 of 4
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Hopkins County Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Hopkins County Genealogical Society.
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06/30/99 S28 PI
1t)e I; o plans County Ccfjo
Absorbed The Gazette Circulation By Purchase On May 12. 1928
0748 SULPHUR SPRINGS. TEXAS — FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28. 1997 4 PAGES — 25 CENTS — PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
Clayton Homes ahead of projections
Mobile home builder employees 120 after just 4 months
By BRUCEALSOBROOK
When Clayton Homes Inc. signed a deal lo build
a plant in Sulphur Springs, the agreement included
stern language avowing dire consequences il the
facility wasn't employing I 75 people within two
years.
It looks like they'll have no problem meeting
that deadline
“We're up to about I 20 employees and still hir-
ing;,” said plant production manager Jerry Richard
son.
In only four months ol production, the Clayton
Homes plant appears to be everything the Sulphur
Springs Hopkins Counts Economic Development
Corp had hoped tor and more.
More than I 50 homes have already rolled out ol
the plant Home numbei 100 is now on display at
the front ol the entrance to the facility.
The state-of-the-art mobile home manufacturing
plant vs 111 also be on display next month Richard-
son said the company has planned an open house
starting about 2 p m. on Saturday Dec 6.
We never really had a grand opening because
we jumped into the production so quick, said
Richardson Since starting up in July, the manufac-
turing has grown rapidly and is now turning out
three homes every day — and that's fast, according
to Richardson
"We re growing so quickly in production. Our
most successful plant took more than a year to get
to that level." he said. “We did it in 60 days '
The lines should soon be moving even faster
The plant started out constructing 56-foot double
wide homes (1.568 square feet I and 72-loot homes
(2.016 square feet), but will soon add a 48-looter
after a visit trom the head ol the company's retail
division
Brashear man
charged with
soliciting killer
By BRUCE ALSOBROOK
A Brashear man was charged w ith
criminal solicitation of capital murder
Monday after he allegedly tried to
hire a hit man Iron) inside the Hop-
kins County jail
Scotty Lynn Taylor. 54, of Brashear
was arraigned Monday morning on
the first-degree felony charge by Jus-
tice of the Peace Ronny Glossup. who
set bail at $500,(XX)
Taylor was already in the Hopkins
County Law Enforcement Center fac-
ing second- and third-degree felony
charges of possession of a controlled
substance when he was served w ith
the solicitation. He had been arrested
Oct. 28 after police received a tip of a
narcotics transaction and executed a
search warrant at a Putman Street
home, finding more than 28 grams of
methamphetamine.
Also arrested in connection with
the search was Donald Ray Hall, 36,
a Sulphur Springs man District Attor-
ney Frank Ixrng said was the target of
the murder for-hire scheme.
Hall and Taylor were said to be
friends before the day they were
arrested, but their association turned
sour after Hall gave a statement to
authorities against Taylor, Long said.
Houston Elementary School student Rachel Ming League. The league's annual auction will be hroad-
poses next to the cello that she plays in the Sulphur cast live from 7 p.m. to midnight tonight on Chan-
Springs Strings Program. The cello was donated to net 18 and KSS’I Radio,
the program by the Sulphur Springs Symphony
A harmonious partnership
Staff Photo By Marco Antonio Medina Sr
United Way reaches its $120,000 campaign goal
By LAURIE I). HAYNES
The Hopkins County United Way
Friday made its goal of raising
$120,000 for 1998, and campaign
workers stood in Iront ol the United
Way “thermometer" and blew paper
horns in celebration
United Way treasurer Charlotte
Henderson discovered about 11:30
p.m. Friday lhat the total amount
raised was $120,290 and the cam
paign had not only achieved its goal,
bul actualh exceeded it a bit
Campaign chairman Sieve Shing
said he was ecstatic the goal had been
met and congratulated the workers
"The success ol the United Way
campaign is directly attributable to
the employees ol Hopkins County
those in the county and city govern
ments. and corporations as well as
independent businesses " said Shing
' The ke\ was raising the level id
awareness ol what the recipient agen
cues are and what thev do." he added
"The theme ol out campaign was
I he Power ol U That theme iscet-
tainlv demonstrated by all the work
ers and contributors in the campaign
Shing said the effort was particu-
larly fine considering the dow nturn in
I he agricultural industry in this area
He said the people ol the county
ident11v with the various agencies
“Thev or a family member have
received benefits trom one 01 more ol
the recipient aeencies. or thev know a
triend or neighhoi who has been
assisted." Shing said
Round art
Sulphur Springs Mid*
die School sixth-grad-
er Jonathon Swindell
watches closely as
Rolanda Flecker, a
student at Texas A&M
University-Com-
merce. makes a clay
pot with a potter’s
wheel Thursday
morning in Lynn
Ward’s art class. The
class recently com-
pleted their own
hand-built pottery
pieces.
Staff Photo By
Marco Antonio Modiru Sr
Jail work may
begin as early
as January
Plans forwarded for approval
By BRUCE ALSOBROOK
Construction on the expansion of
the Hopkins County Jail may begin as
early as January now that county
commissioners have forwarded the
plans for final approval
Commissioners voted Monday to
approve the contract documents for
the expansion submitted bv the archi
tect. BSA Inc., and contract manager.
Joe Moore
“We've gone over all the docu
ments and are satisfied with all the
changes." Hopkins County Judge Joe
Minter said prior to the vote in Mon
day's Commissioners Court meeting.
The documents will now be sub-
mitted to the Texas Commission on
Jail Standards for approval, which
should take about a month. Minter
said.
“We hope to be able to start on it
by January ." he added "We re still on
schedule."
The |ail is certified to hold 48 pris-
oners and has a temporary variance
from the |ail commission lot anothet
10 prisoners. The county is under
mandate from the state to increase the
capacity, however, because the tail
population is usually above the vari
ance level Tuesday morning, lot
example, the county jail held 62 pris-
oners
The $1 4 million expansion will
add another 50 beds
The new expansion should handle
the countv's needs for many years
According to Hopkins County Sheriff
Butch Adams, a facility analysis
determined that by the year 2006 the-
re-commended capacity will be 101
The design includes a new medi-
um-securitv dormitory building
attached to the existing jail, with six
pods holding eight beds each The
pods will have tables and stools for
the prisoners to sit at, as well as a
guaid station Four multiple-occupan-
cy cells w ill be divided to create more
isolation cells.
Commissioners also voted to go out
for bids for the jail expansion,
although a question was raised as to
whether they should wait for final
approval on the contract documents
from the state tail commission, just in
case there were any changes.
“This is the wav they (the jail com-
mission) recommended we do it,"
said Precinct 3 Commissioner Don
Patterson
Precinct 2 Commissioner H.W
Halcomb agreed
"There shouldn't be any problem."
he said “They've been alter us lor
five ve.irs to do Ibis."
In othei action, commissioners
appointed Jo Ann Roach as presiding
election |udge in Precinct 9' (Arbalal.
and Rosemaiv Gtegg as presiding
ludge and Beltv I ubb as alternate
ludge m Preciik i 24 11 like i
Stars For Michelle
Local effort to raise funds grows as teen battles disease in Dallas hospital
By DAWN CHALAIRE
News- Telegram Staff
Slowly, hesitantly, Patti Vaculik searches
for the words to explain how the stars were
bom.
“I'd been trying to think of some kind of a
project to do for Michelle ... and all of a sud-
den the idea hit me," Vaculik said. "1 really
feel that the whole idea was like divine inspi-
ration, that it was a heaven-sent idea
‘To me the star is a symbol of hope "
■
Kim Champagne's calm, clear voice belies
the suffering she describes. Home for the
first time since her daughter Michelle entered
the hospital over three months ago. Cham-
pagne talked Wednesday about Michelle's
ongoing battle with leukemia while she
cleaned house and cooked meals to freeze
for her two other daughters. Cheryl, 18, and
Kristin, 12, who have remained at home.
"She’s in bad shape." Champagne said
"It’s pretty hard to see a 15-year-old in that
kind of shape. A child like that, it doesn't
seem fair.”
Michelle is in critical condition at Chil-
dren's Medical Center in Dallas w here she
has been in the intensive care unit for the
past six weeks.
„ A fungal infection has invaded her spleen,
liver and 10 percent of her kidneys. A tra-
cheostomy prevents her from talking and.
along with a ventilator, helps her to breathe
She is too weak to nod her head or move her
arms and legs
"I think the biggest problem with us is try
ing to communicate with her." Champagne
said. "She starts crying and we don't know'
what's hurting her "
■
The stars themselves are simple, almost
childlike. About a foot wide, they are cut
from plyxtood. screwed onto a three-foot-tall
stake made from a split one-by-four and
painted buttercup yellow. Vaculik traced a
star-shaped candleholder and enlarged it to
make the pattern
“That's why it's not symmetrical, but it
kind of gives il a little character." she said
Fast Saturday. Vaculik and a group ol
young people from First Christian Church —
w here the Champagnes are also members —
began cutting, sanding, painting and screw -
ing stars together.
Since then, the project has exploded like a
supernova Local businesses have donated all
of the materials used so far. volunteers have
given their tunc and equipment to cut out
shapes and six other local churches have
joined First Christian in making the stars
“I think being able to do something like
this, to actually get busy and work on it. you
feel like you're doing something for
Michelle, even though I'm not over there
holding her hand ... I still teel like I'm able
to contribute to her and I think a lot of peo-
ple are feeling that way." Vaculik said
For a $15 donation, the lawn ornaments
can be taken home and stuck into tfie ground,
to stand alone or w ith other Christmas deco-
rations.
So far, more than $1 .(XX) has been raised
to help pay Michelle's medical bills and oth-
er expenses.
“I d like for them all to be in the y ards by
Christmas," Vaculik said "My goal is a thou-
sand stars."
■
“This nightmare." Champagne began,
"really started Jan 22. 1994. when Michelle
was 12 years old "
Michelle was diagnosed w ith acme lym-
phocytic leukemia after two weeks of flu
like symptoms. For 2 1/2 years, she took
some form of chemotherapy exciv day
Then, for the next 13 months, the cancer
remained in remission
On Aug. 18 of this year, it returned and
Michelle went back to the hospital lor treat-
ment Six weeks ago. she went into septic
shock and stopped breathing
“It was just a nightmare, a total night
mare. Champagne said “They gave her a
20 percent chance to live."
Although she is still battling serious com-
plications. Michelle's cancer is once aeain in
remission. She still receives chemotherapy
once a week Physical therapists wotk with
her to help restore mobility and once her tra-
cheostomy is removed, she can begin voice
therapy
Doctors informed Champagne and her
husband. John, recently that Michelle could
be in the hospital for six more months.
“Hopefully this will be helping her."
Champagne said, "this is just part of her
rehabilitation.
“Now it's just keeping her in remission
and getting her through the trach and try ing
to wean her on the vent. If she relapses
again, there's nothing they can do.
“She's come a long way from six weeks
ago We ll just take a little bit each day ”
Champagne said that Michelle's medical
bills alreadv exceed the $1 million insurance
policy the family thought would never be
exhausted. And every day in ICU adds
another $25,000 to the bill.
"At this point. I don't know what we're
going to do. she said. "Right now I m just
focusing on the day-to-day activities We're
just taking it a day at a time I'm real opti-
mistic I have a lot of people pray ing for her.
Medically speaking, she's not supposed to be
w ith us it's just bv the grace of God
■
Vaculik has named the project “Bright
Stars of Hope for Michelle .”
"Bright Star was originally the name of
Sulphur Springs." she explained. "When we
thought about ‘Bright Stars for Michelle.' it
kind of symbolizes the whole town pulling
for her. and we feel the whole town and their
pray ers have helped Michelle
"I think there's a three fold purpose to it.
One. to raise money for the family and her
medical bills and then two, to remind people
to think about Michelle and to remember her
in their prayers and then three. I think it’s
bringing the community together again and
different groups can work together on the
same project with the same goal "
Vaculik said that the church is still looking
for donations of materials and labor and tak-
ing orders for the stars. They can also be
ordered from Summerhouse Lawn and Gar-
den Shop and Mary Lynne’s Collegiate
Shoppe’
"Probably, stars will be coming to their
church soon.' she said "1 feel like some
more churches will probably join in and
want to help We ll be glad to get them a pat-
tern and the instructions and get them work-
ing on stars also"
■
"People think they really hawe problems,
and thex don't." Champagne said "If you
have your children well . that's all that
counts."
Champagne first heard about the stars
Tuesday and said she planned to pass the
news on to Michelle on hei letum I*' Dallas
"1 don't know how much 'he understands,
but we tell Michelle ev ery thing, who's
called, who's come by." Champagne said.
“1 think the Bright Star' of Hope' say a
lot about this town The whole town has
been wonderful They |ust have a lot of love.
I think Michelle has touched a lot of lives.*
Hopefullv. some good will come out of this "
■
There's no easy answ er to the question that
plagues those that love Michelle: {Why
would God allow this to happen7}
"You don't know what God has in store
for people, and you just have to trust that his
will is the right way and no matter what the
outcome of Michelle's sickness is. it's going
to be God's will ... It may that it’s to bring us
all closer together." Vaculik said
“She's defied medical science several
times already, and we feel like our prayers
are keeping her alive."
Rural News: 4 Club News: 2 Reunions: 3
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Keys, Scott & Lamb, Bill. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 202, No. 48, Ed. 1 Friday, November 28, 1997, newspaper, November 28, 1997; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth780017/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.