The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, December 8, 1978 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 26 x 17 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
MICROFILM CENTER INC.
P.0. BOX 45435
DALLAS, TX. 75235
-
M
Wft Hopkins (Torntfn %\
(ABSORBF.D THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12, 1928)
VOl. 103—NO. 49.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8,1978
i-
« PAGES -10 CENTS PUBI
T3T'
Hot checks burn at
both ends of a sale
By JIM MOORE
Ntw*T*l*gr«m Staff
Attention all merchant!! Those hot
checks can bum your business down.
Attention all hot check writers, those hot
checks can severely bum your hands!
Persons writing checks on non-existent
checking accounts or on accounts for
which there are insufficient funds are
subject to heavy penalties. According to
County Attorney John Perry, persons
writing such checks are subject to charges
of theft by check.
A person writing a check for $5 or less on
such accounts is subject to a fine of from
tl to $200 plus court costs. For checks of $5
to $19 99, a Class B misdeameanor has
been committed and the fine is any
amount up to $800 and-or up to 180 days in
the county Jail. Class A misdemeanors are
committed when bad checks are written
for $204200 and such checks can bring a
fine of up to $1,000 and-or sentences of up
to 180 days in Jail.
According to Perry, checks of over $200
are felonies and are punishable by
penitentiary sentences in addition to fines,
court costs and restitution of the amount of
the check.
For checks filed in the Hopkins County
Court, court costs run approximately $66.
Justice of the Peace Court costs are ap-
proximately $16.
A person writing a $5 hot check could
find him or herself paying a fine of $200,
court costa of $16, restitution of the $S
check and could face the potential em-
barrassment of being arrested until the
total amount of $221 was paid'— all for a $5
check
Gala festival
plans unveiled
Plans have been launched for a gala 20th
anniversary Hopkins County Dairy
Festival during the first week of May.
Ten girls have been selected as can-
didates to succeed the reigning 197$
Queen, Betsy Keys, who will preside over
the events before climaxing the year by
bestowing the crown on her successor at
the Dairy Festival Pageant on May $
‘ Reflections in Dairyland" has been
adapted as the theme for the festival.
Floats will depict the various themes from
past Dairy Festivals. .
The candidates, the clubs they
represent, and their float themes are:
Camille Carroll. Sulphur Bluff,
Dairyland Splendor."
April Lynch. BAPW Club, "Babes in
Dairyland "
Becky Booker, Waverly Club, “Our
American Heritage."
Jan McDonald. Hopkins County Farm
Bureau. "Fantasy in Dairyland."
Shelley Dobson. Tanti Club, "Dairyland
International "
Deneen Reynolds, Mother's Culture
Club, "Dairyland Comics."
Lee Anne Jackson, Kiwanis Club,
"Parade of Holidays."
Male Its Fox, Junior Waverly Club,
"Music Magic in Dairyland."
Lori Durham, Dial Study Club, "The
USA in Dairyland."
Kathryn Latham, Standard Club,
"Academy Awards in Dairyland."
The Dairy Festival Talent and Beauty
Show will be held May 3, with the parade
and pageant following on May 5.
Officers of the board of directors are
Bruce Fielden, president; David
DuPriesl, vice president; Betty Chapman,
secretary; and Dennie Ashcroft,
treasurer.
DuPriest has been named parade
marshal. Lynda Hager is chairman of the
talent and beauty show, and Lena Mae
Rogers will be pageant coordinator.
In an important change of float rules
this year, the directors ruled out covering
tow vehicles for the floats. The action
followed incidents last year when drivers
of covered tow vehicles were almost
overcome by fumes.
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Depart-
ment currently has about 250 such hot
check warrants on hand. Deputies find
themselves working on such warrants on a
daily basis with each man working about
6-10 warrants daily.
According to Deputy C.W. Grayson, the
back log of warrants consists mainly of
persons who have moved and can’t be
found.
Sheriff John E. (Junior) Tittle said
recently, “We’ve arrested at least 500
people since January on hot checks. Ap-
proximately 10 per cent, we’re unable to
locate.
"Probably the worst part is that once an
arrest warrant has been issued, the person
located and arrested, they have a per-
manent arrest record on file,” he said.
Such arrest records are checked by
potential employers, by military
authorities and other law enforcement
agencies when checking up on persons.
“This is the Christmas season and
there's going to be a flood of hot checks,”
said Justice of the Peace Bill Bauman,
“it’s big business over here.”
Perry says at present his office is
handling about 10 hot checks every week.
He says that at this time, the problem is
undergoing a slight decrease but, “It
starts picking up due to Christmas.”
"Last Christmas we handled over 30
cases a week on theft by check," said
Perry. He explained, "With the Christmas
season, we won’t see the effects until about
the end of the month and during January,
but the Sheriff’s Department and the
County Attorney's office will be making
checks a priority during the next few
months.”
Presently, the biggest number of hot
checks are coming from the large
supermarkets and general merchandise
type stores, according to Perry. Tittle
adds that most of the checks are writton on
local banks and that women write more
bad checks than do men. “The average hot
check writer is between 25 and 35, white
and female," says the Sheriff.
According to Perry, a recent change in
the law brings about a possibility of
"stacking" checks so that within a given
time frame, all of the hot checks can be
added together, constituting a felony or a
higher class of misdemeanor with heavier
penalties.
"There’s one other thing,” says Perry,
"Subsequent offenders will be getting
harsher penalities and could be placed
under probation for up to a year."
r
m
| tv:
■ v-
.Sr,
X
m.
- '* -- jf*
1
I
Giving Santa the eye
Two-year-old Jarred Stewart, son of Mr. and Mrs. James
Stewart, didn't have much to say to Santa Monday night on the
square during the annual Sing Song. He did, however, give Santa
a careful look and seemed pleased with what he saw.
-Staff PM*
School board holds up
last building payment
X-..
i
Needed: one civic center logo
The new Hopkins County Regional Civic
Center and Livestock Arena has nearly
reached the 100 percent completion mark,
but one of the things that needs to be done
before the complex is completely finished
it the design of a logo.
a
To find an official symbol for the new
complex the board of directors has
decided to stage a logo contest for the
center with a $100 first prize.
According to Larry Dooley, civic center
manager, the contest will begin Monday
and run until Jan. 15.
The contest is open to all Hopkins
County residents with the exception of the
board of directors and their immediate
families, since the board will serve as
Judges for the contest according to Dooley.
“All entries must be submitted on BVk-
by-11 size paper," Dooley said. "Each
entry needs to be clean and neat, and void
of any identifying marks as well,’’ he
added.
“To keep the contest as fair as possible,
we have to ask that the artist not sign Ids
or her name to the art work either on the
front or the back. As I receive each piece
of art work, with the name, and address of
the artist on a separate piece of paper, I
will assign each logo design a number. The
Judges won’t know who the artist is until
after the Judging of the contest"
The design selected by the Judges will
become the logo for the Civic Center and
•ppear on all official correspondence,
cups or merchandise controlled by the
Civic Center, according to Dooley.
Besides the first [dace $100 prize, a $50
second prize and $25 third prize will be
awarded.
All entries should be sent to Larry
Dooley, P.O. Box 347, Sulphur Springs, or
delivered to the Chamber of Commerce
office.
For further information contact Dooley
flt 885-8071.
Home fire legacy; more
deaths'than in Vietnam
“There were more people killed In home
fires last year than were kilbuf in the
whole Vietnam War, ’ ’ says Lee Ward, a 16-
year veteran with the Sulphur Springs
Fire Department.
"In the United States, there are 34,000
homes damaged every year out of 5.6
million fires. Most of the fires occur
between noon and 6 p.m., with the second
most common occurrence being between 0
p.m. and midnight,” he said.
"The best Christmas gift in the world is
a smoke detector,” says Ward, who is
especially worried about fires between
now and the first of the year. He said there
were three house fires in October of 1977,
five in November, seven In December,
eight in January and the same number in
February. "Those are the cold months and
the most of the house fires occur then," he
said.
Ward, who serves as (frill captain, has
some hints for Christmas decorating.
"Use only Underwriter’s Laboratory
approved wiring,” he says.
He suggests that indoor decorative
lighting should be used only indoors and,
conversely, outdoor lighting should be
used only outdoors. --
"If the Christmas tree is a real tree,
make sure it has plenty of water in the
container each night before going to bed.
Don’t leave the lights on the tree on all
night, and make sure that the tree is far
enough from the curtains to keep the
lighting from having contact with the
curtains".
“Synthetic trees aren’t as big a fire
hazard because they won’t burn,” he says,
"they melt first.’’ But, anything will burn
if it gets hot enough,” he added.
Fireplaces should have screens to keep
sparks from igniting the rest of the house,
according to the department’s CPR in-
structor-trainer. “If you don’t have a
screen, get one,” he says.
Christmas present wrappings shouldn’t
be burned in the fireplace. They should be
placed in a bag and then carried away by.
the trashman and according to Ward,
"Every home should have a fire ex-
tinguisher.”
"Smoke is the biggest danger,” says
Ward. “Most people claim that if there’s a
fire they would be awakened by the
smoke, but it doesn’t work that way,” he
said, "carbon monoxide comes first and
it’ll kill you.”
Ninety per cent of the people are dead
before the flames ever reach them, ac-
cording to Ward. "Most deaths in fires
occur between midnight and 6 a.m.,’’ he
says. , r „ - ~r
"During the past 16 years, there have
been seven deaths that I can remember
from fires. It’s not many, but it’s seven too
many.”
By JOE WOOSLEY
Newt-Telegram Staff
Pointing out several major items that
remain to be resolved, trustees of the.
Sulphur Springs Independent School
District Friday held in abeyance final
payments on the new high school complex.
Phil Rabson, a representative of the
bonding firm which took over the project
following the default by Hunt Construction
Company, was present at the meeting
along with Earl Serai, the district’s project
supervisor, and Paul Blount to discuss the
remaining items on the punch list
Approximately $50,000 is being held up
pending a review of heating, air con-
ditioning and ventilation systems by a
mechanical engineer, adjustments in tile
discolorations, and the absence of
neoprene fillers, along with other minor
items.
The high school project cost about $2.5
million.
Tim Kelty served as presiding officer at
the meeting Friday, as President Gary
Odom temporarily deferred to the vice
president of the board.
Kelty gave a report on projections for a
lighting system for the parking lot at the
high school. Trustees voted to proceed
with plans for light towers which are
estimated to cost about $17,000.
The board also authorised payment of
December bills subject to review and
confirmation in January.
In a separate report, trustees were told
that the building fund contained
$199,784.85 in unencumbered funds.
Rickie Elliott, supervisor of food ser-
vices for the Sulphur Springs system, gave
a comprehensive report tcrlhe trustees,
detailing government-mandated
requirements for lunches and highlighting
problems and challenges In an effort to
satisfy the students.
As a prelude to her report, Kenneth
Brem, assistant superintendent-business,
reported that Mrs. Elliott’s department
last year received 8340,000 and ex-
pended $338,000.
He noted that with the dosed campus
venture this year, the volume had in-
creased to almost 2400 lunches served
daily. Others bring their lunches and some
bypass the hind) programs to enjoy
available snacks. About 365 students daily
enjoy breakfasts at school in a new
program this year.
Mrs. Elliott recapped efforts of her 34
employees and how they had met the
challenges of the new year. She compared
the local Systran’s food services to other
schools, including Dellas menus, tad -
concluded that Sulphur Springs in her
opinion had an outstanding lunchroom
Operation.'
Superintendent Scott Ferguson
described Mrs. Elliott as “A number one
supervisor” as he praised her leadership.
He noted that despite escalating food
costs, the local system was able to keep
meal pricks below the average of other
schools. They are 45, 50 and 60 cents for
elementary, middle and high schools,
, respectively.
Lowell Cable, a former trustee who
resigned after announcing as a candidate
for state representative, was a guest at the
Friday luncheon meeting at Douglas
School He was presented a plaque and
\
given warm praise. Odom cited Mm for
“lots of good work” not only with the
school district but also wife the Regional
Civic Center.
Douglas School Principal Lewis Watts
welcomed the trustees and other visitors ,
to his school and gave the invocation %
before the lunch.
Other trustees in attendance were Patsy 1
Johnson, Judy Gllreath, Dr. Alfred Glasss
and L.F. Bridges m.
Area cities' future
water supply hopes
get welcome boost
Cooper hopefully moved a step closer to
a dependable water supply and the North
Hopkins Water Supply Corporation’s hew,
larger pipeline received a big boost
Tuesday.
It all came about with the opening of
bids for a 10-inch PVC pipeline from Loop
301 and Airport Road to the north dty
limits of Tlra on Highway 19.
The single pipeline will increase the
needed supply to the sprawling North
Hopkins district and also will provide
Cooper a guaranteed flow of 500,008
gallons of water dally from the north Tlra
tie-in to a line the Delta County city will
construct.
The project, a combined effort with both
the North Hopkins district and Cooper,
along with other supporting governmental
agencies including the Farmers Home
Administration, is primarly under the
direction of the local water supply cor-
poration headed by Jessie Orr as
president.
There were 13 bidders present Tuesday
at the Peoples National Bank community
room for the opening of bids on the first
phase of the project
Dickerson Construction Company of
Celina was the apparent low bidder at
$337,4303. Hogan Inc. of Bryan was second
low at $350485. The high bid was $410,818.
The formal awarding of the bid is
contingent on approval by FHA officials
and the acquisition of needed easements.
The [dans call for the pipeline to be
constructed on the west side of the high-
way. North Hopkins’ current line is on the
east side of the highway. Orr estimated
Tuesday that about 79 percent of the
easements needed had been acquired
They represent about 80 percent of the
land needed.
Orr said Dickerson Construction
Company officials predicted they could
complete the project within 88 days after
receiving the “go signaL”
The North Hopkins project is part of
$1,044,000 in grant and lows it has for a
massive program to provide im-
provements, expansions 1
‘•CtS *
moving within the next few months, too,”
Orr said.
Cooper is being assisted in its project
under an emergency provision with help
from HUD and FHA and its own resour-
ces.
The City of Sulphur Sprtogs will supply
the treated water to Gosper as wattas
North Hopkins under the project
Grays
memories
the Harrison W. Grays Mraasriai
Award has been sstabtiahed by ths
Activities Oommi
County Cha
will be pew
ffff.
the
resident in the
iSEh
Judged taffoh
Grays Mamoria
w.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Keys, Clarke & Woosley, Joe. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, December 8, 1978, newspaper, December 8, 1978; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth780414/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.