The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, January 30, 1987 Page: 1 of 4
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®Jje Hopkins (Cotrnij* Erijo
r”.
(ABSORBED THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12, 1928)
IO. 5.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1987.
4 PAGES -25 CENTS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
>unty gets healthy audit report
ity , received a
lal report from
>nald Rea during a
„ .. ...^ v.A.i'nmissioners Court
Monday morning
Rea, discussing information from
the annual audit, said the county
ended its fiscal year 1986 "in sound
financial condition," but that there
are several areas of concern to be
noted for the future.
Areas cited by Rea include
maintaining quarterly interna!
control auditing on a consistent basis,
updating fixed asset and land in-
ventory and achieving a Government
Finance Officers Association's
Certificate of Achievement for Ex-
cellence in Financial Reporting,
which Rea said would help the county
in future bond issues.
He also noted a deficiency in county-
operations in the lack of a long-range
plan and budget, which he recom-
mended the court draw up "so that
future goals can be set and attained."
Rea said the county financial
operations will be aided in future by
the new computer system in the
following areas encumbrance ac-
counting, bank reconciliation, payroll
and year-end financial reporting.
In an operating funds summary,
Rea reported 1986 receipts at
$4,832,535, an increase of 6.8 percent
over 1985 Property taxes produced
55.9 percent of genera! revenues
compared to 57.1 percent in 1985.
according to Rea’s report.
Increases were reported in tax
revgpue. assessed valuations and tax
collections, including delinquent tax
collections \
Expenditures showed an increase-
of 13.3 percent from 1985. totaling
$4,865,414. due to new employees.
salary increases, the compaction
station, the purchase of five new cars
for the Sheriff’s Department »nrt m
increase in county road expenditures.
The court also approved the ac-
counting firm of Harrell, Hader and
Bonner of Palestine to conduct next
year’s' audit for the fourth con-
secutive year.
SSISD seeking delinquent taxes
s, tr-'smxgm '
Vv
B. BOBBY BURNI Y
~ Property owners who are
delinquent in their tax payments to
the Sulphur Springs Independent
ScTwwl District can save money and
head off a lawsuit by paying those
taxes now before' an attorney files
suit, according to SSISD officials
Once taxes become delinquent,
they are being turned over to at-
torneys who are filing suits to collect
Nevada
sentence
applied
A man linked to the December 1985
disappearance of a t’umby youth has
been sentenced to two consecutive
life sentences for/the 'murder of
another man. County. Ne\
deputies said Morliay
Mark S Emmons, who acc epted a
plea l>argm three day s before his trial
in connection w ilh the death of a Utah
businessman, was sentenced to two
consecutive life sentences without the
possibility of parole, according to
Alan Olszewski. deputy
Emmons was charged with open
murder, first-degree murder, first-
degree kidnapping, armed robbery
and grand larceny in connection with
the death of Larry Fuller of Pay son,
Utah
Fuller's frozen body was found just
before Jack Perkins Jr of Cumby
disappeared Emmons and co-
defendent. Edward J Hassett. had
possessed Perkins' vehicle when they
were arrested in January ’98e in ('ak
Harbor. Viash
Ciszewskl said that authorities plan
to questum Emmons again con-
cerning Perkins' disappearance
While Mark Torvinen. Elko t'ounty
District Attorney, confirmed Em-
mons' sentence, he declined ti
comment on the Perkins case
Emmons will be transferred to the
Nevada State Prison when I las sett is
already serving time for second-
degree murdei
payments, if taxpayers do not
respond to letters the attorneys are
sending out. By paying taxes
promptly taxpayers will avoid ac-
cumulating interest and penalty, plus
a 15 percent attorney fee
We re try ing to get the word out
that people whose 1986 taxes become
delinquent Feb 1. have until July 1
before they have to pay a 15 percent
attorney fee." SSISD Tax Collector
Judy Gregg said
"Starting Feb 1. delinquent taxes
fur 1986 will have penalty and interest
added to them Every month, the
amount of penalty and interest goes
up, so people can save themselves a
lot of money by paying their taxes
now
Gregg and Paul Glover, assistant
superintendent of business for the
school district, both said that once
taxes become 'delinquent there is
nothing the school can do to stop the
attorneys from ffling suit unless the
taxes are paid
When the attorneys ai'e hired, the
school district relinquishestontrol of
delinquent tax collection," Glover
said "The attorney decides wt
suits will be filed and who they will be
filed against They have the authority
to do whatever they need to collect
the delinquent taxes."
By law. real property taxejgj 20
years in arrear can be collected.
Since the attorneys were hired in
November 1985. more than $300,000
has been collected, Gregg said About
that much remains outstanding.
The money that is collected can be
the difference in the school district
having to raise taxes and not having
Work on Wesley's
addition tinder way
B> umv TUSPf X
Work hits begun on a 10.000-square-
foot. two-story addition to Wesley
United Methodist Church that* w ill
house a new fellowship hall, new
classrooms and new office space
Initial groundwork is near com-
pletion with the first concrete for the
foundation to be poured within the
next few days.
The construction was approved by
the church building committee in
October at an approximate cost of
$350,000 and is expected to be com-
plete by May or June, according to
David Brewer, building committee
chairman
w
The structure will be U-shaped with
a 10,000-square-foot base housing an
expansive, two-story fellowship hall
surrounded by a 6.000-square-foot
upper floor holding classrooms that
w ill ltKik onto the hall. Brewer said.
The fellowship hall will be a
multipurpose facility, serving
meetings and recreational activ ities
Church offices will move from then-
current location at the east end of the
sanctuary to the north end of the
lower floor
Additional classrooms and a kit-
chen will also be part of the ground
floor
Expanded parking is included in
the project. A wooden structure at the
southeast corner of the main church
building that currently houses
classrooms will be removed, as will
about four feet of dirt, to make way
for new parking spaces.
Wesley United Methodist Church.
614 Texas St., was established in
Sulphur Springs in 1951,^according to
office membership records. The
current sanctuary was built in 1971.
and approximately six years ago a
brick fellowship hall was constructed
south of the sanctuary
The existing fellowship hall was
divided into classrooms and a small
meeting area a year ago. Brewer
said, and w ill remain as such.
Once the new building is complete,
the church’s 500 members will hold
an official dedication ceremony.
Brewer added
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Church expansion
Jim Spagano, laft. and Doyla Potts,'em include a 10,ooo square toot two story
ployoes of Hanna Construction, adjust stool building housing a now fellowship hall,
* » *____k-a si ak« iAi.n4a*iikn a! rlaccrnAmc amI nniat nllipn coiAr* It it ii.
to. Glover said. T^fe school board
felt venN much like they were
res pons lble'Tw: collecting taxes that
were owed to\he district to keep
taxes from going up." he explained.
Collected taxgs will go m the
audget's general fund andean be
uskLovCr an indefinate period of
time, he added
People can save themselves ad-
ditional money that accumulates
through rising interest and penalties
by making arrangements with the
school district or the attorneys for a
payment schedule, according to the
district's administration.
Taxes delinquent since 1985 and
before will have an automatic 15
percent attorney's collection fee
added onto them, plus interest and
penalty that accumulates every'
month, Gregg said. However. 1986
taxes may still be paid without the the
attorney’s fee and with minimal
penalty and interest.
"We just need to lej people know
that suits are being filed and the
attorneys are serious," she said.
"They are not too late to do
something now to possibly head off a
law suit."
The law firm of Earl Luna of Dallas
was hired in November 1985 by the
school board to collect taxes so that
the district could “hold the tax line,"
Glover said.
»
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Kp f
A L' C
m
PM
&
W
Planting a tree
Erin Johnston, left, Ben Darrow and Clare Magers, right,
are pictured here as they plant a live tree that served St.
Philips Episcopal Church at Christmas. The tree's new
home lies on the College Street lot purchased by the church
for future expansion. -si»«p*>oiobyRich*rdM«ii
Who will be selected
'Citizen of the Year'
B, WARY GRANT
VV IIW wwij w-ww- —- — - —---v — —---v ” - w--w —----r
cables that will form pfccjof the foundation of classrooms and now office space. It is ox-
an addition undor construe
United Mefhodist Church. Tho addition will
tion at Wosloy pected to be complete in early summer.
By KBTW Turaw
The wooden block with the metal
plaque hangs just in back of the local
Attorney's desk — "W.T. Allison II —
Citizen of the Year," it reads.
Allison, ^ho just about everybody
in town knows as Tommy, leaned
back in his chair and reflected about
last year’s award from the Hopkins
County Chamber of Commerce and
w hat it means to him.
T was aware of the award and
thought it would be a real honor to
receive it," he said.
This year on Thursday, Feb. 5, in
the Civic Center at the annual
Chamber banquet, another person
will have his name added to the list
that notes outstanding contributions
for community service.
Allison sai<$ he was surprised last
year when his name was called
because he thought there were so
many other residents whose ac-
complishments would merit the
honor.
That comment was seconded by
three other local residents who also
were selected for awards — Mr. and
Mrs. Ira Black for the award in
agriculture sponsored by the
Chamber and Mary' Oldham for Lady
of the Year sponsored bv Beta Sigma
Phi.
AIUsot, who moved to Sulphur
Spnngs’from another area, and Mrs.
Oldham, who now lives in Louisiana
but plans to return to Hopkins
County, stated that their op-
portunities to compare the city with
others gave them a special view.
Allison noted that he has found
local leaders receptive to new con-
cepts. "I like to see things grow and
things being built. I like progress, but
not at the expense of destroying
certain foundations — like the quality
of life here, "he said.
Mrs. Oldham said, "We have ap-
preciated Sulphur Springs even more
since we moved away. It's a great
community "
Ira Black, who was an area
.supervisor for the vocational
agriculture program and Mrs. Black,
who was a high school home
economics teacher, were selected for
their contributions to the agriculture
industry of the county Both are now
retired.
It certainly was an honor." Black
said.
Mrs. Oldham said, "1 was honored,
of course. I felt like we had received
so much more from the community
than what I had contributed."
Allison said his family offered him
the support needed to participate in
community activities. "There's just
no way I could have accomplished
anything without the help of the
family,” he said.
He noted that his father-in law,
Charles Carothers. and law partner.
JR. Ramey, were previous
recipients of the Citizen award.
"Our firm has always felt it should
devote some t|ne to community-
effort and put back some of what we
had received. .1 feel everybody's
under an obligation to put something
back into the community," Allison
He also called attention '(o'Vcon-
tinuing source for volunteers in
community activities. "It’s just an
excuse to say there’s no need,” he
said.
At the same time, Allison added,
"The award is an experience that
gives you pause that with the award
comes the responsibility to live up to
that designation."
And, that designation begun in 1954
will once more be made at the 7 p.m.
Feb. 5 meeting. Others who hold the
title in succeeding order are Sterling
Beckham, Carothers, Joe Dan
Avinger. W.E. “Bill” Bradford, Phil
A. Sartin, A.D. Jacobsen, J.W.
Branscome? Mrs. Richard Clement,
H.C. McGrede, Mrs. Lena Mae
Rogers. Weber Fouts, Ramey. J.E.
Mapes. Walter Helm, Enos L. Ash-
croft, Jim Masters. Earl Payne, Mrs.
Leo Bennett, J.W. Pratt. BUI Tuck,
Leo St.Clair. W.M. Taylor. F.W.
Frailey, BUly Wayne Harry, Paul
Hersehler. Rod Henderson. Lowell
Cable, Gene Orwosky, Bruce Fielden.
BUly Sam EUiott. Mr and Mrs. B.F.
Ashcroft and Allison. 1
The banquet wtU also mark the
announcement of the Shannon Car-
penter Rural Beautification award
that goes to one of the home owners
chosen during 1986 for their land-
scaping. I^ast year’s winners were
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Gammill.
Nominees for this year are Mr. and
Mrs. Jerry Busby. Mr. and Mrs. Ron
Tosh, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Grimes,
Mr and Mrs. David Carr, Mr. and
Mrs. Rita Rushin, Mr. and Mrs. Mike
Haynsworth. Mr. and Mrs. Homer
Adams and Mr. and Mrs. J.M.
Turner.
Previous winners of the I^ady of the
Year award begun in 1977 are
I^Vonne Randolph, Pat Debord,
Eddie Jee Edge, Pat Johnson, Lynda
Hager, Judy Gilreath, Lena Mae
Rogers, Patsy Johnson, Margin
I .atham and Mrs. Oldham.
Winners of the Agriculture award,
established in 1964, are Jeston
Williams, Billie Anderson, Rayford
Stinson, Truitt Dicken, Rex Ran-
dolph, W.C. Martin, T O. Right,
Homer Browing, Cecil Tucker, Don
Smith, Herbert Anderson, Clarence
Crouch, L.J. Massey, Gary Odom,
Ralph Oldham, Charles Dawson, Bill
Jack Allen, Clifton Alexander,
Jimmy Winfrey, Richard Watson,
Herbert Anderson, Marvin Gregory
and Mr. and Mrs. Black.
Crime Stoppers
approve rewards
The local Crime Stoppers board of ,
directors approved two rewards for
anonymous tips in separate incidents
that resulted in the recovery' of stolen
property and in the conviction and
sentencing of a man on drug charges.
The board approved a $100 reward
for a tip in a burglary case that
resulted in the recovery of an item /
stolen in the burglary, and it ap-
proved a $400 reward to an informant __
whose information resulted in the
arrest, conviction and sentencing to
the Texas Department of Corrections
"af a man accused of a drug-relaled
crane.
Crime Stoppers Treasurer Larry
Blount reported a balance of
$12,465.$$ in the organisation's
reward fund
\
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Keys, Clarke & Hillsamer, Dave. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, January 30, 1987, newspaper, January 30, 1987; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth779795/m1/1/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.