The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, January 4, 1980 Page: 1 of 6
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F*Q BOX 45435
DALLAS
TX 75235
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(ABSORBED THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12, 1928)
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, FRIDAY, JANUARY 4,19S0.
S PAGES -10 CENTS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
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J.L. Courson
Death claims
former county
commissioner
Former Hopkins County Precinct 2
Commissioner J.L. Courson, 72, of 407
Dailey in Desoto died at 2 p.m.
Wednesday in the Chalton Methodist
Hospital in Desoto.
Mr. Courson had recently moved to
Desoto from Hopkins County. _
He was bom Jan. 24, 1907 in Wood
County to Jack and Sula Nichols
Courson. He married Berta Sparks in
May, 1929 in Como.
Mr. Courson had served as Precinct
2 commissoner from 1968 to 1978. He
was a member of the First Baptist
Church in Como and the Pickton
Masonic Lodge.
Funeral services for Mr. Courson
were conducted at 2:30 p.m. Friday at
the Black Oak Baptist Church with the
Rev. L.B. Morgan and the Rev. Jesse
Miller officiating. Burial was in the
Black Oak Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife; four
sons, Bill Courson of Desoto, Jimmy
Courson of Dallas, Glen Courson of
Irving and J.L. Courson Jr. of
Pickton; a daughter, Mrs. Venita
Sheer of Pickton; two brothers, Elvis
Foster of Dallas and Travis Foster of
Como; and 12 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son,
Bobby Jack Courson.
Serving as pallbearers were A.L.
Brown, L.D. Elledge, Jim Miller, L.T.
(Son) Martin, Sam Matthews and
T.M. Chester.
< Honorary pallbearers were Ber-
nard Lynch, Bill Grimes, Rex Ran-
dolph, Valton Sparks, James Johnson
and Travis Rasberry.
Dairyman
due honor
A 33-year-old Sulphur Springs
farmer, Bill Allen, is being honored
Jan. 18 as the* Area VI Star Young
Farmer, during the 26th annual
convention of the State Association of
■Young Farmers of Texas in San
Antonio.
* He will be honored at the Young
Farmers annual awards banquet at 6
p.m. at the San Antonio Convention
Center. More than 600 persons are
expected to attend.
The area award winner is selected
on the basis of the farmer’s in-
ventory; cropping and livestock
practices; keif and natural resource
conservation practices; contributions
to community, state, and nation; as
well as general information on the
success of his farming operation.
Allen owns 203 acres. He had the
fifth highest producing Brown Swiss
herd in Texas in 1977-78.
TP&L goes after rate hike
By JOEWOOSLEY
News-Telegram Staff
The average monthly residential
electric power bill in Sulphhr Springs will
advance 20.6 percent, or $8.04, in 1980 if
new rates to be asked by Texas Power &
Light Company are granted. The projected
increase is based on 11,440 kilowatt hours
per year. Rates for municipal services
would increase 20.1 percent and com-
mercial and industrial 12.7 percent.
J. P. Shull, district manager for TP&L in
Sulphur Springs, said that the utility firm
will file Jan. 4 with the City Council of
Sulphur Springs and the Public Utility
Commission of Texas a request for a $124
million, 15.35 percent systemwide increase
in revenues.
Shull said that the rate increase is being
sought "primarily because ot4he effect of
inflation on all areas of the company
operation. We arealso experiencing more
costs as a result of increasing federal
regulations. This is especially true in
TP&L’s program to construct new
generating plants that use lignite coal and
nuclear fuels.”
The overall request is an average for all •
classes of customers. The proposed in-
crease will vary from one rate class to
another.
“With the effects of inflation and with
the need to build power plants that use fuel
other than gas and oil, present revenues
are going to be inadequate to meet our
costs of providing service in the future,”
Shull said.
The Power Plant and Industrial Fuel
Use Act of 1978 requires that utilities
cannot use gas as a boiler fuel except
under certain exemptions after Jan. 1,
1990. Texas Power & Light is producing 50
percent of its electricity with lignite coal at
this time.
That figure is due to rise^fhe company
has five lignite-fueled units either under
construction or planned.
The company also is joint owner in the
Comanche Peak nuclear power plant near
Glen Rose that is estimated to have the
first of two units on line in 1981.
"As our supplies of natural gas and oil
become less available, and much more
expensive, the use of lignite and nuclear
fuels will continue to help ensure that our
customers will have a dependable supply
of electricity at a reasonable price,” Shull
said.
“Inflation is TP&L’s most serious
problem,” he said. ‘‘We also know that
inflation is hurting our customers, and we
understand why no one wants another rate
Local man raps
SALT II treaty
increase.
‘‘We have to ask for additional rate relief
at this time if we are to meet our
obligations to our customers and to con-
tinue our present construction schedule,
v converting from gas to lignite and
nuclear,” Shull said.
"It has been two years since we have
asked for a rate increase and this request
is in compliance with the president’s
voluntary price guidelines. But I must
emphasize that this increase is the
minimum we feel is necessary to continue
our program to utilize the less expensive
and more abundant fuels to supply elec-
tricity to our customers. ’ ’
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Rejection of the SALT II arms limitation
treaty by the U.S. Senate was urged
Thursday by Dick Pogue, who called on
local residents to inform themselves on the
issue and let Texas senators know where
they stand..
Pogue spoke before the Rotary Club in
connection with the showing of a film
presentation entitled “The SALT Syn-
drome,” which charged that the
agreement would assure the permanence
of Russia’s vast military superiority over
the United States.
"We have been lied to about the SALT
treaty," Pogue declared. “Russia has
broken every treaty we ever have had with
it.
“Some legislators tell us now that the
Soviets will keep SALT II. That’s a lie.
They have no intention of keeping it. They
are not that kind of people.”
Pogue termed it ridiculous that a small
country such as Iran would “hold the
United States hostage.”
“We are not afraid of Iran,” he added.
“We are afraid of Russia.”
“Treaties are ratified by the Senate,” he
said. “Do you know how our two senators
stand on this treaty? Look at this film and I
think you will want to know.”
The film is narrated by former govern-
ment officials and retired high army and
navy officers.
It declares that Russia, with half the
gross national product of the United
States, has been spending three times as
much money on both conventional and
strategic weapons in recent years in the
greatest armament program seen since
Hitler conquered Europe.
\ It reports that the United States, in
contrast, has either struck out or delayed
all its own new weapons programs.
As a result, it is claimed that the
American people are now nuclear
hostages, while the Soviet Union proceeds
with its historic program for world
domination.
Texas Governor William Clements, a
former assistant secretary of defense, is
one of the narrators of the program. He
declares that the United States faces a
greater danger now than in 1941 after the
attack on Pearl Harbor.
Ike Stevens was program chairman for
the meeting. Mike Gilreath, honorary
student Rotarian for December, spoke
briefly. /
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Construction continues in the '80s
Tittle plans entry
into sheriff's race
While much of the nation is suffering from a slowdown in the average; bank deposits are at record levels and local authorities
housing industry, the boom continues in Sulphur Springs as say the local economy remains strong and balanced as a new
illustrated in this major addition within the city. Unemployment decade begins. 'J
in Hopkins County is still several points below the national -st*H photo
*
City bank deposits
hit all-time record
Sheriff John (Junior) Tittle announced
Wednesday that he is a candidate for
election to his first full term, subject Jto the
action of the Democratic primaries.
The veteran lawman was elected to fill
the unexpired term of the late Sheriff Paul
Ray Jones. He assumed dutie^of the office
on June 12, 1978, after winning the
nomination for the position.
The regular term will run for four years.
Tittle said that he will issue a formal
statement later in the campaign.
Several offices are to be filled by elec-
tion in 1980. They include County Com-
missioners of Precincts, 1 and 3, both
district judges, the district attorney,
county attorney, tax assessor-collector,
and constables, as well as sheriff.
Under a new state law, candidates can
file only from Jan. 5 until 6 p.m. on Feb. 4
for the May 2 primaries. John R. Ramey is
the chairman of the Democratic Executive
Committee in Hopkins County.
Both County Commissioners J. D.
Hatley and Mervin Chester, who are
serving in unexpired terms, have said they
will announce for full four-year terms.
Others who have indicated they will run
again include County Attorney John
Perry, Tax Assessor-Collector Jeff Taylor,
and Cumby Constable Vincent (Doc)
Irons, who also is serving in an unexpired
term.
REMEMBER
We've changed
Our new
telephone
number is
885-8663
By F.W. FRAILEY
News-Telegram Staff
Sulphur Springs bank deposits soared to
an all-time record high of $107,150,451 at
the end of 1979.
This represented a gain of $9,716,500, or
9.97 percent, over the $97,433,951 on deposit
in the city’s three banks on the final
business day of 1978.
Imposing as it was, the percentage leap
failed to equal the generally accepted
national inflation rate for the year.
Money accumulation accelerated in the
year’s final quarter. The previous record
deposit peak for a quarterly reporting date
was $102,166,641 last Sept. 29.
Two years ago the total was only
$86,042,332.
The most dramatic contrast came in
looking back at the past decade.
At the end of 1969 deposits in all three
banks totaled only $36,080,822.
With agricultural, industrial and general
business trends all appearing strong, local
bankers expressed little concern over the
widely predicted prospects of a recession
in 1980.
“Our dairymen are getting along fine,”
S.T. Garrison, president of the Peoples
National Bank, said. “Milk is higher than
it ever has been and cattle prices are
booming,
“We should add from 200 to 300 in-
dustrial employees in the area this year.
“For this particular section of the
country things look very good.”
The current reports are the last in which
only three banks will be represented.
The new First National Bank will open
for business Jan. 28, and its influence will
be felt in the statements required by
federal and state agencies for the period
ending March 31.
Investors, mostly people from this
immediate area, purchased $2 million in
First National Bank stock last year.
TJ)e three operating banks expanded
their assets and loans in pace with the
growth in deposits.
Combined assets totaled $118,832,735, as
compared to $107,554,921 a year ago.
Combined loans amounted to $59,659,354,
as compared to $51,947,531 at the end of
1978.
Figures for the individual banks are as
follows:
Sulphur Springs State
The Sulphur Springs State Bank
reported year-end deposits of $52,494,810,
as compared to $46,722,860 at the end of
1978.
Sulphur Springs State assets were
$57,834,023, as compared to $51,636,386 a
year ago.
Loans amounted to $29,910,381, as
compared to $23,071,658 on Dec. 31,1978.
City National
The City National Bank had deposits
totaling $30,079,453 on Dec. 31, as com-
pared to $29,192,247 a year earlier.
City National’s assets amounted to
$34,054,335, as compared to $32,518,475 at
the end of last year.
Loans totaled $17,030,598, as compared
to $16,903,312 a year ago.
Peoples National
The Peoples National Bank announced
year-end deposits of $24,576,188, as com-
pared to $21,518,844 at> the conclusion of
1978.
Peoples National assets totaled
$26,944,377, as compared to $23,400,060 a/
year earlier.
Loans amounted to $12,718,375, /as
compared to $11,972,561 at the close of 1978.
Looking back at December: people and events in the news
■A
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Dec. 1 - Doyle Bridges and
wife survive mushroom
poisoning after close call in
Sulphur Springs. They picked
the mushrooms near Lake
Cypress Springs.
Dec. 2 - Kiwanis Club
auction raises about $6,000.
Fire destroys Richard Gant
residence near Arbala.
Dec. 3 - Mercury falls to
record 21 degrees. Blue Blazes
drill team from Sulphur
Springs High School returns
from Houston with sweepstakes.
. Dec. 4 — Bill Bradford, Vic
Brittain, Mrs. Billie Rose
Chapman, Bruce Cherry, the
Rev. Gaither Day, Charlie
Johnston, C. Glynn Lowe and
Ike Stevens elected new
directors of Hopkins County
Chamber of Commerce.
Building permits in Sulphur
Springs climb to $7,110,130 for
first eleven months of year
after $630,000 listed in
November.
Dec. 5—BrodyJuJCoon posts
$500 reward fo£ information
leading to recovery of 24 head
of cattle valued at $20,000 stolen
from his farm in the Bonanza
community. Death claims Mrs.
Ruth Ashcroft Stirling, 84, of
Sulphur Springs.
Dec. 6 — Body identified as
that of Kay Wallace, 36,
missjng since July 12,
recovered from shallow grave
in East Caney community and
her husband, Billy Ray
Wallace, arrested and charged
with her murder.
Dec. 7 — Travis Spencer
reports arrangements com-
pleted to raze two fire-ravaged
buildings on Main Street to
provide 31 new parking spaces.
Dec. 4 — Tony Stubbs
receives $100 check for creating
logo for Hopkins County Fall
Festival.
Dec. 9 — B. F. Chapman,
veteran teacher and former
Hopkins County school
superintendent, dies following
heart attack.
Dec. 10 — Commissioners
Court approves amendment to
increase benefits to county
retirees.
Dec. 11 — Agreements
completed calling for $135,460
to be spent in Hopkins County
for reclamation work at
abandoned Wallace and
Lumsden surface mine pits.
Ima L Walls, a native of
Cumby, elected assistant vice
president of Mercantile
National Bank in Dallas.
Evelyn Ford, Lauri Luce and
Sally Stanley of Middle School
win all-region band honors.
Dec. 12 - Heavy rain ac-
companies chill to Hopkins
County. Hopkins County In-
dustrial Fund plans drive for
$125,000. Holdup suspect caught
and money recovered from
Village Pawn Shop.
Dec. 13 - Mrs. Katherin
Coker, 52, and her grandson,
Michael Shane Swindell, 3, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Swindell,
perish in mobile home fire on
FM 2567 southwest of Como,
bavid DuPriest elected
president of Hopkins County
Chamber of Commerce.
Dec. 14 — Two local banks
declare year-end dividends.
Sulphur Springs State Bank
declares $2 a share dividend
and Peoples National Bank
$1.10. Judge Lanny Ramsay
accepts plea of gujjty from
Billy Ray Wallace in murder of
his wife, Janyth Kay Wallace,
and sets life term in prison.
Dec. 15 — District Attorney
Jim Chapman reports he will
file additional charges against
1,
Wallace.
Dec. 16 - Sulphur Springs
receives $82,109 for its share of
city sales tax for December.
Dec. 17 - Mercury dips to
record four degrees.
Dec. 18-Temperature drops
to 13 degrees, another record
low for date. Civic Center board
Jessie Lee Shaw in connection
with death of Janyth Kay
claims success in balanced
usage.
Dec. 19 — City Council nixes
increase in motel tax; names
Glenn Wagner substitute city
judge.
Dec. 20 — City Council
election draws six candidates,
Millard Glover, Vaden Richey,
John E. Fennell, Keith F.
Klein, C. S. Eitehnan and
Vernon Davis, with J. Kearney
Brim, a seventh, entering and
then withdrawing.
Dec. 21 — Memorial Hospital
finished its fiscal year in the
blade, directors told. United
Way, short of goal, ponders
allocations.
Dec. 22 — Brandi Lynne
Vliet, 4, daughter of Eugene
and Linda Martin Vliet, fatally
injured when struck by a car
driven by Malcolm Monroe
Burkett Sr., 74, on Rockdale
Road as several children
played in the area.
Dec. 23 - First National
Bank president Ride Palmer
announces opening set on Jan.
28.
Dec. 24 - News-Telgram and
Echo Publishing Company
change telephone number to
8854663.
Dec. 25 — Temperature
peaks at 65 degrees as children
play with new Christmas toys.
Dec. 26 — Commissioners
Codrt approves increases in
salary of auditor and deputy
auditor as per request of
district judges.
Dec. 27 — Former County
Commissioner J. L. Courson,
72, dies. Texas Power k Light
Company announces intentioi
to request rate increases. '
Dec. 28 — Eugene F
Chamberlain, 66, whi
organized the local Nations
Guard unit after World War n
dies.
Dec. 29—Henry Oppenhdm
a native of Germany who fta
the Nazis, retires after 22 year
with Rockwell International
He will continue his interest a
a private pilot.
D*C- 30 — A wbeela-up ku
ding caused slight to
plane piloted by a Moui
Pleasant man at die Sutohi
Springs Airport
Dec. 31 - Rainfall In 1979 j
recorded by the nfHal gaiu
in Sulphur Springs amounted I
7« inches, compmwd to 31’
in 1978.
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Keys, Clarke & Woosley, Joe. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, January 4, 1980, newspaper, January 4, 1980; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth780101/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.