division 3 general excellence 2 b

Hometown Heroes 2014

Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune • www.dailytribune.net • Saturday & Sunday July 26-27, 2014 • 1C

Thank you for unselfishly serving

our community!

Mount PleasantPolice Department

Sponsored By:

Sponsored By:

Dustin Ellis

Offi cerLess than 1 year MPPD

Wayne IsbellChief of Police

2 years MPPD25 years other agency

Sharyn Cary

Lieutenant (Patrol)8 years MPPD

7 years other agency

Reyes Guerrero

Offi cerless than 1 year MPPD

Hollie Motley

Admin Asst.

8 years MPPD

Ashton Lewis

Offi cerLess than 1 year MPPD

Kyle Holcomb

Captain

8 years MPPD

Christopher Bruton

Detective

2 years MPPD

Alicia Henderson

Detective

12 years MPPD

Corey Gable

Lieutenant (CID)

14 years MPPD

Mark Miller

Sergeant

4 years MPPD

Ray Barrett

Sergeant (CID)

11 years MPPD

Namor Smith

Sergeant

4 years MPPD

Travis Nichols

Sergeant

7 years MPPD

Cody Odom

Offi cer

less than 1 year MPPD

Jeromy Hughes

Offi cer


Juan Hernandez

Offi cer

34years MPPD

Shelly Strickland

Sergeant

4 years MPPD

Clayton Pelham

K-9 Offi cer

4 years MPPD

Steven Rosales

Corporal

3 years MPPD

Dustin Robb

Offi cer

3 years MPPD

Sponsored By:

Brad Duncan

Corporal

2 years MPPD

Melissa HortonCrime Victim’s Liason


Jarrett Mitchell

Corporal

1 year MPPD

Sponsored By: Sponsored By: Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant

“Where promises are kept.”

TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

213 N. Madison Ave., Mt. Pleasant 903.577.8183

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

2C • Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune • www.dailytribune.net • Saturday & Sunday, July 26-27, 2014

DYNAMICSHEALTH & FITNESS

1407 North Jefferson 903-572-7101

Sponsored By:



Sponsored By:



Sponsored By:



Sponsored By:

Jarrod Hampton

Offi cer

1 year MPPD

Cory Fox

Offi cer

1 year MPPD

Irais Paco

Dispatcher

Less than 1 year MPPD

Heather Banks

Dispatcher

1 year MPPD

Eric Hall

Dispatcher

6 years MPPD

Stephanie Thurman, RPh

402 N. Madison Ave. Mt. Pleasant, TX

P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455

Stephanie Thurman, RPhT H U R M A N ’ SPRO MEDPHARMACY

T H U R M A N ’ SPRO MED

Sponsored By:

Amber James

Senior Dispatcher

6 years MPPD



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:Stephanie Thurman, RPh


P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Mark Smith

Animal Control Offi cer

Length of service: 7 years

Thank you Cypress Basin Hospice for your special services and dedication given to people in need, in our surrounding communities.

Cliff’sPaint & Body Shop, Inc.

607 N. Washington Mt. Pleasant, TX903.572.5678

607 N. Washington Mt. Pleasant, TX

Sponsored By:

Holly Steen



Gina DeBorde



Lil Mans Boutique“Catering to the lil men in your life”

1506 West Ferguson 903-573-0323 (Across from CDC)

Sponsored By:

Briian Denney

Corporal

1 year MPPD



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Barbara Evans

Comm. Supervisor

9 years MPPD



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Kiana Stewart

Dispatcher

Less than 1 year MPPDDickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591 • Hwy 67 East • Mount Pleasant, Tx

Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Cindy Segers

Senior Dispatcher

13 years MPPD



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Arturo Ramirez

Senior Dispatcher

10 years MPPD



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

April Habibelahian

Records Manager

7 years MPPD



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Adolfo Martinez

Warrant Offi cer

12 years MPPDDickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

B. J. AndrewsReserve Offi cer

2 years MPPDDickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Destiny Cannon

Dispatcher/Reserve Offi cer

less than 1 year MPPDDickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Mount PleasantAnimal Control

Mount PleasantPolice Department



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:




Sponsored By:



Sponsored By:

Sponsored By:



Mount Pleasant ISDPolice Department

Titus County Constables



Cleve JohnsonPrecinct 2 - Constable

19 years Titus County Constable18 years service other agency



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Jewel LeePrecint 2 - Reserve Constable

5 years service TC Constable

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Paul LindseyTitus County

Attorney’s Investigator4 years service with county

28 years other agency



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Harold ConnerPrecinct 1 - Reserve Constable

17 years Titus County Constable18 years other agency

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Bobby Joe SpearmanPrecint 1 - Reserve Constable

2 years of service with county15 years service other agency



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:

Chris DurantPrecinct 1 Constable

23 years Titus County Constable5 years other agency



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:


Mount Pleasant ISD Police DepartmentCourtesy Photo

The Mount Pleasant Independent School District has � ve police of� cers, one security of� cer and an administrative secretary. Chief Ronnie Humphrey leads the Department. Of� cers include Melissa Gonzalez, Randy Hinton, Robert Sanchez and Toby Shaddix. Ronnie Brooks is the security of� cer and Diane Barrett the administrative secretary. The Department is charged with overseeing the safety and security of eight campuses, with over 5,4000 students and 950 employees. Pictured: Front Row: Gonzalez, Barrett, Sanchez; Back Row: Hinton, Shaddix, Humphrey, Brooks.



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



2530 Greenhill Rd. (903) 572-0974

The Greenhill Villas of Mt. Pleasant

Thank you

Titus CountySheriff ’s Office

Tim Ingram

Sheriff

5 years 8months TSCO20 years 8 months other agency

Richard L. Alexander

Jail Deputy

2 years TCSO32 years 10 months other agency

Nocholas C. Arthus

Jailer

less than 2 years TSCOThank you Cypress

Basin Hospice for your special services and dedication given to people in need, in our surrounding communities.




Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

David C. Bain

Sergeant Patrol

9 years 1 month TCSO19 years 4 months other agency

Chance L. Banks

Dispatch

5 years TSCO

Corey A. Baugh

Jail Deputy

2 years 5 months TSCO



P: 903.572.6337F: 903.572.7455



Sponsored By:





Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Robin Ann Bosek

Dispatch

2 years 10 months TCSO

Christopher M. Bragg

Sergeant CID

3 years 11 months19 years other agency

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Clinic Pharmacy412 North Jefferson

Mt. Pleasant • (903)572-8548

Clinic PharmacySponsored By:

James C. Brown

Sergeant CID5 years 4 months TSCO

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Virginia K. Brown

Dispatch Supervisor

5 years 7 months3 years 10 months other agency

2001 W. Ferguson Road Suite 3000 903-717-8757• Mt. Pleasant, Texas

Apples for the Teacher

Sponsored By:

Cody B. Cockrell

Deputy

2 yearS 2 months TSCO

Kenneth D. Cooley

Deputy


Matthew L. Cooper

Deputy3 years 5 months TSCODickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Dickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Shawn C. Davis

Sergeant Patrol

5 years 6 months

Christopher A. Durant

Corporal Deputy

3 years 10 monthsDickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Miguel Castillo

Deputy


(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Marcus D. Carlock

Sergeant Patrol

4 years 11 months TSCO9 years 6 months other agency

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Goldie A. Faile

Dispatch

4 years 11 months TCSO Dickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Bradley K. Fosdick

Captain Jail

8 years 10 months TCSO10 years 10months other agency


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Elias Gallardo

Jailer

1 year TSCODickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Michael J. GarciaLieutenant Jail

9 years TSCO12 years 4 months other agency


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:




Sponsored By:

Tracey D. Hayes

Sergeant Warrants


Jason R. Hill

Jailer

2 years 9 months

Joy Hodges

Dispatch

13 Years 3 monthsDickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Amy L. Johnson

Admin Jail


Kametra D. Johnson

Jailer

1 year TSCO

Triasha S. Knox

Jailer

1 year TSCODickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Allan D. Holloway

Jailer

2 years 5 monthsDickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

John Marvin Livingston

Jailer


(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

John Paul Livingston

Chief Deputy


(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Terry W. McDowell

Lieutenant Patrol

6 years 9 months TCSO10 years 5 months other agency

(Sam) Isabel Netro Matus

Corporal Deputy

19 years 1 month TCSO

Andrea D. Miller

Records



Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By: Sponsored By:


Noemi AndradeJailer

less than 1 year TCSO

Maatha L. BarnardJailer


Martin P. Cervantes

JailerLess than 1 year TCSO

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Jessica B. Cooper

Dispatch2 years 3 months TCSO

Bo D. Dyer

Jailerless than 1 year TCSO

Edgardo Godoy

Deputyless than 1 year TCSODickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Kametra Johnson

Jailer1 year 5 months TCSO

Laquanda N. Johnson

Jailer5 years 7 months TCSO

Sherry A. Johnson

Jailer3 years TCSODickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Wayne P. Minor

Sergeant CID


Sheila Moon

Administrative Asstant

15 years 4 months TSCO15 years 11 months other agency

Valeria L. Morgan

Jailer

1 year TSCOThank you Cypress

Basin Hospice for your special services and dedication given to people in need, in our surrounding communities.




Sponsored By:


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:

Dorinda F. Orr

Sergeant Patrol


Jessica S. Phillips

Jailer

1 year 11 months TSCO

David R. Price

Corporal Jail1 year TSCO


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:

Alma M. Purvis

Comm-PT


Sally A. Randall

Corporal Jail4 years 4 months

Candyce D. Reeder

Jailer



2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:

Lisa M. Wertz

Nurse


Lazambia C. Washington

Corporal Jail3 years 10 months TCSO

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Kenneth A. WilsonCourt Bailiff

12 years 4 months TCSODickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Deborah A. LawrenceJailer

less than 1 year TCSO3 years 2 months other agency

Colton L. Keener

Deputy

less than 1 year TCSO

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:

Stepahnie L. Thomas

Corporal Jail

3 years 9 months

Name: _____________________________________Address:_______________________________________________________________________________Telephone Number:___________________________E-Mail Address:______________________________

Don’t let another year pass you by without going out to support the Mount Pleasant Rodeo. Attending lets our local rodeo equipment manufactures know that we care and appreciate what they do for our community and the jobs they provide.

Do you remember going to Drive-In theaters? Remember all the fun you had? Remember going to the Rodeo? Remember all the fun you had? Without support from our local community, the rodeo will fade away like Drive-In theaters of yesterday.

In 1991, the above photo was taken at the Mount Pleasant Rodeo and has certainly created a memory for our families that will last a life time.

Sponsored By:

Woody Hughes

Lieutenant Adminstrator

21 years 9 months TCSODickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Mishelle Livingston

Reserve Deputy

2 years 4 months TCSODickie Morrow (903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Valeria Morgan

Jailer1 year 11 months TCSO

Jaime Rodarte


Rene Martinez

Jailerless than 1 year TCSODickie Morrow

(903) 572-7591

Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

Kenneth L. Schmitt

Deputyless than 1 year TCSO

Randy M. UnderwoodSergeant Deputy

less than 1 year TCSO10 years 3 months other agency

Jose Santos


(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:


Dickie Morrow


Dickie Morrow

Dickie Morrow

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

Triasha Knox

Jailer

1 year 3 months TCSO


2530 Greenhill Road • (903) 572-0974

Sponsored By:



Scott J. Wildey

Sergeant CID

1 year TCSO6 years 9 months other agency

Jason D. White

Dispatch


(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

Mount Pleasant


TOYOTA

Sponsored By:


T H U R M A N ’ SPRO MEDPHARMACY

T H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ ST H U R M A N ’ SPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MEDPRO MED

402 N. Madison Ave. Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455 • P: 903.572.6337 • F: 903.572.7455

“Thank you for your service”

“We Appreciate all you do”

606 N. Jefferson 903-572-1859

To all the men and women serving as First Responders you are true heroes. Thank you for always keeping our community safe.

606 N. Jefferson 903-572-1859606 N. Jefferson

Sheri� proud of long-term decline in crimeBy LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

Sheri� Tim Ingram says he’s proud of the way crime statistics have been trending downward during the six years since he took o� ce

Ingram identi� ed illegal drugs as the principal source of crimes in Titus County, noting home bur-glaries and related criminal con-duct are almost always linked to narcotics.

“As long as I’m sheri� , we are always going to go a� er these ille-gal drugs on our streets,” Ingram said. “� ey lead to nearly all other crimes in the community.”

“Our job is to protect the citi-zens, so this has to be our No. 1 priority,” he said. “� e citizens bene� t, because any drop in drug (tra� cking) means fewer burglar-ies and everything else.”

Overall, Ingram said crime in the seven major categories has dropped 23 percent since 2008. Earlier this year, a� er he closed out the books for 2013, he ran the � gures by County Judge Brian Lee, who veri� ed them.

� e major crime categories are homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny and auto the� .

� e total in all categories in 2008 was 590; Ingram says that dropped to 455 for 2013.

“� is is mainly because of how hard we worked narcotics. So many crimes are directly related to narcotics,” Ingram said.

� e � gures compiled by Ingram are only for the unincorporated areas outside the city and do not include activity within the city of Mount Pleasant.

� ere hasn’t been a homicide in the county since 2010; there were one each in 2008 and 2010, and two in 2009.

� ere were eleven rapes record-ed in 2008. � at � gure dropped to seven in 2009, then rose to eight in 2010, and dropped to two in 2011. � ere have been no report-ed rapes since then.

� e � gures for robberies were two in 2008, one in 2009, four in 2010, one each and 2011 and 2012, and none in 2013.

Assaults were the single largest category, with 264 in 2008, 261 in

2009, 200 in 2010, 205 in 2011, 209 in 2012 and 216 in 2013.

Burglaries started with 120 in 2008, 128 in 2009, 124 in 2010, 159 in 2011, 124 in 2012 and 106 in 2013.

Larcenies showed a consider-able drop, going from 170 in 2008 to 173 in 2009, 152 in 2010, 124 in 2011, 132 in 2012 and 122 in 2013.

Overall auto the� s have been cut in half. � ere were 22 in 2008, 26 in 2009, 21 in 2010, ten in 2011, 12 in 2012 and 11 in 2013.

“I’m glad we have been able to get those � gures down,” Ingram said.

Ingram got a new tool in the � ght against DWIs this past year recently with the implementation of a system to Skype from patrol vehicles to ask a judge for a war-rant on the spot during a tra� c stop.

“You have these people who won’t blow, and they won’t give blood, it makes it harder some-times, they think they can � ght it and ask for a jury trial,” Ingram said.

Now, deputies can use Skype on their cell phone and ask a judge immediately for a search warrant so they can take a blood sample during the tra� c stop.

“� ey get the (judge’s) signa-ture electronically,” he said. “It helps get convictions, it makes it harder to � ght it.”

In the long run, Ingram said he hopes this will make people think twice about drinking and driving in Titus County.

Ultimately, the department’s diligence in � ghting to reduce crime has paid o� because of committed employees, Ingram said.

“I couldn’t do it without the good people I have,” he said.

He also cited the closing work-ing relations and various partner-ships with the Mount Pleasant Police Department. � at alliance also enables both departments to share specially-trained SWAT - or emergency response - team mem-bers on an as-needed basis, and has allowed the sheri� ’s depart-ment to stabilize personnel over-time costs by sharing o� cers with MPPD as conditions warrant.

Ingram describes his manage-ment style as “team-oriented,” meaning he believes it requires the best e� orts of all 64 sheri� ’s o� ce employees to protect the citizens of Titus County.

“We try to be team-oriented, and have a very strong team of men and women working togeth-er here,” he said. “It takes all of us to help make this a good place to work, and to do what has to be done to protect the citizens.”

Ingram points out that team also includes the local members of the criminal justice system.

� e TSCO “may be the front line, but we’re all a team, working together,” he said.

He praised both District Judges Robert Rolston and Danny Wood-son for working hard and keeping up with the case load, and the job District Attorney Chuck Bailey and ADA David Colley do in get-ting cases ready for trial.

He also lauded County Judge Brian Lee and County Attorney John Mark Cobern for keeping up with their caseload of civil cases and misdemeanors.

“We’ve had more people in jail for misdemeanors than ever be-fore,” Ingram said. “� ey’re work-ing read hard.”

Speaking during a workshop held with county commissioners last week, Ingram’s main request for the 2014-2015 � scal year bud-get was to add $32,000 to payroll, in hopes of reducing - or at least holding in check – turnover rates.

With other nearby law enforce-ment agencies in the hunt for good employees, Ingram asked that targeted positions get precise pay increases of $100 to make the pay competitive with other area departments.

A reduction in turnover will also help save costs associated with training new jail employees.

“We call our jail employees our ‘unseen heroes,’ because they have to live with inmates in what could be described as ‘not-the-most-desirable conditions,’ “ In-gram said.

Judge Lee commended In-gram for not asking for an overall increase in his budget. “He said he feels he can make it up through cutting other things

in his budget.”Ingram “runs a real tight bud-

get,” Lee said, but is facing per-sonnel issues. Overall, the de-partment pay is falling behind that of other nearby law enforce-ment agencies, Lee said.

“He’s losing people to other law enforcement agencies,” Lee said. “He’s gotten behind the curve. People are leaving for the city and elsewhere.”

Jailers are the key stone to the

single largest facility in Ingram’s department. Built in 1984 and renovated in 1995, the Titus County Jail can accommodate up to 183 inmates, providing suffi-cient space for the county to take in prisoners from surrounding area cities and counties, primar-ily Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County, as well as some federal inmates on an interim basis.

Halfway through his second term, Ingram says serving as Ti-

tus County sheriff is rewarding on both personal and profes-sional levels.

“I’m really enjoying my job. We want to help make sure this is a good, safe place to live and raise a family by making decisions today that will still be bene� ting people 20, or even 50 years down the road,” he said.

Lou Antonelli is managing editor of the Daily Tribune. Email: [email protected].

Sheriff Tim Ingram

How you can increase � re safety through education(NAPSM) - � e � rst and most

important step that parents can take to protect their child from a home � re is to be there.

� at’s because children under the age of 5 are more than twice as likely to die in a home � re than the general public.

According to Joseph Muham-

mad, president of the Interna-tional Association of Black Profes-sional Fire Fighters (IABPFF), “If a � re starts, children need imme-diate help to quickly escape. Also, many � res are started by children playing with matches and lighters because they are unsupervised.”

African-American children are

at a higher risk of dying in a � re, accounting for 38 percent of all children killed. As part of its No Child Le� Alone campaign, the IABPFF recommends the follow-ing steps:

• Teach children not to hide from � re� ghters, in closets or un-der the bed. Instead, tell them to

get out of the home quickly and call for help.

• Minimize temptation. Young children are curious and will play with most items left within their reach, including matches, lighters, stoves, candles and fire-works. Keep all these items in a locked cabinet, away from the

reach of small children.• Designate a “kid-free

zone.” Keep children at least three feet away from any area where hot food or drink is being prepared or carried, such as an oven, stove, grill or turkey fryer.

• Teach stop, drop and roll. Show children how to crawl

low on the floor, below the smoke, to get out of the house and to stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch fire.

• Get fire alarms. Equip your home with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual-sensor smoke alarms,

See Safety, Pg. 15C

Mount PleasantFire Department

Larry McRae

Fire Chief


Danny Beard

Captain

Length of service: 27years

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Mount Pleasant Fire Department stresses training and cooperationFrom Sta� Reports

In keeping with its past, Mount Pleasant Fire Department remains committed to advanced � re� ghter training — both internally and for volunteer personnel with sur-rounding area departments — longtime MPFD Fire Chief Larry McRae says.

Heading up the city’s � re� ght-ing unit since 1984, McRae said the department takes special pride in its ongoing training programs, and maintaining e� ective working relationships with smaller volun-teer units scattered across Titus County and some in adjoining counties.

Training, cooperation and com-munication are essential compo-nents of all e� ective � re� ghting and emergency response organi-zations, he said.

McRae said MPFD continually

renews its commitment to train-ing volunteers. A key segment of its training programs centers on brush and grass � res, which are among the most common emer-gency calls the department re-ceives.

MPFD � re� ghters, both paid and volunteer, are trained in all aspects of � re� ghting, rescue, and HazMat situations and many are trained in emergency medicine, o� cials said.

Today, the department has two stations: Central Fire Station at 728 E. Ferguson Road, and 1902 N. Je� erson Ave.

Central Fire Station equipment includes the chief ’s truck; one engine; one rescue-engine; one tanker; one command post; two grass-brush trucks; one command vehicle; and one air trailer.

Fire Station No. 2 equipment includes includes one engine; one

quint engine; two grass-brush trucks; one command vehicle; one boat (includes trailer); and one plow (includes truck and trailer).

� e Mount Pleasant Fire De-partment was organized in De-cember 1903, with 25 charter members. � e last surviving origi-nal member, G.A. Mount, died in 1974.

� e motto adopted at the de-partment’s inception - “When duty calls, ‘tis ours to obey” - is still adhered to today.

MPFD’s � rst � re hose was car-ried in a hand-pulled cart between 1903 and 1908, and was transport-ed by a horse-drawn wagon dur-ing 1908 and 1915, when the � rst truck was purchased.

� e 1915-model Brockway, a chain-driven vehicle, was deliv-ered in the most basic, no-frills condition. Volunteers later � tted the truck with brass headlights

and decorated it with a new paint job - right down to its wooden-spoke wheels.

� e � rst pumper was replaced by a 1929 Seagraves, and in 1938 the department took delivery of a 1936 Ford truck equipped with a Boyer 500-gallon-per-minute pump.

� e MPFD still owns that equip-ment and it is rolled out regularly on special occasions.

� e department was all-vol-unteer until 1933, when the � rst paid driver, Carl Huckabee, was employed. In 1949, a second paid driver was added.

� e city appointed its � rst full-time, paid � re chief (Rex A. Mars) in 1968 while adding seven full-time, paid � re� ghters.

Drue Dees was appointed � re chief in 1978, and was followed by Ta� Nelson in 1981. Current chief McRae was appointed in 1984. Fire Chief Larry McRae

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Tri-Lakes VFD

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To all First Responders in our area.Your dedication to serve our

community is truly commendable.

TRIBUNE Photo by Annette White

Lieutenant Jerry Babson of Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department hangs the new sign at the Win� eld substation.

Tri-Lakes VFD welcomes new recruits, earns high ISO ratingBy ANNETTE WHITE

Tribune Sta� Writer

With the acquisition of the Winfield substation, Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department members have been working diligently to train new volun-teers and make changes to the newly acquired substation.

Fire chief Jerry Ward said the next week will be focused on getting equipment moved to the Winfield substation, as well as placing new signs and training new volunteers.

Five of the new volunteers spent last week training at Mount Pleasant Fire Depart-ment. From 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tuesday through Thurs-day recruits ran drills, handled equipment, and learned the steps necessary to enter the world of firefighting.

Ward also said that since last year the Blodgett substation has included a first responders team to medical calls.

According to Ward, the five miles surrounding the Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Depart-

ment in the Blodgett area has an ISO rating of six, the best rating of all Titus County fire departments.

An ISO rating is assessed for every fire department. Many factors can affect a department’s score, including training hours per volunteer, fire hydrants in the surrounding city or town, and the type of equipment used by the department. Ward said everyone at Tri-Lakes worked very hard to put everything to-gether that was needed to earn the rating.

“It comes down to if you live five miles from the Blodgett substation you need to call your insurance company, because you could save some money on your home insurance,” Ward said.

Ward also said that he is grateful to everyone who helped earn that rating, but that with all the new people on the team, the department was going to re-focus on training.

“We need to start back at step one,” Ward said. “We need to crawl before we walk.”

Sugar Hill VFDJerry Clark

Fire Chief

Length of service:12 years

Michelle Clark

Assistant Fire Chief/Treasurer of the Board


Larry Hearron

Captain


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Sugar Hill VFD institutes auxiliaryFrom Sta� Reports

Community members recently formed an auxiliary group to further support the Sugar Hill Volunteer Fire Department. Of-� cers for the group are Michelle Clark, President; Nelda Logan, Vice President; and Gale House,

Secretary-Treasurer. The Sugar Hill Volunteer

Fire Department, established in 2000, serves a district en-compassing 66 square miles in Northeast Titus County. The department operates a Type 2 Engine, a Mobile Air Command trailer, two Type 6 brush trucks,

and a rescue truck, and recently added a support truck designat-ed to pull the air trailer. The de-partment’s mobile air command unit is dispatched to all struc-ture fires throughout the city and county and provides rehab services to all firefighters.

In the last year the depart-

ment answered 152 emergency calls, including 24 medical calls. Fire Chief Jerry Clark was de-ployed to Athens in Henderson County as part of the Incident Command Team from Northeast Texas along with Mount Pleas-ant Fire Chief Larry McRae and other MPFD officers.

The SHFVD and other Titus County VFD members provide fire protection for the annual Talco Fourth of July celebration.

Additional community ser-vices provided by the depart-ment this year included add-ing reflective address signs to mailbox posts and participat-

ing in Kid Safe day. Currently, firefighters are

working to place emergency information forms in every home. The forms, which list medical information, contacts, and more, will provide first responders with vital informa-tion in case of an emergency.

Fire Wise program helps residents prepare for wild� resAs much as we would like to

deny the possibility that a wild� re can happen here, we have to be honest and see the world as it is, not as we would wish it to be.

But there is help available. A program from the National

Forest Service in conjunction with the Texas Forest Service can help you prepare for the worst if a wild-� re threatens your home.

Fire Wise is a program that helps individuals, communities and towns prepare for the onslaught of a wild� re.

For homeowners, a wild� re is one of the forces of nature that can wipe out everything a family has within minutes.

� e Fire Wise program can cut residence losses and help lower insurance costs if a community works together to earn the title of a “Fire Wise Community.”

First, a short general test to � nd out how vulnerable your home may be in the event of a wild� re:

• If your land is fl at, give your-self one point.

• If your land is on a gentle slope, give yourself three points.

• If your land is on a steep slope, give yourself � ve points.

Next question: if the vegetation

within 30 feet of your home is: • Grass with open space, give

yourself one point.• Mature oak/pine, give yourself

two points.• Medium undergrowth, give

yourself three points.• Heavy undergrowth, give

yourself � ve points. � e third question asks about

your roof:• If the roof is fi berglass, tile,

metal, and so forth, give yourself one point.

• If the roof is composition, give yourself three points.

• If the roof is wood, give your-self � ve points.

Add one point each if any of the following conditions exist at your home:

• You have an open wood deck or porch

• You have a house on stilts.• You have natural wood siding.• You have combustible materi-

als (shrubs, stacked � rewood, etc.) next to the house.

� e lower the score, the better you might fare in a wild� re.

So, if you scored three points, your home can be considered a low risk from wild� re.

From four to six points, your

home becomes a medium risk. Seven to 10 points and your

home becomes a high risk for loss.

If you scored 11 or more points, your home becomes an extreme risk.

You can change your vulnera-bility and make your home much safer, but you have to do it now and not when the � re is raging to-ward you.

It will mean altering what many people believe are the things that make a home attractive.

You can’t change the actual lay of the land where your home is situated, but you can remove all the dead vegetation- trees, grass, pine needles - from around your home.

Living vegetation such as shrubs need to be removed or placed away from the home by at least 10 feet.

If you have mulch in your plant beds, remove it and replace it with gravel.

Trim all trees away from the house and its roof by at least 10 feet.

Stack all � rewood at least 30 feet from the house.

You can up the protection ante

by removing high risk roo� ng materials and replacing them with low risk materials.

� ese are just a few of the mea-sures you can take to make your home safer in the event of a wild-� re in this area.

But understand, no one is promising that any of this will ac-tually guarantee your home will not burn.

So, just as in the case of a tor-nado, you also need to prepare an emergency kit and an emergency evacuation plan.

� ese suggestions, and many more, are available on the Inter-net at www.� rewise.org.

Or you can call your local for-estry agent or � re department for more information.

Just remember, if you’re skep-

tical about these suggestions or think your house will be ugly as all get out if you take out the shrubs and cut back the trees, that with grass and coastal vegetation as a fuel source, a wild� re can have 45-foot fl ames and destroy 3,000 acres as it travels at an estimated � ve point � ve miles an hour.

Can every member of your family run that fast?

which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sen-sors.

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement.

• Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Tell them what to do when the alarm sounds.

• Create and routinely practice an escape plan. Plan two ways to

exit each room in the home and establish a central meeting place outside the home.

For more information and to order free materials, visit www.iabpff.org.

Safety From page 8C

Talco VFDRandy Carroll

Chief


Randy Pitts

First Captain


Nathan Carroll

Second Captain


R. C. Pitts

Third Captain


Ryan Case

Lieutenant/Reporter


Chris ShirleyLieutenant/

Training Offi cer/EMS


Wade Allen

Firefi ghter/EMS


Clarence Watts

Firefi ghter


Randy Winniford

Training Offi cer


Chad White

Firefi ghter


Justin Bryan

Firefi ghter


Lisa Carroll

EMS


Jennifer Boyd

EMS


Samuel Ross

Third Captain


Ron Parker

Fire Fighter


Eric Hall

Fire Fighter


Randy Hollis

Assistant Chief


Lance Tedford

Firefi ghter


Michael Mars

Lieutenant/Administrator


Ryan Winniford

Firefi ghter/EMS


Jerry Boyd

Firefi ghter


Torie Carroll

EMS


J. R. Shaver

Fire Fighter


Texas Forest ServiceBrian Pope

Regional Forester


Chris Rhoades

Firest Resource Specialist III


Kevin Matthews

Forest Resource Specialist IV




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Texas Parks andWildlife Department

Terri Potts

Captain

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Mary Catherine Alexander

Administrative Technician III

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Amber Davis

Staff Service Offi cer

19 years TPWD

Anita Woods

Administrative Technician IV


Darrell Grubbs

Executive Director

5 yrs TCFWSD

Texas Forest Service Cont.

Titus County FreshwaterSupply District Lake Patrol

Judy Barton

Administrative Assistant

8 yrs TCFWSD

Darthie Anderson

Assistant Executive Director

27 yrs TCFWSD

Johnny Prater

Chief of Police

14 yrs TCFWSD

Nick Fierro

Lieutenenant3 yrs TCFWSD

Ray Hill

Patrol Offi cer

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Tyler Shumate

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Salvador Machado

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Fire season in West expected to get more intense GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -

Despite widespread drought in the West and expectations of an above-average wild� re sea-son, wild� res have burned less than half the 10-year average area so far this summer.

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said Wednesday that large-ly has been a matter of luck, with the hot windy weather known as “red � ag” days not lining up with the lighting strikes that start most

� res, particularly in California.But that is changing, he said

from Washington, D.C. Eighteen large � res were burning in the Northwest with intensities not normally seen until August.

With only about $1 billion budgeted for � ghting wild� res, the Forest Service expects by late August to once again have to tap other funds, such as forest thin-ning projects, to continue � ghting � res as the season goes on into the

fall, Tidwell said. Last year, that amount was $500 million.

“If we can stop a � re from com-ing into a community, we will stop it,” he said. “Cost is just an out-come. It isn’t what drives our ac-tions. What drives our actions is safe, e� ective suppression tactics.”

� e largest wild� res — 1 per-cent of blazes across the country each season — take up 30 percent of wild� respending. � e Obama administration has proposed

changing the way those � res are paid for, tapping Federal Emer-gency Management Agency disas-ter funds rather than taking from other programs within agency budgets, said Jim Douglas, direc-tor of the Department of Interior O� ce of Wildland Fire.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and others have � led legislation to do the same thing. Wyden said the current situation makes matters worse by curtailing programs like

forest thinning that will reduce fu-ture � re danger.

Meanwhile, the Union of Con-cerned Scientists released a report warning climate change is con-tributing to longer and larger � re seasons, and e� orts to protect new homes in forests are driving up � re� ghting costs and risks.

� e report suggested making local governments responsible for more of the � re� ghting costs now born by the states and the federal

government. � at would give local governments an incentive to allow fewer homes in areas with high � re risks.

Overall, wild� res have burned 2,471 square miles across the na-tion this summer, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. � e 10-year av-erage for this date is 6,016 square miles.

Fires ignited by lightning about See Season, Pg. 19C

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John HamptonEMT-Paramedic21 years TRMC EMS

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Gloria CooperEMT-Paramedic3 years TRMC EMS

Length of EMS Total: 3 years

John DeatonEMT-Paramedic34 years TRMC EMS


Mike WesternEMT-Paramedic29 years TRMC EMS


Colton HouseEMT-Dispatcher1 year TRMC EMS

Length of EMS total: 1 year

Trevor BarnettEMT-Paramedic1 year TRMC EMS

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Richard TeagueEMT- Paramedic8 years TRMC EMS


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10 days ago have burned across 1,394 square miles of timber and rangeland in Washington and Oregon. They have de-stroyed more than 150 homes, most of them in Washington, according to the Northwest In-teragency Coordination Center in Portland. One man died of a heart attack defending his home in Washington.

Another series of thunder-storms across the region Tues-day and Wednesday produced rain and cooler temperatures that have helped fire crews in-crease containment of the fires. But the weather also produced more than 20,000 lightning strikes that resulted in at least eight new small fires in Wash-ington, and 25 in Oregon, ac-

cording to the Portland center.Arizona, California, Idaho

and Nevada each had one large fire burning, and Utah had four, the Idaho fire center reported.

In the spring, the fire center predicted a busy wildfire sea-son in Southern California, New Mexico and Arizona, ex-panding into Northern Califor-nia and southern Oregon later

in the year.Things got off to a blazing

start in May in Arizona and Southern California. Dozens of fires around San Diego forced tens of thousands of people to flee, burned 36 homes and caused $20 million in damages. In northern Arizona, 300 people evacuated in the path of a fire that burned through 33 square

miles, costing more than $10 million to fight.

Since then, weather has been making it tough for big fires to get going, said Ed Delgado, head of predictive services for the fire center. Plenty of fires are start-ing, but timely arrival of cool, moist air and even rain often has slowed their spread.

“The kicker is going to be the

next six weeks,” said John Glenn, chief of fire operations for the U.S. Bureau of Land Manage-ment in Boise. “We definitely have the potential (for more fires) in California, in the Pacif-ic Northwest, and the northern Great Basin, which includes Ne-vada, southern Idaho and Utah. Those areas we will be watching really close.”

Season From page 17C

Chief Wayne Isbell

MPPD expands services, adds innovationsBy LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

Since coming on board as po-lice chief in the spring of 2012, Wayne Isbell has been constantly on the lookout for areas that need improvement, and ways to achieve those improvements.

Through keeping abreast of grant opportunities and tech-nological innovations, Isbell has introduced a number of new pro-grams and personnel during the past 12 months.

Among them has been the im-plementation of a Victims Assis-tance Coordinator. Melissa Horton came on board last fall through a two-year grant Isbell secured from the state attorney general’s office.

Before then, active duty officers were tasked with reaching out to victims when they were struck by crimes such as domestic violence, assaults and robberies

“We were doing a poor job,” Is-bell said. “We were failing to reach out to all the victims.”

Horton, who worked previously for another social service agency, helps victims get the services they need and shepherds them through the bureaucracy.

For example, she can get the

victims of domestic violence and their families into a shelter and show them how to get protective orders and counseling.

She can also walk them through the process of going through the criminal justice system, Isbell said.

“Victim and social service agen-cies are overwhelmed, but she helps the victims help themselves,” he said. “Sometime it’s as simple as getting transportation for an ap-pointment or a court hearing.”

Horton also helps the victims of violent crime secure help to pay for their medical bills.

“She’s been doing a fabulous job; now all our crime victims are getting help of some kind,” Isbell said.

The money for the two-year grant originates from the federal government and is disbursed by the state. The position is funded until Aug. 31, 2015.

Isbell says he will apply for a grant again then.

Another recent innovation is a technological improvement, an Automatic License Plate Recogni-tion system.

The ALPR was implemented this past spring. A camera on a pa-trol vehicle can “read” the license

plates it sees pass by and check them against a data base of out-standing traffic warrants.

A state data base of traffic cita-tions, which includes the license plate number of the violators, is updated daily, Isbell said.

That enables the ALPR to check to see if a traffic stop might be war-ranted.

“It’s a tool, but it can be useful to determine if an officer wants to make contact with a vehicle,” Isbell said.

For example, if there is a “hit” but the citation is for a male driver and a woman is behind the wheel, the officer wouldn’t stop the ve-hicle, he said.

The state data base only includes records that include vehicle licens-es, he notes, such as for stolen ve-hicles. It does not include all crime or felonies.

Nevertheless, it is helping clear up back traffic citations and re-lated warrants, such as failure to appear, Isbell said.

In this case, Isbell said he was able to pay for the system with seized money in the asset forfei-ture fund.


Courtesy Photo

The officers from the UT-El Paso campus – David Falin (left) and Jesse Ramirez (right – flank the members of the MPPD who underwent training to become bi-cyel patro, officers, from left: Sgt. Namor Smith, Officer Jeromy Hughes, Officer Ashton Lewis, Sgt. Travis Nichols, Cpl. Jarrett Mitchell, and Officer Cory Fox.

Latest twist on crime fighting – bicyclesBy LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

Fighting crime in Mount Pleas-ant is synonymous with fighting drugs, according to Police Chief Wayne Isbell.

Drugs are the nexus of most criminal activity, included domes-tic violence, assaults, robberies and property crime, he said.

The key to battling the drug trade has been forging partner-ships with other law enforcement agencies, to pool resources and cross boundaries.

Isbell said the cooperation be-tween the MPPD and the TCSO, as well as with the local DPS, re-mains strong.

In addition, he said other al-liances have been made recently with both federal and state agen-cies, although he preferred to keep their names confidential.

These efforts have paid off. So

far this year crime overall has dropped 15 percent compared to the same time last year.

Traffic enforcement efforts have been equally effective. Accident reports are down 19 percent so far this year.

His latest effort to increase pa-trols and visibility starts this week with the implementation of bicy-cle patrols. Officers spent 40 hours last week training with two officers from the UT-El Paso campus po-lice.

Isbell said with more events being held in downtown Mount Pleasant, officers on bicycles will be able to better move around at special events. He also said they will be better able to negotiate the city’s parks.

The training was free. Bicycle officers with the UT-El Paso police department are willing to travel and offer the instruction during the summer, when the campus is

quiet, Isbell said.All we had to pay is their travel

and per diem,” Isbell said.A half dozen MPPD officers

volunteered for the training, which was done locally. They will be equipped with bicycles, which they can carry along in their regu-lar patrol vehicles.

Isbell said bicycles patrols will be scheduled sporadically as needed, but the officers who have been trained will always have the opportunity to use their bicycles while on patrol if they feel it is needed.

He pointed out that bicycle pa-trols are not new to Mount Pleas-ant, and had been tried in the past – again, especially in the down-town area – but had been discon-tinued by the time he became chief in 2012.


Courtesy Photo

The first class of graduates from the Clergy and Police Alliance (CAPA).

New program puts clergy on patrolBy LOU ANTONELLI

Managing Editor

The Mount Pleasant Police De-partment and Titus County Sher-iff ’s Office joined forces earlier this year to create a Clergy and Police Alliance civilian police academy.

The program is designed to en-gage the faith-based community into the law enforcements com-munity policing concept.

The CAPA program is a unique ministerial opportunity, said Chief Wayne Isbell.

“CAPA members and their or-ganizations are called upon to pray for their police and sheriff ’s departments members, to be in-tentional in the building of rela-tionships with police officers and other governmental officials, be available on a voluntary basis and ride with officers and deputies on patrol to view and evaluate com-munity issues, and be available for crisis interaction involving our community members with follow-up ministerial services,” he said.

Clergy volunteers from Ti-tus County and Mount Pleasant went through specialized training. CAPA members ride with a police officer or deputies and are avail-able on the streets with officers for community interaction with follow-up ministerial services of-fered to those in need and those who violate the law.

“Both Chief Isbell and I have long recognized that clergy and their congregations are an abundant and dynamic community resource in our community,” Sheriff Tim In-gram said. “Our goal with the CAPA program is to involve churches of every faith and denomination in the City of Mount Pleasant and Titus County.”

“We believe a Clergy and Police Alliance program is a natural exten-sion of each of our Department’s community policing philosophy. This is a great opportunity for both law enforcement and ministers to come together and work hand in hand to solve our community prob-lems,” Isbell said.

Pastors and clergy members at-tended a special 18-hour training course in January and February conducted by both agencies which was similar to a Citizen Police Acad-emy.

The six-week class educated pas-tors and clergy in the inner-work-ings of a law enforcement agency and the Criminal Justice System.

Participants received classroom and “hands on” training in the ar-eas of hate crimes, family violence, sex crimes, homicide investigation, traffic enforcement, narcotics, com-munications, officer use of force, internal affairs investigations, high risk incident command issues, law, and various other topics related to law enforcement.

Isbell said the benefits of this program include providing calm in crisis situations to prevent an escala-tion to violence; offering support to victims; assisting in situations where a minister is requested or needed; relaying factual law enforcement information back to their congre-gations and community neighbor-hoods related to criminal justice issues; assisting law enforcement in non-traditional roles; and respond-ing in disaster situations.

The clergymen who go out on pa-trol with officers have already proven their worth. They provide excellent outreach to the community, Isbell said. In many cases, they are the best way to reach the individuals in the churches.

“They help start a conversation and educate people, who will listen to them,” Isbell said.

Isbell said he thinks the program in Mount Pleasant is especially effec-tive “because we are a more religious community.”

The clergymen’s spiritual counsel-ing is also important, especially for people caught in the cycle of vio-lence and drug addition

“When you see a pastor and a suspect on their knees on the side of the road as he prays for him before we take him to jail, that gets to you,” Isbell said.


Northeast Police Academy accepting applicationsFrom NTCC Reports

The Northeast Police Academy at Northeast Texas Community College will offer both day and evening acad-emy options this fall. Both programs will be held in the state-of-the-art criminal justice facility on the main NTCC campus.

The 17-week daytime fast-track academy will begin on Aug. 25. Courses meet from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This inten-sive program is the fastest route to becoming a certified peace officer.

The evening academy begins on Sept. 29 and runs through May 8, 2015. Classes meet from 5-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every first and third Saturday

This program is designed for work-ing adults who may not have time to complete the daytime academy.

Both programs provide students with all of the training needed to prepare them for certification as a Basic Peace Officer in the state of Texas.

“We are looking for dedicated, hard-working men and women who want to begin a career as opposed to just having a job. Law enforcement is a very rewarding field that gives you the chance to help better your community,” Richard Jones, North-east Police Academy Director, said.

The Northeast Police Academy is licensed by the Texas Commission On Law Enforcement (TCOLE). Stu-dents will receive hands-on training to ensure that graduates possess the required skills, training, experience and self-confidence to succeed in a career in law enforcement. Those enrolled in the evening academy will receive continuing education credit through NTCC, which is not trans-

ferable toward a certificate or degree. Students who wish to pursue a degree or credit certificate should plan to at-tend the daytime Northeast Police Academy that will begin in January.

In order to be considered for ac-ceptance into the Northeast Police Academy, students must be a high school or GED graduate, be at least 21 years of age, have not been con-victed of an offense above a Class C misdemeanor and must have no felony convictions.

Students who are under 21 may be admitted if they have complet-ed 60 hours of college instruction or an associate’s degree. Students must also complete an application, psychological exam, physical exam and a criminal history background check.

For more information about Northeast Police Academy, contact Jones at 903-434-8206.

NTTC Courtesy Photo

A former police academy cadet completes firearm training in NTCC’s state-of-the-art indoor shooting range.


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Official: Hospital gunman intended to kill others MEDIA, Pa. (AP) - A psychia-

trist’s patient ranted about a gun ban at a suburban medical complex before opening fire there, killing his caseworker and grazing his psy-chiatrist before the doctor pulled out his own weapon and fired back, authorities said Friday.

Dr. Lee Silverman emptied his gun’s chamber, striking patient Richard Plotts several times, Dela-ware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said. Plotts by then had shot the caseworker in the face and

fired several shots at Silverman, in-cluding one that grazed his temple and another that struck his thumb, he said.

Plotts had 39 unspent bullets on him when he was wrestled to the ground at Mercy Fitzgerald Hos-pital in Darby, just southwest of Philadelphia, and police believe he had planned to use them.

“If the doctor did not have a firearm, (and) the doctor did not utilize the firearm, he’d be dead to-day, and I believe that other people

in that facility would also be dead,” Whelan said.

Plotts was sedated but in stable condition after surgery Thursday for his gunshot wounds, police said. They expected to arraign him at his Philadelphia hospital bedside on Friday, charging him with murder in the death of caseworker Barbara Hunt and other crimes.

Plotts doesn’t have a listed home number, and it was unclear if he has relatives in the area.

Hospital policy bars anyone ex-

cept on-duty law enforcement of-ficers from carrying weapons on campus, said a Mercy Health Sys-tem spokeswoman, who otherwise declined to discuss the report that Silverman was armed at work.

The hospital said Friday it was thankful for the “brave and difficult action” taken by Silverman and his colleagues. It said he remains a full member of the medical staff and “we look forward to Dr. Silverman’s return to serving patients at our hospital.”

Plotts had complained to Sil-verman previously about the gun policy.

Whelan said he believes Silver-man, not Hunt, was Plotts’ target. He said that when the caseworker was shot, Silverman crouched down behind a desk to avoid being shot also.

“He was able to reach for his weapon, and realizing it was a life-or-death situation, was able to en-gage the defendant in the exchange of gunfire,” Whelan said.

The struggle spilled into the hall-way, where another doctor and a caseworker jumped in to help Sil-

verman and secure Plotts’ weapon, Whelan said.

Police in Upper Darby, where Plotts lived, were aware of at least three mental health commitments - including once after he cut his wrists and once when he threatened suicide - but said such stays can last just one to three days. Whelan said Plotts had spent time in a mental health facility, but he did not dis-cuss any potential diagnosis.

Plotts also had at least four gun arrests, along with assault and drug charges, according to police and court records. And he has been barred from at least one residential shelter because of his violent his-tory, Upper Darby police Superin-tendent Michael Chitwood said.

“The caseworkers and the doc-tors and the catchment centers — they know who violent individuals are, because they’re frequent fliers,” Chitwood said. “And the system is not geared toward keeping these people housed somewhere until they start to be better. So you put whole communities at risk.”

Cathy Nickel, a neighbor at Plotts’ last known address, an apart-

ment complex in Upper Darby, saw a caseworker move him out of the building about a year ago. As he was taken away in a van, she said, he yelled, “You haven’t heard the end of me!”

Plotts showed up at the hospital about 1:30 p.m. Thursday, nearly an hour early, for the appointment with Silverman, who had last seen him six weeks ago. Silverman called Hunt to say their patient had ar-rived.

Colleagues heard arguing during the closed-door session and saw Plotts aiming a gun at Silverman when they peaked inside, authori-ties said. They quietly backed out and called 911. The shooting soon began, just before 2:30 p.m.

Silverman told police he was at his desk, behind a computer screen, when Plotts pulled a gun from his waistband and killed Hunt. The psychiatrist ducked behind a chair, pulled his gun from his pocket and fired off six or seven shots, authori-ties said.

Silverman was recuperating at home Friday. His wife said he did not want to discuss the shooting.

AP Photo

A police officer carries his weapon near the scene of a shooting at the Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pa. on Thursday. A prosecutor said a gunman opened fire inside the psychiatric unit leaving one hospital employee dead and a second injured before being critically wounded himself.

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