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Incoming Lamar County Sheriff Scott Cass (right) welcomes in longtime former Paris Police Department narcotics department supervisor Jeff Springer, whom he named on Monday to be his chief deputy. (eParisExtra photo by Charles Richards)
By CHARLES RICHARDS
eParisExtra.com
Incoming Lamar County sheriff Scott Cass on Monday announced a command staff of eight officers – including Jeff Springer, longtime Paris Police Department narcotics officer, as his chief deputy.
“I have chosen a good chief deputy. I wanted a hard worker, someone with good character and integrity, someone approachable, someone highly trained,” Cass said.
“We worked so many cases together over the years and just forged a good working relationship,” the new sheriff said of Springer, who has 33 years of experience, most of it with the Paris Police Department, whom he served for a dozen years as supervisor of the narcotics division. He was also the department’s expert in crime scene, blood spatter and fingerprints.
Springer retired last March from the police department. Since then, he had been ranching with his father near Roxton in southwest Lamar County.
“When he got ready to run for sheriff, he told me, ‘Now, don’t you get used to retirement. When I get elected, you’recoming to work for me.’ I liked retirement. I liked getting up and playing with the cows. But the more I thought about it, the more the idea appealed to me,” Springer said.
Cass announced his top staff late Monday morning, about 12 hours before County Clerk Kathy Marlowe would swear him in as Lamar County’s new sheriff in a midnight ceremony, as 2012 turned into 2013.
Cass, 49, served with outgoing Sheriff Sheriff B.J. McCoy for all of McCoy’s 20 years as sheriff, including the past 13 years as chief deputy.
He defeated longtime DPS law enforcement officer Johnny Williams in the Republican Primary last May and had no opposition in the November General Election.
Cass’s new command staff has 183 years of law enforcement experience:
“Calls for service hit an impressive low over the weekend with only 80 calls for service being answered by Paris police officers,” stated Police Chief Bob Hundley this morning. ”That low activity didn’t balance with arrests as 20 people were taken into custody over the weekend.”
Six of those people were arrested for municipal court warrants, four were arrested for public intoxication, one for DWI, one for mental evaluation, two on drug related charges, two on theft charges, one for a parole violation warrant, one for disorderly conduct, one for evading arrest, and one for robbery.
According to Chief Hundley, the robbery charge was a result of a suspect stealing over $250 worth of property and then striking an employee while trying to elude capture. Roger Lind, 22, of Paris, was charged with felony robbery.
Investigation into a robbery that took place near an ATM machine at a local bank is ongoing. The victim reported that she withdrew money at the ATM and pulled forward to allow another vehicle access to the machine. When doing so, she was approached by an unknown subject who took her money.
The robbery took place around 4:30 PM Saturday afternoon and was reported to officers at 11:39 PM. The suspect was described a black male dressed in black clothing, 6 foot and 185 pounds.
In another robbery over the weekend, according to police, a business was burglarized at 3850 Lamar. Unknown suspects forced their way into a rear door to gain entry into the business and removed cash from an office. Investigation is continuing.
Stanley Wayne Caviness, 79, of Paris, passed away Friday, December 28, 2012.
Services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2nd at Bright-Holland Funeral Home with Rev. Billy Norris officiating and honors provided by the Paris Police Department. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service. The family will have a meal at Southside Baptist Church before the visitation, and Faye would like family and friends to join her there.
Mr. Caviness, the son of Jack & Ruby Payne Caviness, was born Oct. 6, 1933, in Lamar County.
He attended Powderly schools and then entered the military serving in the U. S. Army during the Korean Conflict. After his military service he worked at the Coca Cola Plant and at Ford’s Market before beginning his career with the Paris Police Department. He retired from the police department as a sergeant following 30 years & 7 months service. He was a member of Southside Baptist Church and the Paris Masonic Lodge.
His parents, a sister, Lois Payne & a brother, Jessie Caviness preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Faye Tomblin Caviness, a daughter, Karen Mitcham of Huffman, grandchildren, Johnny Grant of Huffman and Alisha Self & husband Jared of Conroe, great grandchildren, Colby Grant of Huffman and Lexi Self of Conroe, a sister, Martha Daughtrey of Denton along with several nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.
Casket bearers will be: Jearl Gibson, Art Jones, Fred Fangio, Thomas Roach, Bob Childres and Larry Hughes. Honorary bearers will be: Jack Shepherd, Mack Stephens and the coffee drinkers at McDonald’s.
To leave a message or tribute for the family please visit www.brighthollandfuneralhome.com.
Margaret May Duke Spray, 91, of Paris, died at 10:15 AM, Thursday, December 27, 2012 at DubuisHospital. Funeral services are set for 10:00 AM, Monday, December 31, 2012 at Covenant Christian Church with Dr. Stephen Russell and Rev. Diana Russell officiating. The family will receive friends from 9:00 AM until service time prior to the service at the church. Fry & Gibbs Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.
Margaret was born September 11, 1921 in Bonham, Texas to Jesse and Elizabeth Boatner. She graduated from high school and received her nursing training at St. Paul’s Hospital in Dallas. She married Henry G. Duke who preceded her in death. Mrs. Spray was an executive secretary for Northwest Oil Company in Dallas for 25 years and following her move to Paris, worked as a United States Census Taker. She was a founding member of Covenant Christian Church.
She is survived by a son, Richard M. Duke of Bradenton, Florida; four grandchildren, Tiffany Michelle Lehman and husband, Jason of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Bryan Michael Duke of Houston, Geoffrey Duke, and Gregory Duke of Dallas; four great-grandchildren, Madisyn Michelle Lehman, Jackson Broderick Lehman, Owen Chance Lehman, and Colson Thomas Lehman. She was preceded in death by one son, Russell Warren Duke; one sister; and five brothers.
Online condolences may be made to Mrs. Spray’s family by visiting www.fry-gibbs.com.
Shirley Jo Whitten Miller, 92 formerly of Paris, passed away Saturday, December 29, 2012 in McKinney, Texas.
Funeral services have been planned for Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. at Fry-Gibbs Funeral Home with Rev. Ken Cannon officiating. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time at the funeral home.
She was born on January 21, 1920 to Joe Whitten and Laura Isabel Gates Whitten. She taught school in Lamar County Public Schools and worked in the Rail Transportation Office at Camp Maxey during World War II. She was office manager for Harold Hodges Insurance for many years and was a case worker for the Department of Human Services and transferred to the Social Security office and retired after 16 years of federal service. She was a member of C’est LaVie Luncheon club, Modern Study Club and was a member of First Baptist Church of Paris.
She loved to cook and share the food as well as her recipes with everyone.
She married Eldon Miller on January 23, 1943. They had one daughter Judy Miller Linck. Eldon preceded her in death on August 2, 1999.
She is survived by son in law, Pete Linck of McKinney, Texas; grandson, Cary Linck and wife Tracy; great-grandkids Carter and Abigail all of McKinney; sister, Rebecca Malone; nephews, Tommy Whitten and wife Linda, Mike Malone all of Paris, Mike Miller and wife Brenda of Mt. Herman, LA; niece, Patti Smith and husband Brad of Houston.
In addition to her husband of 56 years she was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, John Paul Whitten and James Whitten and daughter Judy Miller Linck.
Pallbearers will be Bobby Ray Walters, Walter Cooper, Jimmy Moore, Tommy Whitten, Mike Malone, Mike Miller.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the First Baptist Church of Paris Building Fund.
Online condolences may be sent to the Miller family at www.fry-gibbs.com
Anthony Pettit Barnes, 42, Public Intoxication
David Joe Black, 46, Public Intoxication
Sharon Denise Campbell, 52, Failure to Appear (Bond), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Public Intoxication
Aaron Kyle Carcuffe, 26, Assault, Fail to Maintain Financial Responsibility, Expired Motor Vehicle Registration
Norma Council, 35, Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility
Caressa Desiray Dawson, 22, Theft of Property >=$20 <$500, Seat Belt Violation, Seat Belt/Child Safety, Driving While License Invalid, Failure to Display DL, Failure to Appear (Non-Traffic)
Daniel Bryan Farrow, 23, Speeding
Billy Dewayne Foster, 21, Parole Violation Warrant
Jody Paul Haagensen, 33, Disorderly Conduct
Jacquelyn Kay Hill, 46, Public Intoxication
Roger Gaylen Lind, 22, Robbery
James Ray Morphew, 25, Driving w/ License Invalid, Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility, Violate Promise to Appear, Failure to Appear (Non-Traffic)
Stephen Andrew Nicholson, 18, Possession of Marijuana <2OZ
Colbey Hunter Rhodes, 19, Theft of Property >=$20 <$500
Roscoe Renard Ryan, 37, Public Intoxication
Shannon Malissa Seat, 30, Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility, Motor Vehicle Inspection, Failure to Display DL
Samuel Jerome Sneed, 28, Public Intoxication
William James Tillery, 39, Public Intoxication
Michael Scott Walker, 42, Evading Arrest/Detention with Vehicle
Abbie Michelle Whitaker, 25, Theft of Property >=$50 <$500
Kaimbri Blayne White, 21, Driving While Intoxicated
R3bi board member Greg Wilson, left, and Director Hank Betke, back, present a $15,000 check to Eric and Melissa Taylor of TMPS from the incubator’s revolving loan fund. Also pictured are the Taylors’ children, Ethan, Braxton and Preston.
Taylor Mechanical & Piping Solutions LLC plans to add more jobs in the new year, thanks largely to a loan from the Red River Region Business Incubator.
R3bi has approved $15,000 from the incubator’s revolving loan fund. For company owners Eric and Melissa Taylor, the fund means continued success and more employees. TMPS is a resident client of the incubator.
“This funding will give us the opportunity to hire two additional employees to our crew of three full-time and two part-time employees,” Eric Taylor said. “The positions will not be filled immediately but will be coming up in the next month or so.”
The loan committee recognized that TMPS has an outstanding business model, strong financials, and provides a service that is in high demand, Executive Director Hank Betke said.
“This is why R3bi exists,” said Betke. “We are here to help businesses increase their chances of survival during the crucial early startup phase.”
The nature of TMPS’ business is such that there is typically a long gap between work completion and when major industrial customers issue payments. The revolving loan fund helps bridge that gap, allowing TMPS to continue to pay wages to newly hired employees, purchase inventory and equipment, and pay travel expenses and overhead until they begin receiving payments on accounts receivable.
“It’s great to have this type of funding available,” Melissa Taylor said. “Tenants from R3bi have access to a board of experienced business consultants, all their office needs, and now funding assistance if needed. It is a great tool for the tenants as well as R3bi.”
TMPS’ business plan also won the company $10,000 in the R3bi 2012 Business Plan Competition.
TMPS’ loan is the first from the revolving loan fund. It was established through a $50,000 Rural Business Development Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Red River Region Business Incubator.
“The R3bi revolving loan fund helps startup and early-stage local businesses to obtain financing and credit for working capital, infrastructure, or equipment they might not be able to borrow from traditional lending institutions,” Betke said.
Only R3bi virtual and resident clients are eligible to receive funding through the program.
“As a start-up business, even with our success, our company is just too new to gain access to capital from traditional lending sources,” Melissa Taylor said. “What makes the R3bi revolving loan fund unique is the loan committee already knows we are a new business so decisions are based on a different set of criteria than traditional lending institutions.”
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