Author Archives: Mary Jane Farmer

About Mary Jane Farmer

In the music production business, including event production, booking, photography, reporting, volunteering, and other such essentials, since 1974.

Van Alstyne resident indicted on harrassment charges

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Story by Mary Jane Farmer

NOTE: An indictment is a formal charge and not an indication of guilt.

The Grayson County Grand Jury , during it’s most recent seating, indicted Van Alstyne resident David Prikryl on three charges of Harrassment of Public Servant.

Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip said that on June 4 of this year, officers were called to a house on Nash Street because of a disturbance in progress. Upon arrival, they learned that someone in the household had sprayed Prikryl with an over-the-counter pepper spray for his/her own safety. Officers placed the suspect under arrest and placed handcuffs on him. The suspect resisted arrest, and then reportedly spit on both a paramedic and a police officer. Once at the Grayson County Jail, he also spit on a jailer, Hayslip added.

Bail was set at a total of $30,000, ($10,000 on each of the three charges), payable in surety bonds. As of Aug. 21, Prikryl remained incarcerated.

 

 

VAPD Arrests Narcotics Suspect

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Shown here is a mixture of Fentanyl and Ecstasy, seized during a recent drug bust made by Van Alstyne Police.

Article by Mary Jane Farmer, Van Alstyne News. Photo courtesy of Van Alstyne PD.

Van Alstyne Police took more than 400 grams of illegal and dangerous narcotics out of circulation Saturday (Aug. 12) with the arrest of a Tulsa, Okla., man.

Police Lt. Steven Hayslip reported that officers who were on routine patrol that evening stopped a vehicle going north on U.S. Highway 75 because they saw defective equipment on it.

The driver pulled over and the officers approached the stopped vehicle. Once at the window, they smelled the distinctive odor of marijuana, which the suspect tried to explain by saying that a friend of his had smoked marijuana in the vehicle earlier.

With this odor, the officers had cause to and did conduct a probable cause search of the vehicle.

They found a large, clear (zipper) plastic baggie in the front-seat passenger compartment. Inside it were numerous multi-colored and multi-shaped pills, weighing more than one pound, Hayslip said.

“Based on the officers’ training and experience,” Hayslip explained, “they believed the pills to be Ecstasy.” They next conducted a field test of the bagged ingredients, which tested positive for MDMA/Ecstasy, and that field test also tested positive for Fentanyl.

They placed the suspect under arrest on a charge of Possession of Controlled Substance PG 1B greater than 400 grams.

Hayslip added that the street value of the seized narcotics is approximately $40,000.

Hayslip explained earlier that “Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Because of this potency, overdoses are increasing in an alarming fashion. As a matter of fact, Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for adults under the age of 45.

“What makes Fentanyl even more deadly is that drug traffickers are cutting different substances with Fentanyl; for example, with methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroine. This means that users are buying certain narcotics only to be exposed to a drug more more potent than anticipated.”

This is not the first time that Van Alstyne PD has arrested people/suspects in possession of Fentanyl.

The Tulsa suspect paid his $30,000 bail in a surety bond with conditions applied to it, and was released from Grayson County Jail Sunday.

(More on Fentanyl in another article)

 

 

Don’t Be Scammed!

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This came to me (Mary Jane) today, and I thought it could be good information not only for the Greenville Municipal Auditorium’s patrons, but for any and all venues which offer your favorite musicians and bands. 

Check the URL…What is that? Please read below!
Greenville Municipal Auditorium

We are aware that there are websites out there claiming to have tickets for shows at the GMA. If you click on these sites, some will take your money and not give you a ticket. Others will purchase a ticket on our website and charge you MORE for the ticket.

Some sites are charging our patrons 2-3 times the face value of the ticket and there is nothing we can do to stop these sites from operating.

We DO NOT want our amazing patrons to be scammed or overpay for tickets. So please check the URL BEFORE you buy. ALWAYS go to showtimeatthegma.com to purchase your tickets. Then when you click to purchase your tickets, you’ll be safe from scammers or fake resale sites.

Check the URL in your browser bar and be sure you’ve gone to our site – showtimeatthegma.com before you buy. Once you’re on our site, you’re safe to purchase your tickets at the correct price.

We hope that this info helps you find your way to the right website and that no one else gets scammed or taken advantage of by these unscrupulous websites.

PLEASE check the venues’ links, then bookmark their websites and you’ll always be able to go back to the official website when you purchase your tickets.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Addiction or Other Health Care

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Courtesy article and photo

From events and festivals to venues and news, Scene In Town shares what’s going on in your town. Read more informative articles today!

Factors to Consider When Choosing Addiction Health Care

The market for drug rehabilitation and other inpatient health treatment is huge, and not all programs are created equally. It’s important to know what you should look for in a solid program, especially regarding things like location, cost, and aftercare. It’s important to have a plan starting out. Scene In Town outlines some factors to consider while choosing a facility for a struggling loved one.

Rehab Centers and Program Types

There are many different kinds of programs for treatment of addiction in the United States. In some cases, rehab might be the right choice for you. There are many rehab facilities in Texas that offer programs ranging from group addiction therapy to residential treatment and detox. Some also offer financial assistance or can accept your health insurance. As you look for a rehab facility near you, make a point to check out its level of accreditation and types of care that are offered.

Determining the patient’s needs in advance can help you figure out which program is a good choice. For instance, if they have a job and won’t be able to leave it for an extended period of time, an outpatient program might be effective and financially viable. However, if circumstances dictate a more immersive experience, then inpatient care might be a better choice. Nothing is perfect, so look for a good fit, rather than an ideal.

Physician and Other Specialist Experience and Education

As you research various facilities, look up the physicians involved and see what their experience and educational background entails.  If you’ll be working with other skilled professionals, also be sure to research them. Social workers, for example, may be on staff to work with patients on things like coping skills for stressful everyday situations. The social workers assisting your loved one should have gotten their Master’s of Social Work degree from an accredited university.

Location

Location is important. Some might prefer a facility that is conveniently located. On the other hand, some people would rather go to a place disconnected from their current life so they can avoid triggers. Location can impact how comfortable your loved one feels, which will impact their recovery and willingness, so look at what options are available.

Length

Research on the different factors that influence treatment program efficacy indicates that the longer a substance abuse treatment  program is administered, the greater the chances of successful treatment. Treatment that lasts for a minimum of three months is far more effective than short-term treatment.  Any type of recovery is a journey, and there are no shortcuts. It might be in your loved one’s best interest to choose a longer treatment program.

Cost

CNBC reports that the costs of mental health treatment can be extremely high, sometimes reaching tens of thousands of dollars. There are free 12-step programs available, which can be effective in treating addiction. Insurance may also help cover costs. Given that any type of inpatient treatment can be very expensive, see what your options are regarding finances, especially insurance and financial aid that might be available. You can also find loans that specialize in addiction or other mental health treatment.

Specialized Treatment

As you are looking at different programs, look for a program outline that provides information about the different elements an effective treatment program should include. This can be anything from diagnosis to therapy to aftercare. You can ask questions about what their programs include and see if they seem to be a good fit.

If your loved one is dealing with both mental illness and addiction, you will need to look for rehab facilities that specialize in dual diagnoses and have a psychiatric staff. They will be far more effective since most rehabs do not specialize in dual diagnosis.

Aftercare

Aftercare is just as important as the initial inpatient treatment since it helps people move forward, even if they relapse. People can be vulnerable right after they are discharged, especially if they were in a location that is far away from home. They might come home and fall into old habits. Research published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence has shown that the recovery rate is significantly better if programs administer care after discharge from treatment or connect individuals with local community resources.

Before your loved one is released from inpatient treatment, make the home a pleasant, low stress place to relax and rejuvenate by removing clutter. The mental health benefits of a clean, well organized space can be important.

There are many options and treatments available for mental health issues. Identify what needs your loved one has, assess his/her financial situation, and try to find a rehab facility that meets his/her needs. It can be done, even if it takes some extra effort to get there.

“Pack Up” Makes the Possibilities Probable.

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Joe Purdy at Woody Fest

Texas Nexus / Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer

It’s a 3-column list I have worked up — “PACK UP” it’s called. It’s what I have to reference and cling to when getting ready to go to all the music festivals in my life. And there’s a bunch!

Me and Hippie Van head out. She has clean oil, and a clean floor every time. Ready for the road. Of course, she’s packed to the hilt. And for that, I need “Pack Up.”

Clothing:  Lots of bandanas (after all, it gets hot at most of those festivals), but a jacket for those chillier nights. Shoes, boots, rain boots, and of course a boot jack. Heavy shoes and boots, not those flimsy rubber thongs. I wore a pair of leather sandals to one of my first Kerrville Fests, they broke, and it was producer Rod Kennedy who — not so gently — chided me for even thinking those were good on that rocky terrain. At WoodyFest, I (and the other 4 photographers) have to go back and forth between four daytime stages, a couple of churches and nursing homes, and so hard-core walking boots are best there. And believe me, I’ve put the rain boots — we used to call them galoshes — to use many times.

Mary Jane at LJT Festival

And then there’s the camera equipment —  a monopod, a tripod, chargers, extra SD cards, extra batteries, extra camera, plenty of lenses — in fact, all I own. And of course I need my computer to upload those photos and get some of them worked in time to share them while the event is still going on. Again, charge cord, extra batteries for the mouse and keyboard, flash drives, external hard drive. And to tote all that, I have a luggage pull-along. Beyond that, I have to rely on the kindness of strangers to carry my lawn chair.

Essential is my large towel, clearly marked “Photog” with neon yellow duck tape, just in case there’s any question that’s what I do, and it is placed to reserve the best photo vantage-point seat in the house for me. And nowadays I check out a portable Wi-Fi connection from the local library. And there’s a definite need for showers (and I do NOT use that special towel). In lieu of them, I always pack a package of wipes.

Kerrville Folk Festival

Lots of energy powders and liquids. And for food, I take anything I can put in a bowl and cover with milk or slather cream cheese onto. Not about to spend time cooking! There’s too many photos that need to be taken! And I can’t forget my “Show-Off Album” of photos I’ve taken over the years.

After all that, plus clothing, more groceries, meds, and vitamins — really, there is still room for me in Hippie Van.