Photo by Mary Jane Farmer

By Mary Jane Farmer for The Van Alstyne News / Scene In Town — Jan. 18, 2022

A Tuesday afternoon incident could have turned into a calamity, but for the immediate and good work of people well trained for their job. Plus some other positives.

A semi truck delivering gravel across the street from the newly-developing Central Social District Park when it struck an electric wire while the bed was up high. That caused several transformers in that area, North Preston near East Van Alstyne Parkway, to blow, said City Manager Lane Jones.  He was in a meeting at the time, which started at 3 p.m. and it was about 3:10 or 3:15 p.m. when the mishap happened.

Oncor, which handles maintenance for TXU Electric, was quickly summoned to the scene and began their work between the park area and the police station’s parking lot. Two fire department vehicles, with overhead lights on, guarded the Oncor truck during this first repair, turning traffic away and keeping the Oncor truck and the men on the job safe.

Multiple posts on local Facebook pages said that several people saw the transformers blow.

Photo by Mary Jane Farmer

Jones said, and posted on those Facebook pages, he said, that they expected to have the repairs completed before 6 p.m. In fact, electricity was restored about 5:40 p.m., off a total of about 2.5 hours.

Another positive about this situation is that no one was injured, Jones said, as did several people watching the repair work from afar.

Another positive is that the day’s temperatures were the best they have been lately, especially considering it is the 18^th of January. In many parts of the United States, Online news reports state, people are being slammed by ‘significant icing’ and treacherous travel conditions, and ‘bitter cold.’ Temperatures Tuesday during this power outage were between 60 and 73 degrees.

And, Oncor conducted its repairs in record time, long before the nighttime temperatures dropped into the 40s.

Photo By Mary Jane Farmer

From Tim McAlavy, with Texas Department of Transportation’s Paris District, which includes Grayson County.

McAlavy askes motorists to be aware of these ongoing projects around Van Alstyne,

US 75 full depth concrete repair: Crews will be working on US 75 each week from Sunday night through Thursday night. Lane closures will be present at night for crews to replace failed concrete. Lane closures will begin at 7:30 p.m. each night and should be reopened to traffic by 6 a.m. This work will extend from the Collin-Grayson County line to the Oklahoma State line.

US 75 debris pickup: From Collin County line to Oklahoma State line. Watch for mobile lane closures as workers pick up debris from the roadway every Sunday and Wednesday during the nighttime.

FM 121 Road work continues: From Jim Jones Road to FM 3356. Watch for occasional daytime lane closures as crews work to complete the remaining work on the project. Watch for lane shifts and narrow lanes throughout the project as crews have moved traffic to a portion of the new concrete pavement. The ultimate roadway will be a five-lane section consisting of concrete pavement when the project is completed. There is no posted completion date as of this report.

By Mary Jane Farmer from Van Alstyne Police reports — No names provided until or unless the person(s) has/have been indicted.

Between Jan. 3 and Jan. 9, Van Alstyne Police answered 180 calls for service, resulting in eight police reports, seven offense reports, and four arrests. They also worked one motor vehicle crash in which no one was injuries, reported Police Sgt. Steven Hayslip.

Vandalism continued — Hayslip reported that there are two more incidents of vandalism to city property since the first one discovered in late December.

The two discovered since were similar in style to the first one, which was the defacement of playground equipment at Wilson McKinney Park on the east side of town, spray paint applied to property.

These next two locations were at the corner of South Main and East Marshall, where the renovated railcar receiving the vandalism, and to a culvert in the 200 block of West Jefferson.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Ingram of the Van Alstyne Police Department at 903-482-5251. The police station is located at 242 N. Preston Ave.

Arrest — On Jan. 3, about 10:30 p.m., police initiated a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 75 at FM 121. They discovered that the driver, a Denison man, as in possession of methamphetamine, an illegal/controlled substance, and that he was also carrying a handgun. They jailed the suspect on charges of possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram and of illegally carrying a weapon. There were also three outstanding warrants in place, which were served on the suspect.

Bail was set at a total of $896 cash fines on the warrants and $7,500 payable in surety bonds on the two new charges. The suspect was released on Jan. 8.

Arrest — About noon Jan. 4, police made a traffic stop in the 900 block of West Van Alstyne Parkway. The driver and only occupant of the vehicle, Carl David Griffin of Van Alstyne, was found to have been in possession of a controlled substance, Alprazolam, with no proof of prescription and packaged in the required prescription bottle, Hayslip said. Police also found seven outstanding warrants, charging Griffin with two counts of theft and five counts of theft by fraud, each over $500. Griffin had previously been indicted on these seven counts by the Grayson County Grand Jury and the 15^th District Court issued the warrants.

Bail was set a total of $114,000, which was paid with surety bonds for his Jan. 5 release from Grayson County Jail.

Arrest — About 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7, a traffic stop led to the arrest of a Leonard, Texas, man on an outstanding warrant issued by Dallas County and charging the suspect with a driving offense, enhanced because it wasn’t his first arrest on that driving offense. He was released to Dallas County on Jan. 10, Grayson County Jail records show.

Arrest — Jan. 8, about 7:30 p.m., police were called to the corner of U.S. 75 and Sanford Circle on a welfare concern. The caller said there was someone standing in the middle of the service road. Hayslip said police found and identified the person, a Dallas man, on a charge of parole violation and issued by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. As of Jan. 14, the suspect remains in Grayson County Jail.

By Mary Jane Farmer

This is a press release from Texas Department of Transportation.

AUSTIN – The Don’t Mess with Texas Scholarship Contest is now accepting applications for the 2022 school year.

Any Texas high school senior currently attending public, private or home school and planning to attend an accredited Texas college or university in the fall 2022 semester is eligible to apply. Judges will select winners based on the students’ proven results in leading projects or events focused on educating communities about the importance of keeping our state clean and litter-free.

Presented in partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful, the Don’t Mess with Texas Scholarship Contest will award a total of $9,000 in scholarships in May 2022. The 2022 scholarship contest awards are sponsored by Buc-ees and iHeart Media.

“It’s important that younger generations understand they have the power to create long-term solutions that can transform their environment into one that is litter-free,” said Becky Ozuna, program administrator for the Don’t Mess with Texas campaign.

Don’t Mess with Texas has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. The program includes a grassroots partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful, annual “Trash-Off” community outreach event,s and the Adopt-a-Highway volunteer program.

To apply for the Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship, visit dontmesswithtexas.org. Applications must be received via online submission by 5 p.m. (CST) March 31, 2022.

For media inquiries, contact TxDOT Media Relations at MediaRelations@txdot.gov or 512-463-8700.

Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town

Van Alstyne Police Sgt. Steven Hayslip reported on the department’s activities between December 27 and January 2. During this time, they received 134 calls for service, with nine police reports and eight offense reports. There was also one vehicle crash, with injuries, and the police made one arrest. There were two more arrests made after January 3, and those details will be in the next report.

There was no one from Van Alstyne indicted by the Grayson County Grand Jury in its most recent session.

Arrest — December 27, about midnight, officers were called to a disturbance in the area of McKinney Circle, and the caller gave dispatch the description of a vehicle involved. Hayslip said the responding officers located the vehicle, then, following protocol with the people inside it, determined that the driver, a Van Alstyne man, was driving while intoxicated and also carrying a firearm. They arrested the driver on charges of DWI and Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon.

At the Grayson County Jail, a magistrate set bail at a total of $4,500 on the two charges. The suspect paid that bail in surety bonds and then released on December 29.

Hit & Run and Pursuit — On January 1, about 12:45 a.m., police officers were dispatched to the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 75 and FM 121 (Van Alstyne Parkway) regarding a hit-and-run crash which happened between Sherman and Howe. Hayslip said the suspect vehicle had attempted to pass another vehicle, but instead struck the other vehicle in the rear. The suspect vehicle driver then hit the victim vehicle again in the side, and failed to stop as required by Texas law.

Van Alstyne police attempted to get the offending vehicle’s driver to stop, but he failed to do so and a pursuit ensued.

Officers stayed behind the suspect vehicle, as it continued southward toward Melissa, and speeds reached 100 mph, Hayslip said. In Melissa, the suspect struck another vehicle, but, in spite of a blowout on the offending vehicle, the driver continued down the highway.

The driver moved the vehicle off the highway at Laud Howell Pkwy in McKinney. He drove onto the overpass bridge and stopped, jumped out and ran behind vehicle and then jumped over the guardrail. He landed about 25-30 feet below, resulting in broken bones. Police found him to be in possession of a stolen firearm and found another gun inside the vehicle he drove.

Hayslip said the driver was taken to a nearby hospital to have his injuries treated, and that police believe he was intoxicated during the pursuit.

“At this time, the incident is still under investigation,” Hayslip said. “The identity of the suspect has not been released pending further investigation.”