By Mary Jane Farmer, for The Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town

The numbers shown here of votes having been cast was current as of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, provided online by Grayson County. They are subject, of course, to additional information being added later on, as the counting continues. There could be some run-offs, as well.  

For President

Republican — Donald J. Trump

Democrat — Joe Biden

For U.S. Senator

Republican —Ted Cruz (14,837),  R.E.”Rufus” Lopez (1,039), Holland “Redd” Gibson (796)

Democrat —  Colin Allred (939), Roland Gutierrez (191), Meri Gomez (178) and several others

For U.S. Representative  Dist. 4

Republican — Pat Fallon (13,588), Don Horn (2,489)

Democrat — Simon Cardell (1,393)

For State Senator — District 30

Republican — Brent Hagenbuch (5,660), Jace Yarborough (4,012), Carrie De Moor (2,747), Cody Clark (1,886)

Democrat — Michael Braxton (912), Matthew McGee (414), Dale Frey (364)

For State Representative, Dist. 62

Republican — Shelley Luther (8,748), Reggie Smith (8,406)

Democrat — Tiffany Drake (1,508)

For Criminal District Attorney, Grayson County

Republican —  John Kermit Hill (8,258), Brett Smith (7,907)

Democrat — Brandy Douglas (1,657)

For County Commissioner, Pct. 1

Republican — Josh Marr (1,728), Scott Renfro (1,267), Terry Thomas (454)

Democrat — Andre Luper (371)

For County Commissioner, Pct. 3

Republican—Lindsay Wright (2,821)

Democrat— None

For County Constable, Pct. 1

Republican — Thomas Carter (4,212)

Democrat — None

For County Constable, Pct. 2

Republican — Cody Putman (2,238), Shannon Thomas (1,879)

Democrat — None

For County Constable, Pct. 3

Republican—Todd Booher (1,449), Scott Taylor (977)

Democrat — None

For County Constable Pct. 4

Republican—Bob Douglas (2,183)

Democrat — None

Grayson County voters overwhelmingly approved all 13 Texas Propositions.

Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tony Bennie was unopposed and will step into Sheriff Tom Watt’s boots when Watt’s term ends later this year. Ditto that response for Tax Assessor-Collector, who has/had no opponents.

There were numerous other offices to be filled at the State and various other levels. Those results are available Online at (click here) co.grayson.tx.us.

 

By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town.  Note:  An indictment is not proof of guilt, but is a formal charge.

Law enforcement activity in recent days has resulted in arrests, an indictment, and searches for information to help the officers complete their investigation.

Indictment

The most recent setting of the Grayson County Grand Jury had them indicting a Van Alstyne man on a criminal charge. Douglas William Crook, 51, is now wanted on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip said that they received a call in the Spring of 2022, asking for police to go to a home in the 1200 block of Redden Road in regard to a suspicious vehicle. Crook was at the site and was the owner of the suspicious vehicle. During police officers’ talk with Crook, they determined he was intoxicated in a public place and was a danger to himself and/or others. Police placed him under arrest then on a charge of Public Intoxication. Following protocol, police took a vehicle inventory before having the vehicle towed, they found a shotgun inside it. They also found prescription pills not in Crook’s name, Hayslip said. That resulted in charges of Possession of Controlled Substances and of Unlawful Carry of a Weapon w/ Felony Conviction. He posted bail of $15,000 in surety bonds for his release.

Grayson County Jail records show that the suspect has since been jailed on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated 3^rd or More offense, but. Has not been indicted on that charge. While incarcerated, the Sheriff’s Office records show, bail bondsmen came off bail on several previous charges

Vandalism

On February 19, at about 1:15 a.m., officers were sent to the 500 block of Manchester in reference to vandalism. The reporting party told Police that unknown people had vandalized the home by throwing eggs and damaging a tire on a vehicle.

Hayslip asked, “If anyone has any information, please contact Det. Ingram at the police department.” That phone number is 903-482-5251.

 Sexual Assault

On Feb. 15, Van Alstyne Police jailed a Van Alstyne woman on a charge of Indecency w/ Child (by) Sexual Contact.  it involved roommates. Hayslip said There was no physical resistance when police made the arrest, that she knew about the investigation. More info cannot yet be provided as this is an on-going investigation.

The suspect remains incarcerated with bail set at $200,000 payable in surety bonds with conditions attached.

Sheriff’s Office seeking info

On Tuesday, February 20, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office deputies and investigators responded to an area on Whitney Road in Sherman on a call of a deceased person, identified as 20-year-old Kiersten Dunn of Sherman, reported S.O. Capt. Marty Hall. More details are not yet available as it is still an ongoing investigation.

Investigators are currently searching for anyone who knew her whereabouts prior to February 20 and anyone she had contact with in the month of February.

If you have any information that could assist in the investigation of Kiersten Dunn’s death, please contact Investigator Harris, 903-813-4200 extension 1012 or email: hunter.harris@co.grayson.tx.us.

Other Arrests

Hayslip reported that, other than these incidents, there was no (local) thefts, burglaries, robberies, or such during this time frame. There were 3 warrant arrests unrelated to crimes in Van Alstyne, but which were for serious offenses.

 

 

By Mary Jane Farmer for The Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town.  Courtesy photos.

Van Alstyne Police Chief Tim Barnes and the City honored many of the department’s police officers at the recent (Tuesday, Feb. 13) Van Alstyne City Council meeting. Mayor Jim Atchison swore in two officers, and there were also awards given to those in the Fire Department, and those will be featured when information arrives. Police Chief Barnes stands at the left side in each photo.

The honorees are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several officers were honored for their life-saving measures that resulted in the saving of two lives in Van Alstyne and a third one out of town. Chief Barnes gave the following accounts of those rescue events.

Officer Dylan Groves — On Sunday, July 2, 2023, Officer Groves was at the lake with his father helping tow a disabled boat. The boat had several people on board including Aaron Sartin and his ten-year-old son, Gabriel Sartin. The boat capsized while being towed.

Gabriel was wearing a life jacket; however, it’s strap became entangled on something underneath the boat. That caused Gabriel to be pulled into the water underneath the capsized boat.

Officer Groves immediately jumped into the water. He was located Gabriel underwater, freed him from the boat, and pulled Gabriel to the water surface. However, the boy was still in danger, as he was no longer breathing once above water. Groves performed CPR, and, Barnes said, it was successful and allowed the boy o breath on his own.

It was Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office who contacted Chief Barnes after the incident. The Hopkins County deputy dispatched to the scene reported that if Officer Groves had not responded, the child would not have been able to free himself from underneath the boat.

Sgt. Jeremy Watts — About 4:45 a.m. December 30, a reporting party called for help regarding a suicidal person who had taken pills and, according to the caller, done something that k. Watts was dispatched.

Upon arrival, Sgt. Watts entered her bedroom and saw a 16-year-old female lying on her bed with a cord wrapped twice around her neck, unconscious, not breathing, discolored, and bleeding from cuts on her face and wrist.

The cord was wrapped so tightly around her neck that Sgt. Watts couldn’t untie it with his hands. He had to use his knife to cut the cord away from her neck. After a firm sternum rub, she began regaining some consciousness, gurgled, struggled to breathe for a few seconds, then began to freely breathe on her own.

Officers Parker Johnson and Bob Barnes — On January 28 of this year, Officer Johnson and Officer Barnes II (no kin to the Chief) were dispatched to a welfare concern involving a female sending text messages

to her husband about committing suicide. They arrived at the house before the husband, but once he arrived on scene, he opened the residence for them to enter it.

Officer Johnson found the woman upstairs, lying on a mattress. He saw a deep cut on her wrist and blood all over the mattress. At the time, the female was also seizing. Officer Barnes II arrived and talked with her while Officer Johnson checked her eyes and immediately applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

EMS arrived on scene. Both Officer Johnson and Officer Barnes II helped keep her calm while EMS evaluated her. After EMS completed their evaluation and had her loaded her into the ambulance, Officer Johnson rode in it with her to the hospital keeping her calm.

Van Alstyne Mayor Jim Atchison said, “We citizens of Van Alstyne are blessed to have these dedicated professionals serving our city. These men and women undergo rigorous training and continuing education, they work long and variable shifts and display acts of bravery on a daily basis. On behalf of of the city council, we congratulate those we recognize this week and all of the people who serve in emergency response.”

 

 

 

By Dusty Williams. Reposted with permission.

When thinking about the beginnings of our quaint little town, Van Alstyne, we are reminded of the railroad and the migration of residents from the nearby town of Mantua. When the iron giant came through in 1873, it bypassed the flourishing town of Mantua, bought land from an orphan boy, William L. McKinney, and created a railroad depot and a new town, Van Alstyne. The town was named for a widow railroad stockholder, Maria Van Alstyne. In January of 1873, the new station was ready to receive freight and according to a February 1, 1873, article in the Dallas Herald, the station had received 300 bales of cotton by the second day of it having been in operation.

As was the case with almost all towns in Texas that the railroad bypassed, the once-blooming Mantua quickly turned into what we now call ghost towns. Residents of Mantua, and some from other nearby communities such as Pilot Grove, began packing up and moving to the new settlement of Van Alstyne, which was situated halfway between the county seats of Grayson and Collin counties. Among the first to move their establishments were Dr. James L. Leslie, and Oscar Riddle.

Dr. Leslie opened his medical practice, and Mr. Riddle became the first merchant in Van Alstyne, supposedly having arrived a few days before Dr. Leslie. The story of Mr. Riddle that has been passed down for generations is as follows.

Mantua had passed ordinances against the selling of alcohol in its town, so in the late 1860s Oscar Riddle opened a saloon southwest of town on the Foster Land. Mr. Riddle promptly moved his establishment to Van Alstyne after the railroad tracks were complete and set up a tent northeast of town along a small creek on the east side of the railroad tracks.

He had not obtained his license to sell liquor, so, it is said that he sold a stick of candy for $1 and would include a quart of whiskey in the bag, along with the candy. Over the next couple of years and throughout the 1870s, Van Alstyne became home to five saloons and two wholesale liquor houses. In 1881, the town voted by local option to go dry, and all establishments still in operation were closed.

So, there you have it. Oscar Riddle, candy and whiskey, a tent, and the first store in Van Alstyne. But there’s more…who was Oscar Riddle? What do we know about this pioneer of Van Alstyne’s businesses? The name should be easy on which to find basic information. After all, it is no John Smith or Mary Williams. However, Oscar Riddle appears to be just that…a riddle. So I’ll ask again; Who was Oscar Riddle?

I (Dusty) am in the final stages of solving this “riddle” of the elusive Oscar Riddle. The mysterious man credited with opening the first business in Van Alstyne. The man who seems to have left no trace of himself in Van Alstyne. A man whose name seems to only first appear in our town history in a 1920 article. Stay tuned for the full story and who knows, you might be surprised with the outcome.

Dusty Williams, 9th Generation Grayson County Resident, Author, Teacher, and local Historian. Alderman for the City of Van Alstyne and Chairman for the Grayson County Historical Commission.

The Grayson County Grand Jury returned the results on its latest indictments, one of which includes that of a Van Alstyne resident whose arrest was made by Van Alstyne Police.

Arthur John Hudson has been indicted on a charge of Evading Arrest/Detention with a Vehicle, with Deadly Weapon. An indictment is not proof of guilt, only that the Grand Jury found enough evidence to have authorities continue with the case.

The offense reportedly happened on November 11, 2023. Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip said that, about 9:45 p.m. that Friday, officers on duty saw a vehicle almost cause a collision while leaving the Casey’s parking lot. Police got behind the vehicle, and as they were attempting to get the driver to stop, the vehicle’s headlights were turned off and the vehicle sped up, Hayslip added.

Eventually, the driver did stop and police identified him as Hudson, he said.

They jailed the suspect on charges of Driving While Intoxicated, Evading Arrest or Detention with a Vehicle, and Reckless Driving.

According to the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Website, Hudson posted bail on all the charges for his release. However, he again remains incarcerated, since Dec. 3, 2023, on a charge of Assault Family/House Member by Impeding Breath. The bail bond company has taken off bail on the previous charges.

There were also numerous people indicted on drug charges at this Grand Jury session, include 5 for Cocaine, 27 for Methamphetamine, and 1 person each for Psilocin, Tetrahydrocannabinol, and Fentanyl. And even others indicted on charges including Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Bail jumping, Cattle Theft, Assaults, Stalking, Rape, Driving While Intoxicated with 3 or more previous convictions; Robbery.

The Grayson County meets every other Wednesday.