Category Archives: Van Alstyne News

Arrests Made Before Feb. 11

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By Mary Jane Farmer, for the Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town.  Names are not given until/unless the Grand Jury indicts these or any suspects.

Van Alstyne Police made several felony arrests this past week, mostly on February 8-10.

Feb. 8 — Van Alstyne police stopped a vehicle on U.S. Highway 75 for a driving violation. It was aA Dallas man driving and as police checked his driver’s license, they discovered two warrants, issued in Montgomery County, for his arrests. Those warrants charged him with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and with Possession Controlled substance. and they placed him under arrest on the two warrants. That information gave them probable cause to search/inventory the vehicle, and, PD Lt. Steven Hayslip said they found him in possession of 30 grams of methamphetamine, plus two other types of medication including Xanax, a medication legally available only by prescription.

At a point in making the arrest, the suspect resisted, adding another charge to the list. In all, Van Alstyne police jailed the suspect on charges of Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance between 4-200 grams (meth), Possess of Controlled Substance PG2, Possession of Controlled Substance PG3, Resisting Arrest Search or Transport. The two Montgomery County Warrants were also included.

A magistrate at the jail set bail on the new charges at a total of $20,000, and there not yet being bail showing on the two warrants, the suspect remains incarcerated.

Feb. 10 — A McKinney man, A Dallas woman, and one more who has not yet appeared on the Grayson County Jail book-in roster were taken to jail following a traffic stop. Hayslip said that at least two of the occupants were carrying guns. A follow-up on the guns revealed that the weapon the male suspect carried had been reported stolen. Both these two occupants were in possession of marijuana.

Police jailed them both on accounts of unlawfully carrying a weapon and possession of marijuana,  and added a third charge a third charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon. The male suspect’s bail was set at a total of $9,000 and the female suspect’s bail was $4,000. Those were paid for both with surety bonds and they left the Grayson County Jail the same day.

A follow-up with be posted when information comes on the third occupant/suspect in the vehicle.

Hayslip explained about the weapons charges, saying that “Under the (fairly) new Constitutional Carry law, one doesn’t have to have a permit to carry a gun on his/her person. The one thing that goes with that is — if you are in possession of narcotics or committing a crime other than a classic traffic violation, you cannot have a gun in your possession.”

Feb 8 — One other arrest, assault causing bodily injury-family violence,  involved a juvenile, and so cannot be reported on, Hayslip said. It was an adult female who went to jail on that charge, according to Grayson County Jail records.

Local Man Indicted on Theft Charges

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By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town — A Grand Jury indictment is not proof of guilt. Guilt of innocence will be determined in court.

In late January, the Grayson County Grand Jury indicted 37-year-old Jesse J Paskiewicz on charges of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and Theft of Property valued between $2,500-30,000.
Paskiewicz, of Van Alstyne, is formally accused of taking a vehicle in Whitewright on Oct. 28, 2022.
Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Martin Hall reported that the owner(s) saw someone driving off from their residence in the 17,000 block of U.S. Highway 69 in Whitewright. The owner(s) attempted to follow it and discovered it had been abandoned on a back road and the suspect had fled to a waiting passenger car.
During the Sheriff’s Office’ investigation into this incident, they identified Paskiewicz as being a participant in the theft. They issued a warrant in November and took the suspect into custody on December 12. Jail records show that Paskiewicz remains in the Grayson County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 surety bond.

Local Woman Jailed on Assault Charge

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Story by Mary Jane Farmer for The Van Alstyne News, Scene In Town — Names of suspects are not included until/unless the Grayson County Grand Jury indicts him/her/them.

A Van Alstyne woman went to jail Friday, February 3, on a charge of assault causing bodily injury-family violence.

Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip said that the woman is accused of having assaulted the victim inside a residence in the 100 block of Wilson. The victim called for help after the battery ended, asking for both police and ambulance. The victim and the suspect were the only two inside the residence at the time, Hayslip added.

The assault was made by hand and not a weapon, but induced such injuries that the victim went to a local hospital by ambulance.

Police were called to the home because of a disturbance. The lead officer completed his investigation and determined the suspect was intoxicated and should be jailed on the acbi-fv charge. No charges of intoxication were filed, because the suspect was inside a resident, Hayslip explaianed.

Police escorted her to Grayson County Jail. There, a magistrate set bail at $4,000, payable by surety bond with conditions attached. She paid the bail, through the allowed surety bond, the next day for her release.

Stop Signs Soon Will Be the Rule on Van Alstyne Frontage Roads

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By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News/Scene In Town

A definitive change in the U.S. Highway 75 services roads flow of traffic will be set in place this coming Tuesday (weather permitting), February 7.

 

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials said that the yield signs at entrance and exit ramps along the US 75 frontage roads in the Van Alstyne area will be replaced with stop signs. Van Alstyne Mayor Jim Atchison said that this is TxDOT’s initial response for assistance in making the frontage roads safer for drivers.

At the December 10 City Council meeting, one item on its agenda was a public hearing regarding “changing the flow of traffic on US Highway 75 from two-way travel to one-way travel within the city limits.” Council members said that the individual comments, both for and against the proposed change, were enthusiastic, and that the Council is restricted by law from responding to comments made by the public during public hearings.

No decisions were made at that meeting. City officials have talked since with TxDOT.

As Atchison said, TxDOT has responded with this first change. He said, also, that the Council will hold a workshop on that same Tuesday, February 7, to look at the possibility/probability of any other changes. The Council is currently meeting at the Grayson College campus on West Van Alstyne Parkway and that agenda will soon be posted on the City’s Website, cityofvanalstyne.us

TxDOT crews will replace existing yield signs with stop signs on both sides of US 75 at each entrance ramp and exit ramp between Farmington/Blythe Road and County Line Road/Panther Parkway. Message boards will be placed at high-volume traffic ramps the week of Feb. 1 to alert travelers of this upcoming change, TxDOT.

TxDOT asks motorists traveling in this area to pay special attention to all barricades, traffic
controls, and signs; and to reduce their speed as they approach and travel through work zones. They should also avoid distractions such as cell phones, eating, drinking, or car audio or navigation systems.

TxDOT Issues Travel Alert

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Vehicles are seen here with headlights and taillights on, another safety precaution.

Press release from Texas Department of Transportation, with additional information from Mary Jane Farmer

Paris — Many parts of the state, including Northeast Texas, are under a National Weather Service Storm waring through 6 a.m., Wednesday, February 1. Travel may become difficult and hazardous due to freezing rain, despite TxDOT’s road treatments, said TxDOT public information’s Tim McAlavy.

“Do not travel unless necessary,” McAlavy said, adding, “If you must travel, slow down and use extreme caution especially on bridges and overpasses.” He advised drivers to have an extra flashlight, food, and water in their vehicles in case of emergency.

Van Alstyne Fire Chief Ryan Dockery said about 5 p.m., that they have had multiple calls for help by that time of the day. He said they were for wrecks caused by the ice on the road. There were no major injuries, though, he added.

McAlavy said, “Our crews treated roads ahead of this storm and are on 24/7 weather response through this event. If you see them treating and checking roads, please slow down and give them room to work. Drive safe, drive friendly

Dockery added that, “If you don’t have to get out on the road, please don’t drive.” He said that, even if the best of drivers happened to get into a skid from the ice, that driver could swing over and hit another vehicle, accentuating the problem for rescuers. And, he said, to add something to the inside of your vehicle for traction under your wheels to help rescuers get your car unstuck, and that could be chains, tow sacks, or such.

McAlavy added that TxDOT’s priorities for roadways is, firstly, to maintain the main corridors, such as U.S. Hwy 75 locally, and then on the state highways, such as SH 5 (Waco Street ). He emphasized they concentrate on the higher-traveled roadways.

McAlavy emphasized that everyone should check their local weather forecasts often, and monitor road conditions Online at (lick here)  DriveTexas.org