By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News, compiled from reports from Police Sgt. Steven Hayslip

Between October 25 and Halloween night (Oct. 31), Van Alstyne Police received 160 calls for service resulting in 7 police reports and 3 offense reports. They also investigated 1 traffic accident resulting in 1 possible injury, Hayslip reported.

The Police Department were among the various businesses, organizations, and groups who participated in the Saturday night Halloween downtown Trick-or-Treating on Saturday night. Hayslip estimated there were about 3,000 in attendance and said that they handed out about 100 pounds of candy.

There were also no arrests made either that night or Halloween night.

Arrest — The one arrest was made at about 2:30 a.m. Friday night (Oct. 29). Police were called to a disturbance in progress, location not provided, and the reporting party said that her ex-boyfriend was there attempting to get inside it. Upon arrival, police found the suspect still at the home, and highly intoxicated. He was also uncooperative with officers, Hayslip said. The suspect, a Van Alstyne man, was taken to Grayson County Jail on charge of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Jail records do not indicate the bail posted, but do show that the suspect was released later the same day.

Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News / Scene In Town, from information provided by Van Alstyne Police Sgt. Steven Hayslip

Van Alstyne Police received 573calls for service between October 4 and October 24, reported Police Sgt. Steve Hayslip. Of those, 25 resulted in police reports and 8 in offense reports. Hayslip added that there were 7 motor vehicle crashes, neither one with injuries. They also made three arrests during this time frame.

This coming Saturday, Oct. 30, too, Van Alstyne PD will be participating with a booth in the downtown Trick or Treat festivities with numerous other downtown businesses. They will be handing out candy between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Likewise, police will be at the Public Library Wednesday (Oct. 27) for the weekly 10:30 a.m. Story Time. The library is encouraging the children to wear their costumes for the event. Police will be telling stories and giving out Trick or Treat Safety Tips.

Arrest —About three in the morning of Oct. 5, officers made a traffic stop, and, following protocol, discovered the driver, a Van Alstyne woman, had an outstanding warrant issued by Grayson County Sheriff’s Office charging her with violation of a protective order. Police jailed the suspect and a magistrate set her bail at $2,000, which she posted later the same day for her release.

Stolen car located — A car owner reported his vehicle stolen. Hayslip reported that in early October, the car apparently broke down in Allen, Texas, and the unknown suspect abandoned it there. Allen PD made a registration check and found it had been stolen. The owner had left the keys underneath the car seat, the report said.

Arrest — On October 16, at 22:01 p.m., officers were sent to a disturbance in the area of 1720 S. Waco. They located the suspect, a young Van Alstyne man, and During the investigation, police determined that the suspect had assaulted a person and was also operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway while intoxicated. They jailed the suspect on a charge of driving while intoxicated and assault. Bail was set at a total of $1,500, payable in cash or surety bonds. The suspect posted bail and was released the following day.

Arrest — September 22, officers were called to a welfare concert at a business, 130 E Van Alstyne Parkway. They checked on the person called about, a San Antonio man, and determined he was intoxicated. They jailed the suspect. On a charge of public intoxication. The suspect laid out his time and released from Grayson County Jail the next day.

Mary Jane Farmer, for the Van Alstyne News

A former Van Alstyne resident remains in Grayson County Jail on multiple felony charges, after Sherman police jailed him there on 9/11 arrest. This is his 18th incarceration in Grayson County since his first one in 1996.

About 11:21 a.m. that day, a resident of a house in the 800 block of North Ricketts Street called police and told dispatch that someone was breaking windows on his/her home, pouring gasoline on it, and threatening to set the house on fire, according to the police report. The suspect was still on the property when officers arrived and they took him into custody.

Police found the suspect to be in possession of the following:  a fuel can, a lighter, two flash drives, 3 DPV units, and a receipt and paper.

Jail records show the suspect to reside in Bells now.

Jail records also show the suspect is in jail on a first-degree felony charge of criminal attempt-capital murder of multiple persons; arson intending damage of a habitation; and 3 counts of aggravated assault with deadly weapon, a 2^nd degree felony. Bail was set at a total of $625,000, with conditions.

Corner of Waco & West Van Alstyne Parkway, aka SH 5 and FM 121.

By Mary Jane Farmer,  from a press release from Texas Department of Public Safety, TxDOT.

Both Waco Street (SH 5), FM 121,  and parts of Van Alstyne Parkway and are state-maintained roadways. Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Tim McAlavy reported on two upcoming and one continuing construction projects .

Waco Street — The annual crack-seal contract project for Grayson County roadways begins Oct. 18. Drivers should expect delays as the work is performed using daytime lane closures. State Highway 5 from US Hwy. 75 to the Collin County line will be crack sealed this year. This route runs through Van Alstyne city limits and is also called Waco Street.

SH 75 — Also, US 75 full-depth concrete repair begins soon (no starting date provided) in Grayson County from the Collin-Grayson County line to the Oklahoma State line. TxDOT spokesman Tim McAlavy said  Grayson County 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.

FM 121 —Having already been in progress for some time, FM 121 from Jim Jones Road to FM 3356 remains under construction on what will become a five-lane section of the FM 121, consisting of concrete pavement, once it is completed. McAlavy said to watch for occasional daytime lane closures as crews work to build portions of the new bridges and roadway. Also, watch for lane shifts and narrow lanes throughout the project as crews have moved traffic to a portion of the new pavement.

There are many other TxDOT roadway improvement areas, and especially along US 75 in the Sherman area. Information on these can be found in the Herald-Democrat.

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer — Click here for more photos. Anyone is welcome to download a photo if he/she would like. No charge.

Mary Jane Farmer • Scene In Town

As the city’s chiefs and city managers and many of the public have come and gone over the decades, it”s not really certain just how long Van Alstyne and its city police department have been involved in National Night Out. For certain, that involvement has been continuous since 1996, missing only 2020 because of that darned old Covid 19.

But Tuesday night (Oct. 5) it was a full house, with estimates between 1,500 and 1,800 people having attended, with vendors and activities for all, and many of those being manned by police officers.

Police Chief Tim Barnes said the event gets bigger and better every year. “It was a good location at the middle school, and we look forward to having it (next year, 2022) at the new (Social Central District Park.”

This little one was especially thrilled to get to pet the police-garb-wearing pony.

A new and very popular stroller around the grounds (behind the Van Alstyne Middle School) was a pony clad in police jacket and cap. Kids all over the grounds stopped to have their photos made with the pony, often reaching over to pet him, and the pony seemed to understand and even enjoy the pleasant attention. Joining it in strolling everywhere were the costumed Van Alstyne Panther and the 9-1-1 Fox.

Another popular display was the landing and opening up of CareFlite Air Ambulance. The young ones who went. over to it got a little bit of education that was fun for them to learn. A lot about how it works, training, and how they work with first responders to set down safely at a major wreck or other catastrophe.

One of the paramedics who usually travels with that chopper set up a booth, complete with giveaway bandaid and hand sanitizer kits. One man took full advantage of that after cutting his hand, got it bandaged, and was given the remaining bandaids in that kit. The paramedic also explained to many folks how to be advance-prepared in case they must be flown to the appropriate hospital.

Always popular, and one that also helps kids learn about patients, since they have to wait their turns to enter the bounce houses.

And of course, there were the ubiquitous bounce houses, always a hit with the younger set. Climbing up their ladders, through their tunnels and sliding down the slides, each kid had a smile on his/her face as he/she put shoes back on.

Ubiquitous also were the balloons handed out by AirView a/c company, cooled watermelon slices, ball point pens (always a treasure),and the LaCore employees who primarily served in their neon orange T-shirts as volunteers, helping with parking and the bounce houses.

Vendors included, but weren’t limited at all to: Mantua Lodge, Rotary Club (who cooked hot dogs on a grill all evening, Van Alstyne ISD, the city’s Public Library, Baylor Scott & White local clinic, the police officers themselves, Adams Automotive, Buff City Soap, and oh, so many more. Most, if not all, had giveaways for everyone and the crowd engaged many vendor representatives in conversion about their businesses.

Waving goodbye to Careflite helicopter as it lifts off from its spot at Tuesday’s National Night Out

Missing this year were engines and ambulances from the Van Alstyne Fire Department. Chief,Ryan Dockery said they had planned and looked forward to being there, as they are every year, but this year they continued to respond to emergency calls, one after the other,  throughout the event. That included a large out-of-control brush fire on the east side of town, and several medical calls around town.

NNO is normally held in the parking lot on Preston, where both the police and fire stations are housed. However, this year, because of the construction of the new downtown park, there was not adequate parking for anywhere near 1,500-1,800 attendees. Thus, Barnes worked the arrangement out to relocate it this year to the Middle School and he said it worked out fine.

Mark your calendars — NNO is celebrated in Texas on the first Tuesday of October. Which will be October 4 in 2022.