By Mary Jane Farmer, The Van Alstyne News

Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip, the department’s public information officer, provided information on the nine arrests the department has between April 16 and May 3 of 2025.

April 26 — Police were dispatched to a reckless-driver call and located the described vehicle about 1:30 a.m. The driver, a Sherman man, stopped for their overhead lights. As they walked up to the vehicle, Hayslip said, they quickly smelled the odor of an alcoholic drink. The driver’s speech was slurred and he had bloodshot eyes.

While conducting a DWI investigation, police determined that the driver was operating a motor vehicle on public roadway while intoxicated.

Police placed him under arrest on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated w/Open Container. A magistrate at Grayson County Jail, set bail at $2,000, which the suspect paid with a surety bond and was released later the same day.

April 26 — About 2 ½ hours earlier, police stopped a vehicle on U.S. Highway 75 at Farmington. The report said the car was being driven on a public roadway without insurance. After getting the vehicle stopped and while getting identification from the driver, again, they could smell the odor of an intoxicating beverage. Also, the suspect, a Dallas man, had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes.

Police conducted a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, after which they placed the suspect under arrest on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated.

He paid his paid of $1,500 and was released later the same day.

April 27 — About 10:20 am, officers made a traffic stop in the 1300 block of N. Waco, after they saw the vehicle’s registration was expired. The driver was a Celina man, who smelled of marijuana, the report said.

Police conducted a probable-cause search, and located a usable amount of marijuana.

Police jailed him on a charge of Possession of Marijuana less than 2 oz. He paid bail set at $1,500 the next day with a surety bond.

April 28 — About 11 pm that Monday, officers stopped a vehicle on US Hwy 75 and Van Alstyne Parkway, again noticing its registration was expired. The driver was a Llano, Texas, woman who also was driving, because she did not possess a valid driver’s license and there was not another person in the vehicle, she could not drive the vehicle away. Before having the vehicle towed, they, following protocol, made a complete inventory of it. Police found a clear bag containing a white crystalline substance, which field-tested positive as Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, also known as the “One Pill Kills” dangerous drug.

At the jail, police charged her with Possession of a Controlled Substance PG1 less than 1 gram. The magistrate on duty set her bail at $10,000, which she paid the next day with a surety bond.

April 29 — At about noon, police stopped a vehicle in the 1300 block of North Waco because they found it going 64 miles per hour in a 50-mph zone. They discovered an outstanding warrant on the driver, a Pottsboro man, issued in another jurisdiction. They placed him under arrest.

He paid his $1,500 bail with a surety bond, and court costs of $143, the following day.

April 29 — At about 7 pm, officers made contact with a Van Alstyne man on Williams Way and Waco Street. While talking with him, they discovered an outstanding Collin County warrant for his arrest, charging him with Sale, Distribution, or Display of Harmful Material to a Minor. He was placed under arrest for Warrant Service.

The suspect paid bail of $2,500 for his April 30 release.

The next day, May 1, Van Alstyne Police again picked this suspect up, this time with two new warrants issued here in Grayson County. One charged him with the same offense—Sale, Distribution, or Display of Harmful Material to a Minor and the second one charged him with Stalking.

This time, was bail was set at a total of $110,00, with $100,000 of that being on the Stalking charge. He, as of May 4, remained incarcerated.

April 30 — At 5:30 pm, just as many people are getting off work and heading home, police were staying active and diligent in their jobs. The officers were dispatched to the 600 block of Henry Hynds in regard to a disturbance. What they learned immediately is that a Van Alstyne man had been in an argument with a family member and that the argument turned physical.

And they learned that suspect had assaulted the victim. Hayslip said the victim; injuries were minor and did not require medical attention.

They jailed the suspect on a charge of Assault Causing Bodily Injury-Family Violence. He paid the set bail of $2,500 in surety bonds, and this. Time conditions he cannot violate.

May 3 — About. 2:30 am, officers initiated a traffic stop on US Hwy 75 at Farmington Road, after noting that the vehicle was going 90 mph in a 75-mph zone.

While speaking with the driver, a man from Blossom, Texas, they again smelled the odor of an alcoholic drink and the distinct odor of marijuana. They put him through the SFST and placed him under arrest on the Charge of Driving While Intoxicated.

While conducting a probable-cause search of the vehicle, officers located several clear plastic bags containing a white powdery substance field-tested positive as Cocaine.

They added a second charge against the suspect, that being in Possession of a Controlled Substance less than 1 gram.

The suspect paid his total bail set at $11,500 and was released Sunday.

NOTE:  I will be putting non-Van Alstyne elated road construction on the Facebook page “We Auto Drive Safely.”  It is open for anyone to join up.

Two TxDOT road repairs beginning next. week.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials have announced an upcoming new traffic signal in Van Alstyne at the FM 121 and Collin McKinney Parkway intersection. This is the intersection that feeds to and from Van Alstyne High School traffic.

The intersection is currently a stop condition for traffic on Collin McKinney Parkway. The signal is to have been placed into flash mode on Wednesday, April 30, to start getting drivers’ attention.

The new traffic signal will be fully activated to signal mode on Wednesday, May 7.

Message boards are in place on FM 121 to alert the public about the upcoming change.  Message boards will remain in place for a week after the change to full activation to help with advanced notification.

By Mary Jane Farmer, Van Alstyne News

Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip, the department’s Public Information Officer, reported on the following arrests the department made between April 12 and April 26. Two of those arrested have also now had an Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold on them. And several were jailed after police found them driving with drugs or alcohol in their possession

April 12 — About 4 pm that Saturday, police stopped a vehicle on Kelly Lane and Henry Hynds because they determined with driver was driving with an expired registration. As they approached the vehicle, Hayslip said, they could immediately smell the odor of marijuana and conducted a probable-cause search. They found about ½ ounce of marijuana and put the driver, a Van Alstyne man, under arrest on a charge of Possession of Marijuana less than 2 ounces.

A Grayson County Jail magistrate set bail at $1,500, which the suspect paid for his release the same day.

April 12 — About 2½ hours later that day, around 6:30 pm, police again made a traffic stop, this time in the 100 block of Henry Hynds. They made the stop after seeing the vehicle turning without a turn signal, as required. This driver was from Plano and police, this time, smelled the distinct odor of an intoxicating beverage. They had the driver go through the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) which the driver did not successfully pass.

They placed the suspect under arrest on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated.

At the jail, the magistrate set bail at $3,000, but the authorities there also added an ICE Detainer and the suspect remains incarcerated.

April 13 — About 2 a.m. police made a traffic stop on US Highway 75 at Farmington Road. Hayslip said the driver was traveling at 87 mph in the 75-mph zone.

Again, as they neared the vehicle and made contact with the driver, they smelled the odor of an intoxicating beverage. They put this driver through the SFST, after which they conducted a probable-cause search and found him to be in possession of a bag of powdery substance, which field-tested positive as cocaine.

They jailed the suspect, a Sherman man on charge sof Driving While Intoxicated  (DWI)and Possession of a Controlled Substance PG 1 less than 1 gram.

There was a passenger in this vehicle, a Sherman female, who was also intoxicated and in a public place. They determined that she was a danger to herself and/or others, and so they jailed her on a charge of Public Intoxication.

The driver’s bail was set at a total of $8,00 and he paid that for his release. The passenger’s bail is not known as her name didn’t come up in the Jail’s database.

April 13 — About 3 o’clock in the morning, police were sent to the area of US Hwy 75 and FM 121 in regard to a hit-and-run wreck. They soon found the vehicle that did not stop, but, when the patrol cars’ overhead lights were turned on, he did stop. The driver was a McKinney man. Following protocol, police searched the vehicle and located a “usable amount” of marijuana.

They jailed the suspect on two charges: Accident Involving Injury and Possession of Marijuana less than 2 ounces.

Bail was paid through surety bonds for his release on April 14.

April 14 — About 2:30 pm, police attempted to stop a vehicle on Martin Duke and John Douglas roads, after seeing the vehicle being driven with no front license plate. However, Hayslip reported, when police turned on their lights and sirens, the vehicle’s driver failed to pull over and tried to elude the officers. Hayslip said that after a brief pursuit, the driver stopped for them.

The driver was a Van Alstyne woman, who was arrested on a charge of Evading Arrest with a Vehicle.

She paid her bail of $10,000 for her release the next day.

April 14 — That same day, about 10 pm, police officers were sent to a reckless driver incident at a convenience store in the US Hwy 75 and FM 121 area. The reporting caller had told dispatch that the vehicle had entered the store’s parking lot and struck a pole. Police found the vehicle and spoke with the driver, a Van Alstyne man. They reported that they immediately smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage and also saw several open containers inside the vehicle.

Officers asked the driver to perform the SFSTs and he refused. He was subsequently arrested on a charge of DWI w/Open Container.

Bail was set at. $1,500, but again officials placed an ICE detainer on this suspect and he remains incarcerated.

April 17—  About 2:30 am, police  stopped a vehicle on US Hwy 75 at Northridge. After seeing the vehicle was being driven with an expired registration. Again, as they spoke with the driver, a Knollwood man, they smelled the easily-recognizable odor of marijuana. They conducted a probable-cause search, and located a usable amount of marijuana, plus a clear baggie containing a powder crystalline, which field-tested to be methamphetamine, plus a firearm.

At the jail, they charged this suspect with Possession of Marijuana less than 2 ounces, Possession of a controlled Substance PG-1 less than one gram, Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.

The presiding magistrate set his bail at a total of $15,000 and as of now, he remains in jail.

April 18 — About 8 pm, officers stopped a vehicle on US Hwy 75 around the Farmington Road area after noting it was being driven at a speed of 88 mph in the highway’s 75-mph zone. The driver was an Allen man and police determined that there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest, charging him with Credit or Debit card abuse. At the jail, his bail was set at $5,000. Jail records show him simply released.

April 18 — A couple of hours later, police were dispatched to a reckless driver call. They located the driver, a The Colony woman, and, Hayslip said, “immediately smelled the odor of an intoxicating beverage.” After SFSTs were conducted and completed, they arrested the woman on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated.

She made bail of $1,500 in a surety bond and was released later the same day.

April 19 — A reporting party called police that someone had driven past her residence multiple times in a short amount of time. She also told dispatch that she believed it was her soon-to-be ex-husband. Police went to the location and soon found and stopped the described vehicle.

The vehicle was seen being driven with defective equipment, notably a brake light that wasn’t working.

The suspect went to jail on charges of Driving While License Suspended w/ Previous Conviction. The suspect was, according to jail records, able to post his set bail.

April 22 — About 2:30 pm, police made a traffic stop on US Hwy 75 about at Bear Road. They saw defective equipment on the vehicle, this time, it was a turn signal that didn’t work.

The driver, a Gordonville man, smelled of marijuana. Police got both the driver and his passenger out of the car. While outside, they saw the suspect attempting to conceal and/or destroy a methamphetamine pipe.

They jailed the suspect on a charge of Tampering With Evidence. He paid his bail set at $5,000 with a surety bond for his release on the 23^rd.

April 22 — About 1 pm, police again arrested the same suspect they had jailed on April 19.

This time, it was for warrant service related to threats he had made to a family member. Van Alstyne police had taken the report, then obtained a warrant.

In the meantime, four bail bonding agency cancelled the bail they had placed on him, and Van Alstyne police added a new charge of Terroristic Threat to Family/Household. Now, his bail is set at a total of $21,000 and he remains in Grayson County Jail in lieu of bonds.

April 23 — About 3 in the afternoon, police were dispatched to the 100 block of Henry Hynds regarding a stolen vehicle. Baylor Hospital Police were tracking the vehicle which had been stolen from the hospital parking lot.

Van Alstyne police quickly located the vehicle and conducted a felony traffic stop. They jailed the suspect on a charge of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle.

The suspect hasn’t recently made his bail of $5,000 and he remains incarcerated.

Press Release from Texas Department of Public Safety

PARIS – When working on the side of the road, you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times, and driving through work zones requires the same amount of caution.

Family’s tragic loss

College student Katrina Bond slowed down for traffic in a work zone on I-35 near Fort Worth when the driver of a heavy pickup truck, who admitted he had just received a text, slammed into her car. The force of the collision pushed Katrina’s car into the path of another truck. She never made it home.

“People think this kind of tragedy won’t happen to them. I didn’t think it would happen to me,” Katrina’s mom, Kathy Bond, said. “I try to show Katrina’s picture and tell her story to as many drivers as I can. I ask them to please put all their focus on the road when they’re behind the wheel.”

Work Zone Awareness Week

In 2024, there were nearly 28,000 crashes in Texas work zones. Those crashes caused 215 deaths, a 12% increase in fatalities over the previous year. Most of the people killed in work zone crashes are drivers or their passengers.

As part of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 21–25, TxDOT is using its Be Safe. Drive Smart campaign to promote work zone safety and help prevent these crashes and fatalities.

• In the Paris District in 2024, there were 573 traffic crashes in work zones, resulting in 3 fatalities and 31 serious injuries.

“Our brave and dedicated road crews work year-round across the state, and we need drivers to stay alert in work zones to help keep them and each other safe,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “Work zones can mean changing and unexpected conditions as crews work on the roadway. That’s why it’s vital that all Texans plan, avoid distractions and never rush through a work zone.”

Safety tips

TxDOT reminds drivers that traffic fines double in work zones when workers are present and offers these tips for preventing crashes:

• Slow down. Follow the speed limit and pay attention to road conditions. What’s safe in normal conditions may not be safe in a work zone.
• Stay alert. Focus on driving, avoid distractions and put your phone away.
• Watch out for road crews. Roadside workers want to get home safely too. Always follow their instructions and be mindful of construction area road signs.
• Don’t tailgate. Give yourself room to stop in a hurry. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of work zone crash. (This driver education teacher, Mary Jane Farmer said “The state curriculum for D.E. stressed to leave a distance of 2-seconds between you and the car ahead of you. You can count that when that car passes something stable, start counting, and be sure your car doesn’t pass the same landmark for 2 seconds.)”
• Allow extra time. Road construction can slow things down. Plan so you aren’t tempted to speed.

TxDOT also urges motorists to follow the state’s Move Over or Slow Down law, which requires drivers to move over a lane or reduce their speed to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when approaching TxDOT, emergency, law enforcement, tow truck or utility vehicles stopped on the roadside with flashing lights activated.

The Be Safe. Drive Smart campaign is an important part of TxDOT’s Drive like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe. initiative. Drive like a Texan is about embracing the pride, camaraderie and responsibility of being a Texan on the road. By making thoughtful choices, we can all help keep each other safe. Learn more at (click here)  DriveLikeATexan.com.

By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News

Van Alstyne Police made several arrests in the past few days. These included some suspects who reside here and others from out of town. The arrest reports are included here, received from PD Lt. Steven Hayslip, public information officer.

April 6 — At about 9 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 600 block of N. Henry Hynds regarding a domestic disturbance. There, they talked with both people and determined that the female had assaulted her boyfriend by striking him in the face. This caused injuries, but no medical treatment was needed.

Police jailed the female on a charge of Assault Causing Family Violence. A magistrate at the jail set her bail at $5,000 with special conditions to which she must abide to retain her freedom.  She paid that bail in surety bonds the next day for her release.

April 7 — Early the next afternoon, officers initiated a traffic stop in the 100 block of West Van Alstyne Parkway. The stop was made after officers saw the vehicle failing to maintain a single lane and almost strike a pedestrian. The vehicle’s driver stopped for police and when they walked up to the car’s window, they immediately smelled the odor of an intoxicating beverage. They officers also reported that. They saw the driver’s eyes were bloodshot and heard him slurring his speech,

Police put the suspect through the Standardize Field Sobriety tests, after which they played him under arrest on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated.  He posted bail set at $5,000 with a surety bond and was released April 8.

April 10, About 1:30 pm Sunday, a dispatcher received a call of a car crash at U.S 75 at about the Farmington Road area. The officers who were dispatched again smelled the strong odor of alcohol coming from inside the offending vehicle. A witness reported seeing the suspect, a Dallas man, throw a case of beer onto the concrete barrier.

While completing the investigation, police determined that he was intoxicated. They jailed him on charges of Driving While Intoxicated and Tampering with Evidence.

Once at the Grayson County Jail, officials added an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold on the suspect and he remains incarcerated.

April 12 — About 4 pm, police initiated a traffic stop on South Waco at Village, aka FM 3133, based on having seen the vehicle with a defective license plate light.

The driver was a McKinney area man, and was another who went to Grayson County Jail on a charge of DWI. Records show that he was given $5,000 bail, and that he paid it for his release with a surey bod later the same day.

April 14 — Police jailed a Van Alstyne man on a DWI charge, and at the jail the County set an ICE hold on this suspect, too. Details on this will be available for the next report.