Area voters will go the polls Saturday to make their choices for city council and school board.

After finding a 19-year-old Sulphur Springs man guilty of possession of less than a gram of crack cocaine Wednesday afternoon, a Hopkins County jury levied the maximum sentence for the third-degree felony conviction.
    Douglas Deleon Brookins, 19 and the father of five children, was arrested for possession of the controlled substance near Pacific Park in April of last year by officers investigating a sexual assault.
    District Attorney Will Ramsay, who prosecuted the case, said the charge was a state jail offense but was enhanced to a third-degree felony because the man was within 1,000 feet of Pacific Park, a drug-free zone.
    A third-degree felony is punishable by a sentence of two to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Because the offense occurred in a drug-free zone, Brookins must serve at least five years before becoming eligible for parole.
    Ramsay said he feels the community, when given a chance, will say exactly what it thinks about these types of offenses.
    “I think what we need to do is give [the community] a chance to say it, put it in front of them like this jury,” he said. “They will answer and let these defendants know what they think and what the community thinks about it.”
    The verdict and sentencing, the district attorney said, sends a message to drug dealers and users.
    “If we put these cases in front of a Hopkins, Franklin or Delta county jury, they will say what it means to the community,” Ramsay said. “That puts out the word amongst the drug dealers that, if you want to play, if you want to do this, this is what's going to happen to you.”
    Defense attorney Frank Long represented Brookins in the trial.

An unfamiliar voice on the police radio just after 9 a.m. alerted law enforcement officers and agencies to an officer in need of help in the 200 block of College Street, and every available officer answered the call.
    Police Chief Jim Bayuk said a police detective had stopped at a convenience store to make a purchase and was informed of a suspicious person broken down in the parking lot.
    “Detective Monty Tipps went over there and found out the vehicle was broken down,” Bayuk said. “He was going to offer a courtesy escort to wherever the man wanted to go.”
    The detective was acquainted with the man, Royce Wayne “Jake” Sewell, and Tipps informed the man of department policy that requires officers to make sure anyone receiving a courtesy escort not have any drugs, weapons or anything that could harm the officer.
    “The individual reached into his pocket and the detective told him to pull his hands out of his pockets and Tipps observed a plastic little bag similar to what we know narcotics are kept in,” the chief said. “So, when that happened, the detective grabbed the suspect's hand that held the suspected narcotic and, basically, the fight was on.”
    Bayuk credited the woman who responded to  Tipps' request for assistance with playing a vital role in helping keep a bad situation from getting worse.
    “She got on the radio and said 'an officer needs help right now in the 200 block of College Street,'” Bayuk said. “A large contingent of officers showed up from the county and city. I bet 30 officers showed up.”
    According to the chief, the man appeared to be under the influence of a narcotic and that was the cause of his lack of reason.
    “We did have to Taze him because he would not comply,” the chief said. “It ended up with us charging him with three offenses, and the individual was already out on bond for a felony offense when this morning's incident occurred.”

This weekend promises to be a busy time full of family-friendly activities in Cumby as the city celebrates its heritage with Blackjack Grove Day. Saturday will mark the 39th year the annual festival has been held.

A Paris truck driver has received several traffic citations and his insurance company is facing thousands of dollars in damages following an incident on Oak and College streets just after midnight, according to City Manager Marc Maxwell.