KSSTRadio.com

City of Sulphur Springs Working on Budget

Bill Bradford — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:42:54 +0000

City of Sulphur Springs Finance Director Peter Karstens says the City has begun working on the budget for it’s fiscal year that begins October 1st. He has supplied City Manager Marc Maxwell with some preliminary figures. Maxwell was working on the this Wednesday.. Chief Appaiser Cathy Singleton says she will put appraisal values in the mail to the City and the other taxing entities she services on Friday afternoon. Karstens says high gasoline costs will mainly impact the police department. High Diesel fuel costs will impact public works equipment. If energy prices remain high they may need to look at vehicle and equipment efficiency. in the past year the City has seen reduced sales tax revenue, but it may be starting to increase. They intend to have the draft budget before the City Council the first week of August.

Maxwell Got the Brick

Bill Bradford — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:43:37 +0000

We reported here Monday that the City of Sulphur Springs went out for bids for 60 thousand paving brick for the Main Street Project and got none. City Manager Marc Maxwell went brick hunting in Dallas, found a brick plant that’s going to make his brick and deliver it the first week of September. Maxwell had told KSST it was going to cost about $2.00 a brick. He got the 60,000 delivered for $108,000. He has agreed to sell KSST one at cost if they have any left over. Our files indicate that when Main Street, the square, and the other streets entering onto the square were first paved in 1915 the project was once delayed because the rest of the brick had not arrived. The original 1915 contract, says the Sulphur Springs Gazette, was let to Throckmorton and Gardiner of Fort Scott, Kansas to lay Coffeyville Brick with Asphalt Filler on a 4 inch concrete base for $1.85 a square yard. Maxwell paid $1.80 a brick. Inflation bbradford@neto.com

Memorial Hospital Has a Second Surgeon

Bill Bradford — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:46:35 +0000

Hopkins County Memorial Hospital has been needing a second surgeon for a long time. Theyv’e been looking for a long time. They found the one they wanted, doing his residency in the Orlando Regional Medical Center in Florida. He is Robert Lenington. His wife is Jessica and they have a nine week old baby. One reason he chose Sulphur Springs is because it’s a safe place to raise a family. He tells KSST that on Christmas Eve in Orlanda he was on call and was called to the operating room 27…maybe 29..times to treat people for gunshot wounds. He said to himself, “I do not want to raise a family here.” He said things have changed from when the Family Doctor was his own surgeon. With all of the knowledge and information available today, medicine has to be a team. He is trained in minimally invasive surgery and says in many cases it has much merit. Less post-operative pain. Quicker return to work. He described it as making tiny incisions to do whatever you want to do. Memorial apparently needed him. He was doing surgery before he got his office set up. bbradford@neto.com

The Chinese Olympics May Be Hazardous to Your Health

Bill Bradford — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:30:36 +0000

News out of China is that in the area where the Olympics will be held in less than three weeks they are shutting down industries that emit large amounts of pollutants and restricting the use of automobiles to reduce the amount of smog in the air. Judge Robert Newsom who recently returned from a trip to China says the smog is as bad as we have heard. Visibility in some cities was as little as one or two hundred yards. You would not see even large buildings from a distance. Newsom, who runs for exercise, is concerned it will be bad for the health of the athletic competitors. He was in China by invitation to speak to law students. They didn’t understand why we have juries. Communism is intimidating. He said ordinary citizens and their regular police interact on a friendly basis, but there are military police on the corners. They never smile. Bbradford@neto.com

Faith in Action needs to make their move to what was formerly Ace Hardware.

Bill Bradford — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:44:44 +0000

Faith in Action and 211, the number you call when you don’t know what number to call, is eager to move into their new home, the one-time Ace Hardware building. For one reason, they can set up their charitable dental clinic. Secondly, it will give additional room to a newly arrived doctor, a second surgeon for Memorial. Dawn Sheffield is eagerly looking forward to getting the clinic in operation. It became possible when retired Dentist Bob Parker gave them the basic dental equipment they must have to go into operation. They anticipate that Parker, Dr. Johnson and others will volunteer their services. More modification must be done to the Ace building before they can make the move. They have another need in connection with their Faith in Action program. It a project where those who can help, help those who can’t. Like the elderly who may need minor home repairs. They need your scraps and left-overs. The buckets of paint you never used. Lumber, all kinds, sizes and shapes. Any kind of building materials. They can be contacted at 885 9797. She expects that other non-profit agencies will join them in the new facility. Bbradford@neto.com

This Year’s November General Election Could Be Biggest Ever.

Bill Bradford — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:16:52 +0000

In the last Presidential Election four years ago over 12,000 Hopkins County Voters cast ballots. About 42%, over 5,000, cast their votes in the two weeks of early voting. With the percentage of early voters constantly increasing and with voter interest high, County Clerk Debbie Shirley made arrangements with City Manager Marc Maxwell and staff to hold early voting in the large General Purpose Room at the City Library. Shirley tells KSST that in recent high interest elections she has not had adequate parking room or elbo room at the County Clerk’s Office. In addition to the regular ballot, three School Board elections will also be held. Miller Grove, Sulphur Bluff and Saltillo. There is also the potential for one or more Roll-Back Elections, since the price of Gasoline and inflation is driving costs up. Shirley says that since electronic voting devices have become mandatory she is not only involved in County and National Elections, but in area City, Hospital District and School Board Elections and just handling eloctions is becoming a full time job. She says many counties have hired Election Administrators, and she has recommended that Hopkins County do so as well. bbradford@neto.com

Maxwell Looking For Bricks

Bill Bradford — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:42:30 +0000

In May 1915, it was the biggest story in the Gazette; the paving of the downtown square and the streets leading into it. The giant concrete mixer that laid the base turned out 2,100 yards in one record-breaking day, they said. The paper said the brick was the best quality and most approved type of paving brick. It must have been, for City Manager Marc Maxwell has one of the bricks recently taken from the Main Street Project and it looks none the worse for wear after 93 years. Replacing it has turned into a major problem. Maxwell says they went out for bids, and got none. Yesterday he went to Dallas to try to find and buy around 60,000 bricks for about $2 each. When originally laid, the cost of the project, the Square and the streets leading into it, was split equally between the City, County, and Property Owners. bbradford@neto.com

Planning and Zoning, Zoning Board of Adjustments and Downtown Revitalization Board Have Meetings This Week

Don Julian — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:14:42 +0000

Two city of Sulphur Springs’ boards and one commission meet this week at City Hall. Monday night at 7 p.m., the Planning and Zoning Commission will gather to administer the oath of office to newly appointed commissioner Claude Walter. The commission will also select a chairman and vice-chairman. Planning and Zoning will also consider a request by Sandra Jones for a Special Use Permit to relocate her permanent cosmetic tattooing shop Mystical Magic to the 400 block of West Shannon Road. City staff recommends approval.
The city Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals has a meeting Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. Board alternates Gale Niergarth and Kristi Brewer will be sworn in and a chairman and vice-chairman will be selected. The Zoning Board will also take up the tattooing case as well as a request from the owner of Texas Heritage National Bank at 215 North Hillcrest for a zoning variance to construct a fence that is not a masonry fence. City staff recommends approval in the case of the tattooing shop and denial of the bank request.
The city Downtown Revitalization Board meets Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. The only agenda action item is a request by Echo Publishing to replace 18 downstairs windows at a vacant property at 229 Main Street. City staff recommends approval.
donjulian@ksstradio.net

Football Camps and Girls Basketball Camps Coming Up at Sulphur Springs High School

Don Julian — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:12:59 +0000

The Sulphur Springs Athletic Department is offering three camps this week including two football camps. Wildcats Head Football Coach Greg Owens and his staff will have the Wildcats Football Camp for students entering the 4th through the 8th grades. It will run Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. Cost is $50. Meanwhile there will also be a special camp for Sulphur Springs ISD entering 9th grade students only. It will also run Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Cost is $20. Lady Cats Basketball Coach Tina Carrillo is the contact person for a Girls Basketball Clinic for girls entering the 10th through the 12th grades. The camp runs Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until noon each day.
donjulian@ksstradio.net

Hopkins County Commissioners Court Continues with Budget Work Sessions Monday through Friday

Don Julian — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:11:14 +0000

The Hopkins County Commissioners Court continues budget work sessions this week. The court will meet Monday through Friday beginning at 10 a.m. each day. Monday afternoon at 1 p.m., the court will discuss the budget of the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center with Civic Center Operations Manager Dottie Ford and Marketing and Promotions Manager Pansy Bell. All work sessions are scheduled for Meeting Room 1 adjacent to the Commissioners Courtroom.
donjulian@ksstradio.net