Meet 3 Pilots from the Saturday Hot Air-Balloon Glow
Steve Lombardi, Houston pilot for the ReMax balloon, talked to KSST about how he got started as a hot air-balloon pilot. He originally flew private airplanes, for 29 years. “The crew and friendships make flying worth it.” There is a Remax office in Sulphur Springs and Lombardi was asked to be the balloon sponsor. The farthest he’s ever flown was 60 miles, and he enjoys competitive balloon events. He didn’t have a lot of training because of his prior knowledge of flying planes. Bill Adler, Longview pilot for the...
read moreMeet 2017 Ms. Hopkins County Senior Patsy Crist
Patsy Crist, a 30-year resident of the Cumby area of Hopkins County, is the newly crowned Ms. Sr. Hopkins County. Her talent presentation was an “I Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin” skit. She was crowned by 2016 Ms. Sr. Lavonne Elam. There were 9 contestants in the 2017 pageant, held at League Street Church of Christ Fellowship Hall on Saturday June 10, 2017. The contestants were honored with a Tea on June 9, hosted by Leanetta Pryor of Hopkins House and pageant organizer Karon Weatherman. Making guest appearances during the pageant...
read moreFriends spotted at the Freeze-Off!
Isaiah Flores drove over 270 miles to visit the Dairy Festival. KSST caught up with Flores at the ice cream festival. “I can’t wait to come back next year! There was a Strawberry Lemon Crunch, that’s the one I voted for.” This was Flores’ first time to attend the Dairy Festival, and he went to every event. “My favorite part was probably the parade, and catching candy for all the little kids.” Flores also enjoyed visiting iconic sites around Sulphur Springs. “What I really enjoyed about...
read moreFamily Fun at Saturday Night’s Hot Air-Balloon Glow
Saturday Night’s Hot Air -Balloon Glow was spectacular! Approximately 30+ balloons were on the ground at Shannon Oaks Church of Christ at 6:00 pm. The expected balloon flights were cancelled due to weather restrictions and high winds. A few balloon baskets were set up front for families to climb in and take pictures with some of the flight crews and the rest of the pilots let families take pictures up close in front of the inflated balloons. The Stone Grove Band was on hand to capture the mood of the evening with popular oldies and...
read moreThe Hopkins County Championship Ice-Cream Freeze Off: WINNERS!!
The Ice-Cream Freeze Off was a huge hit! There was a large crowd at 5:00 pm even though the event didn’t formally begin until 5:30 pm. Every attendee was given a People’s Choice Award ballot so that they could vote for their favorite ice cream flavor. Approximately 50 Ice-Cream Freeze Off contestants created a variety of icy goodness in 5 categories: First Timers, Little Dip, Big Dip Classic, Big Dip Novelty, and Super Scoop. Winners: People’s Choice: Kim Dillard-Butter Pecan First timers: 1st place: Gary Spraggins 2nd...
read moreBobby McDonald Milking Contest
For the first time, the Milking Contest was re-named in honor of Bobby McDonald. 2016 Dairy Festival Queen Sadie Evans was there to give advice and encourage the 2017 Dairy Festival contestants. Judges included Bobby McDonald’s Mother and Sister. Here were the winners: Contestants: 1st place: Peyton Dietze with 3.16 lbs 2nd place: Marissa Greenway with 1.49 lbs 3rd place: Jaci Reed with 1.07 lbs Contestant Parents: 1st place: George IV and Jessica Reinheart with 3.99 lbs 2nd place: Jason and Jill Dietze with 2.93 lbs 3rd place: Rudy...
read moreJunior Dairy Show
The Junior Dairy Show started off at 10:00 am in the civic center arena. There were over 129 head of cattle in the whole competition. Competitors came from Louisiana and all over Texas. There were barrels full of ice housing cold bottles of milk and water for competitors and their parents. A source of Hopkins county dairy farmers explained what the Judges were looking for: tall long body, Dairy Character-which is angular and sharpness, correct feet and legs, as well as if the cows have a straight top line. Major Sponsors of the event...
read moreFriday Night Balloon Rally and Glow
The Balloon Rally and Glow event started around 6:00 pm with a band playing 70’s and 80’s cover songs, the Original 501’s kept the crowd endlessly entertained throughout the night. Concessions were provided by Shannon Oaks Church and the Pink Snow Cone Stand. The Mothers Culture Club provided an interesting twist on the classic game with cow patty bingo. As darkness fell, people settled into their lawn chairs while their children played and wore glow-stick necklaces. The hot air-balloons glowed on and off in sync with the...
read moreComo-Pickton Cheerleading Team Bake Sale
Como-Pickton’s Cheerleading Team sold baked goods outside Alliance Bank’s Downtown Branch, Friday morning. The team coach, Shona Brewer, said the team was “trying to raise money for this coming year.” They had all sorts of delicious-looking treats-cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and even some rice-krispie treats. The 21 cheerleaders were all smiles as they sold their sweets. The team hopes to raise enough money to go towards getting new uniforms and the Alamo Bowl. They’ve raised about $600 so far, and every...
read moreDairy Festival Opening Ceremony
On Friday June 9th at 12:00 noon, Dairy Festival Board members held the opening ceremony at Celebration Plaza. 2016 Dairy Festival Queen, Sadie Evans, was in attendance, with the 2017 Dairy Festival Contestants. Carolyn McKinney has served on the Dairy Festival Board for 11 years, and commented “It’s the 59th Annual Hopkins County Dairy Festival. Was have 7 girls vying for the title of queen. The opening ceremony kicks off a weekend of fun activities. Balloon rally is Friday night, Saturday Morning, Saturday Night, and maybe...
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