Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future: Big Changes Ahead for the Winnsboro Historical Museum
June 26, 2025 – Tucked inside the beautifully restored 1908 Winnsboro Depot, the Winnsboro Historical Museum is a treasured local gem. Operated by the Winnsboro Historical Association, its mission is simple yet vital: to preserve, protect, and promote the history of Winnsboro, passing it on to future generations.
More Room for History
Exciting things are happening behind the scenes. Thanks to recent permission from the City of Winnsboro, the museum now has access to use the entire Depot building. This expansion means more room to showcase the town’s rich history, including items that had previously been in storage or displayed off-site.
New Exhibits
While the museum already features several beloved displays, plans are underway for new exhibits. The museum will be part of an event in August and more information will be announced soon.
A Website for the Future
The museum’s website, winnsborotxmuseum.com, has been rebuilt on a new platform designed for growth. The updated site will now accept online donations and volunteer sign-ups, with even more functionality to come.
“In the next few years,” James Pickering notes, “we hope to have access to a searchable digital database of Winnsboro’s history — including photos, documents, and family stories. That effort is already underway, thanks to the previous work of town historian the late Bill Jones and many dedicated volunteers.”
Become a Donor or Sponsor
As the museum grows, so does its need for community support. A new donation page has been added to the website with expansion into donation levels and packages in the near future. “There will be several giving levels,” says Pickering, “and we plan to add perks along the way. Supporting the museum means helping a community understand its past and its identity.”
Donations can be made in person at the museum Wednesday through Saturday, or online through the donor page using credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, and other digital options.
Volunteers: The Heart of the Museum
The museum is also seeking volunteers of all ages (16+) and skill sets. From leading tours to identifying people in old photographs, and from assembling exhibits to office and tech work, there’s a place for everyone.
“You don’t have to be a history expert,” Pickering explains. “Many of our most valuable volunteers bring other skills — photography, data entry, design — that help us grow in ways we couldn’t otherwise.”
Technology Meets Mystery
With new scanning tools and the help of online technology (including AI), the museum is digitizing documents and building a detailed database that will aid in research. This work has already led to a few surprises.
“One mystery we’re still working on involves an event reported in a Texas newspaper a full year before it happened in Winnsboro,” Pickering says with a smile. “We’ll be inviting the community to help solve these mysteries by sharing what they know.”
Future plans include open house days where locals can record their stories, share family photos, and help piece together the town’s untold stories.
Come Visit, Come Connect
The museum is free and open to the public, and Pickering encourages everyone to stop in — whether they have a photo to share or just want to spend an hour exploring.
“If you only have time for one room,” he says, “don’t miss our developing train and depot display. It includes a working train and rich history about the building itself.” To stay updated, visit winnsborotxmuseum.com or follow the museum on Facebook at Winnsboro Historical Museum. Plans are also underway to launch a newsletter for supporters.
Overview of the 89th Regular Texas Legislative Session
June 26, 2025 – COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Texas legislators allocated approximately $630 million in new funding, above current base funding, for Texas A&M Forest Service over the next two fiscal years.
The 89th Texas Legislative Session ended June 2, 2025, and the governor signed the budget on June 22.
The budget funds more volunteer fire department grants, the purchase and operation of wildfire suppression aircraft, motor vehicle purchases and more.
New funding to Texas A&M Forest Service above the current base funding includes:
- $257,000,000 – For the purchase and operation of wildfire suppression aircraft
- $192,291,000 – Volunteer fire department grants for outstanding unfunded requests
- $124,754,143 – Wildfire and natural disaster expenses incurred during 2023-2025
- $44,000,000 – Additional funding for volunteer fire department grants
- $2,056,918 – Motor vehicle purchases
- $2,044,444 – Volunteer fire department insurance from Fund 5066 increases
- $2,004,148 – Additional funding for group insurance
- $4,000,000 – Certified and insured prescribed burn manager self-insurance pool
- $500,000 – Database of wildland firefighting equipment in the state
Other bills related to Texas A&M Forest Service that passed (bill lookup):
- SB 34 (Sparks) Relating to funding for certain volunteer fire departments, to the preparation for and the prevention, management, and potential effects of wildfires, and to emergency communications in this state.
- SB 767 (Sparks) Relating to creating a database of firefighting equipment in the state available for use in responding to wildfires.
- SB 868 (Sparks) Relating to the allocation of money appropriated to the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
- HB 2563 (Ashby) Relating to the establishment of the temporary prescribed burn manager self-insurance pool; authorizing a fee.
- HB 4464 (Gonzalez) Relating to removing the requirement of provision of workers’ compensation insurance coverage for Texas Task Force 1, TIFMAS, and regional IMT members.
- HB 4945 (Ashby) Relating to a study conducted by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas on the feasibility of offering alternative service retirement benefits to Texas A&M Forest Service wildland firefighters who are members of the retirement system.
Read more about how the legislative session impacted members across The Texas A&M University System.
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CHRISTUS Health Patient Shares Story of Wound Recovery Using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
June 26, 2025 – (SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas) – After seeking a remedy for an open wound on his foot for more than a year, a Sulphur Springs man is now walking unaided and back to work, thanks to treatment received at the wound care clinic at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.
In recognition of Wound Healing Awareness Month, CHRISTUS Health is highlighting the recovery of Johnnie Stone, 56, who visited multiple specialists in East Texas and Louisiana in search of a treatment plan for an open wound on his foot.
“I had a callous on my foot that would just not go away. Even after a specialist removed the callous, the wound itself would not heal,” Stone said. “I saw several specialists, even some that were talking major surgery, and eventually I realized that I wasn’t getting the options I needed.”
Stone had a condition called “diabetic foot,” in which high blood sugar levels can damage nerves, causing numbness, tingling, pain and a loss of feeling. This can make it difficult to feel minor injuries, like blisters or cuts, which can then become infected and make healing much more difficult.
After more than a year of seeking answers, Stone booked an appointment with the wound clinic at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.
He would receive weekly and even daily treatment from the wound care team, which included cleaning of the wound and dressing changes.
During this time, Stone also underwent Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), a medical
treatment where a patient breathes 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, increasing the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream and tissues. This enhanced oxygen delivery can help wounds heal faster, fight infection, and reduce swelling.
“The oxygen increase in the blood creates new capillaries which supplies more blood to the wound and stimulates faster healing,” said Leta Jolley, a registered nurse who worked on Stone’s case. “We start every patient on a 30-session plan and then re-evaluate.”
Stone completed his first 30 sessions and was recommended for 30 more.
But after an additional 20 sessions, Stone’s wound healed.
“I was just so excited to be wearing shoes again,” Stone said. “I was so impressed by what the therapy did for my foot, how the staff treated me and how everything played out. The only thing I regret is that I did not come here sooner.”
Jolley said that she hopes more people will inquire about advanced wound therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and that Stone’s recovery can serve as motivation to do so.
“Watching him get better, knowing all he had been through, was so exciting,” she said. “We have a full range of wound care treatments here in Sulphur Springs and we want people to know it’s available and it really does work.”
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Abbott Signs HB4211; Takes on Developments like ‘EPIC City’
June 26, 2025 – Governor Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 4211, a new property law aimed at limiting the legal framework of the proposed EPIC City development, taking effect immediately.
EPIC City is a proposed 402-acre Islamic-centered master-planned community initiated by the East Plano Islamic Center, located about 40 miles northeast of Dallas in Collin and Hunt counties.
The 402-acre project, initiated by the East Plano Islamic Center, plans a mix of homes, a mosque, faith-based school, community college, retail spaces, and sports and senior facilities across Collin and Hunt counties.
EPIC City is Still in the planning stage: No construction has commenced, and permit applications are pending. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed no applications have been filed.
Under the new law, developers must clearly disclose that buyers are investing in a business entity—not purchasing real property—and cannot impose resale fees or profit from secondary sales. Additionally, EPIC City and similar developments cannot claim religious exemptions, meaning they cannot sell or rent land exclusively based on religious affiliation, especially on parcels over 25 acres.
Abbott’s office emphasized that the law is designed to “crack down” on developments seeking to impose Sharia law or establish “no-go zones”.
EPIC City has faced multiple investigations—including state probes led by Abbott and a federal civil rights investigation by the DOJ, which was recently closed after developers affirmed inclusivity.
Despite controversy, EPIC City organizers maintain the project is inclusive, lawful under housing regulations, and unaffected by the new law
2025-2026 Hopkins County United Way Team was Introduced at a Meeting June 17th
June 24, 2025 – The 2025-2026 Hopkins County United Way team was introduced to the media at a meeting June 17th, 2025. This United Way team marks 70 years of United Way and it’s efforts. Important dates to note were also talked about at this meeting. This meeting was held at the Hopkins County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Below is KSST’s coverage of the first portion of this meeting. Check it out!
Quitman Rancher Officially Joins Race for Texas Gov
June 24, 2025 – Democrat Bobby Cole, an East Texas dairy farmer, retired firefighter (Plano FD lieutenant), and poultry producer, has officially launched his campaign for Governor of Texas, challenging incumbent Republican Greg Abbott. Cole lives in Quitman, having been born near Houston and later moving to East Texas, where he now runs a 1,000-acre operation raising cattle and over a million chickens annually.
Cole’s announcement came on June 23 via video on social media, where he criticized Abbott for siding with “bullies and billionaires” and claimed the governor has “tearing up everything Texans have built”. He positions himself as a “fighter” for working families and suggests that Abbott has failed to address key issues like property taxes, grid reliability, school funding, and healthcare access.
As a first-time candidate, Cole leans into his outsider status, drawing on his background in public safety and agriculture. His multi-generational ties to rural Texas—living and working in Quitman—aim to ground his message of common-sense leadership and pragmatic problem-solving.
Cole becomes the first Democrat in the 2026 gubernatorial primary to enter the race, seeking to offer a contrast to Abbott’s conservative legacy. Observers note he faces a steep uphill battle: Abbott remains a dominant political force with strong fundraising advantage. However, Cole hopes his life story and message of populist change will gain traction as the campaign unfolds.
Company will Break Ground on Lithium Mining Facility in Nearby Mount Vernon
June 24, 2025 – A company will break ground on a lithium mining facility in nearby Mount Vernon in August that will create 120 jobs.
Lithium is used in batteries, electric vehicles, computers and other devices. The Trump administration wants tp expedite production in order to end dependence on China for the mineral.
Mount Vernon Mayor Brad Hyman says: “It’s going to be transformational for our county.”
K-L-T-V television reports that the city’s tax revenue is expected to double from the plant.
Mount Vernon and neighboring Franklin County sit on the Smackover Formation, a large lithium deposit that continues into southwest Arkansas.
Geoframe Energy’s plant will sit on land behind the Duke’s Travel Plaza on I-30. They will only produce lithium, not batteries, at the site.
Geoframe is based in Austin, and has acquired the mineral rights to 8,000 acres in the surrounding area.
Geoframe C-E-O Bruce Cutright says: “The spent brine will then be sent back underground in injection wells, about two miles deep. No impact on groundwater resources.”
Cutright says there won’t be any impact to the environment from the project, as there are no surface emissions from the mining process.
The plant is expected to begin production in early 2026.
Sulphur Springs I-S-D Placed in the Top 10 in the UIL Lone Star Cup Standings
June 24, 2025 – The Sulphur Springs I-S-D placed in the Top 10 in the UIL Lone Star Cup standings for Class 4A – out of 218 school districts across Texas!
Sulphur Springs took ninth place with 76 points, just behind eighth-place Lindale with 78.
Among other area schools, Celina placed second, Sunnyvale was seventh, Frisco Panther Creek was 14th, Aubrey was 15th and Texarkana Pleasant Grove was 18th. The Wimberley I-S-D in Central Texas was the overall 4A winner.
In the 3A division, Texarkana Liberty-Eylau tied for 19th and Mineola tied for 21st.
In 2023, Sulphur Springs placed fifth in the Lone Star Cup standings.
The UIL Lone Star Cup recognizes the best overall academic, athletic, and extracurricular programs in the state. Points are awarded based on district and state-level success in academics, fine arts, and athletics … and Sulphur Springs students excelled in every area!
The winning schools in each classification will receive the UIL Lone Star Cup trophy and a $1,000 scholarship. The Texas Farm Bureau Insurance provided sponsorship for the UIL Lone Star Cup.
You Can Vote on the ‘Horny Toad’ Lizard Plate
June 24, 2025 – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is inviting the public to help select a new design for the iconic Texas Horned Lizard license plate. This special plate, first introduced 25 years ago, was the inaugural design in Texas’s Conservation License Plate program. Since its launch, the plate has raised over $5 million to support the protection and conservation of native Texas wildlife, making it both a symbol of state pride and an essential funding source for wildlife initiatives.
Voters can help decide the next plate design via a short online survey.
Through an online survey, participants can view three proposed designs, which will be displayed in random order to ensure unbiased feedback. Survey respondents will have the opportunity to provide their opinions on which design they find most appealing and appropriate for representing the Texas Horned Lizard, affectionately known as the “horny toad.” The selected design will replace the current plate and will be made available for a variety of vehicles, including cars, trailers, and motorcycles.
It is illegal to pick up a Texas horned lizard in Texas. The Texas horned lizard is a threatened species, and handling, possessing, or disturbing them without a permit is prohibited. This is to help conserve their population.
The Texas Horned Lizard holds a special place in Texas heritage and conservation efforts, and TPWD hopes that public input will help create a design that continues to inspire support for native species. By participating in the survey, Texans can directly influence the look of the next generation of conservation plates and contribute to ongoing wildlife protection efforts across the state.
Health Care Foundation Kicks-Off Summer of Healthy Fun
June 23, 2025 – Sulphur Springs, Texas – The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation launched its new offering, Summer of Healthy Fun, on Monday, June 23, providing local media and the Foundation Board of Directors with an opportunity to sample what this new program has in store.
The Summer of Healthy Fun is intended to let each Hopkins County citizen pursue their healthy goals through education and activities.
At the kick-off, guests were led through a desk warm-up by CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs Sports Medicine Coordinator Tracy Lott. Stretches focused on the arms, wrists, neck, and sides to keep participants flexible and feeling good throughout the workday.
Next, Emily Nance, community engagement & fundraising coordinator of the Foundation Office, led the group in a rock painting session. The guests were very creative, painting a turtle, shark, peach, watermelon, sun, bumble bee, and other imaginative designs. Activities, such as painting, help lower heart rate, improve hand-eye coordination, improve concentration, and promote relaxation.
The final offering for the group was breathwork by Dr. Mary Leshe of the Heritage Christian Counseling Center. She went over a few ways to relax and center through breathing and painting a mental picture.
The Foundation provided healthy snacks, including fresh fruit cups and egg bites, the latter of which guests were provided the recipe in a booklet they were encouraged to take home.
All Summer of Health Fun events are free or have a nominal fee. Space may be limited. Early registration is advised to secure a spot. Some events may be targeted to a specific gender or may have a minimum age requirement. Please see the website for more details.
Events will be added as the summer progresses, so check the website often.
The next event will be held this Saturday, June 23, at 7 a.m. at Coleman Park. A Walk in the Park will be a group walk around the park for all ages. Everyone is invited. Pre-registration is recommended so the Foundation will know who to expect. The group will meet near the boat ramp accessible through the parking lot off Main Street.
The website for information and registration is HCSummer25.GiveSmart.com.
The Foundation welcomes residents to join in the fun and try or learn something new this summer!
The Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) that focuses on improving the health of Hopkins County residents. Not only does it offer clinics and programs, but the Foundation also funds projects for its partners, the Hopkins County Hospital District and CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.
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A video presentation of this Health Care Foundation Summer of Healthy Fun Kick-off will be available soon. Stay tuned…
