Homeowner Maintenance of Septic Systems Course scheduled
A Homeowner Maintenance of Septic Systems Course is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at Hopkins County Extension Office.
The 6- hour course provides a basic understanding of the operational and maintenance activities of conventional and aerobic septic systems, and explains how activities within the home impact septic systems.
Presentations will cover the treatment processes, health and safety considerations, an overview of how to inspect and maintain the system, and goes in depth on aerobic systems and their operation and maintenance.
This course also provides answers to the most frequently asked septic system questions, including when to pump out a tank and what can or cannot go down the drain.
Septic systems are not “flush and forget” systems! Therefore, maintenance is essential to ensure proper function and longevity of your septic system. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how to maintain their septic system to protect the health of their family and the environment.
If you are taking the class to be certified to maintain your own system, you will receive a certificate upon completion of the class. It is your responsibility to notify the permitting authority upon your completion of the course.
Cost of the training is $125. Register by calling 903-885-3443 by March 13, 2020.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic, please call the Hopkins County Extension Office 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report March 2-8, 2020
Arrests
No reportable arrests
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 155 calls for
service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 37 citations and 43 warnings
during this reporting period.
Commissioners Declare Emergency, Designate $1 Million For Road Work
Hopkins County Commissioners Court Monday morning took steps to free up an additional $1,564,000 in funding for road improvements this summer.
Emergency designation
The court first approved a resolution declaring an emergency in Hopkins County due to recent weather which impacted county roads.
The Commissioners Court, cited Local Government Code §111.070(b), for allowing them to “authorize an emergency expenditure as an amendment to the original budget in the case of grave public necessity to meet an unusual and unforeseen condition that could not have been included in the original budget through the use of reasonably diligent thought and attention.”
The resolution identifies “recent rain, flooding and winds” for “immeasurably negatively” impacting county roads. “Due to extenuating circumstances the Hopkins County Commissioners Court is authorizing an emergency expenditure as an amendment to the original budget,” according to the emergency resolution.
County Judge Robert Newsom proposed allocating $250,000 more per precinct from the general fund so that precinct road crews can begin working on roads earlier this year, weather permitting.
Making the adjustments now instead of later in the year will be helpful in that it will allow materials for each precinct to be obtained in readiness for any good weather days, instead of having to wait until later in the year or closer to summer, Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker noted.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley said he is thankful the county is in a healthy enough financial condition due to increases in property values which have generated additional revenues to be able to designate additional funding for road improvements.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price asked if the designation could allow for purchase of road equipment if needed also.
Newsom noted the declaration would allow funding for construction and maintenance of county roads, which could include needed equipment.
Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook affirmed the funding would go to each precinct road and bridge budget and could be used for allowable expenses in that fund.
Mack Pitts, a community member, asked if the funding would come from the existing budget and not require additional taxes.
Aulsbrook affirmed the money would come from the general fund and go directly to the road and bridge fund.
Cooperative Purchase
Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Anglin said he hopes during good weather this summer to have two road crews working, which would allow him to cover more miles of road.
Anglin asked to be allowed to use some off that designated funding to purchase another reclaimer for Precinct 2. The equipment would be used and purchased through the county’s membership in Sourcewell. Because the group is a purchasing cooperative similar to BuyBoard, the county would not be required to go out for bids on the project. Anglin said the model he’s looking to purchase is about 3 years old and in good shape.
Barker noted that the Texas Association of Counties has been guiding county governments to purchase equipment instead of leasing it.
This would also make available additional equipment should the reclaimer already in operation experience mechanical issues, Anglin noted.
The Commissioners Court gave unanimous approval for the reclaimer purchase for Precinct 2 through Sourcewell.
Budget Amendment, Line Item Transfer
The Commissioners Court agreed to amending the budget to reflect the $1 million adjustment from the general fund, with $250,000 going into an emergency road building line within each precinct’s budget for maintenance of equipment or related expenses for road work
An additional $564,000 budget adjustment was also recommended by Aulsbrook. She explained that was the total remaining in road and bridge funding from the previous year. Those funds at the end of the year had to go back into the general fund. A transfer within the budget would allow each precinct official to access the funds remaining from his precint.
That’d be $126,000 for Precinct 1, $129,000 in Precinct 2, $87,000 for Precinct 3 and $222,000 for Precinct 4. The court approved a line item within the budget to carry those funds over to this year’s road and bridge funds for the four precincts.
The funding will help, but even those funds will only go so far. Currently, the cost to repair 1 mile of road is $120,00, according to Newsom.
Barker compared the season for road work to hay season. Crews have a limited amount of good weather days but would do the most work possible within that time with the available resources.
The Precinct 1 Commissioner noted the county too has some FEMA funding that must be used within a certain amount of time for road repairs.
Newsom offered appreciation to the sheriff for providing additional labor for precinct crews through the trustees work program at the county jail.
HCSO: Disturbance Allegedly Involving Weapon Results In Misdemeanor Arrest
Sheriff’s deputies Sunday evening arrested a 33-year-old Sulphur Springs man, following a disturbance in which a weapon was reportedly displayed, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff‘s Deputies Drew Fisher and Kevin Lester, Sgt. Shea Shaw and Sgt. Richard Greer were dispatched at 6:05 p.m. to County Road 2302, where a male allegedly had a gun while walking around and banging on doors and yelling at the resident and neighbors, according to sheriff’s reports.
Deputies reportedly contacted the 33-year-old man at a residence down the road. The man matched the description of the person who allegedly arrived at the CR 2302 residence shouting, wanting to speak with the man of the house while in possession of a pistol, Fisher and Greer alleged in arrest reports.
The man was also allegedly armed with the pistol at the time deputies contacted him. The 33-year-old Sulphur Springs resident was reportedly disarmed and detained. On further investigation, deputies reportedly determined he did not have a license to carry a handgun. Consequently, the 33-year-old Sulphur Springs man was arrested at 6:21 p.m. on the unlawful carrying of a weapon charge, the deputies alleged in arrest reports.
The 33-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, March 9. Bond was set at $2,000 on the misdemeanor weapon charge, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Traffic Stop, Investigation Of Suspicious Activity Result In 2 Arrests By Cumby Police
A traffic stop and investigation of suspicious activity by Cumby police Saturday evening resulted in two arrests Saturday, according to police reports.
Cumby Police Officer Zack Steward reported conducting a traffic stop on a red Pontiac at 4:28 p.m. Feb. 7 on Interstate 30 east at mile marker 112. Upon contact with the driver, Steward alleged he could smell a marijuana odor coming from the vehicle. So, he asked the driver to exit and step to the rear of the car so he could do a patdown for weapons before conducting a probable cause search.
During the patdown, Steward alleged he felt what he believed to be contraband inside the 42-year-old Dallas man’s pants. Consequently, King was detained by Steward.
After Cumby Police Chief Paul Robertson arrived to assist, Michail Germann King allegedly stated he didn’t have anything in his pants. Steward alleged he took King’s belt off and pulled his pants down to check. Steward, in arrest reporst, alleged finding two small ziplock type baggies containing suspected crack cocaine and a large amount of methamphetamines.
Consequently, King was transported to Hopkins County jail, where a jailer alleged finding another large amount of methamphetamines while King was being dressed out. The substance, Steward alleged in arrest reports, weighed 178,4 grams.
King was charged with possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. He was released from jail Sunday, Feb. 8, on $30,000 bond on the charges, according to jail reports.
At 4:30 p.m. Feb. 7, Cumby Police Chief Paul Robertson stopped on East Main Street to check suspicious at a maintenance building, according to dispatch reports. Robertson, in arrest reports, reported seeing a 26-year-old Cumby man walking down Main Street. A records check showed the man to have an outstanding warrant for possession or delivery of a drug paraphernalia.
Robertson alleged the 26-year-old Cumby man began to pull and push away from when he tried to pat him down and place him into custody. The police chief allegedly forced the man to the ground when the man resisted. He took him into custody, then called Steward to transport the man to jail.
The 26-year-old Cumby man was arrested for resisting arrest as well as the warrant for not taking car of a possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia charge, according to arrest reports. He was released from jail Sunday, Feb. 8, on $2,000 on the misdemeanor resisting charge, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Commissioners Court Meeting, Work Session Agendas For March 9, 2020
Hopkins County Commissioners Court has a full morning ahead Monday, with a regular meeting scheduled at 9 a.m. and followed immediately by a work session. Below are the agendas for both morning meetings.
KSST Radio reports on Hopkins County Commissioners Court meetings. Click here for related stories.
GROW Program Going Strong In 5th Year at SSISD
The Girls Recognizing Our Worth in math and science program at Sulphur Springs Elementary is going strong in its fifth year of operation. By the end of the year, the Sulphur Springs ISD after-school program will have had than 500 girls participating in the program since it started five years ago.
“This year alone, we have 142. That’s really excited to us to get that many girls involved. However, it tends to be a challenge in the cafeteria with 142 girls in there, but it us a lot of fun. We have over 40 volunteers that help us put that on over the last five years, most of those teachers on those campuses that volunteer their time to come in,” said Karen Phillips, who has been involved with the program since its inception at SSISD..
GROW focuses on getting more female students involved in STEM activities and exploring science, technology, engineering and math topics they may not have otherwise considered.
This year, the SSISD received an Air Force Association Grant to help support the GROW program. Representatives from AFA visited the Sulphur Springs Elementary campus to see first hand the GROW program and talked with the girls about their jobs in the military.
Typically, at the meetings, a STEM career and woman with a career in that profession are highlighted monthly to teach the girls about options available in those areas. For instance, focus later this month will be on aerospace engineers.
In every session, students are given a goal to accomplish with a project. There isn’t necessarily a right answer or resolution for the project. The students may not be able to accomplish the goal. Part of the process is to develop resilience and tenacity when approaching tasks, Phillips and Carmen Hammack explained.
“Sometimes, we even have students who walk away. They are not discouraged. They know they didn’t accomplish the goal this time, but next time we’ll have something different. They find success some where along the way. We try to celebrate success in building a product or whatever,” Phillips said.
Students are given a list of materials they can use to build their product and meet the assigned challenge. Projects are focused this year on the integration of more math into the presentation. Kindergarten through 8th grade math TEKS and standards for fifth grade and younger students are utilized, SSISD math and science coordinators Phillips and Hammack.
One aspect of the project includes financial literacy TEKS and budget balancing lessons. For instance, students would have to figure estimates for materials costs and production costs while discern between need versus of a project such as building a rocket or using basic chemistry for a chemical engineering lesson such as producing a line of bath salts.
Meal A Day Menu for March 9-13, 2020
Monday — Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Pinto Beans and Spanish Rice
Tuesday — Beef Spaghetti, English Peas and Garlic Toast
Wednesday — Rope Sausage, Black Eyed Peas, Corn Bread and Green Tomato Relish
Thursday — Chicken and Dumplings, Crackers and Tossed Salad
Friday — Cheesy Beef and Potato Casserole, Broccoli and Corn
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
Wildcats Basketball Team Earns Two Superlatives As Six Make All-District Team
Wildcat Senior Sadaidriene Day Day Hall was named the District MVP and Wildcat senior Cameron Kahn was Co-Offensive MVP on the District 15-5A All-District Basketball Team, released Saturday by Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta.
Senior Grayson McClure and junior Boo Wilkerson were named First Team, All-District.
Junior Lamodrick Johnson was named Second Team All-District.
Sophomore Justin Haire and senior Justin Brock were named Honorable Mention All-District.
The All-District Team was selected by the district’s coach’s recently. Coaches were not able to vote for their own players.
The Wildcats finished second in the district race with a record of 8-2. The Wildcats were 28-9 for the season and they made it to the Regional Quarterfinal game.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Wildcats Baseball Team Gives Up Late Runs As Dallas Lake Highlands Wins Wylie East Tournament
When the Wildcats Baseball Team took a 2-run lead in the bottom of the fifth against Dallas Lake Highlands in the 2020 Raider Classic at Wylie East Saturday, March 7, it looked like the Wildcats might take the tournament championship game.
Lake Highlands got to within one with a run in the top of the sixth, went ahead with two runs in the top of the seventh and, then, kept the Wildcats at bay in the bottom of the seventh, to win the championship game 4-3.
Lake Highlands got off to a good start in the game, scoring a run in the top of the first with two singles and a fielder’s choice ground ball. The Wildcats got an unearned run in the bottom of the first to tie the score at 1-1. Jake Davis got on on an error and, then, came around to score as Hayden Hurst hit a double to the left center field wall.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth, when the Wildcats scored twice to go up 3-1. Davis and Hurst both walked. After a pitching change, Jaxon Chaney greeted the new pitcher with a long double that went to the wall. Meanwhile, Wildcats starting pitcher Jace Evans was holding Lake Highlands down.
In the top of the sixth, Lake Highlands cut the lead to 3-2. They got a walk and then, after a Wildcat error, a ground ball out scored the run. In the top of the seventh, Lake Highlands scored twice to take the lead. The inning opened with a single off of a Wildcats fielder’s glove. After a sacrifice bunt and a single, another single knocked in a run. Lake Highlands then went ahead on a towering fly ball caught right in front of the left field wall. The leading run came in from third base on the sacrifice fly. In the Wildcats seventh with one out, Davis singled but was put out as part of a game-ending double play ground ball.
Lake Highlands outhit the Wildcats 8 to 5
Evans pitched well for the Wildcats and deserved a better fate. He took the loss, throwing 90 pitches and 6 1/3 innings, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs, three of which were earned.
Evans struck out 2 and walked 2. Austin Crouse worked 2/3’s of a inning allowing 1 hit and 0 runs while striking out 1 and walking 1. Davis was 1 for 2 with 2 runs scored. He also walked twice and stole a base. Hurst was 1 for 3 with a run scored, an RBI and a double. Chaney was 1 for 3 with 2 RBI’s and a double. Alex Medina was 1 for 2 with a walk. Jace Evans was 1 for 1 with 2 walks.
The Wildcats went 3-1-1 in the Wylie East tournament. Their season record is now 7-3-1. Next for the Wildcats is their district opener at home Tuesday night at Wildcat Park against Royse City.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
