15th Annual Celebration For Hopkins County Residents Age 90 And Older To Be Held April 25, 2020
Hopkins County each year holds a special celebration to recognize senior adults for reaching the milestone of 90 years.
The event is named in honor of Clara Bridges, a local resident who remained a vital part of her church community after reaching her 90th birthday. Bridges was born in Aug. 1912 and died Dec. 23, 2013.
The 15th Annual Clara Bridges 90+ Banquet will begin at noon Saturday, April 25, 2020 and once again be held at First Baptist Church’s Recreational Outreach Center, The ROC, located at 115 Putman St. in Sulphur Springs.
In 2019, more than 220 residents were honored at this special event for Hopkins County residents 90 and older. Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center Marketing and Programs Director Karon Weatherman, an event coordinator, said she believes there are even more residents who have reached this milestone. She would like to see recognized.
“I am looking for ALL seniors in Hopkins County that are 90 years of age or will be in 2020. If you know any seniors that are 89 years old or over please contact me to see if they are on my list,” Weatherman said. “I see obituaries all the time where seniors are over 90 and I never had them on my list. It makes me sad that we never honored them.”
The honorees and their family members will be treated to a free banquet lunch, thanks to even sponsors.
For additional information about the banquet or to register a senior for the event, contact Weatherman at the Senior Citizens Center, at 903)-85-1661 or send an email to [email protected].
Wildcats Basketball Team Takes Third Place In Whataburger Tourney, Winning 3 Of 4 Games
What a great tournament for the Wildcats Basketball Team at the prestigious Whataburger Tournament this weekend, December 26-28. The Wildcats captured third place winning three of four games all against ranked teams in Class 6A.
The Wildcats entered the tournament ranked #17 in Class 5A. The Wildcats opened Thursday night with a 61-59 stunning upset of Harris County Atascocita, ranked #5 in Class 6A. Friday the Wildcats just squeezed by Lewisville, 64-60. The Fighting Farmers are ranked #25 in Class 6A. In that game, the Wildcats led 13-11 after the first quarter, 26-21 at halftime and 42-36 after three quarters and then held on to win.
The Wildcats only tournament loss was to South Grand Prairie, 50-46 Friday night. The Warriors are ranked #10 in Class 6A. The Wildcats actually led the Warriors 15-12 after one quarter. The game was tied at the half, 26-26. A tough third quarter was the difference as the Wildcats were outscored 16-6 to fall behind 42-32. They trailed in the fourth quarter by as much as 13 points before staging a furious rally that just came up short.
Against South Grand Prairie, Day Day Hall led the Wildcats with 17 points. Boo Wilkerson and Grayson McClure had 9 points apiece. Cameron Kahn scored 7 points and Justin Haire and Lamodrick Johnson had 2 points each.
The Wildcats took third place with a one-sided victory over DeSoto, 61-43 Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Eagles are ranked #17 in Class 6A.
After the tournament, Wildcats Coach Clark Cipoletta said he was super proud of this group. He said they showed grit and togetherness all tournament long at the Whataburger Tournament.
The Wildcats improved their season record to 15-6. The Wildcats play next at Princeton Friday night.
Lady Cats Basketball Drops First Game At Kaufman Holiday Tournament
The Lady Cats Basketball Team lost their opening game in the Kaufman Holiday Tournament Friday, Dec. 27. The Lady Cats dropped a pool game to Dallas Christian, 43-35.
The Lady Cats had a strong start and led 18-12 after one quarter. A forgettable second quarter turned the momentum in the game. The Lady Cats were outscored 9-1 and they trailed 21-19 at the half. Dallas Christian increased their lead to 5 after three quarters and 8 points by the end of the game.
Kenzie Willis led the Lady Cats with 10 points. Addisyn Wall scored 9 points. Nylah Lindey scored 7 points. Hannah Cordelll added 6 points. Kate Womack had 2 points. Serenity Lewis scored 1 point.
The Lady Cats have lost seven games in a row and their season record is 4-13.
Recall Of Boiled Egg Products Expanded
The recall of hard-boiled egg products manufactured at Almart Foods’ Gainesville, Georgia plant has been expanded from hard-boiled and peeled eggs in pails to include all retail, pillow pack, pouch pack, frozen diced, and protein kit products distributed nationwide, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
On Dec. 18, 2019 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified Almark Foods that the company’s Hard-Boiled and Peeled eggs in pails manufactured at the Gainesville facility may be associated with a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has been linked to several reported illnesses and one reported death. A more recent FDA sample from the facility also matched the outbreak strain, suggesting the possibility that the strain may have remained present in the facility.
Out of an abundance of caution, Almark is now voluntarily expanding its recall to include all product packaged for the retail market manufactured at its Gainesville plant that remains within shelf life. This includes product with “Best If Used By” dates up through March 2, 2020. Almark has also temporarily suspended all production at its Gainesville plant.
The affected product can be identified by viewing the printed “Best If Used By” date coding on the product package. If the “Best If Used By” code starts with the prefix “G”, the product was manufactured at the company’s Gainesville, Georgia facility and is subject to this recall. Products with the prefix “N” or “Y” are not subject to this recall. For Protein Kit products, consumers are advised to check the code on the actual egg package within the kit.
Customers who have purchased these products are urged to immediately discard and not consume the products. Customers with questions may contact Almark Foods’ Customer Helpline at (877) 546-0454 Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
Related to the Almark Foods Recall, Reichel Foods Inc.’s recall of Pro2Snax To The Max Granny Apples, Hard Boiled Egg, Cheddar, Cashew and Craisin; and Pro2Snax To The Max Gala Apples, Hard Boiled Egg, White Cheddar, Almond and Craisin. These items were distributed to retailers nationwide and may contain hard-boiled eggs supplied by Almark Foods.
Reichel Foods, Inc. has had no reported illnesses related to Pro2Snax to the Max products.
Consumers should discard the product immediately or return it to their point of purchase for a full refund. Customers with questions may contact Reichel Foods Inc. at (866) 372-2609, ext 233.
Sulphur Springs Man Accused Of Burglary With Intent To Commit Assault
A disturbance complaint resulted in a 37-year-old Sulphur Springs man’s arrest late Friday night.
Officers responded at 11:18 p.m. Dec. 27 at an Industrial Drive residence, where a man was reported to dispatchers to be beating on a woman and breaking down doors before trying to leave, according to arrest reports.
Donnie Merle Martin II was accused of entering an apartment in the 600 block of West Industrial Drive that was not his residence without permission or invitation and committing assault on a family member, his separated wife, by slapping the woman in the face adn grabbing her arms, Sulphur Springs Police Lt. Eddie Moon and Officer Zachary Brown alleged in arrest reports.
Martin had allegedly fled the location and was found in the 800 block of West Industrial Drive. Officers alleged an alcohol odor emitted from Martin’s breath. He also exhibited signs and indicators of intoxication, and was taken into custody.
The 37-year-old Sulphur Springs man was jailed on the Class C misdemeanor offense public intoxication and the second degree felony charge of burglary with intent to commit an assault, according to arrest reports.
Friday night was not the first time Martin was arrested and jailed in Hopkins County on intoxication and assault; he was arrested Dec. 27, 2013, on a Class C misdemeanor assault charge and on Nov. 14, 2014 for driving while intoxicated with an open container, according to jail reports.
Mount Pleasant Man Arrested In Cumby On Controlled Substance Charge
A routine traffic stop on Interstate 30 west resulted in a 54-year-old Mount Pleasant man’s arrest early Saturday morning on a controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
Cumby Police Sgt. Ray Embro reported seeing a Nissan Titan speeding around midnight Dec. 28 on Interstate 30 west at mile marker 112 for traveling 87 miles per hour in a 75 mph speed zone. He initiated a traffic stop. The truck pulled into the rest area, according to arrest reports.
Embro reportedly contacted the 52-year-old driver and 54-year-old passenger to exit the pickup. After observing multiple one alcohol containers in the truck, Embro asked the men to get out, the Cumby officer alleged in arrest reports.
Dispatchers conducted a records check and advised the pair had multiple charges in their criminal histories, including a recent drug charge in 2019 incurred by the passenger. When asked if there was any illegal contraband in the vehicle, passenger Bruce Alan Bolton allegedly admitted to having cocaine in his bag. A search of the truck yielded a plastic container with multiple white colored rocks the officer believed to be cocaine in the bag found where Bolton had been sitting. Embro alleged finding a glass pipe with a white residue he believe to be cocaine.
Consequently, Bolton was arrested for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance; he remained in the county later Saturday morning. The driver was released with two citations, according to arrest reports.
Rock Creek Re-plat Will Better Meet Property Owners’ Needs, County Subdivision Standards
Two lots in Rock Creek Subdivision are being divided to better conform with current needs of owners. The conformation should better meet county standards and accommodate emergency vehicles.
Steve Hudson earlier this week asked Hopkins County Commissioners Court to consider approving the re-platting of Lots 11 and 12, Block 3, in Rock Creek Subdivision. Essentially, it would combine Lot 12 and the south half of Lot 11 of the subdivision.
“The previous owner had purchased the south half of Lot 11. It probably should have been handled at that time. What we are doing is attempting to rectify that and, also, the cul-de-sac you see there on the plat didn’t have any right-of-way for it. It was just built. It was platted initially as a dead end road,” Hudson said. “The road is there. I believe Commissioner Price is working with the subdivision owner, the one who put in the subdivision to bring that road up to standard so that the county can take that private road over as a county road.”
Hudson said a lack of right-of-way for the cul-de-sac has been remedied, and now has a 70-foot radius as required.
The remaining portion of Lot 11 would be 2.82 acres, which meets property requirements, as a separate lot.
“The intent right now, the owners have a buyer for lot 10, who also wants that north half of Lot 11. So, we’re just trying to clean up some of the administrative things that were kind of lacking in the past. That’s the reason for the re-plat today,” Hudson said.
The required 75 foot right-of-way had been put in along the cul-de-sac, providing enough room for a school bus to drive on and turn around daily.
“I’ve been out there with them and I’m happy with what they’re doing, getting everything cleaned up to take over the road,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price said.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker asked Hopkins County Fire Chief Andy Endsley if he had looked at the property and was satisfied with it, as it would need to meet fire safety requirements.
Endsley said he had not, but a 75-feet would give plenty of turn radius for fire apparatus.
The commissioners court unanimously approved the re-platting of the two lots as requested.
Mechanical concrete
Hopkins County Commissioners Court was also told this week that the equipment needed to begin working on certain roads using the mechanical concrete process has arrived.
Tires are being stored, and enough could be available for use by the end of January or February to begin a few small projects, and potentially enough tires could be collected to begin work on Pipeline Road by the end of 2020, officials reported this week.
Hopkins County Commissioners Court and the City of Sulphur Springs inked an agreement to re-use parts of scrap tires to help improve some city and county roads. The commissioners court approved the agreement in mid-October and Sulphur Springs City Council approved the agreement at their November meeting.
Ideally, it will save money in the rebuilding process, help stabilize and extend the life of some roads, while helping to get rid of scrap tires as well, city and county officials said when considering the agreement.
Under the agreement, the county will collect scrap automobile and light truck tires at regular intervals from local tire businesses. The business would pay a tire disposal fee, which would be used to pay licensing fees for the patented mechanical concrete process, disposal of sidewalls and for jailers to supervise trustees, according to the agreement approved by the commissioners court.
Trustees from Hopkins County jail would use the machine, purchased jointly by the city and county, to remove the sidewalls from tires. They would work at a Houston Street site by the jail, using the tire ring. The cylinders would be stored at a city site. The sidewalls would be disposed of in roll-off trash containers provided by the city, according to the agreement.
The tire rings would then be used in road rebuilding to help stabilize the road bases, a process called mechanical concrete.
The mechanical concrete serves as a good road base. If there’s not much on top of a road such as asphalt or concrete, which are designed to keep water out to keep the road base from eroding. With mechanical concrete, that’s not an issue; it holds up even with water, according to Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell.
“It’s an exciting deal,” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said this week.
The tire extracting device has been purchased and has arrived. It was being stored at a city facility earlier this week, and is ready for relocation to the county site for use by inmates, according to Maxwell.
Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum said someone from his office would be sent to retrieve the device soon.
“The idea was that some time in the future we would use these tire rims on Pipeline Road. We’re about to begin the whole program,” Maxwell said Monday.
Both county and city officials have identified a few smaller roads to begin using the tires in road maintenance.
The Pipeline Road project, according to Maxwell, is expected to take close to 30,000 tires to complete. The city currently has approximately 1,000 spare tires at the city service center, which should be enough to do a few low water crossings, according to Maxwell.
“So, hopefully, this spring, we’ll be rolling and going on this?” Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker asked during the work session earlier this week.
“Yes, I think we’ll be picking up tires the end of January, February,” said Maxwell, noting he does not anticipate it taking a full year to collect enough tires for the project.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price asked if the city and county would be accepting tires from the community for the project.
Maxwell said what is anticipated is that jail “trustees would go to each of the tire stores on a periodic basis and collect the tires, collect a dollar per tire.”
“I’m sure the precinct will assist anywhere that we are needed,” Barker said. “We are very blessed to have the inmates to help and to all work together the way we do,” Barker said.
Hopkins County Records For The Week Of Dec. 27, 2019
Applications for Marriage Licenses
- Cole Wayne Weems and Kimberly Kay Nelson
- Nathan Harris George and Sarah Michele Womack
- Michael Brian Zachary and Madalyn Kate Boshears
- Radomir Michal Mianowski and Anna Krystyna Kurowska
- David Allen Porter Jr. and Bonnie Lynn Hogan
Lady Cats Basketball Team Is In Kaufman Holiday Tournament Starting Friday
After Christmas break, the Lady Cats Basketball Team began play Friday, Dec. 27, in the two-day Kaufman Holiday Tournament. Pool play takes place on Friday.
The Lady Cats open their pool play in the 12 team tournament against Dallas Christian in the Kaufman Junior High Gym at 11:40 a.m. Later Friday, the Lady Cats face Wills Point in pool play in the Kaufman Arena at 3:40 p.m.
Saturday teams will play in Gold, Silver and Bronze Brackets depending on Friday results.
Teams in other pools include host Kaufman, Dallas Molina, Paris, Athens, Scurry-Rosser, South Garland, Malakoff, Sunnyvale and Elkhart.
The Lady Cats will be attempting to break a six game losing streak. Their season record is 4-12 as they enter the tournament.
Trash Pickup Dates for Sulphur Springs
For December 26th and 27th, 2019
Sulphur Springs residents who usually get their trash collected on Thursday, will get service Friday.
Sulphur Springs residents who usually get their trash collected on Friday, will get service Saturday.
