Veterans Will Be Honored Nov. 9 With Parade
Disabled Veterans Statue, KIA Engraving Dedication Also Planned
Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County will honor veterans for their service Saturday, Nov. 9, with at least two events.
A veteran’s parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, lad by Clayton McGraw, who will serve as grand marshal.
The parade will depart from Gerald Prim Stadium on Houston Street, continuing to Church Street, to Jefferson Street at the square, then continue on Gilmer Street to Brookshire’s. More than 40 entries had been reported.
The parade is organized by Community Seeds, a 501 (c)3 that provides housing, clothing, education and rehabilitation services for veterans.
Those interested in participating in the parade, should contact Bob Kerr at 903-304-4560 or [email protected].
Another special event scheduled Saturday, Nov. 9, will honor disabled veterans as well as local Hopkins County service personnel who were killed in actions while serving their country. The “Because of the the Brave” event will begin at 4 p.m. on Celebration Plaza.
A statue of a disabled veteran will be installed and dedicated at this event, as will the names recently etched into the caps on Hopkins County Veterans Memorial.
The statue honors those who receive permanent injuries as a result of their service. The disabled veteran statue features a veteran who lost a limb and includes his service dog. Funds for the statue were given by the Mickey McKenzie family.
The end caps on the Veterans Memorial on the square feature 144 names of local service personnel who were killed in action while serving; all listed as KIA on the end caps have been verified by the government as having been killed in action while serving.
“They range from one who was killed during the Civil War during a famous battle until the most recent. Most served in World War I and II, 15 Vietnam, Korea too, even the Gulf War on the list,” said Pam Elliott, chair of Hopkins County Veterans Memorial Committee.
Congressman John Ratcliffe will be the guest speaker for the dedication. After the dedication, those attending are invited to enjoy a free hot dog, chips and a drink.
PJC Regents Receive Report from National Trustee Meeting
Paris Junior College remains a national leader in many areas, according to Dr. Clifton Wilkerson, a PJC regent who attended the recent national meeting of the Association of Community College Trustees. He presented his report to fellow regents at a meeting held Monday, Oct. 28.
“I attended a session on enabling student success through technology collaboration,” said Wilkerson. “Once I got there I heard it was something we’re already doing so I was proud of our group.”
He also reported on initiatives for helping at-risk students, as Amarillo College does, with an emergency fund to help with unexpected emergencies such as car repair or child care, and having all faculty and staff participate in a poverty simulation.
Wilkerson passed on what he learned of a generational shift, where students who have come of age using smartphones lack basic computer skills and can’t type. Ten years ago the average college student could type 32 words a minute and now it’s below 22. That’s important because it’s below the threshold of typing fast enough to keep up with thought without having to look for the next key and lose that train of thought. This is affecting organization and writing skills.
Engaging the distracted was a session attended by all the attendees, including PJC President Dr. Pam Anglin.
“The Gen Z’s and Millenials believe they can multi-task,” said Anglin. “They challenge authority, crave recognition and have a short attention span – only about 27 minutes, and they are active learners.”
In other business, the Regents:
• Received a financial report from Controller Keitha Carlton that PJC is closing out the financial year and expects the auditing team to arrive in a couple of weeks.
• Approved the 2020-2021 College Calendar, setting important dates for semester starts and other deadlines. The calendar is aligned with Texas university schedules.
• Approved private offers for two tax foreclosed properties in the City of Paris.
• Discussed lack of representation and PJC votes on the Lamar County Appraisal District Board of Directors. PJC has 229 votes out of 5,000 but 28.5 percent of collection expenses.
• Accepted the employment of Andrea Perry as Student Success Coach in Advising and Counseling effective Nov. 11.
Wildcats, Lady Cats Cross Country Coach Ross Hicks Has Results From Monday’s Regional Run
The Lady Cats Cross Country Team finished 17th out of 24 teams, and the Wildcats were 18th at the Region II Class 5A Championship at the Jesse Owens Sports Complex on Monday, Oct. 28.
SSHS Cross Country Coach Ross Hicks said the weather was perfect for running Monday which resulted in fast times. The Lady Cats finish was two spots better than last year according to Coach Hicks.
He said senior Sydney Washburn talked with him and decided to really go for it. She was hoping to finish among the top 17 to 20 runners that would qualify for state. The strategy worked for awhile. Coach Hicks said Washburn was in 13th place after the first 3/4ths of a mile but, then, was affected by a stomach bug.
As a result, the Lady Cats were led by a pair of freshmen, Mattie Bridges and Laney Hurst. Next were a pair of juniors, Maurie Flecker and Kenia Herrera. Washburn was the fifth Lady Cats finisher, followed by freshman Makayla Jimmerson and senior Ashley Noe.
The Wildcats were led by senior Christian Palomino, who just missed out on going to state last year. Coach Hicks said qualifying for state was Palomino’s goal this year. Unfortunately, he finished 23rd with only the top 16 runners advancing to state.
Sophomore Jose Mejia was the next finisher for the Wildcats, followed by junior Camden Fuller, Price Griggs, then sophomores Evan Patrick and Alex Flecker, and senior Chase Berry.
Coach Hicks said many of his runners ran their best times at the meet.
Most of the Wildcats and Lady Cats runners will be returning next year. Coach Hicks said he would miss his seniors: Washburn, Noe, Palomino, Berry and Ricardo Torres.
Change in Location for Send Off for the Veterans Taking Honor Flight
The Veterans honor flight send off location has changed. On Thursday, October 31st, at 11:30AM, the send off for the four Veterans going on the honor flight will be held in the courthouse second floor courtroom. It will not be held in front of the courthouse steps as originally planned. Right inside the door of the courthouse is an elevator for those who have difficulty climbing stairs. The only change in the send off is the location.
Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens Discusses Kaufman Game At Weekly Media Gathering Wednesday
Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens, at his weekly media gathering Wednesday before the Kaufman game Friday, said the Wildcats are disappointed about being eliminated from the playoff race. But, he said he is telling the players this week’s game is another chance to compete in a high school football game.
Coach Owens is urging the team to finish what they started. He said the Wildcats want to have a two game winning streak to end the season.
Coach Owens said the team got off to a bit of a slow start at practice Monday but, then picked up the pace at Tuesday practice. He said the Wildcats have great attitudes.
Concerning Kaufman, Coach Owens said they are coached by a former Wildcat Assistant Football Coach Jeramy Burleson. Coach Burleson was an assistant for former Wildcat Head Football Coach Brad Turner. Coach Owens said Burleson is doing a good job.
The Lions lost their starting quarterback to injury early this season. Coach Owens said the Lions are playing a lot of youngsters. The Lions starting quarterback now is Billy Pullen, listed as 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. He also plays middle linebacker. Coach Owens said he can manage a game well and can also throw.
e said Kaufman wants to run first and then pass. Coach Owens said the Wildcats must stop the run. Coach Owens said he is impressed with the Lions’ offensive and defensive lines, and with Darius McGee, a Lion’s defensive back and wide receiver who will also take some quarterback snaps.
He said Kaufman will jump in and out of three-man and four-man defensive fronts. Coach Owens said Kaufman has some hard nosed football players.
Lady Cats Volleyball To Play Old Foe Hallsville In Bi-District Tuesday Night
Sulphur Springs High School Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner says the Lady Cats will be playing Hallsville in a bi-district match next Tuesday night, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Tyler Junior College.
The Lady Bobcats are on a tear. They have won 13 straight district matches after losing their very first one this season. The Lady Bobcats are 30-12 for the season.
The Lady Cats play a warm up game against Paris Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the Main Gym at SSHS.
The Texas High Lady Cats surprised the SSHS Lady Cats Tuesday night on Senior Night, getting a 3-2 upset victory in the Main Gym at Sulphur Springs High School.
Coach Dorner said she felt her team should have won the match in three sets. The Lady Cats lost close sets in set two and four dropping both 25-23.
Coach Dorner said Texas High had some athletic girls that were able to hit around and over Lady Cats’ block attempts. She said the Lady Cats fed the Lady Tigers too many easy balls. She said there were Lady Cats’ errors all over the place.
Coach Dorner said the Lady Cats did well on serve receive and passing. However, she added, the Lady Cats did not cover well and if they did, they often weren’t ready for the ball. She said the Lady Cats missed some key blocks by reading the plays late and not getting where they need to be in time. She said sometimes the Lady Cats ended up where they were not supposed to be.
With a Royse City win over Mount Pleasant Tuesday night, the Lady Bulldogs took third place in district, while the Lady Cats ended up fourth, setting up the Hallsville match up.
Tira News For Oct. 30, 2019
By Jan Vaughn
Congratulations are in order for Kim Beck, who got Best In Show in the adult photography category at the Hopkins County Fall Festival!
Jackson and Courtney Dailey came back from their road trip to visit a bit with Kim and Lee Beck and, in Kim’s words, “to pick up their dog/child.” They traveled to Tennessee, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois and Arkansas, then, home to San Antonio.
Joyce Dodd reports that the Tira Bible study group will not meet again until after the first of the new year.
Chip and I enjoyed a trip to Flagstaff, Arizona last week. The bright yellow aspens on Humphrey’s Peak were gorgeous and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument provided scenic and interesting landscapes. We enjoyed day trips to the spectacular Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, red rock region of Sedona and the desert drive to Phoenix, where the impressive, giant Saguaro cactus could be seen in abundance by the roadsides.
We returned home by way of Waco, where we met our son, Delayne, for lunch on Saturday. He had been hospitalized for a broken leg for a few days while we were gone, but his recovery is going well.
Our daughter and granddaughter, Tiffany and Jaidyn, surprised us with a visit over the weekend. They had a school holiday on Friday and Jaidyn spent time with visiting her friends, Maygan and Bella, and their family. Tiffany met her son, Landon, and grandsons, Rylan, Brailon and Slaiden, at the Fall Carnival at North Hopkins School. The kids enjoyed playing the games, while Laiken, their mother, helped with one of the carnival booths.
Morgan Joslin was in from Tulsa and he and his dad, Malcolm, went to the fly-in at Reklaw.
On Sunday, Tiffany and Jaidyn went to the early service at First Baptist Church with us, and then went to Posey Baptist Church, and came back to our house. Morgan, Malcolm, Kenden and his girlfriend Emma, and Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden joined us for lunch. Afterward, the kids enjoyed playing outside and we enjoyed watching them and visiting, before Tiffany and Jaidyn returned to Malvern, Arkansas.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Hospital District Approves EDC Request To Change Tax Abatement Policy
Hopkins County Hospital District will be changing the type of tax abatements businesses may apply for in the future.
The hospital district board Tuesday night approved the request made by Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County Economic Development Executive Director Roger Feagley to change to a Chapter 381 Tax Abatement Policy.
Feagley said the policy is easier to adopt and administer and will require those receiving abatements to provide documentation the incentive agreement has been met. Now, the business will be billed for their taxes, but will receive a reimbursement for the agreed upon exemption when proof of terms are met.
In the past, businesses granted abatements weren’t billed for those taxes, so some didn’t pay the taxes owed. In other cases, some businesses granted abatements haven’t met the terms of the agreement, such as maintaining a certain number of employees or maintaining certain equipment. There have also been instances in which EDC staff had difficulty getting management at the company to provide requested documentation showing terms are met.
Hopkins County Hospital District CEO Ronald L. Folwell recalled a local business’ abatement was reduced at a recent board meeting due to terms not being met.
Under the Chapter 381 tax abatement policy, the business would pay their taxes. Then, when required information is providing showing the business has adequately met the terms of the abatement, the agreed upon abated amount would be refunded to them, Feagley explained.
When asked by one board member whether HCHD Board would still have approval or refusal of proposed tax abatements under the 381 policy, Feagley assured the district would indeed have final say on whether the applicant is granted an abatement of taxes to the hospital district.
Feagley noted the EDC is also adjusting the scope of abatements recommended. Abatements will now be on a declining scale, going from 100 percent, to 90, 80 and down each taxing period during the length of the abatement. The total abatement amount will be less as well, going from more that are 100 percent to 50 percent over the life of the abatement.
Also, by adopting the 381 abatement policy, the hospital district would no longer have to approve the policy every two years. Once approved, the policy remains in effect, unless a request to do so is made.
Folwell noted a few abatement requests are anticipated to be submitted in the near future for consideration, including fora few solar farms planned within the hospital district.
Send Off Planned Oct. 31 For 4 Area Veterans Departing On Honor Flight DFW
Four area veterans will be honored at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, in front of Hopkins County Courthouse with a send-off for the Nov. 1 Honor Flight, which will carry them to Washington D.C. to see the veterans memorials and participate in special events designed specifically for veterans.
Vietnam Army veterans Jerry Hanna and Rick Flannary, both of Sulphur Springs, and Marvin Cherney of Mineola, along with Korean Air Force veteran Earl Stubblefield of Bogata, will be among the honorees on the Nov. 1 Honor Flight DFW.
Judy Rawson Heaps, a DFW Honor Flights Board member, will provide information about the Honor Flight. Heaps has been working on the board since she took her Dad Jean Rawson on the first flight in May 2009.
Veterans Honor Flights DFW honor veterans for the sacrifices they have made to keep our nation safe by providing them with an all expense paid overnight trip to Washington D. C., to visit the memorials which were built to symbolize their spirit, sacrifice, and commitment.
The four local veterans will depart on the 43rd Veterans Honor Flight DFW Friday morning, Nov. 1, in Dallas and return Saturday night, Nov. 2.
Each veteran will have a “guardian” accompany them on the flight and stay in D.C., to carry items and help with whatever is needed. Scheduled to accompanying Flanary is daughter Nikki Flanary. Hanna’s son Patrick will be going with him, Cheney’s daughter Brandy Young with him and Stubblefield will be accompanied by his son-in-law Monte Dain.
Trip highlights will include visiting the National World War II Memorial, US Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Air Force Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, Korean War Veterans Memorial, United States Navy Memorial, Tomb of the Unknowns and an Airmen of Note Concert.
The send off Thursday morning will feature remarks by Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom. County Veterans Administration Officer/Treasurer Danny Davis will lead the pledge to the flags, with “That Ragged Old Flag” to be presented by Clayton McGraw and a prayer offered by First Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Jeff Gravens. The national anthem and military salute are also slated to be part of the event.
Community members are encouraged to attend the send-off to help recognize these men for their service through attendance at the send off. Polly Swatsell will be providing flags for people to hold and wave as appropriate to show their patriotism as well. Veterans are invited to attend and sit in the designated area in recognition of their service.
Any who are in Dallas Saturday night are invited to help greet the veterans as they return on Welcome Home #43 flight. The Southwest flight is scheduled to return to Dallas Love Field at 9:55 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Love Landing on the second level of the airport non-secure side. However, the flights sometimes arrive early. To verify return time, call Southwest Airlines 1-800-435-9783.
