Sulphur Springs Hosts Dixie Softball World Series: Photos
Sulphur Springs hosts the Dixie Softball World Series Tournament this weekend August 3rd-7th at Coleman Park. Teams from all over the nation traveled to Sulphur Springs to compete in the World Series.
There are three age group division brackets:
Angels are 10 and under
Ponytails are 12 and under
Debs are 18 and under
Ty Boatman, one of the coordinators for the tournament said “the opening ceremonies have been fun. It’s been great.”
Games are scheduled at 9am, 11am, 6pm, and 8pm. Check the elimination bracket posted at Coleman Park baseball fields for updated teams and times.
For more information click here.
Grills, Backpacks, and Burgers…Oh My!
By Savannah Owens
Tableleaf, Backstory Brewery, and SS Dodge have partnered with businesses in the community to put on a Back to School Burger Bash, happening tonight: August 3rd, starting at 5pm.
Tableleaf owner, and creator behind the Burger Bash, Logan Vaughan, explained the idea started after a barbecue cook-off in July. He spoke with Backstory Brewery manager, Ben Whillock, and barbecue chef, David Slaughter about doing a burger cook-off/fundraiser. “We figured it out during church, we were texting each other while the preacher was talking.” Vaughan admitted. “We wanted to raise money for school supplies for the teachers [and students of SSISD].” He explained that the group partnered with Superintendent Michael Lamb, who will distribute the money raised to the schools.
Tableleaf is a hospitality group that hosts events, catering, competition cooking and more. They are planning on traveling for two cooking competitions: the State competition and the World Food Championship. “The idea behind Tableleaf is that the when we break bread with other people, we are nourished in more ways than one. Whether we are gathered together to put on an event, competing in a cooking competition, raising money for a good cause, or opening up our homes, businesses, and lives to nourish those around us, let us lengthen our tables, gather more chairs and include more people.” For more information about Tableleaf you can find them on facebook or call Logan at (903)-348-6223.
There are 19 competitors, each will cook on a new Weber kettle grill with charcoal provided by Lowes. They will have two rounds of cooking: Appetizers and Sliders. Winners will be announced around 8pm.
There will also be a concert from Dubb and the Luv Machines starting at 8pm. Enjoy tons of giveaway items donated by the local businesses, and for an additional $5, you could win a Traeger Grill donated by Mark and Crystal Morgan.
There’s a $20 admission fee to help raise money for school supplies benefiting SSISD Teachers and Students. But if you get there early you can test drive one of the 5 dodge trucks, and SS Dodge will “pay the $20 entry fee, and you are automatically entered into the raffle and [gain access to the food] tastings” explained SS Dodge representative, Jamie Erickson. They have two diesel trucks, and three gas trucks available for test drives. Halee from SS Dodge recommends driving the “Longhorn package or the Truck of the year”. SS Dodge is hoping to donate “$3,000 in entry fees” and will be out until 6pm.
Shawn Battreall with SS Dodge, explained “Scott [Nottingham, the owner] wants to get involved with the community, and [is very] family and small town oriented. [The Burger Bash] was a good opportunity to help SSISD give school supplies to teachers and students. The more people who are here, the more money raised for [the schools]”.
Backstory Brewery assistant manager and assistant brewer Brandi O’Hair spoke with KSST about how excited she was for the event. While food tasting is included with the entry fees, their craft beers are additional costs. O’Hair explained the brewery is a “production brewery”, so they can only sell what is made onsite in the facilities. They have five fermenters, four fifteen barrels, and one seven barrel. The brewery has been open for about a year, and is open 4p-10p on Thurs/Fri, 12p-11p on Saturday, and 12p-8p on Sundays. The brewery encourages you to bring your own food, and O’Hair recommends you try her favorite, the “Nacho Lagre” or the ever popular “Texas Royal Lagre”.
This event is sure to be a blast, and the best part is that it benefits the local schools! You don’t want to miss out!
Burger Cook-off/Fundraiser To Benefit Local Schools: Tonight!
By Savannah Owens
Tableleaf and SS Dodge invite the public to gather tonight at 5pm at Backstreet Brewery to enjoy the cooking competition and taste some appetizers and sliders.
All proceeds benefit SSISD schools. There are also numerous giveaways, and prizes free with the price of admission. Admission is a donation of $20 but if you get there early and test drive a Dodge truck, SS Dodge will cover the entry fee. There will also be games and a bounce house for the kids.
Come out and see if your taste buds match up with the judges! This is a great way to eat dinner and help get school supplies to local students and teachers who need them.
Riddle: Whimsy Grand Opening Delayed A Week
The grand opening for Whimsy Boutique and Wine Bar scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 3, has been delayed a week due to construction. The grand opening has tentatively been rescheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 13 , according to Karen Riddle. Visit whimsytx.com for updates.
2 Sulphur Springs Residents Accused Of Theft At Walmart
Two Sulphur Springs residents, each wanted on a misdemeanor charge, were accused of trying to leave Walmart Friday night with more than $100 worth of items they failed to pay for when ringing up items in the self-check area, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs police were dispatched at 9:05 p.m. to Walmart, where a man and woman were reportedly detained by store personnel for theft. The officer was told the 29-year-old Sulphur Springs man and 37-year-old Sulphur Springs woman scanned and paid for some items they had selected in the store at the self checkout line, but had several more items that were not scanned and paid for in their possession when they passed all points of sale to leave the business, police wrote in arrest reports. The items not paid for were reportedly valued at more than $100, resulting in both being arrested on the misdemeanor charge, the officer alleged in arrest reports.
The woman was also found during a records check to be wanted on a warrant for parent contributing to truancy, while the man was found to wanted on a failure to maintain financial responsibility charge, according to arrest reports.
Both remained in the county jail Saturday. Bond on the theft charge was set at $1,000 each, according to jail reports.
Dallas Man Jailed On Hopkins County Probation Violation Warrant
A 30-year-old Dallas man was arrested in his home county and held on a Hopkins County warrant.
Upon being alerted Delvin Dewayne Sanders was in custody, sheriff’s officials sent officer Melvin Jackson to Dallas County Jail to get him. Jackson took Sanders into custody at 2:07 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, and transported him to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked for violation of probation, which he was on for possession of five pounds or more but less than 50 pounds of marijuana charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
He was originally arrested on the third-degree felony marijuana charge on April 22, 2018, and indicted on it in January, according to jail and court reports.
I-30 Traffic Stop Results In Felony Warrant Arrest
An Interstate 30 traffic stop by highway patrols Friday evening resulted in a traffic stop and one felony arrest.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Chris Sorley stopped a Chevrolet passenger vehicle about 6:30 p.m. Aug. 2 at mile marker 129 on I-30 for expired and obscured license plate violation, according to arrest reports.
A routine records check using the passenger’s information showed Joeanna Jones to be wanted in Gregg County for theft of property valued at less $2,500, however, the charge was enhanced due to the fact that she has two or more prior convictions. Consequently, the 22-year-old Rendon woman was arrested on the charge, the trooper alleged in reports.
If You Can’t Stand the Heat—Neither Can Your Dog
By Savannah Owens
Many people consider July to be the hottest time of summer, but a recent study from Forbes stated that August is the hottest month in East Texas. As those temperatures reach triple digits its important for you and your dog to practice ways to not overheat.
Here are 10 tips to help your pets stay cool in the heat of the summer:
1. Ice Water-One of the easiest ways to cool your pet is to add lots of ice to their water dish. The ice will slowly melt, keeping the dish filled with cold water all day-Hydration is just as important for dogs as people!
2. Beat the Heat-Bring your pets indoors during the hottest parts of the day, and leave a “cool” area for them to hang out (Kitchen/ laundry room tile floors are nice and cool for your dog to lay on). Or set out an ice pack or wet towel for them to lay on.
3. Fans-When inside, leave a fan or AC on so they can stay cool. Fans help circulate the air, so if your dog or cat hangs out in one area of your house, you want that area to remain cool. And remember heat rises-so if your pet likes to sleep upstairs, providing a fan can keep them cool in the night too.
4. Water Party-consider setting up a hard plastic baby pool for your dog to swim in during the morning or evenings when it’s not so hot to be outside, or set up a sprinkler/mister and let your dog enjoy the cool water. Kids and pets can enjoy this one!
5. Find the Shade– String up a tarp or create a nice cool area in some trees where your dog can rest out of the sun’s rays. Don’t assume their dog house is cool enough-many dog houses actually reflect heat and could increase your dog’s potential for heat stroke. Trees or Tarps are better shade structures in the summer because they allow for breezes and wind to circulate and cool the air.
6. Brush don’t Shave– A common misconception is that your pet’s fur can cause them to overheat. Their fur actually helps regulate their temperature and keep them from getting a sunburn. Instead “brush them regularly” to remove any undercoat that they’re shedding from the winter months.
7. No Car Rides-Leaving a pet in the car is dangerous, even if it’s a short period of time. One expert explained “On an 85-degree day, it can reach 102 F within 10 minutes. And that’s with a window cracked. After 30 minutes, it could be up to 120.” That’s especially dangerous for people and their pets! Leave your pet at home unless you’re going somewhere your dog is invited too.
8. Walk Wisely-Swap your afternoon walks, to morning or night when it’s not too hot outside. Make sure you pack a water bottle and pet bowl so you both can stay hydrated!
9. Dog boots– A little silly, I know, but hot pavement can burn your dog’s feet. Experts say “If you put the back of your hand against the hot surface for 5 to 7 seconds, and it’s too hot for you, then it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.” Dog shoes or walking in grassy areas can help keep your pets feet from hurting.
10. Can the Food–Another expert recommended swapping “a portion of their regular diet with canned food”. This adds nutrients and more water into your pet’s diet, so they can stay hydrated!
Use these tips to keep your pets cool as the heat continues to rise!
Crime In Hopkins County Lowest In At Least 19 Years, Clearance Rate 97.87 Percent
New Record Lows Set For Burglary, Theft Categories; No Murders, Robberies Recorded In County In First Half Of 2019
Crime in Hopkins County continued to decline during the first half of 2019, with only 47 crimes recorded by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office from Jan. 1-June 30 in the eight major categories – a new record low, according to HCSO data.
That’s 19 less than in 2018, when the HCSO previous 19-year record low was set at 66 crimes overall, and is less than a quarter of the record high of 214, set in 2001. The first half of 2019 also marks the fourth consecutive year crime has dipped during the first 6 months of the year in Hopkins County, dropping from 102 in 2015 to 76 in 2006, then 71 in 2017 and 66 in 2018. In fact, crime has risen above 100 in only two of the last 10 years, 105 in 2011 and 102 in 2015.
Also notable is the fact that the clearance rate, the number of crimes cleared by arrest or exception compared to the number of cases recorded, has only fallen below 70 percent once since 2006, dripping to 68.82 percent in 2010. The clearance rate for the county has remained above 80 percent since 2012, and above 90 percent for four consecutive years. As of June 30, 2019, the clearance rate for posted for the county was 97.87 percent, according to the HCSO data.
Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum attributes the lowered crime and high clearance rates in the county to the proactive work of local officers.
“We are blessed to have officers who are out working so hard. In the last 6 months, we had 47 offenses against people reported and a 97.87 percent clearance rate. Over the years, when other jurisdictions’ crime rate rose along with the population, Hopkins County and Sulphur Springs rates declined. That’s due to our officers and criminal investigations division,” said Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum.
During the first six months of 2019, crime declined in five of the eight categories, was unchanged in two categories and rose in only one category. And, new record lows were either set or tied in four categories as well.
There were no robberies recorded at HCSO during the first half of 2019, marking the fifth year in which no robberies were recorded from Jan. 1-June 30. In fact, in only six of the last 19 years have any robberies been recorded during the first half of the year, with only one each in 2001, 2003, 2009 and 2014; and the record high set at two in 2011.
“Thank goodness the number for homicide was zero,” Tatum said.
That’s 200 percent lower than in 2018, when two murders were recorded by June 30, setting a new record high for the first half of the year. In fact, homicides have only been reported in four years since 2001, the first year the sheriff’s office began tracking and reporting crime statistics and clearance rates. Only one criminal homicide was reported in 2004, 2009 and 2011.
Unchanged was the number of simple assaults reported in 2019 compared to those of 2018; 15 simple assaults were reported in each year, just one shy of the record low of 14 simple assaults recorded in 2017. That’s still only about one-quarter of the record high of 58 simple assaults recorded in 2001.
Only nine larceny cases were counted during the first half of 2019, setting a new record low for the category. That’s four less than in 2018, when the previous record low for these types of theft cases was set at 13, and only about one-eighth of the record high of 70 larcenies recorded from Jan. 1- June 30, 2004.
A new record low of nine burglaries was also set in 2019. That’s about half as many as in the first half of 2018, when 17 were recorded, and four less than in 2017, when 12 burglaries were recorded during the first half of the year. The 19-year record high of 68 burglaries was recorded in 2001.
Only one forcible rape, filed as a sexual assault case, was recorded during the first six months of 2019, the same as in six other years. That’s a significant decline from 2018, which tied the record high of six rapes recorded in 2006 and repeated in 2008 and 2011. In only four of the last 19 years – 2002, 2005, 2014 and 2015 – were no rapes cases recorded in the county during the first half of the year.
The motor vehicle theft category was nearly half of 2018’s figure, dropping from seven in 2018 to four this year. That’s still only a quarter of the record high of 16 vehicle thefts recorded from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2008. In only one year, 2002, were no vehicle thefts recorded in the first six months of the year.
Nine aggravated assaults, that is assaults using weapons or resulting in serious injury, were reported during the first half of 2019. That’s more than twice as many aggravated assaults than in 2018, which tied the four of 2014 for second fewest number of aggravated assaults during the first six months of the year. The least number was one aggravated assault reported in 2010. The most aggravated assaults recorded in Hopkins County from Jan. 1 to June 30 was set at 30 in 2008.
Tatum acknowledged that the crime and clearance rates focus only on crimes against people and their property; these statistics do not encompass all of the cases worked by county officers.
For instance, drug and alcohol offenses, which are reflected in the daily arrest reports and jail counts, are not included in these crime statistics. In some cases, however, the controlled substance cases also involve offenses against people and property too, the sheriff noted.
“Officers are going out making on-site arrests, a lot for methamphetamine and drug usage,” Tatum said. “All officers in the county and city are very proactive, trying to stop the influx of meth or ice and other controlled substances.”
Officers have made 158 self-initiated arrests, not directly associated with the clearance rate or crimes against people, this year, the sheriff noted.
“That shows how proactive all of our officers are,” Tatum added.
Wildcats Freshman Football Team Gets Special Week Of Practice Next Week
Next week will be a special one for this school year’s Wildcats freshman football players. They will be receiving special attention Monday through Friday, Aug. 5-9, from Wildcats coaches, including the varsity coaches. Last year, the UIL decided to allow freshman football players to report for practice on the first day allowed for fall football practice. That’s on Aug. 5 this year.
The Wildcats JV and Varsity do not report until Aug. 12, since they participated in spring football. The trade-off for doing spring football is loss of one week of practice and loss of a scrimmage. Coach Owens says he and his coaches believe the 18 spring workouts are valuable.
Coach Owens says the week of freshman football practice next week is of great benefit for the players and his coaches. He says he has some new coaches and his staff will have an opportunity to train the new coaches. The week also allows freshman to get to know the varsity coaches and for the varsity coaches to learn about the 9th graders. Coach Owens says the special week of practice will give the freshmen a leg up for the season to come.
