National Qualifier with American Degree through Como-Pickton FFA, Breanna Bowen Heads to Tarleton State University
Heading off to school In Stephenville, Texas at Tarleton State University is just one of the exciting life events for Breanna Bowen, a Hopkins County student who graduated from Como-Pickton CISD in 2018. In fact, she is starting her second year at Tarleton pursuing a degree toward…what else?…an ag-related career! Breanna’s major is Ag Communication. Her chosen career would involve writing and educating through agriculture publications, focusing on educating the next generation and serving as a voice for farmers. Her family and school background has served her well towards this pursuit.
Having earned four years of successful FFA involvement at Como-Pickton High School, Breanna’s path may have actually been set from birth! During a KSST Good Morning Show interview on August 21, 2019, she recounted that her parents represent several generations of dairy farming, on both sides of her families. “When I was born, my dad was dairying and my mom was still milking as well as showing cattle. She bought me a Jersey heifer when I was quite young, and which would become my first show animal. By the time I was in grade school, however, my parents Michael and Amy Bowen had sold out of the family dairies but they still showed me how I could be in the business. I started raising Jersey heifers and in time, I also began to handle the breeding process then began leasing the milking cows out to dairies for the months they were producing milk. I kept the calves to raise by hand, and I brought the cows home to our place during their dry period. Once bred, they go back as lease cows. So my herd of registered Jersey cattle is part of the dairy industry, although we don’t milk at home. It can be a good business, but involves planning and detailed record-keeping, which my years in FFA prepared me for. Even when I’m away at school, I am often home taking care of the cows and calves”.
Breanna is one of four finalists across the United States who are being considered for the National Proficiency Award. She and her family, including sister Bailey, now a Freshman at Como-Pickton, will attend the National Conference later this year. Whatever the outcome, she feels honored to have been named a finalist, and thanks her parents and her school for their support. “The other finalists are from big dairy-producing states, those that have the mega-dairies, so I’m naturally a little nervous! But I know my life-long hands-on experience will count for a lot, too”. Breanna explained that her SAE, or Supervised Agriculture Experience selection, has been carefully documented through high school as an ongoing FFA project. These SAE’s are analyzed by the national board in selecting the finalists. Although Breanna had several SAE’s to choose from, including other livestock projects and ag mechanics, it was her dairy cattle management and breeding proficiency that would take her the farthest, so she selected that as the SAE she presented in her application to the National committee.
Coming from a legacy of small, family-owned dairies, Breanna says she is saddened that the small family farm is having a hard time surviving with low milk prices and high expenses. She closed the radio interview with these thoughts. “In a perfect world, all the small 10 or 20-cow operations could thrive like they once did, here in Hopkins County and across this country. Some are shifting to cheese-making and staying small,. producing organic products and that’s good. However, in the big picture, the U.S. must now have a mindset on feeding a growing world. And a lot of the world’s population depends on American agriculture, not just in the crops we grow, but in the technology we develop. For example, the GMO’s we now produce are helping families in Africa to feed their own people in those countries. Many people talk against GMO technology, but the truth is, development of drought-resistant and even disease-resistant seed is helping feed the ever-growing hungry world”.
North Hopkins ISD Trustees Election Draws 7 Candidates
Seven candidates signed up for a place on the ballot in the North Hopkins Independent School District Board of Trustees Election.
Candidates, including incumbents are D. Ellis Dicus, Vicki Hillis Ferrell, Justin Holland, Andy Kendall, Robert McPherson, Sherry Smiddy and Charlie Vaughn.
Voters will be asked to select up to three candidates to fill three at-large full three-year term seats on the school board.
Early voting by personal appearance will be conducted in the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Courtroom inside the Hopkins County Courthouse Annex, located at 128 Jefferson St. in Sulphur Springs.
Voting hours are: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 21-26, Oct. 28, Oct. 30, Nov. 1; from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 and Oct. 31. Election Day voting will be at the designated polling locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 5.
The last day to accept ballots by mail will by Friday, Oct. 25.
City Tax Rate Will Remain The Same; Water, Sewer Fees Will Increase In Coming Year
The city of Sulphur Springs is proposing a $30.5 million budget for fiscal year 2020.
The city budget is projected to fund routine operations as well as a few projects without having to raise the city tax rate above the current 44-cents per $100 property valuation, according to Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell.
City residents will, however, see a small increase in water, sewer and trash rates, to help support those services in budget year 2020. Water costs will increase 3 percent, sewer 2 percent and trash 1.5 percent, according Maxwell.
The minimum water bill would increase by about 95 cents per month, raising to about $47.81. A bill typically twice that amount would increase only about $1.90 a month, according to the city manger.
Even with the increase, the city’s sewer rates are still “low compared to a lot of places,” Maxwell said.
While a small increase to the street maintenance fee was discussed, the rate, as currently proposed in the 2020 budget will remain $5 per bill, according to Maxwell.
Work reconstructing Connally and Sunset Streets is to be completed, then Bellview Street will be completely reconstructed. The street maintenance fee in 2020 will help pay for asphalt repairs to 19 city streets.
The proposed balanced budget was devised after numerous hours of work by city officials coordinating with each department and two budget workshops with the City Council, including one in which the council spent 2 hours going over the budget, line item by line item with only a couple of limited minor changes made, according to the city manager.
Maxwell said city officials met with each department head and asked what each needs to continue functioning at the current level. Each department reported they could use additional staff. However, each will continue to “make do with what they have” as no big revenue increase is expected this year to fund the cost of additional staff or any major equipment purchases.
A big factor in the budget balancing, Maxwell said, was the City Council’s adoption at their regular August meeting a proposal to lease instead of buy vehicles, with Enterprise Fleet Management handling financing and manage the city’s fleet — all vehicles including police vehicles, with the exception of fire trucks.
“Leasing vehicles instead of buying them, we think we will save some money, a $200,000 benefit. It’s the difference between the budget balancing or not,” Maxwell said. “It’s cheaper. Enterprise can buy them from manufacturers at a greatly reduced price, about 20 to 25 percent less.”
The city will begin with 27 new vehicles this year, with the number each year dropping as all of the fleet is put onto the plan, with additional vehicles added annually.
A cost of living increase of 1.25 percent was factored into the $30.5 million budget and, according to the city manager, an additional $248,000 was added to the fire department budget in an effort to maintain more firefighters on shift daily. The city has 21 firefighters, which should provide seven firefighters on duty for each of the three 24-hour shifts, Maxwell explained. However, some days, there are less than six firefighters on duty at a time due to firemen off on vacation, sick days or are otherwise unavailable. The city is mandating six firefighters on-duty daily. In order to ensure that, additional overtime and part-time increases were factored into the budget, accounting for a big part of that $248,000 increase in the city fire department budget.
Having healthy sales tax collections of $4.3 million helps as well. The city also receives $150,000 in economic development funding annually to pay on the remaining debt owed for construction of Coleman Park. That debt will be paid in full this year, which means this is also the last year the city will receive that funding.
However, the city has called for a special November election during which voters will be asked to consider allowing the city to take opay for significant renovations at Pacific Park, including a new community building, and to build a new senior citizens activity center. Those funds would come from EDC funding at a rate of $200,000 annually, if approved, to be used exclusively for those projects.
Among the projects included in the projected 2020 budget will be funds to finish up the wastewater treatment plant renovation, finish up two road reconstructions and rebuild another, street improvements earmarked for repairs through the Street Improvement Program, improvements at the water treatment plant and replacement of a pump for a waste system near the hospital. Most of these projects will be conducted by city staff, which will reduce costs.
The city has budgeted $100,000 to change the manner in which chemicals are introduced into the water system at the water plant. This will allow the city to get ahead of a regulation changes expected to be mandated in the near future.
An additional $50,000 has also been budgeted toward professional fees to finish up the acquisition of the old Thermo mine, which is expected to occur by the end of the calendar year, according to Maxwell.
Sulphur Springs Police Arrest 4 On Marijuana Possession Charges
Sulphur Springs Police arrested four people, two each at two different locations Monday on marijuana possession charges.
Special Crimes Unit investigators at 1:45 p.m. Aug. 19 stopped a Toyota Camry in the 100 block of South Moore Street for a traffic violation. On contact with the vehicle, the SCU officers alleged they could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Both the driver and passenger were asked to step out of the car and be patted down for officer safety, the SCU officers alleged in arrest reports.
The SCU officers alleged a small bag containing less than 2 ounces of a green, leafy substance they believed to be marijuana was found in the driver’s side door during a probable cause search of the car. Both occupants denied ownership of the substance, thus both occupants of the car, Sulphur Springs men ages 21 and 19, were arrested.
The 19-year-old Sulphur Springs man was released from jail later Aug. 19 on $1,000 bond on the misdemeanor charge. The 21-year-old remained in the county jail Tuesday afternoon in lieu of $1,000 bond on the charge, according to jail reports.
At about 11:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, Sulphur Springs police responded to a complaint of two people smoking marijuana in a white Chrysler 200 in the 1400 block of Mockingbird Lane.
Upon contacting the pair, officers reported seeing a 19-year-old Caddo Mills man to be holding a blunt one hand. Less than 2 ounces of marijuana was visible in the car. The car was parked less than 1,000 feet of Bowie Primary School, a drug-free zone. Both the man and an 18-year-old Sulphur Springs woman were arrested on the Class A misdemeanor charge of possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana in a drug-free zone.
Both teens were released from jail Tuesday, Aug. 20, on $2,000 bond on the marijuana 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.
Sulphur Springs Man Jailed On Aggravated Assault With Deadly Weapon Warrant
A 52-year-old Sulphur Springs was arrested Monday on an aggravated assault with deadly weapon warrant. Douglas Paul Merrell turned himself in at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office to Sgt. Richard Greer at 4:30 p.m., according to arrest reports.
Greer escorted Merrell into the county jail, where Merrell was booked, then released for jail later Monday on $50,000 bond on the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, according to jail reports.
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra More Comfortable in Second Year on the Job
Wildcats Football Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra is in his second year with the Wildcats. He admits he feels more comfortable in this his second year. Coach Guerra says he has an awesome defensive staff with every member returning this season. He says he also is more comfortable in his second year with the players. Coach Guerra says building the defense this year is not difficult with the players and coaches he has. He says a lot of guys played some last year. Coach Guerra says it all about putting kids in the right position. Concerning sharing players with the offense, he says that is all about conditioning. He says small schools have been doing that for years. Coach Guerra says he and Offensive Coordinator Matt Young do a great job scheduling players. Concerning this year’s Wildcats defense, he says his number one players have been great and his number two’s are coming around. He says some of the backups have stepped up and others are beginning to surprise him. Coach Guerra says he’ll see how they do Thursday in the first scrimmage at Liberty-Eylau. He says defensive coaches have added stuff for the defenders to do this season and he says he wants the players to get better at doing those things. Monday’s (August 19) workout was the hottest so far this season for the Wildcats who hit the field shortly after 5 p.m., an hour earlier than they have been. The temperature hovered near 100 degrees as the athletic trainers worked hard to see that that players were drinking lots of water and were handling the intense heat.
Lady Cats Volleyball and Wildcats Team Tennis Play on Tuesday Game Day
There is volleyball and team tennis on this Tuesday (August 20) game day. The Lady Cats Volleyball Team is on the road to play a match against always tough Forney. There will be freshmen and JV matches at 4:30 p.m. with the varsity match at 6 p.m. The Lady Cats got a win over the Lady Rabbits last season here at home. The Lady Cats come into the match with a 10-5 season record.
Meanwhile Wildcats Team Tennis will play host to Pleasant Grove for a non-district match at the Wildcat Tennis Center. The match is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. The Wildcats lost a close competitive match to Pleasant Grove here at home last year. The Wildcats have a 1-9 season record coming into the Tuesday match.
SSHS Students Start 2019-20 School Year With Games, Inspirational Messages
Sulphur Springs High School students started their first day of school for the 2019-2020 school year with games and informational messages, and for a few gift card prizes.
“Basically, the staff wanted to do something nontraditional for the kids. We feel relationships and building relationships is something we excel at here at Sulphur Springs High School. It’s important for us to connect with the kids here,” said SSHS Principal Derek Driver.
The theme for the back to school bash was “Future Ready.” Several students organizations participated in the program, along with inspirational speakers from the community, school and district.
Members of the SSHS Wildcat Band, Blue Blazes and cheerleaders lined the path into the assembly, welcoming students as they entered.
Community members spoke to the students about life advantages and things they can do to be future ready, with a goal of impacting student lives. Among the presenters were Israel Lewis, Joel Tiemeyer, Jeff Cravens and Carrie Nuckolls and Bryson Bullington. Superintendent Michael Lamb joined the cheer squads in leading chants to get the students pumped up about the new school year.
“It was very uplifting morning, a positive start of the first day of school,” said Sulphur Springs ISD Assistant Superintendent Rusty Harden.
SSHS teacher Jordan Owens served as maser of ceremony for the occasion, and Jonathan McGraw oversaw games, with students and staff competing for gift cards. Drawings were scheduled throughout the day for other gift cards donated for students as well.
The Student Council, Blue Blazes, cheerleaders and drum line had active roles in the program.
Driver offers thanks to the community members and school organization sponsors who helped make the event a success. He extends great appreciation to all of the businesses that donated funds to the program, including Chik-fil-A, Alliance Bank, City National Bank and Joe Bob’s.
NextLink Breaks Ground On Sulphur Springs Site
Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County officials and community members welcomed NextLink to town Tuesday morning.
The Texas-based high speed Internet and phone company kicked off construction of a Sulphur Springs location in Heritage Business Park beside Armorock and across from Load Trail.
“We are glad to have NextLink here to contribute to our community. They are going to become good neighbors and become our friends. They are already working around here,” said Clay Walker, vice president of Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.
“We just want to congratulate you on your new endeavor here. We can’t wait to have you become a part of our city and community. We’re so glad you’re here,” said Sulphur Springs Mayor Pro Tem Erika Armstrong.
Janice Melton with Rep. Dan Flynn’s office expressed congratulations to the NexLink representatives on Flynn’s behalf, on the start of their new location. She noted the tower support provided by NextLink will be “a great asset to the Sulphur Springs area.”
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom called NextLink and the services they will provide in rural areas the realization of a years’ long dream of many in Hopkins County. He encouraged the business officials to contact city and county officials if they can be of assistance.
NextLink was awarded a $281 million Connect America Fund grant in 2018 from the FCC to expand high speed Internet and voice services to under-served rural communities in Texas and five other states.
The company’s network is mainly to the northwest and southwest of the Metroplex but is creeping east and NextLink is obligated to build a network to span from Sulphur Springs to the Oklahoma border down to the Gulf Coast. The company has 6 years to build the rest of the network supported by the grant, according to Paulette Couch, NextLink facilities manager, and Mike Johnson, Connect America Fund Project manger.
“We have some towers going up west of town and we’ll eventually begin building out,” Johnson said.
It will take a few months to get the infrastructure in, but NextLink construction workers, as well as some tower climbers and installers are ready to go to work building and training others in their efforts to bring high speed Internet service to the Sulphur Springs area.
Couch said for those who are curious, NextLink should have limited service available by the end of the year, likely starting south of Sulphur Springs.
Those interested in working for the company may click the careers option on the NextLink website. While prior experience is helpful, it is not required to work for the company; they will offer training, according to Couch.
Those interested in obtaining the Internet service can obtain more information on the website as well.
