Tabernacle Baptist Church Plans 42 Fundraiser to Benefit Ministry of Local Couple to New Guinea
Pastor Mike Haun and the congregation of Tabernacle Baptist Church supports the ministry of Jason and Jaime Brewer and their family, who for six years have served as missionaries in Papua, New Guinea. The Tabernacle Baptist Church congregation is planning a 42 Tournament on Saturday February 23, with the purpose of raising needed funds for the continued support of the Jason Brewer Ministry. Through Wycliffe Bible Translators, this ministry supports Bible translation efforts for a linguistically diverse population of over 830 languages within a country approximately the size of California. Jason is a pilot serving some of the most remote mountainous and jungle locations in the country. Jaime serves in the Human Resources Department as a Recruiter, communicating with worldwide Wycliffe organizations about meeting the needs and accomplishing the work of Bible translation for the people in Papua, New Guinea. If you would like to enter the straight 42 tournament, register early at $25 for a 2-person team, or register at the door for $30 per team. Dominoes, tables and lunch will be provided. Phone Pastor Haun at the church for more information, 903-866-2315.
Manufacture Deliver of Controlled Substance Warrants Served Wednesday
Local Law Enforcement had a busy Wednesday serving warrants for Manufacture Deliver Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1. Two individuals served with warrants were already in Hopkins County Jail on similar charges. The warrants were the result of investigations into the individuals’ activities regarding illegal substances.
The one not already in jail when warrants were served was Jermaine Allen Johnson, 38, of Sulphur Springs. He was a passenger in a vehicle traveling on Como Street in the city. A communications check on Johnson revealed a warrant for Manufacture Deliver Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams and a warrant for Manufacture Deliver Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram in a Drug Free Zone. He is now in Hopkins County Jail held on bonds totaling $50,000.
At Hopkins County Jail Wednesday, Johnny Liston Powell, 52, of Farmersville, was served three warrants. One warrant was for Manufacture Deliver Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams . Two warrants were served for Manufacture Deliver Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. Powell was arrested last week for similar charges at a local restaurant.
Also at Hopkins County Jail Wednesday, February 6, 2019, Angela Kay Doucette, 48, of Sulphur Springs was served with an additional warrant for
Manufacture Deliver Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams.
Local Woman Arrested for Theft Had Meth in Possession
Called to 1750 S. Broadway Street regarding a burglary, Sulphur Springs Police arrested Kimberle Baxter, 60, of Sulphur Springs when she confessed to theft at the location. She also gave consent to search her purse. There the officer found a white crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine.
Baxter is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, less than 1-gram, a State Jail Felony. She is held on a $5,000 bond.
Chamber Connection February 7, 2019
Time is running short to get your tickets to the 93rd
Annual Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Thursday, February 14, at
6:00 p.m. at the Hopkins County Civic Center. We are introducing a
Networking Cocktail half hour at 6:00 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30,
and the awards will follow at 7 p.m. Please take this opportunity to
bring your family, friends, and employees to an evening of dinner and community
awards including Large and Small Business of the Year, Educator of the Year,
Caregiver Award, Agriculturist of the Year, Woman of the Year, and Citizen of
the Year. Our banquet theme is “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round!” and is
set in various places around the world. This is your chance to bring your
sweetheart on Valentine’s Day to enjoy a night bursting with community
pride. Red attire is encouraged, but not required. Individual tickets are
$30, and tables of ten are available for $500, which includes preferential
seating and visible labeling of your business. We are excited for you and
your business to join us for this extraordinary evening. Please make your
reservation TODAY by calling Chelsea, Cathey, or Lezley at the Chamber of
Commerce, (903) 885-6515, or by stopping by to visit at 128-A Jefferson Street
(off College St.) in Sulphur Springs.
Flowerland Florist will host a ribbon cutting celebration
Flowerland Florist, located at 411 Gilmer in Sulphur Springs, will host a ribbon cutting celebration with their new owners on Monday, February 11th at noon. Please make plans to attend and welcome the new owners to Flowerland.
Texas A&M- Commerce hosting Career Fair
Texas A&M – Commerce Career Development is hosting a Non-Profit Career and Internship Fair on Tuesday, February 12th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the RSC Conference Rooms. Cost is $75 and includes one table for volunteer and intern recruitment, two lunch tickets, and two hours of student engagement. Please register at www.hirealion.com.
Hopkins County to host ribbon cutting for new courtroom
The Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court is hosting a ribbon cutting for their newly constructed courtroom located at 282 Rosemont Street in Sulphur Springs. It will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 13th. Please join us!
Ribbon Cuttings:
Julia Wilhite State Farm announced their ribbon cutting celebration
Julia Wilhite State Farm hosted their ribbon cutting celebration on Wednesday, January 30th at noon. Julia’s State Farm office is located at 1030 Gilmer Street in Sulphur Springs.
Soulman’s Bar-B-Que hosted their ribbon cutting celebration
Soulman’s Bar-B-Que hosted their ribbon cutting celebration on Friday, February 1st at 11 a.m., and their grand opening celebration on Saturday, February 2nd. They are located at 1201 S. Broadway in Sulphur Springs.
Signing Day: Five SSHS Student-Athletes Sign Wednesday
Wildcats quarterback D’Corian Young, the son of Cory Young and Charlissa Hawkins, signed with Trinity Valley Community College in Athens. Young said he felt Trinity Valley was the best place for him. He said he wants to go the JUCO route, getting playing time and getting his grades right before signing with a Division 1 program. Young said he loved the beautiful Trinity Valley campus in Athens. He called it one of the best JUCO’s in the nation and he added they had a great football program. Young said he also likes the Cardinals head coach who also serves as the quarterback coach. During his Wildcats’ senior season, Young played the last few games of the season with a torn ACL. He said his knee is doing well after rehab and he said he would be ready to go by next football season. Young said Trinity Valley runs the spread offense just like the Wildcats. He called it a great fit for him. Young said the college game would be faster with bigger guys. He called it a challenge but one he was ready for. Young he might have to add some weight and get stronger in the weight room.
Wildcats’ golfer Carter Lewis, the son of Israel and Leslie Lewis, signed with the UT Tyler golf team Wednesday morning. Lewis said he liked the program there and felt a connection with the UT Tyler golf coach. He called it a good fit for him. Lewis said UT Tyler started recruiting him seriously last summer. He said his golf game was pretty good right now but could be better. Lewis said he wanted a good degree from the college and said he looked forward to seeing where golf would take him. He said he took up golf in the sixth grade and then really got serious about it after the seventh grade. Lewis said he expects harder courses and tougher competition in college. He said the best part of his game is his short game. Lewis said he can’t hit the ball as far as others so he has been forced to work hard on his chipping and putting. He said he hopes some visits to the weight room will help him drive the ball farther.
Lady Cats’ volleyball player Autumn Tanton, the daughter of Amy Tanton, signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Tanton said he visited the Oklahoma school last because at first she was not really interested. She felt it was too far from home and wasn’t in Texas. Then Tanton visited the Oklahoma Wesleyan campus and everything changed. She said it reminded her of Sulphur Springs. She said it felt like the place for her and she added she felt God called her to the campus. Tanton said she will play middle blocker for Oklahoma Wesleyan and she has been told she will be on the varsity instead of the college’s JV team. Tanton is a four year player for both the Lady Cats volleyball and basketball teams. Tanton said basketball is her favorite sports but she said she was more confident as a volleyball player. Tanton wants to utilize college to become a physical therapist.
Lady Cats’ volleyball player Lexi Whisenhunt, the daughter of Chad and Amy Whisenhunt, will be joining Autumn Tanton at Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Whisenhunt said at first she was uncertain where she would attend college. She said she went with Tanton to visit the Oklahoma Wesleyan campus and she said they both loved it. They plan to room together. Whisenhunt said they got to see what their room will look like and got to meet current team members. She said she and Tanton loved playing together for the Lady Cats. Many of Whisenhunt’s sets were directed toward Tanton. Whisenhunt was a versatile Lady Cat serving as both a setter and as a hitting blocker. She hopes to play right away. Whidenhunt said she is currently uncertain about a career but she added she would be working to figure it out.
Wildcats’ football defensive tackle Jose Rodriguez, the son of Jose and Lucinda Rodriguez, signed a letter of intent on National Signing Day with Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana. Louisiana College is where former Wildcat player and former Defensive Coordinator Triston Abron played college ball. Rodriguez said he was contacted by Louisiana College and they set up a visit for him. He called Louisiana College is really good school. He said Pineville is a smaller town, much like Sulphur Springs. Rodriguez said he liked the small town atmosphere. He said Louisiana College intents to play him at defensive tackle. He said coaches there like how he sheds tackles, runs to the ball and makes tackles. Rodriguez said he has been a defensive lineman all four years in high school. Rodriguez expects to bulk up to play the position. Rodriguez said he plans to take business and finance courses so he can open up his own barber shop.
PJC-Sulphur Springs Break Time
BREAK TIME
The arrival of a container of fresh popcorn at the PJC-Sulphur Springs campus signaled it was break time. Enjoying the popcorn are, from left to right, are student Emily Nance, Coordinator of Student Activities Taylor Locker, and student Selina Hood.
A&M-Commerce Office of Sponsored Programs Hosts Leo Talks
COMMERCE, TX— The Office of Sponsored Programs at A&M-Commerce is hosting Leo Talks during Spring 2019. The lectures are “TED-like” talks that last about 20 minutes and feature presentations from two A&M-Commerce professors per event.
“The goal of the series is to bring our faculty, staff, students and community together to share ideas and to get to know each other in a relaxed setting,” said Dr. Matt Wood, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School.
Each lecture will take place on the fourth Thursday of the month from 7-9 p.m. in The Club of the Rayburn Student Center at A&M-Commerce.
Upcoming lectures include:
February 28 – Vaughn Wascovich, professor of art, will discuss “Coming to My Senses: A Few Stories about Magic, Meaning and Light.” William Newton, associate professor of physics and astronomy, will present “Performing A Stellar Autopsy: Listening to The Innards of Colliding Stars in the New Era of Gravitational Wave Astronomy.”
March 28 – Lacy Krueger, associate professor of psychology, will discuss “Effective Learning Strategies: Studying Smarter, Not Harder.” Vipa Bernhardt, assistant professor of health and human performance, will present “Underwater Hockey: The Ultimate High-Intensity Interval Training.”
April 25 – William Wadley, professor of art, will discuss “A Personal Recollection of the Cave at Lascaux.” Kelly Reyna, assistant professor of wildlife management, will present “Saving the Nation One Quail at a Time.”
Faculty, staff, students and community members from surrounding areas are encouraged to attend the lectures. Wood promises that the speakers will entertain and inspire audience members to think and talk with each other.
After January’s lecture, Dr. Dale Funderburk, professor of economics and finance, noted, “This was a fun event and the kind of thing that a university should do. These events should engage not only the university community but also Commerce and the surrounding communities.”
About Texas A&M University-Commerce: A&M-COMMERCE serves rural and metropolitan Northeast Texas with distinction, consistently delivering on a promise that our founder, Professor William Leonidas Mayo, made more than a century ago: “No industrious, ambitious youth shall be denied an education if I can prevent it.” Since our university’s humble beginnings, the mission to provide a high-quality, personal, accessible and affordable educational experience for a diverse community of learners remains unchanged.
Programs are delivered on-site at the Commerce campus as well as in Corsicana, Dallas, McKinney, Frisco and Mesquite. Many courses are also available online. Students may choose from more than 135 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. A vibrant student life experience includes 14 NCAA Division II athletic teams, a thriving Greek system and more than 120 student organizations.
City Manager’s Report Presented in February Council Meeting
City Manager Marc Maxwell’s Report presented in the February City Council meeting included:
CROSSTOWN TRAIL – Construction continues on the Hopkins County Civic Center grounds and Peavine Pinion Pond. In January the Capital Construction Division poured more concrete, installed bike racks and trash cans, laid sod to prevent erosion, installed a water fountain and planted trees.
SUNSET STREET – Work should begin on this street next week. Sunset is funded by a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture. The project will include a new concrete street including curb & gutter, a new sewer main and a new water main.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT – Phase 2 is well under way. All of the concrete has been poured for the two new aeration basins. Next they will be fitted with all of the diffused air piping and then connected to 3 massive blowers that have already been installed. Once these basins are operational, the existing basins will be taken offline and they will be refitted with diffused aeration just like basins 1 & 2. Once all of this is completed our aeration capacity will be greatly enhanced. This is the heart of our wastewater treatment process.
CONNALLY STREET – Work began on Connally Street this month. The Capital Construction Division Installed 307’ of sewer main including 2 manholes and 5 service lines. This project will take 9 months to a year to complete.
SUBSTANDARD STRUCTURES – The owner of the building at 200 Gilmer Street previously complied with the city council’s order to abate the dangerous condition of the east wall. She has decided to repair the wall, and she has hired RBC Construction to perform the work. RBC expects to begin in a month. We have given the owner until March 13 to obtain a building permit and until May 01 to finish the job to avoid future council action.
CLAIMS – We did not have any workers’ compensation claims or liability claims in January.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES – Finance Director Lesa Smith will give a year-to-date report of revenues and expenditures.
Elsewhere around the city, employees: • Responded to an unusually high number of fire/rescue calls…215. • Conducted 48 fire inspections, and reviewed 48 pre-fire plans. • Responded to 1 structure fire, 1 vehicle fire and 3 grass fires. • Performed preventative maintenance on 60 fire hydrants. • Made 4 extensive street repairs following utility repairs. • Repaired 747 potholes. • Replaced 47 stop signs, 17 no parking signs, 8 speed limit signs, 9 one-way signs, 6 school zone signs and 1 no thru truck sign. • Removed Christmas decorations downtown. • Replaced 130’ of curb and gutter on Elm Street. • Replaced 165’ of curb and gutter on Pipeline Road. • Checked out 2,964 items and an additional 788 e-books at the library. • Placed 200 cubic yards of munch at Kids Kingdom. • Painted the caboose. • Refurbished all of the wooden picnic tables in the parks. • Conducted 26 building inspections, 36 electrical inspections, 31 plumbing inspections, 9 mechanical inspections, and issued 23 building permits. • Added lighting to Coleman Park batting cages. • Replaced lighting at the airport and the animal shelter, and performed preventative maintenance on the generator at Coleman Park. • Replaced chlorine feed lines at the wastewater treatment plant. • Achieved a daily average total suspended solids count of 1.31 mg/L at the wastewater treatment plant. • Repaired 2 water main breaks and replaced 10 water meters. • Unstopped 42 sewer mains. • Repaired 15 sewer mains. • Washed 70,000’ of sewer mains. • Opened the Lake Sulphur Springs flood gates due to heavy rainfall. 201 N Davis Street, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 • 903.439.3700 • sulphurspringstx.org Page 3 • Flushed 35 dead-end water mains. • Treated 125 million gallons of potable water. • Responded to 179 animal control calls while achieving an adoption rate of 24% • Made 15 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit. • Made 98 arrests, recorded 63 offenses, responded to 30 accidents and wrote 404 citations in the Patrol Division. • Updated the Emergency Preparedness Plan
City Council Approves All Items on February Agenda
With few comments made and unanimity on all items, the Sulphur Springs City Council took less than one hour to move through a 22 item agenda filled with ordinances, resolutions, and an audit report.
Mayor John Sellers began the meeting with a reading of a Black History Month Proclamation noting that this year is the 93rd anniversary of a time set to honor and increase the knowledge of Black History as a means of improving relationship in all places with all people. Mayor Sellers called for a rededication to unity during the month of February. He noted that February was chosen for Black History Month due to the time of celebration of the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Abolitionist Fredrick Douglas.
In the Managers Report, City Manager Marc Maxwell noted Cross Town Trail continues to move toward completion with the adding of more concrete, bike racks and L E D lighting that was approved during the meeting. The $39,000 cost of the lighting and $13,000 for poles is funded by grant money. He also noted that work began on Sunset Street Monday of this week. The owner of the building at 200 Gilmer Street has decided to repair the wall and has until March 14, 2019 to get a permit for the work and until April for the work to begin. He also noted that the Fire Department answered over 200 medical calls during the month of January. A higher number than usual.
The annual audit reflected a clean audit and the city shows strong financial stability. Approximately 86% of property tax has been collected through January.
The council voted to amend the budget with two items. One amendment will allow the city to spend street improvement funds received in the $5 added fee for water meters. The funds will be used to additional street work. They also voted to purchase instead of lease a backhoe.
The annexation of both Pioneer Business Park and Heritage Business Park was approved on first reading. A second reading will take place in March. It was noted that the businesses will have two years following annexation before being required to use the city’s solid waste sanitation (Sanitation Solutions) if they have a contract with another company.
All resolutions including amending a 380 agreement, a homeland security grant request, and an airport lease were approve.
May 4th is the date for municipal elections for Places 4, 5, 6, and for the city charter changes. New equipment will be purchased for the city to use in elections.
Patterson Professional Services was awarded a contract for a lift station to be built near State Highway 11W. The $348,945 cost will be reimbursed by TxDOT.
