Two SSHS Seniors Qualify for State TAFE Competition
SSHS seniors Zoe Wilson and Cassidy Winborn are involved in a new group on campus, TAFE or Texas Association of Future Educators. TAFE Sponsor is Debbie Stribling, also a sponsor with FCCLA or Family and Career Community Leaders of American.
Ms. Stribling took Zoe Wilson and Cassidy Winborn to a TAFE Regional Competition last Friday (November 30) at the Region 8 Education Service Center in Pittsburg and both students qualified for the TAFE State Competition in February at Allen High School. Ms. Stribling said her students were in a competition involving Teacher Created Materials For the Classroom. One student came up with a mock Pac-Man game called Zap Zap Zap That Math. The other created a game with colors on a board. Kids are asked to pair an everyday item on the end of a stick to the proper color for the item on the board. Ms. Stribling said two other students attended the regional competition as observers so they can compete next year.
Some 50 SSHS students are involved with TAFE and Ms. Stribling said the group is open to any high school student interested in becoming a teacher.

Lighted Christmas Parade Moved to Monday, December 10th, 2018
Due to possible inclement weather, the Sulphur Springs Lions Club Lighted Christmas Parade Presented by Carriage House Manor will be moved from Friday, December 7th to Monday, December 10th at 7 p.m.
As the city lights go out, the parade entries, which are required to be lit up with working Christmas lights, will bring Christmas cheer to those lining the parade route on Monday.
This year the Lions will continue their partnership with the Hopkins County Law Enforcement Association and the Sulphur Springs Law Enforcement Association to collect toys for the Blue Santa Program. Blue Santa collects and distributes toys to needy children in Hopkins County. The Help Blue Santa Build His Float project is an effort to collect toys to kick-off the annual Blue Santa Toy Drive. The Hopkins County Law Enforcement Association will have an empty truck in front of the county Courthouse and will enter an empty trailer into the parade. The community is encouraged to bring a toy or a financial gift to the parade to donate to the Blue Santa Program. Donations can be made either on the truck in front of the Courthouse or will be picked up along the parade route and placed on the empty trailer.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the City of Sulphur Springs is attempting to move their activities scheduled for Friday to Monday as well.

TxDOT Hosts Listening Session for Senior Transit Needs
PARIS – The Texas Department of Transportation will host one of several statewide public listening sessions here at 1 p.m. Dec. 13 at the City of Paris Council Chambers, 150 1st Street SE, to gather input regarding the transit needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities living in rural Texas.
These sessions also provide an opportunity to learn about the Federal Transit Administration’s Program 5310, which provides funding for transportation options for seniors and individuals with disabilities when current transportation service is unavailable, insufficient or inappropriate.
All interested persons are encouraged to attend. Those who cannot participate in person can join online; please go to www.txdot.gov and click on “get involved.” The public can also provide input by taking an online survey online atwww.txdot.gov and clicking on “enhanced mobility.”
The Dec. 13 session in Paris is designed to gather input from residents of Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Rains and Red River counties. A list of TxDOT public meetings statewide is available online at www.txdot.gov, search for “hearings and meetings”

Winnsboro Police Report November 26-December 2, 2018
Winnsboro Police arrested 4, responded to one accident and 132 calls for service. They also wrote 41 citations and 39 warnings during the report period, November 26-December 2, 2018.
Aerial Bumpass, 27, of Winnsboro, was arrested November 26th on multiple Winnsboro Municipal Warrants.
Nicholas Jones, 25, of Tyler, was arrested November 27th for violation of probation.
Christopher Schmeets, 43, of Winnsboro, was arrested November 27th on multiple Winnsboro Municipal Warrants.
Samantha Lange, 48, of Winnsboro, was arrested November 30th for parole violation.
WPD responded to a one vehicle accident November 29th at State Highway 37 and Country Road 4700. The driver was transported by Flight for Life to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital.

Wildcats, Lady Raiders Play in 61st Whataburger Basketball Tournament
FORT WORTH, Texas – Dec. 4, 2018 – The Whataburger Basketball Tournament, hailed by USA Today and Sports Illustrated as one of the nation’s top holiday tournaments, returns to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for its 61st year. The tournament kicks off Thursday, Dec. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 29.
With humble beginnings dating back to 1958, the Whataburger Basketball tournament has grown from just eight teams to a 48-team basketball showdown featuring talent from across the state and beyond, including out-of-state competitors from Little Rock Parkview.
More than 30,000 spectators, including college scouts and coaches, are expected to take part in the action-packed three-day tournament at three area high school gyms. The 5,000-seat Birdville Independent School District’s W.G. Thomas Coliseum will host the Boys Orange Division, the 1,700-seat Chisholm Trail High School arena will host the Boys Blue Division and the 2,200-seat Saginaw High School arena will host the Girls Blue Division.
In its storied history, the Whataburger Basketball Tournament has provided a national spotlight for players that went on to professional careers as players and coaches with the NBA. Tournament veterans include Sam Cassel, assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. In addition to going home champions, the winning team in each division will also earn a $1,000 scholarship from Whataburger.
“We’re proud to bring families and fans together to witness the rising stars in the Whataburger Basketball Tournament,” said Whataburger Director of Operations Scott Phillips. “We know how much hard work and dedication the athletes put into this game, and Whataburger couldn’t be happier to see them succeed.”
Fans interested in witnessing history can purchase tickets at each of the tournament’s three venues. Tickets are $9 for a single day pass on Dec. 27 and 28, $10 for a single day pass on Dec. 29, $24 for a three-day pass at a single venue, $36 for a three-day pass at Chisholm Trail and Saginaw venues and $55 for a three-day pass for all games and venues throughout the competition.
“This year’s tournament is jam-packed with incredible talent from Texas and beyond,” said Tournament Director Tom Rogers. “The Whataburger Basketball Tournament continues to set the stage for players to showcase their skills. We’re excited to see a little friendly competition and end the year with some great basketball.”
For additional information including brackets, rankings and specific player statistics, visit Whataburger-BBT.org. During the tournament, updated scores and game schedules will be posted in real time on Facebook. Here are the participating teams:

BOYS ORANGE
Aldine Eisenhower
Arkansas Little Rock Parkview
Arlington Martin
Dallas Jesuit
Denton Guyer
Duncanville
Euless Trinity
Fort Worth Northwest
Katy Morton Ranch
Mansfield Timberview
Richardson Pearce
San Antonio Wagner
South Grand Prairie
Southlake Carroll
Sulphur Springs
Waxahachie
BOYS BLUE
Argyle
Argyle Liberty Christian
Bowie
Brock
Burkburnett
Center
Decatur
Grandview
Kennedale
Levelland
Liberty Hill
Nazareth
Peaster
Ponder
Seminole
Wall

GIRLS BLUE
Argyle Liberty Christian
Bowie
Dodd City
Jacksboro
Kennedale
Levelland
Nazareth
Panhandle
Ponder
Quinlan Ford
Seminole
Springtown
Stephenville
Tuscola Jim Ned
Wall
Winnsboro

Corvette Club Makes Donation to Meal a Day Program

The Sulphur Springs Corvette Club made a very generous Donation of $ 1,000.00
to the Meal A Day Program on Tuesday, December 4th. Show in Photo are: Tim Gee, Karon Weatherman, Mike Hart and David Johnson The Meal A Day is funded by Donations like this. Other than the yearly United Way Funds and the $ 2.00 that the Seniors pay for their lunches, Meal A Day is ran on Donations from the Community.
Paul McCartney at Globe Life Park June 14, 2019

Arlington, TX (December 4, 2018) – In the wake of the triumphant headline stand at the Austin City Limits festival that the Austin American Statesman called “A Marathon to Remember Forever,” Paul McCartney has added two new stadium plays to the upcoming U.S. leg of his new Freshen Up tour. The newly confirmed dates make for a total of 10 confirmed shows on Paul’s first extended Stateside run since the One On One Tour that played to some two million fans around the world during 2016 and 2017.
The Freshen Up tour is Paul’s first outing following the release of his #1 charting album, Egypt Station, released September 7th on Capitol Records to stellar reviews: Rolling Stone raved, “Macca keeps adding new gems to his songbook, with nothing to prove except he’s the only genius who can do this… And, oh yeah — in his spare time, he happens to still be the greatest live performer on Earth,” while Entertainment Weekly described the album as “the still-vital life force of a superstar who has been there and everywhere and is glad just to be here now.”
The newest additions to the U.S. leg of Freshen Up include Paul’s first ever appearances at Lambeau Field in Green Bay WI on Saturday, June 8th, and Globe Life Park in Arlington TX on Friday, June 14th.
The Paul McCartney live experience is everything any music lover could ever want from a show: Nearly three hours nightly of the greatest moments from the last 50 years of music, dozens of songs from Paul’s solo, Wings and of course Beatles catalogues that have formed the soundtracks of our lives. Paul and his band have played an unparalleled range of venues and locations throughout the Americas, the UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and all points between: outside the Coliseum in Rome, Moscow’s Red Square, Buckingham Palace, The White House, a free show in Mexico for over 400,000 people, the last ever show at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park where The Beatles played their final concert in 1966, a 2016 week in the California desert that included two headline sets at the historic Desert Trip festival and a jam-packed club gig for a few hundred lucky fans at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, and even one performance broadcast live into Space! Featuring Paul’s band of the last 15+ years – Paul “Wix” Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums) –and constantly upgraded state of the art audio and video technology that ensures an unforgettable experience from every seat in the house, a Paul McCartney concert is never anything short of life-changing.
Tickets for the Arlington concert go on sale to the general public on Thursday, December 13th at 10am local time.
“We are ecstatic to host Sir Paul McCartney at Globe Life Park in Arlington as part of his Freshen Up Tour“ said Sean Decker, Texas Rangers SVP of Operations and Events. “This will be a historic event that fans will remember for years to come as the venue approaches its final season as a Major League Baseball park”
American Express® Card Members in Arlington can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Monday, December 10 at 10AM through Wednesday, December 12 at 10PM local time.
PJC-Sulphur Springs Prepares for Christmas Break

ALMOST TIME FOR CHRISTMAS
Emily Nance, a student work study at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center campus, puts decorations on a desk-top and Christmas tree as the holiday season draws near. The last day of classes for the fall semester and the start of winter (Christmas) break is December 14. The campus will reopen on January 2, 2019.
Can You Help During “Blue Santa” Toy Drive at Lowe’s?

It’s off to a great start, but you can still help! This year’s two-day “Blue Santa” Toy Drive, sponsored by local business and industry, charitable organizations, law enforcement and media, yielded a successful report from Day One. A crew of volunteers accepted toys and donations from drive-ups while others cooked and served BBQ sack lunches and street tacos. At the end of the day, Lowe’s cooks had taken in $1,935. in donations and collectively had contributed $4,000 worth of toys. First responders and law enforcement gathered monetary donations, and with the first day’s BBQ Sandwich Sack Lunch, proceeds amounted to another $2,577 for Blue Santa needs. That’s a healthy start to fill an even greater need for Christmas 2018.
Set up on the Sulphur Springs Lowe’s parking lot on December 3rd and 4th, the Blue Santa drive is held from 7am til 7pm, and the trailer and barrels are being filled by persons who drive up and hand off their donations of new, unwrapped toys as well as monetary donations. Toys, games and personal/grooming items for children through age 16 are needed. Donations are being accepted there until 7pm on Tuesday December 4. (clothing needs are being filled by other local organizations)
Another way you can donate comes on Friday night Dec 7, 2018 during the Lions Club Christmas Parade. Starting at 7pm from Buford Park, bring unwrapped toys and find a place alongside the parade route. You can hand these off to first responders walking in the parade who will place them on the Blue Santa float. It is estimated that 5,000 to 6,000 toys will be needed for this Christmas season’s local needs. Some funds gathered in 2017 were used early this year to purchase large lots of popular toys at off-season prices, and were warehoused locally. Some bicycles were also purchased. Current monetary donations will be used in the same way for next year’s purchases. The Blue Santa mission is to provide toys for the children of local families in need, and achieves this goal with the generosity and goodwill of Hopkins County residents, businesses, and civic groups.
Toy and bicycle donations are being collected and sorted for Distribution Day, which is Saturday December 15 for local families who have signed up to receive Blue Santa blessings this Christmas. Distribution is a massive operation provided by teams of local volunteers and law enforcement, headquartered at Sulphur Springs First United Methodist Church.

“Sorry, Wrong Chimney”, a Holiday Farce in Six Performances at Main Street
It’s a lighthearted Christmas tale full of mistaken identities and zany foul-ups with a smattering of slapstick comedy. “Sorry, Wrong Chimney” presents live community theater and showcases a hilarious holiday tale with very memorable local talent. Enjoy a couple of hours of uncomplicated laughter and fun which all ages will love, at the Sulphur Springs Community Players’ original theatrical venue, Main Street Theater downtown. Plan to see at least one of the six stage performances…December 7-16…and “laugh your stockings off! Ho, Ho Ho!”
Co-directors Brenda Payne and Barbara Grubbs and the cast of seven are enthusiastic about staging the yuletide farce for the public. They say, “Bring the family and enjoy it together!” In the role of “Natalie”, Miss Sydnee Hawkins is a veteran of local theater, having begun at Main Street in Children’s Summer Workshop. Sydnee’s enjoyed a busy 2018, appearing in numerous musicals and dramatic roles and pursuing a degree in Performance Arts. Kiara Stowater, who plays “Sheila”, is a 15-year-old public school student who also seeks a future on the stage. She began at age 8 in Main Street’s Summer Workshop and most recently appeared in Lion King Jr. Tim McMurray, who plays “Kris Kreagle” is a newcomer to Sulphur Springs and to acting. He had decided to try something new in life, and his audition landed him the role of a misguided but softhearted Santa Claus. Other talent in the play are Ben Brady, Esperanza Deterding, John D’Avingnon and Cameron McGraw.
See “Sorry, Wrong Chimney” at Main Street Theater, 225 Main Street, on two Fridays, December 7 and 14 at 7pm, on Saturdays December 8 and 15 at 7pm, and in two Sunday matinees, December 9 and 16, at 2pm. Tickets are $10 person at the Box Office, by calling 903-885-0107, or by reservation online at communityplayersinc.com. The Community Players are already working on an exciting 2019 season!
