PJC-Sulphur Springs: Humor in Speech Class
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Speech Instructor Paul May brings smiles to the faces of students in his class as he reviews a lesson in speech. For information about educational opportunities at the PJC-Sulphur Springs campus call 903-885-1232.
New Coach for Lady Cat Basketball is Ready for First Official Practice Day Wednesday
New Lady Cats Basketball Coach Brittney Tisdell says she is ready for the first official practice day of the season on Wednesday (October 17). She says it’s been a long off season.
Coach Tisdell replaced former Lady Cats Coach Jeff Chapman, who left to become girls’ athletic coordinator and head girls’ basketball coach at Paris. Coach Tisdell is the daughter of the Paris boys’ head basketball coach Billy Mack Steed. Coach Tisdell says she was raised in gyms and on buses. She was also a player. Coach Tisdell’s first coaching job was as an assistant at Cooper. She was also an assistant coach at Paris for three years. Her first head coaching job was at Mildred, near Corsicana, for the past two seasons. Coach Tisdell says they won only five games the year before she joined them. She says they made it to a tournament championship game and won 16 games last season. Coach Tisdale says she told Volleyball Coach Justin Maness she hopes he has a great season this year but she admits she can’t wait until volleyball players are able to join the basketball program.
She says she has five seniors available for practice Wednesday. Coach Tisdell says she also has a good group of freshmen. She says she got to know some of the players this summer during open gym sessions. Coach Tisdell says she also watched some of them in a Saturday tournament game this summer. She says she is still looking for scrimmage opportunities this season.
The Lady Cats are scheduled to open the regular season at home against Emory Rains on Saturday, November 10.
UIL Regional Band Contest Moved to SSHS Multipurpose Building Tuesday; Wildcat Band Performs at 8:15 a.m.
Sulphur Springs High School’s Multipurpose Building will be the site of the UIL Regional Band Contest on Tuesday (October 16). The event was moved from Mount Plesant due to concerns about inclement weather. The Wildcats will perform at 8:15 a.m. Wildcats’ Marching Band Director Spencer Emmert calls this year the year of the gully washer with almost constant rain recently.
Out of all the football game Friday nights and contests, the Wildcats’ band has only had one occasion when they were not rained on. Emmert says everyone is having to deal with it. He says the Wildcats contest last Saturday (October 13) at Mount Pleasant was canceled due to the weather. After Saturday’s cancellation, Emmert says the band had a great rehearsal inside the multipurpose building and got better. He says when he was at Winnsboro three years ago, bands had to move an Area UIL Contest to a multipurpose building in Carthage.
Emmert says there are some issues with playing indoors such as reverberation or echoing. However a band may benefit from resonance, which can actually make them sound better. Emmert says judges end up right on top of you in an indoor facility. He says judges are used to being up in stands where they can observe a band as a collective ensemble. Emmert says indoors and close, judges have to focus on individual members, making their performance more important.
One benefit to an indoor site is that the Wildcats Band will be able to utilize its’ grid tarp, considered a key part of the band’s show and concept. They have only been able to use it once. That was at the first home game at Prim Stadium.
Electrical Outage Affects 1,058 Oncor Customers Monday; Expected Restoration Time 4 p.m.
According to Oncor about 1,058 customers are without electrical power in the Sulphur Springs area. The primary area of outage is along South Broadway (reports of outage on west side of South Broadway) and along State Highway 11 in the Martin Springs area.
Oncor expects electrical power to be restored to the outage area around 4 p.m.
Candlelight Vigil Planned for Victims of Domestic Violence Moved to The ROC Due to Weather
The Safe-T Crisis Center of Sulphur Springs’ Outreach plans a Candlelight Vigil on Tuesday October 16, 2018 at 6:30pm in The ROC,
at 115 Putman Street. The event was previously planned to be conducted at Celebration Plaza. The purpose of the Vigil is to honor the silent voices and those who have lost their lives to domestic violence. Speakers will include Hopkins County Attorney Dusty Hyde Rabe, and domestic violence survivor Gala Lawrence. In case of rain, an alternate location will be The Roc at 115 Putman Street.
Ragan Dennis, Outreach Coordinator for Safe-T Crisis Center reminds us that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and encourages everyone to attend the Vigil. Domestic violence affects people of every age, gender and nationality. The Safe-T Crisis Center is a non-profit organization serving eight NE Texas counties, offering assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The Sulphur Springs Crisis Center is located at 613 Gilmer Street, inside the CANHelp office complex. The Safe-T Crisis Headquarters and Shelter in Mt. Pleasant was established there in 1995. Persons who wish to report domestic violence/sexual assault at a Safe-T location can expect confidentiality and capable, caring representatives. You can reach Safe-T by phone at 903-439-0325.
River Flood Warning Issued for South Sulphur River
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the South Sulphur River near Cooper until late Monday night or until the warning is cancelled. At 10:15 AM Monday the river stage was 15.72 feet. Flood Stage is 16 feet. The river is expected to rise above flood stage by late Monday morning and continue to rise to a crest near 16 feet by Monday afternoon. A few rural roads will begin to flood if the river flooding does occur.
The Delta and Hopkins County area are under a Flood Watch in effect through 7 a.m. Tuesday morning for Hopkins, Delta, Rains, Hunt and a number of counties in Northeast and North Texas. Multiple rounds of showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected through Tuesday. Rainfall amounts in the Flood Watch area will average between 3 and 5 inches with isolated 7 inch amounts possible. A flood watch means that conditions are favorable for heavy rain which may lead to flooding of low lying areas and locations along creeks, streams, and rivers.
Central Baptist Church Invites Kids, Families for Autumn Events in October
According to Melinda Henderson of the Children’s Ministry at Central Baptist Church, two exciting October events are in place for local kids and families! On Saturday October 20, “Pick of the Patch” will begin at noon immediately after the end of the Hopkins County Fall Festival Parade. At Pick of the Patch, free hot dogs will be cooked by members of the Sheriff’s Department, and youngsters can enjoy bounce houses, slides, pumpkin painting, face painting and more. Families will receive free pumpkins which were raised at the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department farm and donated to the children’s ministry. Pick of the Patch will be held from 12 noon til 2 pm on Saturday October 20, 2018, free of charge at Central Baptist Church, 840 Connally Street, across from Buford park.
Then on Wednesday October 31 from 6-8 pm, Central Baptist Church will host “Treat Street”, a family-friendly trunk or treat event. Treat Street will be set up at the back of the gym in the south parking area of Central Baptist Church. Parking will be available on the north parking area of the church on Connally Street. Volunteers will be handing out bibles to the people who attend and offering a free 5X7 photo during this event. There will be games, bounce houses, slide, and photo booth. Everyone is invited for safe, friendly fun, free of charge!
Healthcare Foundation Joins “Bras for the Cause” to Raise Funds for New 3-D Mammography Equipment
According to Meredith Caddell, CEO of the Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation, the local community has embraced the “Bras for a Cause” nation-wide event during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A fundraising bra decorating contest is currently going on, with numerous displays set up in local businesses around the county. In addition to the Business Category, the contest features two other theme categories; “Breast Cancer Awareness” and “Bra-Vegas”. Local non-profits, clubs, industry and individuals have their imaginative displays up at various locations, and voting for the best display is going on through Wednesday. You register one vote with each $1 ticket your purchase at the display locations, with proceeds going for a very good cause. But there’s more!
The very good cause is the Healthcare Foundation’s plan to purchase a 3-D Mammography Machine for CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs. The advantage of replacing current mammogram equipment with the 3-D equipment is that it reduces call-backs by 35%. With the 3-D feature, images can be examined and re-done within minutes if necessary for a clearer image. Thus, persons who have come in for mammograms do not have to be called back again for a second image, and not lose that time for travel, taking off work, finding babysitters, etc.
Meredith explained that the Bras for the Cause voting fun will continue on Thursday night October 18, 2018 at Sulphur Springs City Hall where the several dozen bra displays will be collected and displayed for the public. A final round of voting will take place starting at 6 pm where tickets will be sold for $1 each. Just place your votes at the displays of your favorites until 7:30 pm, when two winners will be announced: Biggest Money-Raiser and Judges Pick. All proceeds raised will go toward the 2019 purchase of the 3-D Mammography equipment, an addition which will become part of a proposed “Women’s Center” to be located inside CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs.
Weekend Reveler’s Wrong Turn
A weekend reveler took a wrong turn when traveling Main Street in Sulphur Springs. The unnamed driver’s rental car ended up on the rails of an active rail line. Once the vehicle slid to a stop, the front tires could not gain traction and a tow truck was required.
Sulphur Springs Police were contacted, and it was determined that a train was not due for more than 1 hour. The driver’s blood alcohol was over the legal limit.
There are alternatives to driving drunk in Sulphur Springs. The Downtown Trolley is an option, if you don’t stay out too late. Uber and Lyft drivers have been available since the beginning of 2018. Just make sure to ask your Uber driver to stay up late enough to get you home, or agree on a pickup time.
