Holiday Hours at Alliance Bank in Sulphur Springs
Starting on December 22, 2023 all Alliance Bank offices will be closing early and remain closed for the holiday. We will resume normal hours on December 26, 2023. However, our online banking services will be available for use.
We’ll be wishing all our customers warm and wonderful holiday celebrations! ⭐
Remember, Honor and Teach: ‘Wreaths Across America’ Comes to Sulphur Springs City Cemetery at 11 am on December 15, 2018
In 2018, Sulphur Springs City Cemetery will join with Wreaths Across America, a nationwide campaign to honor fallen heroes by marking veteran’s grave with a live wreath for the Christmas season. The non-profit organization formed in 1992 to decorate Arlington Cemetery, then expanded nationwide. Last year, graves in over 1,400 locations were marked in 50 states during the all-volunteer effort. Now, it is hoped that all 583 veterans’ graves in Sulphur Springs City Cemetery can be marked in this effort, and in future years, in the cemeteries scattered around Hopkins County.
Dena Phillips Loyd and her husband Jimmy Loyd of Hopkins County, parents of fallen hero Chad Loyd, are spearheading the local effort. According to Dena, the WAW slogan “Remember, Honor and Teach” appealed to her so she reached out to the non-profit earlier this year. Now, Sulphur Springs City Cemetery is on the list for delivery of live wreaths for the December 15 local ceremony. As of today, 275 wreaths have been sponsored, representing a shortfall of about 300 wreaths. The cost to become a wreath sponsor is $15. If you would like to sponsor a wreath, there are several ways, but deadlines are approaching.
You can make a donation of $15 with a personal check to Wreaths Across America and give this to Dena Loyd by November 30. Or you can sponsor a wreath online by December 3. In a special offer, if you sponsor two wreaths with a $30 total, a third wreath will be donated by the non-profit. With participation by interested local persons, the total number of 583 wreaths should be attainable.
There is an army of local volunteers which drive this campaign. Acting in a volunteer role is local veteran James Jones, whose committee will put a small flag marker at each veterans’ gravesite in the city cemetery. Placement of a wreath at each flag will be done by local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. On Friday December 14, the wreaths will be transported across the country by volunteer drivers and fleets as “rolling ambassadors” for Wreaths Across America which will deliver our shipment that day to Dena and volunteers. On Saturday December 15, the public is invited to a brief ceremony in Sulphur Springs City Cemetery at 11am. Following the ceremony, you are invited to walk through the various sections of the cemetery where the wreaths will be placed and name of each veteran spoken at each marked site.
To sponsor a wreath directly, pick up a donation form at KSST or at Shipping Zone. Or contact Dena Loyd by phone at 903-348-8174, by messenger to dena phillips loyd or by email at [email protected]. Deadline to receive personal checks is November 30. You can also donate online through facebook at wreathsacrossamerica-ss city cemetery or at the website wreathsacrossamerica.org/tx0613. The WAW organization’s slogan is “Remember, Honor and Teach” and it’s mission is “to Remember our fallen U.S. Veterans, to Honor those who serve and to Teach our children the value of our freedom”.
Think Big, Shop Small This Saturday
American Express has long been a supporter of shopping small and shopping local. This Saturday, November 24th, is their Shop Small Saturday event. Amex has been promoting the Saturday after Thanksgiving to highlight small businesses since 2010. Many of our local vendors participate in this event and gladly accept American Express cards.
Danna’s and The Florist will have doorbuster deals starting at 9am including 30-50% off selected categories. Buffalo Girls Boutique will be open and Danna will be present, with first edition t-shirts priced at $10. Lou Nell’s is promoting the event by offering jeans at 25% off as well as Vera Bradley and Toms at 25% off.
Discount Wheel and Tire is offering $20 off any brake job or FREE alignment check with purchase of a set of four tires.
Supporting our local small businesses helps support our local community! All items mentioned above are for Saturday Only.
Tira News November 21, 2018
By Jan Vaughn
We want to express our sympathy to the family of Mary Rawson. She passed away on Saturday, November 17th, and her funeral was held on Tuesday at the Tira Methodist Church, under the direction of West Oaks Funeral home. Please remember the family in prayer.
Joyce Dodd reported that the Tira Food Pantry was the recipient of a “truck load” of canned food from the North Hopkins Elementary School. Student groups, under the direction of their principal, Kodi Wright,participated in a contest to bring the most items. We want to express our appreciation to them for their generous donation!
The Community Christmas Party is coming up soon. It is scheduled for Saturday, December 8th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Tira Community Center. Brisket will be provided and residents are asked to bring side dishes and desserts. Also, we will be collecting canned meats for the Community Food Pantry. Make plans to come enjoy a time of visiting with your neighbors. We are expecting Santa to drop by to visit with the kids!
The Tira City Council will meet on Monday, December 3rd,at 6:00 p.m. After the meeting, the group will be decorating the Community Center for the Christmas party. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
The Weirs – Robert, Yvonne, Wesley, Dustin, Natalie, andMaria spent the weekend in Branson, Missouri. Yvonne reports, “We saw a great oldies show and a great magician. We also visited the Hollywood Wax Museum,which was tremendous. It was fun being together. Dustin, Robert and I had a long canasta game. Not sure who won! We didn’t get home until 2 a.m. Tuesday.”
Our granddaughter, Jaidyn Joslin, and our great-grandsons, Brailon and Slaiden Joslin, spent Saturday night with us and went to church with us on Sunday. Their brother, Rylan, came for a while on Saturday evening, but he wanted to go with his mother, Laiken, to pick up his sister, Dixie, on Sunday. Dixie is spending the week with Landon and Laiken and the boys. Landon was on call on Sunday and had to make a few runs to fix tires,but he stopped by for some lunch. Our daughter, Tiffany, came for lunch, too.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-945-2190 or 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Children in CPS Custody, Mother and Another Arrested
Three children were placed in Child Protective Services custody and their mother and the male driver of the vehicle in which they were riding were arrested when marijuana packaged for sale, THC product, and two firearms loaded with ammunition were found in the vehicle. The loaded firearms were near the children who were riding in the back seat of the vehicle.
A Hopkins County deputy stopped a 2018 Dodge Ram 1500 Tuesday evening for a traffic violation on I-30 eastbound. Raymond Antonio Sheard, 23, of Fort Worth, the driver, informed the deputy that there was marijuana in the vehicle. The passenger and mother of the children, 25-year old Kayla Marie Sessums, handed the deputy the marijuana that was in the front seat. A probable cause search located a large quantity of marijuana packaged for sale. The two firearms were located along with 1.5 pounds of suspected THC product.
Sheard has an extensive criminal history for firearms, assault of public servant, illegal narcotics possession, and theft of firearms according to the deputy’s report.
Sessums and Sheard were arrested and charged with Possession Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 more than 400-grams.
Cipoletta Says Wildcats Capable of More
Perhaps the #15 ranked Wildcats’ basketball team’s upset of the #2 ranked team in Class 6A Rockwall Monday night will send shock waves across the state of Texas. Wildcats Coach Clark Cipoletta said it may be a shock to some but not to him and the Wildcats because they know what they are capable of.
He said the team went into the big game in Wildcats Gym feeling a little underrated. Coach Cipoletta said the team knows they can be special. He said all the players have confidence, play with confidence and play for each other. Coach Cipoletta said when a team plays for each other, good things can happen. The Wildcats 10 point lead at halftime was impressive but then holding onto the lead against such a strong team was perhaps more impressive.
Coach Cipoletta called the second half scary since Rockwall has such well coached amazing players. In player lingo, Coach Cipoletta said the Yellowjackets had some dudes who can get going at any time. He said the Wildcats were very persistent. He said when Rockwall hit big shots the Wildcats kept their cool and when the Yellowjackets forced a turnover the Wildcats stayed calm. Coach Cipoletta said the Wildcats knew they had to stayed focused for 32 minutes.
Keaston Willis outscored all players with 32 points. Coach Cipoletta said Willis played an amazing game. He said the performance would attract a lot of attention for Willis. He said other players on the roster would also be attracting attention as well. Coach Cipoletta said the Wildcats also had some dudes, most who are under appreciated. He said the Wildcats play with a chip on their shoulders. Coach Cipoletta said his team goes into every practice and every game wanting to get better. He said the team motto is to try and prove other people wrong. A couple of the Wildcats are defined by more than just points.
Coach Cipoletta singled out senior guard Jeremiah Roland for his defense. Coach Cipoletta said Roland limited high scorer Alec Grandstaff to just 4 points. He also praised junior forward Sadaidriene Day Day Hall for his rebounding and for requesting the defensive assignment on Rockwall’s Samuell Williamson, a Louisville commit. Coach Cipoletta called Williamson one of the best high school scorers he has ever seen. He said Wildcats senior post Xavier Cork competed well against Rockwall. Cork was limited in the first half by foul trouble but then had a good second half. He ended up with 14 points.
Coach Cipoletta said he did not expect his team to open the season 3-0. He said before their first game his team was not ready. Now he said this team has a chance to make a good run in the playoffs and to challenge for the state championship. One of the spectators at Monday’s game was former Wildcat Victor Iwuakor, an Oklahoma commit. Coach Cipoletta said Iwuakor is a great kid and added it was a joy to coach him. He said Cork and Hall are much better players for having gone against Iwuakor in practices. As big as the Rockwall win is, Coach Cipoletta does not see it as the highlight of this season. He has much bigger moments in mind for his current team.
‘Fly Your Flag’ Combines Fun and Fundraising for New Women’s Center Equipment
When you hear the term “Fly Your Flag” what do you think of? Well, in Hopkins County during Thanksgiving season, it means school pride, pride in community and generous hearts. ‘Fly Your Flag’ has become a fun, competitive way to raise money for needed hospital equipment to better serve the local community. This year’s event is slightly different than in years past and has some very positive perks built in!
Along with a planning committee made up of Charles Helm, Michael Lamb, Mikki Eddins and Holly Ragan, and Meredith Caddell, who is CEO of the Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation, re-vamped the Fly Your Flag event and opened it up to a larger cross-section of persons who love their college alma maters! Basically, the college who raises the most money on ‘Fly your Flag’ Day gets to have their college colors flown above the Hopkins County Courthouse for a whole week. That’s still true, and to add to that, now a $1,000 scholarship will go to each of the top three fundraising schools, to be awarded to deserving students selected by the local alumni associations. So it’s a win/win for everyone!
There will be exactly 200 opportunities to donate money to the Fly Your Flag fundraising campaign during the morning hours of Tuesday November 20, 2018. Meredith and volunteers will be on the downtown Celebration Plaza at the Donation Wall, taking phone pledges and walk-up pledges. So don’t get left out! And in the New Year when you or someone close to you gets the benefit of the new 3D Mammogram machine with Biopsy Option, Bone Density Testing equipment and Ultra Sound department in the new Women’s Center at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs, you will know why ‘Fly Your Flag’ is so dear to the hearts of the community. Additionally, “naming opportunities” are still open for persons who would like their donations to carry the name of a loved one upon a door or a department at the new center. For more information and other donation opportunities, see the website hopkinscountyhealthcarefoundation.com or phone the Foundation office for details at 903-885-2961.
Peckham Sentenced to 20 Years
Editor’s Note: KSST thanks Assistant District Attorney and County-Court-At-Law Elect Clay Harrison for information in this report.
Koty Peckham, 38
On November 19, Koty Peckham, 38, of Winnsboro, was sentenced for the offense of felony Evading with a Motor Vehicle by District Judge Eddie Northcutt. The defendant had multiple prior felony convictions, including Evading with a Motor Vehicle and Bail Jumping. The defendant pled guilty to fleeing from DPS Troopers on December 13, 2017 while on Highway 11. Ultimately, the troopers called off the pursuit due to safety concerns after they were able to positively identify the defendant as the driver. A couple of months later, on February 14, 2018, the defendant later attempted to evade DPS troopers near Amarillo, leading police on a high-speed chase up to 130 miles per hour involving approximately 20 officers. The Amarillo pursuit ended in the defendant being arrested.
During the sentencing hearing, the State presented evidence that the defendant was a member of the Peckerwood white supremacist organization and that he had numerous felony convictions. The judge sentenced Peckham to the maximum of 20 years in the Institutional Division, TDCJ. The judge also found true the State’s allegation that the defendant operated his motor vehicle in a manner that was capable of causing death or serious bodily injury to another. Based on this finding of true, the defendant will not be parole-eligible until he has served 10 years of his 20 year sentence.
Fly Your Flag Today! Get Ready To Bid
The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation will be on Celebration Plaza today accepting bids for their “Fly Your Flag” auction. More opportunities to win are available this year as in years past. In addition to the winning school having bragging rights to having their college alma mater’s flag flown in Celebration Plaza, the second place school will also have their flag flown. Also, if enough bids are received, the top three schools will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship each to be given by that school to a Hopkins County student.
Bidding is a little different this year, with multiple schools able to get recognition for their efforts.
Below is a link to a short video to help explain how the new bidding process will work:
