Wildcat Football Begins with 4 Hour Practice
The first combined varsity and JV football practice ran four hours Monday evening (August 13) inside and outside the Multipurpose Building. Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens said the first day is always a little hectic with things getting started. He said those players that took advantage of the summer program jumped right into things Monday.
The first hour of practice, from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. occurred inside. Players lifted weights, had walk through, watched some videos and worked on technique for special teams. The team hit the practice field at 6 p.m. Coach Owens pronounced the weather as phenomenal. A lightning scare failed to materialize. The cloudy and windy conditions felt great according to Coach Owens. Around 7:30 p.m., a big black cloud appeared overhead and dumped some rain on the practice. It lasted only a few minutes and players didn’t miss a stride.
Coach Owens described players moods from excited to giddy to nervous. He said coaches just have to teach technique, get players into shape and get ready to roll into the season. Players remained on the practice field until it got too dark to see at around 8:30 p.m. The players worked another half hour inside. Coach Owens said there were about 50 varsity players present Monday. He said a couple were missing. The Wildcats have about 35 seniors. There were about 55 JV players at practice Monday with about ten missing. Freshmen numbers total just short of 60.
On the practice field, the Wildcats had one hour of offense, one hour of defense with some time for conditioning and special teams. Coach Owens said he prefers to practice on grass, especially with the weather as good as it was Monday. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate the Multipurpose Building when the heat dominates or lightning is around. The Wildcats will be able to wear pads Wednesday but they won’t be able to hit each other. They can strike sleds or padded items. Contact in pads between players can start Saturday.
Game Day: Lady Cat Volleyball Hosts McKinney North; Tennis on the Road
This Tuesday (August 14) game day includes a home volleyball match with team tennis on the road. The Lady Cats’ volleyball team has their regular season home opener as McKinney North comes to town. The Lady Cats bring a 6-3 record into the match after winning four and losing three in the Garland ISD Tournament last Friday and Saturday. McKinney North has a 3-4 record so far this season. Freshmen and JV action begins at 4:30 p.m. The varsity game is scheduled to get underway at 5:30 p.m. Last year the Lady Cats had to battle to take a 3-1 match in McKinney. Abbi Baier, Madi Vickery, Autumn Tanton and Lexi Whisenhunt had big games for the Lady Cats last year. We will bring you Lady Cats’ volleyball live on KSST Radio beginning at 5:30 p.m. We will also videotape the game for replay at a later date on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
The Wildcats’ team tennis squad has two road matches scheduled on this Tuesday game day. The Wildcats, 1-4 so far this season, began a match in Hallsville at 8:30 a.m. They are also scheduled to play Jacksonville at 1:30 p.m. The Wildcats won their most recent match defeating John Tyler at the Wildcat Tennis Complex last Thursday, 13-6.
FM 2642 At I-30 Closed; Will Affect Travel to District Football/Volleyball Games
As Wildcat football season begins, local fans will want to take note of the closure of FM 2642 at I-30. The Farm to Market Road would be the exit for Royse City High School and football field. The Wildcats travel to Royse City Friday, September 21st in a District match up.
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today reminded motorists, pedestrians and other travelers that there is no access across Interstate Highway 30 at FM 2642 in western Hunt County.
FM 2642 across I-30 is closed to all traffic for the remaining duration of the FM 2642 bridge/underpass replacement project, which began in February 2017. The target date for completion of that project is December 2018.
Marked and signed detours will direct motorists and others to alternate access points across I-30, officials said. Please refer to the map below to view the detours. More information about the FM 2642 project is available online.
School Board Approves Grant Funded Purchase of Hot Spots As They Prepare for New School Year
Sulphur Springs School Board made preparations for the start of a new school year Monday night during their regular session.
A grant written by Superintendent Michael Lamb designed to loan students’ equipment necessary to access digital technology when they are away from school was approved. Starting with the high school, 190 hot spots will be available for check out through the high school library. Five hot spots will be available for team travel buses to assist with homework while on trips. The hot spots will be available to students who do not have access to internet service in their homes. Kajeet, the wireless internet, will filter information that can be accessed and monitoring of what is downloaded will be available to the school. The hot spots will be available for students sometime in the next two months.
In other action items, the board approved a revised Child Nutrition Meal Payments and charge policy.
Changes were made to the Concussion Oversight Team. Brad Abell is being removed from the team and Cassie Ervin and Marcos Garza were added. Dr. I. L. Balkcom IV also serves on the Oversight Team.
The board approved Ordinance 2-18 levying an annual ad velorem tax of $1.35048 ($1.04 Maintenance and Operation and $0.31048 for Interest and Sinking), per $100 cash valuation for 2018.
An application for Value Limitation Agreement from Solemio, LLC will be considered by the board. Superintendent Lamb was authorized to review the application for completeness and submit the Application to the Comptroller of Public Accounts and to approve any request for extension of the deadline for Board action beyond the 150-day Board review period, as may be required. They also retained attorneys/consultants to assist the district in review and processing of the Application of Value Limitation Agreement from Solemio, LLC pursuant to Chapter 313 of the Texas Property Tax Code.
Changes to the Middle School and High School handbook 2018-2019 were presented. There are few changes to the handbook.
Blackwood Quartet Appearance at Reilly Springs Community Center on August 18, 2018
During Memphis’ Elvis Week, the Blackwood Quartet of Memphis, Tennessee is on tour in Texas. The world-famous group will be appearing in Hopkins County on Saturday August 18, 2018. Elvis Presley and the Blackwood family history goes back a long way to the early Memphis gospel music scene, before Elvis became the King of Rock and Roll. As a youth attending gospel singings at the Ellis Auditorium, Elvis met his idols the Blackwoods, J.D. Sumner and others. He even auditioned to become a Blackwood member. Their professional connections and personal friendships are interwoven into Southern Gospel Music history. Today’s third-generation Blackwood Quartet will present their “Gospel Side of Elvis” concert to local audiences at the Reilly Springs Community Center on August 18 at 6pm. Tickets are available at Good News Christian Bookstore inside the VF Outlet Mall in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Reilly Springs native Bill Owens will open the concert at 6pm, followed by Buddy and Ina Gore of Psalms 100, and the Blackwood Quartet will come onstage at 7pm.
Once owners of a tour bus company, Buddy and Ina hosted numerous trips to the National Quartet Conventions, Elvis Week and Memphis tours and other gospel-based trips and are familiar with the industry. This summer at the Gospel Music Fan Fair in Somerset, Kentucky, the pair received the Duo of the Year Award, one of many acquired during their 36-year music ministry. The close community that Southern Gospel Music enjoys was discussed in a KSST Good Morning Show interview with Enola Gay.
In 1936, The Blackwood Brothers Quartet consisted of Roy, Doyle and James Blackwood, and James’ son R.W. Within 20 years, and with the advent of television, the group had become so popular that they purchased a single engine plane to meet their engagements. For the next couple of years, R.W. piloted the singers and pianist across the nation. In June 1954, departing a large gospel event in Clanton, Alabama, the plane crashed and burned on a dirt runway, killing half the quartet. It was a loss that touched the lives of millions of gospel lovers. Following a season of grief as well as re-organization, the family went forward with their ministry, adding Cecil Blackwood as baritone and J.D. Sumner as bass singer. Since 2012, third-generation Mark Blackwood heads up the Blackwood Quartet which tours all over the world, while his uncle Ron heads up the Blackwood Singers, part of the Branson gospel community.
According to some, the fatal crash suffered during that early major gathering resulted in unprecedented unity within the family of gospel singers in the U.S. and played a part in the ongoing history of Southern Gospel Music. In 1957, Sumner and the Blackwoods formed the National Quartet Convention, which today has grown to a mega-size annual event headquartered at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and features concerts, talent showcases, recording sessions, fan events and non-stop singing.
SSISD Board Approves Personnel Changes
During their Monday, August 14, 2018 regular session, Sulphur Springs School Board approved personnel changes:
Retirement
Wanda Whitmore Custodian Administration Building
Resignations
Jim Bayuk Chief of Police Dist-wide
Audra Latimer Science Teacher High School
Zearlene Roberts Social Studies Teacher High School
David Westberry Math Teacher High School
Emily Westberry English Teacher High School
New Personnel
Cary Barnett Police Officer Austin Acad. Center
Leslie McDowell Head Start Aide Douglass ECLC
Adrienne Lilley Library Aide Bowie Primary
Nicholas Floyd Police Officer Lamar Primary
Stephanie Hughes Campus Secretary SS Elementary
Karen Jasmer SpEd Grade 4 Teacher SS Elementary
Eileen Lira Title I Aide SS Elementary
Chanta Givens SpEd Aide Middle School
Rachael Haeberlen SpEd Aide Middle School
Chuck King Social Studies Teacher High School
Tyler Lindsey Math Teacher/Coach High School
Daymon Nash SpEd Aide High School
KayLee Wood Science Teacher High School
Personnel Change New position/campus Former position/campus
Chandler Macek KG ELAR Teacher/Bowie Library Aide/Bowie
Glynda Chester Chief of Police/Dist-wide Police Officer/High School
SCU Investigation Results in Arrest of Local Woman
Special Crimes Unit began an investigation into the possession and sale of methamphetamine by Monica Renee Millan, 24, of Sulphur Springs. During the investigation, SCU observed Millan in the 1300 block of South League Street and made contact to arrest based on two warrants. During the arrest, she produced a clear plastic bag containing a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine. The substance weighed 5.47 grams including the packaging.
Millan is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams with intent to distribute, a felony 2. She is also held on warrants for Violation of Probation Forgery of Financial Instrument and Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility.
Winnsboro Police Department Report August 6-12, 2018
Winnsboro Police made two arrests, investigated one minor injury accident, responded to 173 calls for service, issued 44 citations and wrote 44 warnings during the report period August 6-12, 2018.
John Spencer, 36, of Portland, Oregon, was arrested August 6th on multiple Winnsboro Municipal Court Warrants.
John Lopez, 21, of Winnsboro, was arrested August 6th on a Nolan County Warrant.
A vehicle pedestrian accident August 9th at the corner of Main and Broadway resulted in minor injuries reported.
