Jahangir Agrees to Three Year Sentence
Zain Jahangir, 32, agreed to three years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice when his probation for online solicitation of a minor was revoked Monday in Eighth Judicial District Court, according to Matt Harris, Assistant District Attorney.
Three years ago, November, 2015, Jahangir, who lived in McKinney at the time, lost his way to a meeting that he had arranged a meeting for the purpose of a sexual encounter with one who he thought to be an under 17-year old minor. When he arrived in Sulphur Springs, he could not find the arranged location. He made a phone call to the individual and set a new location for the meeting at a convenience store on Main Street. He was waiting at the new location in the vehicle he had described when local law enforcement officers arrived and arrested him for online solicitation of a minor.
Accident Claims Life of SSHS Student Driving to School Tuesday Morning
September 11, 2018 – An accident at 7:21 a.m. Tuesday morning near the I-30 118-mile marker west of Sulphur Springs resulted in the death of Starla Rae Rose Hanson, 17, of Brashear. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Brad Cummings.
According to her family, Hanson was driving from her home on her way to school at Sulphur Springs High School. Hanson’s vehicle began to hydroplane on the south service road near Star Gate Farms and went across the ditch and into the path of an eastbound box truck in the right lane of I-30. The box truck struck her vehicle in the center between the doors and pushed the vehicle back into the ditch between the interstate and the service road.
There will be a Candle light vigil tonight at 7:30 at the Sulphur Springs High School parking lot. It was set up by the class of 2020 to remember their classmate and friend Starla Rae
DPS, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies, Hopkins County Fire Department, and Cumby Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene of the accident. Justice of the Peace Cummings told KSST News he has ordered an autopsy which is routine procedure in this type of situation when more than one driver is involved in the accident.
Winnsboro Police Report September 3-9, 2018
Winnsboro Police arrested two, investigated two non-injury accidents, responded to 146 calls for service, issued 29 citations and wrote 53 warnings during the September 3-9, 2018 report period.
Michelle Lindsey, 47, of Winnsboro, was arrested September 5th for Driving While License Invalid with Previous Convictions.
Christopher Gomez, 27, of Winnsboro, was arrested September 6th on Winnsboro Municipal Warrants.
Winnsboro Police responded to a one vehicle motor accident at Pine Street at Connie Mae September 8th. WPD responded to a two vehicle accident in the area of Walnut at Broadway Street on t he same day. No injuries reported in either accident.
A Walk to Remember Funds Terrific Tuesdays
“A Walk To Remember”, the only fundraiser for Terrific Tuesdays, will begin with walks in September at various senior citizen facilities and conclude with a community-wide walk in the Gardens at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital October 4th.
Terrific Tuesdays takes place every Tuesdays from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. at the First United Methodist Church in Sulphur Springs. Terrific Tuesdays is a respite program for the Caregivers of participants with Alzheimer’s or other Brain Injuries. Terrific Tuesdays gives the Caregivers a few hours of much needed time off to just relax or run errands that they can’t do while they are taking care of their Love Ones who are affected by this horrible disease. The participants, those to whom care is given, are paired One on One with Loving and Caring Volunteers who stay with that person for the entire day. The volunteers keep the participants busy all day with games, puzzles, crafts, group activities, music, special events and lunch.
The Mini Walks for A Walk to Remember are at all of the Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities for seniors citizens who are unable to attend the October 4th event. A “Spirit Award” is given to the facility that raises the most money. The name of the recipient is placed on a Perpetual Plaque that will hang in their facility until the next year’s event.
Scheduled walks include:
Tuesday, September 18th – Terrific Tuesday -10:00 AM
Wednesday, September 19th – Wesley House/ Wesley Oaks Assisted Living – 10:00 AM
Thursday, September 20th – Sunny Springs Nursing and Rehab. – 10:00 AM
Friday, September 21st – Sulphur Springs Health and Rehab – 10:30 AM
Tuesday, September 25th – Senior Citizen Center – 9:30 AM
Wednesday, September 26th – Hopkins Place Assisted Living – 2:30 PM
Friday, September 28th- Rock Creek Health and Rehab
10:30 AM
Thursday, October 4th 6:00 PM BIG WALK CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
To sponsor a walker, a few walkers, or to participate, use the form below to sign up. You can make a donation to Terrific Tuesdays by coming by the Senior Citizens Center or mailing in a donation to the Senior Citizens Center at 150 Martin Luther King Blvd Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482. Make the check payable to Terrific Tuesdays.
Wildcat Football Coordinators Prepare for Homecoming Game vs. Terrell
Coach Young Discusses Having a Game Canceled and the Terrell Defense
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young said he had never been a part of a football game canceled due to the weather until last Friday (September 7). Now comes district play and Homecoming for the Wildcats. Coach Young said the district opener (September 14) is big because all teams want to get off to a good start and win the first one. He said the Terrell defense the Wildcats will face Friday at Prim Stadium is one that tries to create chaos for an offense. Coach Young said the Tigers will blitz using a lot of players and will vary their coverages constantly. He said the Tigers nose guard is huge weighing 320 to 330 pounds and is extremely physical. Coach Young said Wildcats center Ethan Rogers will have his hands full. He said the Tigers are also fast and athletic like a Paris team. Coach Young said spaces created by an offense tend to close quickly with the Terrell defense. He said he was especially impressed with the Tigers’ safeties and outside linebackers. Coach Young said the Wildcats offense must do things right or Terrell will make them pay. The Tigers are 0-1 for the season after an opening week loss at Hallsville. The Tigers week two game at home against Paris was canceled after about a quarter of play. Coach Young said Hallsville was able to run the ball at Terrell. He said the Tigers are not real deep so the Wildcats will attempt to get the Tigers tired. Coach Young said Terrell has had playoff teams some years and some years with 3-7 or 4-6 seasons. He said they should present a challenge for the Wildcats Friday night.
Coach Guerra Comments on Being Impacted by a Game Cancellation and on the Terrell Offense
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra has coached for 20 years and he said only once before Friday night (September 7) has he had a game canceled due to weather. He remembered that it was a district game and was made up on a Monday. The Wildcats hope to resume their season this Friday (September 14) as Terrell comes to Gerald Prim Stadium. It’s the district opener for both teams and Homecoming for the Wildcats. Coach Guerra said there is one word to describe Terrell’s offense, athletic. He said their offensive line gets after it and gets off the ball pretty well. Coach Guerra said Terrell runs an option football offense. He called it old school offense that is making a comeback. Coach Guerra said a lot of people don’t know how to defend it. He said the key for the Wildcats is to play assignment football. Coach Guerra said there are pros and cons to having the game cancellation last Friday. He said players got healthier and coaches got a bit of an early start working on this week’s game. The negative is that players missed a game opportunity and the experience it brings. Coach Guerra said the Wildcats’ players were hungry and ready to play a game.
Game Day: Volleyball, Team Tennis
There is volleyball and tennis on this Tuesday (September 11) game day. The Lady Cats’ volleyball team will welcome Edgewood into Wildcat Gym. There is a change in start time for the varsity match from what was listed on the original schedule. There will only be two games instead of three. Edgewood does not have a JV team. There will be a freshman contest at 4:30 p.m. and the Lady Cats’ varsity will now play Edgewood at 5:30 p.m. Lady Cats Coach Justin Maness said Edgewood is a salty team with a good won-loss record. The Lady Cats are now ranked #23 in the state by the Texas Girls Coaches Association Poll. The Lady Cats have a 22-6 season record. They lost their last contest to Wylie East last Friday. 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 later on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
There is also a big district team tennis match on the game day Tuesday schedule weather permitting. Greenville is scheduled to play the Wildcats at the Wildcat Tennis Center at 3:30 p.m. The match is a big one for possible playoff seeding. As of right now, the match is still a go. Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez told me if there is a change, he will let us know so we can let you know. The Wildcats enter play with an 0-1 district record and a 3-8 record for the season.
Video Story: Patriot Day: Fire Academy Conducts Solemn Remembrance
Patriot Day, September 11 at 9 a.m. at the Fire Academy located on Sharon Ln in Sulphur Springs, academy students conducted a solemn remembrance of September 11, 2001 when 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
September SSISD Board Meeting Focused on New Programs, Security, Success
Sulphur Springs School Board gained insight into a number of programs at Sulphur Springs Elementary School including a Gentlemen’s League, a program for 4th and 5th grade boys, and “My Classroom Economy”, a program that teaches students basic financial and budgeting skills. A number of other reports were heard as the board approved a number of policies and purchased two new maintenance vehicles.
Leesa Toliver, SSISD board member and former President of the local board, is now a Master Trustee. Toliver invested a year of activity in a state-wide program, Leadership TASB, for trustees from schools of all sizes and types. Fellow board member Clay Johnson presented a certificate of completion to Toliver.
Superintendent of Schools Michael Lamb presented information and a video focused on the new “Gentlemen’s League” for 4th and 5th grade boys. The program will teach life lessons to the male students. Lessons taught will include what to wear and how to wear it, etiquette at meals, respect for and how to treat others with respect, and accepting oneself for who they are. According to Lamb, students will gain a sense of belonging, preparation for academics and how to contribute to community. In the video students in schools where the program is begin utilized stated the program gave them confidence and motivation. The League is optional for students and will meet twice a month. The program begins Wednesday, September 12th at the SSES campus. A science program for 5th grade girls is in its second year.
My Classroom Economy enables 4th and 5th grade students to learn life skills in a real world way. Principal Holly Folmar, assisted by teachers Amanda Hgginbotham, Chandra Maddox, and Maria Martinez presented the program. Six students told of t heir experience in the program. Students learn the value of a pay check, bank account, loans, budgets, making payments, and saving to attain. They earn money (paper currency for the program) up to three and four digit amounts. They have deposit slips, withdrawal slips, and a balance sheet. They earn a salary for completing classroom jobs and receive bonus rewards for achievements. Loans must be paid back and students pay rent for desks, buy items at auctions, pay fines for not following rules, and more.
Jenny Arledge presented the CTE Program evaluation for 2017-2018. She noted the program was meeting goals and standards set locally and by the program. The evaluation was conducted by a team from Region 6 due to the fact that Region 8, the region in which SSISD is located, does not do CTE Program evaluations.
Rusty Harden presented the Human Resources and Communications report. He noted that in the past five years the district has averaged hiring 86 new employees per year. Approximately 60 new teachers are hired each year. He stated the numbers are below average number of hires when the district is compared to other Texas districts. The majority of teachers in SSISD have six or more years of experience. Recent hires have been teachers with less than five years’ experience.
Harden showed slides of actions taken in to increase security at the high school and presented a video focused on an emergency operations app that would be used by teachers and staff in the district.
Lamb presented the TEA 2018 Accountability Rating for SSISD. He noted the successes achieved and the concerns that had focused on the SSES campus. However, with the recent restructure of campuses, many of the concerns are being answered. He anticipates a much higher rating for the local district.
The board approved all action items including the purchase of two 6-cylindar vans for the maintenance departments. Toliver Ford was awarded the bid which was lower than the only other bid from Hodge Chevrolet. Nine local policies and 57 legal policies were approved in a TASB Localized Manual Update. Extracurricular status was awarded to lower grade 4-H and the local county extension agents Johanna Hicks and Dr. Mario Villarino were approved as Adjunct Faculty.
No district personnel changes were made.
Let’s Cook! John Chester Dutch Oven Cookoff and Indian Summer Day at Heritage Park October 6!
It’s the perfect setting…beautiful Heritage Park in Sulphur Springs during the Fall of the year when the Park becomes a showcase of living history and colorful heritage. Families flock to enjoy the Museum and demonstrations of primitive skills, and people you know from all walks of life in Hopkins County dust off their Dutch ovens and start planning winning recipes for a one-of-a-kind food contest. New to Dutch oven cooking? No matter…past winners and seasoned cooks set up alongside beginners and novices…to enjoy the art and science of cooking with coals.
Complete contest rules will be provided when you sign up to cook at just $25 per team, but in brief, each team of cooks provides their own dutch ovens, utensils, fuel and foods. Site set-up begins as early as dawn when the cooking fires are lit. Actual cooking begins at the discretion of the individual cooks who must plan their foods to be ready for judging at 11am. Each cooking team must prepare an entire meal, which consists of a meat dish, a vegetable, a bread and a dessert. Following judging, the cooking teams will serve the diners who have paid $5 person to taste and enjoy the delicious creations prepared at all of the sites. Following the meal, cash prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place overall winners as well as to “Best in Pot” winners in each individual category.
Rick Wilson, a member of the Hopkins County Historical Society, conjured up the idea of a Dutch Oven cooking contest following the death of his friend and mentor John “Buffalo” Chester, a renowned outdoor cook. Wilson named it the John Chester Dutch Oven Cooking Contest as a tribute to the Chester family’s heritage of pioneer skills and friendly competition. To instruct the how-to’s of this unique cooking skill, Wilson also formed a Dutch Oven Cooking Class which he offers each Spring in Heritage Park.
During Indian Summer Day, expect to meet a blacksmith, a hide tanner, Early Texas re-enactors and Native American dancers. See Caddo Indian artifacts and watch demonstrations of potters wheel, quilting, rug looming and archery. Kids love to do candle dipping and tin punch and the many hands-on activities. Everyone loves the General Store, the Sweet Shop and Bakery and the music through the Park. Plan a leisurely stroll through the entire grounds and take in the interesting collections inside the Hopkins County Museum. The day-long cover charge is only $3 per person, and will be used for year-round upkeep and maintenance of the grounds and buildings. Get more details at hopkinscountymuseum.org, on Facebook at Hopkins County Museum and Heritage Park, or by calling 903-383-2648.
