Wildcats Lose to Texas High; Lady Cats at Texas High Monday
Hammack on Texas High Loss Saturday
Wildcats Baseball Coach Jerrod Hammack said Saturday Greenville gave the Wildcats a gift last Tuesday as the defeated Hallsville, 5-1 at home. The Bobcats loss put Hallsville into a first place tie with the Wildcats with 7-1 district records. Saturday afternoon, the Wildcats gave the gift back. The Wildcats lost in lackluster fashion to Texas High, 10-3 in Texarkana. Hallsville had an open date Friday. The Wildcats are now 7-2 in district play, a half game behind Hallsville. After the loss, Coach Hammack said he told his team that it looked to him like the Tigers came into the game fighting for their playoff lives and they played like it. He added the Wildcats came in comfortable like they already had a playoff spot and they just strolled into the game. Coach Hammack said the Wildcats did not do much in any phase of the game compared to the Tigers. He did like the fight the Wildcats showed in the top of the seventh inning as they scored a couple of runs. Coach Hammack said the Wildcats needed that mindset from the beginning. He said games like this happen, even to the best of teams. Coach Hammack said this one just came at a bad time. It said it was just one of those days and it was not the Wildcats day. Coach Hammack said the team would now have to wait almost an entire week before playing another game. The Wildcats have an open date Tuesday and then host Mount Pleasant Friday at 7 p.m. at Wildcat Park. It will be the first of three straight home games to wrap up district play. Included will be the Senior Night rematch against Hallsville.
Softball Assistant Coach Dorner on Saturday Morning Coaches Show
Lady Cats Softball Assistant Coach Bailey Dorner was a guest Saturday and KSST Radio and Cable Channel 18’s Saturday Morning Coaches Show. Coach Dorner is in her first year of coaching after playing college softball at the University of Mary Hardin-Bayor in Belton and high school ball at Mount Vernon. Coach Dorner’s mother is the softball coach at Mount Vernon. Coach Dorner, who played catcher, is tasked with coaching catchers and infielders for the Lady Cats and also coaching at first base. She is also a geometry teacher in the classroom. Coach Dorner noted that the Lady Cats have played well this season going 9-1 so far in district play. She called the home loss to Hallsville a wake up call. Coach Dorner noted that the Lady Cats then bounced back with wins over Pine Tree and Marshall. She said she doesn’t think the team has played to their full potential so far. Coach Dorner predicted the Lady Cats would get hot down the stretch. The Lady Cats game at Texas High was rained out Friday. The Lady Cats will make that game up Monday at 5 p.m. in Texarkana in a varsity only game. Coach Dorner said the Lady Tigers have a great pitcher. She said the Lady Cats will need to play good defense and put the ball in play on offense. Coach Dorner said the Lady Cats must be patient and look for their pitch against the Texas High pitcher. She said Head Coach David Carrillo is a good mentor for her. Coach Dorner appreciates that Coach Carrillo is a man of faith and an encourager. She said the Lady Cats were so competitive they were fun to watch, even in practice.
Nine Wildcats Named to All-District Soccer Team
The Wildcats’ soccer team had nine players on the All-District Soccer Team recently selected by the district’s coaches including three on the first team.
Midfielder Angel Tavera was named First Team All-District along with defenders Brandon Diosdado and D.J. Abron.
Making Second Team All-District were forward Jonathan Alvarez and defender Christian Huff.
Making Honorable Mention All-District were Jonathan Lopez, Eduardo Ramirez, Omar Hernandez and Axel Solorzano.
The Wildcats were the district’s fourth seed in the playoffs with a district mark of 6-6. The Wildcats lost a hard fought 2-1 match in bi-district against Lovejoy. The Wildcats ended the season with a 13-13 record.
Winnsboro Police Report April 9-15, 2018
Winnsboro Police made three arrests, investigated two accidents, responded to 152 calls for service, and issued 44 citations and 26 warnings during the April 9-15, 2018 report period.
Danielle Frey, 30, of Winnsboro, was arrested on April 11th on a Wood County Warrant.
Mason Monday, 30, of Winnsboro, was arrested April 11th on a Hopkins County Warrant.
Remington Hanes, 28, of Scroggins, was arrested April 13th on a Hopkins County Warrant.
An accident at Airport Road and The Johnson Unit resulted in no injuries April 10th.
No injuries were reported in an accident on South Main at Coke Road, April 12th.
Supreme Court Denies Acker Appeal
The U. S. Supreme Court has denied an appeal made on behalf of Daniel Clate Acker, 46, of Sulphur Springs. Acker is on Death Row in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice convicted of the kidnapping and the murder of 32-year old Marquetta “Markie” George. Acker, a native of Hunt County, was 29 at the time of his conviction. A date for his execution has not been set.
Acker’s appeal was described as presenting compelling evidence of actual innocence. However, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Hopkins County Eight Judicial District Court in 2001. County Judge Robert Newsom was the District Judge who presided during the trial. Local attorney Frank Long was the District Attorney.
Acker and George were living together in a trailer in Hopkins County when an argument began between the two at Bustin’ Loose, a nightclub located outside the city limits of Sulphur Springs at that time. Acker left the club but returned later and could not locate George. She arrived at their trailer the next morning in the company of a bouncer from the club. Neighbors testified that Acker forced George into his vehicle. Acker says that George jumped from his vehicle causing her death. Criminal Investigators from the Hopkins County Sheriff’s office said she was dead when pushed from the vehicle.
Acker was no stranger to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prior to his Capital Murder Conviction. He was received in TDCJ in May, 1993 on a ten year sentence for Burglary of a Habitation in Delta County. Released on parole in October of 1995, he returned in April of 1997 without a new conviction. He was released on Mandatory Supervision in September 1999. He was accused of the murder of George in March, 2000.
SSHS Academic UIL Successful at Regional Competition and in Essay Contests
Sulphur Springs High School Academic UIL teams competed at the regional meet recently. Several will advance to the State UIL Championships, May 3-5 at the University of Texas in Austin. Three SSHS students were among 12 finalists chosen in the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition and two were selected finalists in the Latino History Essay Contest.
SSHS Academic qualifiers for state competition include: Annmarie Gunn, Rachel Bramlett, Breana Wooten, Natalie Cruz, Chase Charlton, Sarah Harper, Gisselle Garcia, Brandon Hodges, Carissa Carter, Celeste Leeds-Laliberte, and Lainey Whittle. Noah Hammons and Angela Brown qualified as alternates to state.
Annmarie Gunn, Rachel Bramlett, and Breana Wooten were chosen finalists in the 2017-2018 UIL Essay competitions. 12 finalists are chosen from across the state of Texas in each of two events, The Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition and The Latino History Essay Competition. Annmarie, Rachel and Breana had three of the 12 finalist essays in The Barbara Jordan Essay contest. Annmarie and Rachel each had their essays selected as a finalist in the Latino History Essay Contest. Winners will be announced at State UIL meet in May. The Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Competition was Founded in 1995 as an event sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin. The competition provides students an opportunity to explore the contributions of African Americans to Texas history, as well as honoring the legacy of its namesake, Barbara Jordan. The theme of the competition is “African Americans in Texas: Past and Present.” The Latino History Essay Competition was founded in 2011 by the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at UT-Austin. The theme of the competition is “historical and cultural legacies of Latinos in Texas history.
Region 2 UIL Academic Championships
Wildcat UIL competed at Region 2 UIL Academic Championships on April 13th and 14th. Congratulations to the following students who won awards in their events and to all who competed.
| Ready Writing | Annmarie Gunn | 3rd Place (State Qualifier) |
| (Gail Herman – Coach) | ||
| LD Debate | Noah Hammons | 4th Place (State Alternate) |
| (Kayla Weir – Coach) | ||
| Spelling and Vocabulary | Natalie Cruz | 3rd Place (State Qualifier) |
| (Gail Herman – Coach) | Chase Charlton | 4th Place (State Alternate) |
| Spelling and Vocabulary Team (Natalie Cruz, Chase Charlton, Sarah Harper, Gisselle Garcia) | 1st Place Team (State Qualifier) | |
| Prose Interpretation | Rachel Bramlett | 4th Place (State Alternate) |
| (Lesha Woodard – Coach) | Sarah Harper | 6th Place |
| Poetry Interpretation | Jaci Reed | 6th Place |
| (Lesha Woodard – Coach) | ||
| Editorial Writing | Natalie Cruz | 3rd Place (State Qualifier) |
| (Brandon Nelson – Coach) | Angela Brown | 4th Place (State Alternate) |
| Social Studies | Brandon Hodges | 2nd Place (State Qualifier) |
| (Madison Millsap – Coach) | ||
| Literary Criticism | Carissa Carter | 1st Place (State Qualifier) |
| (Gail Herman – Coach) | Natalie Cruz | 2nd Place (State Qualifier) |
| Lainey Whittle | 3rd Place (State Qualifier) | |
| Literary Criticism Team – (Carissa Carter, Natalie Cruz, Lainey Whittle, Celeste Leeds-Laliberte) | 1st Place Team (State Qualifier) |
K-9 Alerts on Vehicle; Meth Found
Hopkins County K-9, Maly, is certified in detecting Methamphetamine, Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine, and MDMA/Ecstacy. Maly assisted in the arrest of Joshua Logan Martin, 28, of Pittsburg when the Hopkins County Deputy made a traffic stop on a Dodge Pickup with a defective driver’s side head lamp. The stop was made at State Highway 11E and FM 69.
Martin, who said he was nervous around police and said he had previous drug convictions for methamphetamine and was a former member of Cossack Motorcycle Gang, remained in his vehicle while Maly did a free air sniff around the pickup. Maly alerted on a partially opened window on the passenger side of the pickup. That alert led to the officer finding a grey jewelry box. Inside the box was a clear plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance suspected of being Methamphetamine. A field test of the substance confirmed it to be 3.6 grams of meth.
Martin was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. He is in Hopkins County Jail held on a $20,000 bond.
Winnsboro Man Arrested for Possession of 9.8-grams of Suspected Meth
Special Crimes Unit initiated a traffic stop in the 300 block of Oak Avenue and the driver of the 2004 Saab was visibly nervous. A pat down of the driver located a zipper pouch containing 9.8-grams of suspected methamphetamine.
Justin Blaine Sicard, 28, of Winnsboro, was arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams and for a warrant for driving the wrong way on a one-way roadway. Sicard confessed to the possession and to selling meth.
Probable Cause Search Leads to Arrest
When a traffic stop was initiated on Main Street, the driver of the vehicle pulled into the Valero Convenience Store located less than 1,000 feet from the Buford Park skate park, a Drug Free Zone. With the smell of marijuana emitting from the vehicle, a probable cause search was conducted and a cloth bag was found in the left rear floorboard.
Inside the bag was located a sealed bag of K1 and two small baggies containing a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine. No occupant of the vehicle claimed ownership.
Lafayette Trey Crosby, 21, of Sulphur Springs was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone and for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1-A less than 2 oz. Crosby is in Hopkins County Jail held on bonds totaling $16,000.
Part(y)ing is Such Sweet Sorrow: Party Gear Plus Closing Soon
By Savannah Owens
After faithfully serving our community for almost 6 years, Party Gear Plus has announced they are going out of business. Owner, Thad Gregory, sat down with KSST to talk about the good times they’ve had and share about why they are closing their doors.
“Up until 2015 everything was fine.” Gregory explained. Then there was a combination of bad luck. First the rent increased by 33%. Then Bill Bradford road was under construction for 13 months, which made it increasingly difficult for customers to get to the shop. Then Amazon, and online shopping took off, coupled with dollar stores, Walmart and Hobby Lobby in Greenville, which caused people to “go out of their way, literally, to shop here.” He explained how millennials do not like the term traditional, and are changing so much of how traditional shopping is done. “Time’s changing…That’s it. I’m not looking for a pity party: it’s just business.”
Thad Gregory reminisced over some of the interesting and funny stories that had happened at the store. One time the store’s identity was stolen, “but Alliance Bank helped [them] through that.” Another time, their website “domain expired and [Gregory] missed [the renewal] by maybe two days and someone else purchased it and held it for ransom.” The scammers wanted $1,000 for the website, but Gregory was unfazed, and simply changed the stores website to a new domain.
His favorite memories? “The good people, kind people. Not only the customers but also the employees.” He smiled as he remembered some of the young employees who have now “grown up and moved on” to get business degrees and become successful adults.
The store, which was known for 20 years as the Paper Factory, became a family owned business when Thad and his wife, Stacie, took over in 2012. “This is ours…That was a good thing, we were able to run the shop while my kids were in high school.” Thad further elaborated to say: “I couldn’t have done anything successful without the support of my family. My wife worked at her job Monday-Friday, and would come here on the weekend and do the books for me.” He also greatly appreciated all the help his daughter, Constance, and son, Gideon, put in working and helping out around the store. He sighed looking around the store.
Many people have been wondering what’s next for Gregory. “I’ve been praying about it. There’s a lot of nice people saying they’re praying too. We’ll see.” Right now, he’s “concentrating on getting this done, then he’ll focus on what’s next.”
Currently Party Gear Plus is having a 75% off sale, including fixtures, and peg boards. Gregory explained he also will be having “lots of giveaways.” Make sure to stop in at 614 Bill Bradford rd, suite #9 while you can! There is not a specific set date for the store to close, but Gregory expects it to be near the end of the month of April.
KSST and many members of the community are sad to see this valuable community store close it’s doors for the final time, but know that sometimes the best things in life are only temporary. We look forward to seeing what the Gregory Family does next, and will be rooting for them as they begin the next chapter in their lives.
