Game Day: Soccer
Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats’ soccer teams are coming down the stretch in district play with only two matches left to play. Every match could impact the teams seeding in the playoffs or even might determine whether or not they make the playoffs. Both teams lost matches to Mount Pleasant on Tuesday night (March 13). On this Friday game day (March 16), the Wildcats and Lady Cats are matched up against Greenville.
The Lady Cats’ soccer team is playing the Lady Lions at Gerald Prim Stadium and it’s Senior Night. The Lady Cats enter the contest with a district mark of 6-4 and a season record of 14-6-3. The last time the two teams played, the Lady Cats won 4-1 at Greenville back on February 19. We will bring you all the action of Lady Cats Soccer live versus Greenville on Senior Night on KSST Radio. We will also videotape the game for replay later on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
The Wildcats’ soccer team is expected to have their hands full as they travel to Greenville and as they battle for a playoff spot. Greenville is right near the top of the district standings. The Wildcats enter the contest with a district mark of 5-5. They are 12-11 for the season. The first time the two teams played, Greenville came out on top 5-0 at Gerald Prim Stadium back on February 19.
Meet Bridgette Taylor Hammers, Emmy Award-Winning Christian Artist
Since graduating Sulphur Springs High School in 1997, Bridgette has not let any grass grow under her dream of a career in music. While pursuing a music major in college and training as an opera singer, she realized that gospel and Christian music was the genre she most wanted to be involved in. When a Curb Records scout in Nashville expressed interest in signing her as a country music artist, she weighed the decision and the opportunity, then followed her heart and what a journey that has turned out to be! With her husband Keith, Bridgette is enjoying an exciting and meaningful career that is music ministry-based.
Not long after they both graduated college in Tulsa, the couple made a move to Dallas where Bridgette gained experience in auditioning for work and by competing in TV singing contests. In Nashville she was hired as an administrative assistant at Septien Entertainment, a music artist development company. All the while she continued to write songs and appear at churches in the vicinity of wherever she was living. In time, they returned to the Metroplex and opened BH Music Studios in McKinney teaching music lessons, vocal performance and marketing for young artists. That provided an income but her calling still lay in ministering to people through Christian music. That next year, through a leap of faith and after much prayer, they decided to close the studio and go into music full-time. It was a decision that gave them the wings they needed. Now with her third CD release of original songs, and with speaking and singing engagements at churches across the country, Bridgette is addressing topics like human trafficking and the tragic effects of today’s society’s on our children. She established findurvoice, a non profit group of young artists who use their talents to help the voiceless be heard. Her newest release “Voices Rise” was written as a response to the 2017 bombing in Manchester, England. Bridgette often performs the National Anthem at sporting events for teams like the Texas Rangers, Houston Mavericks, Frisco Roughriders and at the Baseball Hall of Fame. At her home church, Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, she is artist-in-residence and a part of the music worship team when she is not on the road. Her goal is to find new ways to continue to use her voice and talent to help others discover a better world and a better life through Jesus Christ.
Bridgette Taylor Hammers
Pickton Woman Arrest for UUMV and Narcotics
A call to Sulphur Springs Police reporting a possible fraud on Gilmer Street led to the arrest of Rachael Nicole Watson, 38, of Pickton. The officer contacted Watson regarding the fraud and found she was in a stolen vehicle and narcotics thought to be methamphetamine in her purse.
Watson is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams.
SCU Arrests Two for Meth Sales, Possession
March 16, 2018 – Following a two month long investigation by the Special Crimes Unit, Jacob Dean McGary, 29, of Sulphur Springs was arrested Thursday at 10:15 a.m. on a warrant for Manufacture Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams, two warrants for more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams and for less than 200-grams in plain sight.
Jacob Dean McGary
McGary had sold meth in undercover buys which led to the warrants. When investigators arrested McGary 15.2-grams were found in the hotel room on Industrial Drive where he lived.
Amber Chandale Goldsmith
Also arrested at the scene was Amber Chandale Goldsmith, 36. Goldsmith was in the hotel room and admitted to having a quantity of meth and pointed the investigators to the 15.2-grams of meth inside the room.
Goldsmith is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams.
TxDOT to Host Public Meeting to Share US 75 Project
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today announced that a public meeting is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 22 at the Sherman Municipal Ballroom (405 N. Rusk Street) in Sherman, Texas, to share its preliminary plans for the US 75 Project in Grayson County with the public and other interested stakeholders.
The US 75 Project is being developed to provide long-term transportation and operational improvements on US 75 and US 82 in Grayson County. It follows the agency’s US 75 Corridor Study which assessed safety, maintenance and system efficiency, congestion and freight reliability, environmental sustainability, transportation choices and economic vitality along US 75.
The proposed changes to this important highway are designed to improve safety, address traffic congestion and improve traffic operations, and address deficiencies in this aging roadway. The US 75 Project will run from the intersection of FM 1417 south of Sherman northward to the intersection of FM 120 in Denison. Roadway changes and improvements will be constructed in phases as the project progresses, TxDOT officials said.
The overall goal of the US 75 Project is to reconstruct this portion of the highway to add main traffic lanes, continuous frontage roads and U-turns. Access and egress ramps, bridges, and highway intersections will be reconstructed as necessary, also using phased construction. The proposed highway improvements will include renovation of the US 75 and US 82 intersections, including frontage road lanes and U-turns, and intersection improvements at North Travis Street and Loy Lake Road.
All interested stakeholders are invited to attend the March 22 public meeting to view preliminary project plans and to provide their input in this important planning process. No formal presentation will be given; the come-and-go public meeting format will provide interested citizens and others a chance to review project details and preliminary construction plans and schedules with TxDOT staff and consultants who are developing the project.
The overall project is valued at more than $161 million in phased construction costs, TxDOT officials said. The target date for phased construction to begin is December 2019.
Proper Lawn Care Tips by Mario Villarino
As temperatures start warming up, it is common for lawn owners to start planning for their lawn care. Remember that temperatures are still cold for summer weeds, and most of the existing lawn weeds (cold weather weeds) will die as temperature warms up. The critical temperature is consecutive for weed development are consecutive warm days. Warm season does not start until ground temperatures reaches 50F for several days.
Aggressive competitors for sunlight, moisture, and nutrients and prolific multipliers even under adverse conditions, weeds present a challenge for even the most experienced turfgrass managers. The color, texture, and growth rate of weeds often contrast markedly to those of the turfgrasses they may be associated with in a lawn or sports field. Consequently, weeds detract from the uniformity of a turf and add to its maintenance requirements.
The origins of weeds are as varied as those of our turfgrasses. Most are introduced species from Asia and Europe that were inadvertently brought to this country. Many were unintentional stowaways in animal fodder or ship ballasts, or simply contaminants in seed or food supplies brought to this country.
In lawns and sports fields, weeds are often the result of poor quality turf, rather than the cause of poor turf. The aggressive nature of weeds and their prolific reproductive capacity enable them to invade thin, weak turf areas. Cultural practices should always be viewed as the first step to effective weed control.
Always determine why weeds established a foothold and correct those deficiencies. If the basic problem is not corrected, weeds will continue to occur. An effective weed-control program also requires identification of the undesirable species as to its classification as a grassy weed, a broadleaf weed, an annual, or a perennial. Most turf weeds belong to two principal categories – grasses and broadleaf plants.
Chemical controls for these two categories of plants frequently differ. Grassy weeds have jointed, hollow stems; leaf blades have veins parallel to leaf margins, and are several times longer than they are wide; roots are fibrous and multi-branching; and flowers are usually inconspicuous.
In contrast, broadleaved plants often have showy flowers; leaves have a network of veins at diverse angles to one another; stems are often pithy; and a taproot is usually present.
Another group of turf weeds, sedges, have grasslike characteristics, but require a different group of chemicals for control. Sedges are characterized by three-sided stems (triangular cross-section) which bear leaves in three directions (in contrast to the two-ranked arrangement of grass leaves). Weeds can be further grouped according to their life span – annual or perennial. From the standpoint of chemical control, the grouping is most important, because preemergent herbicides are only effective for control of annual weeds. Annual weeds germinate from seed each year, mature in one growing season, and die in less than 12 months. Crabgrass and henbit are examples of annual weeds – crabgrass being a summer annual and henbit being a winter annual.
Preemergent herbicides must be applied according to the expected date of emergence for each targeted species.Perennial weeds live more than one year, and recover or regrow from dormant stolons, rhizomes, or tubers as well as from seed. Control of perennial weeds requires a postemergent herbicide during its season of active growth. Effective chemical weed control requires identification of the weeds as to their classification (grass, broadleaf, sedge, etc.), life span (annual or perennial), and season of active growth (cool season or warm season). Effective chemical control also requires accurate timing of applications, proper rate of application, and uniformity of application.
Always follow label directions for a product, and observe all warnings and precautions relative to safety of the application. Herbicide labels should be carefully reviewed for additional details on specific uses of each product.soil and sunny locations.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected]
Mario Villarino DVM, Ph.D.
Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
1200B Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
903-885-3443
Tira News March 16, 2018
by Jan Vaughn
Shelia Boyd reports, “We had a family birthday celebration for all the birthdays in February and March on Saturday. The weather was wonderful which allowed everyone to get outside a little bit. All of the boys and Michael have birthdays during this time. Plus several other family members including our granddaughter Josie who couldn’t be there. Good food, sunshine and fellowship with family – what could be better.”
A good crowd attended the Open House at North Hopkins Elementary School on Thursday evening. Softball, baseball, and golf are in full-swing. Check the school website, www.northhopkins.net, often for information on these and other activities.
Our great-granddaughter, Dixie, came on Saturday to spend a few days with Landon, Laiken, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden Joslin. They all came to our house for hamburgers and homemade ice cream on Saturday evening. Chip’s mother and sister, Grace and Linda Ellen Vaughn came, too. Tiffany and Jaidyn, also, joined us, before heading to the “PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) Family Dance” at North Hopkins School that night. Malcolm Joslin, Jaidyn’s dad, met them there.
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].
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! By Johanna Hicks
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Water is a substance to which we don’t give much thought. However, water is vitally important to our everyday well-being. How many people do you know who say they don’t want to drink anything before going to bed because they’ll have to get up during the night? In spite of the inconvenience, drinking a glass of water before going to bed has benefits.
Cardiac specialists indicate that the reason people need to urinate so much at night is that gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright. When you lie down and the lower body is level with the kidneys, it is then that the kidneys remove the water more easily.
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
- 2 glasses of water after waking up helps activate internal organs
- 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal helps digestion
- 1 glass of water before taking a bath helps lower blood pressure
- 1 glass of water before going to bed helps avoid stroke or heart attack
Water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a “Charlie horse.” Dr. Virend Somers, a cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, and lead author of the report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, indicates that most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6:00 a.m. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual has happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working to show that sleep apnea is partially to blame.
If you take an aspirin or baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour “half-life.” Therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the aspirin would be strongest in your system.
Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest, for years. When it get old, it smells like vinegar. There is now a crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue. They work much faster than the tablets. Keeping them by your bedside can be beneficial.
There are other symptoms of a heart attack besides the pain in the arm. One must also be aware of intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating. However, these symptoms may also occur less frequently. Please note that there may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.
The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from a deep sleep. If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water. Call 911, phone a neighbor or a family member who lives close by, say, “Heart attack” and tell them that you have taken 2 aspirins. Sit down near the front door and wait for their arrival. Do not lie down.
County 4-H Roundup Reminder
4-H Roundup provides the opportunity for 4-H’ers to showcase their project work through educational presentations, public speaking, food show, fashion show, share-the-fun (talent), and other projects. Tuesday, March 20, the Food Show, Fashion Show, Share-the-Fun, and archery will be highlighted. The action starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends when the final participant is finished. Thursday, March 22, Educational Presentations, Public Speaking, and Consumer Decision Making will be highlighted, again starting at 5:30 p.m. All events will be held at the Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs. We have volunteers lined up to provide feedback in order to help the 4-H members prepare for district 4-H Roundup.
Changing the subject, Multi-county 4-H camp forms are now available at the Extension Office. The camp will take place July 9-11, at Lakeview Baptist Conference Center in Lone Star. A great lineup of activities, workshop sessions, and recreation will keep 4-H members and guests busy. This camp is open to all youth grades 3 thru 12. Contact the Extension office at 903-885-3443 for more information.
Closing Thought
Each day is a gift. Use it wisely.
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
Lady Cats Rally To Squeeze by Marshall 3-2
The Lady Cats’ softball team snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as they rallied to squeeze by Marshall, 3-2 on the road Thursday evening.
Marshall scored two runs on a couple of hits in the bottom of the first inning and it appeared those two runs might stand up. Marshall freshman pitcher Adriana Vences shut down the Lady Cats over the first five innings.
The Lady Cats got to within 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning. Kelsey Wallace singled, went to second base on a wild pitch and scored on a Sadie Stroud single. In the Lady Cats final at bat in the seventh inning, they scored the tying and leading run. The Lady Cats rally began with a Marshall error as Macee Hollins got on on a dropped pop up. Allie Fite singled. Alyssa Abron drove home both runners with a single.
Bailey Haggerty kept Marshall off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh and the Lady Cats improved to 4-0 in district play. Haggerty got the pitching win and pitched another strong game for the Lady Cats. She struck out 11 Lady Mavs and allowed only 4 hits and 2 runs over seven innings.
Lady Cats Coach David Carrillo called the game a real pitchers duel. The Lady Cats had 6 hits and Marshall had 4. The Lady Cats made no errors and the Lady Mavs had 3. Fite had two hits in the game for the Lady Cats and Brinklee Driver hit a double.
The Lady Cats are in first place in district at 4-0. Mount Pleasant is right behind at 3-0. Texas High is 2-1, Hallsville is 2-2, Greenville is 0-3 and Pine Tree is 0-4. The Lady Cats improved their season record to 17-4. The Lady Cats will host Texas High Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Lady Cat Park.
