Public Library and Retired School Personnel Co-Host Author Reavis Z. Wortham
Sulphur Springs Libraian Hope Cain and Sulphur Springs Retired School Personnel member Marilyn Powers were guests on the KSST Good Morning Show about the upcoming Meet the Author event at the public library on the morning of November 14. They are pleased to invite noted author Reavis Z. Wortham to town and invite everyone to attend. The library is located at 611 North Davis Street.
With two book series’ out, Reavis Wortham is now an award-winning author of historical mysteries. You may have already known him as a journalist,from his more than 2,500 newspaper and magazine articles. He is a finalist in the Benjamin Franklin Awards by the Independent Book Publishers Association, and he was recognized as one of the Top 12 Mystery Writers of 2011. His series that begins with “Hawke’s Prey” is set in West Texas, and his “The Rock Hole” series is set in NE Texas the Red River region between Texas and Oklahoma.
Wortham went to school in Dallas but spent much of his childhood on a small farm at Chicota, Texas which is the northernmost community on the Texas side of the Red River in Lamar County. Those hunting and fishing grounds of his youth provide the setting for The Rock Hole and Red River Mystery series. He also penned “Doreen’s 24 Hr Eat Gas Now Caf’e”.
The public is invited to meet him and attend his program and book signing at the Sulphur Springs Public Library on Tuesday November 14 at 10:30am. The Sulphur Springs Retired School Personnel is co-hosting the free event.
Marilyn Powers, former librarian at Como-Pickton ISD and Hope Cain, Librarian at SS Public Library.
What’s on a Food Label? By Johanna Hicks
What’s on a Food Label?
Many of you have probably noticed the new nutrition label that has been approved for packaged and canned foods items. Some positive changes have been made to highlight the most important aspects of the label. These changes include increasing the type size for “Calories,” “servings per container,” and the “Serving size” declaration, and bolding the number of calories and the “Serving size” declaration to highlight this information.
The footnote is changing to better explain what percent Daily Value means. It will read: “The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.”
“Added sugars,” in grams and as percent Daily Value, will be included on the label in addition to total sugar. This will help differentiate between naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. Scientific data shows that it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits if you consume more than 10 percent of your total daily calories from added sugar. Vitamin D, potassium, calcium, and iron will be required on the label. Vitamins A and C will no longer be required but can be included on a voluntary basis.
For certain products that are larger than a single serving but that could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings, manufacturers will have to provide “dual column” labels to indicate the amount of calories and nutrients on both a “per serving” and “per package”/“per unit” basis. Examples would be a 24-ounce bottle of soda or a pint of ice cream. With dual-column labels available, people will be able to easily understand how many calories and nutrients they are getting if they eat or drink the entire package/unit at one time.
The FDA released a proposed rule to extend the compliance dates for the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts label final rule and the Serving Size final rule from July 26, 2018, to Jan. 1, 2020, for manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual food sales. Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales would receive an extra year to comply—until Jan. 1, 2021. However, many products already have the new label.
To test your knowledge about label reading, here’s a brief quiz. Give it a try:
1) Which of these ingredients is present in the largest amount by weight in a breakfast cereal? Ingredients as listed in order on label:
- whole wheat
- brown sugar
- molasses
- they are present in equal amounts.
2) Which label does NOT have an approved “definition”?
- sodium free, granulated chicken bouillon
- 100% natural
3) Is a “Best if Used By” date a safety date?
- Yes
- No
4) Which food is hormone-free?
- Meat
- Bread
- Peas
- None of them
5) Which animal is raised with “added” hormones?
- Pig
- Chicken
- Both
- Neither
6) If bananas “A” are labeled “GMO-free” and bananas “B” have no GMO labeling, which is a true statement?
- Bananas “B” are a GMO food
- Neither of them are GMO foods
- It’s impossible to tell if bananas “B” are a GMO food
Do you think you aced the quiz? Let’s see:
- Question #1: A – whole wheat. Ingredients are listed by their common name in descending order by weight. Since whole wheat is listed first, that ingredient is found in the largest amount.
- Questions #2: Label B – Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not developed a definition for the use of the term “natural.” Read the ingredients list for a better understanding of what is contained in the food item.
- Question #3: A – No. A “Best if Used by” date describes product quality, where the product may not taste or perform as expected, but is safe to use or consume.
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] - Question #4: D – none of them are “hormone free.” Anything that is or has been alive contains hormones, including plants.
- Question #5: D – neither of them. Added hormones aren’t allowed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in pork and poultry. A claim of “no hormones” or pork or poultry must be followed by the statement, “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.”
- Question #6: B – neither of them are GMO foods. In today’s market place, you may find foods promoted as “GMO free” or “contains no GMO’s.” Before you pay extra for this food, be aware it may not be made with any ingredients that contain GMO’s in the first place. Neither banana is a GMO food and never has been! GMO foods currently available in the US are: corn (field and sweet), soybeans, cotton, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, papaya (Hawaiian), squash. Note: not all versions of all these foods are genetically engineered. Before being placed on the market, genetically modified foods must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Closing Thought
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up – Thomas Edison
Trees and Mistletoes By Mario Villarino
Recently, I had the opportunity to revise a plant pathology session for our Master Gardener’s training and I started discussing issues related to parasites of plants. The mistletoe came to the discussion and I want to share with you details about these interesting facts on mistletoes information from the Texas A&M Forest Services: It’s a Christmas tradition. A man has the privilege of kissing a lady who happens to be standing under a sprig of mistletoe, a plant that is said to symbolize peace and love.
The danger associated with this tradition is that the lady may take offense at the man’s affection! Have you ever given or received a kiss under the mistletoe? Even though mistletoe is a popular Yuletide decoration, all parts of the plant have poisonous properties and should never be eaten. Except for Christmas holidays, mistletoe is probably not a particularly popular plant, especially if it is growing in a valuable shade or ornamental tree in your yard.
Is mistletoe becoming a serious problem in East Texas? A definitive answer to that question is not possible because no surveys have been conducted to determine whether mistletoe incidence is increasing or decreasing. Generally speaking, mistletoe is not considered to be a serious pest of trees, so don’t kiss your tree good-by if it is infected with mistletoe. When heavy infection occurs, the mistletoe becomes an additional stress factor to the tree and may contribute to poor tree health. It is unlikely that mistletoe kills trees directly, but tree branches may die as a result of mistletoe infection. Effective control of mistletoe is difficult to achieve with mistletoe.
When heavy infection occurs, the mistletoe becomes an additional stress factor to the tree and may contribute to poor tree health. It is unlikely that mistletoe kills trees directly, but tree branches may die as a result of mistletoe infection. Effective control of mistletoe is difficult to achieve.
American mistletoe (genus Phoradendron) is a persistent, evergreen, photosynthetic (contains chlorophyll), seed-producing plant that is parasitic on certain woody plants, primarily hardwood or broadleaf trees. It is particularly conspicuous on hardwoods after leaf fall. The mistletoe derives water and mineral nutrients from the sap of its host plant. Because the leaves of the mistletoe plant contain chlorophyll (green color), the plant can produce its own food through photosynthesis using water and minerals derived from the tree that supports it. The leaves are leathery and occur opposite each other on the mistletoe stem.
The branching pattern of the mistletoe plant also is opposite. The plant requires direct sunlight for best development, which explains why it usually is found high in the crown of tall trees. Mistletoe may change from green to a greenish-yellow color during the winter months, but this is not an indication that the plant is unhealthy.
The best indication of mistletoe infection is the presence of dense clusters of vegetation in the crown of host trees. The evergreen mistletoe plant is most easily recognized in the winter months when deciduous trees have dropped their leaves. Trees vary in their susceptibility to mistletoe with water oak, sugarberry, and elm being the most commonly infected. Ash, beech, cherry, dogwood, sweet gum, hickory, maple, Osage-orange, persimmon, sassafras, walnut, sycamore, and willow also may be infected. It has been reported on 110 different species of trees in the eastern United States.
Mistletoe in East Texas is a dioecious plant — that is, male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. The flowers are small and creamy-white in color. Only the female flowers produce seeds, which are white and embedded in a sticky, gelatinous pulp enabling the seeds to adhere to the bark of trees. The seeds are commonly distributed by sticking to the beaks and feet of birds or by bird droppings after passing through the bird’s digestive system. Under favorable temperature and moisture conditions, the seeds germinate almost anywhere, but trees will only become infected when seeds germinate on the thin bark of small branches. Successful infection of a host tree occurs when the mistletoe seed germinates and a root-like structure (haustoria) penetrates the bark through a lenticel or bud. It is common for the tree branch to be enlarged where the mistletoe plant attaches to the branch.
The aerial portion of the plant develops very slowly the first year, growing less than one-half inch. Under ideal conditions, mistletoe may develop an aerial spread of three feet in six to eight years. The longevity of mistletoe plants seems to be limited only to the life of the host tree with some plants living for more than 100 years. On the average, the aerial portion of a single mistletoe plant survives less than eight years, being easily broken off by storms. Destruction of the aerial portion of the plant usually stimulates the development of dormant buds and multiplies the presence of the plant on its host.
Mistletoe has few natural enemies, and effective control is very difficult to achieve. Where feasible, the homeowner can take steps to minimize mistletoe problems in trees.
Mistletoe plants mature in two to three years, so mechanically removing the aerial portion of the plant before it matures and produces seeds can be of some benefit. Small, infested limbs can be removed by pruning, if they can be reached. Mechanical removal of the aerial portion of the plant on large limbs may also be helpful. Removing part of the wood where the mistletoe attaches to its host should be avoided as this usually causes more damage than the mistletoe itself. Keep in mind that mechanical removal must be done repeatedly because new sprouts will grow from the mistletoe imbedded in the wood of the host tree. Mechanical removal is suggested only if it can be done safely and economically.
In theory, covering the aerial portion of the plant, or its point of attachment after it has been removed, with black plastic (or other suitable material) would block sunlight and the plant would eventually die. However, in practice, applying black plastic high in the top of a tree can be difficult and dangerous. In addition, plastic tends to deteriorate over time; and would be unsightly, especially in the winter months when trees are bare. Also, applying a herbicide to the mistletoe during the winter when the host tree has no leaves has met with limited success. However, because it is so easy to damage the host tree and other nearby plants, using a herbicide is not recommended. A plant growth regulator called ethephon (Florel Fruit Eliminator) is the only product registered in the USA for the control of mistletoe on deciduous trees. Local nurseries or feed and seed stores may handle Florel).
So, what do you do with mistletoe? Enjoy it, because you probably won’t be able to successfully eliminate it from your tree. Try to get your sweetheart to stand with you under a mistletoe-infected tree, and steal a kiss!
Announcements:
I will like to share with you the successful completion of the 2017 Master Gardeners class. Our current Master Gardeners in training are: Elizabeth Susan Brewer, Mary Ellen Little, Helen Sapaugh, Susie Faltesek, and Keith Klein. Congratulations to our new class and I am looking forward for their completion of volunteer hours in the months to come. (For a successful completion of a Master Gardener, volunteers must take a 60 hours training, pass a written evaluation and volunteer 50 or more hours under the supervision of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in a 12 month period).
For more information in this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email 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
Hopkins County Grand Jury: 63 Indictments
November 10, 2017 – Sixty-three indictments were the result of a meeting of the Hopkins County Grand Jury Thursday. Not all of the indictments are named below awaiting arrests. However, those who have been arrested and indicted include:
Casey Gween Miles, 22
Casey Gween Miles, 22, was indicted on seven counts of Sexual Assault Child. Miles was arrested in September of this year for Sexual Assault of a Child, a Felony 2. Advised of his rights when he arrived at the Sheriff’ Office, Miles admitted his sexual activities with a 15-year old minor. The sexual involvement took place in Miles home.
Abraham Mejia Martinez, 22, was indicted on one count of Sexual Assault Child. Martinez, of Sulphur Springs, went to the Sheriff’s Office to be interviewed in reference to sexual assault allegations in August. He confessed to having sex with a child who was under 14-years of age.
Garrett Bursby was indicted on one count of Sex Offenders Duty to Register 10 years. During an interview with Hopkins County Chief Investigator Charles Humphries in October, Garrett Matthew Bursby, 22, of Brashear admitted to failure to register as a sex offender.
Leigh Ann Smith was indicted on one count Abandon Endanger Child Criminal Negligence.
Erin Michelle Martell was indicted on one count Abandon Endanger Child Criminal Negligence. Sulphur Springs Police officer was dispatched to the Texas Department of Family/Protective Services, 1400 College Street around 3:45 p.m. Monday in reference to a warrant service. Erin Michelle Martell, 27, of Winnsboro was arrested at CPS offices for Endangering a Child, a State Jail Felony.
David Allen Calhoun was indicted on one count Aggravated Assault Date/Family/House with Deadly Weapon. A disturbance in the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office parking lot resulted in the arrest of David Allen Calhoun, 52, of Forney. Calhoun is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Family Violence. Advised of a disturbance in the front parking lot at the Sheriff’s Office, Communications Supervisor David Ray detained Calhoun until deputies arrived to make the arrest. Calhoun assaulted a female victim and a knife was used and/or exhibited during the assault in August.
William Alston Moore was indicted on one count Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. When Hopkins County deputies arrived at a residence on CR 3355 near Saltillo in October, they found Moore, 36, highly intoxicated. A series of events led to his arrest for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon-Family Violence-2nd Degree Felony. Moore had been involved in a disturbance with a friend and threatened to return with a gun. Moore’s wife attempted to stop him from returning to the scene of the disturbance due to him having a gun in his hand. Moore assaulted his wife with his hands and left marks on her arms. Family members were able to get the gun from him. When the deputies arrived at the scene, Moore said he never had a gun. During the investigation, he later got into a verbal argument with family at the scene. According to those present, Moore had only displayed the weapon and never pointed it at anyone.
Dakota Hunter Parker was indicted on one count Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. A 17-year old Sulphur Springs man, named in a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a shooting in Sulphur Springs in September, turned himself in at the Hopkins County Jail. Bond for Parker was set at $200,000. Bond for a parole violation charge was denied. A man was shot Wednesday night at a residence in the 100 block of Russell. The victim is said to be in good condition. The victim told police officers who shot him. A shotgun believed to be used in the shooting was recovered. The shooting is being investigated by Sulphur Springs Police Detective Sgt. David Gilmore.
Richard Allen Bailey was indicted on one count Aggravated Assault Date/Family/House with Deadly Weapon. He was also indicted on one count of Aggravated Kidnapping. He said when the female passenger became angry she jumped from a moving vehicle during an argument over an affair and the vehicle ran over the woman. She said that Richard Allen Bailey, 40, of Winnsboro was assaulting her while driving down the road and so she jumped to get away from him. Bailey said he was driving the woman, his girlfriend, to another man’s residence when she jumped. They were on FM 3019 in September of this year. The woman was transported by EMS to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital.
Charla Nichole Tillery was indicted on one count of Assault Public Servant.
Brandy Dawn Loven
Brandy Dawn Loven, 34, of Winnsboro, was indicted for one count Assault Public Servant. Warrant service by Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputies led to two arrests at a home on County Road 1441 in September. Loven is accused of biting, kicking and hitting Sheriff’s Sgt. Amanda Weatherford. Later a search of the house led to discovery of over four grams of methamphetamine.
Latasha Monto Childress was indicted on one count of Engage in Organized Criminal Activity.
CROSBY, LAFAYETTE TREY
Lafayette Trey Crosby was indicted on one count of Engage in Organized Criminal Activity.
DARST, MADISON MARIE OLIVIA
Madison Marie Olivia Darst was indicted on one count of Engage in Organized Criminal Activity. An 18-year old Sherman woman was arrested shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday September 26th, 2017 for having drugs in the Hopkins County Jail. Jail personnel came to suspect that the woman had narcotics on her person. She was taken to an interview room where she admitted having 1.4 grams of methamphetamine in the pocket of her jail shirt. She said she hid the drugs when she was booked into the jail earlier in connection with a theft case from Wal-Mart involving several other people. Darst was charged with having an illegal substance in a correctional facility, possession of a controlled substance and engaging in organized criminal activity in the theft case.
Antonio D. Parker was indicted on one count of Engage in Organized Criminal Activity.
CALHOUN, YATANYA YACHELL
Yatanya Yachell Calhoun was indicted on one count of Engage in Organized Criminal Activity.
Lane Wesley Keller was indicted on one count of Theft/Cattle/Horse Exotic Livestock. He was also indicted for one count of Unauthorized Use of Vehicle. Keller, 21 was arrested for Theft of Cattle, less than $150,000. He and Landon Dee Harness had secretly fed the cattle for a period of time and were able to load them into trailers using the feed. Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum stated that at the first of October a report was made on cattle stolen in the northern part of Hopkins County. Tatum stated that Investigator Findley and Special Ranger Hurley tracked the pair using video from cameras in the area of the theft and were able to trace the sale records in Oklahoma. Tatum stated that attempts to recover the cattle are underway but with the cattle having been sold in Oklahoma there may be a few issues to overcome. Findley’s use of video was a major source for solving this theft. Tatum stated that one would not think about video surveillance in the remote areas of the county but well placed cameras with quality definition enabled local officers to identify vehicles and individuals as well. The Sheriff said video surveillance is not just used for hunting purposes but also to protect property.
Landon Dee Harness was indicted on one count of Theft/Cattle/Horse Exotic Livestock.
Jimmy De O’Dell, 59, was indicted on one count of Obstruction or Retaliation. Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Hopkins County Deputies in the arrest of Jimmy O’Dell who returned to Hopkins County Jail Thursday after his bond was determined insufficient. O’Dell’s bond was increased to $1-million when he continued to stalk and make threats against his victim.
JONES, IRWIN RODRIQUEZ
Irwin Rodriquez Jones, 48, was indicted on one count of Money Laundering more than $30,000 but less than $150, 000. A man and a woman from Tennessee were arrested for money laundering along westbound I-30 in September of this year. Officer Buddy Williams with the Sulphur Springs Police Department stopped the vehicle the couple were in for a traffic violation at the 136 mile marker of I-30 shortly . The couple were in possession of what was said to be a large sum of U.S currency. Their vehicle was impounded.
Melissa Martinez was indicted on one count of Money Laundering more than $30,000 but less than $150, 000.
Herman Gomez was indicted on one count of Money Laundering more than $30,000 but less than $150, 000.
Pedro Calzada-Quinones was indicted on one count of Money Laundering more than $30,000 but less than $150, 000.
Spall Reyes was indicted on one count of Unlawful Use of Criminal Instrument.
Roy Edward Wilson was indicted on one count of Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair.
Deborah Kaye Talley was indicted on one count of Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair.
Justin Wayne Andrews was indicted on one count of Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair. He was also indicted on one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone.
Jarrett Kamid Nicholas Worlds was indicted on one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams. Jarrett Kamid Nicholas Worlds, 24, was on his way to his home state of Illinois when stopped by a DPS Trooper at the 126-mile marker on I-30. The smell of marijuana let to finding his cargo for the trip home. Worlds stated he was being paid to transport 42-grams of cocaine to his home state when the trooper found two clear plastic bags containing suspected cocaine and another containing under 2 oz. of marijuana in a probable cause search.
Larry Wayne Simpson was indicted on one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams. When the driver of an older Chevrolet passenger car failed to stop at a designated point, a stop sign, at the intersection of Frisco Street and Main Street in Cumby, a traffic stop by Cumby Police was initiated. Although the driver and passenger stated there was nothing illegal in the vehicle but that proved to be false. The Cumby officer asked for consent to search the vehicle but was denied. He asked the driver, Simpson, 45, of Commerce to step out of the auto. During a Terry Frisk, Simpson tensed when the officer touched his right front pocket. He admitted to a bag being in that pocket but did not reply to the numerous requests asking if there were weapons or drugs in the pocket. Simpson was arrested for the traffic violation and a property inventory of his personal belongings followed. The black bag in his pocket concealed a large amount of a white crystal like substance believed to be Methamphetamine was found in the bag.
Carla Kingston Atkinson was indicted on one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. Cumby Police stopped a vehicle for doing 111 miles per hour in a 75 mph zone on I-30. Both the driver and passenger were asked to exit the vehicle and permission to search the vehicle was granted. Atkinson, 45, of Corsicana allowed the officer to go through her purse as she observed. In the purse in a black glasses case was found a glass pipe and a small clear plastic bag with a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamine. Also a bottle of pills with a different name containing five whole pills and two half pills believed to be Xanax. Atkinson said the medicine belonged to her mother.
Aubri Mikel Laubscher was indicted on one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams.
Darin Lee Gibson
Darin Lee Gibson, 48, was indicted on one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams.
Dwade Newton Wilcox was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram in a Drug Free Zone.
Cathy Sue Pichard was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Johnny Ray Cason was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Fredrick Eugene Fowler was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Omar Adalberto Torres was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Jacob Dean Williams was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 less than 1-gram.
Jasmine Sharae Carrington was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 more than 4-grams but less than 400-grams. Cumby Police Chief arrested three females for a Felony 1 charge of Manufacture Delivery of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 more than 4-grams but less than 400-grams. A traffic stop on I-30 westbound in July of this year took some time to accomplish. The driver of the 2013 Charger was driving in the left lane and not passing and after switching lanes, drove on the improved shoulder. The driver finally stopped between the 110 and 109-mile markers. The odor of marijuana led to asking the driver and passengers to exit the vehicle. A probable cause search resulted in locating a plastic trash bag containing a large amount of K-2, synthetic cannabinoids that are a class of chemicals that are different from the cannabinoids found in cannabis but which also bind to cannabinoid receptors.
Erica Lanae King was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 more than 4-grams but less than 400-grams.
SWANSON, EDMEESHIA LOUISE
Edmeeshia Louise Swanson was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 more than 4-grams but less than 400-grams.
Author Meet and Greet at the Sulphur Springs Public Library
Sulphur Springs Retired School Personnel and Sulphur Springs Public Library are proud to present:
Meet and Greet the Author – Reavis Z. Wortham on Tuesday November 14, 10:30am-11:30am at the Public Library. Coffee and snacks will be served.
Mr. Wortham hunted and fished the river bottoms near Chicota, Texas as a boy. Lamar and Red River County are the inspiration for the fictional setting for The Red River Mystery series. His first novel, The Rock Hole, was listed by Kirkus reviews as one of their Top 12 Mysteries of 2011, True West Magazine included Dark Places as one of 2015’s Top 12 Modern Westerns. His books have been described as country humor, startling discoveries, heart pounding chases, ambushes, gunfire, and hair-raising suspense.
Mr. Wortham’s Red River Mystery series includes The Rock Hole, Burrows, Right Side of Wrong, Vengeance is Mine, Dark Places and Unraveled. The series follows Ned Parker, a likeable cotton farmer and part time Constable, his wife Miss Becky, Ned’s nephew, Constable Cody Parker, and his grandchildren Top and Pepper through many cases of murder, kidnapping, gunfights, and outlaws. The setting is 1964-1968 in Red River County and those familiar with this area will recognize many locations in the books.
Mr. Wortham’s first in the Sonny Hawke Thriller series is about a seasoned Texas Ranger set in West Texas called Hawke’s Prey. During the worst blizzard in history, there is an attack on Presidio County Courthouse, dozens are slaughtered, and the survivors are taken hostage while the killer assumes control. Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke is inside and up against his most dangerous adversary yet. Christmas is just around the corner, and if there is someone that would love a
detective/mystery/western set in this local area, these books will be available for sale and signing during the program.
Lady Cats Basketball at Emory Rains Saturday; Wildcats Open Season Saturday Against State Ranked Arlington Bowie
Lady Cats Basketball
The start of the regular season will be delayed one day for the Lady Cat’s basketball team. Their planned season opener at Winnsboro Friday night has been canceled due to a scheduling mix up. The Lady Cats are now scheduled to open the regular season Saturday against Emory Rains. There is also a change for that game. The site has been moved from Sulphur Springs to Emory Rains. Times of the games remain the same as the Lady Cats Gold and Blue teams will play at 10 a.m. and approximately 11 a.m. The varsity game is scheduled to start at around 12:30 p.m. Lady Cats Coach Jeff Chapman said the site change was made after he had a hard time getting a clock operator and bookkeeper for the scorer’s table for Saturday. Saturday is Veteran’s Day with lots of activities taking place in town.
Wildcats Basketball
Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta feels his team may have learned a valuable lesson at a good time Tuesday. He says his team came out with a lack of focus and energy in a scrimmage at Mesquite Poteet Tuesday evening. Despite that, the Wildcats were ahead most of the game. Coach Cipoletta said a lack of urgency down the stretch cost his team a victory. The Wildcats were outscored 21-2 in the fourth quarter and two Mesquite Poteet free throws right before the buzzer gave the Pirates the win. Coach Cipoletta is glad the lesson was learned during a scrimmage rather than a regular season game or district game. He feels his team got the message because their practice the next day was their best of the season. Coach Cipoletta believes his team will be ready to play Saturday in their season opener at the Cowtown Showdown in North Crowley at 12:30 p.m. They better be. Their opponent is Arlington Bowie, a Class 6A team that is state ranked in the top 25. Coach Cipoletta says they have two really good players. He says Bowie seems to go deep in the playoffs every year and he expects them to be highly competitive. Coach Cipoletta says his main focus is on the Wildcats and getting them better.
PJC-Sulphur Springs Biology Class Notes Amino Acids in Nutrition and Diet Study
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Biology Instructor Richard Flesher discusses the benefits of amino acids during a recent classroom study of nutrition and diet. For admissions and registration information to the PJC-Sulphur Springs campus call 903-885-1232.
Golden Agers Gift Tree Up at Senior Citizens’ Center
If you would like to adopt a Senior Citizen for Christmas, please come down and pick a name off the 2017 Golden Agers Gift Tree, now up at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center! The Program will be running from December 4th – December 15th.
Lydia and Rachel Bailey, shown in the photo below, came from the Sulphur Springs Church of the Nazarene and picked 20 names off the tree for their Church Family to Adopt. Last year the Church took 13 names off the tree. This year they wanted to bless a few more seniors.
For more information on the program, see the banner below or call Karon Weatherman at (903) 885-1661.
