Psalms 100 will open Gospel Revue at Reilly Springs Jamboree January 20, 2018
With almost 35 years in a gospel music ministry, Buddy and Ina Gore and Psalms 100 are gearing up to have a busy 2018. Their first appearance will be at the Reilly Springs Jamboree on Saturday January 20 as they put on an opening concert for Metroplex-area gospel minister, Mary Fay Jackson. The Gores met Mary Fay over two decades ago when they joined the ICGMA, or International Country Gospel Music Association. Both have been the recipients of the Joe Paul Nichols Lifetime Achievement Award and Hall of Fame induction, and both remain quite active in ministering at Revivals and gospel conventions, and in Christian music venues.
Buddy Gore and Ina Delozier met and married in 1982. Ina was already in a gospel duo and in time, Buddy put together a band which began a traveling ministry all over Oklahoma and the Ark-La-Tex as Psalms 100 and the Joyful Noise Band. Over the years, numerous local musicians and singers have been members of that group. The Gores also operated a charter bus business called BGM Tours as well as the annual Gospel Songfest which was part of the Hopkins County Fall Festival for 33 years. During 2017, Buddy and Ina decided it was time to slow down a little bit and became a duo. They continue to minster at Revivals around Northeast Texas and with the Brashear Baptist Church Praise and Worship team while enjoying their home, garden and grandchildren.
Their concert at the Reilly Springs Jamboree will begin at 6pm on Saturday January 20, followed by Mary Fay Jackson at 7pm, with Roger Reed and the Sunshine Band with a country concert at 8pm. Admission is $10 person. The Jamboree is held at the Reilly Springs Community Center in the southeastern part of Hopkins County at 109 CR 1439, and offers a family-friendly smoke and alcohol-free atmosphere.
SCU Investigation Results in Meth Arrest
As the result of an investigation by the Special Crimes Unit, Micah Wayne McCarty, 46, of Sulphur Springs, was arrested Monday around noon near his residence on South League Street.
McCarty sold a quantity of Methamphetamine weighing over 1-gram but less than 4-grams in a Drug Free Zone. He is in Hopkins County Jail being held on a $30,000 bond for the Felony 2 charge.
Sulphur Springs Man Arrested for Injury to a Child
Sulphur Springs Police were called to 1531 East Industrial in reference to an assault on a child. Police were told that Alex Christopher Adams, 39, had assaulted an 11 year old child. Visible injuries were present on the child.
Adams said he had wrestled with the child. Adams was charged with Injury to a Child, a state jail felony and public intoxication. He is in Hopkins County Jail held on a $15,000 bond.
Jury Takes Eight Minutes to Decide Custody of Cattle
It took eight minutes for a Hopkins County Court at Law six person jury to determine custody of the hundreds of head of malnourished cattle seized by Hopkins County Deputies and the SPCA of Texas on December 4-6, 2017. The cattle found on 2700 acres in the County will be sold at auction and not returned to George Lawrence Bergin, 61, of Sulphur Springs. Bergin is charged with Cruelty to Livestock-Fail to Provide, a state jail felony.
Bergin had appealed a settlement made December 13th, when Justice of the Peace B. J. Teer signed an order calling for a public auction of the animals. A bond in the amount of $245,000 was set to perfect the case. Bergin nor his attorney was present for the appeal before the court. The motions were filed on Bergin’s behalf stating his reasons for not appearing. Among others, he did not believe Hopkins County Court at Law had jurisdiction in the case but that it should have been filed in federal court.
As of Monday, Hopkins County Commissioners Court had authorized over $180,000 in payments for the care and maintenance of the cattle. When the cattle are sold, the county will be repaid for their expenses and the remainder will be paid to Bergin.
SSISD Board Hears Reports; Announces Dates for May Board Election
Superintendent of Sulphur Springs School Michael Lamb informed school board members Monday night during their January meeting that the Lady Cat Softball Complex and the Wildcat Baseball Complex would have basic features available when the season starts around February 1 of this year. He said there would be a place to park, a place for fans to sit, and restrooms. These will be finished in the next three weeks. Wiring for lights should be completed in the next two days, according to Lamb. Backstops for softball are in place but new nets are being shipped at this time. The backstops for baseball and bleachers for baseball should be delivered in the next two weeks.
Board members also heard a report from Susan Johnston regarding the 504 and Special Education services for students with disabilities. Approximately 25% of SSISD students are in these programs. Currently there are 50 teachers involved in special education and 20 involved in the Special Services Department. The program plans to continue to build classroom curriculum, providing workshops and meetings for staff training.
On the elementary level, Kristin Monk, Assistant Superintendent, focused her report on headstart and pre-kindergarten programs. Approximately 20 students are participating in the “1,000 Books before Kindergarten” program. The program requires parents to read 1,000 books to the student prior to the student entering kindergarten. Approximately 14 pre-k parents and staff walked and logged a total of 2,007 miles in a week. The program was in collaboration with Texas Agri-Life Extension. The Pre-K support staff has completed 182 of 184 face-to-face visits with families to identify family strengths and to set family goals.
Josh Williams, Assistant Superintendent, said a grant for $2500 has been received to support Attendance Incentive Project. FFA has competed in Fort Worth.
School board trustee election filing dates were announced as Wednesday, January 17, 2018 through Friday, February 16, 2018. The election will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2018.
PERSONNEL
Resignation
Megan Price Science Teacher High School
Mid-Term Retirement
Charlotte Holland SpEd Aide High School
New personnel
William Giles Government Teacher High School
Kaley Williams Science Teacher High School
Smith Announces Candidacy for Republican Nomination for County Clerk
Tracy Orr Smith has announced her candidacy as a Republican nominee for Hopkins County Clerk in the March 6 Republican Primary Election.
Smith is a longtime resident of Hopkins County and current chief deputy county clerk.
“I started with Hopkins County in September of 1995,” She said. “The opportunity arose with Debbie Shirley who had recently been elected county clerk, and I have worked for Debbie for 21 years. As chief deputy clerk I have the knowledge and experience it takes to run the county clerk’s office.”
Smith said she would like to opportunity to continue with the customer services the county clerk’s office already provides and also said she has a good working relationship with the other county offices.
“I also have a close working relationship with County Clerk Debbie Shirley,” she said. “I will have her continued support after she retires.”
Smith is a 1987 graduate of Sulphur Springs High School and the daughter of Paula Minty Orr and the late Joe Dan Orr. She has been married to Steven Mark Smith for 28 years.
Coach Talk: Wildcat, Lady Cat Soccer
Wiggins on Forney Tourney
Wildcats Soccer Coach Nicky Wiggins said normally in the past when the Wildcats went to the Forney tournament, they hoped to split their games due to the tough competition there. The Wildcats came close to that last week winning two games and losing three. Two good Class 5A teams played well against the Wildcats Thursday and they lost to West Mesquite and Forney. Coach Wiggins said his team studied tapes of the games and then came back with better play on Friday. The Wildcats got wins against Royse City and Amarillo Tascosa. Saturday the Wildcats lost to a former district foe Longview, 3-0. Coach Wiggins said the Wildcats played much better than the score indicated. He said the Wildcats gave the Lobos all they wanted for most of the game. Longview scored right before the end of the first half and that’s the way the score stayed until the Lobos scored two goals in the last few minutes of the game. Coach Wiggins said his team was just about out of gas playing their fifth game in three days. He said the opening games gave his team some things to improve on and clean up before another tournament this week. The Wildcats will play in a UT Austin tournament this Thursday through Saturday.
Bailey on Terrell Tournament
Lady Cats Soccer Coach Joel Bailey said he was impressed with how his team has played to open the season. He acknowledged that the Lady Cats came up short in the finals of a Terrell tournament losing to a talented and good Richardson team, 3-1. Coach Bailey likes the way the Lady Cats are scoring goals. They poured in 21 goals in the five games they played. Lots of Lady Cats are scoring goals. Coach Bailey said that means opposing coaches can’t try and stop just any one player. The Lady Cats play next in a Paris tournament Thursday through Saturday. Coach Bailey said the Lady Cats have won the tournament the past two years and he is hoping for a three-peat this year.
soccer ball net
Kougher Hearing Began Monday in District Court
Monday morning January 8, 2018, in a hearing before Judge Eddie Northcutt in Eighth Judicial District Court, Bradley Curtis Kougher, 41, is on trial for one count of a January 1, 2010 Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 6-years of age, a Felony 1; a June 1, 2009 Sexual Performance by a Child under 14-years of age, a Felony 1; a May 1, 2009 Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact, a Felony 2; and a July 1, 2009 Attempted Sexual Performance by a Child, a Felony 2.
During the hearing, the children involved in the incident and family members are being called as witnesses by District Attorney Will Ramsey.
Hopkins County law enforcement had been seeking Kougher, who was wanted locally for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child under 6-years of age. The search had been ongoing for some time. Kentucky law enforcement had been assisting in the search. When Kougher turned himself in October, 2017.
Commissioners’ Court Tables New Courtroom Construction, New Voting Machine Purchase
In a 3-2 vote Hopkins County Commissioners’ Court tabled two agenda items that would have allowed the start of building a new 100 seat courtroom attached to the Hopkins County Jail. Although the money is available, commissioners questioned the cost of building the one building versus any savings that would come from building both the courtroom and a building to house the District Attorney and District Clerk offices. The commissioners’ went out for bids on the purchase of 110 and 118 Main Street that currently houses the attorney and clerk offices. However, no bids were received. They had set a base of $400,000 for bids on the building. Commissioner Mickey Barker and County Judge Robert Newsom voted against tabling the motion based on their desire to begin the building.
Commissioners also voted to table the purchase of new voting machines. For some time Debbie Shirley, County Clerk, has wanted to improve the voting equipment in the county. With several payment options offered, a new county clerk coming into office after the first of the year and newer machines easier to learn, and the new machines considered more accurate, Shirley presented her plea for the new machines. Much of the current system used was purchased in 2005 and technology has changed in the voting field over the years. Mike O’Dell stated he thinks the new machines are too expensive. Only two companies in Texas are approved by the Secretary of State to sell the machines. The proposal was presented included a discount in price and an extra year of maintenance by the company presenting the offer. The machines and offer had been approved for the county by the Secretary of State’s office last week. Shirley expressed concern regarding the current voting equipment with the March 6 Primary Election weeks away. The county auditor told the court that there was enough money in the fund balance to pay for the new machines and that other options were available.
