Chamber Connection January 4, 2018
Welcome to 2018! I wanted to pause for just a moment and say how thankful I am for you. I hope that 2018 is the year when your daydreams set into motion. Whatever that big dream is, pull the trigger. Do amazing, hard, beautiful things. Abandon fear and do that one thing that has been keeping you up at night. Build the house. Open the business from scratch. Take the job. Let 2018 be the year you have been desiring for so long! Let hope, that tiny nugget buried deep in your belly, be the encouragement you need to see your dream to fruition. We live in this place that welcomes those wonderful dreams! So for all of you on the cusp of saying yes, do it. Please let the Chamber be there for you along the way!!!
Events Done Simply hosts their Ribbon Cutting on January 10th
Events Done Simply is hosting their ribbon cutting celebration on Thursday, January 10th at noon at the Chamber of Commerce, 300 Connally Street in Sulphur Springs. Please come by to welcome this new business to Hopkins County!
Carter Blood Drive is hosting local drives this week
Carter Blood Drive is hosting a Blood Drive on Saturday, January 6th, at Christus Mother Francis Hospital in Sulphur Springs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will have another drive on Monday, January 8th at Walgreens in Sulphur Springs from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Would you like to recognize an Outstanding Educator?
Here is your chance…this year the Chamber of Commerce Education Committee wants to allow all Hopkins County Citizens to nominate their candidates for “Outstanding Professional Educator” (Administrator, Counselor, Diagnostician, or Teacher) “Outstanding Para Professional Educator” (Secretary or Aide) and “Outstanding Auxiliary Educator” (Maintenance, Custodial, Transportation, Nurse or Cafeteria). We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to nominate that “special educator” that has had an impact in their lives. You may pick up a nomination form at the Chamber office at 300 Connally Street and then either fax, e-mail or mail it in, no later than January 19th! Our fax number is 903-885-6516, our e-mail address is [email protected], and our mailing address is also 300 Connally Street, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. Don’t miss this opportunity to recognize a special educator!
Nominations for Large and Small Business of the Year!
Please submit your nomination for Large Business of the Year or Small Business of the Year. Nominations should be for those businesses which exhibit outstanding community involvement—civic, church, educational, benevolent, humanitarian or other. You may pick up a nomination form at the Chamber office at 300 Connally Street and either fax, e-mail or mail it in, no later than January 19th! Our fax number is 903-885-6516, our e-mail address is [email protected] and our mailing address is 300 Connally Street, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482.
Additional Chamber of Commerce Banquet nominations other than “Outstanding Educator” or “Small and Large Businesses” are being accepted for the following:
Citizen of the Year – Chamber of Commerce, 300 W. Connally, Sulphur Springs, Tx 75482.
Woman of the Year – Beta Sigma Phi Organization, P. O. Box 72, Sulphur Springs, Tx 75483.
Caregiver of the Year – The Pilot Club, c/o Carriage House Manor, 210 Pipeline Rd., Sulphur Springs, Tx 75482.
Community Pride Award – Adult Leadership Class, 300 Connally St., Sulphur Springs, Tx 75482
Agriculturist of the Year – Professional Ag Workers, c/o AgriLife Extension, P. O. Box 518, Sulphur Springs, Tx 75483
Each of these nominations should be submitted in writing and mailed to the above-mentioned address.
Lezley Brown
President/CEO
Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
300 Connally Street
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
903-885-6515-office
903-885-6516-fax
www.sulphursprings-tx.com
Wildcat, Lady Cat Coaches Comment on Tuesday Games
Cipoletta on Wildcats Win at Marshall
Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta called Tuesday night’s 50-28 victory at Marshall an interesting game. It was a low scoring game and Coach Cipoletta said Marshall tried to take the Wildcats out of their element by holding the ball and trying to keep the score low. He said he was proud of the Wildcats for staying focused and for getting the job done. The Wildcats’ defense limited the Mavericks to only ten points after the first two quarters. Coach Cipoletta said holding a team to just an average of 5 points a quarter means you are having a lot of success. He said the Wildcats have emphasized defense all season long. Coach Cipoletta said it has made the Wildcats who they are and it has also been a big part of the success the Wildcats are having. He said they need to keep it up. The Wildcats have seen their first two district opponents slow down the game attempting to keep the score low. Coach Cipoletta said he was okay with that. He said that approach limits an opponents’ number of offensive possessions and he added the Wildcats are hard to score against. Coach Cipoletta said his team was versatile and could play either at a fast or slow pace. He said the team does a good job preparing for anything they might face. Coach Cipoletta liked the fact that the Wildcats got scoring from six different players Tuesday night. He said multiple players who can score make the Wildcats harder to guard. Coach Cipoletta was especially pleased to see Jeremiah Roland contribute coming off the bench. Roland scored 8 points. Coach Cipoletta said Roland came off the bench red hot and hit two three-point baskets. The Wildcats host Texas High in Wildcats Gym Friday night.
Chapman on Lady Cats Win Over Marshall
Coaches like it when a concept developed in practice is applied during a game. Lady Cats Basketball Coach Jeff Chapman was a happy coach Tuesday after the Lady Cats 71-27 win at home against Marshall. He said the Lady Cats have been working on their shooting in practice. Coach Chapman said he was especially pleased with the Lady Cats’ outside shooting Tueday night. The Lady Cats hit 9 three-pointers and hit 53% from behind the 3-point arc. Sadavia Porter hit 4 three-pointers, Danielle Godbolt and Imani Taylor hit 2 apiece and Te’Arria Rose made 1. The Lady Cats also shot 54% from the field. Coach Chapman said he also asked Godbolt to pick up her play. She responded with a 10 point game. Coach Chapman said he was also seeing Kaylee Jefferson, Sadavia Porter and Autumn Tanton especially staying after practice to work on their games. He said the three veteran players seem to really want to be a part of a three-peat district championship this season. The Lady Cats were district champs the past two seasons. The Lady Cats travel to Texas High Friday night.
Saltillo Lions Defeat Honey Grove; Lady Lions Fourth Quarter Gains Win over Bells
Both the Saltillo Lions and the Saltillo Lady Lions picked up basketball wins Tuesday evening. The Lions topped Honey Grove, 62-38 while the Lady Lions got by Bells, 45-40.
The Lions outscored Honey Grove 18-8 in the first quarter. Honey Grove got to within 4 points at halftime as the Lions still led 25-21. A strong third quarter put the Lions up 46-28 after three quarters. The Lions outscored Honey Grove 16-10 in the fourth quarter in the 62-38 win. Trevor Moore led the Lions with 17 points. Walker McGill had 11 points, Levi Hoover scored 10 points, Lyle Bench had 8 points, Chris Boekhorst scored 7 points, Michael Clover added 5 points and Branson McGill had 4 points. The Lions improved to 14-11 for the season.
The Saltillo Lady Lions struggled in the first quarter and trailed Bells, 10-5 after one quarter. The Lady Lions got to within three points, 19-16 at the half and within a single point, 28-27 after three quarters. The Lady Lions had a solid fourth quarter outscoring Bells, 18-11 to take the 45-40 win. Madison Simmons led the Lady Lions with 21 points. Chandler Bain had 6 points, Jocelyn Ochoa had 5 points, Maddy Smith got 4 points, Tori Mobley and Christi Gurley each had 3 points, Jordan Sustaire had 2 points and Anna Reeder scored 1 point. The Lady Lions are now 9-15 for the season.
Both the Lions and the Lady Lions will play at Yantis Friday evening.
Probation Revoked; Sentenced to 10 Years in TDCJ
As the year begins in Eighth Judicial District Court, probation was revoked for Quentin Ty Latham, 18, of Sulphur Springs. He was sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for Tampering with Evidence. When Latham is released from prison he will remain on probation for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Xanax) in a Drug Free Zone.
Latham was stopped by Sulphur Springs Police while walking on the wrong side of the road while in possess of contraband. He was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 3, more than 28-grams but less than 200-grams (Xanax) in a Drug Free Zone. As Latham was booked in to Hopkins County jail, he dropped three of the Xanax pills on the floor of the book-in. They had not been found at the time of his arrest. Video in the book-in room captured a trustee at the jail pick up the pills as he was performing the duties of a Trustee. Latham and the Trustee were charged with tamper/fabricate evidence at that time.
City Manager’s Report January 2, 2018
PAMPA STREET – The street has been repaved; the utilities have been replaced, and the curb and gutter has been repaired. All that we lack is a little cleanup.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM – Expect the following streets to be repaved in January: Calvert, Junell, Beth/Rasure/Rose and a portion of Gossett Lane. Also expect portions of Woodside Lane to be reconstructed totaling 400 linear feet.
CANTEX FORCE MAIN – This will be our next capital improvement project. It will replace 2,400 linear feet of aging sewer force main and 2,900 feet of gravity main. Currently the main passes through the middle of the hospital complex. This would be a nightmare if the main ever ruptures. The proposed route would go around the hospital complex rather than through it. One third of the city’s sewage passes through this line.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT – The work at the wastewater treatment plant is on schedule. The three primary clarifier basins have been constructed, and the effluent troughs are being constructed now. Other concrete structures adjacent to the clarifiers are under construction.
CROSSTOWN TRAIL – The Capital Construction Division began constructing the Crosstown Trail in November. This grant-funded project will connect Buford Park to Coleman Park as well as the high school/civic center complex with a concrete path. It will also replace the sidewalk on the north side of Connally Street.
CLAIMS – There were no liability claims and only one workers’ compensation claim in December. It was a minor claim.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES – There will not be a report of revenues and expenditures since the month just ended on Sunday. The report will resume next month.
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Made repairs on Kids Kingdom.
- Serviced all Parks and Recreation Equipment.
- Winterized all irrigation pumps.
- Boom-shredded around Coleman Lake.
- Retrofitted lights at fire station #1 with LED lights.
- Rebuilt pump motors on Oakridge lift station.
- Repaired runway lighting.
- Treated wastewater to a daily average total suspended solids reading of 5.21 mg/L, well within our limitation of 15 mg/L.
- Repaired 9 water main ruptures.
- Replaced 7 water meters.
- Unstopped 11 sewer mains.
- Made repairs to 12 sewer mains.
- Washed 73,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Flushed 35 dead end water mains.
- Operated the water treatment plant on emergency power for 3 hours due to a power outage.
- Replaced Chlorine lines at the water treatment plant.
- Treated 124 million gallons of potable water.
- Checked out 2,205 items from the library, and saw another 491 e-book check outs.
- Produced another successful Christmas extravaganza on Celebration Plaza.
- Conducted 17 building inspections, 6 electrical inspections, 14 plumbing inspections, 3 mechanical inspections and issued 13 building permits.
- Sold 1,703 gallons of Avgas, and 9,068 gallons of Jet-A fuel.
- Processed 376 tickets through Municipal Court.
- Made 10 extensive street repairs following utility repairs.
- Repaired 494 potholes.
- Graded Pipeline Road.
- Made 67 arrests, recorded 56 offenses, wrote 376 citations and responded to 32 accidents.
- Responded to 224 animal control calls and achieved an adoption rate of 54%
- Made two felony arrests in the special crimes unit.
- Responded to 171 fire/rescue calls including 6 structure fires.
Council Paves Way for Block Grant; Proclaims April Fair Housing Month in City
Citizens of Sulphur Springs are urged to be aware and support fair housing laws as a result of a proclamation read by Mayor John Sellers Tuesday night January 2, 2018 during the regular session of the council. April is Fair Housing Month. Housing and streets were the primary focus for the council as they met in the first session of the New Year.
Members of the council approved designated signatories for documents pertaining to a Texas Community Development Block Grant. They also approved establishing policies needed as a part of responsibilities in taking the grant. The grant will provide $275,000 for a rebuild of Sunset Street. That amount is to be matched with $135,000 by the city. Council Member Place 1 Craig Johnson questioned how long the city would be bound by the policies required. City Attorney Jim McElroy responded that the city is already bound to the policies by state and federal law and the policies approved would add no new burden on the city.
Bids and contracts for paving were also approved. Paving materials were the primary interest. Planned street work in December was not accomplished due to the lack of materials. Additional streets are also on the list as the city moves toward spring street work. A low bid of $287,276 by Texana Land and Asphalt was approved.
Council approved the second and final reading of an ordinance authorizing the execution of a special warranty deed conveying certain property of the city on Main Street to Billie Ruth Standbridge. The property will be developed as retail and residence.
#8 in Texas 5A Wildcats Defense Stifles Marshall 50-28
The Wildcats’ basketball team, ranked #8 in Class 5A, used their tenacious defense to stifle the Marshall Mavericks, 50-28 in Marshall Tuesday night. Marshall managed only 10 points during the first two quarters and trailed at halftime 27-10.
The Wildcats got scoring contributions from six different players. Victor Iwuakor led the Wildcats with 11 points. Michael Jefferson scored 10 points. Keaston Willis and Jeremiah Roland added 8 points apiece. Dedric Godbolt had 7 points and Godsgift Ezedinma scored 6 points.
The Wildcats are 2-0 in district play and they improved their season record to 19-3. Next the Wildcats take on Texas High Friday night in Wildcats Gym.
#9 in Texas Class 5A Lady Cats Remain Unbeaten; 71-27 Win Over Marshall
The Lady Cats’ basketball team, ranked #9 in Class 5A, remained unbeaten in district play as they handily defeated Marshall, 71-27 at Wildcats Gym Tuesday evening.
The Lady Cats outscored the Lady Mavs in each quarter leading 22-11 after one quarter, 39-17 at halftime, 60-27 after three quarters and 71-27 at the end. Marshall went the entire fourth quarter without a point.
Lady Cats point guard Sadavia Porter got off to a sizzling start scoring the Lady Cats first ten points. Porter had 21 points at halftime and ended with a game high 28 points including four three-point baskets. She also had a team high 6 assists. The team racked up 19 assists sharing the ball. Kaylee Jefferson had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Danielle Godbolt scored 10 points including two three-point baskets. Imani Taylor and Autumn Tanton both scored 6 points. Taylor hit two three-pointers. Te’Arria Rose had 3 points hitting one three-point shot. .Jamia Hall and Tareyla Kelley both scored two points. It was a very good shooting night for the Lady Cats. They hit 54% from the field making 30 of 56 shots. The Lady Cats even shot a red hot 53% from three point range sinking 9 of 17 three-point attempts. The Lady Cats made 2 of 4 free throws for 50%.
The Lady Cats had 26 big deflections that led to 19 steals. Porter and Taylor both had 8 deflections. Porter had 7 steals. The Lady Cats had four blocks. They committed just 10 turnovers.
The Lady Cats are 4-0 in district play and they are 18-3 for the season. Their two biggest first round district tests remain before them. The Lady Cats play at Texas High Friday night. After a bye next Tuesday, the Lady Cats will host Mount Pleasant Friday week in Wildcats Gym to complete the first half of district play.
Day, Evening Nurse Aide Classes at PJC-Sulphur Springs Campus
Two nurse aide classes to accommodate both daytime and evening students will begin Jan. 22 at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center campus.
NURSE AIDE TRAINING PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Nurse Instructor Kristi Schultz, right, will be teaching a daytime nurse aide class at the campus from Jan. 22 through Feb. 22. Registration for the classes is now being accepted at the campus, located at 1137 Loop 301 East in Sulphur Springs. For more information call the campus office at 903-885-1232.
A daytime class, to be taught by Kristi Schultz, will begin on Jan. 22 and conclude on Feb. 22. The classes will meet from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.
The nighttime classed will begin on Jan. 22 and conclude on March 5. The class will meet from 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and will be taught by LaTosha Ivery.
The PJC-Sulphur Springs Center is now registering applicants for the classes. To register for either class, go by the campus during office hours or call 903-885-1232 to get more information and reserve a place in the classes.
These continuing education classes will offer medical skills in preparation for entry level nursing assistants. They will provide introduction to phlebotomy, basic nursing skills, emergency care, and other instruction that will broaden the education for those seeking nurse aide certification.
