Wildcats Defense Stymies Garland Lakeview Centennial
The Wildcats’ basketball team used their rugged defense to stymie Garland Lakeview Centennial in a 53-36 win in the Curtis Culwell Invitational at Garland Naaman Forest Gym Thursday afternoon. The Wildcats allowed the Patriots only six first quarter points and four second quarter points.
The Wildcats led 29-10 at the half. Victor Iwuakor provided a lot of the offense for the Wildcats scoring 23 points. Keaston Willis added 11 points. Michael Jefferson had 8 points, Godsgift Ezedinma 6 points, Bryson Lynn 3 points and Xavier Cork 2 points.
The Wildcats, ranked #13 in the state, improved their season record to 6-0. The Wildcats now play Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Curtis Culwell Center against the winner of a Richardson J.J. Pearce and Garland game.
Lady Cats Defeat Gilmer, Emory Rains in Winnsboro Hoopfest
The Lady Cats’ basketball team took two wins in the Winnsboro Hoopfest Thursday. The Lady Cats defeated Gilmer, 46-34 in the high school gym and topped Emory Rains, 52-42 in the junior high gym.
In the Gilmer game, the Lady Cats outscored the Lady Buckeyes in every quarter. Kaylee Jefferson and Autumn Tanton both scored 14 points. Sadavia Porter added 12 points. Imani Taylor and Danielle Godbolt both scored three points. Taylor, Godbolt and Jefferson all had a three point basket. Tanton grabbed 12 rebounds and Jefferson had 10. The Lady Cats had 20 steals with Porter getting 8 of them.
In the Rains game, the Lady Cats jumped out to an 18-7 first quarter lead and led 28-16 at the half. Rains cut into the lead in the third quarter but still trailed 42-34. The Lady Cats outscored Rains 10-8 in the fourth quarter to take the 52-42 win. Sadavia Porter had 21 points. Autumn Tanton added 14 and Kaylee Jefferson had 12. Te’Arria Rose scored 3 points and Imani Taylor had 2. Porter hit 2 three-point baskets and Rose and Jefferson had one apiece. Jefferson had a team high 8 rebounds and 5 steals.
The #18 state ranked Lady Cats improved their season record to 6-1. The Lady Cats will play Texas High Friday at 10:40 a.m. in the Winnsboro High School Gym in the tournament’s Gold Bracket.
Chamber Connection November 30, 2017
The Sulphur Springs Hopkins County EDC and the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce are hosting their annual Economic Outlook Conference at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center on Wednesday, December 6th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We are so excited to welcome Mr. Richard Froeschle, current Labor Market Economist, as our keynote speaker at the 2017 Economic Outlook Conference. Mr. Froeschle will present Hopkins County the economic outlook for Northeast Texas for 2018. Sponsorships of the conference and tickets are available. Lunch will be provided. For further information, please call the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce at 903-885-6515.
I’m excited to let you know that we have begun work on the 2018 Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Directory. We distribute over 7,000 of these directories to visitors, relocation hopefuls, and even home town heroes who are interested in learning more about our local businesses. They include historical information as well all things to the see and do in Hopkins County. The best part is, they include an alphabetical and categorical listing of your business. Echo Publishing creates this book for us. LeeAnn Peugh, with Echo Publishing, will be contacting you in the next few weeks to see if you are interested in placing an ad in the directory. The rates are affordable, and one of the best ways to represent your business. We redesigned the 2017 directory to look more like a beautiful magazine, and 2018 will follow suit. I hope you will consider this a wise investment with over 7,000 opportunities for business exposure. You may also contact the Chamber, and I will pass your information along to her. I’m proud to produce this book telling all about the place we love. I hope you will join me in the journey!
Health Care Foundation lights the tree!
Hopkins County Health Care Foundation is hosting the Lights of Life Tree Lighting Thursday night, November 30th at 6 p.m. in the Gardens at Christus. They will have cookies, hot cocoa, Christmas carols and even Santa! The SSHS Jazz Bank will play and the K-2nd graders from Water Oak Elementary School will sing. The physician choir will also perform. It will be a wonderful evening and a great way to get you in the Christmas Spirit.
CASA hosts their annual Cookie Walk
CASA is hosting their annual Cookie Walk on Friday, December 1st, from 9 a.m. to noon at First United Methodist Church Family Life Center. Cookies are sold for $5.00 a pound. Go by there and load up on Christmas cookies while supporting our local CASA!
Lion’s Club will host the 10th Annual Christmas Parade on Friday, December 1st at 6:30 p.m.
The Lion’s Club is hosting the 10th Annual Christmas Parade presented by Carriage House Manor on Friday, December 1st at 6:30 p.m. The parade begins at Buford Park and goes East on Connally Street to the square. It turns left onto Church Street and left on Houston Street to end in the Gerald Prim Stadium parking lot. Line-up begins at 3:00 p.m. on December 1st. You may pick up registration forms and rules at the Chamber of Commerce. The entry fee is one toy, to be donated to the Blue Santa Program. Charitable cash donations also accepted, and checks should be made payable to the Sulphur Springs Lions Club. Registration forms must be received by noon on Tuesday, November 28.
Help Blue Santa Build His Float
Christmas Light Parade spectators are encouraged to bring a toy or financial donation to the parade for the Blue Santa program and can be turned in either at the Hopkins County Courthouse before the parade, or during the parade to the Blue Santa trailer. The Blue Santa program is a partnership between the Hopkins County Law Enforcement Association and the Sulphur Springs Law Enforcement Association to provide Christmas gifts and financial support to needy families during the Christmas season. Thank you for your generosity to this worthwhile program.
Heritage Park will host Christmas in the Park on Saturday, December 2nd at 5:30 p.m.
The Hopkins County Historical Society presents Christmas in the Park on Saturday, December 2, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $3.00, and children under seven are free. Visit with Santa, see the light displays, listen to live music, enjoy hot cocoa, old-fashioned cider, coffee and cookies, and begin your Christmas shopping in the Country Store.
The Alcove2 hosts a wine and food pairing event
The Alcove2 has teamed up with Los Pinos Winery to offer a wine & food pairing event at The Alcove2 on Monday, December 4th. They have chosen three amazing wines for the night. Each wine will be paired with a full course made by their chef. They will offer two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts for each guest to choose from. All food is paired perfectly with the designated wine for that course. Tickets are $40 and must be purchased at The Alcove2 in advance. Tickets are limited, so stop by and grab yours today!
The Reilly Springs Jamboree is hosting a special dance
The Reilly Springs Jamboree is not having their regular third Saturday Jamboree. Instead, they are hosting a special Christmas Jamboree Dance on Saturday, December 9th, at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center located at 150 Martin Luther King Drive in Sulphur Springs. Admission is $10 per person or by donation. Make plans to go by, listen to some music, enjoy refreshments and be on your way OR stay for the entire evening and dance the night away to favorite country/western music performed by some of the best country musicians in the area, including recording artists Don Woods Jr. and Shanna Carter. What a wonderful way to enjoy some country music and support the fundraising efforts of the Senior Citizen Center at the same time!
Chamber Announcement:
We have an announcement regarding stew t-shirts. We have a few of the Come and Taste It t-shirts left unpurchased in each size at the Chamber. We’d like to clear these out, so we are selling them for $8.00 each. If you missed purchasing your shirts on Stew Contest day, give us a call at the Chamber! We’ll get your order ready where you can just pop in and grab them. Call quickly before they are all gone! (903) 885-6515.
Ribbon cuttings:
Centric Healthcare hosted their ribbon cutting on Wednesday, November 29th
Centric Healthcare hosted their ribbon cutting celebration on Wednesday, November 29th at noon at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. Centric Healthcare recently branched into Hopkins County and is excited about offering home health and hospice needs.
Pet Photos With Santa Benefits Hearts of Life
Pet photos with Santa at PetSense in Sulphur Springs will benefit Hearts of Life Animal Rescue. Cost of the photo is a donation with $10 as the suggested donation. According to Hearts of Life even if you do not have a pet, you can have your picture made with Santa for a donation. Hearts of Life Animal Rescue provides opportunities to adopt a pet as well.
SSISD Trustee Participates in Leadership Program
(Austin) –Leesa Toliver, trustee from Sulphur Springs ISD joined 30 other school board members from across Texas November 15-18 at the second session of the Leadership TASB class of 2018. Selected by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the group is participating in a yearlong education leadership study program. These trustees represent school districts of all sizes, with student populations of 184 to 83,270, and reflect a similar range of property wealth.
Participants who complete all required elements of the study will graduate next year by earning Master Trustee status. This is the highest designation recognized by TASB.
Meeting in Odessa, the trustees heard featured speaker Lloyd B. Potter, PhD, Texas state demographer, whose presentation focused on current trends in the Texas population and how demographic shifts impact Texas school districts. Also during the session, the class visited Ector County ISD schools and learned how the district is implementing interventions to assist campuses with low academic performance ratings.
Other Leadership TASB sessions are scheduled for Galveston, March 1-3; El Paso, April 19-21; and Fort Worth, June 28-30. Each session has a unique theme that builds on the previous session and features nationally recognized experts in the fields of leadership development and education. Teams also work throughout the year on extended learning assignments between meetings. Created in 1993, Leadership TASB has more than 800 graduates to date.
TASB is a voluntary, nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local Texas school boards. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve more than 5.3 million public school students.
Basketball Tournaments: Miller Grove; Wildcats in Garland; Lady Cats in Winnsboro
MILLER GROVE TOURNEY
Miller Grove is hosting a three-day boys invitational tournament that is underway Thursday and will continue through Saturday. Games start each day at 9:30 a.m. with the last game beginning at around 7:30 p.m. Nine teams are participating and each is expected to get in six games during the busy tournament. Tournament teams include CHESS, Trenton, White Oak, Sulphur Springs JV, Miller Grove, Boyd JV, Cooper, Ector and Saltillo.
WILDCATS IN GARLAND
The Wildcats’ basketball team, ranked #13 in the state and 5-0 so far this season, open play Thursday in the three-day Curtis Culwell Invitational in Garland. The Wildcats play Garland Lakeview Centennial Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the Garland Naaman Forest Gym. Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta called Lakeview Centennial very athletic and scrappy. He added they would try to put pressure on the Wildcats. Coach Cipoletta said one of the Lakeview Centennial players was an exceptional scorer. If the Wildcats win, they will play again Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Curtis Culwell Center against the winner of the Richardson J.J. Pearce and Garland game. If the Wildcats lose Thursday, they will play Friday at 11:30 a.m. in the Curtis Culwell Center against the loser of the J.J. Pearce and Garland game.
LADY CATS IN WINNSBORO
The Lady Cats’ basketball team will be hoping for some bounce back wins Thursday in the Winnsboro Hoopfest after suffering their first defeat of the season Tuesday night in Idabel, Oklahoma. The Lady Cats play two pool play games Thursday at the three-day Winnsboro Hoopfest. The Lady Cats take on Gilmer Thursday at 2:40 p.m. in the Winnsboro High School Gym. Later Thursday they have a rematch with Emory Rains at 5:20 p.m. in the Winnsboro Junior High Gym. The Lady Cats opened the regular season with a road win at Emory Rains back on November 11. The Lady Cats come into the tournament ranked #18 in the state and 4-1 so far this season.
Wildcats Named to All-District Team
The Wildcats’ football team was very well represented on the All-District Football Team selected by the district’s coaches and released Thursday by Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens.
Six Wildcats were named to the First Team All-District: senior wide receiver Simeon Taylor, senior offensive lineman Jesus Olivo, senior defensive lineman D’Idrec Dugan, senior inside linebacker K.J. Abron, sophomore outside linebacker Kylan Wade amd senior cornerback Terrell Turman.
Eleven Wildcats were selected to the Second Team All-District: senior quarterback Ryan Humphries, junior running back Colton Allen, senior fullback Logan Caton, junior wide receiver Austin Dodd, junior wide receiver Landry Tyson, senior defensive lineman Calvin Eckert, junior defensive lineman Jose Rodriguez, senior inside linebacker Jaxon Reneau, senior safety Sebastian Adams, junior cornerback Damiyon Dugan and junior punter Jermond Bryant-Amos.
Named Honorable Mention All-District were senior running back Searn Rodgers, senior offensive lineman Norris English, senior offensive lineman Ian Blanch, sophomore offensive lineman Jaxon Chaney, senior defensive lineman Vuk Susic, senior inside linebacker Vincent Morales, junior outside linebacker Cason Churchman, senior safety D.J. Abron and junior safety Austin Dodd.
5,634 Head Sells at Second November NETBIO Sale
The second edition of the Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization’s November anniversary stocker and feeder calf sale was held Wednesday, and producers sold 5,639 head of pre-conditioned cattle.
An additional November sale had to be held due to the increased consignment demand. The first sale held on Nov. 15 sold nearly 8,000 head of cattle. Producers sold a total of 13,392 head of cattle at the two anniversary sales held at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission.
A total of 225 producer-members of NETBIO sold cattle at the sale. Bidding was active with 31 buyers paying an average of $878.91 per head for the cattle. Some cattle were also sold over the Internet.
TALKING CATTLE David Fowler, center, co-owner of the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission, discusses the NETBIO Pre-conditioned Calf and Yearling sale with NETBIO CEO Dwyatt Bell, right, and Koby Long. The second November NETBIO sale held Wednesday sold nearly 5,700 head.
“We had some very nice weather for the sale and buyer attendance was good,” Livestock Commission co-owner David Fowler said. “Producers offered a lot of quality cattle and the buyers liked them. Some of the cattle went to several feed yards in the Texas Panhandle and Kansas.”
Fowler said several local buyers bought some very nice replacement heifers. “It was a good sale and our producers continue to do a great job raising and pre-conditioning their cattle,” he said.
The NETBIO organization and the Pre-Conditioned Stocker and Feeder Calf Sale, which began in November 1998, gives producers a market to offer their pre-conditioned calves and yearlings in load lot quantities. NETBIO holds seven pre-conditioned calf sales per year, which is the marketing arm for members of the organization.
The next regularly scheduled NETBIO sale will be held on January 17. The deadline for weaning calves for that sale is Dec. 3, and the booster shot deadline is Dec. 18.
READY TO SELL Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization member producers consigned nearly 5,700 head of cattle to the NETBIO sale held on Wednesday. It was the second November sale for the organization, made necessary because of the large number of beef cattle being raised in the region. The first November Anniversary sale held two weeks earlier sold 7,758 head.
CASA Cookie Walk on Dec. 1 is Annual Fundraiser for Lake Country CASA
Gina Law is Executive Director for Lake Country Casa, headquartered in Sulphur Springs at 216 Connally Street. For more than 25 years, the Cookie Walk has been the sole fundraiser for the non-profit Court Appointed Special Advocate. Gina, her staff and volunteers will stage the Cookie Walk on Friday December 1 in the Family Life Center of First United Methodist Church starting at 9am. You can select homemade Christmas cookies of all types at $5 per pound. One word of caution..don’t arrive late! Even with more than two dozen volunteers on the baking committee, the morning’s supply of homemade cookies still sells out quickly!
Gina Law, Executive Director of Lake Country CASA
In a KSST Morning Show interview, Gina shed some light on what CASA does, the job description and the urgent need for qualified, trained CASA volunteers. Originally formed in 1976, the organization operates through volunteers who serve, one on one, as a constant familiar face for a child caught up in the child protective legal system due to abuse and/or neglect in the home. The first Texas chapter was formed in 1979, and a Hopkins County chapter began work 27 years ago with Eddie Jo Edge as Executive Director. Later, taking in Rains and Franklin County cases, the organization became Lake Country CASA, where Gina Law has served as director for 18 years. She and her staff; Sharla Evans, Peggy Walker and Sherry Jordan are headquartered in offices in downtown Sulphur Springs. A board of directors lends business expertise to the success of the organization. Lake Country CASA functions through grants, United Way funding, private donations and the Cookie Walk fundraiser.
In 2017, some 26 local volunteers have handled 134 cases total, with 80 of these involving Hopkins County children. These individual volunteers appointed by a judge not only monitor the progress of the case but have oversight of special services such as counseling, medical, educational, transportation, safety and other issues for the long-term welfare of the child. Judges typically assign CASA volunteers to the most difficult and complex cases involving physical or sexual abuse and neglect.
Lake Country CASA is seeking volunteers who can be committed to their assignment. Each case typically lasts one to two years, and the amount of time spent on a case per month averages 10 hours. In many cases, these children may eventually return to their home, be placed with another family member or find a foster home or adoptive family. In order to help achieve this goal and provide quality advocacy, volunteers must make case time a priority. If you are interested in finding out more, contact Gina Law at 903-885-1173 or see her at the Lake Country CASA office, 216 Connally Street, downtown Sulphur Springs.
