Braums Donate Food for Dinner Bell Community Meal
Braums donated food for the weekly community meal served each Wednesday at the FUMC. The donated items included Chicken Sandwiches, Cheese, and Ice Cream. If you or your business would like to take part in Dinner Bell, call FUMC at (903) 885-2185.
Indian Summer Day Offers Traditional and New Features on Sat October 7
Indian Summer Day in Heritage Park is an opportunity for not just for food and fun, but an invitation to picture your own part in Hopkins County’s history. Indian Summer Day is held annually in Autumn inside Hopkins County Heritage Park, an 11-acre historical site within the city limits of Sulphur Springs. The grounds are furnished with buildings from Sulphur Bluff, Black Oak and other rural communities including a General Store, Chapel, schoolhouse, slaves quarters and a two-story log house. There is also a gristmill, an antique fire truck and a train depot display. The Hopkins County Museum is situated at the entrance to the park and is open to the public five days per week with docents conducting tours. The museum was built as a grand home in 1891 by early settlers George and Myra Wilson. All the buildings and grounds are managed and maintained by the Hopkins County Historical Society, a group of local volunteers associated with the Texas Historical Commission. They hold monthly meetings, plan projects, do upkeep and open the park to the public a half-dozen times each year as fundraisers. Indian Summer Day provides the perfect opportunity to relax, meet new friends, let the kids play, discover interesting things and enjoy your place in it’s heritage. Mark Saturday October 7 on your calendar and don’t miss this exciting local event!
Rick Wilson and Carlie Penson are long-time volunteers at Heritage Park. Rick’s field of interest involves Dutch Oven Cooking. He heads up the John Chester Dutch Oven Cooking School in the Spring as well as the Dutch Oven Cookoff in the Fall. You can enter the Cook-off if you like to cook Dutch-Oven style. Just call Rick at 903-885-9692 or 903-335-2752 to enter. You’ll need a 2-person cooking team, your ingredients for the dishes you will prepare, and a $25 entry fee. There are adult and youth categories, and cash prizes for top three places in each.
Carlie serves as a docent for the Museum on a weekly basis. Along with her husband H.B, she also helps with building maintenance and wears many hats during Indian Summer and Christmas in the Park events. She’s lining up artisans and vendors for the October 7 event, so if you would like to be a a vendor for your art, craft or collectibles, contact Carlie at 903-348-2239 or 903-383-2648.
Many of the traditional features of Indian Summer Day will return like butter churning, soap and candle making, spinning, weaving and hide tanning, also archery, blacksmithing, apple butter-making and corn grinding. A returning feature will be performances by the Choctaw Nation Indian Dancers.
Admission to the Hopkins County Museum and Heritage Park on Indian Summer Day is $3 person with children under 6 free. To sample the Dutch Oven meal served at noon, it’s $5 person. There will be a concession stand, art displays and handmade items for sale through out the park.
Hopkins County Museum in Heritage Park
National 4-H Week, By Johanna Hicks
National 4-H Week
For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will be celebrating National 4-H Week during the first full week of October. Hopkins County 4-H will leverage National 4-H Week this year by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people , and will highlight the remarkable 4-H youth in our community who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them.
We invite you to join us on Monday, October 2, 4:30 p.m. at the Hopkins County Courthouse. Judge Robert Newsom will read the National 4-H Week proclamation on the courthouse steps. Refreshments will be provided, and information about joining 4-H will be available, along with a display of photos of various 4-H events.
4-H alumni around the country are always the first to acknowledge the significant positive impact 4-H had on them as young people and how the opportunities and experiences that 4-H provides youth empowers them to become true leaders. In fact, research has shown that young people in 4-H are almost four times as likely to contribute to their communities, and are twice as likely to engage in science, technology, engineering and math programs in their free time.
In Hopkins County, more than 160 4-H youth and volunteers from the community were involved in 4-H during the 2016/2017 4-H year. Enrollment for the 2017/2018 4-H year is now underway, and we hope to surpass the 200 mark.
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 110 land-grant universities in more than 3,000 local offices, serving every county and parish in the country. 4-H is not just for United States citizens. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations work with one million young people in more that 50 countries.
To learn more about 4-H, go to: https://texas4-h.tamu.edu. And to set the record straight, you do not have to have an animal project to be a member of 4-H! Actually, the most popular projects are foods and nutrition, horticulture, STEM, shooting sports, and photography, followed closely by public speaking, livestock projects, and leadership. The cost to join is $20 before November 1st. (After that date, the fee is $25.) The 4-H year goes from September 1st thru August 31st each year, so now is the perfect time to get on board! Contact our office to learn about the various 4-H clubs in Hopkins County.
4-H Project Show
All Hopkins County 4-H members are encouraged to enter the 2017 4-H project show! Entry categories include: crafts, holiday corner, art, needlework, clothing, decorated accessories, general sewing, jewelry, design, woodworking, leather crafts, scrapbooks, metal work, baked goods, canned goods, horticulture, photography, poetry entomology, exhibit boards, and dolls. Entries will be taken October 2 thru 5 at the Extension Office and judged on Friday, October 6. Entries will then be on display to the public October 9-11 during regular business hours.
4-H members may also enter the same items in the Hopkins County Fall Festival Creative Arts contest later in contest at no charge. Age divisions are: Juniors (grades 3-5), intermediates (grades 6-8), and seniors (grades 9-12).
Christmas Joys Holiday Program
Wow! What great response we received about the 44th annual “Christmas Joys” holiday program! The 1:30 p.m. session is full, but don’t be disheartened! Seats still remain for the 5:30 p.m. program which will include the exact same demonstrations and recipes. Cost is only $5, payable at the door, and each person will receive a goody bag and booklet of all the demonstrations and recipes in the program. The Southwest Dairy Museum will provide delectable refreshments, and you might even want to do a little early Christmas shopping. I almost forgot to mention that we will also have door prizes! You must call our office at 903-885-3443 to sign up. We need a name and phone number for each seat reserved.
Closing Thought
Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be responsible so that when they grow up, they’ll know the value of things – not the price. Unknown
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]
Mt. Pleasant 11, Wildcats Team Tennis 8
The Wildcats’ team tennis squad saw their playoff hopes dim as they lost a district match to Mt. Pleasant, 11-8 Tuesday at the Wildcat Tennis Complex. The Wildcats picked up only one victory in six girls singles and three girls doubles matches. Senior Jazzmin Cruz took her girls singles match, 6-2, 6-3. The Wildcats also took the only mixed doubles match played as once again the team of Heather Harris and Aaron Lucas were awesome in a 6-0, 6-0 win. Wildcats boys claimed two out of three matches in doubles and four out of six matches in singles.
The doubles team of Alex Benitez and Jonah Kirkpatrick won 7-6, 6-1. The doubles team of Chase Crouch and Blaine Flemens dropped a first set, 1-6 but then rallied to win set two, 6-1 and a tiebreaker, 10-3. Benitez also won his singles match, 6-2, 7-5. Flemens won, 6-1, 6-2. Lucas took a 6-3, 6-4 win. Crouch was victorious, 6-3, 7-5.
With the loss, the Wildcats slip to 1-3 in district play. They still have district matches at Greenville next Tuesday and then they host Pine Tree at the Wildcat Tennis Complex on October 10.
Lady Cats Volleyball 3, Marshall 0
The Lady Cats’ volleyball team took care of business defeating a winless in district Marshall team, 3-0 Tuesday evening in Wildcats Gym. The Lady Cats cruised to a 25-11, 25-15 and 25-11 win. Everyone Lady Cats Coach Justin Maness utilized seemed to play well. Mieke VanBenthem had another strong game with 11 kills with no hitting errors. Coach Maness said the Lady Cats missed more serves than he would like to see but he also said the Lady Cats compiled 12 aces. He said the number of good serves made it hard for Marshall to pass the ball. Coach Maness said the Lady Cats are playing with a lot of consistency.
Other Lady Cats with kills included Kaylee Jefferson with 7, Autumn Tanton, Erika VanBenthem and Madi Vickery with 4 apiece and Lexie Whisenhunt with 2. Setter Anden Hammack had a team high 24 assists. Libero Maggie McGlamery had a team high 7 digs, Sadie Stroud had 3. Mieke VanBenthem also had 2 block solos. Tanton had 2 block assists and Whisenhunt and Jefferson added 1 block assist apiece. The Lady Cats improved their district record to 3-2. They also picked up their 20 win of the season.
The Lady Cats are now 20-12. The Lady Cats will take on a good Pine Tree Lady Pirates team Friday at 4:30 p.m. in Wildcats Gym.
Wildcat Football Offense Struggled; Defense Forced First Turnover
Wildcats Offense
For a third straight week, the Wildcats’ offense struggled last Friday night. Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young called the Whithouse loss disappointing. He said the opportunity was there for the offense to score points because of the way the Wildcats’ defense played. One series epitomized what’s been going on for the Wildcats’ offense lately. The series got underway early in the fourth quarter after Wildcats’ safety Austin Dodd caused and recovered a fumble. Whitehouse led only 21-6. On the first play, Coach Young said the Wildcats went with a running play they had used six times before and had averaged eight yards per carry. On this drive it lost a yard and Coach Young said two players missed blocks. Next Coach Young said the Wildcats ran what was their best running play on this night. In this series, it gained a yard setting up third and ten. The Wildcats did not convert and had to give up the football. Coach Young said his offensive coaches continue to emphasis the need to be consistent, to value third down and the importance of everyone executing. Coach Young said more competition for playing time at some positions is being used as an incentive. He said Pine Tree, this Friday’sopponent in the district opener at The Prim, had two very good defensive ends. Inside he said they rotate in a lot of bodies. Coach Young said Pine Tree has been trying lots of guys in the secondary but they seem to like the ones that have been playing there lately.
Wildcats Defense
Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Triston Abron said he wished his defense had played every quarter against Whitehouse last Friday like they did in the third quarter. Still his bottom line was that the Wildcats defense did slow down the Whitehouse offense. Whitehouse was held to just 28 points and they have scored 50 plus points on the Wildcats in some recent years. Still he said the defense had to do better. He wants better tackling and more physicality when defenders reach ball carriers. Coach Abron was pleased his defense got their first turnover of the season. Safety Austin Dodd caused and recovered a fumble. He also said the secondary actually played well despite giving up some big plays to a very talented receiver. When asked who played well Friday, he listed almost the entire defensive unit. The Wildcats play Pine Tree Friday and Coach Abron said the Pirates’ offensive line reminds his defensive coaches of ones at Avalon and Paris. He said Pine Tree uses two quarterbacks include one who can really fly. He said their running backs do a good job and their receivers can put you in a bind. Coach Abron said the Wildcats’ defense will have their work cur out for them Friday night.
Lady Cats Face Marshall in Wildcats Gym; Tennis at Mt Pleasant
There will be Lady Cats’ volleyball and Wildcats’ team tennis on this Tuesday, September 26 2017 game day.
The Lady Cats will play Marshall in Wildcats Gym. There will be a freshman contest at 4:30 p.m. followed by a JV game and then a varsity match at around 6 p.m. Marshall is a much improved team according to Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Justin Maness. The Lady Cats are 2-2 in district play and 19-12 for the season.
Meanwhile the Wildcats’ team tennis squad will host Mt. Pleasant at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday (September 26) at the Wildcat Tennis Complex. The match is a critical one for both teams and it has lots of playoff implications. The Wildcats are 1-2 in district play. Mt. Pleasant won 10-9 at home against the Wildcats last year. The loss greatly hurt the Wildcats playoff chances last year.
Sentencing Given in 2011 Murder Case
Sarilu Ann Mettlen
Brian Allen Tucker
55-year old Sarilu Ann Mettlin was sentenced to 10-years probation for aggravated robbery in Hopkins County’s Eighth District Court Tuesday morning. The sentence was part of a plea bargain in a case involving the death of 63-year old Bobby Riley in Hopkins County in 2011.
Mettlin was originally arrested along with Brian Allen Tucker for capital murder. Tucker escaped from the Hopkins County Jail several years ago and after he was recaptured, he decided to enter a guilty plea for live in prison without parole.
Tucker also indicated to authorities that he would not testify against Mettlin. DA Will Ramsey said the testimony by Tucker would have been vital in the case against Mettlin. Later three aggravated robbery charges were filed against Mettlin in the case. As part of a plea bargain, Ms. Mettlin pleaded guilty on two of the charges and was sentenced to two 10-year prison terms to run concurrently.
The plea bargain also specified that she be sentenced to 10-years deferred adjudication or after her prison time was served. That was the business before Judge Eddie Northcutt Tuesday morning and he sentenced Ms. Mettlin to ten years probation.
