Wildcats Face The Avalon School of Maryland in Second Game of Season; First Game in Renovated Prim Stadium
News media members learned more about The Avalon School of Maryland as Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens had his media gathering Wednesday morning. Coach Owens called Avalon a souped up Liberty-Eylau. He used the adjective athletic over and over. Coach Owens said they are big play guys.
The Avalon coach is Tyree Spinner. Coach Owens called him cordial and easy to work with. Coach Owens said he knew what Coach Spinner is going through getting ready to take a team to play a game far from home. Week two last year had the Wildcats playing a Florida school in Orlando. Avalon is expected to arrive in Sulphur Springs Thursday evening. After playing Friday night, the Black Knights will be heading back to Gaithersburg, Virginia on Saturday.
Coach Owens said for the Wildcats to win, they must be disciplined and win the turnover battle. He said the offense must be consistent and put points on the board. Coach Owens said the defense had to prevent big plays. Coach Owens said players’ attitudes were good in practice this week after a win last week. He said the team was pleased to see injured offensive tackle Charlie Maddux visit practice Monday and Tuesday. Maddux suffered a serious head injury last week after a fall from a vehicle in the high school parking lot. Coach Owens said Maddux continues to make good progress. He also advised Wildcats’ fans to arrive at the stadium early Fridaynight. There will be some pregame ceremonies starting at around 7 p.m.
The media gathering was moved to Prim Stadium where reporters found Coach Owens and others putting down sod outside the stadium. The media gathering took place in a most unlikely place, a women’s restroom. It proved to be a quiet spot with construction noise nearby.
SSHS Band Ready for First Performance in Renovated Prim Stadium
Fans to come to the renovated Gerald Prim Stadium for Friday night’s football game will be able to see half of this year’s band halftime show. It’s a four element show and Band Director Charles McCauley says the band will perform element one and element two Friday, just like they did in Sherman last Friday. It may have sounded like just a single element last Friday but McCauley explains element two begins very shortly after the end of element one.
He says he is very excited by the new Prim Stadium the band will get to march on. The band has not marched on it yet but McCauley says the band will arrive plenty early to get the feel for the new stadium. McCauley says he is also excited about the band being relocated from the end zone to the home side. He looks forward to the band playing right next to the student section, the cheerleaders and the Blue Blazes Drill Team.
2015 Band performance at Prim
Indian Summer Day Announced for October 7 at H C Heritage Park and Museum
Everyone of all ages will enjoy discovering Hopkins County’s own heritage through living history. There will be outdoor cooking, art, handmade items, pioneer skills demonstrations, tours and children’s attractions. Youth and adults who wish to enter the cooking competition are welcome to enter.
PJC-Sulphur Springs Back in Session
BACK IN SESSION PJC-Sulphur Springs Center classes are back in session for the fall semester and English instructor Ken Haley gives some one-on-one help to students in his English 1302 class. For information about PJC-Sulphur Springs, call 903-885-1232.
County Treasurer Jim Thompson Announces Re-election Campaign
Hopkins County Treasurer Jim Thompson has announced his campaign for re-election. A 51-year resident of Hopkins County, Thompson is serving his first term in office, and has filed documents to officially establish his campaign in the Republican primary for another 4-year term as Hopkins County’s chief financial officer.
Thompson said, “The voters strongly placed their faith in me almost 3 years ago to handle the daily financial functions of Hopkins County, and I am asking for their support again so I can continue to serve them. The position of County Treasurer is primarily a position of trust, and I have faithfully served to protect that trust. Hopkins County’s financial processes are carefully checked each year by a weeks-long process conducted by an independent auditing firm. During my time in office I am proud that zero discrepancies have been found.”
Thompson continued, “In my original campaign I promised the citizens of Hopkins County 3 important things: Accuracy, Transparency, and Accountability. I have kept that promise. I have taken specific steps to reorganize the way our bookkeeping and banking functions work together to improve efficiency and to reduce the chance of errors. I have modernized the operation of the Treasurer’s office, and I maintain an open-door policy for anyone who wants information about Hopkins County’s finances.
Thompson also said, “I have developed a great professional working relationship with everyone in Hopkins County’s financial operation. We all get along well and help each other without drama or tension. We respect each other’s position and work together as a team. The Commissioners Court very wisely restructured the financial operations of Hopkins County before I was elected, and the new arrangement is working quite well.”
The Texas Constitution of 1876 and laws passed by the legislature carefully detail the core responsibilities of County Treasurers. Thompson fulfills those requirements on a daily basis in cooperation with the County Commissioners, the internal Auditor, and the office of Court Administration. He noted that while Treasurers work only a little with the public, their communication and coordination with other County departments and elected officials is crucial to the overall goal of good local government.
Thompson has been active for over 30 years in many phases of Republican Party efforts to insure limited, conservative government working in all levels from campaign staff member on the Congressional level to local volunteer in many local election cycles. He has been a part of many local Republican Party meetings, attended Republican Party State Conventions, helped conservative candidates create winning ad campaigns, put up highway signs and yard signs, manned the headquarters during election seasons, and worked the Party’s Fall Festival booth. Thompson said that for many years he has proudly voted in Republican primaries, and is a sustaining member of the Republican Party of Texas.
Jim Thompson earned a Bachelor’s Degree with honors from East Texas State University, and later earned a Master’s Degree with honors from Texas A&M University – Commerce. He was elected during the late 1980s to a 3-year term on the Sulphur Springs City Council. He served in the 1990s as President of the Hopkins County Dairy Festival Committee and on the Board of Directors for the local Girl Scout Council. He has been teaching a senior adult bible class at League Street Church of Christ almost 13 years. He is the son of the late Barnie Thompson and Lillian Thompson, and is married to JoBeth Thompson.
Sixteen Named to SSHS Homecoming Court
Next week is Homecoming week at Sulphur Springs High School. Sixteen Homecoming nominees, who are hoping to be selected as Homecoming queen, have been chosen by the high school student body. High School Assistant Principal Vanessa Abron coordinates Homecoming activities and she says this is the largest Homecoming court that she can recall since she got involved with Homecoming back in 1998.
The nominees are Alyssa Abron, Karlee Adams, Makenzie Alexander, Allie Avery, Gracie Boyer, Vanessa Diosdado, Hannah Dixon, N’sya Dugan, Aubrey Faulks, Anden Hammack, Maggie McGlamery, Jacie McKinney, Kate Potts, Anna Sapaugh, Imani Taylor and Mieke VanBenthem. The nominees will have interviews with news media members next Tuesday morning at around 10:35 a.m. Interviews and pictures of the homecoming court will be available next week on KSST, ksstradio.com, and Suddenlink Cable Channel 18. Wednesday morning, September 13 at 7:30 a.m. before school, they will have a practice at the indoor facility. They will be at a Homecoming Pep Rally Friday afternoon at around 3 p.m. on September 15.
Also on Friday evening, September 15, pre-game activities will begin at 6:40 p.m. for the Homecoming court. Homecoming princesses and the queen will be named. The Wildcats will be playing Paris on Friday night, September 15.
SSISD Students Collecting Donations for Calhoun County ISD in “Fill the Bus” Campaign
Calhoun County ISD was greatly impacted by Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent flooding. Dr. James Cowley, a former Sulphur Springs ISD employee, is currently the superintendent at CCISD. They are in need of basic school supplies as they prepare to begin their school year on September 11th. Sulphur Springs ISD would like to invite the community to help them by collecting needed school supplies. Please help us “Fill the Bus” by donating the following items! Items can be dropped off at the Administration Building by September 11th. The address is 631 Connally St.
- Pencils/Pens
- Construction paper/ manila paper
- Spiral notebooks
- Crayons
- Dry erase markers
- Folders
- White copy paper
- Notebook paper
- Glue or glue sticks
- Map colors
- Kleenex
- Mosquito Spray
Christian Home Educators (CHESS) Conducts Informal Introduction to Basketball Program
The Christian Home Educators of Sulphur Springs (CHESS) will be holding an informational meeting for its basketball program on Friday, September 8, 2017 at 6:00 PM at Central Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs, TX. At that meeting the CHESS Sports Committee will give an overview of plans for the Knights’ 2017-18 season and discuss polices, fees and expectations related to the program. This will be a good opportunity for any local homeschool families who are considering participating in CHESS basketball learn more about the program. In order to participate in CHESS basketball student athletes must adhere to both local (available upon request) and NCHC national eligibility guidelines (http://nchclive.com/
CHESS basketball is available for boys and girls who are age 8 and up as of September 1, 2017. Students ages of 12 and up are eligible to participate in our regular basketball program, while the younger children can participate in our developmental program. Developmental teams will not play as rigorous a schedule as the regular teams and they will have a different fee structure than teams in the regular program.
Prior to the parents’ meeting there will be a player evaluation for boys ages 8 and up. This will be an informal time for the coaches to assess numbers and talent. Evaluations will begin at 5:00 PM on September 8 at Central Baptist Church. Evaluations for the girls’ teams will take place during regular practices, which will begin next week for most teams.
For more information contact CHESS Knight Athletic Director, Danny Caldwell at [email protected].
CHESS Sports Guidelines for Competitive Teams
Revised September 4, 2013
Sports Coordinator Guidelines
1. Coordinates Sports Banquet in the spring.
2. Assists coaches as needed.
3. Purchases/distributes supplies, equipment, uniforms, etc.
4. Responsible for overseeing all Chess sporting events, games, practices,
etc.
5. Communicates with coaches and families in a timely manner concerning new
opportunities for students as the Lord leads.
Coach Guidelines
1. Coach is supportive of Sports Coordinator.
2. Coach is responsible for setting the schedule for practices.
3. Coach has the right to play students at his/her discretion (due to
attitude, ability, missed practices, goofing off during practices, etc.)
4. Coach starts/ends all practices and games in prayer. Keeps athletes
focused on pleasing God! Coach may bring devotions or have an athlete offer
one at his or her discretion.
5. Depending on the level of response from CHESS athletes, additional tryouts
may be used by the coach to fill the teams.
6. Each year the Coach will set the dates for the beginning of practices and
the cutoff for accepting additional players.
Athlete Guidelines
1. In order to play sports with CHESS, the athlete’s family must be a current
member of CHESS (i.e. family must have turned in completed application and
liability form and must have paid their CHESS dues.)
2. Shows respect to coach at all times.
3. Will listen to instruction and put forth his/her best effort.
4. Will do his/her best to attend all scheduled practices.
5. The athlete must be at least 12 years old on September 1 (at the beginning
of the school year).
6. If wearing shorts, athlete will only wear shorts that are at fingertip
length or longer. Athlete will not wear any clothing that shows or reveals
undergarments. These dress guidelines are for practices and games.
7. In order to be eligible to play sports with CHESS, an athlete needs to be
at least 51% home schooled and in compliance with the National Christian
Homeschool Championship player guidelines. Their eligibility policy can be
found on their website at www.nchclive.com. Select “Eligibility” from the
menu bar across the top of the home page and then select “Guidelines” to see
all the details.
Local Doctor in Stable Condition Following Heart Attack
Following a severe heart attack, Dr. I L Balkcom is in stable condition in Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center, Plano, also known as The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, according to a member of the board of the Hopkins County Hospital District. Dr. Balkcom is a family practice physician at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic in Sulphur Springs and is well known for his performances with the Northeast Texas Choral Society.
Dr. Balkcom suffered his heart attack Tuesday afternoon, according to the Hospital District board member. Dr. Balkcom was treated locally by Advanced Heart Care’s Dr. Jai Varma. Dr Varma will continue his care for Dr. Balkcom at Plano Heart Hospital.
