Nurses Week at Christus Mother Francis Hospital
Visiting the KSST Morning Show on May 9, 2017 during National Nurses Week were a trio of health professionals from Christus Mother Francis Hospital in Sulphur Springs. Tanna Lampp Holland , an 11-year employee, is Case Manager and Coordinator of Medical/Surgical Pediatrics. ICU Director Susan McGrady started as an ICU nurse 24 years ago. Sherry Moore, center, Director of Marketing and Chaplaincy is actually not a nurse but began her career as an X-ray technician. Each of these women are excited about the excellent patient care that Christus Mother Francis hospitals offer in the communities they serve. Within Medical/Surg, OB, ICU and ER departments, there are approximately 150 nursing employees locally. Nurses employed at the Sulphur Springs hospital are members of a larger nurses group which serves area hospitals like Winnsboro, Jacksonville and Tyler.
SSISD Board Approves CTE Budget Amendment; Hears Stadium Report; Meets Val & Sal; Approves Personnel Changes
Monday night the Sulphur Springs School Board was introduced to the Class of 2017 Valedictorian and Salutatorian, saw two returning members receive the oath of office, heard reports on various projects, and voted to remodel the Ag Shop and purchase welding equipment to upgrade the program.
Lydia Burleson was recognized as Valedictorian
and Tori Mattison was recognized as Salutatorian of the Class of 2017. They were presented plaques by Board President Leesa Tolliver.
Ron Cardwell of Gallagher Construction Services presented an update on Prim Stadium. He stated they expect completion of work to fall in the first week of August as sub-contractors are being encouraged to complete their work by July 15th. He stated that the field is complete with the exception of some work along the perimeter. The turf field will be covered as the remainder of the work is completed. Lighting for field and stadium should begin and be completed in July. The building foundations are complete and masonry work will continue through June. Structural steel for bleachers and the press box is in place and bleachers should be completed at the end of June. The press box should be finished at the end of July and is one of the last projects to be finished. Completion of plumbing and electrical work will also be final steps in the project. Concession stands, spirit shop, and restrooms are expected to be completed by mid-July. Paving of parking areas should being the second week of June and be completed by mid-July. Concrete podium, concourse, and retaining walls should also be completed by mid-July.
Robin Vaughn and Robert Cody received the oath of office Monday night. The oath was administered by School Tax Collector Sandra Gibby. Tolliver was re-elected as President of the Board and Vaughn as Vice President. Robert Cody was returned to the office of Secretary. The board leadership did not rotate this year. John Prickette nominated the current leadership saying that the board leadership had developed a good relationship with the administration and this would facilitate another smooth year for activities.
Breakfast and lunch fees for adult staff and visitors will increase effective Wednesday, May 10th. Breakfast will be $2.05 and lunch $3.60. Student lunches will see no change in cost.
In reports, Kristin Monk presented a report on the School Health Advisory Committee for 2016-2017. It was noted that students participated on the board and had made contributions to the process. Josh Williams presented updates to the Campus and District Improvement Plans.
The board authorized the Issuance of Refunding Bonds, Establishing the Parameters for the Funding and Delegating Authority to the Administration. This action will facilitate the needed steps in moving quickly in the bond market as needed. A budget amendment allowed the increase to the CTE budget. The CTE budget funds career and technology education in the school district. The board approved spending for an Ag Shop remodel, funds for welders, welding booths, CTE textbooks and funds to lease/purchase 1050 iPads. The old iPads will be sold and will fund at least one third of the cost of the new iPads. The board also approved a maintenance purchase of a sky-lift.
PERSONNEL
Retirement
Billy Young Maintenance Worker Dist-wide
Kathy Houchins Librarian High School
Resignations
Zander Smith Strings Teacher Dist-wide
Nicole Johnson Kindergarten Teacher ECLC
Rachael Johnson Kindergarten Teacher ECLC
Alison Thompson Grade 2 Teacher Bowie
Laura Owens Grade 3 Teacher SS Elementary
Clay Hansford Gifted & Talentend/ELAR Teacher Middle School
Natalie Martino Asst. Athletic Trainer Middle School
Kaley Williams Science Teacher High School
New Personnel
Kristin Brown Campus Secretary ECLC
Sarafina Clayton Grade 2 Teacher Bowie
Sy Lucas Grade 1 Teacher Lamar
Renee Johnson Grade 3 Bilingual Teacher SS Elementary
Jovona Schmidt Grade 3 Teacher SS Elementary
Kimber Thompson Grade 3 Teacher SS Elementary
Cheryl Vickery SpEd Aide SS Elementary
Amanda Williams Grade 4 Teacher SS Elementary
Pamela Carter Culinary Arts Teacher High School
Jason Meskimen Economics Teacher/Coach High School
Amanda Griffith SpEd Aide Austin Academic Center
Personnel Changes New position/campus Former position/campus
Bridget Albert SpEd Aide/ECLC SpEd Aide/Middle School
Angel McCoy SpEd Aide/SS Elementary Instructional Aide/AAC
Mariana Hernandez Grade 2 Bilingual Teacher/Travis Bilingual Pre-K Teacher/ECLC
Sonia Cordova Yanez Campus Secretary/Travis Title I Aide/ECLC
Brooke Howard Gifted & Talented & ELAR/SSMS Grade 3 Teacher/SS Elementary
Fall Festival Board Names Patti Stone Sells Grand Marshall
Patti Stone Sells will serve as Grand Marshal of the Hopkins County Fall Festival Parade in October, 2017. Sells will be honored for the work she does for families that have lost a soldier and for the scholarships the Tanner Higgins Warrior Run gives to students. The announcement was made Monday night during a meeting of Fall Festival Board. A number of decisions were made during the meeting.
The Kelly Miller Circus is being invited to return. A date has not been confirmed. The circus will begin scheduling next year in September.
A committee of board members will plan and develop a Caged Dodge Ball Tournament. The committee will write rules, regulations, organize, and publicize the event to secure teams.
The Fall Festival is seeking a 24ft. goose-neck, flatbed trailer to use for two months. It will decorated for the local Fall Festival and Christmas parades. If someone donates a trailer to the non-profit festival board, it will serve as a tax write off.
A committee was formed to work on the Emerald City Band concert. The festival board is also planning a Saturday night Concert and Dance during the event. They are also in the beginning stages of planning a summertime event for the public.
The board will also be making a $500 donation to the Sheriff’s Posse for their security services during festival events.
Dinner Bell Menu May 10th, 2017
Our Community Partner for this week is
Served at 11:45 AM at the First United Methodist Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.
Video Story Included: Reds, Whites, and Brews Was “Very Smooth”
Great weather, all the vendors were present, and a near sell-out enabled “Reds, Whites, and Brews” Art Foster, Jr, with the Buried Bones Foundation, to say all went well with the second annual event. This is the first year of Buried Bones Foundation to manage the event.
Foster said a great layout, positive feedback, and workers being on time enabled the event to be “very smooth”. He noted that Buried Bones Foundation had not ask for a large number of sponsors and noted that donations to conduct the event did not drive the final monetary results of the event. Monday afternoon, Foster told KSST News that he had returned to run his business, Foster’s Place in Pickton, and had not spent any time in the financials of the event that day. However, he did mail the check to the beer distributor Monday and will pay for the ice Tuesday. He said that some time Wednesday or Thursday, he hopes to have the final results and prepare checks for the city animal shelter and Hearts of Life Animal Rescue. A portion of the proceeds will be used to serve as seed money for next year’s event.
Foster told KSST News that he would report the amounts given to the two entities and the amount of seed money to KSST. He and his partner Matt Dunn have said they will not be paid for their management and promotion of the event.
City Manager Marc Maxwell said the event was a success by any standard.
Criminal Charges Against Contractor Leads to Eighth Judicial Court Trial
A jury trial underway in 8th Judicial District Court is expected to conclude Tuesday. Chad Alan Cappiello, a remodel/repair contractor who also uses the alias Chad Russell, is being tried on two counts of Theft of Property more than $1,500 but less than $20,000. This is not his first day in court for an offense related to this type of theft.
Chad Cappiello/Russell, left, with Defense Attorney William Howard McDowell, right.
In opening remarks Monday morning, Assistant District Attorney Clay Harrison noted that Cappiello changed his name from Chad Russell to Chadley Cappiello and then then Chad Cappiello over the past 23 years. However, he uses both the last name Russell and Cappiello as it suits the opportunity to defraud individuals of money in remodeling and/or repair schemes. His current wife Kristi Cappiello also uses her maiden name as a telemarketer for their business ventures. Harrison pointed out that when anyone attempted to find the location of the business, they were unable to locate the Cappiellos’ due to masking websites, email origination, and the use of cell phones. He stated that attempts to go to addresses listed for the company were fruitless. Even the managers or owners of the buildings where their listed address would take the individual seeking to get a refund for work had no knowledge of the business. An internet search performed by KSST News shows shows Cappiello has been charged in several counties on similar charges. He has been found not guilty in several instances.
Cappiello has operated in various areas of the state and his been charged in several counties, some without success for the prosecution. The local case focuses on charges filed and an indictment rendered by a Hopkins County Grand Jury regarding the theft of property, to be exact, money paid for work never completed in a home remodel in Como.
Cappiello’s Bell County Mugshot
Harrison’s first witness for the prosecution was Delia Snyder of Bell County Texas said Russell/Cappiello took checks for work but that no work was done. Her parents eventually lost their home of 43 years after they mortgaged the hope to pay for a remodel that did not take place. In July, 2016, Cappiello made a plea of no contest in District Court in Bell County. The plea means the family cannot use his “no contest” in a civil suit to recoup any of the money lost. Cappiello is on probation for the Bell County charge.
The afternoon session in 8th Judicial District Court began with Andrew Wyatt, professional cabinet builder and sub-contractor from Tyler on the stand. Wyatt had initially worked a job in Tyler for Cappiello and was paid for his work. Wyatt said the defendant had used that job to hook him into other jobs for which he was never paid by the defendant.
According to Julie Doss, a witness for the prosecution and the homeowner in Como, in May 2015 she saw an advertisement that directed her to a website which introduced her to Cappiello. He used the name Russell presenting her with a business card and eventually a contract with the name Chad Russell typed on the contract. He later brought another sub-contractor to her house to measure for cabinets to replace those in the kitchen. She stated that he wore a suit on his first visit and drove an SUV. Doss presented Cappiello with a check for 10% down and later a second check for 50% for the cabinets and other items for the kitchen. Both checks had been cashed. Eventually, she would call the cabinet maker and be told that he had not been paid to build the cabinets. In June, she and her mother boxed the kitchen and took apart the kitchen in preparation for the remodel to start in June, 2015. By November, they had to reassemble their kitchen to prepare a Thanksgiving meal that they share every year with their neighbors, many of whom have no family with whom to share the day. Doss said she called the company on several occasions regarding the work but each time Cappiello/Russel was unavailable. After Christmas his company continued to put off Ms. Doss. She had also been told that the house must be leveled before the work could be performed.
Doss had asked if another could perform the work at her home but was told that “Chad would want to handle it”. Shortly after, she began to ask for a refund. That is when her calls to Capiello’s business were no longer returned.
The trial will continue Tuesday and Harrison expects the state to rest its case before noon. He expects the defense to call two witnesses and then the jury will be given the case for a verdict.
Wildcats Register 2-1 Record at Gilmer 7-on-7
The Wildcats varsity 7 on 7 team played their first games of the season Saturday at Gilmer and won two and lost one. Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young said Sulphur Springs brought lots of athletes on varsity and JV high school teams and four middle school teams.
The Wildcats’ varsity opened with a 19-18 win over Lindale. Trailing at the end, the Wildcats made a two point conversion to win as quarterback D’Corian Young completed a pass to Rio Becerra. Coach Young said offensive standouts also included Simeon Taylor, Cason Goodson, Bryce McQueen and Austin Dodd. He said defensive standouts included Andy Eddins, Conner Burgin, Cor’Tavius Pruitt and Goodson.
Next the Wildcats led early but came up short against Gilmer, 35-28. Coach Young said the Wildcats were throwing into the end zone at the end trying to score. He said Landry Tyson had a good game catching the ball along with Searn Rodgers. On defense, Coach Young singled out Cason Churchman, Hunter Smithson, Sebastian Adams and D.J. Abron.
The Wildcats won a third game. Coach Young couldn’t remember the exact score how but he said it was 40-plus to 14. He said quarterback Young got in a groove in his first varsity 7 on 7 action. Starting quarterback Ryan Humphries missed the 7 on 7 action due to baseball. Coach Young said offensive standouts included Tyson, Taylor, Dodd, Jase Thompson, McQueen, Becerra and Pacen Edwards.
The JV team won 3 and lost one.
Next Gilmer will come to Sulphur Springs for 7 on 7 action on May 16.
Meal A Day Menu For May 15th-19th
Baseball Play-offs: Sulphur Bluff, Yantis In; North Hopkins, Cumby Out
Two of our area baseball teams are still alive and two are out after bi-district results this past weekend.
In Class 1A, the Sulphur Bluff Bears won their bi-district game against Bloomburg, 11-4. They will play Union Hill in an area round game this weekend.
The Yantis Owls had a first round bye in the playoffs. They will now face Trinidad this weekend in an area series. Game one is Thursday at 7 p.m. Game two is Friday at 7 p.m. Game three, if needed, will be Saturday at 1 p.m. All games are at Kemp High School.
Meanwhile in Class 2A, North Hopkins and Cumby lost hard fought series. North Hopkins played Detroit and their bi-district series went to a third game and Detroit got an 8-3 win at North Hopkins Saturday. The Panthers had lost at Detroit, 10-4 Friday but then won at home Saturday 6-2 to set up the decisive third game.
Cumby lost two games to Linden-Kildare. The Trojans lost at home, 5-3 Friday and then dropped a 14-1 game in the series.
