24 Schools, 330 Lifters at SSHS Powerlifting Meet; Wildcats Finish Second
From all accounts, the Sulphur Springs Powerlifting Meet was a big success Saturday. The meet drew 24 schools and 330 lifters making it one of the largest in the state according to Wildcats Powerlifting Coach Casey Jeter. Coach Jeter expressed his thanks to all those who attended and to those that worked tirelessly to make it happen.
The meet was certainly a success for the local lifters. The Wildcats finished second, just one point behind first place Kemp. Greenville was third. Coach Jeter said everyone of his eleven lifters set personal records. Eight of the eleven scored points. Nine Wildcats’ lifters are currently qualified for the regional meet but the regular season still has more than a month to go. Cor’Tavius Pruitt won his 181 pound weight class. Pruitt is currently ranked #1 in the region and #6 in state in his weight class. D’idrec Dugan won his 220 pound weight class in dramatic fashion. To win, Dugan nailed a 575 pound dead lift. That’s 100 pounds more than he had ever lifted in competition. Ian Blanch was second in the 275 pound weight class. In the 114 pound weight class, Alex Rodriguez was third and Oscar Yanez was fourth.
The Wildcats will compete in an Emory Rains meet this Saturday. Coach Jeter said his team intends to win that meet.
SSISD Takes Step Toward District of Innovation
Monday at 11:30 a.m., the Sulphur Springs School Superintendent Michael Lamb expressed his thanks and appreciation for the SSISD Board of trustees. He called them a great team with whom to work. He presented gifts from the various campuses to recognize school board members during School Board Appreciation Month.
The board approved resolutions designating SSISD as a District of Innovation. Districts in Texas may apply to be a District of Innovation if they have met state standards. Lamb stated that the local district will be allowed certain flexibility in light of specific state laws that have created a lot of paperwork for the districts. He stated at first he did not want to apply for the designation but the date for start of the school year next year changed his mind. He stated the district will be able to continue with the school calendar with which they are familiar by becoming a District of Innovation.
The vote of the school board Monday approved the District Advisory Committed and principals of each school to pursue becoming a District of Innovation. The second step of approval will be placed before the District Approval Committee and finally be returned to the board for final approval.
With the approval of the District of Innovation, the District Advisory Committee and Principals will provide a comprehensive educational program for the district which may or may not include innovative curriculum, instructional methods, provisions regarding community participation, campus governance, and parental involvement; modifications to the school day or year; provisions regarding the district budget and sustainable program funding; accountability and assessment measures that exceed the requirements of the state and federal law and identifies requirements imposed by this code that inhibit the goals of plan and from which the district should be exempted on adoption of the plan.
After the plan is approved, it will be posted on the district website for at least 30 days. The board will notify the Commissioner of intent to adopt plan. The district board of trustees must adopt the plan with a two-thirds majority vote.
The plan allows for exemptions that Lamb stated the local district may or may not desire. Among exemptions allowed are educator certification, teacher contracts, first and last day of school, length of school day, class size, and certain purchasing and contract requirements. Prohibited exemptions include district governance, curriculum, state assessment and state accountability systems, school finance, and federal requirements.
School districts that have approved the District of Innovation are Canton, Denton, Coppell, Forney, Galena Park, Kaufman, Grand Prairie, Rivercrest, Spring Branch and El Paso, Sherman, Terrell, Texarkana and a large number of others.
Districts of Innovation were created in an amended Chapter 12 of the Texas Education Code. House Bill 1842 passed in the 84th Session of the Texas Legislature created the amendment. The designation provides the district will be exempt from certain sections of the TEC that inhibit the goals of the district as outlined in the locally adopted Innovation Plan. The term of the designation as a district of innovation may not exceed 5 years.
*Updated* The Cartoon Maps Are Back
by Chad Young
After a long discussion with the owner of Community Creations, Inc. from Ohio, a lot of information has been cleared up. Joe Genco, President of the 30 year company who has delivered maps and montages to literally hundreds of different communities confirms that the current project going on in Sulphur Springs is in fact associated with his company. He called KSST offices to confirm that Community Creations TX, LLC is a new branch of Community Creations, Inc (Ohio). Mr. Genco also confirmed that the local salesperson, Stephen Kiriluk, has been a long tenured partner in the Ohio Company for many years and that both companies are continuing doing business forward into the future. Upon further research and reflection, KSST is confident that the company has sold and delivered similar projects to our community in the past. In fact, the newer “montage” seems to be much better quality than the previous “cartoon maps”. Also, I spoke with Bradley Edge, current Chamber Chairman of the Board, who has spoken with some of the communities that have done business with the montage company recently. “Everyone we spoke to has been happy with the results of these projects” stated Edge. The turnaround time for the montage to be printed is 120 days from the closeout of the sales process, obviously giving the artists time to combine all of the business and information about our community into the montage. The montages will then be available at different locations including our local Historical Society.
sample montage from Community Creations, Inc website
Meal A Day Menu for February 6th-10th
Starbucks Ribbon Cutting
January 30th, 2017 was an exciting, highly anticipated day for most Sulphur Springs residents. Starbucks finally opened early Monday morning and held it’s Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting at 2 pm that same afternoon. Before the ribbon cutting, drink and dessert samples were handed out to visitors. Despite a full parking lot, the lines have been considered quite painless to many customers, so far.
Oxford To Seek Place 6 on Sulphur Springs City Council
Charles Oxford will once again mount a campaign for Sulphur Springs City Council, this time for Place 6. Oxford who was a member of the council for one term has continued to run each year since not being re-elected.
Oxford filed for Place 4 opposing incumbent Freddie Taylor last year and filed for Place 3 opposing incumbent Councilman Oscar Aguilar the year before. This time he will face Brad Burgin for the Place 6 seat unless others file.
Kayla Price who currently holds Place 6 will not run this year. She states she will be pursuing other interests.
Wreck Ends Chase; Local Man Arrested
Robert Earl Hawkins, 32, of Sulphur Springs is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Evading Arrest Detention with Vehicle With Previous Conviction.
Sulphur Springs Police received a call Sunday at 1:05 p.m. from a complainant who said a maroon pickup was following the complainant. Officers attempted to catch up with the pickup after they activated emergency lights. Hawkins fled the scene and failed to yield to an emergency vehicle while traveling at a high rate of speed. The pickup wrecked out, according to police, in the 100 block of MLK Blvd.
Hawkins, who was arrested in January of this year for Assault Causes Boldily Injury Family Violence is again in Hopkins County Jail being held on a $10,000 bond.
Man Identified in Friday Night Incident
Sulphur Springs Police, Special Response Team, and Fire Department responded to a call in the 100 block of Kyle Street Friday night around 11 p.m. where a man had barricaded himself inside a residence wanting to harm himself, according to Captain Jason Ricketson with the Sulphur Springs Police Department. Officers first on the scene attempted to make contact with the male subject by phone but were unable to make contact. That’s when the Special Response Team (SWAT) and fire department were called to the scene.
Other individuals in the residence were not threatened by the man and were able to leave the house without difficulty prior to the attempt to remove the man from the house. A gas canister was fired into the house to attempt to smoke him out. The canister landed on a couch inside the house causing a fire which the Fire Department on the scene quickly extinguished with fire, smoke, and water damage to the structure.
Officers entered the house and found the man, Robert R. Richardson, 38, in a bathroom, dead, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound according to Justice of the Peace B. J. Teer. Teer ordered the body sent to Dallas for autopsy.
SKYWARN Severe Weather Class Set for February 9th
North and Central Texas had it all in 2016 when it came to storms. The National Weather Service will be offering a free class at the SKYWARN severe weather program on Thursday, February 9 th, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The program will be held at City Hall in Sulphur Springs and is held in partnership with Hopkins County Emergency Management and Sulphur Springs Police Department. This class is free of charge and no pre-registration is necessary.
This class is for organized storm spotters and anyone with an interest in severe weather. This is part of a regional severe weather preparedness campaign, which will include spotter training sessions across 46 counties in North and Central Texas.
This year’s program discusses thunderstorm formation, ingredients, and features associated with severe and non-severe storms. Several examples and cases for 2015 and 2016 will be shown. The program will discuss spotter operations and recommended reporting procedures. Most importantly, we will discuss what you can do to keep you and others safe when thunderstorms threaten. This session is free and open to the public. No advanced registration is necessary.
“By coming to this training session, you will gain a better understanding of Texas’ severe weather season,” says Tom Bradshaw, Meteorologist-in-Charge of the NWS Fort worth Office. “Waiting until storms are on your doorstep is not the time to start thinking about severe weather preparedness. We hope you attend these free sessions to learn more about the severe storms that impact the region every year.”
The Hopkins County severe weather program is one of 46 training sessions that the Fort Worth NWS Office will conduct between January and March 2017, with a session in each county. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth provides forecasts, warnings, and weather services for 46 counties in north and north-central Texas. For more information on severe weather, visit our website at http://www.weather.gov/fortworth, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSDallasFortWorth and on Twitter: @NWSFortWorth
