SSHS Team Tennis Opens District with Loss
The Wildcats’ team tennis squad opened district play with an 18-1 loss at Hallsville Tuesday afternoon. Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez thought his team had a chance to win after he checked out play at the beginning of the match. It was not to be. Coach Martinez said his players didn’t execute their strokes and didn’t bring enough effort to he match ups. He added the players appeared to be scared. Many youngsters were playing their very first district match. The bottom line was there were too many miscues and errors for the Wildcats. Coach Martinez now plans to go back to the basics with the players to help them improve their serves and ground strokes. Blaine Flemens picked up the lone point for the Wildcats when his opponent had to retire from their match due to heat exhaustion. The Wildcats are now 0-1 in district play and 2-2 for the season. They will play their second district match at Marshall next Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Oncor Makes Donation To Meal-A-Day
Larry Willis, Oncor Area Manager presented a Donation to Meal A Day Cooks Mary Morris, Jim Turner, Joni Hughes, Debbie Wisniewski, and Maggie Thomas.
City Council Approve First Reading of Ordinances; Approve Bond Issue
Sulphur Springs City Council passed all items on their agenda Tuesday night during their September session. most of the items were first reading of ordinances that focused on the budget. A Food and Food Establishment ordinance was also passed for second reading.
The council did pass the second and final reading of Ordinance 2686, an ordinance providing for the issuance and sale of City of Sulphur Springs Texas Combination Tax and Surplus Revenue Certificates of Obligation. The bonds will provide $18-million for a rework of the city’s waste water treatment plant. The bond interest rate is 1.218% and including origination fee will be only 1.38%. Payments for 25 years will be $745,000 per year with no interest paid for the first 3-years and only $3.6 million in interest over the life of the bond issue.
Rates for residents will slightly increase—water rate will increase 2.25%, sewer rate 2.25%, and sanitation rate 2%. The tax rate will remain at .44 cents per $100 valuation.
The Food and Food establishments ordinance has been in the works for some time, according to City Manager Maxwell. The new ordinance will replace an ordinance that dates back to 1954. The new ordinance allows suspending or revoking the permit to be open for the establishment. The current establishment issue the city is focused on is not with a downtown dining district restaurant. Investigations using the state inspection work sheet that has been used for several years and the number and kinds of inspections will remain the same under the new ordinance.
The council approved the Economic Development Corporation Budget, awarded a contract for the replacement of the library roof, and approved the submission of a grant application to the Criminal Justice Division for body cameras and storage for the police department.
Items Recovered Quickly in Burglary of Building
David O’Neal Oxford, Jr, 42, of Sulphur Springs was arrested after his step-mother called Sulphur Springs Police and complained that Oxford had come on to her property on Vaughn Drive when she was gone and broke into the garage and stole items. Oxford was found at 927 Main Street with the items in his pickup. He admitted to the burglary.
Oxford is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Burglary of a Building, a State Jail Felony. His bond has been set at $5,000.
Renovation of State Highway 19 North begins September 12
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today said renovation work on State Highway 19 between Sulphur Springs and the Hopkins-Delta County line will begin Sept. 12.
Richard Drake Construction Company LLC is the contractor for this project. The target date for completion is Sept. 26, officials said.
The contractor will mill and remove the top one and one-quarter inch of the existing pavement surface, and then place one and one-quarter inch of Type F hot-mix asphalt concrete on the roadway. This work will require occasional temporary lane closures.
TxDOT officials asked drivers to remain alert and drive to road conditions when traveling on SH 19 north of Sulphur Springs while this construction project is underway. They should pay special attention to all signs, barricades and traffic controls, and reduce their speed as they approach work zones on the roadway. They should also avoid distractions such as cell phones, eating, drinking, or car audio or navigation systems when driving.
K-9 Unit Discovers Methamphetamine
At 12:05 a.m. on FM 69 at CR 2426, a traffic stop found the female drive extremely nervous and the male passenger sweating profusely. Asked if contraband was in the vehicle, both answered there was not. The Hopkins County Deputy then asked consent to search and did not receive it.
He then called for Sulphur Springs Police K-9 Unit and the dog made a positive hit on the vehicle. In the center console of the vehicle was found a purple Crown Royal bag containing a clear crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. Both were arrested at that time and asked if they had contraband on their person. Again, they denied having anything on them.
At Hopkins County Jail they were taken from the patrol unit into the receiving area. The female dropped a small vial containing clear crystal-like residue that field tested to be methamphetamine.
Stephen Paul Hawrylak, 48, of Texarkana and Karla Louise Weathers, 45, of Copperas Cove were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Penalty Group 1, more than 1-gram and less than 4-grams and are being held in Hopkins County Jail on $10,000 bond each.
Lady Cats Dominate Royse City; Start District Friday at Hallsville
The Lady Cats’ volleyball team will be heading into district play Friday at Hallsville with lots of momentum. In their final non-district match Tuesday night at home, the Lady Cats dominated Royse City, 3-0. The score was 25-14, 25-17 and 25-15. It was the Lady Cats’ seventh straight win.
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Justin Maness again got solid production from almost his entire lineup. In kills, Mieke VanBenthem and Kaylee Jefferson led the team with 10 apiece. Abbi Baier had 6, Autumn Tanton 5, Madi Vickery 3 and Rita Hill 2. Tori Moore provided 33 assists. In service aces, Baier had 6 and Jefferson 2. In digs, Anden Hammack had a team leading 16, Jefferson added 8 and Moore 5. The Lady Cats were active at the net and racked up lots of block assists. VanBenthem was credited with 4, Baier 3, Hill 2, Tanton 2 and Jefferson 1.
The Lady Cats improved their season record to 21-7. They open district play at Hallsville Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Wright Resignation Accepted, Johnson Appointed In Tuesday School Board Meeting
Enrollment in Sulphur Springs Schools has increased over all and as of Friday, September 2, 4,415 students are of on the roll according to Superintendent Michael Lamb, who gave a report on district-wide student enrollment to the SSISD Board during their September regular session. The Board also accepted the resignation of longtime board member, Kerry Wright.
With much reluctance, the Board accepted Mr. Wright’s resignation. “I don’t have to be a part of the board to continue to serve the district,” explained Kerry Wright. The nomination of Clay Johnson, previous board member, was then accepted.
Consideration regarding the approval of the extracurricular status of 4-H in connection with the Ag-Extension Office and the district took place and was accepted. Discussion and consideration to the approval of authorizing the acquisition of the Technology Center located next to the Sulphur Springs High School was discussed and accepted.
The Sulphur Springs School Board held their first meeting since the start of the school year on Tuesday, September 6th in the Board Room. The Pledge to the American Flag was led by SSMS students Jillian Jumper and Campbell Smith. ECLC T-1 students Peyton and Colton Mercer, Camilla Perez, Kayla Slaughter, and Samantha Smith then led the Pledge to the Texas Flag.
PERSONNEL CHANGES
Resignations
Hailey Tucker SpEd Aide Douglas
New Personnel
John Wilder Math Teacher High School
TEAM OF 8 TRAINING
The Board participated in required “Team of 8” training, conducted by Region 8 staff.
City of Commerce Reports Two Confirmed Cases of Human West Nile Virus
COMMERCE, TX—Emergency Management Officials are reporting two confirmed cases of human West Nile Virus within the city limits of Commerce.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 70 to 80 percent of people infected with West Nile Virus will exhibit no symptoms. One out of five people will develop symptoms such as a fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. Less than one percent of people who are infected will develop a serious neurologic illness.
In our ongoing effort to combat mosquitoes, city staff will once again spray in the areas where human cases of West Nile have been reported beginning tonight, Sept. 6, and will continue for three days. The spraying is more effective if it takes place during peak mosquito biting hours, so spraying will begin around 7:30 p.m. each night.
The chemical used in the spray is of low toxicity to humans and pets, but it is a pesticide and direct contact should be avoided. Citizens should go indoors and stay back from the truck during spraying operations. The chemical will not be sprayed if the driver sees people outdoors. This product is extremely toxic to fish, and fishponds should be covered.
Although the chemicals will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes, the spray will not eliminate all chances of getting bit. Emergency Management Officials urge residents to take precautionary measures, such as using an insect repellant containing DEET.
City of Commerce and Texas A&M University-Commerce Emergency Management Officials will continue to trap and test mosquitoes in all areas of Commerce as long as the threat continues. For additional information on West Nile visit www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/arboviral/westnile/information OR www.cdc.gov/westnile.
