SSISD Board Honors Two Students, Hear Reports, Make Appointments
Sulphur Springs School Board honored two students for outstanding performance in academic achievement as they began their Monday night October board meeting in the administration building board room. The school board heard various reports and made appointments as well as accepted resignations and hired new personnel.
Christian Corona was recognized for his achievement in the College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program. Corona is in the Wildcat Marching Band and will play taps for the school’s Veterans’ Day activities in November of this year.
Mandy Echart was recognized for her outstanding performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in 2015.
Kristin Monk and Lisa Robinson reported to the board that curriculum and reading data are nearing completion for the year. Robinson noted that the district is in its fourth year of a five year process to develop a curriculum that is tied and in line with the three principles of Written, Tested, and Taught. She noted that the district does not dictate to teacher how to teach but the district does support the teacher by presenting standards that can be utilized to unite the educational process for both teacher and student.
Red Ribbon Week for the district will be observed October 24-28. Red Ribbon Week emphasizes drug awareness and prevention of drug use.
Board members were provided copies of the Head Start Director’ Report and Head Start Policy Council Minutes for September.
Various appointments were made: Board Member Robbin Vaughn was appointed as school board representative to the Head Start Policy Council and Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams was named records management officer for the district.
Personnel changes include:
Resignations
Carol Ann O’Dell SpEd Aide Lamar
Jennifer Nunez SpEd Aide Middle School
Brandon Spangler Instructional Aide Austin Academic Center
New personnel
Xenia Franco SpEd Aide Lamar
Pamela Hooton Title I Aide Lamar
Taffy Kirby SpEd Aide Lamar
Stephanie Buchanan SpEd Aide Douglas
Carissa Williams SpEd Aide Douglas
Sara Brown SpEd Aide Middle School
Jonathan Scoggins SpEd Co-Teacher High School
Franklin County Sheriff Names Deceased Found near Rural Home; Investigation Continues
Monday, Franklin County Sheriff Ricky Jones released the name of the 23-year old found found near the front porch of a residence on Franklin County Road SW 4430. The deceased person from the incident last Thursday, 10-13-2016, is Levi Wayne Deforrest of Winnsboro, Texas. He was pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Jim Alford. He died of an apparent gunshot wound, according to Jones.
Franklin County Deputies found the body after responding to a 911 call at 11:35 p.m. Thursday. The home owner in the 1400 block of Franklin CR SW 4430 had placed the call. According to Jones, the home owner and another witness are being interviewed at this time.
Deforrest body was transported to Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas for an autopsy.
The investigation is continuing in to the events of that night by Franklin County investigators and the Texas Rangers.
Wildcats’ Marching Band Earned First Division Rating Saturday; UIL Competition Set for Tuesday
The Wildcats’ marching band earned first division ratings from three judges at a band contest in Commerce Saturday. Band Director Charles McCauley said the band was cheered on by a large number of supporters. He indicated the band again had their best performance of the year Saturday, full of energy with good tempo.
Despite the top rating, McCauley said the mostly complimentary judges did find some areas that could be improved. He said these included things such as posture and alignment. These was the second year in a row for the Wildcats’ band to attend the Commerce contest. McCauley said some band members might have been disappointed since the band was not able to duplicate last year’s accomplishment of earning top band in their division and top band overall. McCauley said the judging was very fair and he called the panel extremely good. McCauley did say the band was out of its’ routine some Saturday. They are used to performing after a Friday night game that they didn’t have this past Friday. Plus the performance took place quite late, at 8:10 p.m. They were the last band to perform.
Tuesday the band will perform in UIL competition at 4:30 p.m. at Sam Parker Stadium in Mt. Pleasant. The marching contest is the first leg toward sweepstakes. Sweepstakes is earned with first division ratings in marching in the fall and on stage concert and site reading in the spring.
DBA Fall Decorating Contest Winners Announced
Fifteen businesses entered the Downtown Business Association’s Fall Decorating Contest this year. Awards were presented to the top two business and top two residential winners were named Monday afternoon.
Ramey & Sheffield
City National Bank
First place business was presented to Ramey and Sheffield and attorney’s office located on Jefferson Street. Second place business was City National Bank.
First place residential was presented to Debra Tanton on West Park Street. Second place residential was Dr. Scott and DeAnna McDermont on Church Street.
Other entries in the contest included: Hopkins County District Clerk’s Office, Secret Garden, Redneck Café, Gourmet Kitchen, Galyean Insurance, Belle Amie Day Spa, City National Bank, Alliance Bank, Coffee Off the Square, Southwest Dairy Museum, Sulphur Springs Health and Rehab, Carriage House, Guaranty Bank and Trust, and Bodacious BBQ.
Tanton Home
McDermont Home
SuperCentenarian Corrine Snow to receive Governor’s Award
Hopkins County resident Corrine Snow is the oldest person in Texas at the age of 111. She is also the 14th oldest person in the United States of America. Earlier this year, she was honored with the State’s SuperCentenarian Award. Now, the rare “Yellow Rose of Texas” Award will be bestowed on Corrine in a ceremony on Friday October 28 at 11am the Sulphur Springs Senior’s Center. Texas House of Representatives Dan Flynn will confer the award on behalf of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The public is invited.
“Updated” Photo Walk Winning Entries
As part of the annual World Wide Photo Walk, the Sulphur Springs Downtown Business Alliance hosted a local Photo Walk on Saturday October 8, 2016. There was a handful of amateur photographers who turned out for this year’s contest, and the quality of the entries was impressive, taken from sites around Celebration Plaza and Heritage Park. A reception for contestants was held at City Hall on October 15, with winners announced and prizes awarded. Here’s the list of winners:
FIRST PLACE Andy Pendleton, B&W, face of an old man
SECOND PLACE Steve Hudson, Color, yellow hibiscus flower
THIRD PLACE Andy Pendleton, First UMC steeple and statue
HONORABLE MENTION Joe McCorkle, photo of man in blue shirt
HONORABLE MENTION Andy Pendleton, vintage fire truck in park
Violation of Probation Returns Vaughn to Jail
As a Hopkins County Deputy drove County Road 2331, he observed a white van and the passenger inside the van. He stopped the vehicle knowing that the passenger, Kenneth Ray Vaughn, 61, of Como, was wanted on Hopkins County warrants.
A strong odor of alcoholic beverage from the vehicle created a probable cause search. Vaughn was arrested on warrants for DWI 3rd or more and a warrant for obstruction or retaliation. He is in Hopkins County Jail. At the time of his arrest, Vaughn was on probation for DWI 3rd or more and for retaliation.
Vaughn was arrested on a January Sunday evening this year for Obstruction or Retaliation. Sheriff Deputy Sergeant Wade Sheets responded to a disturbance call at a County Road 3562 residence where he found the Vaughn who began to verbally threaten Sgt. Sheets. According to an arrest report, the man shouted “Don’t [expletive] with me” and that he would “Blow your [expletive] head off!”
Woman Arrested in Traffic Stop for Meth; Child in Car Released to Relative
The Hopkins County Deputy observed a two year old child asleep in the backseat of the Black 2006 Honda Civic stopped for a traffic violation. He also noted Torie Jean Bradley, 29, of Powderly, clenching her jaw muscles involuntarily as one does when using methamphetamine.
The deputy gained consent to search the vehicle and found a meth pipe and Xanax pills inside the vehicle. As Bradley was being arrested, she told the deputy that she had methamphetamine on her person.
Bradley is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Penalty Group 1, under 1-gram, a state jail felony. The child was released to a relative.
Reilly Springs Jamboree Founder Honored with Proclamation
To a full auditorium at the Reilly Springs Jamboree on Saturday October 15, 2016, Reilly Springs resident and former judge Yvonne King read a proclamation set forth by Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsome, marking the 60th year. The country music show began in October 1956 on the stage of the old schoolhouse after consolidation with Sulphur Springs, and is still running today. Many family members of founder Joe “Shelton” Atlessee were present for the proclamation including his daughters Linda Fails and Laura Teer. Other features of the night of celebration were a Country Store and Cake Walks with desserts provided by volunteers and Reilly Springs residents. A pot of chili was cooked outdoors and a meatloaf supper was served in the kitchen. Shelby Glenn and Texas Thunder Band opened the show, Cousin Cedrick provided comedy, and over a dozen guest singers performed with Roger Reed and the Sunshine Band including Sadie Evans, Don Woods, Jaci Reed, Jack Phillips, sisters Hannah Breck and Hailee Kristee, Jerry Knight, Abby Payne, Gary Jones, Shelby Glenn, Hugh Blair, Loyd Newsome and Tommy Randles. Thanks to Terry McCullough, also shown during the event was the recent “Expedition Texas” TV episode which chronicles the show’s orgin and history. Jamboree organizers and producers are Enola Gay Mathews and Roger Reed with permission by the Reilly Springs Community Center Board of Directors. The country music stage show is smoke-free and alcohol-free family entertainment held on the third-Saturday night of each month at the Reilly Springs Community Center, 109 CR 1439 in southeastern Hopkins County.
