First United Methodist Church of Sulphur Springs Offers Small Group Studies Opportunities And More
August 21, 2025 – First United Methodist Church, located at 301 Church Street, in Sulphur Springs, Texas, offers Small Group Studies opportunities, and more, to the community. “Young Adult Bible Study” is offered every second Sunday of the Month beginning September 7, 2025. The “Adam Hamilton Small Group Study” will be offered Mondays at 6:00pm and Tuesdays at 2:00pm, beginning September 8, 2025. The “Unshakable Hope” group will meet Wednesdays starting September 10th, 2025. A Women’s Bible Study group will meet Thursdays, at 10:00am, beginning September 11, 2025. And, a grief support group will be offered every Tuesday, starting September 9, 2025.
Texas A&M Forest Service, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office Warn of Timber Theft in County
August 21, 2025 – LAMAR COUNTY, Texas—Following recent reports of timber theft in Lamar County, Texas A&M Forest Service and the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office urge landowners to be vigilant and report any suspicious timber harvesting.
Individuals in Lamar County have allegedly approached multiple landowners, verbally requesting permission to harvest trees on their property. After receiving permission, these individuals allegedly harvested more timber than agreed upon or crossed property lines to harvest from adjoining neighbors.
These reports are based on consistent accounts from multiple landowners in the southern region of Lamar County. Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigators have initiated an investigation and will be reviewing all documents generated during the timber harvest including scale tickets, loader sheets and financial statements.
“Our priorities in this case are to investigate the reports of timber theft in order to provide restitution while also protecting landowners from future cases,” said Jonathon Keller, Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigator. “We are asking any Lamar County landowner who has recently received a phone call or in-person visit regarding timber harvesting to check their property for any trees that were harvested without consent.”
Landowners can be taken advantage of in several ways during a timber sale. To prevent timber theft, landowners should always consult a forester to ensure a contract is signed before any harvesting, the timber is sold for a fair price and the harvesters are held to the terms of the contract. Additionally, landowners should:
- Visit their property frequently.
- Have someone they know and trust report any cutting on their land immediately.
- Never sign a contract without checking several references of the buyer.
- Insist on getting bids for their timber.
- Mark all property lines to ensure cutting on adjacent property does not encroach on theirs.
- Use trail/deer cameras on their property that can record suspicious activity or individuals.
- Always hold their timber contractor to the agreed upon term.
Landowners who are unfamiliar with selling their timber are urged to contact their local Texas A&M Forest Service office. Texas A&M Forest Service staff assist landowners with the process of securing the services of a professional resources manager to help select trees for harvest, estimate values and find potential buyers.
To report suspected timber theft or suspicious activity, call the Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Timber Theft Hotline at 1-800-364-3470. The Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Department works with local officials to help bring those responsible for timber theft and other violations of the natural resources code to justice.
To contact a Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigator in your area, please visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/directory/?programArea=Law+Enforcement.
In 2025, Texas A&M Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers have recovered over $131,000 for landowners who were victims of timber theft.
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Miller Grove FFA News and Events Summer 2025
August 21, 2025 – The Miller Grove FFA 2025 Summer Spotlight states that the Miller Grove FFA officers attended the Texas State Convention this Summer. Cate Anderson, Addie May, Kayson Logan, and Leeton Stracener all competed in the Junior Quiz Bowl at the State Convention. These are just a couple of highlights the Summer Spotlight points out. Check it out below!
In other Miller Grove FFA Summer 2025 news… the Miller Grove FFA Annual Hamburger Supper is scheduled for August 25, 2025. The event will be held from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. The location of the event is at the Multipurpose facility at Miller Grove. There will be opportunities for FFA Membership sign-ups, “Group me” sign-ups, great food, and so much more! Be sure to check it out, and come hungry!
Could the Cloud be Based in Thermo?
August 21, 2025 – We have all heard about “the cloud” and kind of understand that most of our information is stored there as well as other content we receive comes from that same cloud. What remains a mystery to most of us, is the actually location of the cloud. If you are like me, you probably think “the cloud” resides somewhere in the stratosphere like other clouds but the cloud we depend on for our content and data actually resides in different data centers all around the world.
Sulphur Springs Agrees to Thermo Deal
If the City of Sulphur Springs can close a huge business deal, the old Thermo Mine property could be the next location of one of those huge data centers. And City Manager Marc Maxwell means HUGE. MSB Global has agreed in principle to a multi-billion dollar investment of buildings on approximately 1,600 acres formerly known as the Thermo Mine. Maxwell believes that the initial first-phase investment by MSB would top $15 billion (with a “B”). During this first phase, MSB plans to provide building space for 800 Megawatts with an ultimate goal in future phases to provide space for up to 3 Gigawatts or 3,000 megawatts. This enormous investment is just for building space alone and represents only about one-third of the total investment to get a data center up and running, the other two-thirds being the computers and equipment. These investment numbers are staggering and so are the tax revenue possibilities for all taxing entities.
Although MSB Global has committed to take the land from the city, the deal is far from done. MSB is just a developer specializing in data center building construction. MSB Global would need to secure a huge customer (or multiple customers) to lease the buildings. These customers would then install the servers for data storage. Based on MSB Global’s website we are led to believe these customers would include Hulu, Nvidia or similar large data users called hyperscalers. These hyperscalers are already leasing and building other projects all over the country and the world. The demand for these facilities is not slowing down, making the competition extremely tough.
Power Requirements
Data centers are rated in megawatts and gigawatts to reflect the amount of electricity they use to operate. The Thermo project is expected to top out at 3 Gigawatts (3,000 megawatts). That is a tremendous amount of electricity for our area and as a percentage of the Texas ERCOT grid. When the proposed Thermo project is fully built out, the electricity requirement would be approximately 4% of the entire state of Texas’ average daily usage. To combat this, MSB Global proposes that they will build their own natural gas-fired electricity generation plant on the Thermo Mine property. Opponents of natural gas burning electrical plants are opposed to the air pollution generated which includes some soot and toxic emissions. Proponents of natural gas plants emphasize that it is the cleaner fossil fuel option for generating electricity.
Tax Implications and Opportunities
Obviously with an investment of buildings, computers, and a power plant, the taxing entities involved could see a huge increase in revenue even after tax rebates or abatements. Maxwell reports that the city could see an increase in revenue to the city of $35 million per year with a portion being dedicated to a tax increment reinvestment zone fund (TIRZ). This TIRZ would help fund the infrasctructure needed to get the projects up to speed on the Thermo property. Hopkins County and the Hospital District would also see large increases in reveue as well as dedicate a portion of tax revenues for TIRZ. With a project size of the data center that is being proposed, it is important to know that although the tax revenue could be six times the normal intake, the expenses to make it all work will go up as well. The City of Sulphur Springs has already planned for a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone on parts of the Thermo Mine property, much like how downtown Sulphur Springs improvements were funded. Maxwell indicated to KSST News that with the huge increase in tax revenue, the city would like to refund some if not all of residential taxes to homeowners. This windfall idea would need special state legislation approval. What is unknown at this time is what city expeneses could be incurred with such a large project inside the city limits. Extra police and certainly additional firefighting coverage would be needed. The expansion of utility service and new roads may facilitate new expenses for the city. Obviously the city of Sulphur Springs believes these new expenses would be far lower than the new tax income.
Jobs & Housing
Marc Maxwell reports that the total jobs involved in the project during construction and ongoing management could top 1,500 workers with an average wage above the current Sulphur Springs wage average. It is unclear at this time how many long term jobs would be needed which would also give an idea if and when Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County could see a population increase. The Thermo Mine property future plan also includes a residential expansion with multi-use projects planned by developer Jeffory Blackard, a Hopkins County resident who built a previous similar project in McKinney. Maxwell confirmed that Blackard will be purchasing building lots directly from the City of Sulphur Springs and the parks, green spaces, trails, etc will be owned by the city. The residential portion of the Thermo Mine property is actually zoned as multi-use properties and would allow the developer to have a mix of different types of residential properties as well as commercial buinesses. There are actually two residential areas on the master plan for the Thermo property, each of about 500 acres in size. The first area master plan known as Bright Star is in Ordinance 2868 and can be seen on City of Sulphur Springs website.
Conclusion
The new data center project can only be categorized as hopeful at the moment as there are still lots of moving parts yet to be determined. Maxwell hopes that both the data center and the residential project should gain momentum by the end of the year as both entities hope to have their funding in place by end of year. If the enormous data center project can get funded and move forward it could be one of the largest data center projects in the state if not the country. MSG Global would benefit greatly with lots of free land but the expense of building a power plant could be huge. The overall numbers are staggering, not only for the investment, but for the tax revenue, jobs, and possible strain on resources.
“Wonderful Wednesdays” at First United Methodist Church of Sulphur Springs Begin Again September 3rd
August 21, 2025 – Children’s Church and Praise at First United Methodist Church of Sulphur Springs, Texas, will resume September 3, 2025. “Wonderful Wednesdays” will be held 6:00pm to 7:00pm, and “Kids Praise” will be held 7:00 to 7:15pm. Please join them every Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, located at 301 Church Street, Sulphur Springs, Texas.
Tumbleweed Smith Will be Inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame
August 21, 2025 – Tumbleweed Smith, originator and producer of THE SOUND OF TEXAS radio series will be inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame on November 1st in the Broadcast Museum in Kilgore. After 9 years in radio and television news, Tumbleweed decided features were what he really liked to do. “It was sort of an experiment in free enterprise,” he says. “I wanted to see if I could make a living doing what I really like to do. “
The syndicated statewide radio series began August 1, 1869 and covers Texas history folklore, small towns, unique vents and most of all the state’s colorful characters and storytellers. He has conducted over 14,000 interviews which will go into the oral history department archives at Baylor University. Tumbleweed has also had a syndicated newspaper column for more than 40 years. He lives in Big Spring with his wife, Susan. They have two sons, four grandsons and one great grandson.
White Castle Coming to Texas: First Location Set To Open in 2026
August 21, 2025 – White Castle has officially announced that its first Texas restaurant will open in The Colony, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, marking a major milestone for the iconic burger chain. Known for its famous square sliders and 24/7 service, White Castle plans to open the new location in summer 2026.
It was founded on September 13, 1921, in Wichita, Kansas. White Castle has been generally credited as the world’s first fast food hamburger chain.
This will be White Castle’s first entry into Texas, a state with a strong fast-food culture and plenty of competition. The company says it chose The Colony for its strategic location, growing population, and vibrant retail scene, including nearby attractions like Grandscape and Nebraska Furniture Mart.
Though started in Kansas, there are no White Castle restaurants open in Kansas.
White Castle fans in Texas have waited for years for the brand to make its debut in the Lone Star State. The new restaurant is expected to offer dine-in, drive-thru, and possibly even 24-hour service. Construction is set to begin later this year, and officials anticipate a strong local response.
The expansion is part of White Castle’s broader growth strategy across the southern U.S., and Texas represents a significant opportunity. For fans of the iconic sliders, the countdown to summer 2026 has officially begun. White Castle is finally coming to Texas—and it’s bringing the Crave with it.
Governor Abbott Expands Special Session #2 Agenda
August 21, 2025 – On August 20, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott announced the addition of three new items to the Texas Legislature’s Special Session #2 agenda, aiming to address long-term issues affecting Texans. In his press release, the Governor emphasized the importance of maintaining legislative integrity, increasing healthcare access, and protecting natural resources.
“Today I am expanding the agenda for the second special session to include important issues that will benefit Texas,” Governor Abbott stated. “We must ensure that lawmakers cannot abandon their duties, Texans have greater access to Ivermectin, and East Texas aquifers are studied thoroughly before further groundwater decisions are made.”
The newly added items to the special session agenda are:
- Legislation to impose penalties on legislators who intentionally leave during session, disrupting the legislative process
- Legislation allowing individuals to purchase Ivermectin directly from pharmacies
- Legislation requiring the Texas Water Development Board to conduct a groundwater study of East Texas aquifers before certain permit actions are taken
These issues, Abbott said, reflect priorities that impact the state’s legislative integrity, public health access, and environmental protection. The Governor called on lawmakers to act swiftly and decisively to move these measures forward during the ongoing special session.
Como Battles Water Issues
August 20, 2025 – The following press release was received by Hopkins County Emergency Management concerning the water disruption for the City of Como. The city of Como water department is offering one case of bottled water per family available at city hall.
City of Como Water Well Pump Out of Service – Emergency Response Plan Activated
Como, Texas – The City of Como is currently experiencing a disruption in water service due to a water well pump being out of service. In response, the Hopkins County Homeland Security Department Emergency Management Division has activated the Emergency Response Plan.
Key actions and updates include:
• A contractor has been dispatched to the site with an estimated time of arrival of three hours. If the correct replacement pump is available, water service is expected to be restored by the end of the day.
• The following agencies and officials have been notified and are actively monitoring the situation:
◦ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
◦ Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM)
◦ Como-Pickton Consolidated Independent School District (CISD)
◦ Local city and county officials
• Como-Pickton CISD will dismiss students early at 1:00 PM today. The school district is arranging transportation and has begun notifying families.
• Families who are customers of the Como water system are being informed that bottled water will be available for distribution at Como City Hall within the hour.
• Updates and repair status will be provided through official social media platforms and other public communication channels. Estimated repair timelines will be updated later this afternoon.
• A special tanker response has been coordinated to ensure continued fire suppression capabilities during the outage.
We appreciate the public’s patience and cooperation as we work to restore full water service as quickly and safely as possible.
For further updates, please monitor official City of Como and Hopkins County Emergency Management social media pages.
Texas DPS Launches ‘Ghost’ Patrol Units, Ignites Online Debate
August 20, 2025 – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has unveiled a new fleet of low-profile “ghost” patrol units, designed to blend into traffic and crack down on dangerous driving behaviors. These vehicles, which feature subtle markings only visible at certain angles or under specific lighting, are part of DPS’s strategy to enhance roadway safety while maintaining an element of stealth.
The goal, according to officials, is to deter reckless driving, street racing, and other traffic violations by increasing the presence of law enforcement without being immediately recognizable. DPS says the ghost units are already being deployed in high-traffic areas and regions with elevated crash rates.
The move has sparked a wave of reactions online, with some praising the tactic as a smart safety measure that will keep dangerous drivers in check. Others have criticized it, raising concerns about transparency and potential overreach, arguing that police should be clearly visible rather than operating covertly.
Supporters say that the element of unpredictability will make drivers think twice before speeding or texting behind the wheel. Opponents, meanwhile, fear it could lead to more citations rather than improved safety.
Despite the debate, DPS says the ghost units are here to stay.
