Found in Lubbock; Now in Hopkins County Jail
Anthony Wayne Dugan, 35, a bartender in Lubbock, was picked up by Lubbock law enforcement when Hopkins County law enforcement located him through family that told the locals where he worked.
Anthony Wayne Dugan
Dugan was wanted in Hopkins County for Bail Jumping and Failure to Appear Felony. His bail jumping was for charges including Assault Family Violence, traffic charges, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held in Hopkins County Jail on a total of $40,000 bond.
City Sets Budget, Approves Spencer to Design Trail, Sets Tax Revenue Public Hearings
Sulphur Springs City Council set the 2016-2017 budget at just over $36-million Tuesday night, August 10, 2016, in a special session. The budget much larger than the previous budget thanks to the rework of the wastewater treatment plant. They also approved Mark Spencer to design Cross Town Trail that will connect Coleman Park, Buford Park, and Celebration Plaza with a walking trail. Tax revenues will also be discussed in public hearings August 19th and 23rd, both at noon in the council chambers. The final approval of revenues will be approved in the September 6th council meeting.
The Cross Town Trail will be funded by a $700,000 grant from Texas Department of Transportation and a smaller grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife. The city will contribute approximately $200,000 bringing the total of the project to $1.1 million. Spencer, who will design Cross Town Trail, also designed Coleman Park and the skate park at Buford Park.
Revenue for the budget includes increased revenue in property taxes. The city tax rate of 44-cents per $100 valuation will not increase. City Manager Marc Maxwell said that if your property values increased this year, your tax payment would increase in proportion. Also city sewer and water rates will increase 2.25% in the new budget. City Finance Director Peter Karsten stated that the water fees are under the fees of cities of the same size in the area and that the wastewater fee is slightly higher than the those in the grouping. Cities that are larger are paying significantly higher fees Karsten stated.
In the new budget, Sulphur Springs Police and Firemen salaries will increase in proposals made in the new city budget. There will be a 2% cost of living increase with an additional 6% increase and a step plan for police. The step plan will enable the city to pay police officers based on experience. For the Firemen, there is an 11% increase as well as the 2% COLA. A step plan will also be introduced for firemen.
The city fire department will be purchasing a new truck at a cost of $425,000. Other purchases for the fire department will move their total expenditure for equipment to $519,000.
The police department will purchase three new patrol cars, six bullet proof vests, seven entry vests. Police Chief Jay Sanders pointed out to the council that the donates vests are ballistic vests for active shooters and will be worn over the other protective vests worn by officers. Along with other purchases, the total expenditure for equipment for the department will total $177,500.
Friday Night Movie- The Minions
This Friday August 12th is movie night, and the movie is The Minions!
Evolving from single-celled yellow organisms at the dawn of time, Minions live to serve, but find themselves working for a continual series of unsuccessful masters, from T. Rex to Napoleon. Without a master to grovel for, the Minions fall into a deep depression. But one minion, Kevin, has a plan; accompanied by his pals Stuart and Bob, Kevin sets forth to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. Their search leads them to Scarlet Overkill, the world’s first-ever super-villainess.
This movie is rated PG and is a Comedy/Animation. Grab your friends and family and come on done to Celebration Plaza August 12th for a awesome movie experience!
Lady Cats Volleyball 1-1 Following Tuesday’s Season Opener
The Lady Cats’ volleyball team opened the 2016 season Tuesday with a win and a heartbreaking loss. Playing at home, the Lady Cats rolled over Sherman, 3-0 and later suffered a hard fought, 3-2 loss to North Lamar.
The Lady Cats defeated the Lady Bearcats, 25-23, 25-17 and 25-12. The Lady Cats got solid play at the net from Kaylee Jefferson, Autumn Tanton and Meike VanBenthem. Adding kills were Madi Vickery and Sheretta Hill. Big serve scorers included Imani Taylor, Tori Moore, Kaylee Jefferson and Autumn Tanton. Libero Anden Hammack and Imani Taylor had numerous digs.
The Lady Cats dropped their second match of the night to North Lamar, 25-13, 20-25, 25-23, 16-25 and 12-15. The last set was tied at 12 before the Pantherettes took the final three points of the night. Kaylee Jefferson again led the Lady Cats at the net. Also providing solid contributions were Mieke VanBenthem, Autumn Tanton and Madi Vickery. Sheretta Hill and Abbi Baier also had some good finishes. Tori Moore had an outstanding match serving including two runs of five straight scoring serves. Maggie McGlamery had four consecutive scoring serves twice against North Lamar. Other strong servers included Kaylee Jefferson and Imani Taylor. Anden Hammack and Imani Taylor had numerous digs again this match. The Lady Cats were attempting to defeat North Lamar for the first time since October 1, 2005.
The Lady Cats, now 1-1 for the season will play next in a Garland tournament this Thursday through Saturday. They will be back in Wildcats Gym on August 23 for a 6 p.m. match against Mt. Vernon.
Overlay of I-30 Service Roads From State Highway 19 to Loop 301 Begins August 15
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today said work on Interstate Highway 30 north and south frontage roads through Sulphur Springs in Hopkins County will begin Aug. 15.
The contractor, RK Hall, Paris, Texas, has 62 days to complete this overlay and renovation project with an estimated cost of more than $2.4 million. Weather permitting, this roadway improvement project will be completed by mid-November 2016.
The project will extend from about one-half mile west of State Highway 19 eastward to Loop 301, along the north and south frontage roads of I-30. The contractor will perform spot base repairs on the roadway, mill the existing pavement surface, apply a hot-mix asphalt surface overlay and re-stripe the roadway. The contractor anticipates beginning work just west of State Highway 19 and moving eastward along the frontage roads until the project is completed.
TxDOT officials asked drivers to remain alert when traveling I-30 frontage roads through 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.
Music Appreciation Day at Terrific Tuesdays
Today’s special guest at Terrific Tuesdays for our Music Appreciation Day was C J Duffy.
Pictured with C J are members Janiece and Katy.
SSISD Meet the Teacher Schedule for All Grades
Sulphur Springs Independent School District Meet the Teacher Activities August 2016
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, August 16
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Head Start 3, Head Start 4, and Pre-K ECLC
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Kindergarten (K) and Transitional First (T-1) ECLC
Thursday, August 18
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 1st and 2nd Grades Bowie, Lamar, Travis Students in grades 1 or 2, who are new to the district, must pre-register with the Elementary Education Office at 631 Connally Street to determine campus assignment.
3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. 5th Grade Douglas
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. 3rd and 4th Grades SSES
6th, 7th and 8th Grades SSMS
Monday, August 22
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 9th Grade (Fish Camp; schedule pick up) SSHS
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 10th, 11th and 12th Grades; 9th Grade not picked SSHS up during Fish Camp
Additional Information
Middle School Info:
Students and parents may come anytime between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 pm to pick up schedules, drop off school supplies and meet the teachers! Parents of returning students, please be sure to complete all enrollment documents on line before this day. Schedules may not be ready for students who have not enrolled on-line prior to Thursday, August 18th. Parents of new students may come in before this date to complete all enrollment documents so that a schedule will be ready for their student at meet the teacher.
Parents and students who are unable to attend Meet-the-Teacher on Thursday night may come on Friday, August 19th or Monday, August 22nd to pick up schedules between the hours of 11:30
a.m. – 3:30 p.m. However, teachers will not be available on these dates to meet with parents and students.
Remember, ALL 7th grade students have an immunization requirement from the state of Texas that must be verified by our nurse BEFORE the student will receive his/her schedule. We URGE parents to take care of this requirement by faxing updated immunization records to Vickie Vaughan at 903-439-6126 (SSMS fax #) as soon as possible.
High School Info:
Freshman Fish Camp:
Please join us for SSHS Student Council’s annual Freshman Fish Camp! Fish Camp provides useful information that will make the transition from middle school to high school as smooth as possible. Most of all, it is a FUN way for students to get connected!
Please mark your calendar for: Monday, August 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. During this time students will have the opportunity to learn about various organizations, enjoy a fashion show emphasizing dress code, meet administrators, pick up schedules, go on a walking tour, and participate in a mock class day. Attendance at Fish Camp is not required, but is encouraged, as it is a fun and exciting way for students to become familiar with SSHS and help reduce first day jitters!
Student Schedule Pickup:
All SSHS students are invited to pick up their schedules on Monday, August 22nd from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Senior Information:
Counselors will be available August 1st – 12th from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. for seniors to check senior schedules, transcripts, etc. They will also be staying until 7 p.m. on August 11th for those that cannot make it during the earlier hours. No appointment is necessary.
My Hero’s Benefit Yard Sale This Weekend
My Hero’s is a special needs athletic group based in Hopkins County. The group provides activities for special needs athletes such as bowling. As of June 2015, the group has expanded from just bowling competitions to fishing trips, cook outs, and other fun activities. My Hero’s is hosting a yard sale, cook out, and bake sale on Friday, August 12th and Saturday, August 13th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at ABC Autoplex under the carport at the back of the lot. ABC Autoplex is located at 1404 College St. Electronics, appliances, home decor, pots and pans, and much more will be sold at the yard sale. A BBQ sandwich, chips, and a drink will be sold for $6 alongside their bake sale. All proceeds will go to benefit the My Hero athletes and donations will be accepted. For more information contact Kathleen Davis at 903-335-0899.
A KSST Intern’s Trip to Australia Part 2
When I graduated high school this past June, my parents decided that my graduation gift would be the memories and learning experience of planning a senior trip to a destination of my choice. After a lot of debate between Europe and Australia, I finally decided on Australia. I’ve always wondered what Australia is really like, and one of my mother’s sisters lives in Goulburn, a city about two hours out from Sydney. I began planning my trip-trying to find things that locals did as well as some of the more “touristy” things. The time for our trip came before we knew it, and we were on a 15-hour plane ride straight to Sydney. Here are some highlights and places I really enjoyed.
Paddington Markets-This weekly market was definitely worth the time. There was over 30 booths with items ranging from food and drinks to clothes and accessories. They had pillows and stationary, as well as flowers and fresh fruit.
The items sold are usually more moderately priced compared to some of the bigger shopping malls.
Even if you don’t purchase anything it is interesting to see mostly locals shopping around the tents. Most of the vendors are local business or Australians who live in the area. One lady in particular made jewelry from stamps! She explained that each piece has history behind it-depending on the time period and the place. Each stamp is unique. It was fascinating to watch as she knew each piece, telling us when it was made and the history of each one, matching part of the description next to it.
The Rocks-This district is right around Sydney harbor, and includes lots of art and delicious food. There are a bunch of stores containing clothes and souvenirs. They often had street fairs up selling coffee and snacks lining the streets. There is also a lot of history hidden around the Rocks. Aboriginals used to live there, until Captain Cook came and founded the colony. The Rocks also contained many opal stores. Australia is famous for mining opals, and there is even a museum in Sydney that has such an extensive amount of information that the Australian Government borrows from them. The owner has been collecting opals for over 50 years.
Sydney Opera House- This was different than you’d expect. The outside is beautiful. The inside houses two stages, one for Theatre and the other is for music concerts. We saw Carmen, a play about a gypsy girl who falls in love with a soldier and a bull fighter. It’s similar to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Personally, I think they could have done better. The director had taken a more modern take on the classic play. The plot line, and portrayal made you dislike both main characters, Carmen and Don Jose. Escamilio, the bull fighter did a fairly good job. However the supporting actress, who played Micaëla was phenomenal. She really nailed her solo song. But despite my dislike of the play it was still enjoyable to attend an opera at the Sydney Opera House.
Hyde Park Barracks- This museum was extremely informative about Sydney through time. 
You start out learning about the convicts and settlers of Sydney slowly making your way to present day. The museum has even had some of the walls ripped apart to show the different painting and wall papering on the building throughout the years. The barracks began as a prison, turned into a halfway house for immigrants then became a museum and archaeological site.
Government House and Botanical
Gardens- Both were gorgeous even in the winter. There were lots of native birds: like Cockatoos and Ibis that inhabit the area. There is a rock carving at the top that looks out over the Harbor-called Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair. 
The story goes that Governor Macquarie’s wife liked to sit on the top of the hill and watch the ships sailing into the harbor. Apparently she visited so much the Governor had a chair carved out of the rocks, so she would have a place to sit.
The Queen Victoria Building-This a must see simply because of the history. The building used to be a train station, but has since been transformed into a shopping center with restaurants, clothing stores, Jewelry, and eclectic shops-there was an aboriginal art store, and another that sold mini-soldier models and dioramas. The Stain-glass windows were beautiful as well!
If you are planning on taking a trip to Australia, definitely check out Sydney. But here’s a tip **look up the weather before you go! We went to Australia during America’s summer, but that is Australia’s winter, so it was pretty chilly some days as we were in Sydney and Southern New South Wales. Stay tuned for Part 3 where I talk about places to go in Brisbane and Canberra!
