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!
Winnsboro Police Department Report 8-1-2016 to 8-7-16
The Winnsboro Police Department made five arrests, responded 176 calls for service, 50 citations, 28 warnings, 5 arrests, and no accidents during this reporting period.
Devaney, April, age 31, of Point, was arrested on 8-3-16 for possession of a controlled substance.
Roberts, Michael, age 65, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 8-4-16 on a Wood County warrant.
Williams, Craig, age 24, of Hallsville, was arrested on 8-5-16 for driving while license invalid with previous convictions and on an Upshur County Warrant.
Dixon, Darrell, age 46, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 8-7-16 on a Hopkins County warrant.
Powell, Marshall, age 29, of Hockley, was arrested on 8-7-16 on a Galveston County warrant.
Wildcat Football Practice Underway
Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens pronounced the first day of practice for the season Monday a very good day. He said the team had good retention of things they were taught in May during spring practices. Coach Owens was also pleased with the weather, which provided a little relief from the broiling heat. A large cloud covered the sun for a few minutes as players hit the field just after 6 p.m. Then temperatures dropped to pleasant levels as the sun was going down.
It got so pleasant Coach Owens said he wished he had had a little more daylight. Practice ended on the field at around 8:30 p.m. Beginning at 5 p.m., the team also lifted weights and worked on punts during a work through in the Multipurpose Building. Coach Owens said the team seemed to know what they were doing. He was encouraged that they were going in the right direction. It’s been two weeks since The Edge conditioning program ended. Coach Owens said players were not in as good a shape as he would have liked but he added, they were okay. Coach Owens said players ended practice in a strong and crisp manner.
Practice will continue from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. all this week with players on the practice field at around 6 p.m.
Game Day: Lady Cats Volleyball at Home; Wildcat Team Tennis on the Road
The Lady Cats’ volleyball team and the Wildcats’ team tennis squad begin the regular season on this Tuesday game day. The Lady Cats open at home while the Wildcats are on the road. The Lady Cats play the Sherman Lady Bearcats at 3 p.m. in Wildcats Gym. Later Sherman will face North Lamar. Then at around 5 p.m., the Lady Cats will face their old rival the North Lamar Pantherettes. Both of today’s foes are former district opponents for the Lady Cats. To get ready for the season opener, the Lady Cats have scrimmaged Commerce and Cumby at home and Wills Point, Caddo Mills, Mabank and Greenville in Wills Point. Today marks the regular season coaching debut of Justin Maness, who comes to Sulphur Springs after a ten-year run as head coach at Paris Junior College.
Meanwhile the Wildcats’ team tennis squad will have to be road warriors today. They had a scheduled match at Whitehouse at 9 a.m. this morning. They are scheduled to play at Mt. Pleasant at around 1 p.m. this afternoon. Since the Wildcats hit the court on August 1, they have played a series of seeding matches to determine the eight top boys and girls for today’s regular season matches. Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez is in his third year at Sulphur Springs.
SSISD Board Begins Year with 57 New Teachers; Sets Budget
SSISD Board covered a number of as-school-starts issues during their session August 8th in the Administration Building Boardroom.
Budget was a primary subject for the board. The budget calls for total estimated revenues of $45,222210 and estimated expenditures of $45,157,871 providing a net fund balance increase of $64,339. Projected fund balance is $19,405,959. Food service will continue to utilize the Region 8 Coop. Classroom materials and supplies will be purchased through Quill and Latson’s with pricing and discounts the same as the previous year.
Teacher appraisals will follow a different directive this school year. All school principals have been trained in the new system and assistant principals and academic specialists, along with the Director of Head Start will be receiving the training as well.
Rusty Hardin, Director of Human Resources and Communications for the district, reported that 57 new teachers will begin service in SSISD this year. He also pointed to the use of Blackboard Connect as a means of communicating with students, staff, parents, board members, and others.
Student and employee handbooks were also adopted.
PERSONNEL
Resignations
Stephanie Spinks Kindergarten Teacher ECLC
Eydie Ginn English Teacher High School
Kristy Springfield SpEd Aide High School
Ron Mayberry Police Officer Austin Acad. Center
New Personnel
Kori Reed Kindergarten Teacher ECLC
Trace Martin PE Teacher/Coach Middle School
Patricia Miller Math Teacher Middle School
Melissa Peugh English Teacher Middle School
Christi Singleton English Teacher Middle School
Leigh Ann Adamson English Teacher High School
Audra Latimer Science Teacher High School
Angelia Lloyd SpEd Aide High School
Monty Tipps Police Officer Austin Acad. Center
Frazier Testifies He Saw Mapps Shoot Young; Said Young Did Not Have Weapon
Testimony continues in the murder trial underway in Eighth Judicial Court in Hopkins County. TTilton Joshua Isaiah Mapps, 21, is being tried for the murder of Jonathan Trahern Young. Mapps is accused of the murder of Young at Pacific Park on June 8, 2015. On Monday, Assistant District Attorney Matt Harris Harris had begun opening arguments stating that the shooting developed over time due to an argument between Kendall Frazier and K C Macon.
Tuesday morning, Frazier took the stand testifying that neither Young nor Maria Hawthorne, who was with Young and Frazier at Pacific Park that night, had in their possession a weapon. During Frazier’s testimony, Mapps seldom looked up from the defense table and when he did, he looked at Frazier only briefly. A few glances were cast toward the jury by Mapps during the testimony of Frazier. Frazier testified that he saw Mapps shoot Young at close range once. Then, according to Frazier, Young turned to run away and Mapps shot him several times before Young fell to the ground. He said that Young had been baited into a fight with Mapps by Dillon Burk. Frazier said his “…friend got shot over stupidity.”
Frazier said he chased Mapps and saw him get into a Silver Nissan parked on Ross Street. He said he could not see how many were in the auto as it pulled away. Assistant District Attorney Harris asked Frazier if the person whom he saw shoot Young was in the courtroom and asked him to point to that one present. Frazier pointed at Mapps and acknowledged that Mapps was the one he had observed.
Frazier stated that before the shots he heard someone yelling, “Don’t pull that out of your pocket or you will be sorry.” He stated that Hawthorne did not leave the scene and stated again in testimony that neither Young nor Hawthorne had a handgun.
Harris asked Frazier if he was on probation for delivery of a controlled substance and Frazier answered “Yes.” The Defense Attorney asked Frazier if he had been jailed for burglary of a habitation and Frazier said yes. Under cross examination, Frazier told the defense attorney that he could see Young and Mapps under the lights at Pacific Park. He testified that he knew Dillion Burks, the one he said had encouraged a fight between Young and Mapps, but he did not know him well. Frazier also admitted that he told police that he thought K C Macon had something to do with the shooting. Frazier said he had gone to Macon’s house on Whitworth Street twice and “…had words…” with Macon. The second time he journeyed to Macon’s house on the night of the shooting Young had driven him there in an auto. He stated Young did not get out of the car or become involved in the conversation. Asked if anyone was smoking marijuana that night, Frazier said there were some smoking but that Young and Hawthorne were not.
To assist in confirming Frazier’s ability to see clearly Mapps and Young, ADA Harris produced two overhead pictures of Pacific Park and asked Frazier to show where he was standing and where Mapps and Young were standing at the time of the incident. Frazier said he was attracted to where the incident occurred when he heard gun shots further away from the scene but in the Park and again when Hawthorne screamed his name as the altercation between Young and Mapps began.
There was a shooting in Pacific Park that same evening prior to the Mapps-Young incident.
courthouse flag
Meal A Day Menu August 15th – August 19th
Monday
Chicken Breast on a bed of Rice
English Peas
Cole Slaw
Roll
Tuesday
Beef Patty with Roast Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Roll
Wednesday
Cheesy Chicken and Noodle Casserole
Carrots
Pickled Beets
Thursday
Chili Cheese Dogs
Fritos
Pickle Spears
Friday
Beef Lasagna
Malibu Vegetables
Garlic Toast
Salad
Methamphetamine Found as Woman Changes into Jail Uniform
A Mineola woman in Wood County custody was picked up on two Hopkins County warrants for speeding and for failure to maintain financial responsibility Monday. Hopkins County deputies transported her to Hopkins County Jail where she was taken into a dress out room by a female jailer. While changing into the jail uniform the female jailer located, in the woman’s clothing, a small baggie with a clear crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. The substance was tested and returned positive for meth.
Subrina Elaine Flores, 25, is in Hopkins County Jail charged with possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, more than 1-gram and less than 4-grams, a Felony 3. Tuesday morning her bond was set at $10,000.
Latson’s Going Green By Putting In Solar Panels
Last Thursday, Latson’s Office Solutions Inc. received 30 solar panels. Mike Horne, owner of Latson’s explained that getting solar panels “made sense financially” as the payback ended up being 4 and 1/2 years for a solar panel that would last from 20-30 years. Latson’s qualified for a USDA grant that paid for 25% of the cost, and they also received a 30% tax credit. Horne elaborated on how the company uses lots of heat in the winter and the new solar panels should help keep the electricity bills lower. “I personally wanted to do it.” Horne smiled, probably thinking about the good he was accomplishing in the world, when he added; “I would love for a recycling movement. I used to take my plastic bottles to Brookshire’s.”
KSST spoke to James Showalter, an associate of Shannon Pickering, owner of Southern Solar Solutions. Showalter commented on the specifics of the system. “This is a 13.1 kilowatt system…
The battery banks hold a 20 year lifespan, and are more reliable for [operating generators] in the event of a storm or power outage…Lots of people ask about hailstorms. The glass on solar panels is backed by a material 
called Tedlar, and it is virtually impossible to break. It is stronger than the windshield on your car…[People don’t know that] the technology is there [and available for use].”
Overall solar energy seems to be at an all time high in renewable energy. The cost savings is phenomenal. Before solar panels people pay “20-35 cents a kilowatt” now they can pay less than “1 cent a kilowatt”. For more information on how to install solar panels at your home or business contact:
James and John Showalter at 903-441-2090 or Shannon Pickering at 903-439-8436.
