Color Guard, Percussion Camps as Wildcats Marching Season Nears Start
Mostly freshmen members of the percussion group and all of the thirteen-member Color Guard for the Wildcats Marching Band are in camps this week to give them a head start for the start of summer band practice, which begins Monday. It’s the second week of camp for percussion members and the first week for Color Guard members.
Zander Smith, the school district’s Strings Director, is helping Percussion Director Jeffrey Garza, with percussion camp. Smith says he is teaching the mostly freshmen group how to march. He notes drumline members have to learn a specific technique since they march differently than other band members due to the heavy weights they must carry. The percussion camp is featuring not only marching but also working on the music that must be learned. Also helping is senior Sam Robinson, the band’s Drumline Section Leader. He notes that progress is being made. After a few mishaps early, Robinson says the young band members are now getting it. Robinson feels this year’s drumline will be the best since he has been here.
Meanwhile Assistant Band Director Jennifer Turner was busy working with the thirteen-member Color Guard Tuesday. After watching them struggle in the heat during rifle twirling drills, she decided to handle dropped rifles by squirting those involved with water from a nozzled water hose. She admits some guard members dropped rifles at first just to get squirted. Some members that did not wish to get wet were put in a dry zone. Color Guard members will also be working with flags and on their routines for the fall show during camp this week. This year’s Color Guard is a young one featuring only two seniors.
PJC Names Cox New Baseball Coach
Clay Cox, who has served as assistant baseball coach for Paris Junior College this past year, has been named to replace longtime baseball coach Deron Clark. Clark left earlier in the summer to take the reins as Athletic Director of Eastern New Mexico College.
In his first year as assistant coach, the Dragons doubled their win total and improved in every offensive category, including leading the conference in stolen bases. He coached five All-Conference selections and one MLB draft Pick (Chad Hardy who went in the 33rd Round to the Boston Red Sox).
“I am honored to be given this opportunity by Dr. Anglin and Paris Junior College,” Cox said. “I’ve worked tirelessly throughout my career for an opportunity of this caliber. There is nowhere else I would want to begin my collegiate head coaching career than PJC. I look forward to continuing the success of such a rich baseball program in one of the toughest conferences in the country.”
Cox came to PJC from the University of West Alabama where, in 2015, he helped lead the Tigers to a 42-11 (26-6) record, a Gulf South Conference regular season title and GSC tournament championship. The Tigers were ranked seventh in the country and set a school record in winning percentage (.792). UWA had a Division 2 best and school record 20-game win streak.
As summer 2016 winds down, Cox will have coached his third season with the Brazos Valley Bombers. They are currently ranked fifth nationally and on a league record 19-game winning streak. They sit atop the Texas Collegiate League standings by nine games with a 33-5 record.
The two preceding years, he helped the Bombers to back-to-back-to-back TCL titles, finishing 2015 with a record of 45-9 winning the regular season, TCL title and finishing ranked third in the nation. The Bombers finished 2014 with a 45-15 record, a TCL title and a national ranking of fifth. Cox was selected to the Texas Collegiate League North All-Star coaching staff in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Cox has coached 16 Major League draft picks with Brazos Valley.
Prior to his first collegiate position at West Alabama, Cox coached at Rockdale (Texas) High School, where he was the head varsity baseball coach for two seasons. During that time Rockdale won more games than in any other two-year span in school history. Under Cox, Rockdale set school records for win streak (11), stolen bases in a single game (20), and stolen bases in a season (135). He coached two all-star selections, four all-state choices, seven academic all-district selections and three academic all-state honorees.
Before Rockdale, Cox was the head baseball coach at Jacksboro High School. He also had coaching stops at James Bowie High School in Simms.
Cox earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Texas A&M in 2008 with a minor in coaching. He holds two masters degrees: a 2014 Master of Arts in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University – Irvine and a 2015 Master of Arts in Teaching – Physical Education from the University of West Alabama.
Winnsboro Police Media Report July 18th to July 24th
On 07/20/2016, Little, Brian, 29 years of age, was arrested for a warrant from Tarrant County.
On 07/21/2016, Crouch, Jeremy, 34 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested for Driving while License invalid, with previous, Conv/Susp/W/O fin res
On 07/19/2016, and accident occured in the 1000 block of South Walnut. A sedan traveling northbound in the street was struck from behind by anther sedan, also traveling northbound. One person was transported to TMFER
During this reporting period, the Winnsboro Police Department answered 152 calls for service, issued 48 citations and 39 warnings.
Drugs, Weapon, and Driving Lead to Arrest
Sulphur Springs Police and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Officers responded to a call of an unknown person pointing a handgun at individuals on the downtown square in Sulphur Springs. Law enforcement officers were advised with a description of the vehicle and that the driver was possibly traveling to Winnsboro. A County Deputy located the vehicle and made a traffic stop.
A strong odor of marijuana was coming from the inside of the vehicle. Both the driver and the passenger admitted smoking marijuana. When the deputy explained the reason for the stop regarding the handgun, the driver told him there was no weapon in the pickup. Both passenger and driver were asked to exit the vehicle for a pat down.
A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted and a Ruger 9 MM handgun was found behind the passenger seat. Two loaded magazines were located under the center seat and a small black bag on the passenger side floorboard produced miscellaneous coins, jewelry, and electric scale. A small vial of a substance believed to be methamphetamine was also found.
Hunter Wayne Weems, 18, of Winnsboro gave a small amount of resistance but was placed in the patrol car and arrested. The passenger was released. Weems is in Hopkins County Jail Charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 under 1-gram, Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, No Driver’s License, Reckless Driving, and Unsafe Speed. His bond totals $17,000 from all charges.
Inmate’s Methamphetamine Hidden in Bunk Found in Cell Search
A cell search by Hopkins County Jailors and the Special Crimes Unit found Tabitha Ann Hughes, 32, a current resident at Hopkins County Jail from Malvern, Arkansas to have 14.5 grams of methamphetamine hidden in her bunk. Hughes had meth hidden in her clothing when she was checked into the jail over the weekend.
Hughes was traveling with Tyler Scott Bailey, 22, of Arkansas, when they were stopped by local law enforcement over the weekend. (see Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by Felon; Two Arrested for Methamphetamine)
Hughes has now had an added charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, in a Correctional Facility more than 4-grams but under 200-grams, which is a Felony 1. Bond was set on this charge at $30,000 bringing her total bond to $50,000.
NETBIO Awards Scholarships Prior to Successful Mid-Summer Sale
A good quality cattle was the trademark of the July Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization (NETBIO) Sale held Wednesday. The mid-summer sale exceeded the 5,000 head mark for only the second time in July, selling a total of 5,183 head of calves and yearlings.
“The sale went very well and I think the shippers (sellers) were pleased with the results,” said Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission co-owner David Fowler. “We had a lot of buyers on site and we sold quite a few over the Internet.”
There were 219 sellers of cattle in the sale, and 35 buyers purchased all the cattle at an average of $846.40 per head. Fowler said the buyers came from good distances to buy these feeders. The cattle will ship out from Sulphur springs to feed yards in the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma and Kansas.
“The producers who sell cattle at the NETBIO sale do a great job of pre-conditioning their calves and yearlings and getting them ready for the sale,” Fowler said. “That is why buyers like these cattle and come back for nearly every sale.”
NETBIO SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS These three college agriculture majors received a $1,000 scholarship each from the Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization. From left, Josh Haddox of Martinsville (Texas A&M), and Lauren Parker of Commerce (Texas A&M-Commerce) were given the Jim Jacobs Scholarship Award. Trey Kraft of Paris, right, an Oklahoma State vet student, was given the Dr. J.D. Norris Scholarship. Other recipients not present were John Duke of Stephenville (Tarleton State) and Grayson Russell of Mt. Pleasant (Texas Tech).
Before the sale of cattle started, the NETBIO board of directors announced the winners of five $1,000 scholarships the organization awarded this year to college students majoring in agriculture. Board member Chris McClure introduced three of the recipients who were present while two were working and unable to attend the presentation.
The scholarships are given in the name of Jim Jacobs and Dr. J. D. Norris, two men involved in organizing NETBIO and who served as directors before their deaths.
Receiving the Jacobs Scholarships, each for $1,000, were Josh Haddox of Martinsville, TX who is attending Texas A&M University, College Station; Lauren Parker of Commerce, a masters degree student at Texas A&M University-Commerce; Grayson Russell of Mt. Pleasant, a student at Texas Tech University; and John Duke of Stephenville, a student at Tarleton State University.
The Dr. J.D. Norris Scholarship was presented to Oklahoma State University veterinary student Trey Kraft of Paris. Trey Norris made the presentation for the family.
Two more NEBIO Pre-conditioned Calf and Yearling Sales are scheduled this year. The next sale will be held on Wednesday, September 21. Weaning deadline for calves entering the sale is August 7. The last date for booster shots is August 22.
The final sale of the year is the anniversary sale, slated for November 16. That sale includes a BBQ lunch with all the trimmings. All the sales are held at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission and begin at 1 p.m.
Wildcat Tennis Camp Begins Week of Training
Wildcat Tennis Complex
Sulphur Springs High School Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez welcomed youth students into his five-day tennis camp for boys and girls Monday at the Wildcat Tennis Complex. Several younger kids entering kindergarten through the sixth grade showed up early Monday morning for an 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. session. Older kids, those that will entering the seventh through the twelfth grade, participated in a session from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Like other camps, Coach Martinez said the camp would teach fundamentals. He said emphasis would be on ground strokes including forehands, backhands, and volleys plus serving. Coach Martinez said campers would spend a lot of time hitting a tennis ball this week. He is being assisted by two tennis players from Schreiner University and one player from Sul Ross.
Coach Martinez said he used to be scared teaching very young campers because one never knew where a ball would go sometimes. He said what turned him around was how excited young players got when the ball went over the net. Coach Martinez said any new campers that show up Tuesday would receive a prorated cost for camp, instead of the full $50 price.
SSISD Offers Online Registration Assistance
The Sulphur Springs Independent School District will be offering another help session for online registration through Skyward Family Access on Tuesday, August 2, at the Administration building on Connally ST. SSISD will be providing help from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for all the steps of the registration process including computers, logins, passwords, and assistance with forms. Director of Human Resources/Communications Rusty Harden encourages people to take advantage of the opportunity in order to avoid the troubles of last minute registration. No login or password is need to attend the help session as that information will be obtained for attendees.
All students entering school from 1st through 12th grade will need to have all online paperwork completed for the new school year. Only students attending classes on the ECLC campus will not be using online registration. These help sessions are for students who enrolled in SSISD last year or students who are new transfers to the district. The registration process will not include picking classes or teachers as it is restricted only to paperwork.
Students or parents can contact SSISD at (903) 885-2153 ext. 1108 for more information.
Foster And Adoptive Parent Meeting July 25th and August 4th
If your interested in learning more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent on July 25th at 5:30 PM at the First Baptist Church in Mineola there will be a information meeting. This is also a special meeting because CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) will also be presenting at the meeting as well. There will be two great programs for community members to learn more about.
I will be having an information meeting for anyone in the community interested in learning more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent on August 4, 2016 at 5:30 PM at the Emory Baptist Church.
There is a TREMENDOUS need for foster parents in our local community and I am relying on you guys to help me spread the word. Please help me by posting this flyer in your church bulletins, newsletters, on your websites, or by word of mouth within the community. Our children need your help and anything you can do will be much appreciated! If you have any questions or want more information, please let me know. I would also be happy to schedule a one on one time to speak to your individual church or organization.
Laci Alexander
Foster & Adoptive Home Developer
CPS Specialist IV
1400 College St, Suite 274
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
Office: 903-439-9269
Cell: 903-497-2010
Fax: 512-276-3584
