Season Ticket Sales Continue
Current Wildcats’ football season ticket holders, who have not yet renewed their seats, have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to renew. Season tickets not renewed by the deadline will be available for others. Lots of the current season ticket holders renewed on Monday. Lynette King, who coordinates the season ticket activity, said that about 67% of the current season ticket holders renewed their seats Monday. She said traffic on Tuesday had also been steady.
Ms. King said the season ticket staff would be making courtesy calls after noon Tuesday to remind ticket holders, who have not yet renewed, of the deadline. Renewing season ticket holders can seek location upgrades Wednesday. This opportunity results in the largest line of people waiting for doors to open. Tickets left over will be available to the general public Thursday and Friday. The season ticket activity takes place at the high school library. Hours are 8:45 a.m. until noon and then 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
A season ticket packet of five games costs $50.
Hotline Established for Truck Drivers to Respond I-30 Corridor Study
PARIS – One in three vehicles traveling along Interstate Highway 30 in East and Northeast Texas is a semi-trailer truck, or “big rig.”
That is why the I-30 East Texas Corridor Study group has created a hotline for truck drivers to text or call in; to voice their ideas and concerns as part of the planning process for the future of this highway.
Here are a few things the study group wants to know:
- Are more truck stops needed?
- Do safety measures need improvement?
- Does I-30 need dedicated restricted lanes for trucks and passenger vehicles?
- What other improvements along I-30 need to be made?
Anyone wanting to voice their suggestions or concerns can text or call (434) 878-2530 (or 434-TRUCK30). Please respond by Aug. 31, 2016, to have any concerns and ideas included in the study results.
Start Saving Today for Tomorrow’s College Bills
Craig S Johnson, Edward Jones Financial Advisor
If you have young children, you might be planning for their summer activities. But you also might want to look even farther into the future — to the day when your kids say “goodbye” to their local schools and “hello” to their college dormitories. When that day arrives, will you be financially prepared to pay for the high costs of higher education?
Consider this: For the 2013–2014 academic year, the average cost (tuition, fees, room and board) was $18,391 for an in-state student at a four-year public college or university, and $40,917 for a private school, according to the College Board. And these costs may well be considerably higher by the time your children enter college.
Of course, these are just the “sticker” prices; some families pay less, thanks to grants and tax benefits, such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. Still, you may encounter some hefty college bills down the road.
But college is still a good investment in your child’s future. Over an adult’s working life, an individual with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn, on average, nearly $1 million more than someone with only a high school diploma, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So you’re saving for a good cause.
Unfortunately, you may not be saving enough — or you might not be making the most of your savings. To save for college, more parents use a general savings account than any other method, according to Sallie Mae’s How America Saves for College 2014 study. These types of accounts carry two significant drawbacks: They typically earn tiny returns and they offer no tax advantages.
However, you do you have some attractive college-funding vehicles available, one of which is a 529 plan. Your 529 plan earnings accumulate tax free, provided they are used for qualified higher education expenses. (529 plan distributions not used for qualified expenses may be subject to federal and state income tax and a 10% IRS penalty.) Furthermore, your 529 plan contributions may be deductible from your state taxes. But 529 plans vary, so be sure to check with your tax advisor regarding deductibility.
A 529 plan offers other benefits, too. For one thing, the lifetime contribution limits for 529 plans are quite generous; while these limits vary by state, some plans allow contributions well in excess of $200,000. And a 529 plan is flexible: If your child decides against college or vocational school, you can transfer the unused funds to another family member, tax and penalty free.
While a 529 plan is a popular choice for college savings, it is not the only option available. You also might want to consider a Coverdell Education Savings Account, which, like a 529 plan, can generate tax-free earnings if the money is used for higher education expenses. You can typically only put in a maximum of $2,000 per year to a Coverdell account, but it does offer more flexibility in investment choices than a 529 plan.
Your children may be young today, but, before you know it, they’ll be packing their bags for college. So, no matter which college savings vehicles you choose, put them to work soon.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. www.edwardjones.com/craig-s-
Regional Training for Law Enforcement Focused on Negotiation
A regional training for 25 law enforcement officers from across Northeast and Central Texas is being conducted at the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Squad Room this week. The training was initiated by the local Texas Ranger and is utilizing the skills of highly successful experienced educators in the field of negotiation.
Retired FBI Special Agent Max Howard told KSST News the negotiations process was discovered and refined in the 1960’s as law enforcement dealt with those who were seeking to achieve a goal outside themselves and attempted to obtain that goal by holding people hostages or placed themselves in circumstances that demanded authorities help them to attain the goal. He stated that negotiations today are different. People today are often dealing with emotions and personal problems. The negotiator must now bring the person down to a level where they can deal with the emotional need, frustration or pain. Howard stated that listening and learning from the individual assists to determine the solution to their need. If they are suicidal, finding alternative relief will avoid them hurting themselves or others.
Coping skills are not as plentiful and available to the individual in today’s society as in days past. He said emotions play a greater role now than in the past.
The skills learned by officers during this week will not only assist them in dealing with work related negotiations but also have influence in the personal life of each officer, according to Howard. He stated that those who receive the training are able to better interact with family as well as the everyday circumstances faced in private and public life.
Additional Charges File Against Local Woman
Five additional misdemeanor charges of burglary of a vehicle have been added to the list of similar charges for a 21-year old Sulphur Springs female previously arrested in June of this year. She has returned to Hopkins County Jail and is being held on a total of $10,000 bond, $2,000 for each charge. This time the woman was arrested at CHRISTUS Mother Francis Sulphur Springs.
The female and a male companion were arrested after they were identified following a rash of 23 vehicle burglaries the weekend of June 24-26. Thirty-two car burglaries were solved with the arrest of the pair hiding in a closet in a residence on Van Sickle Street. Her boyfriend was also wanted on a warrant for a county theft of property over $750 but less than $2500 at that time. They were in the closet hoping to avoid the police and to evade arrest.
All charges against the female are misdemeanors
Guilty Plea Entered Minutes Before Jury Selection
texas flag courthouse
About 20 minutes before jury selection began Monday, August 1, in Eighth Judicial District Court at the Hopkins County Courthouse, Amy Sue Philips pled guilty before the judge to Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 (methamphetamine) less than 1-gram. Entering the plea bargain agreement, she received five (5) years of felony probation and 90 days in Delta County Jail.
Her trial was set to begin Tuesday, August 2. Although a Hopkins County case, Philips will be incarcerated at some point in Delta County Jail. She is a resident of Cooper.
1300 Laptops Ready for SSHS Students
Meredith Townsend
New Sulphur Springs High School Digital Learning Specialist Meredith Townsend was on campus Monday working to get 1300 laptops re-imaged and ready for every high school student. They are expected to get them sometime early this school year. As of Monday morning, about 800 were already ready to go. Ms. Townsend says this year will be one for students to get used to the laptops. They will be able to carry them around and take them home.
Meanwhile she says she’ll be working with teachers on ways to best utilize the laptops. Ms. Townsend says she used laptops in the classroom while teaching biology in the Highland Park school district last year. Several years ago, the Sulphur Springs School Board began a program of providing tablets and laptops to students in the district. Once the high school program is in place, students from grades 3 through 12 will have laptops or tablets to use. 
SSHS Team Tennis Set to Travel Next Week
Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez had to content with several players who were unable to show up for the first day of team tennis practice Monday morning. They missed a dual session. It started bright and early Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. with running at the high school track. Later the players in attendance had challenge matches to determine seeding for early matches.
The Wildcats play two road matches on Tuesday, August 9. They will be at Whitehouse for a 9 a.m. match and then will bus to Mt. Pleasant for a 2 p.m. match. Coach Martinez said missing players would be behind the others. He hoped they would get caught up by the first district match on September 6. Unlike in past years, the Wildcats will play quite a bit of tennis before district play begins. Seven matches are on the schedule.
The home opener will be against Sherman on Thursday, August 11 at the Wildcat Tennis Complex. Coach Martinez remains optimistic that his team has what it takes to qualify for the area playoffs by finishing in the top four in district.
