Carnival Postponed
KSST news has received multiple requests for information on the carnival that normally would be held this weekend in conjunction with Dairy Festival festivities. After speaking with Dairy Festival Board members, we have learned that through a scheduling conflict there will NOT be a carnival this weekend. The Dairy Festival board is in hopes to still bring the carnival here albeit a few weeks late, but as of today, no firm date has been agreed upon with the carnival company. Stay tuned to KSSTradio.com for more information as it becomes available.
*Updated* County Roads: Problems and Solutions?
We have had several comments on the road conditions in the county and continue to have people vote in our poll found below. Although, some folks have expressed other ideas for solutions suggesting changing the budget allocation and so on, we realize that the budget process and the money raised for road construction is a very complex process. We continue to monitor the poll results which so far overwhelmingly have favored the choices of “hiring more qualified help” and “sharing resources between precincts” garnering 80%. Although we realize that these choices sound easy, the implementation of these ideas could take time and prove to be difficult. We agree though that the condition of the county roads are a serious concern for all residents and we encourage a positive discussion towards a solution.
County roads and the repair or disrepair of them has long been a point of contention for most counties and their commissioners. As we reported in an earlier story this week, some residents of Precinct 2 attended the commissioners meeting and expressed their concerns for the roads in their precinct. Although not all precincts are created equal, each one receives fairly similar budgets for road repair each year. Of course, our county varies in the different precincts as far as current road conditions, type of base soil, and level of road building experience, but residents must realize that this is the same system we have been using for many years. Each newly elected commissioner “inherits” the current roads from their predecessor as well as equipment, staff, etc. He or she then evaluates the needs against their budget and what can or cannot be repaired. Going back a couple of years ago, when we had a harsh winter, and then this past rainy season (which seems to have lasted 18 months) have both taken a toll on many roads that were not problems before. And has literally destroyed other roads that were already having problems.
So those are just some of the problems, but what are the solutions? It is easy to blame the weather or the commissioner, but with almost unlimited need and limited resources in each precinct, where is the happy medium?
We would like to know what you think. Please vote in this poll and we will follow up with the results:
[poll id=”44″]
Road Construction
Couple Charged with Child Endangerment
Desiree Krystal Brown, 23, and Rogers Dale Petrea, 29, were arrested Tuesday, June 14, 2016 on a warrant at the Child Protective Services office in Sulphur Springs. Special Crimes Investigators assisted CPS with an investigation involving a one year old child that tested positive for high levels of methamphetamine. The couple was charged with Abandonment/Endangerment of a Child Criminal Negligence.
Sgt. Mark Estes with the Special Crimes Unit said CPS had received information regarding drug use in a trailer park in Como shortly after the 1st of June. Their investigation led to discovering drug use by the child’s parents. Brown and Petrae are in Hopkins County Jail on a $15,000 bond each.
A Visit from Two Dairy Festival Queen Contestants
Emma Boyett and Tahtiana King appeared on the KSST Morning Show to talk about their exciting first-weekend Dairy Festival experiences, and to talk about the Queen’s Pageant coming up June 18, 2016.
Contestant #4 Tahtiana King is a Ladycat Senior at Sulphur Springs High School. She is on the Varsity Track team and standing just 5 feet tall, she is also a valuable player on the Varsity Basketball team. Other school interests include Key Club, which she likes because members do service projects in the community and get to know different people from children to the elderly. Through her volunteerism, she feels that she is actually helping to make a difference in the everyday lives of people she meets. She attributes her ability to relate to people of all ages through her involvement as a member of the Youth Department at East Caney Baptist Church where they are like a big church family. After high school, Tahtiana plans to attend a 4-year college to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. She comes with some experience appearing in pageants from her childhood. For the talent portion, she will perform a gospel song “He Wants It All” by Forever Jones. She will be wearing a shimmering navy blue evening gown. Her sponsors are Texas Association of Dairymen and Jay Hodge Chevrolet. Her parents are Kyshia Johnson and Marcus Johnson.
Contestant #5 Emma Boyett is 5’2″ and has blue eyes. Her parents are Oran and Jeanine Boyett. She is a Senior at Sulphur Springs High School, active in Wildcat Band, UIL, Student Council, Key Club and National Technical Honor Society. She is a Wildcat Varsity Cheerleader, cheering since Freshman year. She loves music and playing oboe in Concert Band. She’s been taking gymnastics instruction for the past 8 years. Helping others is her passion, and with her mom’s help began the annual Jeans for Teens Drive when she was in 7th grade, so far collecting over 5,000 pairs of jeans for teenagers in shelters. She also has donated her hair for cancer victims, assisted in tornado cleanup and in packing Meals for Multitudes. She’s taking Dual Credit courses through Paris Junior College and ranks in the top 10% of her class at SSHS. With a goal to be a surgeon, Emma plans to attend Texas A and M for undergraduate studies then work toward a doctorate in Dental surgery. She is a member of South Garland Baptist Church. For the talent portions, she will play oboe to Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” with piano accompaniment by Diane Camp. Her evening gown selection is a strapless formal in ocean shades of blues and greens. Her sponsors are Southwest Dairy Farmers Museum and Texas Farm Credit.
Each of the 8 contestants are selling tickets to the Pageant at $7 each. Admission at the door will be $10 person. The Pageant begins at 8pm in the Hopkins County Civic Center Auditorium. KSST will broadcast the event live and streaming on ksstradio.com, and will record it for playback on Channel 18 TV.
RSVP Spring Awards Banquet to Honor Volunteers
Several people who give generously of their time and efforts will be honored for their service Thursday, June 16th, during the RSVP Spring Awards Banquet. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a theme of “Volunteers Make Beautiful Music” at New Beginnings Fellowship Church.
One Way Auto Sales Moves Onto Gilmer
One Way Auto Sales, LLC., a new business owned by Clint Lewis, has moved into the former Father and Son’s Auto Sales lot on 900 Gilmer Street. Lewis has worked at three previous auto sales businesses, including Father and Son’s during its final two months as Sales Manager, but One Way Auto marks his first time as an auto sale business owner. “I’ve worked at a used car lot in Mt. Pleasant called ‘Champion Auto Sales’ and then I worked sales and was the sales manager at ‘Texas Country Ford’ in Winnsboro,” Lewis said.
One Way Auto Sales will primarily have trucks and several cars available for purchase on the lot. “I will offer very good outside financing as far as credit issues go, but the main thing that I’ll do is specialize more in just trucks,” Lewis said. “I usually price everything around cash price and clean trade-in instead of clean retail. That makes it a lot easier to get financed, whether you’re going with one of our banks or one of your personal banks.”
Right now, One Way Auto is operated by family, but Lewis is open to hiring additional employees as the need arises. No grand opening date has been confirmed as of yet for the new auto sales lot.
Heat Advisory Issued for Wednesday through Thursday
An extreme heat advisory has be issued for noon Wednesday until 8 p.m. Thursday. Temperatures will reach into the middle and upper 90’s with afternoon heat index values around 105. All of North Central and Northeastern Texas are included in the advisory including the Hopkins County area. Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas are also included. Heat exhaustion or heat stroke can quickly occur to anyone working or participating in outdoor activities. An extreme heat advisory has be issued for noon Wednesday until 8 p.m. Thursday.
Heat exhaustion or heat stroke can quickly occur to anyone working or participating in outdoor activities during the advisory period. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear light and loose fitting clothing when possible and drink plenty of water.
Be sure to check on persons with health problems and the elderly.es during the advisory period. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Be sure to check on persons with health problems and the elderly.
TxDOT’s I-30 Public Survey of Opinions and Concerns for the Future of I-30 Continues
Time remains for those who have yet to respond to the Texas Department of Transportation’s invitation to the public to share their opinions and concerns about the future of Interstate Highway 30 in East Texas. According to Tim McAlavy, the response has been strong but TxDOT wants everyone to have an opportunity to contribute. The survey will close at the end of June according to McAlavy.
I-30 is an important connection for travel and trade. But as the interstate highway system ages and population and trade increase in Texas, it is necessary to assess the current safety and capacity of this highway. The I-30 East Texas Corridor Study is being undertaken to identify rural transportation needs along I-30 from the Rockwall-Hunt county line to the Texas-Arkansas border.
The study area spans 145 miles across six counties and lies within TxDOT’s Paris and Atlanta Districts. TxDOT’s Dallas District meanwhile is undertaking separate studies to identify improvements from the Rockwall-Hunt county line into the Dallas Metropolitan Area.
The study will address and focus on:
- Existing and future traffic volumes, including trucks
- Crash statistics and safety needs
- Economic development opportunities
- Highway characteristics such as overpass clearances, bridge & structure ratings, pavement condition, median treatments, truck parking, lane and shoulder widths, and frontage roads
- Community needs
- Environmental features
TxDOT officials said the public can provide its input and feedback on the future of I-30 by participating in an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/I-30EastTexas
Local communities and leaders will also be involved to better incorporate community needs and concerns in the study. The I-30 Working Group comprised of local stakeholders will help TxDOT identify and assess transportation needs along the corridor. It will also provide an avenue to engage and inform the public, gather input and provide recommendations. The working group includes a cross-section of elected officials and other stakeholders along the I-30 corridor.
The I-30 East Texas Corridor Study working group will conduct a series of virtual and in-person meetings during the study, which is expected to be completed in Fall 2016. Working group members will also conduct public outreach activities which will be incorporated into the study’s analyses and recommendations.
More information on the I-30 East Texas Corridor Study is available online at: http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/statewide/i30-east-texas-corridor.html
TxDot logo
Lights of Broadway Currently Undergoing TxDOT Study
For the next two weeks a traffic study focused on light timing and traffic patterns at the Broadway/I-30 overpass is being conducted by the Texas Department of Transportation, according to Tim McAlavy, Public Information Officer for TxDOT-Paris Region. The current study will be repeated again in the fall when school starts. Public comment to a KSST Poll reflects the original TxDOT plan for the intersection.
In our recent unofficial poll of the traffic issues on Broadway, over half of those that responded voted that the lights at the Interstate/Broadway intersection are not timed correctly. With over 250 people voting the results of the poll were as follows:
Those Broadway lights aren’t timed right. (52%)
I give up!! It will only get worse when Starbucks opens!! (33%)
Construction everywhere changing my route. (10%)
Too many people not using the “new” loop. (6%)
We received many comments via our Facebook post as well, with some folks complaining that only a few cars could get through the light before it changed. As the KSST staff travels through this intersection every day, we notice that often the TxDOT crews are out adjusting the lights at the intersection. The crews that adjust the lights at his and other intersections are specifically assigned to managing the signal lights. They not only maintain the lights but also set the timing for the lights. Some say they have never seen a discernible difference in any adjustments that have made.
Obviously, that intersection would greatly benefit from a U-turn only lane added to the service roads (from Westbound to Eastbound), but we realize that would involve demolition and reconstruction of a completely new overpass (as was done in Greenville a few years ago). McAlavy told KSST News that originally the intersection at Broadway and the interstate was designed for those entering the interstate to proceed without stopping. However, he said, the city decided against the original design and the original timing for the lights. At that time, according to KSST New records, the city council deterred the state from implementing the plan desiring a shorter timing for the lights in non-rush-hour time segments and longer lights during the morning drive to work, during the lunch rush, and the afternoon rush hour.
Another suggestion from a listener was the addition of a new overpass connecting the two sections of Mockingbird lane. This option was considered many years ago when the additional Westbound entrance to I-30 was removed in the Bill Bradford intersection reconstruction.
