County Commissioners Interview Only Six for County Fire Chief
Hopkins County Commissioners Court narrowed the number of applicants to six and has begun the interview process for a new County Fire Chief. County Judge Robert Newsom told KSST News that commissioners received 12 applications and narrowed the field to only six for interviews. Monday, the court interviewed two of the applicants and will interview the remaining four Wednesday.
Newsom said most of the applicants were from the local area. He stated they hope to have a new chief in place by July 1.
In action during their regular meeting, the court approved a bid for just over $120,000 for a new roof over meeting rooms at the civic center. They also appointed Dr. I. L. Balkcom as infection control officer for the county.
KSST Presents Scholarship to Intern Steven Payne
Chad and Rhonda Young, owners of KSST radio, Channel 18 Television and ksstradio.com presented KSST Intern Steven Payne with a scholarship Monday afternoon, June 6th, in the lobby of KSST’ studios. Payne will begin his college career at the University of North Texas at Denton in the fall as he seeks a double major in Digital Journalism and a major in English with a concentration in creative writing. He is also considering a possible minor in political science.
Payne chose UNT because of the quality of both the Journalism Department and the English Department. He says his familiarity with the campus and the fact that “…tuition at UNT is not as high as some universities “ also factored in his decision.
At graduation from UNT, Payne hopes to work as a political journalist and eventually author fiction and poetry. In the summer of 2015 he attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in Washington D. C. which gave him a glimpse of political journalism.
Payne, a Class of 2016 graduate is in his second year as an intern. His primary assignment began with both writing and photography for ksstradio.com but has expanded into radio as well. Reminiscent of the days of Radio Workshop, the intern program is designed to assist students in learning more about the world of mass media including radio, television, and other avenues in the communications field. At KSST, interns serve part-time under the supervision of the department director to which they are assigned and are reassigned in various areas of the organization as they desire to expand their interests.
In thanking KSST for the scholarship, Payne stated, “I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at KSST. It helped me decide what I want to do with my life.”
Baseball Hitting Camp for Youth Underway
Veteran Wildcats Baseball Coach Jerrod Hammack opened his baseball hitting camp Monday morning in the Multipurpose Building. Some 25 boys who will be entering the first through the third grades showed up for the early camp from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Coach Hammack expected an equal number of campers made up of boys entering the fourth through the ninth grades for his 10:30 a.m. until noon camp. Eight different hitting stations were set up. Helping Coach Hammack were his three assistants, Bruce Silman, Alec Bryant and Cameron Warren and members of his Wildcats’ baseball team.
Coach Hammack said the camp teaches his philosophy of staying inside the baseball. He said it’s a proven way to hit and is popular with major college programs and in the big leagues. Coach Hammack said among the younger group, some kids have played baseball while others have not. He said he focuses on hitting because kids love hitting. Coach Hammack said he enjoyed coaching the youngsters who he called enthusiastic with a innocent love of the game.
Former Rains County Officer Suspect in Vehicle Theft
A truck taken from Fix ‘n Feed on June 1st has been recovered by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Investigators thanks to information provided through the Hunt County Sheriff’s office. In recovering the vehicle, a suspect has also been located. The suspect is a former Rains County Sheriff’s officer that currently resided in the Rains County Jail. The suspect in this case is also being charged with a number of vehicle thefts in Hunt County.
In following the trail of the pickup, Chief Criminal Investigator Lewis Tatum and Criminal Investigator Dennis Findley were contacted by Hunt County Investigator Kenneth Peters that he had obtained an affidavit from the girlfriend of the suspect in the case. The vehicle was located Sunday night around 8 p.m. in a heavy thicket 100 yards off of a main road in the Hot Cove area near Quinlan. The vehicle was stuck and could not be removed by the individual or individuals who stole it. Hunt County officers had run the VIN on the truck and found it to have been stolen in Sulphur Springs.
Currently the truck is being held at an area wrecker service impound to preserve for fingerprints. Local officers are in the process of getting a warrant for the arrest of the former Rains County officer that is the suspect. His name is not being released pending the warrant.
Argument Leads to Assault
An argument led to an alleged assault and the arrest of Carlous Jermone Bass, Jr., 25, of Sulphur Springs. Sulphur Springs Police responded to a call Sunday night on Texas Street. The investigating officer was told by Bass’ girlfriend that she and Bass had argued and following the argument, Bass grabbed her by the throat on two different occasions causing her to have trouble breathing. She told the officer that she thought she was going to die.
While the investigating officer was at the location, Bass returned. During the questioning Bass made further threats of violence. Bass as arrested and placed in Hopkins County Jail charged with Assault Family/House Member Impeding Breath/Circulation, a Felony 3. He is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Lavonne Elam named 2016 Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic
Newly crowned and ready for a year representing Hopkins County’s senior-aged woman is Lavonne Elam, a 70-year-old who loves music, hunting, fishing, plants and people. Lavonne performed a singing skit to “She’s Got You” as her talent. In May 2016, Lavonne received her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A and M Commerce, completing another of her goals. Her Philosophy of Life is that since life is full of choices, she chooses to be happy, to have fun and love life! Lavonne has 4 children and 9 grandchildren whom she loves to spend time with. She received her crown onstage from outgoing Ms. Hopkins County Senior Wanda Wilson. This summer, Lavonne will be preparing for the Ms. Texas Senior Classic Pageant to be held in Tyler on October 1, 2016.
First runner-up Pamela Sanders Clayton who is a lifelong teacher, is currently a PJC instructor who “teaches teachers to teach”. Second runner-up Evelyn Horne is an Emergency Room nurse who works at Memorial Hospital. Each of these ladies display the beauty, community involvement and accomplishments of women over 60 years of age.
Also recognized during the competition were contestants Gayle Massey “Best Interview”, Fay Robinson “Best Philosophy of Life”, Nancy Bolton “Best Personality”, Dorothy Hawkins “Best Evening Gown”, Linda Pickle “Most Talented”, and Joni Hughes “Ms. Congeniality”.
You are invited to watch playbacks of the Pageant by viewing KSST Cable Channel 18 TV.
Local Fly-in Hears Account of Ann Pellegreno’s Commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Amelia Earhart’ Flight
The twinkle in her eyes grows brighter as Ann Pellegreno recounts her 1967 experience of flying a Lockheed 10A Electra, around the world following closely the Amelia Earhart 1937 flight plan. Pellegreno was in Sulphur Springs to address those attending the Ladies Love Taildraggers Fly-in at the Municipal Airport Saturday, June 4, 2016. In 1967, Pellegreno flew around the world in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s flight. KSST News spoke with Pellegreno prior to her address of Ladies Love Taildraggers, a group of ladies from around the nation who love to fly and who seek to introduce women to the world of aviation.
Ladies Love Taildraggers Fly-in at Sulphur Springs Municipal airport Friday and Saturday.
Pellegreno described her successful 28,000 mile world flight that took place on the 30th anniversary of Earhart’s disappearance. “It was very exciting, very adventurous, and something I had never planned to do.” Born in 1937 in Chicago, her life has been filled with variety as she has been not only an aviator but also a professional musician, teacher, author, lecturer, and farmer. She now delights in telling her story to others to encourage the adventure of flight.
Her crew for the flight, William Pohemus, navigator, Leo Koepke, aircraft owner and mechanic, and William Payne, copilot, were gathered over a period of five years. It began with Koepke, who had purchased the Lockheed 10 described by Pollegreno as “a relic, a wreck” but the same model twin-engine plane that Earhart had flown in her 1937 failed attempt to circle the world. Koepke restored the plane from 1962 to 1966.
In ’62, Koepke asked Pellegreno if she would like to fly around the world. Although her longest flight at that time had been from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Rockford, Illinois, her answer was “sure”. She was a flight instructor multi-engine rated. The two, with support of their spouses, began looking for support. It was hard to find. At that time the plane could only fly 1000 on the fuel tanks and the lack of international flight experience stood in the way. However, recruiting William “Bill” Pohemus increased their likelihood of funding. Pohemus secured a communication instrument that would allow the flight crew to communicate around the world. He also suggested they needed a navigator and was immediately added to the crew. Since the plane had no autopilot and Pellegreno had limited experience with great distance, the trio decided a co-pilot would be added to the crew. Pohemus suggested his friend Bill Payne. Payne had won a prestigious award for his recent flight from New York to Paris that had set a speed record. Pohemus had been Payne’s navigator.
With “two of the top flight guys in the world” and “a top-notch mechanic”, Pellegreno was set for the flight. With this crew, opportunities began to come their way. Having invested savings into the flight and now wondering where the additional funding would be found, those answers came in the form of corporate help. Goodyear gave a pair of balloon tires for the plane. Fuel tanks that would hold “more than a DC-3 carries” were added in Wichita, Kansas. A system was added to the nose section that would allow the crew to turn a crank 58 times to add one quart of oil to the engine as needed. Two sextons were added as well as other equipment. Space to do all the work was provided rent free.
Other organizations began to raise money for the adventure. Famed World War II Pilot Jimmy Doolittle was contacted and became involved. His organization provided an international credit card that could be used worldwide to make purchases as needed. Pellegreno would not meet Doolittle until 1972 in New York City when she received the National Aeronautics and Space Administration award for best non-fiction book. Shell Oil reduced the fuel bill from $10,000 to $5,000. An article in McCall’s Magazine by Pellegreno provided the remaining $5,000. Champion Spark Plugs also provided needed equipment. Pellegreno stated that she worked for two years to pay for the flight.
The flight mirrored Earhart’s flight. On June 7, 1967 they flew to Oakland, California to begin the journey. On June 9th Pellegreno and crew flew east to Miami and then on to South America, and Africa. Due to the Arab-Israeli war, the State Department forced the crew to get new clearances. From Africa, they flew to the Canary Islands to Rome, Italy, to Turkey to Iran trying to follow the Earhart trial as closely as possible. From Iran to Singapore and then to a small island where a grass airstrip awaited. They landed just before sunset. Horses had to be chased off the runway before landing. There they refueled and had to pay those who hand-pumped the fuel $72 cash. From there to Australia and onto the last place Earhart had been seen. Refueling on the island of Nauru in the Pacific and spending the night there, the runway was checked for wild hogs and they were off again they flew to Howland Island where they dropped a wreath. A few other stops and then back to Oakland before making a few other stops to visit with those who had been involved in the Earhart search.
The story of her experience is told in her book, World Flight the Earhart Trail. 
Scenes from Graduation for SSHS Class of 2016
It was standing room only at the Hopkins County Civic Center Arena as bleachers and floor seats were filled Friday night for Sulphur Springs High School Class of 2016 Commencement Exercises. Early in the week, the event had been moved from Prim Stadium to the arena due to the threat of rain. Two Hundred twenty-nine members of the Class of 2016 received their high school diploma.
Hopkins County Military Coalition presented the colors as class members Jonna Higginbotham and Sara Bennett sang the Star Spangled Banner. Abby Martin, SSHS Student Council President, spoke the invocation. Salutatorian Sidney Dietze welcomee those present and thanked those who had given her encouragement and support during her high school years. In the Valedictory given by Kendall Wallace, Kendall encouraged her fellow graduates to explore life and not allow their first years following graduation to lack the joy of living. Class song “I’ll Always Remember You” was sung by Gillian Boyer and Logan McGraw. Following the presenting of diplomas, the class sang the Alma Mater, Principal Derek Driver dismissed the class to their future.
