Plenti Card Comes to Sulphur Springs
Speed Pass Sensor
The Joe’s Exxon station, located on 1234 S Broadway ST, is now offering customers the Plenti card program. The Plenti Card allows card-holders to collect points through purchases in order to earn discounts and savings when buying gas and other products. “Depending on how many points you collect, it will show me if you want to take a certain amount off on your next purchase,” Manager Kushal Aryal said. “Whenever you swipe the Plenti Card, if you prepay your gas for $20 and there’s $20 worth of points on your card, then on your next purchase it will tell me on the register if you’d like me to take off $20 so that you don’t have to really pay any cash, you can just work with your points.” It is basically a loyalty program across several different brands. You can shop at one store and earn discounts on another brand.
The Plenti Card program is used by all AT&T, Macy’s, Exxon, Mobil, Nationwide, Rite Aid, Direct Energy, Enterprise, and Hulu establishments. The Plenti Card can also be connected to Speed Pass: a key-chain device offered by Exxon and Mobil that allows users to instantly pay for gas at the pump by waving the speed pass in front of the Speed Pass Sensor. Card Holders who link their Plenti Card to their Speed Pass can instantly pay for gas and used Plenti Card points without having to leave the pump.
There are a total of six gas stations in Sulphur Springs that use Exxon gas. The three Super Handy gas stations are now using the Plenti Card program with linked Speed Passes. These stations are located at 1700 S Broadway ST, 941 Gilmer ST, and 1401 College ST. None of the three Joe Bob’s gas stations are using the Plenti Card with linked Speed Passes. However, the Joe Bob’s station at 1302 Church ST does accept SpeedPass.
More information about the Plenti Card can be found at www.plenti.com/join.
Speed Pass users that want to link to their Plenti Card can do so at www.speedpass.com
Sulphur Bluff Bears Second, Lady Bears Fifth at District Track Meet
Last week the Sulphur Bluff Bears and Lady Bears’ track teams competed at their district track meet at Union Hill. The Bears finished second and the Lady Bears fifth. 14 Bears and all 5 members of the Lady Bears’ team qualified for an area meet at Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday. For the Lady Bears, Makayla Covington was first in pole vault, second in the 200-meter dash and second in triple jump. Tori Dorner was sixth in the 200-meter run. Katlyn White was third in the 100-meter hurdles, fifth in the 300-meter hurdles and sixth in long jump. Keirsten Brown was fifth in the 100-meter hurdles. Dorner, White, Covington and Margaret Ryman were fourth in the 4 X 100-meter relay and Dorner, Brown, Covington and Ryman were third in the 4 X 200-meter relay.
For the Bears, Ricky Davis was fifth in the 200-meter dash and was third in pole vault. Thomas Coberly was second in the 400-meter run, was fourth in long jump and was third in triple jump. Turner South was fourth in the 3200-meter run. Ky Rochelle was second in the 110-meter hurdles and third in the 300-meter hurdles. Ethan Brown was sixth in the 110-meter hurdles, sixth in the 300-meter hurdles and second in pole vault. Joe Forshee was first in shot put and sixth in discus. Jonathan Brown was fifth in discus. Hunter Carpenter was fourth in pole vault. The team of Jaden Goldsmith, Marshall Anderson, Rochelle and Ishmeal Wade were fourth in the 4 X 100-meter relay. Collin Moore, Davis, Goldsmith and David Rosas were fourth in the 4 X 200-meter relay and Coberly, Moore, Brown and and Davis were fifth in the 4 X 400-meter relay.
Seven SSHS Senior Band Members Sign Letters of Intent to Major in Music
Seven Sulphur Springs High School Band seniors have signed letters of intent to attend universities and major in music. Six signed with Texas A & M University-Commerce and one with Dallas Baptist University. Fine Arts and Band Director Charles McCauley praised the seven male students for their dedication and for the honor they brought to the band program, the school, the community, and their families.
Each of the seven will major in music at their chosen university. McCauley stated that with all majoring in music, it was a first for the local program. Students in the past have signed letters of intent but not all have committed to major in music.
Those who signed with Texas A & M University-Commerce include: Zachary Herron, Timothy Ramos, Jose Lopez, Cris Rodenis, Carlos Williams, and Aaron Randolph.
Gillian Boyer signed with Dallas Baptist University.
“update”Game Day: Rain Soaked Fields
This Tuesday game day report is a weather report as much as anything. Wildcats Baseball Coach Jerrod Hammack said he expects Eagle Stadium to be ready to play on for tonight’s 7 p.m. game against Hallsville if it doesn’t get any more rain on it. He changed his mind Tuesday after lunch. The Wildcats are chasing Hallsville as the Bobcats are in the fourth and final playoff spot in the district. The Wildcats are 4-6 in district play and they are two games behind the Bobcats with four games still to play. The Wildcats are coming off of a 10-0 win over Greenville at Eagle Stadium last Friday night.
Meanwhile the home game for the Lady Cats’ softball team against Hallsville has been postponed due to soggy conditions at Lady Cat Park. Lady Cats Softball Coach David Carrillo says he is hoping to play the Lady Bobcats either Wednesday or Thursday in the late afternoon at Texas A&M-Commerce. The Lady Cats are 8-4 in district play and in third place. Hallsville is the district’s top team but reportedly they have lost their best pitcher for some time due to a knee injury.
Bankhead Highway Celebration Comes to Celebration Plaza Thursday
This year, 2016, is the 100th anniversary of the Federal Aid Highway Act that birthed the modern day highway system in the nation. The celebration of the centennial event comes to Celebration Plaza in Sulphur Springs Thursday.
When John Hollis Bankhead, a U S Senator from Birmingham Alabama and newspaper publisher Asa Rountree became president and secretary of a nationwide good roads movement, their dream may not have been as broad as the ribbon of interstate highways across the nation today. However, their vision for a brick paved highway reaching from coast to coast began the movement that has led to the national highway system today. Few cars were on the road at that time but their numbers were increasing and the desire to travel began burning in the heart of the drivers.
In 1916 Senator Bankhead was instrumental in passing the Federal Aid highway Act which in turn caused Senator Bankhead to become known as the “Father of Good Roads.” The Bankhead Highway, approved by Congress in 1916, became our nation’s first federally subsidized, coast to coast, all season, all weather roadway connecting Washington D.C. with San Diego. Nearly one third of this national roadway ran through Texas connecting Texarkana to El Paso following Texas Highway #1. In our area the Bankhead Highway is U S Highway 67, the route now primarily followed, with a few changes, by Interstate 30.
Bankhead Highway Centennial Celebration (1916-2016) will travel through and stop at Celebration Plaza Thursday, April 21st. Approximate 50 to 60 selected Bankhead era cars from the year 1919 through 1933 will begin their 620 mile Texas tour in Texarkana and travel to Odessa. The cars and drivers are scheduled to arrive at Celebration Plaza around 3:30 p.m. and depart at 4 p.m. They will be welcomed to Sulphur Springs by City Councilman and local historian John Sellers. While in Sulphur Springs, the tour vehicles will be on display on the plaza.
While driving through Hopkins County, the tour will arrive in Saltillo at 2:20 p.m. and Saltillo ISD. They will leave at 2:55 p.m. They then travel to Weaver and on to Sulphur Springs. Leaving Sulphur Springs, they travel to Brashear and then to Cumby where they will have dinner. The tour vehicles will be on display on the parking lot of Hot Rods by JSK shops near the intersection of Frisco Street and North I-30 Serivce Road between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
From Cumby, the tour enters Hunt County on their journey to Odessa.
CPS Child Endangerment Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Cooper Residents
Raelynn Danielle Arney, 20, and Taliaferro Samory Prince, 33, were both arrested Monday afternoon on felony charges for Endangering a Child. The warrants issued for Arney and Prince came as the result of an approximately two-month long investigation by Hopkins County Special Crimes Unit Sergeant Mark Estes and Child Protective Services agents.
According to arrest reports, the investigation found that a 1-year-old child tested positive for methamphetamine. Arney and Prince, who are both from Cooper, had been residing with the child at the Spanish Trails Apartments located at 1531 East Industrial Drive in Sulphur Springs.
SCU officers arrested Arney and Prince at the CPS office located on College Street and transported them to the Hopkins County Jail where they were both placed on $40,000 bond for Abandonment and Endangerment of a Child with Imminent Danger.
A third arrest has been made (see story here).
KSST Has Outgrown Our Server!
Demand for KSSTLivestream has finally overwhelmed our current server. A new streaming server is on it’s way.
The good news, soon even more people can listen live to all of KSST’s programming.
The bad news is, if you use one of our Apps to listen, it will not work. New apps are under construction. Until they are ready you can always go to ksstradio.com/ksstlivestream on any device to listen live.
Watch for updates. We will do everything humanly possible to keep you connected.
Dramatization of current server. Engineer Cat never works during the day.
Sevier’s Seize Opportunity to Give Back to Community
Gloria Mitchell, Donna Rudzik and Polly Swatsell, 2015-2016 Lights of Life Campaign & Gala Chairs have officially passed the chairmanship torch (Lights of Life signature gala tree) off to the 2016-2017 Chairs, Sam and Sher Sevier.
Gloria Mitchell, Donna Rudzik and Polly Swatsell, 2015-2016 Lights of Life Campaign & Gala Chairs have officially passed the chairmanship torch (Lights of Life signature gala tree) off to the 2016-2017 Chairs, Sam and Sher Sevier. “2016 starts a new decade for the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation as we begin preparing for the 21st anniversary of the Lights of Life tree lighting and the 11th anniversary of the Gala. We are excited that Sam and Sher Sevier are going to chair the campaign this year. The Seviers have been a part of the medical community in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County for almost 35 years. Sam operated his own physical therapy clinic with Sher’s help for many years. He was also instrumental in setting up the current physical therapy department at Hopkins County Memorial Healthplex. Under the leadership of the Seviers we know we will have yet another successful and exciting year. Our committee chairs and volunteers always go above and beyond in their efforts to have a great campaign. Their dedication, along with the generous support of our community allows the foundation to fulfill its purpose: to help our hospital provide quality health care for the residents of Hopkins County,” said Bob Weaver, board chairman of the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation.
Sevier responded by saying, “Sher and I feel especially honored to be a part of this 11th Gala. We feel blessed to be in such a special community. The Gala and Foundation activities present a theme and time that brings all elements of our community together in support of the hospital and the medical resources so vital to every community. From the beginning we have felt there are many more capable and deserving people to lead this event, especially as we consider those who have gone before us. But looking back over 35 years and considering all that this community and the medical area specifically have meant to our professional and family lives we felt perhaps it was an opportunity to give something back. We also realize the Gala is not at all about the chairpersons but is about the generosity and unity of this special community.”
“The amount of work and planning that make up this effort is amazing and already many pieces of the elaborate puzzle that bring the Gala to fruition are being assembled into place. The projects to be funded will be a great asset to the hospital and its ability to serve at an even higher level,” said Sher Sevier.
“Polly, Gloria and I have been so honored and blessed to have co-chaired the Gala in January 2016. We enjoyed being a part of the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Gala and the 20th Anniversary of Lights of Life campaign. It is with great excitement that we are passing the torch to Sam and Sher Sevier who will be an awesome couple to take the Gala to even greater heights in the upcoming year. We wish them luck and we assure our commitment and dedication to them and to the Foundation.” said Donna Rudzik on behalf of the trio.
“We are excited about the theme we have selected and will be sharing more about the theme after our meeting with the committee members in May. Eddie Deen will again be at the helm of a delicious meal and this year we have selected a new band that I think will be a great addition. We are working on a few new twists that we hope will add to an already special event. The Foundation Board has again set the goal for $250,000. That always seems so ambitious but the community and sponsors have always so graciously risen to the challenge. It is also exciting to see not only the special projects this money funds but also to realize the growing endowment that will perpetuate the Foundation’s ability to serve our medical community. With the changing medical environment this will provide a much-needed resource for the future. In addition to the Gala, there are several upcoming events throughout the year that are sponsored by the Foundation and we are looking forward to each of them,” added Sam Sevier.
“The sponsorship letters will go out in June to repeat sponsors because they get first right of refusal option. As in previous years, we are hopeful for and expect a quick response and commitment from the community,” said Sher Sevier.
The annual Lights of Life Campaign will kick-off on Tuesday, November 1st at 10a.m. in the hospital lobby. Memorial and honor donations of $25 can be made to help light the Lights of Life Christmas tree. Each donation is represented by a light on the Christmas tree that is placed in The Gardens at Memorial. The tree lighting celebration is scheduled for Thursday, December 1st at 6 p.m. in The Gardens.
The Lights of Life gala is scheduled for Saturday, January 28, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 midnight, at the Civic Center and it promises to be another fun filled evening of fine dining, dancing to a great band and bidding on amazing live and silent auction items. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please call the Foundation office at 903-438-4799.
Flynn Appointed to Sunset Advisory Commission
Dan Flynn
AUSTIN – Texas House Speaker Joe Straus made three new appointments to the Sunset Advisory Commission on Monday and chose Rep. Larry Gonzales of Round Rock to serve as the Commission’s new Chairman. Speaker Straus appointed Reps. Dan Flynn of Van and Senfronia Thompson of Houston to the Commission. He also named William Meadows of Fort Worth as the House’s public appointee. Meadows is Chairman Emeritus of HUB International Insurance Services. The three new appointees will join Gonzales, as well as Reps. Cindy Burkett of Sunnyvale and Richard Peña Raymond of Laredo, as the House’s representatives on the Commission.
“These appointees have a very important job,” Speaker Straus said. “I am confident that their review and recommendations will help state agencies serve taxpayers better. Their work will also help the House continue to make state government more transparent and efficient.”
The Sunset Commission was created so that legislators and members of the public could periodically review state agencies and decide whether they should continue to exist. The Commission’s work provides the foundation for legislation that is needed to keep the agencies operating. The process also allows legislators to reform agencies’ operations and review their core missions.
“I’m going to work with the Members of the House to ensure that Sunset bills stay specifically focused on improving the agencies that have been under review,” Speaker Straus said. “These agencies serve important functions, and we don’t often get the chance to give them this kind of comprehensive review. We owe it to taxpayers to make sure this process is only about making our government operate better.”
The Commission will review 24 agencies in the current cycle, including the Texas Department of Transportation, the Railroad Commission and the Texas Medical Board.
“I am honored to be appointed by Speaker Straus to the Sunset Commission to review various agencies. This is a place in government where we can really make a difference for the people of Texas,” said Dan Flynn
