Wildcats Break Losing Streak with Win at Mt Pleasant
The Wildcats’ baseball team broke their five game losing streak with a 4-3 win in eight innings at Mt. Pleasant Tuesday night.
In the eighth, the Wildcats Heston Golightly led off with a triple and then he scored on Triston McCormack’s single. Ryan Humphries, pitching in relief of starter Tyler Follis, stranded a Tiger runner in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the pitching win. The Wildcats had a strong start scoring two first inning runs on a Humphries’ walk and RBI singles from Cole Cooper and Golightly. Mt. Pleasant chipped away with a single run in the third and then took a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Wildcats tied the score 3-3 in the sixth with a Cooper single and two Tigers’ errors.
The Wildcats are now 3-6 in district play and their season record is now 6-11-1. They will host Greenville Friday night at 7 p.m.at Eagle Stadium.
Texas Rangers on KSST April 12-17
Texas Rangers Baseball on KSST: April 12-17
Tuesday, April 12: at Seattle Mariners, Game time is 9:10 p.m. Pregame begins at 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13: at Seattle Mariners, Game time is 2:40 p.m. Pregame begins at 2 p.m.
Home Stand:
Thursday, April 14: Baltimore Orioles, Game time is 7:05 p.m. Pregame begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 16: Baltimore Orioles, Game time is 7:05 p.m. Pregame begins at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 17: Baltimore Orioles, Game time is 2:05 p.m. Pregame begins at 1:30 p.m.
Schedule for the next seven (7) days will now be posted each Monday
TxDOT Urges Safety During Work Zone Awarness Week April 11-15
“Whether it was pure adrenaline or by the grace of God, I survived,” said Matthews, who now works as a TxDOT project manager. “I was lucky. I’m here today sharing my story to remind everyone to pay extra attention when driving through work zones, because the consequences of not doing so can be deadly.”
Two seconds. That’s how long Rodney Matthews, former construction inspector for the Texas Department of Transportation, had to react after he heard a crash and a driver drove through his work zone. Matthews was thrown 30 feet in the air and sustained a concussion and severe injuries, but was lucky to survive. Not everyone gets that second chance.
While these types of close calls are becoming too familiar to TxDOT workers, statistics show more motorists die in work zones than workers. Work zone crashes increased by 13 percent in Texas last year and killed 138 people.
As part of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 11-15, TxDOT urges drivers to slow down, pay attention and be extra cautious to save not only the lives of work zone workers, but their own lives as well.
“People often think work zone crashes result in the deaths of roadside workers, but last year, 81 percent of these fatalities were motorists,” said TxDOT Executive Director James Bass. “Work zones require complete attention and strict adherence to posted traffic signs. For the sake of everyone working in and traveling through work zones, we urge drivers to be extremely careful and responsible so everyone can arrive home safely to their loved ones.”
With the state’s population continuing to boom, the price of progress can mean more than 2,500 active TxDOT work zones at any given time. In 2015, there were 21,886 work zone crashes in Texas. The top two causes of these crashes were speeding and driver inattention.
By law, drivers are required to move over or slow down when approaching work crews, emergency vehicles or tow trucks stopped on the roadside or shoulder with flashing blue or amber lights.
During National Work Zone Awareness Week, TxDOT’s message signs along state highways and roadways will remind drivers to use caution in work zones. Traffic fines in work zones double when workers are present and can cost up to $2,000.
Also during the week, TxDOT will share video testimonials on its Facebook and Twitter pages from workers who had close calls while working on their job sites. TxDOT also will be sharing photos and bios of TxDOT workers on its social media pages with the hashtags #NWZAW and #BeSafeDriveSmart to introduce them to Texans on a more personal level.
Saltillo Junior High District Track Win
Boys Team Results: Saltillo 139 Wildcats Golf in Regional Tourney
After day one of the Regional Golf Tournament at the Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club Monday, Wildcats Golf Coach Ross Funk said his team had a lot of work to do today. The Wildcats are in the thick of things. The top two teams advance to state along with the top two golfers from teams not going to state. The Wildcats are tied for sixth place after day one. Their 317 score ties them with Prosper and Nacogdoches for sixth.
Frisco shot 301 to lead. Mansfield Legacy and Lindale shot 307 each. Frisco Wakeland had 311 and Texas High shot 314.
Among individuals, Wildcats Brody Blackmon and Alex Motes both shot 73. They are tied for seventh but they are only two shots out of first place. Other Wildcats scores on day one were Matt Calhoun 82, Caleb Lewis 89 and Carter Lewis 92.
Round two Tuesday was delayed a bit due to some storm damage to the course.
Recent Theft of Livestock Arrest Could Lead to More Arrests and More Cattle Recovered
Special Ranger Tony Hurley said the recovery of 57 head of stolen livestock is just a tip of the iceberg in theft of livestock in the area and will probably lead to Francisco Ledesma and others being charged with engaging in organized crime. Hurley covers an 11 county area in Northeast Texas for the Southwestern Cattlemen’s Association.
Hurley stated that an individual working a dairy with a large number of cattle, say 3,000 head, and surrounded by other large dairies could steal a few head at a time and place them on leased land nearby. In this instance, the 57 head of stolen livestock were primarily heifers in the 200-pound range. He said the thief could then take the livestock, four or five at a time every other week, to sale and could do this for years before being caught.
Hurley stated that the theft of livestock carries more weight in the penal code than does ordinary theft. He said theft of livestock is a theft of livelihood for a rancher or cattleman. He noted that the theft of a newborn calf is a third degree felony. However, for the punishment to be increased to a second degree felony, at least 100 head of livestock must be stolen. If the owner of the livestock is over 65-years of age, the penalty increases again. Hurley pointed out that engaging in organized crime in the theft of livestock brings the highest level for charges.
Hurley works closely with law enforcement in the 11 county area that is his responsibility. He stated that when he received the information regarding the thefts, he immediately contacted Hopkins County Criminal Investigator Lewis Tatum who soon found the livestock. According to Hurley, local officers are often his strongest source for solving this type of crime. There are some cases that take much longer to solve. He stated there are still a couple of cases in Hopkins County that date to four years ago that are still under investigation.
SSISD School Board Discusses Possible Head Start Expansion Grants
During the action item presentations at the SSISD School Board monthly meeting on Monday night, Director of Head Start Hillary Young presented two grant application requests for the board to consider for approval.
The first request was for a partnership grant that would expand the Early Head Start program and allow for EHS to provide childcare. If approved by the school board, EHS would apply for the grant and if accepted the school district would then partner with a childcare facility in Sulphur Springs to provide early education for a younger age group in the community. Grant funding would be provided in 5 year cycles.
Board members were in favor of the option and voted to postpone a decision on the application submission until more information about the grant and expansion opportunity had been shared. The school board then voted to deny the second request for a grant that would expand SSISD Head Start services to other county schools in order to make a better decision on the EHS childcare partnership grant.
SSISD 2016 Budget Calendar Adopted
During Monday night’s SSISD School Board meeting, Sherry McGraw, SSISD Business Manager, presented the board with the 2016 Budget Calendar for the school district. The budget calendar is as follows:
- April 11- Board notified of Budget Calendar
- May 9- Preliminary Budget presented to Board
-revenue based on new template, but last year’s tax values and student counts
-expenditures based on last year’s budget, with payroll increases estimated and any new expenditures added - June 6- Preliminary Budget presented to Board
-(Preliminary because of employee turnover) - August 8- Board adopts 2016-17 Budget & Tax Rate
-certified values and final student counts used for revenue
-expenditures will include all changes to payroll, all campus budgets, and any new expenses that have been identified - August 26(noon)- Board approve 2015-16 Amended Budget
Less Stress: New Jail a Segment of Adams Legacy as Sheriff
A part of the 20-year legacy of Hopkins County Sheriff Butch Adams will be the building of a new jail. Adams credits county commissioners with much of the leadership, however, his team of investigators, deputies, jailors, and staff, which he calls his second family, not only necessitated the jail thanks to their diligent work but also assisted in making the current jail less stress for the sheriff.
Along with jail improvements, a new jail administrator, who is a retired warden and has 30 years’ experience in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, has continued the quality of work performed toward those who are incarcerated in the local jail, according to Sheriff Adams. Adams said the previous jail administrator desired to return to patrol which led to the hiring of Kenneth Dean. Dean’s experience as a warden and what he will learn through state jail standards training will well equip him to run the local jail.
Adams stated that six jailors added to the force by Commissioners’ Court has enabled a continued ease of service for the jail. With technology in place and the design of the building, inmates are better housed and confined.
The jail, built for 192 inmates housed 110 on April 12, 2016. Adams said the idea of contracting with other entities, such as housing federal prisoners, is a possibility. However, he stated that additional personnel and requirements have not motivated the county to pursue with great interest housing for other counties or entities.
