Animal of the Week: Butch and Sundance
Butch and Sundance are two three-month old male puppies. Butch is a black pit bull mix while Sundance is a black Spaniard mix. Neither are siblings, but have been friends since arriving at the Animal Shelter.
“Sundance came first on February 9, and Butch came after that the next day,” Animal Shelter Officer Barbi Blanch said. “Butch came from the Lincoln Square Apartments, and Sundance came from the Spanish Villa Apartments. They became kennel mates because they were both male and about the same age.”
Neither puppy has been claimed, which means both are up for adoption. It was because of their almost immediate friendship that the Animal Shelter Officers chose to name them Butch and Sundance when trying to think of cute male names for the puppies.
“Butch is the more wilder one, but believe it or not, Sundance is the more aggressive one,” Officer Blanch said. “They don’t fight at all, but it’s always Sundance getting on Butch. I guess he’s telling him he’s had enough”
They have received their first round of puppy shots and are scheduled to receive the next round soon. Both puppies almost had an issue with Parvo, but were able to come out safe and healthy.
“Because of issues with Parvo, we keep them together and they’re doing good,” Officer Blanch said. “For a minute, we thought that Sundance might have issues, but we got them both vacinated and he’s fine now. He was under the weather for a day or two and now he’s bounced back.”
Both puppies will be at the off-site weekend this Saturday, March 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Shelter will not be open during the off site adoption.
Mount Vernon Music Presents High Fives!
What do you get when you add an extra viola to a string quartet? If they are playing Mozart’s Quintet in G minor K. 516, it could be a musical look at your own mortality, and glimpse of salvation, according to members of the Orchard Ensemble. The Ensemble will be performing the piece along with the Quintet in G major Op. 111 by Johannes Brahms Sunday, March 13th at 3 p.m. in Mount Vernon Music Hall.
The Orchard Ensemble includes Mark Miller and Elizabeth Elsner, violin; Ute Miller and Emily Williams, viola; and Sara Birnbaum Hood, cello.
The concert will begin with performances by winners of the Mount Vernon Music’s Betty Whitlock Scholarship awards.
Timmons Sentenced to Three Years in TDCJ
Wednesday afternoon, March 2, 2016, Brandon Ray Timmons, 21, was sentenced to three (3) years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice following his plea for unlicensed possession of a firearm by a felon. He had been indicted on that charge in September, 2015.
Timmons along with three others had been arrested December 30, 2015 in a drug bust for the Sulphur Springs Special Crimes Unit Wednesday night. At that time the weapon was found in Timmons possession. The four were arrested at that time for engaging in organized crime.
Timmons was a backseat passenger in a car where the driver sold some meth to a criminal investigator. In the car waws the weapon, some precription pills, and marijuana in addition to the meth sold. His parole was revoked and the new charges wre taken into account in the probation revocation.
Donation for Portrait for Volunteer Fire Department is Not a Scam
It’s not a scam. The North Hopkins Volunteer Fire Department is raising funds for a new brush truck using a donation for portrait of an individual, couple, or family.
Thursday morning a listener called KSST News to question if the fundraiser was legitimate. In a phone call to a member of the North Hopkins VFD leadership, KSST News was told that the department was indeed doing the fund raiser. The question raised in the caller’s mind was a statement made by the volunteer who approached them about the donation.
If you wish to assist the North Hopkins Volunteer Fire Department, contact any member of the department.
Business History Month: S & S Auto Glass
For Chad and Rowdy Sachs, replacing windshields is a daily routine at S & S Auto Glass, located at 837 FM 2297 (Arbala Road). S & S Auto Glass provides a variety of auto glass services including replacing windshields, door glasses, back glasses, and the parts that allow the windows to go up and down or lock the doors. They work on cars, trucks, vans, dozers, tractors, and some 18-wheelers.
Chad and his wife Sandy started their business ten years ago when the Gibbins family decided to retire and sell their auto glass business. Since the age of 15, Chad has worked in the auto industry either selling auto parts or working on automobiles.
After buying the business the Sachs family moved it to the current location, one mile south of the city limits sign on Arbala Road. From the beginning, Chad and his father, Billy Don Sachs, worked and installed glass. When Billy Don decided to retire, Chad’s son Rowdy took his grandfather’s place and currently works with his father daily installing glass and working on vehicles.
S & S Auto Glass is a family owned and operated business. The Sachs’ have two children; Rowdy and Ragan. Ragan is the Sachs’ daughter, she is a Junior at SSHS and helps out when she can. Sandy Sachs is the businesses secretary\bookkeeper and also works full time as an Internal Auditor at City National Bank.
S & S Auto Glass’s main goal is to provide the best service they can at a good price. They shop glass prices to get their customers the best deal possible. S & S doesn’t normally do mobile service. Most all jobs are done in their shop so the best quality of service can be provided for their customers. Over the last ten years S &S has been blessed to serve thousands of customers in the Sulphur Springs area.
For more information or directions to S & S Auto Glass visit www.ssauto-glass.com or call 903-885-5006 for an appointment.
Chamber Connection March 3rd, 2016 by Meredith Caddell
Chamber Connection
March 3rd, 2016 by Meredith Caddell
Attention all Bicyclists…Spring Fever Bike Rally will take place in SS, March 12h!
Mark your calendars NOW for the Spring Fever Bike Rally sponsored by the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. Bikers will have the opportunity to ride in one of 4 rides…10 miles, 27 miles, 37 miles or 60 miles. The ride will be through some of our beautiful East Texas communities on Saturday, March 12th! Registration forms are available NOW. The ride is only $30 if you register before March 4th and $35 after that. For more information, please call the Chamber at 903-885-6515 or you may register online at www.sulphursprings-tx.com/events.
Chamber Members…here is your chance to be a part of the Spring Fever Bike Rally!
All Chamber members…if you would like to get your business in front of the hundreds of people that will be in town, Saturday, March 12th for the Springs Fever Bike Rally…there are lots of opportunities! We give each rider a dri-fit t-shirt that you could have your business logo/name on. We have 10 rest stops along the ride…may your business would like to host one! So far…Muddy Jakes, Shannon Oaks and Juvenile Probation have agreed to host a rest stop…that means there are 7 more available! We have lunch on the square hosted by Alliance Bank. If your business would like to fix homemade desserts for the riders…they love those after a long ride! Lastly, we always give the riders a FABULOUS SWAG bag (bag with cool goodies in it), such as lip balm, sunscreen, first aid kits, sweat bands, etc. If you would like to put something in their bags, we will need approximately 250 by Wednesday, March 9th! Needless to say, we would LOVE for you to be involved in welcoming the cyclists to Sulphur Springs! If you want to help, please call Meredith at the Chamber at 903-885-6515.
Open House of the newly renovated City National Bank Mortgage office March 10th, 5-6pm
Please join us at City National Bank Mortgage Office, 1108 South Broadway, Thursday, March 10th from 5-6pm. Stop by on your way home from work and see their beautifully renovated Mortgage Department, enjoy delicious refreshments and door prize giveaways!
Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening for Jay Hodge Chevrolet, Thursday, March 17th at Noon
Please join us as we welcome Jay Hodge Chevrolet to Sulphur Springs and the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce! They will have their grand opening and ribbon cutting Thursday, March 17th at Noon! They are located at 478 Wildcat Way.
Caregiver Support Group at Rock Creek Health & Rehab, 4th Thursday of each month at 2:30pm
Are you caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, cancer or some other ailment or disability? Caregiving can be rewarding but it can also be mentally & physically exhausting, frustrating & overwhelming. As a caregiver, you are not alone. Rock Creek Health & Rehab Center is offering a Caregiver Support Group to provide you and your family emotional support, education and guidance. They will help participants develop methods and skills to solve problems with new intervention and interaction activities. The group also encourages caregivers to maintain their own personal, physical and emotional health, to optimally care for their loved ones. You are welcome to bring your loved one with you. The will enjoy participating in a fun activity with the certified Activity Director while you attend the support group. For more information, please contact Christine Jackson at 903-932-5823.
We would like to welcome Dragon Ranch to the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce!
Dragon Ranch is a unique gem which, after many years, is now available for private stays in country guest houses as well as events – from corporate retreats to ladies’ spa days or guys’ nights out to family reunions or weddings. The ranch is a preserve for nature features fish stocked ponds and lakes, modern art sculptures throughout the property, miles of hiking trails through woods, resident animals including Zig and Zig the zebras, and one of a kind architecture made of reclaimed materials.
Dragon Ranch is located just minutes off I30 between Greenville and Sulphur Springs TX, and only 1 hour from downtown Dallas. We will be hosting an open house & ribbon cutting on April 7th from 3-6 with the ribbon cutting at 5:00. Please visit this website to RSVP! You don’t want to miss it!
http://dragonranchopenhouse.eventbrite.com
We would like to welcome our newest members to the Chamber of Commerce:
Angler’s Pest & Termite Control
444 CR 1859
Yantis, TX 75497
Randy Bunch
903-383-2023
Pest Control
That’s all for now…have a GREAT week!
Meredith Caddell
President/CEO
Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
300 Connally Street
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
903-885-6515-office
903-885-6516-fax
www.sulphursprings-tx.com
Lewis Tatum Elected Sheriff; Excited About His New Challenges–Video Interview
He will change hats in January. Chief Criminal Investigator Lewis Tatum will become Sheriff of Hopkins County in January following his Republican Primary win. Tatum says the greatest challenge he faces is transitioning another into the Criminal Investigation Department. He said the department’s current staff will stay in place.
Eleven Former NETO Employees Indicted by Federal Grand Jury
Eleven former employees of Northeast Texas Opportunities, commonly referred to as NETO, were named in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury charging the 11 with conspiracy to commit an offense against and to defraud the U S Government of government property or money. The indictments were handed down in February in Eastern District Federal Court in Texarkana. The 11 are alleged to have caused losses of over $1.2 million to a distributor of federal grant funds to the needy and elderly.
The indictment was unsealed before U S Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven. The 11 named are from Mt Vernon, Mount Pleasant, Honey Grove, Greenville, Winnsboro, and Pittsburg. Those from Mount Vernon include: Maria Delaluz Telles, 35; Karinda Anne Breaux, 52; Darlene Hargrave Hatcher, 61; Brenda McGill Fountain, 60; Christy Lynn Shelby, 41; and Beverly Thomas Logan, 64. Others indicted include, Cythia Hillard Campbell, 54, of Mt Pleasant; Pamela Powe Gossett, 61, of Pittsburg, Paula Wallis Trantham, 50 of Winnsboro, Marco Antonio Alcaraz-Guerrero, 40 of Greenville, and Lana Bowie Dethrow, 58 of Honey Grove. Gossett was a contract nurse to NETO. Each defendant faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government and 10 years if convicted of theft of government property or money.
NETO closed its door August 31, 2015. The indictment charges that from January 2011 to June 2015, NETO employees and contractors conspired to defraud through writing checks drawn on NETO accounts and the proceeds split between those individuals. The funds were then used for personal use. Fraudulent invoices from vendors were used to support those unauthorized checks. Also overpayment to vendors and then requiring kickbacks from vendors also was employed to gain the funds. NETO funds were also used to pay personal debts for the individuals. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Rangers, and Franklin County Sheriff’s office investigated the case.
NETO had operating in Hopkins County providing TRACS bus service to the elderly and disabled as well as providing some meals to homebound in the county. Other services had also been utilized. However, county government ceased to work with NETO when discrepancies in the use of funds became to come to light. Other county governments as well as the ARK-TX Council of Governments had also worked with the organization. On June 10, 2015, Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said that a 2013 audit of North East Texas Opportunities or NETO revealed more than $700,000 in fraud. At that time, NETO had a senior citizen meals program for rural county residents and a utility service. Judge Newsom says the county and others were disassociating themselves from NETO. State and federal investigations of NETO had begun at that time. At that time, Judge Newsom had been assured that county residents receiving meals would be taken care of by a state agency.
In December, 2015, several months after the demise of NETO, quite a few rural Hopkins County residents had been left without their daily meals program. In stepped the Lamar County Human Resources Council. Their Meals on Wheels, which already served a portion of Hopkins County, agreed to serve those in need.
Wildcats Tennis Team Continues Tournament Play
The Wildcats Tennis Team played in a tough Bob Faulkner Tennis Tournament in Tyler Friday. It’s all a part of the team’s preparation for the District Tournament April 5 in Texarkana. Wildcats Coach Tony Martinez was very pleased with the play of the mixed doubles team of Tyler Stout and Jaspyn Johnson in Tyler Friday. They finished in fourth place in a 16 team field. Coach Martinez said he also decided to pair up two of his top singles players into a doubles team. Unfortunately the team of Jesse Allen and Drew Sant ended up playing a doubles team that earlier had defeated a state champion team last year from Spring Hill. Coach Martinez said several other Wildcats got into the second or third round of the tournament before losing.
In other tennis news, Coach Martinez was pleased with the community tournament he offered up last Saturday at the new tennis complex. He promised another similar tournament for the public on April 16. It’s a benefit tournament for CanHELP. Coach Martinez said a JV tournament at the Wildcats Tennis Complex Tuesday went very well. Seven teams attended and there were 112 participants. The Tennis Complex will also be the site for a varsity tournament on Friday.
Sulphur Springs Middle School Destination ImagiNation Regional Results
The Sulphur Springs Middle School’s Destination Imagination teams competed this last weekend at the areas regional meet.
In the Technical Challenge, the team must build a vehicle that is able to carry at least one team member across the presentation site multiple times, change the vehicle propulsion system and vehicle movement method during the presentation, create and present a story about change that includes a change within a character, and create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents. The Technical team won first place and also won a Renaissance Award for the innovation and technical design of their vehicle. The Technical team consists of Andrew Westlund, Brayden Wooten, Madison Garner, Chase Berry, Mady Posey, Mariam Tran, and Dawson Carpenter. Their team managers are Chip Vaughn and Clay Hansford.
In the Scientific Challenge, each team must research the way organisms use camouflage in nature, showcase camouflage research in a visible appearance of an organism, create and present a story with a plot twist that is caused by the use of camouflage, apply camouflage methods to an origianl, team-designed and created set piece or prop, and create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interstes, skills, areas of strength, and talents. The Scientific team placed third. The Scientific team consists of Isabelle Reneau, Sahib Randhawa, Austin McCain, Layla McCarley, Anabeli Juarez, Carson Fenton, and Ella Moore. Their team manager is Gerson Salvetoreh.
In the Structural Challenge, each team must design and build a structure that both supports weight and is a musical instrument, play a musical solo using the structure, tell a story with at least one musical character, integrate the story with the weight placement testing of the structure, and create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents. The Structural team placed second. The Structural team consists of Mattie Thurman, Kip Childress, Kendall Little, Savannah Lilley, Connor Bailey, Luke Dietz, and Braxton Hohenberger. Their team manager is Jamilyn Hunt.
In the Fine Arts Challenge, each team must present a story set on Earth in team-chosen time period before 1990, discover, live on stage, which of the three suspect characters is responsible for the mystery, include a TechniClue that helps solve the mystery, present in the style of traverse staging, and create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents. The Fine Arts team placed sixth and also received a DaVinci Award for the outstanding creativity of their performance. The Fine Arts team consists of Braylea Brewer, Jasmin Vargas, Corde Mayo, Hope Williams, Allie Thurman, Wiley Bennett, and Allie Grace Woodard. Their team manager is Nathan Woodard.
In the Improvisational Challenge, each team must research Challenge-provided confined spaces, create and perform a four-minute improvisational presentation within a confined space, show how characters work together to address a news flash, and integrate a mysterious stranger and a team-created miscellaneous prop into the presentation. The Improvisational team placed first. The Improvisational team consists of Mattie Smith, Gavin Patrick, Robert Dyer, Ben Braddy, Harley Speed, Rorie Young, and Trinity Sherman. Their team manager is Lane Doughtie.
The Technical and Improvisational teams will advance to the state competition in Anna, Texas at the Anna High School on April 1-2.
