Health Fair at Dinner Bell
Memorial Clinic and Cooper Health Care partnered to conduct a Health Fair at Wednesday’s Dinner Bell at First United Methodist Church. Stations for blood pressure and other vital signs along with a blood draw for cholesterol, thyroid, and other basic testing were offered to those attending.
Brad Burgin, Outreach Coordinator for Memorial Clinic, said the partnership is just one of the many partnerships with other Health Care providers that enabled the clinic and doctors to reach out to the needs of the community. Burgin said the clinic intends to continue to boost its influence in the community. He stated that providing the free service would enable those tested to know any underlying issues that could enable the prevention of long-term health concerns.
Cumby’s Bailey Braddock Places First as State Champion Powerlifter in Her Weight Class
Bailey Braddock, Cumby Senior Powerlifter, placed first in state in her weight class. Braddock and her team mates placed seventh as a team. Braddock lifted a total of 900 lbs to take the title in the 165 Weight Class. She has competed in powerlifting since the 8th grade.
Braddock is an all-around student-athlete at Cumby. She is a cheerleader, catcher for the softball team, volleyball, She did not play basketball this past season to commit her time to powerlifting.
Following are the Weight Class and state ranking for Braddock and her teammates, a slide show of photos from the state meet, and the video interview with Braddock:
Another 10-Run Rule Win for Wildcats; Follis Strikes Out 9 Lions
The Wildcats’ baseball team hammered out 16 hits and scored 13 second inning runs in a 17-0 shutout of Greenville on the road Tuesday night. It was the Wildcats second straight win by the ten run rule.
Wildcats ace Tyler Follis also threw a no-hitter shutting out the Lions over five inning. He also had 9 strikeouts. Wildcats batting stars were numerous. Triston McCormack drove in five runs with two singles and a sacrifice fly. Heston Golightly hit a double and triple and drove in 2 runs. Mason Buck plated two runs with a triple. Kyle Dodd had a three hit night. Cole Cooper had two hits including a triple. The Wildcats also benefited from six Lions’ errors.
The road win improves the Wildcats district record to 2-1. Their season record is now 5-6-1. The Wildcats travel to Hallsville Thursday for a 7 p.m. game against the Bobcats.
Lady Cats Down Greenville; Host Hallsville Thursday
Although Greenville made things interesting with four runs in the top of the seventh inning, the Lady Cats’ softball team hung on for a 7-4 victory at Lady Cat Park Tuesday night.
Molly Johnston hit a two-run home run to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second inning. Alyssa Abron drove home the Lady Cats third run in the second inning with a sharp single. Kristen Allen made it 4-0 in the third inning with a long home run to left center field. The Lady Cats utilized two Greenville errors to add a fifth run in the fourth inning. The Lady Cats added two more runs in the fifth inning when Sadie Stroud singled, Kelsey Wallace doubled to drive Stroud in and Hannah Crowson singled driving Wallace in. The Lady Cats had 11 hits in all.
Landri Bell got the pitching win allowing no runs and only 2 hits for the first three innings. Bricklee Driver pitched the final four innings. Greenville managed only five hits total. The Lady Cats played error free ball. The Lady Cats are now 4-1 in district play and 20-3 for the season.
Hallsville, undefeated in district play after beating Mt. Pleasant 8-0 Tuesday night, will visit Lady Cat Park for a big showdown Thursday at 6 p.m.
Water Quality Training: The Importance of Water
by Mario Villarino, DVM, Ph.D.
Lake Fork
It is easy to understand the importance of water as a need and resource for our society. Both extremes (the absence or abundance of water) can provoke catastrophic consequences. Recently (as early as last year) we suffered both sides of the equation in the same year. Although a normal recurrence, the absence or abundance of water can cause stress in farmers and ranchers and communities as well. Both effects can cause detrimental effect in our economy and can cost significant economic toll in county budgets.
But there is another effect, less dramatic but equally important in how we operate our ranches, farms and communities to protect the existing water resources. Based on this, an upcoming water quality training May 6 will focus on Lake Tawakoni, Lake Fork, and area watersheds. A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality and water management related to Lake Tawakoni, Lake Fork, and other area watersheds will be held from 8 a.m.-noon at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Rains County. The office is located at 410 Tawakoni Drive, also known as Highway 276, in Emory. The workshop will be presented by AgriLife Extension and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board. The training is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region, said program coordinators. Participants are encouraged to preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website at http://tws.tamu.edu.
The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program. Kuitu said training will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will primarily focus on area water quality issues, including current and future efforts to help improve and protect local watersheds. “There will be a discussion of watershed systems, as well as the types and sources of water pollution,” he said. “We’ll also have a discussion about ways to improve and protect water quality and the need for community-driven watershed protection and management.”
Attendees of the training will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, four units for professional engineers and certified planners, four credits for certified teachers and two credits for nutrient management specialists. A total of four professional development hours are available for professional geoscientists licensed by the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists. There are also three general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, four for certified landscape architects and three for certified floodplain managers. Four continuing education credits are offered for each of the following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality occupational licensees: wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers and landscape irrigators.
Kuitu said he wants to encourage local residents and other stakeholders throughout and beyond Rains, Hopkins, Wood, and Van Zandt counties to attend the workshop to become better informed about area water resources and how to protect and improve their water quality.
For more information, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, [email protected]; Stephen Gowin in Rains County at 903-473-4580, [email protected]; Mario Villarino in Hopkins County at 903-885-3443, [email protected]; Clint Perkins in Wood County at 903-763-2924, [email protected]; or Tommy Phillips in Van Zandt County at 903-567-4149, [email protected].
Smith Sentenced For Theft of Property of Elderly
Tuesday morning in 8th Judicial District Court, Desiree Ann Smith was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $99,999.99 for theft of property of the elderly under $200,000, which is a first degree felony. According to the District Attorney’s office, Ms. Smith will serve 6 months in TDCJ at which time a bench warrant will return her to Hopkins County where she will begin 10-year probation.
Ms. Smith was providing care for the daughter of the 89-year old victim when she discovered that the daughter had a life insurance policy making her elderly father the beneficiary. After the daughter died and the elderly father received the benefit of the policy, Ms. Smith started assisting the victim with his bills and helping him around the house. She would tell the victim that a bill was due and that she needed a check to pay it. He would sign his name to the check and give it to her to fill out. Ms. Smith deceived the elderly man out of tens of thousands of dollars in this manner.
She also opened three credit cards—Justice, Victoria Secret, and Target—by using his personal identifying information without his consent. Additionally, she signed up for Sprint cell phone lines without his consent and using his personal information. She conducted this conduct for nearly two years before the account was drained and her activity discovered. The victim was 92 at the time the discovery was made and the Sulphur Springs Police Department and Detective Bo Fox made the arrest.
Ms. Smith begins her sentence April 8th.
Wildcats, Lady Cats Game Day Update
softball
Wildcats’ baseball and Lady Cats’ softball face Greenville today and the Lady Cats’ golf team is in a tournament on this Tuesday game day. The Wildcats’ baseball team will be in Greenville tonight. The JV team’s game gets underway at 4 p.m. with the Varsity starting at 7 p.m. The Wildcats come in with a 1-1 record in district play so far. Last week the Wildcats lost at Texas High and then won at home against Mt. Pleasant. The Wildcats season record is 4-6-1.
The Lady Cats’ softball team will welcome the Greenville Lady Lions into Lady Cat Park this evening. The JV Gold team plays Greenville JV at 4:30 p.m. The Lady Cats Varsity will host Greenville at 6 p.m. The Lady Cats have a district record of 3-1 with wins over Marshall and Longview on the road, a home win against Texas High and a road loss last Friday at Mt. Pleasant. The Lady Cats have a fine 19-3 season record. We’ll bring you tonight’s Lady Cats and Lady Lions game tonight at 6 p.m. on KSST Radio. We’ll also videotape the game for replay later on Channel 18 TV on Suddenlink Cable.
Finally the Lady Cats’ golf team is playing today in a tournament at the Rockwall Golf and Country Club. It will give the Lady Cats a good preview of the course where district competition will take place early next month.
Como-Pickton Eagles Baseball 4-0 in District Take on Campbell Tuesday
The Como-Pickton Eagles baseball team had a very good spring break as they picked up three big district wins.
Last Tuesday the Eagles downed Saltillo, 19-1. Blayke Pegues got the pitching win. He had great bat support especially from Raydon Swaim and Colton Clark. Clark had his first home run for the season.
Thursday Como-Pickton shut out Cumby, 8-0. Tyler Kearns was on the mound and pitched a complete game shutout. Leading hitters were Brian Potts, Colton Clark and Raydon Swaim.
Friday the Eagles were too much for Fruitvale winning 21-3. Colton Clark got his first pitching win this season. Leading hitters were Dylan Wiggins, Denton Lawson, Brian Potts and Raydon Swaim.
Over the three games, Swaim was 9 for 11 and Potts went 5 for 6 with a triple and double. Kearns has had a fine year pitching. He threw a no-hitter against Yantis, had a complete game win against Cooper allowing only one run as well as the complete game shutout against Cumby last week.
The Eagles are all alone atop the district standings with a 4-0 record. They are 5-2 for the season. They’ll play at Campbell tonight at 6 p.m. They’ll also travel to Sulphur Bluff for a game Friday at noon.
CANHelp “Play it Forward” Tennis Tournament
CANHelp Executive Director Shanna Martin and CANHelp Board Member Trice Lawrence are spreading the word about the tennis tournament that funds CANHelp with benevolence funds for community projects. The second-annual “Play it Forward” Tennis Tournament and Family Fun Day is doubles play, set for Saturday April 16 at the SSHS Tennis Complex with check-in starting at 8:30am. All ages and skill levels are welcome!
Public Library Offers Adult Programming
Sulphur Springs Public Library cordially invites everyone to attend our Adult Programming for March with our 2 special seminars and 2 weekly programs through April 9th :
HOW TO SPOT A SCAM Thursday March 24, 6pm: Kaylen Burgess from the Better Business Bureau brings information on how to recognize common scams and how the psychology of a scam works. Bring your questions and take away some important knowledge. Food will be served. Sulphur Springs Public Library 903-885-4926.
WILLS, ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE SEMINAR Thursday March 31, 5pm: Attorney Clay Johnson will offer practical insight on properly securing your personal assets and healthcare requests during and after your lifetime. Learn about current legal requirements and options concerning your wills, living wills, powers of attorney and the probate process in Texas. Food will be served. Sulphur Springs Public Library 903-885-4926
Our weekly programming for all adults through April 9th:
COMPUTER COACH FOR BEGINNERS Thursdays 1pm: set a goal, ask questions, and be successful. This is not a class, but we can assist you with your computer goals.
COLORING AND COFFEE Saturdays 9:30 – 12: (bring your own coffee with lid) we have adult coloring books with stress relieving patterns and a rainbow of pencils! Join the trend of meditation and stress relief.
