Wildcats Tackle Tough Texas High Tigers Friday
Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens says last week’s bye week was a good one for the Wildcats as they restressed fundamentals. This week they’ve turned their attention to Texas High. Coach Owens knows the Tigers will be refocused Friday night after a sub-par effort resulted in a surprising loss to Kilgore last Friday. Coach Owens has also seen tape of Texas High taking Whitehouse apart several weeks ago. He says they have an impressive running back, wide receiver, big offensive line, a solid defense and an outstanding kicker. It’s the district opener as the Wildcats take on Texas High.
Texoma COG to Assist with Utility and Weatherization Costs
Texhoma Council of Governments will offer a limited number of services once offered to Hopkins County residents by Northeast Texas Opportunities. When NETO came under federal investigation, Hopkins County, along with other Northeast Texas Counties withdrew from the NETO service network. TCOG, located in Sherman, is under contract until January of 2016 but hopes to continue services after that date as well as expand services offered locally.
Until the end of 2015, TCOG will be the assist to those who qualify and are seeking help with their utility bills and weatherizing their home. Brenda Smith, Energy Services Program Manager for TCOG, told KSST News Tuesday afternoon that TCOG has been around for 45 years and their utility assistance and weatherization programs have been around for at least 35 years. They have been operating in Cook, Fannin, and Grayson Counties prior to their start in Hopkins County. She said TCOG is coming to the area each Thursday in various locations in the area. She noted that some are struggling with high electric bills and that as winter approaches, propane and gas payments will increase.
This week, Thursday, September 24, TCOG representatives will be at the ROC, downtown Sulphur Springs and next week in Mt Vernon at the sheriff’s department. They will return to Sulphur Springs twice in October. In October they will also be in Mt Vernon and in Paris. Smith said they are in negotiations to provide services beyond the end of the year and to secure a more permanent office site.
To schedule an appointment for assistance, call Monday through Thursday, 903-813-3541 or 903-813-3553. Smith said those calling will be given an exact location and time for their appointment. Smith said TCOG has already assisted over 100 families since mid-August and are scheduled to meet with 50 more families in the next two weeks.
TCOG served 1100 families last year in the three county areas they served.
Lady Cats .500 in District Play
The Lady Cats’ volleyball team lost in straight sets, 3-0 to the district’s best Hallsville Tuesday night in Wildcats Gym. Hallsville put on an impressive display in a set one 25-6 win. The Lady Cats were much more competitive in sets two and three but still lost them, 25-21 and 25-20. The Lady Cats, 2-2 in district, play at Texas High Friday.
Getting Ready for October in the Garden
Getting ready for October in the garden and important dates in October.
October is an important month for the gardener. Here the recommended list of activities by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for the month of October: Carefully harvest material for dried arrangements at this time. Choose cockscomb, flowering artemisia, already mature okra pods, flowering oregano stalks and others to enhance fall and winter bouquets. October through November is an excellent time to purchase bulbs while you still have a good selection in the garden center. They may be planted at any time with the exception of tulips and hyacinths .Chill tulip and hyacinth bulbs in the refrigerator until mid or late December before planting. The lower part of the refrigerator is best. Do not leave bulbs in airtight plastic bags during refrigerated storage. Plant bulbs in well prepared beds so the base of the bulb is at a depth that is three times the diameter of the bulb. In sandy soil, set slightly deeper and in clay soils less deeply. Start collecting leaves for the compost pile. Be sure to have extra soil available so that each 6 inch layer of leaves may be covered with several inches of soil. Always wet the layer of leaves thoroughly before adding the soil. Add about one pound of a complete lawn or garden fertilizer to each layer of leaves to provide the necessary nitrogen for decomposition. In addition to bulbs, check your nursery or garden center for started plants of snapdragons, pinks, sweet williams, poppies, and calendulas. Keep Christmas cactus in a sunny spot where night temperatures can be kept below 65 degrees F. Buds will drop if you allow night temperatures to go above 70 degrees F. or if you allow the plant to become excessively dry. They should also be kept in total darkness from 5:00 pm until 8:00 am for about 30 days in October to initiate flower buds. If you have saved seeds of your favorite plants, allow them to become air dry, then place them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Be sure to label each packet carefully. Remember, seed from hybrid plants will seldom resemble the parent plant. Prepare beds for planting pansies when they become available at the garden centers. They need a well-drained soil and exposure to at least a half-day of sun. It is best to use started plants, as seeds are difficult to handle. If you are planning to save caladium tubers for another year, dig them in late October, and allow to dry in a well ventilated but shady area. After 7 to 10 days, remove leaves an dirt, then pack in dry peat moss, vermiculite, or similar material for storage. Pack tubers so they do not touch each other. Dust with all-purpose fungicide as you pack. Place container in an area where temperature won’t drop below 50 degrees F.If twig girdlers have worked over your trees so that many twigs and branches are dropping, make sure these are collected and destroyed, as the eggs deposited in that portion of the branch that drops to the ground.There is still time to divide and reset such perennials as phlox, violets, hollyhocks, irises, day lilies, and shasta daisies.October is a good time to reduce the insect and disease potential in next year’s garden. Clean up the garden, removing all annuals that have completed their life cycle. Remove the tops of all herbaceous perennials that have finished flowering or as soon as frost has killed the leaves.Holly plants with a heavy set of fruit often suffer a fertilizer deficiency. An application of complete fertilizer late this month can be helpful and provide a head start next spring.
NETLA announces schedule for validation of heifers, goats and lambs, poultry and swine
During the first working session of the current school year of the Northeast Texas Livestock Association (NETLA) organizers of the Hopkins County Junior Market Show, species superintendents provided the following schedule for validations:
- Goats and Lambs: October 22, 2015 from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Sale Barn. $30 each.
- State Validation for registered heifers: October 22, 2015 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Sale barn. $10 each.
- Swine validation: By November 30, 2015. Swine projects will be tagged by county agent and Ag teachers at the location of the projects. No movement of swine is recommended. $30 each.
- Poultry: November 30, 2015. All pen orders must be submitted to ag agent or ag teachers before this date. Cost $30 per pen.
Hopkins County Success stories
Trying to help ranchers and farmers requires a team effort. During the last several years I have been part of a team supporting hay producer Tracy Knight. I wanted to take some time to share part of his journey during the last few years and how Texas A&M AgriLife cooperative extension services and USDA-NRCS can contribute to makes a difference in Hopkins County. Several years ago, Mr. Knight intended to improve his hay meadows and crops. My first contact with Mr. Knight was with a trial crop of forage soybeans in 20 acres in Brashear. The goal was to produce forage using legumes dedicated for forage only. The varieties selected were non-determined soybeans round-up resistant type. During the first part of the crop growing season, the soybeans grew up well. It was until the summer, when the intense heat and drought made some impact in the crop. The soybeans basically started dropping leaves rapidly. I conducted a forage analysis in both leaves and steams and determined that the majority of the protein was in the leaves the soybeans were dropping. The decision was made to harvest the soybeans and made hay out of them before the plants dropped all the leaves. During several month (the duration of the crop), I was in constant contact with Mr. Knight as the drought and heat affected the crop. The experiences acquired during this project forge a relationship that included the support of hay production for Mr. Knight. The use of remote sensing technologies to determine types of soils existing in the land dedicated to hay production using the USDA NRCS Soils web database, GPS grid layouts, agricultural liming and use of biosolids as fertilizers as part of an integrated soil management program supported by USDA-NRCS has allowed Mr. Tracy Knight to become one of the most important hay producers in Hopkins County. For more information on this or any other agricultural topic, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Mario Villarino DVM, Ph.D.
Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
1200B Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
903-885-3443
SSHS Team Tennis Tops Mt Pleasant
The Wildcats’ team tennis squad won their second straight district match at the Wildcats Tennis Center Tuesday night. The Wildcats topped Mt. Pleasant, 12-7. The win gives them a 2-4 record in district play and a 3-8 record for the season. The Wildcats play their final district match next Tuesday at Greenville.
2015 Fall Festival Creative Arts Contest and Arts & Craft Show
2015 Fall Festival Creative Arts Contest and Arts & Craft Show
Excitement is building for the 2015 Hopkins County Fall Festival. You have probably already heard about the Freedom Ride, Battle of the Bands, and the Golf Tournament. Many more events are in store, beginning Saturday, October 17, with the Fall Festival Parade and continuing through the following weekend.
The Creative Arts Contest give Hopkins County residents an opportunity to enter their items for judging…and it isn’t limited to adults! This event is held at the Sulphur Springs High School Conference Center. People of all ages can enter. For a $1.00 entry fee, participants may enter as many divisions as desired, as long as they are not entering two like items. Entries may be taken directly to the high school on Thursday, October 22, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., or Friday, October 23, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. If those times are not feasible, entries may also be taken to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200-B W. Houston, Monday, October 19 thru Wednesday, October 21, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and they will be delivered to the high school (please do not bring large or heavy items to the Extension Office for registration.)
Age divisions are Children (up to age 10), Youth (ages 11-19), Adults (ages 20-69), and Mature Texans (age 70& above). An additional division is also available for nursing home and assisted living residents.
Entry divisions are: Clothing (classic, after-five, children’s wear, specialty, or wearable art); Food Preservation (Vegetables, fruits, jams, preserves, fruit butters, jellies, pickles, relish, pickled vegetables, dehydrated foods, miscellaneous); Bake Show (breads, cakes, pies, cookies, candy); Decorated Cakes (will not be cut – judged on other qualities); Handiwork (knitting, crochet, embroidery, needlepoint, sewn items, beadwork/jewelry, other fabric/fiber work); Holiday/Seasonal (Christmas, tablecloth – any holiday, decorations –not Christmas, wreath/door hanging, Nativity Scenes); Creative Crafts (metal, plastics, ceramics, stained glass, painted household objects, candles, leather, miscellaneous); Art (oil, water color, pen & ink, rub-outs, pencil, acrylic, paper tole, crayon, spray paint art, miscellaneous); Scrapbooks (seasonal, collective, memorabilia); Photography (portrait, scenic, still life, people, special effects, floral, architectural, grouping); Quilts (hand quilted, machine quilted, combination hand/machine, baby quilts, quilted items); Dolls (cloth, costumes, open category); Horticulture (agriculture, cut flowers, potted plants, hanging baskets, succulents, dried, gourds, herbs); Woodworking (kits, inlaid wood, mosaic wood art, furniture, wall hangings, wood carving, yard art, rustic art, birdhouses, toys, miscellaneous); and Nursing Home/Assisted Living Division (holiday/seasonal, quilts, plastic, clothing, accessories, needlework, leather, wood, art, weaving, miscellaneous).
Items will be judged on Friday, October 23, starting at 10:00 a.m., by out-of-county judges. Upon completion of judging and ribbon placements, the conference center will be opened to the public for viewing until 5:00 p.m., and again on Saturday, October 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Best of Show winners (purple rosettes) will have pictures taken at 1:30 p.m. Items may be picked up and taken home from 1:45 to 3:00 p.m. Any items left after the show will be taken to the Extension Office. For a full set of guidelines and divisions, contact the Extension Office at 903-885-3443.
The Fall Festival Arts & Crafts is a crowd-pleaser every year. Not to be confused with the Creative Arts Contest, this event is for home artisans who wish to sell their hand-crafted items. This event is NOT for commercially made items. The 2015 event will take place in the Sulphur Springs High School Cafeteria, north entryway, and grounds. The Arts & Crafts Show is open to the public on Friday, October 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, October 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Seventy-plus spaces are filled every year with unique items ranging from hand-crafted jewelry to yard art, children’s clothing to doll clothes, stained glass to travel pillows, quilted items to warm caps & scarves, children’s toys to wooden banks, and much more! Spaces vary in price (depending on vendor’s age and type of space needed.) The fee covers both days and 24-hour security is available.
Spaces are filling up, so if you or someone you know would be interested in selling your hand-crafted items, contact the Extension Office at 903-885-3443.
For guidelines and more information on both of these events, contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office at 903-885-3443, or go to http://hopkins.agrilife.org and click on publications.
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
Dutch Oven Cookoff Introduces Youth Division
The annual Indian Summer Days returns to Heritage Park on Saturday, October 3. An integral part of the event is the annual John Chester Dutch Oven Cookoff. Cookoff organizer Rick Wilson was Enola Gay’s guest on KSST’s Good Morning Show Tuesday morning.
Wilson said the Dutch Oven Cookoff will kick-0ff the Fall season. A new division has been added for youth 16-years of age and under. Those in the youth division will cook only one pot. Wilson said he has wanted a division for youth. Winners in the youth division will receive a Dutch Oven.
More space has been added for the cookoff. Northeast Texas Farmers Coop, City National Bank, Farm Bureau, and Texas Heritage National Bank sponsor the event.
To enter the event, call Wilson at 903-885-9692 in the evenings or 903-335-2752.
Excitement Builds for Hopkins County Stew Contest
2015 could be another record breaker concerning number of stew cooks at the annual World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest coming up October 24. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Meredith Caddell said over 50 cooks arrived Friday to claim their sites. Monday, 12 arrived to secure a site and five signed on Tuesday morning. The west side of the grounds are filled and the east side of the grounds have a few open sites left. Less than five cooks did not renew and a number of new cooks have applied. Currenly, 145 have signed on to cook stew. Caddell will be remarking sites soon. A 30-minute meeting for cooks and their assistants is planned for October 13th.
Entries for the T-shirt contest will be judged by public vote. The chamber will possibly use their Facebook site for the voting according to Caddell.
