Bubba Needs a Home
This week’s adoptable dog of the week is Bubba, a male setter mix who is believed to be about five years old. He has spent a long time at Hearts of Life Animal Rescue. Hearts of Life Volunteer Deborah Balkcom says Bubba acts timid at first around new people but soon warms up to them and then stays by their side. Bubba is an outdoor dog and is very playful. To adopt Bubba, call Hearts of Life at 903 439-5019.
Scrimmages End; Wildcats Open Season Friday
The Wildcats’ football team jumped out to a 31-7 lead in their Friday night scrimmage at Royse City and then hung on to win 31-28. The Wildcats topped the Bulldogs 1 touchdown to zero during the 16-plays part of the scrimmage. Quarterback Tanner Ramirez threw two TD passes to Cain Cody. Jaylon Hawkins ran for two TD’s. Scott Galarza had a TD run and Julio Robles kicked a field goal. The Wildcats open the regular season Friday.
Enrollment for 4-H is Now Underway – by Johanna Hicks
Enrollment for 4-H is Now Underway
Each August, a massive campaign for 4-H enrollment takes place across the country. The 4-H year goes from September 1st to August 31, and we welcome all youth! Current members must re-enroll each to keep membership status, and new members are encouraged to join. It’s really quite simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
There are currently 5 clubs in Hopkins County: Dike (meets in the Dike Community Center); Infinity (meets at the Extension Office in Sulphur Springs); Miller Grove (meets at the Miller Grove School); Paws (3rd & 4thgrade school based club at Sulphur Springs Elementary campus); and Stars of Texas (meets in the Arbala area). Clubs meet once a month, with exception of summer months, when numerous county-wide 4-H opportunities take place.
All students grade 3 through 12 are welcome to join our 4-H program! Enrollment is easy. Both new and returning members will access the 4-H Connect on-line system at: http://texas.4honline.com
New members will set up a family profile (name, address, phone number, emergency contacts, etc.) and follow the on-screen instructions. Select “adult” or “youth” from the drop-down menu and click add member. You’ll go through Personal Information, Additional Information, Health Form, and Participation areas of enrollment (select at least 3 projects), then continue to the Invoice page. Enrollment fee is $20 prior to November 1. Starting November 1, enrollment fee goes up to $25. This fee is good for the entire 4-H year (September 1 through August 31). Review your invoice, then click on Payment screen. Select the appropriate method of payment, then click.
Returning members simply log on using their username and password, edit information to update it, and make the payment. Do not establish another family profile if you already have one in the system.
With more than 550,000 Texas youth involved in 4-H, it is the largest youth organization in Texas! By participating in 4-H, these students are statistically 5 times more likely to graduate from college, 4 times more likely to actively contribute to their community, 3 times more likely to be physically active, and 2 times more likely to pursue a career in science, engineering, or computer-related fields. Our own Hopkins County youth have excelled in school and two have earned $10,000 scholarships from the 4-H & Youth Foundation in recent years.
If you would like to get a glimpse of our Hopkins County 4-H program in action, come to our annual 4-H Achievement Banquet, on Saturday, August 29, at League Street Church of Christ. Numerous youth will be recognized for project completion, special awards, and outstanding 4-H contributions. Call our office for details or to find out more about our Hopkins County 4-H program – 903-885-3443.
Exciting Upcoming Events
- Friday, October 9 – If you enjoy good food, home decorating, and fashion accessorizing, you don’t want to miss “Fabulous Fall Friday.” I’m joining forces with Denita Young (Rains County) and Angie Monk (Wood County) to bring this fun, informative program to East Texas. The event will take place at Emory Baptist Church, 260 N. Planters Street, just off the square, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The cost is $10, which includes a cookbook, door prizes, refreshments, and gift bags. Vendors will also be on hand. To sign up, drop by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Hopkins, Rains, or Wood Counties, or call and I’ll e-mail the registration form to you – 903-885-3443. The Deadline to sign up is Friday, September 25.
- Monday, November 9 – the annual “Christmas Joys” Extension Holiday Program will take place at the Southwest Dairy Museum. Two identical sessions are being offered to fit your schedule, so when calling to reserve a seat, please indicate if you want to attend the 1:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. session. This exciting program will include gift bags, demonstrations, gift-giving ideas, and holiday management tips by Extension agents from Hopkins, Hunt, Collin, and Van Zandt Counties, as well as booklets of all the instructions and recipes included in the demonstrations. Wonderful refreshments will be provided by the Southwest Dairy Museum staff. Cost is $5, payable at the door, but you MUST call to reserve a seat. Seating is limited to 80 per session due to fire codes. When calling, we need a name and phone number for each person attending.
- Next week’s column will focus on two popular events: Hopkins County Fall Festival Creative Arts Contest and the Fall Festival Arts & Crafts Show.
Closing Thought
“Life is divided into three terms – that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit in the present, and from the present to live better in the future” – William Wordsworth
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]
Wood County Game Warden Named Officer of the Year
AUSTIN — Wood County Game Warden Kurt Kelley was recognized as the Association of Midwest Fish and Game Law Enforcement Officers’ Texas Officer of the Year at Thursday’s Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director Carter Smith presented the award for Kelley’s outstanding work as a law enforcement officer.
The Midwest association, which encourages close cooperation between natural resource law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada to further professionalize their law enforcement activity, recognized Kelley recently at their 71st annual meeting in Duluth, Minn.
Kelley, who started his game warden career in 1999, has maintained a minimum case load of more than 300 cases per year for the last 14 years. Additionally, he averages over 400 boat hours every year, routinely leading his district in all wildlife-fisheries cases.
One case Kelley solved was one of the largest deer poaching cases in Texas, which involved 30 illegally poached deer and four suspects. More than 500 charges were filed on the violators, and all four were convicted. Penalties totaled $41,000 in fines, 3,000 hours of community service and 12 years of prison time.
Most recently, Kelley coordinated the water safety enforcement effort during the Toyota Bass Classic and Concert on Lake Fork. In addition, Kelley presents numerous information and education programs in Wood County. These programs include hunter education classes, school programs and sporting group presentations. He also coordinated and managed one of the largest youth fishing events in the state, with more than 300 kids in attendance.
Kelley’s other accomplishments include Master Peace Officer Certification, TCOLE Instructor, Firearms Instructor, ALERRT training and Patrol Rifle course completion.
Tira News By Jan Vaughn
Tira News
By Jan Vaughn
Dorreice (Horn) Shuptrine, of Plano, shared that they enjoyed a visit from the Vaughns – J.C., Jake, and John – from Cooper, on Saturday, after the hunting show in Ft. Worth. They had some good laughs and shared fried apricot pies.
The North Hopkins Alumni officers are working on plans for the annual school homecoming. The group voted last year to change the date from the first Saturday in November to the second Saturday in October (October 10. 2015), in hopes that more former students, teachers and their guests will be able to attend. Also, to encourage more participation, the Classes of 1965, 1975, and 1985 will be honored for their 50-, 40-, and 30-year reunion. Please pass the word.
North Hopkins teachers and staff were treated to two delicious meals during their week of inservice. On Tuesday, they went to Peerless Baptist Church were they enjoyed Bar-be-que and all the trimmings. Door prizes were given and teachers were allowed to pick up bags of school supplies. The group enjoyed taco salad and pralines at First Baptist Church’s Recreation Outreach Center (The ROC) in Sulphur Springs on Thursday. We want to express our appreciation to all the volunteers at both churches, who worked together to serve the school employees.
A large crowd gathered at North Hopkins School for Meet the Teacher night on Thursday. Also, a volleyball tournament was being held that day and continues on Saturday. Students return to school on Monday, August 24th.
Morgan, Kenden, and Jaidyn Joslin, Tiffany Vaughn, and Chip and I spent the week of August 8th through 15th at Canyon Lake Resort near New Braunfels. The hot weather made swimming the favorite activity at the resort. The kids and Tiffany played some volleyball and we all played miniature golf. We met Delayne Vaughn and his friend Ian for lunch at Ninfa’s Mexican Restaurant, in Waco, on Saturday the 8th, on our way to the resort. We all enjoyed a day at SeaWorld on Monday. On Tuesday, Chip, Morgan, and Kenden met Michael Horn at Randolph Air Force Base, where Michael instructed them on “flying” the simulators, and then he took them out for burgers. We went to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch on Wednesday morning, and then went to San Antonio, where we enjoyed lunch on the Riverwalk and visited the Alamo. On Friday, we were back in San Antonio at the Air Force Base, for the retirement ceremony for Commander Michael Horn. A large group gathered for the activities. We watched him land his final flight, and then we went inside for the program. Morgan Joslin, a member of the Civil Air Patrol, participated in the program, reading a poem, “The Watch”. Following the program, we enjoyed a wonderful meal. Michael was retiring from the Navy, after 24 years (including his four years at the Naval Academy). He had been participating in a program with the Air Force for his last two years, in which he trained pilots at Randolph Air Force Base. Michael and Tracy and their daughters Jordyn, Madison, and Lani will continue to reside in the
San Antonia area. Michael is the son of Liz (Rawson, Horn) Steinsiek and the late Gary Horn.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-945-2190 or 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Turkey Federation Event for Youth Saturday
The local chapter of the Wild Turkey Federation is having an event for young people on Saturday. The Wild Turkey Federation has a youth group they call JAKES, as in a young turkey. KSST News talked with three local members of the Wild Turkey Federation, Matt Rosamond, Dale Thompson and Kyle Verner, about the event on Friday.
The purpose of the “Take Aim Event” event at Atwoods from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday is to involve children in shooting sports through archery and BB guns. For a $1 donation, hot dogs and a drink will be available but the donation is not required. DARE officer will also be present.
An opportunity for youth to sign up for JAKES and an opportunity to win a youth deer hunt will also be available.
Local Man Arrested After Releasing Private Sex Tape of Ex-girlfriend.
A 30-year old man from Sulphur Springs has been charged with releasing a private sex tape owned by his ex-girlfriend. Joshua Cullen Lonidier was charged with three counts of improper photography or visual recording before Justice of the Peace Brad Cummings who set bond for each of count at $35,000 for a total of $105, 000. The man reportedly sent the video to his ex-girlfriend’s family after they broke up. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigator Charles Humphries said Lonidier was arrested in Arcadia, Louisiana and was transported back to Hopkins County by Deputy Philips after signing extradition.
The video was acquired by Lonidier when he went through the personal property of the ex-girlfriend. He then copied the videos and pictures before sending them out.
NETCS plans A Celtic Christmas!
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without music from the Northeast Texas Choral Society! Director Carol Allen and board member Kacey Batterton have announced that this year’s holiday concert will be themed “A Celtic Christmas”. It will be staged in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Sulphur Springs on the weekend of December 12 and 13. There will be a total of three concerts; at 7pm on Saturday December 12, and at 2pm and 7pm on Sunday December 13. Seating is limited, so get ready to purchase tickets for your family as soon as ticket sales are announced.
Choral Society singers will be rehearsing every Monday night for 15 weeks in preparation for all the new music audiences will be treated to. The 100-voice choir is also looking for a few new singers, teen through adult. Auditions will be held Saturday August 22 from 10am til noon in the upstairs choir room of FUMC, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please note, the 2015 concert “A Celtic Christmas” will be held in a different location than usual on a different weekend than in years past.
Northeast Texas Corral Society Director Carrol Allen and Board Member Kacey Batterton
NETBIO’s First Cattleman’s Classic and Ribeye Roundup!
NETBIO CEO Dwight Bell and Dr. Mario Villarino, Secretary/Treasurer, discuss the October 16/17 Beef event in Sulphur Springs. In addition to education seminars at the Civic Center on Friday October 16, the committee has planned a steak cook-off and dinner with concert that evening on Celebration Plaza. Entertainment will be Hopkins County’s own Johnny Lee and the Urban Cowboy Band. An added feature will be a 5K “Run for the Beef” on Saturday morning from Celebration Plaza which will conclude the Cattleman’s Classic event.
The NETBIO organization needs steak cooking teams to compete for cash prizes. They also need ticketholders to enjoy the ribeye meal. Tickets for the meal are $25, available at the Hopkins County Agrilife Extension Office, at Texas Heritage National Bank locations or online at texashnb.com. Check out more on Facebook.com/ribeyeroundup.
The Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization (NETBIO) was founded in 1998. The non-profit’s semi-annual pre-conditioned calf sales in Sulphur Springs make a dynamic impact on the local economy.
NETBIO’s Dwight Bell and Dr. Mario Vallarino
NETBIO Plans October Ribeye Round up
The Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization (NETBIO) founded in 1998 has established a reputation throughout the Southern United States for its preconditioned calf sales. Their focus is on improving the genetic makeup of area cattle herds, enhancing management practices to meet the national quality assurance standards and producing healthy pre-conditioned calves that will perform from the time they leave the ranch until they reach the consumer. The organization has had a dynamic impact on the Northeast Texas economy having successfully marketed 401 thousand calves for $293 million since its first sale in November 1998. In 2014 consignments came from 580 producers scattered across 45 different Texas Counties and from 7 states outside of Texas. Hopkins County, Judge Robert Newsome has set aside October 16th to officially recognize Beef Producers in Hopkins and surrounding counties for their contributions to a sustainable agriculture and the Northeast Texas Economy.
Brian Cummins, NETBIO President and beef producer from Van Zandt County, TX, stated, “it is great for our organization to be recognized in this manner and our board is very excited about all the events our planning committee has put together to celebrate this recognition. We also want to thank the City of Sulphur Springs for welcoming us to their beautifully renovated Celebration Plaza.”
Dwyatt Bell, President of Texas Heritage National Bank and NETBIO Board Member, added, “the celebration will begin in the afternoon with the Texas Beef Council providing cooking demonstrations in the heart of the Plaza in downtown Sulphur Springs. An area wide steak cook off with a restaurant and an amateur division will kick off around 3:00 PM. The City is blocking off the square and competing grill masters will begin cooking steaks for the public after concluding their competition. We will begin serving dinner to ticket holders around 6:15 PM. Winners of the each division will be announced and awards presented at 7:30 PM. A free concert will be kicked off at 8:00 PM. Johnny Lee and his Urban Cowboy Band will entertain for the rest of the evening.”
Tickets go on sale for the steak dinner August 15th and should be purchased in advance by October 1st. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased in person at all Texas Heritage National Bank locations or the Hopkins County AgriLife Office or online @ http://www.texashnb.com/ . Dr. Mario Villarino, NETBIO board member and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent in Hopkins County stated: “The beef industry in Northeast Texas has shown a recognizable growth during the last decade. Although always a significant economic contributor to our local economy, organized beef producers have become an economic drive to our economy. NETBIO has promoted and secured markets for our beef allowing small producers to reach markers like never before. We are grateful for all of our industry sponsors but we especially appreciate the four major event sponsors Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission Company, Boehringer Ingelheim, Brookshire’s and Texas Heritage National Bank. These generous sponsors have made all of this possible.”
Brandon Bell, Manager of Potts Feed Store in Quitman Texas and President of the Wood County Farm Bureau, noted, “It is very fitting that NETBIO be recognized in this manner. It has had a big impact not only on beef producers but also on many area agribusinesses such as ours that supply goods and services to beef producers. I am very glad to be assisting with the Cattleman’s Classic and Ribeye Round-up. I encourage people to check it out more on www.Facebook.com/ribeyeroundup .”
Chris McClure, area beef producer and NETBIO board member commented on judges for the competition, “I doubt there has ever been a more elite group of individuals representing the industry assemble to judge such an event. We have James Henderson with Bradley 3 Ranches and board member for Certified Angus Beef and the American Angus Association, Dr. Tom Woodward General Manager of Broseco Ranches, Dr. Dan Hale, head of the Texas A & M Meat Center and Trey Chapman of chapman family ranches, and food blogger, just to name a few. The enthusiasm and excitement by everyone has been unbelievable and I think it is going to be a fun and enjoyable evening.”
Karen Potter representing the Hopkins County Veterinary Clinic is in charge of planning a 5K “Run for the Beef” that will conclude the Cattleman’s Classic celebration Saturday morning. She commented, “I am very excited to have this opportunity especially with assistance provided by the Texas Beef Council. It will be great to have some of the Beef Team runners participating here in Northeast Texas and we are thankful to have Sulphur Springs Dodge as our sponsor for this event. I encourage area runners to come join us as we promote quality lean beef for healthy bodies.”
