Taste of Dinner Bell Fundraiser Friday, July 31
The Dinner Bell program at First United Methodist Church in Sulphur Springs continues to provide meals for those in need on Wednesday during the lunch hour. A cookbook featuring recipes used for The Dinner Bell has been put together. An event has also been planned for next Friday, July 31 at First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall where you can sample food cooked using recipes from the cookbook. Over 60 recipes will be available for tasting. RSVP by July 24 to ensure your place at the table. Tickets are $15.00 per person. Call 903-885-2185 or 903-855-3282 for tickets. All proceeds/donations from the tasting go toward the publication of Feed My Sheep Cookbook.
Judy Gilreath and Lyndsi Caldwell with The Dinner Bell discussed the cookbook and the special tasting event with Enola Gay on KSST’s Good Morning Show Tuesday morning.
SSISD Superintendent Lamb Discusses Legislative Decisions
Monday evening, SSISD Superintendent presented a Legislative Update to the school board. Tuesday morning, Lamb sat down with KSST News to address his tentative delight with most of the decisions made by the Texas Legislature during the last session.
Animal of the Week: Bentley the Dog
The Animal Shelter Animal of the Week is a two year old German Shepard mix named Bentley. Bentley was delivered to the Animal Shelter after being found at the intersection of Lee and Texas Streets. Bentley is believed to have been dumped or left behind by former owners, due to the fact that he is house-broken and is friendly by nature.
“He does great with other animals,” Animal Shelter Officer Barbi Blanch said. “He also does great with people. I’ve seen him around a couple of older kids, but I’m sure he wouldn’t be too bad around younger kids. He’s very clean, he just wants attention.”
Bentley is, however, not neutered, and there is a possibility of him having worms due to the fact that he is currently a Shelter animal with regular contact around other animals. Shelter Officer Blanch always recommends a vet check shortly after adopting any animal from any Shelter.
There is a $100 adoption fee for Bentley, which includes rabies shots and having him neutered. Bentley has been at the Shelter for a week and a half.
“[We keep animals] for as long as we can hold them,” Shelter Officer Blanch said. “Like I said, he’s a friendly dog and house-broken, so we’re trying to push him getting adopted.”
“Updated” Former Cumby Teacher Held on Federal Charges
HILL,LUCAS RAY
“There’s still a lot of work to do.” Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputy Sgt. Corley Weatherford knows there is more investigation to be accomplished before the federal court trial of a former Cumby ISD math teacher. Weatherford’s statement followed the unsealing of a federal indictment against the former Sulphur Springs resident today (July 21) in a Tyler federal court. The case is now being investigated by the U. S. Secret Service, the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sulphur Springs Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U S Attorney Marisa J. Miller.
On May 30th of this year, a Cumby ISD math teacher was arrested for impersonation—name and persona to create a page—and for possession of child pornography. Lucas Ray Hill, 38, was accused of stealing an identity and establishing a fake social media account which he used to exploit children including the requesting of and soliciting of child pornography. Hill had maintained a large library of pages and pictures in the social media account. Corley Weatherford, Sergeant with the Hopkins County Police Department, working with the Internet Crimes Against Children and Amanda Weatherford of the Sulphur Springs Police Department, led the investigation. Accompanied by investigators from the Hopkins County Sheriff’s office and ICAC, Weatherford served warrants on Hill Saturday morning, May 30th. Law enforcement seized numerous electronic devices used to obtain child pornography photos.
In a press conference Tuesday morning, July 21, 2015, U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced that Hill has been charged with child exploitation by producing child pornography, enticing and coercing a minor, and transferring obscene matter to a child younger than 16 years of age. In a hearing before U S Magistrate Judge Don D. Bush, the indictment against Hill was unsealed. According to the indictment and information presented to the court, Hill created a Facebook page using the fictitious name “Aaron Cage”.
Hill had posed as a teenage boy. From October 2013, He is alleged to have contacted a number of females including children who may have attended Cumby schools. Officials say he chatted with females and persuaded them to engage in sexually explicit conduct, including producing images and videos of themselves engaging in sexual activity.
Hill is in the Smith County Jail, awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.
Any minors who may have had contact with “Aaron Cage” are urged to contact Victim-Witness Coordinator Judy Daigle at the U S Attorney’s Office at 1-800-804-3547. The U S Attorney’s Office will take the necessary steps to protect all minors’ indentities and confidential information.
SSISD Board Hears Legislative and Budget Updates
SSISD
The Sulphur Springs School Board heard a mostly positive Legislative Update from Superintendent Michael Lamb and then got a solid preliminary budget for next fiscal year from Business Manager Sherry McGraw.
Lamb found legislative benefits to the district everywhere. His only complaints were legislators refusing to use ample rainy day funds for education and one unfunded mandate for cameras in special ed classes. Lamb is intrigued with a proposal to count a school year in terms of minutes instead of days which could result in school being over by Memorial Day.
Ms. McGraw’s preliminary budget reflects $20,000 more in revenue than expenses. It keeps the tax rate the same. She expects a very similar budget to be adopted next month.
Personnel changes:
New Personnel
Nancy Potts Head Start teacher ECLC
Constance Stieber Title I Aide ECLC
Karla Brown Grade 1 teacher Bowie Primary
Are You Ready for the 2015-2016 School Year?
I can, without hesitation, say that I am not ready. It has been a glorious summer thus far. It’s not the weather or the freedom, or anything like that. The one thing that makes this summer better than the rest is that I was able to work all summer side-by-side with my 16 year-old daughter. Soon we will fall back into our school year routine.
Personal feelings aside, here are some points to keep in mind as summer vacation closes shop.
Texas Tax Free WeekendSSISD School Supply Lists
SSISD Calendar for 2015-2016
In Texas, Drought is Done
by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune – July 20, 2015
![TexasDrought-Map_jpg_800x1000_q100[1]](https://www.ksstradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/TexasDrought-Map_jpg_800x1000_q1001.jpg)
For the first time in more than five years, Texas is not in a drought.
While less than 3 percent of the state remains “abnormally dry,” according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report, drought has disappeared from every other part of Texas.
Just three months ago, more than 35 percent of the Lone Star State was in some form of drought — either moderate, severe, extreme or exceptional, depending on the location. A year ago, it was more than 60 percent.
Texas has been in varying degrees of drought since April 2010, according to the Texas Water Development Board.
The water planning agency called the drought disappearance “big news” Monday in its weekly drought report, but also offered a reminder that the national monitor “favors soil conditions” and that “reservoirs are still low in West, Far West, and South Texas.”
Those reservoirs serve as drinking water supplies for many small cities.
Enlargegraphic by: David Simeral
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/20/texas-drought-done/.
Franklin County Under-8 All-Stars Win State
The Franklin County Dixie Peewees boys baseball team captured the Dixie State Championship this past Friday and Saturday in Longview. The Peewees All-Star Team was coached by Chris Moss. The Peewees are believed to be the first Franklin County Dixie boys baseball team to capture a state title. The state championship is the end of the competition for the Peewees, whose players are six, seven and eight years old.
(Pictured: Back Row – Jerco Doss (Assistant Coach), Mike Simmons (Assistant Coach), Chris Moss (Head Coach), Jeremy Monroe (Assistant Coach); Middle Row – Pierson Clayton, Koby Holleman, Halen Miller, Jace Fountain, Dylan Clinton, Mehki Perry, Jayden Doss; Front Row – Trystan Simmons, Cade Monroe, Kam Doss, Brayden Duncan, Landry Moss)
The Under-8 All Stars started their season at the district tournament in Whitewright, TX where they were District Champs after going undefeated. Wins included: Commerce 17-1, Lamar Co. 15-0,
Delta Co. 11-1, Whitewright 11-3, Delta Co. 15-1, and Whitewright 12-10
Next they won the “North Regional State Champ” title in Texarkana, TX. Wins and losses included: defeating Pottsboro 13-11, Waskom 14-2, Hooks 9-4, a loss to Pottsboro 15-5, and a win against Pottsboro 18-4 and Hooks 10-4.
In the state tournament, they played Hemphill for the state title. It was a 2 out of 3 series in Longview, TX. The locals won the first game 13-4 and the second game 6-4.
Schlotzsky’s: Coming Soon to Sulphur Springs, but not to the Dining District
Corner of Gilmer St and Bill Bradford Rd.
It may not look like a sandwich shop yet, but give it some time. A Schlotzsky’s franchise is coming to the corner currently occupied by the ‘Pink Snow-cone Stand’.
Little known fact about Schlotzsky’s: founded in 1971 down in Austin, TX.
An opening date has not been set.
A local business historian reminds KSST that this site has hosted a ‘Del Taco’ and a Chinese restaurant. The latter of course hosted a car accident on it’s roof.
3rd Annual DARE Musical and Comedy Revue is Friday
Monty Tipps has developed quite a local following. Tipps will be serve as emcee and will play some tunes with his band Main Street for the 3rd annual Musical and Comedy Revue coming up Friday evening to benefit the DARE program. He said that he and his band look forward to the event each year.
Tipps said Brad Cummings, Dale Cummings, Tisha George, and Cousin Cedrick will return. Special guest for the event is Steven Pride, brother of Charlie Pride. Pride has been on tour in Ireland and Canada with his brother.
Big Smith’s will cater the event. A number of fund raisers will take place during the show.
