SSISD Superintendent Michael Lamb Leaves To Take New Job in Little Elm
March 9, 2023 – Teachers and staff members of SSISD were notified via a group email Thursday evening of SSISD current superintendent Michael Lamb’s confirmation of accepting the top post of the Little Elm ISD. No firm timeline was given of Lamb’s transition or any indication of who might serve in Lamb’s place while the search for a new superintendent begins. KSST News was notified from an employee of SSISD and as of yet, no formal statement has been made by SSISD Board of Trustees.
Michael Lamb has served SSISD in the top spot for almost 11 years and indicated in his email he will now leave for what he describes as a “good opportunity.” He also expressed sadness to leave saying, “Sulphur Springs ISD is a very special place, always has been and always will be.”
Little Elm ISD has recently been through similar challenges as SSISD with bond elections. Little Elm ISD held one bond election which failed in May 2022 for almost $400 million, they then sent the measure to voters again in November 2022 after trimming over $100 million from the bond package, gaining 65% approval from voters to pass the final $298 million bond.
Late Night Altercation Lands Two In Jail
March 9, 2023 – Darla Hickle Baldridge, aged 50 years-old, took exception to her husband talking to another woman at his workplace. She confronted him at his residence near Gafford Chapel, and proceeded to assault him.
After attacked, the man attempted to remove himself from the situation by leaving his residence in his pickup. His effort was hindered by 33 year-old Brandon Caleb Baldridge, the victim’s step-son. Baldrige rammed the man’s pickup and caused significant damage to the front of the vehicle. The stepfather was eventually able to depart and headed east towards the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office in Sulphur Springs. Darla followed behind.
While en route, the man contacted law enforcement. Deputies stopped both vehicles on Houston Street. Deputies documented the man’s visible injuries and damage done to his vehicle. He was issued a Family Violence Packet. Darla admitted to law enforcement that she attacked him. The victim reported Baldridge may have consumed a few alcoholic beverages prior to the confrontation. Darla was arrested, and was identified at the primary aggressor in the altercation. The Honda Accord she was in was impounded.
Brandon Caleb Baldridge was arrested at the scene of the assault and charged with AGG ASSAULT DATE/FAMILY/HOUSE W/WEAPON.
Darla Hickle Baldridge was arrested on Houston Street in Sulphur Springs and charged with ASSAULT FAMILY MEMBER.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Women’s Powerlifting Sending Three Lady Cats to State
Coach Casey Jeter and Lady Cats powerlifting had themselves a great day at the Regional meet.
Three athletes from Sulphur Springs move on to the state 4A powerlifting meet.
Starting in the lowest category of 105, Haylee Schultz won her weight group, squatting 275, benching 165 and deadlifting 315 Saturday.
The middle and latter stats are Regional records for the 105 weight class. Schultz with her record-setting efforts send the Lady Cat to the state powerlifting meet.
Machelle Allen was the second and final Lady Cat to win her weight group at the Regional meet, squatting 300, benching 255 and deadlifting 270 for a gold medal Saturday, Mar. 4.
Allen also moves on to the state meet.
Reese Offutt, also in 259+, lifted 825 total pounds for a third place finish and bronze medal.
In 114, Laney Hurst picked up a bronze medal totaling 700 pounds lifted. The third place finish for the senior sends Hurst to the state meet as well, the third and final athlete to do so. The senior squatted 275, benched 135, and deadlifted 290 Saturday.
In 148’s, Max Bailey just missed out on medaling bronze, coming in 4th squatting 300 benching 170 and deadlifting 290 for a 760 pound total weights lifted.
Kolbe McCoy came in 5th in 181, lifting 58- pounds Saturday.
Four athletes finished top-10 at the Regional meet:
- Amy Hurtado (132) — 7th
- Alex Monsivais (132) — 9th
- Emily Soto (148) — 10th
- Brooklynn Person (165) — 8th
Isabelle Thesing and Madison Jeter both finished 11th in their respective weight groups.
Sulphur Springs placed third as a team on Saturday, sending three lifters to the state meet.
Their state meet runs Wednesday through Saturday, Mar. 15-18, 2023.
On the men’s side, Sulphur Springs last competed at Sabine, coming up fifth.
Isaac Riley was the first Wildcat to win his weight group. Riley (132) had a 865-pound total.
Aiden Riley finished behind the aforementioned Wildcat in second.
In the 148 weight class, two Sulphur Springs athletes finished top-5:
- 3. Abraham Banuelos
- 4. Levi Barnes
Both Wildcats got 950-pound totals Thursday.
Zach Clark (181) picked up a bronze medal at Sabine’s meet. The athlete squatted 430, benched 240 and deadlifted 455, finishing third.
Sulphur Springs compiled 20 points in Sabine, coming up fifth in their final competition prior to their Regional meet.
It gets underway for the men this Saturday, Mar. 11 at 8 A.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Sulphur Springs City Council March 7 Meeting
March 9, 2023- Sulphur Springs City Council met last Tuesday to discuss several items within their agenda. The members of the City Council called for the month of March to become Texas history month, to honor the great Texas heritage that we all share.
Ordinance 2827, a rezoning request by Scott Hemby was proposed to the court Tuesday. The rezoning property located at Azalea Lane and Hillcrest, identified as Lots 1, 2, Pt 10 Blk: 215-5, Addn: Highland Hills. The lots consisted of approximately 1.51 acres to be rezoned from Professional Business to Light Commercial. The members of the council required a super majority vote to approve the ordinance. A super Majority is where the Members of the council must have a 80 Percent approval vote to approve the item. The ordinance was denied on first reading due to the lack of a super majority vote.
Ordinance 2828, a zoning request by Oak National Development located on State Highway 11 W. to be zoned single family in response to a proposed annexation request for parcels R23108 and R29261. The land consists of approximately 281.664 acres. The rezoning would allow the construction of single family homes within the property. The City Council members voted and approved the Ordinance on the first reading.
City Council members voted to cancel the upcoming election for new members of the council. Tyler Law and John Sellers remain unopposed for the next ballot leading to the cancellation of the election and granting the two positions on the council. The city Council approved the motion to cancel the election and grant the two candidates positions on the council. Tyler Law will be replacing council member Doug Moore for seat 6 on the council, and John Sellers will be granted seat 7 on the council.
City Council members voted on and approved the purchase of a new Christmas tree for celebration plaza. This new tree in question will stand two feet taller than the last tree, making the height of the tree a grand 30 feet tall.
City Council members discussed Plat Case PL#230201 a request by J&K Wagoner Group to Plat 107 Ardis Street. The Council voted unanimously to approve Plat Case PL#230201.
City Council members discussed Plat Case PL#230202 a request by First National Bank of East Texas to plat two lots consisting of approximately 6.3 acres of land at the NE corner of Wildcat Way and S.H. 19. The members of the council voted upon the item and unanimously voted to approve the plat case.
Meal-A-Day Menu And Senior Citizen Center Calendar March 13-17, 2023
Volunteers prepare meals at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center and deliver them five days a week to Meal A Day program recipients in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County. The Meal A Day Menu for the week of March 13-17, 2023 includes:
Monday, March 13- Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Potato’s and Broccoli
Tuesday, March 14- Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Tomato Sauce, Carrot Salad and Garlic Toast
Wednesday, March 15- Oven Baked Frito Pie, Coleslaw and Corn
Thursday, March 16- Cheese Pizza, Broccoli and Cuties (2)
Friday, March 17- Cheese Burger, Baked Beans and Chips
Sulphur Springs Tennis in Van Thursday
Coach Tony Martinez and his squad are in Van Thursday for one of their final regular season competitions.
Another stacked tournament has the likes of Regional competitors Bullard and Lindale, who beat Sulphur Springs in the second round of playoffs in the fall.
The tennis coach said Tuesday afternoon playing in Van gives the Wildcats a good scouting opportunity to see those two schools again (who they almost certainly would see one of the two come Regional time).
Not only that, but also if Sulphur Springs does well, then they get better seeding come district tournament time.
If they beat Lindale or Bullard, then that provides seeding information for Regionals.
“These are just the plans that you’re trying to get for the next few weeks at these tournaments,” Coach Martinez said, “so that’s why we’re at this one… that’s our target this weekend, is Lindale. Whatever players we see what they’re doing, we hope we’ll be seeing at Regionals.”
The Van tournament gets underway Thursday at 8 A.M.
Previously Sulphur Springs tennis hosted their yearly invitational, and it was a busy one for Coach Martinez.
The tourney hosted games taking place all day last Friday, taking place over 16 courts across the Tennis Center, the lower courts, four at the middle school and two city courts.
Being able to host so many talented programs that get to play at least three games benefits all involved.
“It’s great exposure for the kids, Coach Martinez said Tuesday, “it gives us more players or more teams for our players to play against… It does make a difference and does help pull off some things.”
The tennis coach looks for quality of teams, not quantity. As a result, Coach Martinez said blowouts were nonexistent at last Friday’s Sulphur Springs Invitational.
“I was very impressed with the coaches and the teams that we invited,” the tennis coach said.
For the Wildcats, Ella Sant and the doubles team did well, Coach Martinez said, and girls’ doubles won gold at their own invitational. The tennis coach said Sulphur Springs had a good struggle with Sherman, going three sets with the Bearcats but pulling off the win last Friday.
Coach Martinez expects a similarly tough fight Thursday when his squad travels to Van for a fight with Regional foes Lindale and Bullard.
The second-to-last regular season tournament for Sulphur Springs tennis gets underway Thursday at 8 A.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Men’s Soccer Wins Big Over Chapel Hill, at Pittsburg Friday
Sulphur Springs scored early and often in Tuesday’s home win. Wildcats soccer won 6-0 over Chapel Hill at Gerald Prim Stadium.
In only the fifth minute the men’s soccer team drew first blood, leading 1-0 over the Red Devils thanks to an unassisted goal by Jaxon Haire.
Not too long after that, the Wildcats scored again when Alexis Pasion gave a pass to Edgar Salazar who put one in.
Pasion also scored the third goal, then leading 3-0.
Matthew Clarke and Eric Rodriguez scored two more goals in the blowout win, both of which came unassisted.
Salazar secured the brace when he put in his second goal on the night (asst. by Uriel Santacruz) in the 35th minute. Sprinkle in the final goal from Rodriguez, and the Wildcats strolled throughout the second period en route to a huge 6-0 win over Chapel Hill.
Coach Alexi Upton and his squad cruised to a big win on Tuesday, Mar. 7.
“We did good in the first half, and we got six early, and then we just kinda focused on seeing it out,” the men’s soccer coach said Tuesday night following his team’s win.
Sulphur Springs scored six goals, all in the first period of Tuesday’s blowout win. Not only that, but the final four put in the net were all done so by the Wildcats in the final 10 minutes of the first period.
Their 6-0 win over the Red Devils Tuesday night comes following Friday’s PK loss in Paris. It was a particularly tough one as all the Wildcats had to do to secure an outright district championship was win over Paris.
“It was absolutely devastating,” Coach Upton said Tuesday night, “because we had them in our hands. They recorded three or four shots from the second half onward, like from the second period all the way through the second OT. I mean we just dominated them, absolutely dominated them, but we just did not put anything in the back of the net.”
The men’s soccer coach also said his squad missed out on a golden PK opportunity with just eight minutes left in Friday night’s contest.
With the loss though, Coach Upton expects both teams to remain tied even when the district season ends.
As a result, Sulphur Springs must win big in both of their final two 15-4A games Friday and Tuesday if they hope to secure an outright district title.
“We just really wanna be the number one seed so we’re gonna do our best to make sure that we take care of our business over the next two games,” Coach Upton said following Tuesday night’s 6-0 blowout of Chapel Hill.
The two tiebreakers for soccer are as follows:
- Points
- Win — 3
- Tie — 1
- Loss — 0
- Goal differential — points scored vs. surrendered
The latter is for seeding, but the points system more than likely has the Wildcats tying with Paris.
With that, Sulphur Springs must win big Friday and Senior night Tuesday if they hope to secure an outright district championship.
“We’re just gonna try to do our best as much as we can and just finish the fight,” the men’s soccer coach said.
Wildcats soccer wraps up the regular season next Tuesday as North Lamar comes to town for Senior Night, but before that Coach Upton and his squad first must take care of business with the Pirates Friday.
That game kicks off in Pittsburg Friday, Mar. 10 at 7:30 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Oklahoma Voters Say ‘NO’ To Recreational Marijuana
March 8, 2023- Oklahoma voters said NO to a state question Tuesday to allow for the recreational use of marijuana, after several words of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors.
Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalize adult use of cannabis had the voters of the state said yes to the question. Several other states have also denied the use of recreational marijuana such as Arkansas and North and South Dakota.
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and many of the state’s GOP legislators, including nearly every Republican senator, are against the idea. Former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, an ex-FBI agent, and Terri White, the former head of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, led the ‘no’ campaign.
Sulphur Springs City Council Denies Rezoning Of Main Street Property
March 8, 2023- On Tuesday, March 7th the Sulphur Springs City Council discussed Rezoning of Property located at 2119 Main Street, identified as lot Pt 1, 2, BLK:122. The property consists of approximately 10 acres of land, owned by C&C Guardian Inc. The Rezoning of the property would change the property form a light commercial property to a light industrial property. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended the denial of the rezoning to the City Council. The city Council opened the floor to the public to hear their opinions of the matter at hand, several members of the community came to the stand to speak their mind on the rezoning of the property.
The first person to the podium to speak was Ginger Brooks, Brooks discussed her opposition of the potential idea of a light industrial business across the road from the neighborhood “… A couple of our concerns have to do the noise and traffic, there is no shoulder or turning lane and being on the property for the last 20 years there is a lot more traffic than people seem to think…”
Chris Gibbins was next up to the podium to express his opposition on the rezoning of the property. Gibbins also explained he was acting as a representative of another member of the area who was also in opposition of the rezoning. “We stand in opposition but we don’t stand in opposition of growth for the further development of our community.” Gibbins said with as his final statement
Tammy Tanton took the podium next on behalf of her parents who are in opposition of the rezoning. Tammy expressed her concerns for the younger families that have recently moved in to the quiet neighborhood, and how the possible industrial zone could bring unwanted noise.
President of C&C Guardian Stacy Cody took the podium to express the companies opinion on the matter. Cody started out by explaining the previous plan of the property, which was to have it as a residential area, however this was denied. “we have two buyers and we cant sell in either direction…” stated Cody.
Vice-President of C&C Guardian Wayne Cooper took the podium after Cody to explain more on the companies interest in rezoning the property.
The City Council members voted to approve the rezoning and to overturn the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Board. A super majority vote was necessary for the City Council to approve the rezoning plan for the property, meaning that 80 percent of the council must approve the rezoning. Six Council members were present during the voting, the vote was as follows:
- 1 vote for no
- 1 abstained from voting
- 4 votes for yes
The rezoning planning was denied during first hearing due to the lack of a “super majority” vote.
City Council Annexation of Property West Of Town
March 8, 2023- Sulphur Springs City Council met last night to discuss ordinance 2825, the annexation of 281.644 acres of property west of Stonebriar Neighborhood owned by Oak National Development, LLC, among other items within their agendas. During the meeting members of the council opened up the floor to members of the community to voice their opinion of the matter to the members of the council. However, no members of the community stepped forward to speak out against the annexation. Todd Winters a member of the engineering firm for the project stepped forward to answer any questions that may have been of concern to the council members. The Annexation of the property would lead to the development of single family neighborhood within the property
The Sulphur Springs City Council reached a unanimous vote to approve the annexation of the property on first reading.
