Local Texas House Representative Bryan Slaton Absent For Two Days of Session Before Holiday
April 7, 2023 – District 2 House Representative Bryan Slaton was missing from all proceedings in the 88th Texas Legislature both Wednesday and Thursday before the Good Friday holiday in advance of Easter Sunday. All votes for the very busy two days showed Slaton as “Absent – Excused”. His last record of voting came on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 as he voted on several bills presented on that day including one presented from a committee on which he serves named “Defense & Veterans’ Affairs”. That bill known as HB1315 is described by its author as: A bill to be entitled An Act relating to the creation of the open burn pit registry fund and the issuance of specialty license plates to honor members of the United States armed forces exposed to open burn pits. Slaton voted in the affirmitive to support that bill.
Thursday April 6, 2023 was a very busy day for the Texas Legislature as the Texas House debated over HB1 which concerns the over $300 Billion budget for the State of Texas for the next two years. Hundreds of amendments were presented and added to the bill with most of those influencing how that money is spent and which districts (and counties) would benefit from the huge Texas budget. None of Slaton’s amendments were presented during the proceedings and Slaton was marked as “Absent – Excused” for the 11 votes taken on House Bill 1. As the budget bill has now cleared the House, it will move over to the Senate for further discussions and amendments following the Easter Holiday.
Repeated calls from KSST News to Slaton’s Austin office as well as his Greenville office went unanswered. Hopefully, Slaton will be back as the House session resumes on Monday at 2:00pm to represent his constituents in Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt counties.
Senator Ted Cruz Visits Sulphur Springs And Tours Local Facility
April 7, 2023- U. S. Senator Ted Cruz visited Sulphur Springs Tuesday April 4th, touring the M&F Western Products in Sulphur Springs, Texas. He also made a visit to the Priefert Manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant.
Sen. Ted Cruz said:
“Manufacturing is a pillar of the Texas economy and it’s one I’m proud to support – especially in East Texas. The facilities I toured in Sulphur Springs and Mt. Pleasant today showcase how high the Lone Star State sets the standard for excellence in the industry. I’m glad to see the innovative steps that have been taken to ensure Texas is at the forefront of manufacturing and continues creating jobs to keep Texas moving forward.“
At M&F Western Products Manufacturing Facility, Sen. Cruz spoke with local leaders of Sulphur Springs about supply chain and taxation, following a tour of their newly constructed worldwide distribution center. The center houses products like saddle slickers, hat supplies, belts, and wallets.
Good, high-paying jobs are the top priority of Texans, and because of that, they are also the top priority of Sen. Ted Cruz:
- In the past year Sen. Cruz successfully negotiated the approval of four major LNG export permits, helping Texas and American companies sell American energy overseas.
- Sen. Cruz has fought to protect access to banking for legal industries against political efforts to undermine them.
- He helped enact historic tax reform in 2017, which gave a tax cut to virtually every taxpayer in America. It reduced taxes on small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and job producers, which has helped bring jobs to Texas.
- Sen. Cruz has worked in a bipartisan manner to designate the “Ports-to-Plains Corridor” in Texas as a future highway, boosting transportation efficiency and cutting costs.
- He has fought to make permanent the 2017 historic tax cuts for individuals.
- He is leading the fight against burdensome federal government regulations and EPA overreach.
- Sen. Cruz also helped pass the USMCA trade agreement, which was signed by President Trump, a decisive victory for Texas farmers, ranchers, businesses, and manufacturers.
- For his efforts to support Texas businesses large and small, Sen. Cruz received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious “Spirit of Enterprise” award.
- To lessen the United States’ dangerous dependence on the Chinese Communist Party, Sen. Cruz introduced the ORE Act, or Onshoring Rare Earths Act of 2020, legislation to bring back supply chains for these resources within the United States.
- Sen. Cruz also urged the Trump administration to support development of a fully domestic rare earth minerals supply chain.
- Sen. Cruz successfully advocated for the U.S. Army to give Texas-based Bell Textron the contract to replace the Black Hawk helicopter with a new assault helicopter for military use.
- Sen. Cruz has successfully advocated for Texas innovators and their work to be included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act and the biannual Coast Guard Authorization Act.
- Sen. Cruz worked with a bipartisan group of Texas legislators to call for the Biden administration to pick Texas as a future site for the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP).
- Sen. Cruz introduced legislation to reduce the U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing dependence on China.
- Sen. Cruz authored bipartisan legislation to designate Texas roads as future highways and interstate highways, which will reduce travel costs, bring new jobs to the Lone Star State, and increase the state’s annual GDP.
Men’s Golf wins 15-4A district title
Coach Jeremy DeLorge and his program have secured their first district championship in a long time.
Playing two rounds over the course of just about a week, Sulphur Springs
“It was picture-perfect,” Coach DeLorge said Thursday morning in an interview with KSST Radio. “We went out there and took care of business like we have been all year.”
The Sulphur Springs golf team has seen their district foes several times over this season, and each time the Wildcats came out on top. So they knew if they took care of business they would be district champs.
Wildcats golf performed as well as they did in spite of weather conditions.
Both rounds over the course of the week had rain roll through Mount Pleasant prior to both contests so wind speed became a bit of an issue, as well as fast-rolling greens.
Even with interesting golfing conditions, Sulphur Springs had five players finish top-10.
Starting with the highest score for Coach DeLorge’s squad from the district tourney, Brooks Burgin got 17th shooting 189.
Luke White came up second-to-last for the Wildcats, but shot 174 in the district tourney. His efforts got him a 12th place finish overall. Tatum Tran (166) came up eighth for Sulphur Springs. Noah Newsom got ninth behind Tran. Nick Burney got fifth shooting 163.
The biggest outing though for Wildcat golf came from Gage Gideon, who came up huge with a score of 159. The freshman’s efforts secured him an individual district championship.
“That was a fun experience for Gage, as a freshman to win district, in the fashion that he did by going to a playoff hole and birdieing the first hole to get the individual title, that was a lot of fun to see and it was a good experience for him to help him grow over the next three years after this,” Coach DeLorge said Thursday.
The men’s golf coach said it was great to see a team comprising so many freshmen not only rising up to the challenge but then performing as well as they did. The Sulphur Springs coach said his team has to keep their focus and not get complacent if they hope to move on to the state tournament.
Luckily for the men’s golf coach, his team does not settle for anything less than greatness and look to continue their winning streak to the Regional tourney.
“They’re hungry, they’re ready, and they’re on fire for Regionals for sure,” Coach DeLorge said.
Next up, the men’s golf team heads to Van Zandt C.C. for the Region 1 & 2 Championship.
The two-day tourney runs Wednesday and Thursday, Apr. 19-20.
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.
Texas House Approves $302.6 Billion State Budget With Tax Cuts And Teacher And State Employee Raises
April 7, 2023- The Texas House on Thursday approved a historic $302.6 billion state budget spending plan for the next two years, this budget would bring pay raises to state employees, as well as tax cuts and more mental health services to millions of residents.
The plan pushes some $136.9 billion in general revenue to some of the state GOP leadership’s biggest priorities for the next two years, this includes $17.5 billion for property tax cuts, $5 billion in new money for schools as well as $4.6 billion on border security.
The budget plan also leaves tens of billions of dollars in unspent revenue available to them after record-breaking tax collections. this includes a $37.2 billion surplus higher than the entire budget of 24 states.
House Bill 1 passed on a vote of 136-10, with a handful of Democrats and two Republicans, Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington and Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian, voting against it.
Lawmakers who voted against the budget bill stated reasons that included too little cash for public schools and teachers, as well as a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
House members also approved on a 147-1 vote for a $14 billion emergency spending bill for the current cycle that spends $1.6 billion on school safety, $3.5 billion for cost-of-living pension increases for retired teachers, $400 million for flood mitigation projects and $1.5 billion for the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund.
The budget bill also includes a pay raise for teachers, but Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, the House Democratic Caucus chair, pushed for another $4 billion to raise it from about $3,800 per teacher to $10,000 over the next two years. The effort went down on a 79-66 party-line vote.
Thursday’s House debate was one of the shortest floor debates on the budget in recent Texas House memory, finishing up after only about 10 hours. Historically, it starts early in the day and lasts well past midnight
House members also approved $402 million to stabilize the state’s juvenile justice system and $343.8 million to install air conditioning in the state’s prisons.
Soil PH Levels By Mario Villarino
April 7, 2023 – Having trouble with your lawn or flower bed not producing the way you’d like? The problem may be with your soil, which has to provide all the elements plants need for normal growth. A soil test can tell you whether your soil is making those elements available to your plants, and now is the time to have your soil analyzed. It takes 3-6 months to neutralize the soil after a lime application.
The most crucial measurement is pH level, which is a measurement of the soil’s hydrogen (acid forming) ion activity. East Texas soils tend to have a lower pH, meaning they are generally more acidic; areas with less rainfall usually have higher pH levels and alkaline soil. It’s important to know your soil’s pH level because it can affect your plants’ ability to take up and use the elements it needs.
Soil pH can be altered with fertilizers and soil conditioners; however, you should know what kind of plants you want to grow so you’ll know what pH is best for them. For instance, azaleas and camellias like a low pH.
Soil test kits can be picked up from the Hopkins County Extension Office. A detailed report addressing specific elements in your soil can be obtained through Texas A&M University. The soil testing kit from the County Extension Office has information and addresses for ordering those tests; they cost $10-$15 each, depending on how detailed you want the test to be.
Tamez Back in Hopkins County Jail
April 7, 2023 – Hopkins County Deputies traveled to the Webb County jail this week to collect David Tamez Jr. Tamez was indicted by a Hopkins County Grand Jury in 2018. His three outstanding Hopkins County warrants including:
- Bail Jumping
- Money Laundering
- Possession of Controlled Substance > 4 grams
Tamez, age 32, is currently in Hopkins County jail. His current bond totals $95,000.
Tamez was in the Webb County Jail serving time for a variety of charges including:
- Aggravated Kidnapping
- Aggravated Robbery
- Burglary of a Habitation
- And Theft of Property >$1500
Those charges stem from a 2015 kidnapping of a woman in south Laredo, TX. Tamez and an accomplice initially engaged in a home invasion type robbery. During that offence the female victim was tied up, removed from her home and placed in her own Toyota vehicle. The pair then kidnapped the victim and drove her and her vehicle into Mexico. The victims eyes were covered during the trip.
The woman was apparently released by the two, She returned to family who then notified Law Enforcement.
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.
Lady Cats Golf Secures District Championship
Coach Whitney Spigener and Lady Cats golf have won the District 15-4A Championship.
It is the first time in at least a decade that the women’s golf program has secured a district title.
Split over two days over as many weeks, Sulphur Springs competed admirably throughout.
“They came out and played hard,” the golf coach said Thursday morning during an interview. “They were still disappointed with how they played, but that’s just a testament to the expectations they’ve put on themselves.”
Lady Cats golf finished almost 170 stroked ahead of the next closest team at the 15-4A tournament.
After day one, Sulphur Springs was 87 strokes ahead of second-place Paris.
“They killed it,” Coach Spigener said following the team’s outing.
The Lady Cats did as well as they did in spite of tough conditions. Sulphur Springs had to weather through slow-play over the two-day tourney. Coach Spigener also said Mount Pleasant C.C. had rolling greens, something else the Lady Cats had to battle through.
Allison Thomas had the biggest outing of all, shooting 85 and 87 in the two round tourney for a total of 172. The sophomore’s efforts won her an individual district championship.
Coach Spigener said in a testament to the tough playing conditions that Thomas shot only one over on the back-9.
“All of her strokes came from that front side,” the Lady Cats golf coach said.
Freshman Evey Birdsong got second in the district tourney, shooting 180. A stroke later, McKenna Meskimen finished with 181, a third place finish for the sophomore.
Mykylie Meador shot 183 over the two rounds. Kenzie Posey came up a stroke behind Meador at 184.
Sulphur Springs first through fifth player finished just 12 strokes apart.
Lady Cats golf finished with 707 as a team, an average of just over 350 for each round.
“Those numbers are looking good,” Coach Spigener said, “[but] we still need to get a little bit off coming into Regionals to fight for that Regional championship, but they’re totally capable of doing that.”
Sulphur Springs winning a district title achieves another goal for Lady Cats golf. Coach Spigener said the team’s goal had to be winning the championship, so that her athletes would then be paired up with other district champs at the Regional competition in just under two weeks.
Even with sweeping spots one through five at the district championship, the Lady Cats golf coach said all her players came off the green playing what-if; each athlete knew what they had to do to improve upon their efforts.
Coach Spigener said each player knows what they have to do to get prepared for the Regional championship.
Next up, Lady Cats golf heads to Van Zandt C.C. for the Region 1 & 2 championship for 4A.
That takes place Monday and Tuesday, Apr. 17-18.
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.
Ray Back in Hopkins County Jail
April 6, 2023 – Joshua Lee Ray is back in Hopkins County Jail for violation of parole and failure to register as a sex offender. A records check shows Ray was convicted in 2004 and required to register for life. The original violation occurred in Indiana, and involved a 15 year-old victim.
This is not the first time Ray has been arrested for failure to register. Ray was arrested in 2008 and 2009 for failure to register.
This is not the first time Ray has been in Hopkins County Jail. Ray, a Cumby resident who also goes by the alias Johanna Marie Ray, was arrested in Hopkins County in 2022. He was charged with Burglary of a Habitation. See that story here.
Ray is in Hopkins County Jail, bail has not been set.
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.
Meal A Day And Senior Citizen Center Calendar April 10-14, 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 27-31, 2023 includes:
Monday, April 10- BBQ Rope Sausage, Coleslaw and Baked Beans
Tuesday, April 11- Fried Rice, Egg Roll and Asian Cucumber Salad
Wednesday, April 12- Baked Frito Pie, Carrots and Coleslaw
Thursday, April 13- Chimichurri Chicken Drums, Roasted Veggies and Fennel Salad
Friday, April 14- Cheeseburger, Veggie Blend and Chips
Bill To Ban Paper License Tags Passes Texas House
April 6, 2023- Texas House Of Representatives has passed a Bill Wednesday that would eliminate paper temporary license plates throughout Texas. With the passing of the Bill, paper licenses plates would be replaced by metal plates to battle the increasing problems with fraudulent paper tags often sold illegally online.
Dallas Democrat Sen. Royce West and Fort Worth Republican Rep. Craig Goldman have filed similar bills to combat the problem. Senate Bill 2567 and House Bill 718 are theses Bills. Fort Worth Republican Rep. Craig Goldman has stated that the plate change would not occur until 2 years after approval. This would allow time for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and dealerships across the state to adjust to the change.
Robert Braziel, CEO of legislative affairs for the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, said he hopes the Bill will eventually include some alternative option to hard plates for when they are not in stock.
Just last year Texas Department Of Transportation made changes to their Paper Temporary Tags. See Original Story Here:
Some Features of the Previous Tag Designs Included
- Texas flag watermark.
- Enhanced depiction of tag expiration date, vehicle year and make, and name of issuing dealer.
- Identification of the specific type of tag issued.
- Font selection and size that maximize readability of primary components.
- Active and passive security features identifiable by law enforcement.
- Numerous pieces of embedded data and text, linked to law enforcement databases, that can be created only by internal TxDMV computer systems.
However despite the changes made to the tags, fraudsters still managed to copy the tag and create fakes within hours of its release.
