Hopkins County Hopeful to Receive Federal Funds For Road Repairs
A proclamation issued this week by Texas Governor Greg Abbott includes Hopkins County along with 23 other Texas counties in amending the disaster proclamatin issued on February 4, 2023. This proclamation simply includes Hopkins county in the disaster declaration which will now be sent to the federal level in hopes of receiving FEMA funds for moneatary assistance to Texas and would now include Hopkins County.
County Judge Robert Newsom stated, “The State disaster declaration will be sent to the federal government in hope that President Biden will approve a federal declaration allowing FEMA to give monetary assistance to Texas and hopefully, Hopkins County. Because of the disaster declaration for Hopkins County, we are in a postion to receive help if the federal declaration happens.” When asked further what that moneatary assistance would be used for, Newsom stated that it would probably be in the form of grants for cleanup and repairs of county roads and any damaged homes. No specifics were given on how any Hopkins County residents could apply for assistance of their damaged homes.
The original counties designated in the February 4, 2023 proclamation include: Denton, Hays, Henderson, Milam, Smith, Travis, and Williamson counties. Additional counties added to the proclamtion on February 20, 2023 are Anderson, Bastrop, Blanco, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Delta, Denton, Falls, Hays, Henderson, Hopkins, Hunt, Kendall, Lamar, Lee, Leon, Milam, Red River, Robertson, Shelby, Smith, Travis, and Williamson counties.
SSHS Jazz Band Concert in the Community Garden
February 22, 2023 – Twenty-three members of the SSHS Jazz Band will be performing at the Community Garden in Sulphur Springs. This is a free event, and everyone in encouraged to join in the fun. There will be King Cake, Special Punch, a photo booth and Jazz!
The Community Garden
The Community Garden officially started this winter. The owners and volunteers have constructed several raised beds, planted fruit trees, created a firepit and in so doing so have beautified the corner lot.
Approximately 10 cubic yards of donated compost was recently delivered to the site and divided between the beds. Several families have already signed up to claim their garden plot. An onsite composting program has begun, but is not yet ready for everyone to bring in their coffee grounds, vegetable scraps, and other compostables.
This Garden is more than a place to grow food. The owners plan to provide education on topics such as pollinators, organic growing, and what farm-to-table means. Arts will also have a home at the Garden, that goal kicks off with this Jazz Band performance.
A multitude of volunteer opportunities exist at the Garden. To find out more, stay abreast of events, and get involved, visit craverstx.com
Catalytic Converter Thefts Could Continue To Grow Worse
Feb. 22, 2023- Theft of catalytic converters has recently been on the rise and may continue to rise. Catalytic Converter thieves have recently been stealing converters more often, statistics compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a group focused on preventing and prosecuting insurance crime, show theft of “cats” skyrocketed 1,215% from 2019 and 2022.
The situation could worsen as war between Ukraine and Russia rages on, Russia being the largest distributor in palladium, one of the precious metals used to make catalytic converters. Russia distributes roughly 40% of the worlds palladium.
Converter are used to convert harmful emissions like carbon monoxide into safe ones like steam through the use of a chemical catalyst. It has been standard in nearly every vehicle manufactured since 1975 because of the Clean Air Act.
Recently several thieves around East Texas have been caught stealing converters. Hopkins County recently made a arrest for a converter theft, to read about this story click here: Catalytic Converter Thief Arrested
A congressional bill supported by the National Automobile Dealers Association has been reintroduced to fight the thefts. The Preventing Auto Recycling Theft Act, or PART, would require new vehicles’ VINs to be stamped on their converters, making stolen parts traceable, and create a grants program to pay for marking of existing vehicles.
Ways to prevent theft:
- Park in secure garages or in well-lit areas. If you park in your driveway, install motion sensor lights and security cameras. In public garages and lots, park near the entrance.
- Install a catalytic converter anti-theft device such as a cage or steel plates.
- Install an alarm, either for the whole car or just for the catalytic converter, or increase the sensitivity level of your car alarm to alert you if anyone tampers with your car.
- Engrave your vehicle VIN and phone number on your catalytic converter. It could help law enforcement track and identify the stolen part. Look for free catalytic converter marking events near you.
- Spray paint your catalytic converter with high-temperature automotive paint can alert scrap recyclers to look for VIN etchings.
- Report the theft to law enforcement and your insurance company. Statistics can help pass laws that make it harder for thieves to steal catalytic converters.
- Put a security sticker on your windshield. A sticker warning that your vehicle is equipped with an alarm system could deter thieves.
Wildcats Basketball Ekes by Lindale for Bi-District Championship
Sulphur Springs got just about all they could handle Tuesday, Feb. 21 in their opening round playoff game.
In Forney for their Bi-District game, the Wildcats squeaked by Lindale 54-53.
Coach Brandon Shaver’s squad jumped out to leads at points, but the Eagles kept firm and played on.
Each time Sulphur Springs secured a bit of momentum, only to see Lindale consistency strike back.
The Wildcats found themselves with up to an eight point lead at times, but just as quickly a motivated Lindale squad hit numerous heat check shots to keep themselves in the opening-round playoff game.
In fact, the Eagles had a number of good chances to either tie or win in the closing seconds, but came up short as the Wildcats held on 54-53.
Leading the way in scoring on Tuesday was Kordrick Turner. The 6’7″ senior dominated the first quarter, scoring seven of his 17 in that period. From there, the Eagles wised up to the Wildcats offense and kept him quiet (in comparison) from there.
Parker Whisenhunt also scored big in the Bi-District win over Lindale, scoring 15.
Branson Lynn, the third and final Sulphur Springs athlete to finish in double figures, scored 12.
Malachi Myles, Theo Mckelvey and Cole Theofiledes rounded out scoring with a combined 10 points between the three.
But following the 54-53 win on Tuesday, Feb. 21 Wildcats basketball has won their sixth straight Bi-District Championship, dating back to the 2016-17 season, former coach Clark Cipoletta’s third year at the helm.
Sulphur Springs, following the opening-round win, looks to advance to the Regional Quarterfinals if they come out on top in their Area playoff game come late this week.
A trip to the third round this season would also mark the fourth time in six seasons Wildcats basketball has made it to the Regional Quarterfinals.
Their record following the opening-round win over Lindale brings the team’s season record to 29-7 (10-0 district).
Next up, Coach Shaver and Sulphur Springs play in the Area round, set to take on Wilmer-Hutchins.
The second-round contest is set to tip off in Royse City on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 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.
Are Your Trees Dead? by Mario Villarino
Feb. 22, 2023- Recent winter storms in Texas will leave its lingering effects for months. Many Texas trees are still showing signs of stress from last year storms. Tufts of leaves give some a patchy, inverted look – while others are losing vast amounts of bark, or seemingly dying overnight – leaving many Texas home and land owners wondering what they should do.
Texas A&M Forest Service send a unified message across the state: wait. More specifically, wait until mid-July before cutting down leafless trees. The good news is that the vast majority of trees that will be late to leaf out will mostly, if not fully, recover. Sickly or struggling trees are harder to come by, and time has lent a level of clarity as to the state and likelihood of survival for most struggling trees. Now the history repeats again and it is time to wait again to make a decision: to remove their trees, or not to remove their trees.
THE SHORT ANSWER
According to Texas A&M forest service, if your tree is bare mid -summer and hasn’t put out a single leaf then it is almost certainly dead. Waiting a few more weeks, or even months, will determine this. And unfortunately, this applies across the board: even to palm trees.
If that is the case for any of your trees, it is probably then time to consider how and when to remove your tree. The short answer: when convenient, and with the help of a professional or certified arborist.
THE LONG ANSWER
By this point, trees are still completely bare. The more common scenarios that arborists and foresters found across the state after last year storms were trees with poor or patchy canopies.. Imagine a circle around all of your tree’s branches, Twenty-five percent or more of that circle should be filled in with leaves. If not, that tree is most likely going to die, and it is worth planning to remove it. If more than 25% of that circle is filled with leaves, there is still a chance for full recovery. One way you can monitor your tree’s progress is by taking a photo of your tree’s canopy as soon as possible. Keep that photo—remembering the angle you took it from—and then wait for next spring. Once the tree has fully leafed out, take another photo from that same spot, and compare the pictures for improvements. If there is more foliage next spring, that means the tree is in recovery.
OTHER COMPLICATIONS
Patchy foliage isn’t the only mark of a stressed or struggling tree. Landowners can also find deep, wide cracks in the trunks of their oak trees. These are an exaggerated manifestation of the more typical frost cracks or “radial shakes. Frost cracks are caused by a tree’s inability to endure expansion and contraction of the bark and wood that results from the freezing of water inside of the tree. Water expands when it freezes, and since trees are more than 50% water, trees that had started coming out of dormancy leading up to winter storms were particularly vulnerable to frost cracks. As the water inside their trunk and branches froze, it expanded. But with their outer-layer and bark also frozen, the outside of the tree wasn’t able to expand with the inside – leading to ruptures in the trunk and bark.
Many of these cracks can only be partially visible, if not invisible, following the winter storm. The surge of summer heat, however, can exacerbated those cracks, making them more visible in some trees. On the flip side, bark is still essential for protection against pests and diseases. Trees with multiple cracks or lots of exposed wood are unlikely to recover, and trees with few but deep cracks should be monitored closely.
The few exceptions are lacebark elms, sycamores and crape myrtles. These are more likely to survive since, in most cases, the damage appears to be a shredding of the outermost layer of bark, sparing the wood itself. However, you should still watch closely for oozing discharge and other signs of stress, such as browning foliage or expanding cracks, leading up to next spring.
ROOT SHOOTS
Surprisingly, a large number of trees, and a variety of species, will be sprouting up shoots from the base of their trunks and root systems. While this might seem like a desperate attempt from the tree to stay alive, it’s actually a great way for landowners to grow and nurture a tree from a tiny sapling back to a fully grown adult.and it can mature much quicker than usual.
You will still have to remove the old tree, but this method should save you the cost of grinding its stump, as well as buying and planting a new tree: which would likely grow at a slower rate than your root shoots, anyway. Crape myrtles, in particular, can grow back with astounding speed.
TREE PRUNING AND REMOVAL
There are few decisions more difficult than when or how to remove a tree from your property. Trees have immense sentimental and monetary value. But their worth is rarely more than your roof, your house, or your life.
You can start by removing dead branches, or by pruning back the dead ends of branches on trees that experienced significant dieback. These branches are more likely to break off and injure property or people than the main body of the tree. It is still a dangerous and difficult task, It is highly recommend enlisting the service of an arborist.
MOVING FORWARD
So don’t overthink which tree to plant next, or whether you should remove a tree before its time. Simply remove the ones that are dead or dying, take care of the trees that are still living as best you can, and look forward to next spring, when they will hopefully come back in full. 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].
First Baptist Church Upcoming Events List
Night of Worship (NOW)
You’re invited to participate in a special evening of worship through music on Sunday, April 2 nd at 6:00 p.m. Our choir and orchestra will lead, as we prepare our hearts for the week of Easter and focus our thoughts on all that our Savior did for us. Join us in giving thanks and praise to our risen Lord.
Singing Men of East Texas
The Singing Men of East Texas will present a concert at First Baptist Church on Thursday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. Led by Andre Simon, Minister of Worship at FBC, this 75-member group of men will provide an exciting evening of worship and praise. You won’t want to miss these talented musicians.
Mary McDonald, Composer & Pianist
Mary McDonald will be at First Baptist Church on Sunday, August 27, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. She is well known in sacred music. With a career that spans over thirtyfive years, her songs appear in the catalogs of every major publisher of church music. More than 800
anthems, seasonal musicals, and keyboard collections testify to her significant contribution to sacred literature.
In 2000, Mary became the first ever woman President of the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference. In addition, she has served as accompanist for the Tennessee Men’s Chorale since 1985. Her greatest desire is “to give God glory for the songs He
has allowed me to compose. He alone, is the true Creator behind my pen.”
In 2011, Mary answered a new call. Now she takes her tremendous passion and love for music making directly to churches as an independent artist. She is in constant demand in churches across the nation for Composer Weekends.
We are pleased and honored to have Mary as our guest.
Lady Cats Golf Wins Spring Opener
Coach Whitney Spigener and her squad won their spring opener last week, their first win on the year.
The women’s golf program placed second in all three of their fall competitions.
In a crowded meet which included state competitors Lindale and Canton, Lady Cats golf won the competition.
“It wasn’t our greatest showing,” the golf coach said, “but every other team faced similar struggles last week at Wills Point.”
Coach Spigener said the course was muddy, a product of the greens being let go, the golf coach said, providing some stiff adversity.
The Lady Cats coach is very impressed with her squad’s efforts in their spring opener.
“Considering all of that, and we had a decent showing… I couldn’t be more pleased with it,” Coach Spigener said.
Mykylie Meador and Allison Thomas both shot 91 last Monday in Lindale.
Evie Birdsong shot 95, a season-high for the freshman.
Sophomores McKenna Meskimen finished with 96 and Kenzie Posey shot 104.
Even the JVB squad 437, beating several varsity teams at last Monday’s spring opener. Brylie Brock shot 99, first on JV. Autumn Allen got 105 and Kaylie Schumacher finished at 114.
The golf coach said she and her squad are happy to win their spring opener, but Coach Spigener said her team still aspired for a better performance than they got last week.
“The girls were not pleased, they came off really irritated,” the women’s golf coach said Tuesday morning during an interview, “which is I was glad of, because the progress we made from district last year, we even beat our scores from [then],” Coach Spigener said.
So to not only win their first competition, but to be hungry to do better, excites the women’s golf coach.
“That was really nice to do that, the golf coach said about her squad winning their first contest on the year, “but what even is more nice is we beat Lindale by four strokes and Canton by 20. Those are two of our top regional competitors, so it was nice to get out there and see that.”
Coach Spigener said the two aforementioned schools went to state last year, with Lindale placing fourth at Regionals. The golf coach hopes to win that championship, if not squeeze into state come later this semester.
Sulphur Springs shot 373 as a team, edging out Lindale by four strokes to win their first meet.
The golf coach said it was nice to see where her team stacks up with Regional competitors, even in tough conditions.
Coach Spigener expects more tough weather next week in the form of rain in their second tourney come Monday. She said she hopes her squad can get out there and enjoy a decent round before inclement weather rolls in.
Lady Cats golf has another early start Monday, Feb. 27 at Van Zandt CC.
Sulphur Springs tees off at 9 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.
Paris Junior College CDL Training
CDL TRAINING
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center truck driving instructor Todd Vanderhart, (standing left) is teaching this group of students to be truck drivers. For information about this or other workforce education opportunities, call the campus at 903-885-1232.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
George Back in Hopkins County Jail
February 21, 2023 – Brittany Leigh George is back in Hopkins County Jail on drug related charges. She is currently charged with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
This is not the first time George has been in Hopkins County Jail. In 2020, She turned herself in to authorities for a outstanding felony warrant. That warrant was for a 2019 arrest. She was indicted by a Grand Jury in April 2019. George was charged with manufacture or delivery of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. See that story here.
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 Softball Goes Perfect 7-0 to Start Season
Coach David Carrillo and his squad are thrilled with this past weekend‘s performance.
At home, in the friendly confines of Lady Cat Park, Sulphur Springs went a perfect 6-0 to start off their season.
A three day tournament, starting Thursday, the softball team got things started with Ursuline Academy.
The Lady Cats easily took care of UA, 7-0. Sulphur Springs, led in the circle by Crimson Bryant and Anna Goldsmith gave up no hits in the season-opening shutout.
Following the win over Ursuline Academy, Coach Carrillo and his squad squared off with former district foe Texas High, and just like old times it was a tight one.
The Lady Tigers put the first two runs on the board, only to give up four runs just as quickly, falling to Sulphur Springs 4-2.
Friday, Feb. 17 saw two more wins by the Lady Cats, both back-and-forth affairs. First, in a 3-2 win over Gilmer, the softball team scored three early but held their breath as the Lady Buckeyes scored two in the top of the fourth, only to see their comeback end there in a 3-2 loss to the Lady Cats.
Sulphur Springs then dispatched Duncanville 10-5.
In their first at-bat, Coach Carrillo watched as his team scored eight runs in the bottom of the first. After that the Lady Cats began Saturday play with another shutout, this time over Mount Vernon.
Bryant threw a no-hitter, narrowly missing out on a perfect game after walking one in the 7-0 win.
In their finale at home this past weekend, the softball team took on Anna. The Lady Cats saved their best for last in a come-from-behind 4-2 victory.
Tied at one, Sulphur Springs got the go-ahead run just to see the Coyotes strike back for two, then leading 3-2. Coach Carrillo’s team got the last laugh though, to the tune of three runs for a 5-3, rallying win over Anna.
Hitting highlights include:
- Nicole Higgins — 6 for 12, RBI, eight runs
- Reese Ragan — 5 for 12, 5 RBI, run
- Crimson Bryant — 5 for 10, 4 RBI, two runs
- Jadyn Harper — 7 for 14, 4 RBI, five runs
Going 6-0 over three days brings the Lady Cats softball team’s season record to just that.
Following their home tourney, Sulphur Springs hit the road Monday to play at Lindale.
Coach Carrillo’s team picked up yet another blowout, this time thrashing the Lady Eagles 20-0.
That, combined with the 6-0 outing for Lady Cats softball last weekend and Sulphur Springs starts their season 7-0.
Next up, the softball team heads to Mount Pleasant for another tournament.
It gets underway Thursday, Feb. 23 when Sulphur Springs takes on Hooks at 9:30 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.
