Johnson Announces Plan To Retire As Miller Grove ISD Superintendent
Steve Johnson has announced his plan to retire as Superintendent for the Miller Grove Independent School District. After 19 years and 3 months, Mr. Johnson will be the longest sitting superintendent in Miller Grove history by lasting three months longer than his predecessor, Tommy Turner. Johnson also served as the Miller Grove High School Principal for a year and nine months before accepting the position of Superintendent of Miller Grove ISD giving him a total of 21 years with the district by the end of June in 2023.
On behalf of the entire District, the Miller Grove ISD Board of Trustees expresses its sincere appreciation to Mr. Johnson for his efforts while serving as Superintendent of the school district and its students, parents and administrators, and for the many achievements and accomplishments of the entire District team during Mr. Johnson’s tenure as superintendent.
Johnson has agreed to stay on until the end of June, to finish out the current school year, which should give the school board time to conduct a thorough candidate search to find the best candidate to lead the district. The school board met last week with a group of educators to begin determining search criteria by creating a list of criteria for the superintendent candidate.
Johnson thanks the present and past Board of Trustees for providing him with the opportunity to serve in the Miller Grove Independent School District. He said he has been “very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a good board over the years. This helped lead MG ISD to the successes that we have experienced because it is all about our students and staff.”
It has been said “a school district is measured by the commitment of the Board, staff, and community to its children and their achievement.” MGISD Board, from their press release about Johnson’s planned retirement, stated the “District is indeed so committed.”
Mr. Johnson also expresses heartfelt appreciation to the staff and community for their support of the district’s programs and services during his term as superintendent. He also recognizes that success requires hard work, dedication, leadership, and vision. The Board and Johnson acknowledge and recognize the teachers, principals, administrators, staff, students, parents, and patrons who have all contributed to the district’s success.
That dedication is seen in several aspects of what Miller Grove ISD stands for, Johnson noted. The first is the length of time educators remain with the district, including four who were at the district before he became top operating leader for Miller Grove ISD. The second is the fact that Johnson and his staff have created a family unit that supports each other at any given time. When staff and employees feel supported and part of a family, they tend to stay and continue to do good things, the superintendent noted.
Johnson said he has enjoyed working at MGISD, where, even as the top administrator, he still has the opportunity to interact with and get to know the students and staff he serves.
Johnson will have 21 years as an educator at MGISD – exceeding the term of his predecessor, longtime administrator Tommy Turner, by the end of June 2023. In fact, when Turner announced his intent to resign as MGISD superintendent, none of the school trustees had any prior experience hiring a superintendent. The board at that time screened approximately 50 applicants, before selecting Johnson to lead the district.
He said he’s always been told and tries to follow advice given to him long ago, to try his best to leave things better than he found them.
“It’s time,” Johnson said, when asked about the decision. “I know I was brought to Miller Grove for a reason.”
Johnson went on to explain that initially, he’d had no intention to apply at the district. He worked previously with Turner, who served as his mentor one day a month for a full year while he was earning his superintendent certification. When he began looking for a school, Turner contacted him.
Miller Grove wasn’t Johnson’s first job in education, or even his first career. His very first career was a diesel mechanic for John Deere for 7 years right out of high school. His second career was in law enforcement; he served as a police officer in Washington, his home state, for 13 years, before having to retire due to an injury.
Prior to being hired by Turner as high school principal at Miller Grove, Johnson served three years as an assistant principal and began his educational career as an English teacher in Meadow, Texas. He attained his superintendent certification in 2001 and, when appointed as superintendent, was a doctoral student at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Johnson said he started out his career as an educator at a West Texas school, then moved to Quinlan. In Quinlan, he worked on a campus that had a need for a disciplinarian. He said Quinlan was an interesting place to work which provided an experience he was grateful to have had.
Miller Grove ISD, however, proved a better fit. He said when he first showed up he had discipline slips, like the kind he’d used previously for disciplinary matters, that he put on his desk, ready to go. During his time at MGISD, Johnson said he never had occasion to use even half of them; the school rarely has disciplinary issues that can’t easily be resolved.
Since he’s been at MGISD, Johnson said enrollment has jumped each year through COVID, from 248 to a high of 356. Before COVID, the district had to implement stricter policies for transfers due to the continued growth. That meant 20 less students. During and following COVID, the district’s enrollment dipped by about 25 more kids. As of this month, MGISD’s enrollment was at 315.
Growth in the Miller Grove area in terms of new residency over the past 5-10 years meant a new elementary campus was needed to better accommodate the rise in enrollment. After careful budgeting, the district was able to finance a new building — one of Johnson’s top 3 goals upon becoming superintendent. Along with that building they were able to build an official UIL track and a multi-purpose facility which rounds out his top 3 goals.
He said he is very proud to have been part of the district when the MGISD Police Department was started and to see the start of the guardian program – selecting staff who can be armed to protect district children. He is very proud of the accomplishments of his students, especially the nine state championships and one national championship achieved during his tenure with the district. He is extremely proud of the A ranking the school has attained and being able to leave the district secure financially.
Johnson said he’d be remiss if he did not acknowledge how much he has also enjoyed working with the awesome superintendents of Hopkins County.
He said while he will be vacating his desk at MGISD, he will still remain a part of the community as he and his wife fully plan to continue living in their new house.
“I do not know what the Lord has in store for me, but I have no qualms about it. I am at peace with retirement. I would like to find something part time, perhaps do some volunteer work,” Johnson said. “It’s time for a new vision here.”
The School Board extends best wishes to Johnson in his future endeavors, and will soon begin its search for a new superintendent so as not to disrupt the district’s operations.
The trustees during their regular meeting Dec. 20 (held one day later so a search firm could attend), considered the superintendent vacancy notice. The board voted Oct. 18 to hire Powell Law Group to conduct the superintendent search.
Downtown Crash Results In Minor Damage
A downtown crash resulted in a minor damage to landscaping but no serious injuries Wednesday evening, according to Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson.
A black car southbound on Gilmer Street and a white Jeep westbound from Jefferson Street to Connally Street collided in the middle of the intersection. The impact caused the black vehicle to continue onto the sidewalk to the door of Corner Grub House before it stopped.
The area sustained minor damages, where the car hit the brick wall, causing minor damage to the landscaping before resting in front of Corner Grub House. Only minor injuries were sustained.
The crash was still under investigation by SSPD late Wednesday morning, according to the police chief.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
SSPD Asks For Assistance Locating Missing Teen
Sulphur Springs Police Department is asking the public’s assistance in locating missing/runaway juvenile, Kyliegh Marie Nelson.
Kyliegh is 15 years old and is 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighs approximately 160 pounds. She has red shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a white hoodie and black leggings. According to police, Kyleigh was last seen in video footage leaving her residence in a small light-colored vehicle.
If anyone has any information regarding this missing teen’s whereabouts, they are asked to please contact Sulphur Springs Police Department at 903-885-7602. Those viewing the images of the teen online or on social media are asked to please share them so the youth can be found.
County Officials Seeking Info Regarding Individual Who Broke Peerless Church Window
Hopkins County officials are seeking information regarding the individual who broke a church window late Christmas night.
The sheriff’s office posted a video, captured on a Ring recording system, of a male heard breaking out a window at Peerless Church. In the video, it appears a male walks across the church parking lot, then across grass. The suspect moves partially out of sight of the video, but can be seen raising an arm, then kicking, and glass can be heard breaking. Afterward, he walks back across the parking lot to a vehicle, where yelling and profanity can be heard.
The suspect appears to be wearing dark colored pants, lights shoes, a red or orange colored checked jacket with a dark shirt underneath.
Anyone who can help identify the male is asked to contact either Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office at 903-438-4040 or Lake Country Crime Stoppers at 903-885-2020. Tips called in to Crime Stoppers are handled in such a way that the caller’s identity is kept confidential. Crime Stoppers tips leading to an arrest or conviction in the case could result in a financial reward.
Sulphur Springs Wraps Up Allen Holiday Tournament Thursday
Coach Brandon Shaver’s team closes out Allen’s In-n-out Holiday Invitational on Thursday, Dec. 29 when they take on Frisco Lone Star.
Thursday’s final game in the holiday tournament is the fourth for men’s basketball in less than three days.
Wildcats basketball lost their first contest on the day to Frisco Independence. The men’s team lost 57-56 on a buzzer-beater, marking the first loss in the In-n-Out Holiday Invitational.
Sulphur Springs and the Knights traded blows all throughout Wednesday’s contest in Allen.
In game two of the holiday tournament for both teams, the schools went blow-for-blow, never extending beyond a six-point difference.
Both teams had chances at the end of the game to ice the victory, but it was Frisco Independence who had the last laugh, nailing a bucket with no time remaining to pull out the rug from Sulphur Springs.
The loss Wednesday morning put the Wildcats in the consolation brackets.
Kordrick Turner and Parker Whisenhunt again had big games in Allen, combining for most of the team’s points at 33.
SG/PG Branson Lynn also finished the game in double-figures, scoring 11 in the loss to the Knights.
While the buzzer-beating Wednesday loss to Independence was a tough pill to swallow, the Wildcats could not dwell on the defeat long for they had another game Wednesday night, playing El Paso Andress.
Sulphur Springs recovered from their last-second defeat by dispatching Andress 72-51.
Men’s basketball played in a tight contest throughout the first 20 minutes of Wednesday night’s game, but the Wildcats managed to lead heading into the locker room 35-26.
Throughout those 20 minutes, even though the Wildcats may have led by as much as 11, the game was much closer than the score indicated.
El Paso Andress played a predominantly solid game before the wheels fell off in the third as Sulphur Springs went on to win easily 72-51.
It was the final quarter and a half that men’s basketball found their groove and put the game away, as three players finished in double-figures, with one more finishing with nine points. Kordrick Turner again had a huge game, scoring 23 points. Branson Lynn and Parker Whisenhunt scored 17 and 14 points, respectively.
Malachi Myles (nine points), Theo Mckelvey (six), and DJ Wilkerson (three) rounded out scoring in the win Wednesday night at Lowery Freshman Center.
After blowing past El Paso Andress, Sulphur Springs wraps up their participation in the Allen In-n-Out Invitational when they take on Frisco Lone Star.
The winner of the Sulphur Springs/Lone Star match-up claims 5th place at the holiday tournament.
Thursday’s game tips off at 12:30 P.M. in Allen’s Auxiliary Gym.
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.
Wylie Man Jailed For Bond Revocation
A 46-year-old Wylie man was jailed Tuesday for bond revocation on two Hopkins County charges, according to arrest reports.
Randall Morse Sharp was scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on two controlled substance charges during the 1:30 p.m. court session in the 8th Judicial District Court. Sharp was taken into custody at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday in the District Courtroom by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Jailer Courtney Steward, who escorted the Wylie man to the county jail.
The 46-year-old was booked at 4:39 p.m. Dec. 27, 2022, into Hopkins County jail for bond revocation on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1/1-B controlled substance and on a possession of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance, according to arrest reports. Sharp remained in the county jail Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, jail records showed. His new bond was recommended to be set as a $75,000 cash or surety bond per charge, according to arrest reports.
Sharp was originally arrested on the controlled substance charges on May 18, 2022. He was stopped by HCSO Sgt. Tanner Steward on Frisco Street in Cumby for a traffic violation. When the man wouldn’t make eye contact with him and covered his mouth while talking, the deputy became suspicious. A pat down allegedly revealed a glass pipe with what appeared to be methamphetamine residue on it in Sharp’s shirt pocket. A probable cause search of the vehicle Sharp had been driving May 18, yielded a soup can with two baggies containing psilocybin (hallucinogenic) mushrooms as well as a clear bag containing a crystal-like substance which later field tested positive as meth and weighed 0.15 gram and the mushrooms weighed about 5.2 grams, including packaging, Steward alleged in Sharp’s May 2022 arrest reports. Sharp was booked into Hopkins County jail on the two controlled substance charges just before 1 a.m. May 19, 2022, jail records reflected.
Sharp was indicted on both controlled substance charges during the August 2022 Grand Jury session, pushing those cases forward for prosecution, according to District Court records.
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.
Gun Stolen In Ohio Found During I-30 Traffic Stop In Sulphur Springs, Texas
A gun reported stolen in Ohio was found during an I-30 traffic stop in Sulphur Springs, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Josh Davis and Bobby Osornio reported stopping the driver of a Cadillac Escalade for making an unsafe lane change while speeding on Interstate 30 east near mile marker 126 (near College Street in Sulphur Springs) at 130 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022.
As Davis contacted the occupants, he reported smelling a marijuana odor coming from the black SUV. When asked if there were any weapons in the vehicle, the driver reported the back seat passenger had a handgun. The deputy said he had the passenger exit the SUV. The passenger, a 26-year-old Ohio man, allegedly admitted he had a handgun in his pants. The gun was removed, Davis wrote in arrest reports.
A records check was conducted using the ID numbers on the weapon. The gun came back as having been reported to authorities in the central Ohio county of Delaware as stolen. Wayne Tomas Giles Jr. was taken into custody at 2:28 a.m. Wednesday. A search of the SUV revealed a small amount of marijuana, Davis alleged in arrest reports.
Giles was transported to the county jail, where he was booked in at 3:03 a.m. Dec. 28, 2022, on a felony theft of a firearm charge, according to arrest reports. The Columbus, Ohio man was released from the county jail, later Wednesday on a $10,000 bond on the weapon charge, according to jail records.
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.
Celeste Man Led Authorities On Vehicle, Then Foot Pursuit From Sulphur Springs Into Rural Hopkins County
A Celeste man led authorities on a vehicle pursuit into rural Hopkins County, then a foot pursuit before being caught later Tuesday morning, Dec. 27, 2022, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Department initiated a vehicle pursuit of a man in a pickup before 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. When the chase continued out of the city, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Officers joined in the pursuit. The vehicle chase continued onto Hopkins County Road 4720, where the truck was driven into a pasture, then became stuck in a ditch. The man driving took off running, eluding authorities, sheriff’s officers noted in arrest reports.
(2022 HCSO jail photo)
Authorities later received confirmation the truck had been stolen from Dallas. The license plate on the pickup belonged to a different, but similar truck registered to an individual in Greenville, Texas.
As HCSO deputies were in the process of impounding the stolen truck, an individual who leased the property where the truck was abandoned for hunting approached them, reporting his cellular game cameras had captured a photo of a person on the property: a person wearing a camouflaged jacket, gray pants and red shoes.
After the vehicle was removed from the ditch, sheriff’s officers began searching the area, looking for the pursuit suspect. HCSO Chief Investigator Corley Weatherford and Investigator Shea Shaw spotted a vehicle pulling into a residential driveway on County Road 4725. As they drew near, the investigators reported a man in the back seat in the same clothing seen on the camera. The 29-year-old Celeste man was taken into custody at 9:47 a.m. Dec. 27, 2022, at the CR 4725 address by Weatherford and Shaw, the HCSO officers noted in arrest reports.
Deputy Kevin Lester transported Joshua Terry Ford to Hopkins County jail, where he confessed during an interview to evading authorities in the stolen truck, deputies alleged in arrest reports. Ford was booked into Hopkins County jail at 11:31 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, on an unauthorized use of a vehicle charges, as well as city charges for failure to maintain financial responsibility and speeding. SSPD officers completed an offense report accusing the man of evading arrest or detention with the truck, which jail reports show he was charged on later Tuesday, according to arrest and jail reports.
The Celeste man remained in the county jail Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022; his bond was set at $100,000 each on the evading arrest or detention and unauthorized use of vehicle charges, according to HCSO jail records. Fees owed on the traffic offenses totaled $877.50, according to arrest reports.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
NOTICE: City Of Sulphur Springs Surface Water Treatment Technique Violation
The City of Sulphur Springs Utilities Director James Jordan reports due to the weather event over the past week, a surface water treatment technique violation occurred Dec. 24, 2022, at the Water Treatment Plant.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) sets minimum water quality standards for public drinking water. One of these standards is a turbidity limit. Turbidity by itself has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may also indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms can be particularly severe in people who are not as resistant to infections as most of the population. If you experience severe symptoms, please consult with your doctor to determine what actions you should take.
The extremely low temperatures and wind churning up the lake put a strain on the the treatment plant early Christmas Eve, causing a violation of one of the parameters set by the state for water treatment. “The City failed to meet the minimum treatment technique requirements for the month of December 2022. Specifically, the water system had multiple barrier failure treatment technique violation (CFE > 1.0 NTU and IFE > 2.0 NTU).”
According to the required notice, "the raw water turbidity entering the treatment plant increased from 30 NTU to 265 NTU within a two-hour period. This rapid increase in the raw water turbidity was caused by high winds at the source and increased cold water temperatures experienced during the extreme weather event. An upset was experienced in the sedimentation basins causing a high settled water turbidity and a greater than normal demand on the filters. The coagulant dosage was immediately increased and a filter aid polymer was implemented to correct the increasing settled water turbidity."
According to Jordan, the plant is back to “full operations,” is “doing great and in perfect shape.” However, because of the violation the city is required to release the following statement to notify water customers and the public of the violation. The notice is not a boil water notice, but does provide information regarding the violation, which the city is required to disseminate to “all people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (i.e., people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).”
Any further questions related to the matter may be directed to Sulphur Springs Utilities Director James Jordan at 903-439-4901.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Both Soccer Teams Host Season Openers Friday
Both soccer squads in Sulphur Springs begin their regular seasons on Friday, Dec. 30 at home.
Lady Cats soccer is the first team up on Friday, Dec. 30 as they host Henderson.
Coach Adriana Brena and her squad went a perfect 6-0 in pre-season, shutting out several opponents. Two of those shutouts came at the friendly confines of Gerald Prim Stadium when they hosted their annual scrimmage tournament.
The Lady Cats shutout their final two opponents in the tournament by a margin of 12-0.
That, combined with the two wins before and after, and their pre-season opener, and Lady Cats soccer went a perfect 6-0 over the course of their scrimmage season.
They begin the regular season on Friday, Dec. 30 hosting Henderson.
That game kicks off at Gerald Prim Stadium on Friday at noon.
The men’s team also opens their regular season on Friday, Dec. 30 at home, and hope to get back in the win column for the first time in almost three weeks.
Wildcats soccer did not have the Tuesday night they had hoped for, falling in their pre-season finale in Gainesville 2-0.
Tuesday’s loss is the fourth straight for men’s soccer as they continue to learn how to play together and grow into the formidable force we know them to be.
Luckily a tough pre-season helped them find their groove and makes the regular season, and hopefully district season, better than where this team started in the pre-season.
They open their season on Friday, Dec. 30 when they host Kaufman.
That game on Friday, like women’s soccer, takes place at Gerald Prim stadium at 7:15 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.
