Friday Game Day Has Basketball, Baseball, and Soccer On Deck
Friday, Feb. 11 has four teams in action: both soccer teams, baseball, and men’s basketball hosting senior night.
With golf, tennis, and track and field all beginning their seasons next week, today is the least busy Friday game day over the next month.
Men’s baseball is scheduled to host Terrell on this Friday game day.
Coach Jerrod Hammack and his squad take on the Tigers at Wildcats Park.
That scrimmage tees off at 6 P.M.
Sulphur Springs also hosts Bullard tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 12 at 1 P.M.
The Wildcats were scheduled to host Sherman Monday but that game was scrubbed due to poor field conditions.
Moving over to basketball, Coach Brandon Shaver’s team hosts Mount Pleasant for senior night.
Both teams come into Friday’s contest 8-2 in district play, with the winner in the driver’s seat for winning a district crown.
That game tips off in the SSHS Main Gym on Friday, Feb. 11 at 7 P.M.
Men’s basketball’s senior night will be broadcasted on to KSST 1230 AM and if given permission it will also be live-streamed on to KSST Radio’s YouTube channel.
Hallsville, also at 8-2 hosts Longview on Friday, Feb. 11. The Tigers and Bobcats play in Mount Pleasant next Tuesday.
Sulphur Springs enters Friday’s duel with Mount Pleasant sporting a 24-9 overall record and staying in a three-way tie with Hallsville and Friday’s opponent the Tigers after Tuesday’s 59-51 home win over Longview.
Moving over to soccer, both teams take on Pine Tree with huge playoff positioning for both programs at stake.
The Lady Cats, after hosting three of their first four district contests are on the road taking on the Lady Pirates (2-1).
Pine Tree comes in to Friday’s contest fresh off a bye and in third place in District 15-5A.
A win over the Lady Pirates on Friday, Feb. 11 would spring Coach Javier Aguayo’s team from 6th to 4th place.
The showdown with Pine Tree kicks off in Longview at 7:15 P.M.
Coach Aguayo’s team scored big in their 11-0 demolishing of Marshall on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at Gerald Prim Stadium. The win gave the Lady Cats a 4-9-2 season record.
Also kicking off at 7:15 P.M. is men’s soccer.
Coach Alexi Upton’s team also take on Pine Tree (1-1-1) on this Friday game day.
Just like the women’s squad, the Wildcats’ match-up with the Pirates has huge playoff implications.
Sulphur Springs enters Friday’s duel with Pine Tree in 4th at 2-2, on a two game winning streak after starting district play 0-2.
Men’s soccer have a tough test ahead of them Friday, Feb. 11 hosting the third-placed Pirates.
That game kicks off at Gerald Prim Stadium at 7:15 P.M.
Also like the Lady Cats, Sulphur Springs beat Marshall 3-2 at Maverick Stadium on Tuesday. The win bumped men’s soccer’s overall record to 2-11-2.
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.
13 Hopkins County COVID Deaths So Far In 2022, 166 Since March 2020
While many states and countries are lowering and, in some cases, even eliminating COVID-19 restrictions altogether, the virus has surged in other areas. After almost 2 full years, many have become weary of the extra precautions, whether required vaccinations, frequent testing, booster shots, masking, lockdowns, restricted gatherings or frequent sanitizing and extra cleansing with virus-killing substances. Health care and educational fields are reporting frequent burn out, exhaustion among personnel and difficulty maintaining adequate levels of staffing for daily operations.
Just as the virus continues to mutate over time, people are learning to adapt, overcome and deal with COVID-19’s presence in society. Unfortunately, some who contract the virus don’t live to grouse about it with their family and friends. People in this community are still dying from COVID-19.
Thirteen Hopkins County COVID-19 deaths have been reported so far in 2022. That’s a dozen Hopkins County residents who are confirmed to have died in January from coronavirus and one who died the first week of February, according to Texas Department of State Health Services.
That’s still three less COVID fatalities in January 2022 than the 15 reported in January of 2021. A dozen COVID-19 deaths in January is notable, however. The last time Hopkins County had more than five COVID fatalities in a month was September and August of 2021, when 14 and 15 (respectively) county residents died from COVID-19.
Jan. 18, 2022 was the first time since Sept. 16, 2021 that two Hopkins County residents have died from the virus on the same day. In only 10 of the 365 days last year were more than one COVID death for Hopkins County: two each on Jan. 2, Jan. 5, Jan. 23, Jan. 24, March 3, Aug. 10, Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 and Sept. 16, 2021; and three deaths on Aug. 6, 2021. Since the first COVID-19 death was confirmed in July 2020, only two months have passed with no Hopkins County COVID deaths, June and July of 2021.
Overall, 166 Hopkins County residents have died since the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the area in March 2020: 84 in 2020, 69 in 2021 and 13 so far this year.
(DSHS Feb. 10, 2022 COVID-19 County Trends Dashboard graphic)
Local officials, however, continue to dispute the accuracy of the DSHS data, preferring to use the counts at CHISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs as a more accurate gauge of COVID prevalence in Hopkins County. The reports given by city and county officials periodically regarding the hospital indicate that the COVID patient count continued to rise alongside the rise in COVID cases reported by the state last month.
For the latter part of January and start of February officials reported 30-35 patients in the local hospital.
According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Feb. 10 report, the community transmission irate n Hopkins County remains high, with a 34.39% positivity rate from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, 2022. From Feb. 2 to Feb. 8, 2022, Hopkins County was reported to have 24 new hospital admissions and 149 cases, according to the CDC’s 7-day metric on the Data Tracker COVID-19 Integrate County View for Hopkins County.
That’s 29.72% fewer cases, which resulted in a 3.62% decrease in the positivity rate and a 17.24% decrease in new hospital admissions compared to the previous 7 days.
A total of 406 Hopkins County residents were tested in the 7 days ending Feb. 6, a 32.56% decrease from the week before, acording to the CDC data (formed using statistics obtained from DSHS).
COVID-19 cases composed 21. 56% of the total hospitalizations out of the total capacity in Trauma Service Area F, which includes all hospitals in Northeast Texas including Hopkins County, on Feb. 3, slowly rose to 22.1% on Feb. 6, then declined to 20.58% Feb. 7, 19.08% Feb. 8 and 17.94% on Feb. 9.
On Feb. 9, 2022, only 155 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients were in TSA F hospitals, 109 adult COVID patients in general beds, 46 adult COVID patients in ICU beds, with 9 confirmed COVID-19 admissions in the previous 24-hours and 24 confirmed COIVD-19 patients on ventilators. That’s out of a total 864 staffed beds, 772 of which were staffed inpatient beds, leaving available 154 staffed hospital beds and 149 ventilators across TSA F on Feb. 9, according to the Feb. 10, 2022 DSHS COVID-19 Hospitals-Regional dashboard.
The COVID-19 rates across the country and state reportedly peaked on or about Jan. 15, according to the CDC.
In Hopkins County, the new COVID-19 case count peaked the week of Jan. 15-21, going from an average of 16 new confirmed COVID cases daily the week of Jan. 1-7 (although daily counts ranged from 5 new confirmed cases on Jan. 2 to 27 new cases on Jan. 4) to an average of 26 new confirmed cases the week of Jan. 8-14 (with daily counts ranging from 13 on the 11th to 39 on the 13th) to an average of 32 new cases daily the week of Jan. 15-21 (with a low of 11 new cases on Jan. 16 and a high of 47 new cases on Jan. 21). New cases then began dropping off in week 4 of January, averaging 24 new cases daily (with a low of 15 recorded on Jan. 24 and high of 34 on Jan. 29). An average of 15 ne confirmed cases were reported by DSHS for Hopkins County the final three days of January 2022, with 20 on the 29th, 11 on the 30th and 15 on Jan. 31.
The daily average during the first week of February was 17 (with a low of 10 on the seventh and a high of 25 on the third). From Feb. 8-10, however, the daily new confirmed molecular case count dipped to 9, with only 7 new cases confirmed on the 8th and 10th, and 12 on the 9th, acording to the Feb. 10, 2022 DSHS Case Counts Dashboard report for Hopkins County.
Overall, 736 new confirmed COVID cases were reported for Hopkins County Jan. 1-31, 2022, and 142 Feb. 1-10, 2022 (116 during the first 7 days of the month one more than the first week of January 2022).
Another 405 probable cases were reported last month, and 58 probable cases from Feb. 1-10, including 51 the first week and only 7 from Feb. 8-11, 2022. That’s 216 more COVID cases reported in January 2022 than in December 2021, and 741 more COVID cases last month than in January of 2021.
A total of 41.1 percent of the population of Hopkins County age 5 years and up had been fully vaccinated as of Feb. 9, according to the CDC’s 7-day metric.
Cumulatively, Hopkins County has had 4,542 confirmed COVID-19 cases since spring break of 2020: 1,404 in 2020, another 2,260 in 2021, and 878 so far in 2022, according to the Dec. 10 DSHS Case Counts dashboard.
Hopkins County has also had at least 2,467 probable cases, including 514 in 2020, another 1,490 probable cases in 2021 and 463 during the first 41 days of 2022.
From spring break of 2020 to Feb. 9, 2022, a total of 48,804 COVID-19 tests hade been performed in public labs through the Laboratory Response Network and non public labs such as commercial labs, hospitals, physicians offices and drive-thru testing sites and reported by electronic and non-electronic means to DSHS.
4 Jailed in Hopkins County On Felony Warrants
Three men and a woman were jailed in Hopkins County on felony warrants Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 8-9, 2022, according to arrest and jail reports.
Joe Don Dial turned himself in at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and was taken into custody at 11 p.m. Feb. 9, 2022. Deputy Isaac Foley escorted Dial from the department lobby into the jail, where the 42-year-old Winnsboro man was booked in on the warrant for violation of probation-reckless bodily injury to a child or disabled person. The offense, according to arrest reports, is alleged to have occurred on Jan. 11, 2022. Dial, who jail reports show is also known as Little Pete, remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 on the felony charge.
Christopher Lee Mallewick was transported by Deputy Terry Thompson at 8:40 a.m. Feb. 9, 2022, from Sayle Unit in Breckenridge to Hopkins County jail, where he was held on a bench warrant for unauthorized use of a vehicle; the offense is alleged to have occurred on May 11, 2020. The 50-year-old Texan remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022.
Deputy Thompson also took Kayla Ann Ainsworth into custody at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 8, 2022, at Woodman Unit in Gatesville. He transported the 28-year-old Texan to Hopkins County jail, where she was booked at 5:34 p.m. Feb. 8, on a bench warrant for forgery of a financial instrument. The offense was alleged to have occurred on April 3, 2021. Ainsworth remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in lieu of $10,000 bond on the felony charge.
HCSO Deputy Steve Huffman took custody of Brian Scott Molina at 8:14 a.m. Feb. 8, 2022, at Lopez Unit in Edinburg. The 33-year-old Fairborn, Ohio, man was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked in at 6:41 p.m. Feb. 8, 2021 on warrant. He remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday, Feb. 8, 2022, on warrant for bond revocation on a possession of 4 grams or 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge.
Man Jailed On New York Warrant
A 62-year-old Port Chester, New York man was jailed on a New York warrant Wednesday evening.
Virgilio Orlando Tovar contacted Sulphur Springs Police Officer Edward Jaime at 7:23 p.m. Feb. 9, 2022 at the police station about documents he received from his probation officer that he needed signed by an officer.
He provided his New York driver’s license, which SSPD used to conduct a records check. A communications operator reported the criminal history check showed Virgilio Orlando Tovar to be have an active warrant for his arrest out of New York. The New York Police Department warrant was confirmed and Tovar was taken into custody; the van he arrived in was left parked in front of the police station.
The 62-year-old Port Chester, New York man was booked into Hopkins County jail at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 9 on the NYPD warrant for sexual assault-carnal abuse of a person-sexual abuse. Tovar was held in Hopkins County jail Thursday on the charge, according to jail and police 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.
Suspicious Activity Complaint Results On Controlled Substance Arrest
A suspicious activity complaint at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, resulted in a Como woman’s arrest on a methamphetamine charge, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Edward Jaime and Cpl. Silas Whaley contacted two individuals in a blue Ford Escape on North Davis Street, where the complaint was reported. The officers noted the pair inside of the vehicle exhibited nervous behavior while talking with them.
A search of the SUV resulted in location of a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine in Wendy Ann Wilder’s purse. Consequently, the 43-year-old Como woman was taken into custody.
Wilder, who jail reports show is also known by the nickname Woo Woo, was booked into custody at 9:45 p.m. for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. A drug-free zone enhancement was added to the charge due to Wilder’s proximity to a school.
The Como woman was released from Hopkins County jail Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, on a $10,000 bond on the third-degree felony charge.
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.
Slaton Pledges To File Legislation Designating All Texas Child Gender Modification As Child Abuse
GREENVILLE, TEXAS – Today (Feb. 10, 2022), Representative Bryan Slaton of House District 2, pledged to file legislation that will bring an end to the practice of child gender modification.
The legislation would include genital removal surgeries, chemical castration, puberty blockers, and all sex change therapies and counseling that children might receive as young as 3 years old as child gender modification. The bill, if passed, would end those practices by classifying them in Texas State law as child abuse. Any medical professional or parent who engaged in such behavior would be subject to criminal charges, under Slaton’s proposed legislation.
“Young children in our state are being subjected to these cruel and barbaric practices on a daily basis. This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. This is a moral and ethical issue. Texas is at a crossroads, and we must act. I led the fight on this issue last session, and I will continue to do so next session by filing legislation and fighting at every opportunity to end this evil in the Lone Star State,” Slaton pledged Thursday.
Legislation that would have designated a significant amount of this behavior as child abuse passed the Texas Senate last session. The bill, however, failed to move through the Texas House, and died.
“I hope that instead of the House being the chamber that kills this bill like last session, we will boldly and
swiftly ban these wicked practices,” concluded Slaton.
Fugitives From Galveston, Grand Prairie Added To Texas’ Most Wanted Sex Offenders List
AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added two men to Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List. Joe Louis Hernandez, of Galveston, and Gregory Jon Pecina Jr., of Grand Prairie, are being sought. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for Hernandez’s arrest, and up to $3,000 for Pecina. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.
Joe Louis Hernandez, 44, has been wanted since January 2021, when the Galveston Police Department issued a warrant for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
In 1998, Hernandez was convicted of three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child for incidents involving girls ages 2 and 7. He was sentenced to eight years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison. In 2007, Hernandez was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and sentenced to two years in prison. In 2010, he was convicted of failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements and was given three years in prison.
Hernandez is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. He has tattoos on his back, chest, left arm and hand, abdomen and right leg. In addition to Galveston, he has ties to Houston. For more information or updates in the event of his arrest, view his wanted bulletin.
Gregory Jon Pecina Jr., 37, has been wanted since November 2020, when the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office issued warrants for Pecina’s arrest for aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, aggravated robbery and kidnapping. In December 2020, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for his arrest for a parole violation. In April 2021, the Grand Prairie Police Department also issued a warrant for Pecina’s arrest for failure to register as a sex offender.
In 2014, Pecina was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child following an incident with a 13-year-old girl. He was sentenced to eight years in a TDCJ prison and paroled in September 2019.
Pecina is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs about 180 pounds and has a scar on his back. In addition to Grand Prairie, he also has ties to Granbury. For more information or updates in the event of his arrest, view Pecina’s wanted bulletin.
Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives or Sex Offenders. So far in 2022, DPS and other agencies have arrested five Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders, including one gang member and three sex offenders. In addition, $6,000 in rewards has been paid for tips that yielded arrests.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
- Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
- Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture.
- Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders Lists. You can find the current lists — with photos — on the DPS website.
Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
Repairs At Hopkins County Courthouse
Crews were hard at work Wednesday making repairs at Hopkins County Courthouse. The gutters on the historic building were damaged by rough weather over the last couple of years. Because the building is a historic structure, which featured copper gutters when built in 1895, the county is required to replace them with copper gutters. The cost for the very expensive copper replacement gutters, according to Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom, is being covered by insurance.
The project is expected to take until the middle of next week to complete. A crew was working Wednesday afternoon on the backside of the courthouse facing Jefferson Street. As work continues, the workers are cordoning off their work area to not only give them room to work but also for the safety of visitors to the downtown area. Wednesday afternoon, the work zone spanned from the sidewalk just off Oak Avenue leading to the pathway to the entry doors and basement, and the corner of Jefferson Street at Oak Avenue up to the front door just off Church Street.
Thus, individuals traveling around the courthouse, especially on Oak Avenue and Jefferson Street to Church Street, are reminded to take care, watch for workers and refrain from entering the work zone until the project is complete.
Lee And Main Street Paving Projects To Begin Thursday Morning
Motorists who travel Lee and Main streets regularly should plan different routes the rest of the week, or expect temporary detours and potential delays, as crews proceed with paving projects Feb. 10-11, city officials advise.
These projects, weather permitting, are only expected to be a couple of days, and once completed the smooth ride should make up for the temporary inconvenience while the paving projects are in progress. Motorists who do travel in and around these areas are urged to drive with care, watching for personnel actively working to avoid injury as well as vehicular and other damages.
Lee Street
The City of Sulphur Springs’ street paving contractor, Texana Land & Asphalt, began work on Lee Street recently, just ahead of the winter storm. The road had been graded, but following the storm, required a bit more work to smooth it out and make it ready for a layer of surface.
Texana Land & Asphalt is slated to begin paving Lee Street from Broadway to Brinker Street on Thursday and Friday. Once completed, the contractor will then continue west on Lee Street to League Street with stabilization and, then, paving, as weather permits.
Citizens should avoid Lee Street from Broadway to Brinker Street over the next two days, when possible, Sulphur Springs Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski reported Wednesday afternoon.
Main Street
Also, beginning on Thursday, Texas Department of Transportation’s paving contractor, RK Hall, will be paving Main Street from the Square to Reservoir Street near Coleman Lake. Work is scheduled to start Thursday morning and the contractor plans to be finished by Friday.
Citizens are recommended to avoid this area of Main Street over the next couple of days as well.
College Street
Also, work continues to rebuild College Street and add sidewalks, which means a portion of that street continues to be inaccessible as well.
On Feb. 1, City Manager Marc Maxwell reported that Atmos has relocated the gas main that was holding up the project, and which should now continue eastward toward I-30. This month, Maxwell said some drainage work is expected just west of the rail spur.
The City Council on Feb. 1 awarded a contract to Highway 19 construction for excavation, stabilization, concrete pavement and sidewalks for Phase I of the College Street improvement project, which should see that part of the project under way soon.
While work progresses, College Street continues to be partially closed as well. The section just off Oak Avenue in front of First Baptist Church, continued to have a road closed sign Wednesday evening.
Motorists are reminded to remain alert in that area as well for workers, road closures and construction in progress.
Sulphur Springs City Council Place 4 Candidate Tommy Harrison
Tommy Harrison filed Tuesday for candidacy for Place 4 on the May 7, 2022 Sulphur Springs City Council Election ballot.
Harrison said he is seeking the Place 4 seat on the council so he “can bring a breath of fresh air to the City of Sulphur Springs.”
The candidate said he is a retired Department of Defense Army civilian, and includes among the training, special skills and experience he has attained serving as Director of Logististics for Large Military Installations, both United States and Germany. He also has a Bachelor of Science.
When asked what he feels are the top areas of concern, need or challenges in the office, Harrison listed infrastructure and community awareness.
Harrison feels the most important things for the public to know about him and his candidacy are: that he is home grown, and will serve with honesty, integrity and selflessness, with a keen sense of direction and focus for the City of Sulphur Springs.
Tommy Harrison is married to Anja Harrison.
He has been serving as a member of the City of Sulphur Springs Planning and Zoning Commission.
As of Wednesday morning, Harrison was the only candidate who has filed seeking a place on the ballot for Place 4 on the May 7 City Council ballot. Candidate filing continues at City Hall during regular business hours through Feb. 18, 2022, for places 4 and 5. As of Wednesday morning, incumbent Gary Spraggins was the only candidate who had filed for Place 5. Incumbent Freddie Taylor, who has served in Place 4 on the Council since 2004, has not announced whether he will seek releelection.
