Lady Cats Softball Wins Close In Longview 2-0
Coach David Carrillo’s team pulled out a close one Saturday in Longview 2-0 against the Lady Lobos.
Sulphur Springs after the win Saturday have won four straight games, the previous two being district-opening wins for the Lady Cats.
Bryant got herself her third straight win, shutting out the Lady Lobos with 15 K’s (her second straight district victory while also striking out 15+) with no runs scored for Longview. The Lady Lobos managed just four hits against the junior.
Addison Caddell, Kinz Smallwood, and Anahi Velasquez all got hits in the win Saturday.
The win gives softball a 11-1-2 overall record (2-0 district).
Next up, Coach Carrillo and his softball squad again are on the road, traveling to Mount Pleasant for a huge date with the Lady Tigers.
Mount Pleasant (2-0) and Sulphur Springs are the lone undefeated teams in District 15-5A. The winner of Tuesday’s duel in Mount Pleasant remains unbeaten and the frontrunner through the first quarter of district play.
Tuesday, Mar. 15’s duel in Mount Pleasant tees off 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.
2 Miller Grove Robotics Teams Headed To VEX World Competition in May
The Miller Grove Junior High Robotics teams represented their school and community well at the VEX Robotics State Championship March 12, 2022. Two teams did so well, they are headed to VEX World Competition in May, team advisors reported.
All three MG Robotics teams made it into the elimination tournament. Jase Back, Cannon Ramsey and Juan Ramirez made it into the semi-finals, qualifying them to go to the World Competition. The girl’s team, Lily Neidhart, Mary Carter and Colleen Alberts won the Design Award, qualifying them for World Competition. This award is based on their engineering notebook and judges interviews.
Congratulations to all of these teams for the accomplishments at state. KSST wishes these students the best of luck as they head to the VEX World Competition in a couple of months.
Don’t Forget To Spring Your Clocks Forward For Daylight Saving Time
Just a friendly reminder: don’t forget to adjust your clocks (if they don’t change automatically) when you head to bed tonight. It’s time to spring forward 1 hour for Daylight Saving Time. Otherwise, you’ll likely arrive an hour late for church or any other appointments or activities you have scheduled Sunday.
Those who are not at their best first thing in the morning might consider going to be an hour or so earlier Saturday night to make up for the hour of sleep lost springing forward tonight.
While most change the time before turning in for the night, the official time change for most of the United States will take place at 2 a.m. local time Sunday, March 13, 2022.
If you’re in the US, (with only a two exceptions) DST begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. In other words, time officially advances forward one hour from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March and then during late fall, goes back fan hour from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. on the first Sunday in November.
Texas and most of the central part of the US is located in the Central Time Zone. The East Coast will change their clocks an hour before we do, and California and the West Coast will spring forward two hours after we do.
While you lose an hour of sleep tonight, you’ll be gaining an hour of daylight starting Sunday, allowing people to take advantage of the natural daylight, especially for outdoor activities. The main impetus for DST first being enacted was to save energy.
Some believe, based on studies, that the extra hour of daylight could be beneficial in reducing the number of road accidents and injuries during the hours more people use the roads. The Transportation Department touts DST as a means to reduce crime, as more people tend to be out and about during daylight hours as opposed to night time. Others claim changing time messes with circadian rhythms and therefore sleep patterns, which could contribute to more crashes and workplace injuries due to tiredness.
Approximately 40% of the (more than 70) countries in the world observe Daylight Saving Time, moving their clocks forward to take advantage of the natural light. Whether you are on DST or Standard time depends on which hemisphere you are in, as the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere, and the date varies by and within countries.
DST began in the USA in 1918. The current federal policy – the Uniform Time Act, has been in effect since 1966. While beginning and end dates have varied by a few weeks, the current time change dates have remained firm since the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was enacted, with the US Department of Transportation designated to oversee DST and US time zones.
In the US and Canada, DST will begin on March 13, 2022. However, most states at one time or another have proposed do away with the twice yearly time change, to remain on DST all year in the US.
In fact, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, more than 350 Daylight Saving Time-related bills and resolutions have been introduced in virtually every state since 2015. But, non of significance passed until 2018, when Florida became the first state to enact legislation to permanently observe DST. Since then, 18 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions to try to do away with biannual time changes, each proposing either DST or Standard Time be observed year-round. However, Congress must change the law which does not currently allow full DST before states can adopt those proposed changes. Legislative action still pending on the issue.
This year alone, according to the NCSL, 68 pieces of legislation, counting carry over bills from 2021, have been submitted for consideration in at least 28 US states; Texas was not one of them in 2022. However, Texas was one of 33 states in which legislation addressing DST was proposed in 2021. In fact, of the 80 pieces of legislation filed in 2021, nearly a dozen documents were submitted to Texas Senate and House combined; but all 11 failed in Texas..
Two states — Arizona and Hawaii — and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands observe permanent standard time, NCSL reports. The Navajo Nation, which falls within more than one state and/or time zone is the exception for Arizona.
In Europe, however, DST won’t take place until March 27, 2022. Australia, New Zealand, most of South America and Southern Africa observed observe DST beginning in either September or November through March or April, when Standard Time begins.
Regardless your stance on DSL, local emergency responders remind the time change is good time to make biannual batteries changes in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms to test to ensure these potentially life-saving devices in your homes functioning properly.
SSHS Advancing To Bi-District OAP Contest
4 Wildcat Thespians Receive Individual Honors
Sulphur Springs High School theatre troupe will be advancing to the Bi-District UIL One Act Play Contest with their performance of “Peter and the Starcatcher.” Four students also earned individual honors at the on March 4 District OAP competition.
Lucy Braddy, Austin Crump and AllieGrace Woodard were named to All Star Cast. Brandon Williams was named to All Star Crew.
Directing the SSHS production of “Peter and the Starcatcher” are Lesha Woodard and Kristopher Luce.
The Bi-District UIL One Act Play competition will be held at Whitehouse High School March 23-24.
Some Phillips Respironics Ventilators, CPAP And BiPAP Machines Recalled Due To Risk From Foam
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration March 10, 2022, issued a notification order to Philips Respironics requiring the company to notify patients and others of the company’s June 14, 2021, recall of certain Philips Respironics ventilators, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines, and the unreasonable risk of substantial harm to the public health posed by the degradation of the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam used in those products. The FDA has determined that this order is necessary to eliminate the unreasonable risk of harm posed by the recalled products, because the company’s notification efforts to date have been inadequate.
“The FDA has heard the frustration expressed by patients and durable medical equipment suppliers who are unaware of the recall and have received insufficient information on their next steps regarding the recall process,” said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Taking this action today enables the FDA to mandate that Philips Respironics improve its communication about the recall and the serious risk posed by the foam used in the recalled products with patients and the public and to ensure that individuals who rely on these essential devices are receiving the important information they need from the company.”
| Recalled Phillips Respironics Products |
|---|
| DreamStation ASV |
| DreamStation ST, AVAPS |
| SystemOne ASV4 |
| C-Series ASV |
| C-Series S/T and AVAPS |
| OmniLab Advanced+ |
| SystemOne (Q-Series) |
| DreamStation |
| DreamStation Go |
| Dorma 400 |
| REMstar SE Auto |
| E30 (Emergency Use Authorization) |
| Trilogy 100 |
| Trilogy 200 |
| Garbin Plus, Aeris, LifeVent |
| ASeries BiPAP Hybrid A30 (not marketed in US) |
| A-Series BiPAP V30 Auto |
| A-Series BiPAP A40 |
| A-Series BiPAP A30 |
| Dorma 50) |
The FDA is ordering Philips Respironics to notify all device users, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, distributors, retailers, and health care providers who prescribe the products about the recall and the health risks posed by the foam used in the recalled products. The order also directs Philips to maintain language to patients regarding the risk of using ozone cleaners on the recalled devices on their main webpage for the recall, and to provide instructions for device users to register their devices on the Philips website.
Along with these actions, the FDA recommends additional measures Philips can take to better communicate with the public regarding the recall. Specifically, the FDA recommends that Philips provide monthly updates to device users who register their devices on the Philips website that include information on expected time for replacement and current rate of replacement of recalled devices. The FDA also recommends that Philips provide detailed information to device users, DME suppliers, distributors, retailers, and healthcare providers on the replacement process.
In June 2021, Philips Respironics initiated a recall of certain ventilators, CPAP and BiPAP machines due to potential health risks related to PE-PUR sound abatement foam used in those devices. This particular foam may break down and can result in serious injury, which can be life-threatening, cause permanent impairment and/or require medical intervention to prevent permanent injury to users.
Since the initiation of the recall, the FDA has engaged with Philips on several fronts about the effectiveness of its communications with the public regarding the recall and the risks presented by the recalled products and has expressed concern that it is likely a significant portion of patients and consumers using the recalled products are unaware of the health risks presented by those products.
The FDA is issuing this order under section 518(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Under this authority, the FDA may order a manufacturer to provide notification if the FDA determines that a device presents an “unreasonable risk of substantial harm to the public health” and such notification is necessary to “eliminate the unreasonable risk of such harm and no more practical means are available [under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act] to eliminate such risk.” The FDA may order that adequate notification be provided to device users, health care providers who prescribe or use the device, and any other person who should receive notification to eliminate such risk.
The order directs Philips to provide the notification described in the order within 45 days of its issuance.
Sulphur Springs ISD Launches Bond Website With Information On $93 Million Bond Election
Sulphur Springs ISD Superintendent, in a letter Friday to the citizens of Sulphur Springs ISD, not only gave a basic rundown of the $93 million school bond election being held May 7, but to encourage voters to visit the bond website set up specifically to provide information about the proposed bond.
Voters can visit SulphurSpringsISDBond.com which not only gives a brief outline of the planned use for the funding, but a brief explanation about the process a planning group, called the SSISD Long Range Planning Committee at the time and referred to currently as the Bond Planning Committee, used to form the $93 million worth of recommendations presented to the school board on Feb. 7, 2022. The SSISD Board of Trustees on Feb. 14, 2022, then, called for the $93 million bond election on May 7, 2022, which would fund the committee’s recommendations if voters approve it.
The bond website includes information and charts showing the impact an 8.5-cent tax increase, recommended by a financial advisor to be for the bond would have on average homeowners’ SSISD ad valorem tax bill, what it would mean for senior citizens who receive a homestead exemption, how to register to vote by the April 7 deadline, early and election day voting information, even a chart showing the age of each of the district’s campuses, and what the district anticipates happening if the bond doesn’t pass.
After researching the bond, Lamb encourages every voter within Sulphur Springs ISD to vote either for or against the $93 million bond, which would require at least two sets of bonds to be sold. One would include the construction of a new Travis school campus as well as renovations at most other campuses, as well as a new Career and Technology Center and fine arts additions at high school, and roofing and HVAC improvements district wide. The other would be a separate bond sale which would be financed over the course of 5-10 years to fund purchases of 20 additional school buses, the bond website notes.
“We are asking every citizen to be educated about the bond. It is important to have your voice heard during this election. Remind your friends, neighbors, and relatives to get involved and ask questions. Sulphur Springs ISD residents will have the opportunity to vote on the Bond Referendum beginning with early voting April 25 – May 3, and on Election Day, May 7, 2022,” Lamb stated in the letter to SSISD citizens.
Lamb concluded by asking people to visit the Sulphur Springs ISD bond website, SulphurSpringsISDBond.com, for more information, or to “reach out to me personally with any questions at [email protected].”
Three Teams in Action for Friday Gameday
The Mar. 11 edition of Friday game day is something of a quiet one, with just three teams in action.
Women’s golf have one of their final contests, baseball competes in day two of the Royse City tournament and softball is on the road taking on Longview.
Lady Cats golf are prepped and ready for their final competition prior to their district preview and district championship contests.
Coach Whitney Spigener and her squad take the trip to Glen Rose today for a two day tournament starting Friday.
The tournament runs through tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 12.
Women’s golf hope to put their last contest behind them, rebounding like they did in their second competition which saw the Lady Cats finish 2nd in Mount Pleasant.
Friday and Saturday’s Glen Rose tournament is the final competition before golf’s district preview on Monday, Mar. 21.
Friday, Mar. 11 has Coach Jerrod Hammock & Co. locked in for day two of their final tournament in Royse City.
Baseball fell to the host Bulldogs 8-0 Thursday.
Coach Jerrod Hammock’s team managed just one hit in the tourney loss.
Friday has the Wildcats in two more contests, both at Royse City HS:
Coach Jerrod Hammock’s squad has two games Friday, both at Royse City:
- 9 A.M. vs. Ennis
- 2 P.M. vs. Naaman Forest
Saturday has baseball playing in another game, but is determined by Thursday and Friday’s results as the Bulldog Invitational is a seeding-style tournament.
Lady Cats softball play in their second district contest on this Friday game day.
Friday, Mar. 11 has Coach David Carrillo’s squad in Longview taking on the Lady Lobos.
Sulphur Springs enters their first road contest of their district season 10-1-2 overall (1-0 district).
The Lady Cats bring a four-game winning steak into Friday’s road match in Longview, including Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Hallsville in their district opener.
Junior ace Crimson Bryant struck out 16 batters in the victory, getting hit of her own and 10 others from her teammates as the Lady Cats extended their win streak over Hallsville to two games, dating back to last season.
Softball looks to extend their current win streak to four when they take on the Lady Lobos on Friday, Mar. 11 in Longview at 6 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.
Grand Opening Of Fitness Court In Pacific Park Will Be March 25
The official grand opening of the newest quality of life addition at Pacific Park, a sleek, modern outdoor Fitness Court® with a supporting mobile app, has officially been rescheduled for March 25.
The City of Sulphur Springs had planned to hold the opening on Friday, March 11, but due to predictions of cold and rain, city officials made the decision to postpone the unveiling. After confirming with all partners involved, the grand opening is now slated to be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 25, according to Sulphur Springs Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski. In the mean time, community members should free to explore and utilize the new Fitness Court located at Pacific Park.
The capital project is a featured part of an initiative launched by National Fitness Campaign (NFC), a nationwide consulting organization that partners with cities and schools to plan, build and fund healthy infrastructure.
In 2021, the City of Sulphur Springs was one of the recipients from around the country awarded a $25,000 grant from NFC to help support the program. In addition to grant funding, a city match and local partnerships from Saputo and CHRISTUS Mother Francis Hospital contributed to make the project possible in Sulphur Springs.
The new Fitness Court® at Pacific Park is an open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court is adaptable for all fitness levels. New users can also download the free Fitness Court App — a coach-in-your-pocket style platform — that transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness ecosystem. The Fitness Court App, entitled “Fitness Court”, is available for iOS and Android.
National Fitness Campaign developed the trademarked seven-station system in 2012 hoping to inspire municipalities to transform public spaces into community fitness hubs. There are currently 150+ active Fitness Court® locations across the country, and the Campaign will reach a total of 250 cities and schools by the end of 2022.
The Fitness Court is one of several improvements and upgrades planned at Pacific Park. The first was construction of a new HW Grays Community Building, with new sidewalk and parking around it. New playground equipment, improved drainage and a new basketball pavilion are among the improvements identified by the community and being funded in part by grant funding and a bond taken out by the city, which will be paid back using EDC funding.
Residents are invited to attend an Opening Day Launch Event on March 25 at 10:30 a.m. to try the Fitness Court® and learn about upcoming community wellness events and programming. For more information, visit or contact Tory Niewiadomski at 903-885-7541.
Technology Updates Approved For SSISD: New Laptops For Staff & High School Students
Elementary, Primary and Early Childhood Campuses To Receive New Interactive Touch Panels
Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees this week approved three different technology purchases which will benefit students and staff. New laptops are being ordered for use by Sulphur Springs High School students and school employees, and new interactive touch panels are being ordered for elementary, primary and early childhood campuses.
New Laptops For SSHS
District Technology Coordinator Rodney White reminded the trustees that the school-provided Dell laptops the high school students are using were obtained on a three-year lease agreement which expires at the end of the school year so they are due to go back this year when school’s out.
The district went out for bids for a minimum of 1,350 laptops, receiving eight. The lowest bid of $588,154.50 was submitted by CDW-G, and the highest bid of $1,094,850 by Howard Technology Solutions. Additional bids includes $668,250 from CPI, $699,475.50 by Dell, $699,651 by HPI International, $706,644 by Riverside Technologies, $818,100 by Xerox, and $1,048,342.50 by Zones.
White recommended accepting the low bid from CDW-G for 11.6-inch Lenovo laptops. However, at a rate of $435.67 per laptop, but instead of purchasing $1,350 he recommended purchasing $1,425 laptops at a total cost of $620,829.75. This would continue the district’s one-to-one program to put one e-device in every students’ hand for school work.
The laptops would be purchased using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding awarded to the district instead of leasing them.
SSISD applied in 2021 for its allocation, $7,984,629, of the $11.2 billion appropriated to the State of Texas for public education purposes under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act through the ESSER III Fund.
Funds may be spent for costs incurred March 13, 2020 – Sept. 30, 2024. Technology is among the approved uses for the funding.
Board Vice president Craig Roberts made a motion at the March 7, 2022, SSISD board meeting to approve the purchase of 1,425 Lenovo 11.6-inch laptops at a cost of $436.67 or $620,829.75 total from CDW-G for SSHS student use, with the total to be paid for using ESSER funding. Trustee John Prickette seconded the motion, which was approved on a 6-0, with board member Kerry Wright abstaining from voting.
New Laptops For Teachers, Staff
White also noted that the school laptops in use by teachers, administrators and other professional employees are also on a three-year least agreement that expires in September and will have to go back to Lenovo at that time.
He noted the district received 11 bids from nine different vendors in response to the district’s advertisement for competitive bids for a minimum of 500 new laptops for these district employees; two companies submitted two bids each. The low bid of $374,000 was submitted by Dell and the high bid of $571,000 by Howard Technology Solutions. Additional bids were $500,415 from Zones, $424,210 for Lenovo and $446,260 for Dell laptops from Xerox; $479,200 from HPI International; $403,225 from Troxell Communications, $423,500 from CPI, $376,745 for one type of laptop and $506,095 for another from CDW-G; and $18,500 from Arey Jones Educational Solutions.
White said the low bid from Dell was for 500 laptops at a rate of $748 per device. The technology coordinator recommended purchasing a total of 525 laptops from Dell, for a total cost of $392,700. ESSER funds, White noted, would be used to purchase the Dell laptops for teachers, administrators and professional employee use.
He noted that this would provide enough laptops to issue new ones to all employees in professional positions from the superintendent on down. He said the technology department take pride in letting district staff know they are using the same type of laptop that Michael Lamb is using.
By approving the purchase in March, the district should be able to get the laptops ordered, in and ready for use when they return for the 2022-2023 school year.
Prickette asked if the payments for any of the technology purchases would overlap. Whites noted that could be a possibility but laptops are being purchased with ESSER funds, not tax dollars. The district cannot afford to wait until the current device leases are up to purchase new ones. The goal is to hand out the new devices in August, set up ready to go.
Trustee Leesa Toliver made the motion approving purchase of 525 laptops from Dell at a rate of $748 per laptop, for a total cost of $392,700. Trustee Robbin Vaughn seconded the motion, which then was approved by trustees on a 6-0, with Wright again abstaining from voting.
Interactive Touch Panels
SSISD also sought bids for 120 new interactive touch panels to replace existing Promethean board at the elementary, primary and early childhood campuses. The majority of existing boards were purchased during the 2009-2010 school year and are starting to reach end of life, White explained.
Five companies bid on the devices. The low bid of $415,932 was submitted by Master AV. The high bid of $515,627.86 was submitted by Xerox Business Solutions. The low bid was for a Galaxy Next G2 panel. White said district staff was not familiar with that type of panel, and were unable to find any other schools in Texas that are using a Galaxy Next G2. Thus, White explained, district staff did not feel comfortable recommending that bid.
The next two lowest bids were for New Line panels from CNC at cost of $459,821.77 and Promethean panels from CPI for $460,470. The Newline panel comes with management software for the life of the board. The Promethean panel comes with management software for five years, then would cost $35 per panel per year for a total cost of $4,200 per year.
While the Newline and Promethean panels were both determined following thorough side-by-side comparisons by SSISD instructional technology staff and teachers to be excellent products, the consensus of district staff was that the Newline panel was the best option, White noted. Thus, he recommended the trustees accept the proposal from CNC to provide 120 new Newline interactive panels at a total cost of $459,821.77.
Trustees agreed with the recommendation for CNC to provide the new panels for the EC, primary and elementary campuses on a 5-0 vote, with Board Secretary Jason Dietze and trustee Robbin Vaughn making and seconding the motion. Roberts and Wright abstained from voting.
Felony Amounts Of Cocaine, THC, Marijuana, Weapon Found During Residential Search
Felony amounts of cocaine, THC, marijuana and a weapon were found during a residential search Wednesday afternoon. Three people were taken into custody and arrested.
Sulphur Springs Police Special Crimes Unit Lt. Mark Estes, along with police detectives, executed a narcotics search warrant at a South League Street apartment in regard to the alleged sale and use of narcotics. During a search of the residence, Estes reported finding 22.7 grams of cocaine, 62 grams of THC, 2.7 pounds of marijuana and an AR-15 pistol.
The occupants of the South League Street residence were reportedly arrested at 4:56 p.m. March 9, 2022. They are 18-year-old Rene Perea, 18-year-old and Preslie Paige Lappin, and a juvenile.
Perea and Lappin were charged with manufacture or delivery of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, manufacture or delivery of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2/2A controlled substance and a delivery of 1/4-ounce but less than 5 pounds of marijuana charge. A drug free zone enhancement was added to all three charges due to the location’s proximity to a school. Perea was also charged on a warrant for violation of probation on a theft of firearm charge.
Both Perea and Lappin remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday, March 10, 2022 on the charges. Bond was set at $300,000 each – $100,000 per controlled substance charge and $100,000 on the marijuana 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.
