Power Out for Many Along Broadway and Gilmer St
Report of power out along Broadway near I-30 and Gilmer St have been coming in to KSST. The power has surged and dropped briefly here at KSST around 4 times so far today.
If you need to visit one of the many business in that area, you should call and verify they are open.
KSST has leaned that the repairs may be complete by 2:30PM Today.
Zoning Request, Supplies Contracts For 3 Capital Improvement Projects Up For Consideration
A zoning request, supplies contracts for three capital improvement projects and airport ground lease agreements are up for consideration by Sulphur Springs City Council tonight (May 3, 2022).
Jason and Jennifer Lacomfora are asking that 1.54 acres they own at 1120 Church Street be rezoned. The tract is split-zoned multifamily and heavy commercial. The Lacomforas would like for the entire property to be zoned heavy commercial, which would not only clean up the zoning but make it easier if and when they decide to develop the property in the future. It is surrounded by heavy commercial property to the north, west and south, with multifamily zoning to the east, Sulphur Springs Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski noted during an April 18, 2022 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
The request is forwarded to the City Council for consideration at the recommendation of the P&Z Commission.
The City Council too will consider bids and awarding contracts for the supply of water and sewer materials for College Street Phase 2, Holiday Drive and Alabama Street capital improvement projects during the regular 7 p.m. meeting May 3.
Also on the agenda for consideration is assignment of air ground lease agreements for Lots 1220-60A and 1220-60B, a request for preliminary approval to plat 278.24 acres of land into 1,159 single family lots with 11 common areas, and a proposed ordinance for a residential homestead property tax exemption.
Prior to the regular 7 p.m. meeting, the City Council is slated to meet at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday to consult with an attorney on delegations for the proposed economic development project dubbed as Project Superman. If an agreement is reached or any action is required following the session, the City Council would present and vote on it during the regular open session.
On April 11, Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees accepted a Chapter 313 application from Ashoka Steel Mills, LLC, seeking a tax incentive for a $265 million investment which is projected to create 300 jobs and be located on 250 acres of the city’s 4,8570 acre property which previously housed a coal mine, with a 150-acre expansion planned later. This is the project which has been dubbed Superman, Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County Economic Development Director Roger Feagley said when asked by a school official at the April 11 meeting.
Sulphur Springs is on of two cities being considered for the plant, and could be among the company’s first manufacturing facilities in the US. Company representatives noted the project is contingent on the business receiving tax or other economic incentives from local taxing entities, including the school district and city. The applications submitted to SSISD has been forwarded to Texas Comptroller’s Office to determine whether it meets stipulations required for a 313 agreement. SSISD will be notified of the finding. If it is approved, the school board then would consider approving the application.
The consent agenda presented for City Council approval tonight will include minutes from the April council meeting as well as other city boards and EDC meetings, and 380 agreements for 226 Easy Street and 511 Church Street.
The open portion of the City Council meeting will begin at 7 p.m. May 3, 2022, in the Council Chambers inside Sulphur Springs Municipal Building (City Hall) on Davis Street.
Wildcats Baseball Ends Season With 3-0 Loss to Longview
Wildcats baseball fought for seven innings to have a shot at the playoffs, but came up short in a 3-0 loss to the Lobos on Friday, Apr. 29.
Coach Jerrod Hammack’s squad, with their season on the line in the top of the 7th, trailed by three.
With one out, Sulphur Springs had two runners on.
A fly out and a strikeout later though, baseball’s season came to an unceremonious end with a 3-0 loss in Longview on Friday, Apr. 29.
Sulphur Springs had to win Friday in Longview to have a shot at the post-season. Had the Wildcats gotten the better of the Lobos Friday, they then would have to play Longview again in a play-in game for the fourth seed.
Instead, Wildcats baseball fell in a tight one to miss out on the postseason for the second straight year.
Sulphur Springs outhit Longview in on Friday, but the Lobos made theirs count as with only two hits Longview turned them into three runs.
The Lobos scored two runs in the 4th inning, adding an insurance run to go up 3-0 after five.
Matthew Sherman had a solid night on the mound, pitching all six innings only giving up two hits. While Longview scored three runs in the win over the Wildcats, only two were earned by the senior. Sherman walked four and struck out seven Friday.
Mayer Millsap, Ayden Alvarez and Dawson Carpenter all recorded a hit in the loss.
Friday’s 3-0 loss in Longview ends Wildcats baseball’s season with a 7-16 record (4-8 district).
11 seniors saw their season end Friday in Longview, but Coach Jerrod Hammack returns half a dozen players who saw significant starting time this season, including a starting and relief pitcher.
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.
Preliminary Plat For 1,100-Plus Home Subdivision On May 3 City Council Agenda
A preliminary plat for a proposed 1,110-Plus Home Subdivision is among the topics on the May 3, 2022 Sulphur Springs City Council Agenda.
The Planning & Zoning Commission in April gave preliminary approval of the request by James Webb of Oak National Development for a conceptual plat 278.24 acres of land west of Sulphur Springs into 1,159 single family lots with 11 common areas. The plan is for streets in what was presented as Stonebriar Phase III to be concrete with curb and gutter, and would include sidewalks. The request is being recommended for the City Council to approve Tuesday night, provided the developer meets certain stipulations.
With so many moving eastward from the Dallas Metroplex, the developers anticipate the sprawl will soon continue to Sulphur Springs. There’s also been discussions of industry which could potentially bring thousands of extra jobs which would require additional housing. Thus, the projected development is planned to accommodate increased population, the Planning and Zoning Commission was told during an April 18, 2022 meeting.
Similar housing lots in progress in Greenville are valued at $320,000 to $400,000, according to Jay Webb, owner of the property and real estate broker with Altura Homes.
The project is expected to take about 10 years to complete, and would be built in phases, provided the project and final plat are approved by the City Council at a future meeting later this year.
The preliminary steps – getting approval at each step from the city engineer, then presenting the plat for final approval by the City Council approval – is expected to take at least 6-7 months. Bidding the project and contracts would push the project out a few more months, putting the it at about a year before work begin, Engineering Concepts & Designs, LP, President Todd Winters told the P&Z Commission in April.
Construction of the first lots in phase 1, about 30-40 lots, would then begin in 2023. Allowing a few months to construct a house, the first residence likely wouldn’t be complete until the end of 2023 or early 2024. The second phase, development of another 50-100 lots, likely wouldn’t take place until 2025, Winters noted.
Very little information has yet to be provided regarding utilities and drainage for the development, according to Sulphur Springs Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski.
The development area is currently outside the city’s service area, where the city is not currently obligated to provide with utilities. It is within the extra territorial jurisdiction though. The developer said the plan is to request that the project be annexed into the city.
If annexed, the lots due meet current size per square foot lot requirements, although some corner lots and cul-de-sacs may need to be adjusted to meet lot frontage requirements for single family-6 zoning.
Niewiadomski said city staff had identified some potential problem area with the Stonebriar Phase III that would need to be addressed before it meets city standards and a final plat is approved.
Among the factors to consider is fire protection capacity for 1,159 additional homes and potential off-site water line improvements along CMH Road and State Highway 11/19, grades for sewer gravity, discharge calculations for potential impact on the SH 11 lift station and drainage calculations.
The developers are willing to do all of the studies and steps necessary, the P&Z Commission was told in April. The Stonebriar Phase III as currently planned would put about $350 million in property development on the city’s tax rolls. The developer are willing to make improvements to water and sewer as necessary at no cost to the city. If the lift station needs to be upgraded, it will be upgraded and replaced with a larger one.
The preliminary plat approval was sought in order to determine if the street right-of-way meets standards, to determine adequate easements for proposed or future utility service and surface drainage are provided. Adjustments would be made as needed. A final plat would be presented later, with all other required documentation, after those steps are complete, the P&Z Commissioners were told.
Niewiadomski recommended the Planning & Zoning Commission conceptually approve the preliminary plat for the general layout of the subdivision provided certain conditions and items are addressed prior to the final plat submittal. The commission agreed on April 18.
Herbicides Simplify Weed Management
By Mario Villarino, Texas AgriLife Extension, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Hopkins County, [email protected]
Herbicides simplify weed management by allowing you to cover extensive areas in a relatively short time and reduce the need for time-consuming control practices such as hand weeding. Additionally, many herbicides have the advantage of selective control. Selective herbicides are those that kill weeds without significantly injuring the desired plant. In turfgrass, selective herbicides are particularly important because we do not have the option of using cultivation or non-selective herbicides, as is commonly done in other agricultural systems such as row crops and orchards. A common misconception is that when a herbicide is registered for use on a given turfgrass species, this herbicide has little negative effect on the turf. In reality, even when the herbicide is registered for a specific turfgrass species, it can cause a certain level of injury. If the herbicide is applied at the recommended label rate, and the growing conditions are ideal, the turfgrass will only suffer minor, temporary injury that may go completely unnoticed. Conversely, the weeds that are susceptible to the herbicide will be severely affected resulting in the desired control.
Over the last few summers, there has been an increase in complaints about herbicide injury on sod farms, golf courses, and home lawns after applications of herbicides, especially during the summer months. Many of those complaints originated from situations in which the application was done properly, using the recommended label rate, and thus the level of injury observed was not justified. After studying all these cases, it was determined that at the time of herbicide application the turf was under a moderate level of stress, but not high enough stress to cause visible symptoms. However, when the herbicide was applied the combined effect of the existing stress, and the stress caused by the herbicide made it harder for the turf to maintain the desired quality. Environmental factors such as high temperatures and sandy soils that can create stressful conditions limiting turfgrass growth, especially when irrigation is not sufficient to keep the turf hydrated, enhance the undesirable effect of the herbicide in the non-target lawn. To help reduce the impact of herbicides in lawns, conduct the following:
- Identify weed problems early. Most weed problems will start in the spring for summer weeds and in the fall for winter weeds. Controlling them when they are small not only increases the effectiveness of our applications, but also allows us to implement our control when the turfgrass is less likely to be stressed. If herbicide applications are needed when conditions might be stressful for the turf (high temperatures and/or dry conditions)
- Make sure irrigation is adequate (increase frequency or duration if needed) for up to three weeks following application.
- Reduce mowing frequency and increase mowing height to 0.5 inches for up to 3 weeks following a herbicide application, to allow the turfgrass to continue producing energy to support its recovery. Mowing too short and too frequently immediately after the application weakens the turfgrass.
- Fertilize with a small amount of nitrogen (0.25 to 0.5 lb N/acre) a week or two after herbicide application to help the turf recover and produce new leaves.
- If the turfgrass is suffering from serious pest problems (pathogens, nematodes or insect infestations) do not apply herbicides on the affected areas until the turfgrass has recovered. Maintaining optimal turfgrass growth is the best way to ensure that herbicide applications will maximize weed control while still protecting the health and aesthetics of your turfgrass.
Weed populations can overcome grassy areas of the lawn. During routine mowing season, weeds and lawn get mowed together making the evaluation of weed infestation rates hard to achieve. It is important to understand this when weed control is applied, since a successful application can make a lawn look bare after herbicide applications.
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].
Teen Jailed On 2 Felony Warrants
A Sulphur Springs teen was jailed Sunday on two felony warrants, according to arrest reports.
(HCSO jail photo)
Qieshon Odell Flecker turned himself in at 6:30 p.m. at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and was escorted to the jail by Deputy Isaac Foley and released to jail staff. After being cleared medically at the hospital, the 19-year-old Sulphur Springs resident was returned to the county jail.
Flecker was booked in at 8:01 p.m. May 1, 2022, for violation of probation on an indecency with a child by exposure and evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. The latest offense, Foley noted in arrest reports, was alleged to have occurred on April 13, 2022, in Hopkins County.
The teen remained in Hopkins County jail Monday, May 2, 2022. Bond was set at $25,000 on the evading arrest or detention with a vehicle charge and was held without bond on the probation charge.
Sunday was the second time Flecker has been jailed for violating probation on the indecency charge; he also spent Oct. 5-Nov. 17, 2021, in Hopkins County jail for violating probation on the charge.
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.
Unclothed Denison Man Leads Officials On A Brief Vehicle Pursuit
An unclothed Denison man who lead officials on a brief vehicle pursuit Saturday was believed to have been under the influence of a controlled substance, authorities alleged in arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Drew Fisher attempted to stop a Ford Explorer for a defective tail light around 7 p.m. April 30, 2022, on FM 2653 at County Road 4786. Instead of yielding to the lights and sirens of the deputy’s patrol vehicle, the driver continued on the county road for half a mile before pulling into a driveway on County Road 4784.
The driver, Fisher and Cumby Police Officer Justin Talley noted in arrest reports, was assisted out of the SUV and detained in handcuffs. He had no clothing on his body and appeared to the officers to be under the influence of a controlled substance, the latter officers believed based on 57-year-old Michael Aaron Peal’s involuntary body movements and his profuse sweating, Fisher alleged in arrest reports. A crystal-like substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 0.42 grams was observed in and recovered from the driver’s seat of the SUV, the officers alleged in arrest reports.
The unclothed Denison man was taken transported to jail, where he was booked in on an evading arrest or detention in a vehicle and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1/1B controlled substance. Peal remained in Hopkins County jail Monday, May 2, 2022; his bond was set at $15,000 on the evading arrest charge and $10,000 on the controlled substance charge, according to jail reports.
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.
SSISD To Hold Special School Board Meeting May
Sulphur Springs ISD has called a special school board meeting Tuesday, with only one action item on the agenda – pay scales. The meeting is one of three school board meetings scheduled this month.
At noon Tuesday, May 3, 2022, the SSISD Board of Trustees will convene in the board room of the SSISD Administration Building, 631 Connally St., to discuss and consider approving the SSISD Compensatory Plan for the 2022-2023 school year. These are the pay scales for the different district employees. According to the school website, SSISD currently has six different pay scales, one each for:
- Teachers, nurses and librarians
- Administrators and specialists
- Office Staff
- Law Enforcement
- Aides
- Hourly Workers
Typically, the school board meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in SSISD Administration Building. The regular May 9 meeting is still scheduled for routine matters.
The school board is also scheduled to hold in another special noon meeting on Monday, May 16, at noon to canvass the votes from the May 7 school bond election. The school board incumbents were the only candidates to file for school board this year, thus, SSISD was able to cancel the trustees election. School board members Craig Roberts, Leesa Toliver and John Prickette are scheduled to be sworn in for another term on during the May 16 meeting.
Early Voting In SSISD Bond, WISD Trustees, Texas Constitutional Amendments Elections Ends May 3
SOS: Voter Turnout Below 5% In Hopkins, Wood Counties; Below 10% In Franklin County As Of Sunday
Early voting in the Sulphur Springs ISD bond election, Winnsboro ISD trustees election and Texas Constitutional Amendments elections ends Tuesday, May 3, 2022.
Early Voting
In Hopkins County early voting by personal appearance will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, May 2-3, in the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Courtroom, located inside the Hopkins County Annex Building at 128 G Jefferson Street.
At the close of the polling center Sunday, May 1, 2022, only 3.6% of Hopkins County’s 24,492 registered voters had cast ballots in the May 7 elections. Of the 811 votes cast in Hopkins County through Sunday evening, 743 were cast in-person (3.03%) and the remaining 138 were mail votes, according to data reported to Texas Secretary of State’s Office by Hopkins County voting officials.
Hopkins County is also one of three counties Winnsboro ISD has contracted with to hold a board of trustees election. Voters will be asked to select up to two candidates for full three year terms on the Winnsboro ISD Board of Trustees, and should vote in the county in which they reside.
Early voting by personal appearance in the Winnsboro ISD trustees election in Hopkins County continues Monday-Tuesday, May 2-3, in the JP2 Courtroom in the Annex Building along. Early voting in Franklin County will continue at the Franklin County Annex Building, 502 East Main Street in Mount Vernon from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 2-3, 2022. In Wood County, early voting by personal appearance in the Winnsboro ISD trustees election will continue at Wood County Annex Building, 200 West Bermuda Street in Quitman, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, May 2-3, 2022.
According to data reported by Franklin County election officials to Texas Secretary of State’s office, 7.78% of Franklin County’s registered voters (553 total) had cast ballots as of May 1, 2022. Of the 7,104 registered voters in Franklin County, 497 had cast ballots in-person (7%) and 56 were mail votes.
In Wood County, 3.32% of the 32,129 registered voters had cast ballots as of May 1, 2022. Of the 1,067 who had voted as of Sunday, 785 were in-person voters and 282 were mail voters, according to data reported to Texas Secretary of State’s Office by Wood County election officials.
Election Day Voting
Voting on Election Day in Hopkins County has been consolidated to 6 boxes:
- Sulphur Springs Middle School cafeteria, 835 Wildcat Way, Sulphur Springs.
- Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Courtroom, 128 G Jefferson St., Sulphur Springs.
- First Floor Courtroom, Hopkins County Courthouse, 118 Church St., Sulphur Springs.
- West Hall, Hopkins County Civic Center, 1200 Houston St., Sulphur Springs.
- Cumby Meeting Room, Cumby Municipal Building, 100 East Main Street, Cumby.
- Art Room, Como-Pickton CISD, 13017 Texas Highway 11 East, Como.
For more information, contact Hopkins County Clerk Tracy Smith at 903-438-4036, [email protected], or go online to http://hopkinsocuntytx.org/page/hopkins.Elections (also can be found by clicking the Voter Information link on Hopkins County‘s main page)
Voting on Election in Franklin County on Election Day, May 7, 2022, will be conducted at:
- Franklin County Building, 1013 North Main St. in Winnsboro;
- Franklin County Commissioner Precinct 3 Building, 513 Highway 900 West in Mount Vernon; and
- South Franklin Community Center, 3150 FM 1448 in Scroggins.
For additional voting information, contact Franklin County Election Coordinator Betty Crane at 903-537-8357 or [email protected], or go online to https://www.co.franklin.tx.us/page/franklin.Election.
Election Day voting in Wood County will be conducted at:
- Winnsboro City Auditorium, 515 to Wheeler Drive in Winnsboro;
- Carroll Green Civic Center, 602 McAllister Street in Quitman; and
- Holly Lake Volunteer Fire Department, 126 Private Road 7869 in Holly Lake Ranch, Texas.
For additional Wood County voting information, call Laura Wise, Wood County early voting clerk, at 903-763-2400, send her an email at [email protected], or go online to https://elections.mywoodcounty.com.
Constitutional Amendment Propositions
All registered Texans will have the option to vote on two propositions which would amend the Texas Constitution.
- State of Texas Proposition 1 asks Texans to vote for against:
- “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead.”
- State of Texas Proposition 2 asks Texans to vote for or against:
- “The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000.”
Click here to see the full text of the 2 Proposed Constitutional Amendments (available in English and Spanish).
Sulphur Springs ISD Election
The Sulphur Springs ISD Election asks voters to cast ballots either for or against Proposition A, which would allow the district to issue $93 million in bonds for school facilities and school buses, with the funds to be repaid through a property tax increase, estimated to be 8.5-cents. Only registered voters who live within SSISD’s boundary will vote in this election.
Additional information about the SSISD Bond Proposal can be found at www.sulphurspringsisdbond.com or by clicking here. To view KSST’s video of the two town hall meetings held regarding the bond or a video of a Lunch and Learn presentation about the May 7 $93 million bond proposal, click t he appropriate link below:
March 31 Town Hall Meeting
April 18 Town Hall Meeting
April 20 Lunch & Learn Meeting
Winnsboro ISD Trustees Election
Voters in Winnsboro will be asked to vote for up to two of the eight candidates to fill two full three-year term seats on the Winnsboro ISD Board of Trustees. Candidates for school board include:
- Richard Banks
- Marsha Duffey
- Brett Burnett
- Shelby Beaty
- Jason Brunson
- Brandon Green
- David Henry
- Billy Saucier
Hopkins County sample ballot for Texas Constitutional Amendments and Winnsboro ISD Board of Trustees Elections 
Franklin County Sample ballot for Texas Constitutional Amendment and Winnsboro ISD Board of Trustees Elections 
Wood County sample ballot for Texas Constitutional Amendments and Winnsboro ISD Board of Trustees Elections
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report for April 25-May 1, 2022
Winnsboro Police Department each week provides a media report with information about department activity. WPD activity for the week of April 25-May 1, 2022 included:
Arrests
- Rodney Petrea, 30 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on April 25, 2022, for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug free zone.
- Billy Cockerham, 67 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on April 26, 2022, on a Winnsboro Municipal Court warrant for fail to maintain financial responsibility.
- Cynthia Busby, 39 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on April 26, 2022 for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance, possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana.
- Donny Bass, 34 years of age, of Sulphur Springs, was arrested on April 28, 2022, for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1/1-B controlled substance.
- Brenda Durbin, 30 years of age, of Como, was arrested on April 29, 2022, for public intoxication.
- Robert Mathews, 38 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on May 1, 2022, on evading arrest or detention and fail to identify fugitive by intentionally giving false information, as well as two Winnsboro Municipal Court warrants for expired driver’s license and one Hopkins County warrant for violation of probation–possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
- Justin Vanginault, 37 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on May 1, 2022, on 16 Class C Winnsboro Municipal Court warrants for various driving violations.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 131 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 26 citations and 52warnings during this reporting period.
