Hopkins County Records – Dec. 17, 2021
Land Deed Transfers
- Haven Tennison to Amanda Story and Mike Story; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Tim Tolson to Jennifer Ann Tolson; tract in the Santos Coy survey
- Donald Bohlken to Flying N Land And Cattle LLC
- Ana Micka AIF Daniel J. Micka to Diana L Cross and Johnny R Cross; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Jamie Hornbuckle to Tufeng Zhang and Min Zhoa; tract in the John B. Sparkman survey
- Barbara Potter to Bent Investments LLC; tract in the Mary Ann Bowlin survey
- Monica Rubio, known by Monica Rubio-Afdahl, to Gabriel Arthur Rubio Sr. an Zella Rubio; tract in the Russell B. Craft survey
- J Woodson to Brandon Woodson; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Judith Dolan and Thomas Dolan to Bob Neal and Nikki Neal; tract in the Green Acres Addition
- Johnny R. Couch and Patsy R. Couch to Berta Alicia Rodriguez and Victor Manuel Rodriguez; tract in the Thomas Lee survey
- Jonas Helm and Melanie Helm to McCrorey Land and Cattle LLC; tract in the R Moore survey
- Michael Douglas Attaway to Maria E. Rodriguez; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Gail Ann Johnston to M Rosamond Construction LLC; tract in the Jose Y’Barbo survey
- Elmer Anderson “EA” Junell Jr. Estate, Thomas Charles Sellers independent executor, to Summit Ranch Construction LLC; tract GW Downing survey
- Michael Coker to Alexander Mario Valenzuela; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Alma Click to Gala Jean Baird, Norris W. Click and Charlotte Ann Rainey
- Courtney Dawson, Laura Elizabeth Dawson and Melissa Paige Dawson to James Allen; tract in the JF Keller survey
- Uriel Hernandez-Perez and Maribel Pacheco to James Hopper and Carlina Pacheco Marintez; tract n the Mary Ann Bowlin survey
- Coery M. Leonard to Maggie Michelle Leonard; tract in the James Barrett survey
- Gail Johnston to Karen Gammill; tract in the Jose Y’Barbo survey
- Austin Dyer and Michael Dyer to Edward Lord and Shyla Lord; tract in the John Norris survey
- Gary Lewis and Rachel Lewis to Champions MPM LLC; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Yates Group Inc. to GPM SSTX001 LLC; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Thelma L. Kelly to Jeramiah J. Dias; tract in the Gilbert Smith survey
- Marilyn Baxter, independently and as independent executor for the James L. Baxter Estate, to Markeda Fisher; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Janet E. Stewart and Mark E Williams to Brian Larson; tract in the Thomas Tobar survey
- Martin Munoz Jr. to Winghung Chiang and Lin Yang; tract in the John G. Procello survey
- Sharon McKenzie, known by Sharon Roberts, and Glenn Roberts to SGM McQueen Inc.; tract in the Oscar Engledow survey
- Cynthia Bain, Dana Bain, David Clinton Bain, and Michael Jack Bain independently and as independent administrator for the Ruby Jean Bain Estate, to Charlotte Hinton Nelson; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Bernhard Ballin to David Krusiewski and Wendy Krusiewski; tract in the James Hansley survey
- Louisiana National Bank to Casey Woodall and Michael Woodall; tract in the U. Aiguier survey
- Joan Henry and Tommy Henry to Melissa Pogue; tract in the John Clark survey
- John McClane, who is also known by Johnny M. McClane, and Mitzi L. McLane to Brandie English and Colten English; tract in the Juan Polvedore survey
- Brandon Huffines and Melissa Huffines to Alan Screws and Kim Screws; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Charles Bryan White and Natalie White to Kimberly Diane Skinner and William Douglas Skinner; tract in the Santos Coy survey
- Nancy Tubb and Steven D. Tubb to Landon Overly and Lexi Overly; tract in the James Hawkins survey
- Donna L. Barton and Johnny R. Barton to Anne Marie Rowland and Douglas Lee Rowland; tract in the John Clark survey
- Jason Day, Jeff Day, Jimmy Day and Teresa Garcia to Valarie J. Trousdale and Marcie Ward; tract in the MW Matthews survey
- Ninfa Barajas De Sanchez to Armando Frias Salazar; tract in the HN Quirk survey
- Misty Friddle and William Friddle to Choice Residential LLC; tract in the GC Littlefield survey
- Johnny Green and Lori Lee Green to Barbara E. Garcia and Larry L. Garcia; tract in the James Hawkins survey
- Angelia Farmer and Troy Alan Farmer to Anitha Sanderson and Jeff Sanderson; tract in the Jose Y’Barbo survey
- Jared R. Caddell, Jeff Alan Caddell, K. Caddell and Melissa Caddell to Ali K. Newsom and Jonathan Newsom; tract in the Troy M. Thomas survey
- Donna L. Barton and Johnny R. Barton to Colten Paris; tract in the John Clark survey
- Morgane Milligan to RE Metro Investments LLC; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Kasandra Renee Bradley, Lelia Starling and Novell Starling to Mary L. Foster and Donnie Earle Martin; tract in the Sarah H. Norris survey
- Marsha S. Herman and William Ben Herman to Holley Narramore and Mark Narramore; tract in the William Cannon survey
- Brenda L. Curry and Simion Graghicui to Simon Rodriguez and Jeffery Louis Topping; tract in the MJ McGee survey
- David E. Downs, independent executor for the Earl L. Downs Estate, to Kathleen McKenzie and Ryan McKenzie; tract in the Nacogdoches University survey
- Joshua R. Beck to Alan Screws and Kim Screws; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Davis Street Baptist Church of Sulphur Springs to Judy Temples; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Morgan Massey, known by Morgan Vail, and David Vail to Glenna D. Bulloch Living Trust, Kaylyn Moss and Sherri Prisbrey; tract in the Nacogdoches University survey
- Hollie A. Allen and Heather R. Winstead to Pamela Allen; tract in the Andrew Hurley survey
- Matt R. Mitchell and Jaime N. Mitchell to John J. Debusk and Deralyn M. Debusk; tract in the Santos Coy survey
Applications for Marriage Licenses
- Aaron Gerald Helton and Jessica Renee Oliver
- William Daniel Crawford and Katelyn Grace Beech
- Kayla Diane Lee Hewett and Maisen Dare Brown
- Joseph Clifford Martin and Erika Ann Flowers
- Donald Anthony Coffman and Denise Dawn Simmons
Three Teams in Action For Friday Game Day, Plus Lady Cats Soccer Hosts Scrimmage Tournament Saturday
The Lady Cats basketball team are the only squad in action at home on this Friday game day.
The women’s basketball team host Texas High for their second contest in District 15-5A play.
Sulphur Springs lost their opener Tuesday in Mount Pleasant.
Coach Erica Delley and her team will look to get their first win in district tonight when they host the Lady Tigers.
That game tips-off at 6:15 P.M. and broadcasted tonight on KSST 1230 AM.
If given permission, we will also livestream the game on to KSST Radio’s YouTube channel.
The second team up on this Friday game day is Wildcats soccer, although the varsity team now has an acting bye today on Friday, Dec. 17.
Coach Alexi Upton and his men’s soccer team were originally scheduled to travel to the metroplex to take on Carrollton’s RL Turner, but the coach had to cancel the game.
As a result, Friday game day for Sulphur Springs will be a JV2/freshman only contest with West Mesquite.
That game will kick off at Gerald Prim Stadium at 4 P.M.
Last Saturday Wildcats soccer kicked off their season at home with a 2-0-1 scrimmage tourney effort, good enough to be crowned Sulphur Springs Tournament Champions.
They followed up that with a 3-1 scrimmage win in Greenville on Tuesday.
Wildcats basketball are last team up today back in the DFW metroplex taking on Arlington Grace Prep.
Coach Brandon Shaver were set to travel to Fort Worth on Tuesday for a non-district match-up with Arlington Heights HS.
The Yellowjackets forfeited their match so Sulphur Springs’ record now sits at 14-4 heading into their Friday contest.
The men’s basketball team will look to make it two straight wins if they can get the victory versus Arlington Grace Prep tonight at 7:30 P.M.
Lady Cats soccer have a home scrimmage tournament tomorrow, taking on three highly-ranked 4A teams.
Coach Javier Aguayo and his athletes host three teams in the top-10 in 4A Division II.
First up, women’s soccer takes on #3 Maybank at 9 AM. Sulphur Springs will be back in action for their second game of two on Saturday taking on #7 Kilgore at 11 A.M.
The final match for Coach Aguayo and his Lady Cats is at 2 P.M. on Dec. 18 versus #10 Caddo Mills.
Women’s soccer went 1-1 last Saturday to open scrimmage play.
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.
Hopkins County Masonic Lodges Donate To Blue Santa
Hopkins County Masonic Lodges – made up of Sulphur Bluff, Sulphur Springs, and Cumby Lodges – made a donation of $1.000 to the Blue Santa program today. The funding from the Hopkins County Masonic Lodges would be utilized if there are any emergency Christmas toys needs, such as a family losing all of their belongings to a fire, this year. Otherwise, it will go into the account, used to pick up toys throughout the next year to help make sure there are enough toys to provide Christmas gifts for Hopkins County children in financially disadvantaged families next year.
Sulphur Springs Man Jailed For Allegedly Assaulting His Father With Hedge Trimmers
A 32-year-old Sulphur Springs man was jailed Thursday afternoon for allegedly assaulting his father with hedge trimmers, according police reports.
Sulphur Springs Police and emergency responders were initially dispatched at 10:31 a.m. Dec. 16, 2021, to the 600 block of Tate Street, to what was reported as a traumatic injury. Upon arrival, a man was indeed reported to have been injured, and determined an assault had occurred. The man’s son was alleged to have cut the man with hedge trimmers, causing the traumatic injury.
First aid and medical care was administered on scene to the injured man. The man’s hand sustained a significant injury and a medical helicopter was requested by on scene paramedics. The man was transported by ambulance to the airport to await the helicopter to fly him to a trauma center better equipped to care for the injury.
Sulphur Springs Police began investigating the incident and launched a search in the area, aided by all available city and county law enforcement offices. A short time later, Sulphur Springs ISD Police advised the suspect, identified in arrest reports as Brady Layne Mathews, had turned himself in at Sulphur Springs High School.
Sulphur Springs ISD Administration in a release Friday afternoon about the arrest of a “community member” at SSHS on Thursday, stated that:
“The community member entered the SSHS student entrance during lunch time where he was intercepted by SSHS administration. Once intercepted, he was immediately removed from the area. The Sulphur Springs ISD Police department was engaged immediately, and the community member was promptly arrested and removed from campus. The community member was not armed.”
The release further notes that the individual “was engaged, apprehended, and removed without incident. As always, the safety of our students and staff remain our absolute top priority.” Parents with further questions, are directed to contact SSISD Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams at 903-885-0999.
Upon being notified by SSISD police that the suspect had turned himself in to officers at SSHS, Sgt. Brandon Mayes went to SSHS, where he contacted Mathews in the school office. Mayes reported the man had blood on his clothes and was detained in handcuffs in the school office. Mayes took custody of the 32-year-old Sulphur Springs man at 12:27 p.m. and transported him to Hopkins County jail, Mayes and SCU Detective Sgt. Joe Scott alleged in arrest reports. Mathews was booked in at 1:39 p.m. Dec. 16, 2021 and remained in the county jail Friday afternoon, Dec. 17, 2021, in lieu of the $100,000 bond set on the first-degree felony aggravated assault of a family member with a deadly weapon charge, according to jail reports.
Not only was Thursday not the first time Mathews has been jailed in Hopkins County, jail records show it also wasn’t his first time to be booked in on an assault charge.
Mathews, who is also known to spell his name Brady Lane Matthews, has been jailed more than 2 dozen times with over 3 dozen charges on his jail record since 2007. He was booked into the county jail on Sept. 26, 2010 for family violence assault causing bodily injury, on April 29, 2011 on a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, spent Oct. 27-Dec. 8, 2015, in custody for violating probation on the aggravated assault charge, from Aug. 11-Sept. 28, 2016, as part of a four year prison sentence for violation of probation on the aggravated assault charge, according to the Hopkins County jail records.
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.
Teen Jailed On Aggravated Sexual Assault Of Child Charge
A Sulphur Springs teen was jailed on an aggravated sexual assault of a child charge shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Sgt. Brandon Mayes located Mark Douglas Kelly at a Peach Street residence at 3:01 p.m. Dec. 15, 2021, and served him with the first-degree felony warrant. Mayes transported the 18-year-old to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked on the aggravated sexual assault of a child charge.
The Sulphur Springs teen was jailed just after 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 15, 2021, on the first-degree felony warrant. He remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday afternoon, Dec. 16, 2021, in lieu of the $100,000 bond set on the charge, according to jail 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.
Wildcats and Lady Cats Track 2022 Schedule Released
Wildcats football head coach and athletic director of Sulphur Springs Greg Owens released the schedule for the spring 2022 track season.
Both junior varsity and varsity teams will hit the ground running on February 24 when they host their only meet of the year.
Most of the meets for Coach Matt Young and Ross Hicks’s teams take place on Thursday, but some are on Friday.
The second contest for the SSHS track team will take place on Friday, Mar. 4 when they take the bus trip out to Gilmer.
The following Thursday, Mar. 10, both JV and varsity will travel to Lindale for their third meet of the spring 2022 season.
After Spring Break ends (Mar. 14-18), both teams will be up north in Paris for the fourth competition on Thursday Mar. 24, and varsity only will end the season in Whitehouse on Thursday, Mar. 31.
All contests for the spring 2022 track team begin at 4 P.M.
JV will have their district meet in Hallsville on Monday, Apr. 4 and the squads have an open date on Thursday, Apr. 7. Varsity will also be in Hallsville on Apr. 13-14 for the 15-5A District meet.
The Area competition is Apr. 20 back in Whitehouse, and the 5A Division II Region 3 meet will be held in Arlington on Wednesday, Apr. 20.
Rounding out dates on the track calendar, the state track meet is on May 13-14 at the University of Texas at Austin.
To see the schedule in list-form, click here.
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.
Active COVID Case Count Doubled Over The Last 2 1/2 Weeks In Hopkins County
3 COVID Deaths Confirmed For Hopkins County In Last 45 Days
Although the number of active COVID cases Texas Department of State Health Services has reported this week are lower than those reported from August through November, the active case count for Hopkins County has more than doubled in the last 2 1/2 weeks. Three additional Hopkins County residents are also confirmed to have died from COVID over the last 45 days as well, according to the DSHS Daily Case Counts dashboard reports.
As was the case earlier in the year, just when it seemed COVID had been licked or at least reduced to less than 25 active cases among county residents daily from June 27 to July 16, the case count has begun rising again. From July 17 through Sept. 14 as the Delta variant spread across the world, Hopkins County went from having 29 residents who actively had COVID to 498 active cases.
| COVID Category | Cumulative Case Count |
|---|---|
| Confirmed Cases | 3,291 |
| Probable Cases | 2,289 |
| Fatalities | 149 |
| Active Cases (Estimated) | 90 |
| Recovered (Estimated) | 5,340 |
Things appeared to have turned around for Hopkins County, as the number of active cases among Hopkins County residents dropped from 484 on Sept. 15 to 40 active cases on Nov. 28, 2021. People have begun returning to normal practices, holding events and gatherings with increasingly more people in attendance and fewer of the health precautions observed last fall and winter or even as early as spring and the start of the school observed. Instead of the rule and norm, individuals wearing facemasks has become the exception again, with fewer face covering worn in offices, school, stores or the public in general.
However, the virus is once again on the rise in Hopkins County. In fact, the active case count among Hopkins County residents has more than doubled, rising from 40 Nov. 28 to 44 Nov. 29, then 57 on the last day of the month. The active case count peaked at 74 the first week of December, fluctuating between 60 and 75. In only one of the past 8 days have there been less than 80 Hopkins County residents reported to actively have the virus. On Dec. 15, 2021, the active case count for Hopkins County was 90. That’s 50 more people than on Nov. 28, including 21 in the past 2 days (10 new confirmed cases on Dec. 14 and 11 on Dec. 15).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest data shows that to be a high transmission rate and recommends that “Everyone in Hopkins County, Texas should wear a mask in public, indoor settings. Mask requirements might vary from place to place.” The CDC reports 46 cases and two new hospital admissions for Hopkins County on Dec. 16. The county had a 4.92 percent positivity rate from Dec. 6 to Dec. 12.
DSHS reports that 98.3 percent of Texans (171 individuals) who had COVID from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4, 2021, were determined to have the Delta variant; one Texan had Omicron variant and two had another strain of the virus.
Also, DSHS has recently confirmed based on cause listed on death certificates recorded by the state’s vital statistics office that three additional Hopkins County residents have died from COVID since Oct. 22: one person each died on Nov. 5, Nov. 22 and the latest on Dec. 4, a day in which 68 Hopkins County residents were reported to actively have the virus. That makes 149 Hopkins County residents who have died from COVID since the virus began, 84 in 2020 and 65 Hopkins County COVID deaths in 2021.
From March 21, 2020 to Dec. 15, 2021, a total of 3,291 Hopkins County residents have been confirmed by lab testing to have contracted the virus and another 2,289 probable cases, determined by the CDC definition, which counts as a probable case any person who has either tested positive through an antigen test or has a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID without a more likely diagnosis. Altogether, that’s a cumulative 5,580 Hopkins County residents who’ve had COVID since March of 2020, including 5,340 who’ve recovered.
Wildcats Football Players Earn All-District Honors
It may have been a tough season for Wildcats football, but with their district rival Ennis eliminated in the Area round, AD and head football coach for Sulphur Springs Greg Owens released the District 8-5A awards for his team.
While no football players made the first team all-district, four players were selected to the second team.
One player, Matthew Sherman, made academic first team all-state.
The aforementioned four players, three juniors and one senior, were mostly skill positions. Junior Nick Cantillo was the only member of Coach Kurt McCains defense to be awarded to the second team all-district.
Two players from the offense, juniors Luke Caton and CJ Williams, were crowned second team tight end and wide receiver, respectively.
Colby Albritton made the second team as punter from District 8-5A.
Two offensive linemen, senior C Jakobe Yarbrough and junior LG Sean Dial earned Honorable Mentions for holding down the fort in the interior offensive line.
Weston Fields was also an honorable mention for wide receiver from the district.
Moving over to the defense, Coach McCain’s unit saw five honorable mentions awarded to his unit, four of which were seniors.
In the trenches, DT Carson Fenton was awarded honorable mention on the defensive line, and ILB Griffin Crawford was selected as honorable mention linebacker.
The defensive backfield, one of the strengths of the 2021 Wildcats football team, saw three of its athletes awarded honorable mentions.
Senior Korderrian “Bull” Turner and junior Riley Hammons were named honorable mention safeties, and Colt Silman rounded out district awards by being selected as honorable mention cornerback for District 8-5A.
Matthew Sherman was the only Wildcat to be selected as Academic All-State.
Seven players made the second team, though:
- Slot WR Reed Williams and X WR Cable Glenn
- Z WRs Aidyn Rogers and Alex Flecker
- TE/DT Carson Fenton
- OLB Madison Martin
- ILB Griffin Crawford
Honorable mentions for Academic All-State were awarded to four football players:
- Clayton Boykin
- WR/Corner Colt Silman
- C Jakobe Yarbrough
- Stanley Alba
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.
3 Jailed On Felony Warrants In Hopkins County
At least three men were jailed on felony warrants in Hopkins County over the past two days, according to arrest and jail reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Terry Thompson took Gary Lee Gibson into custody at 1 p.m. Decd. 14, 2021. The 46-year-old Sulphur Springs man was booked into the county jail at 3:22 p.m. for bond forfeiture on an April 23, 2021 theft of property valued at less than $2,500. The charge was enhanced to a felony offense because Gibson has two or more previous convictions on his record, according to arrest and jail reports.
Gibson remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, in lieu of the new $15,000 bond set on the theft charge, according to jail reports.
HCSO Deputy Steve Huffman took Manuel Botello-Zapeda into custody at 6:40 a.m. Dec. 14, 2021, at Cameron County Detention Center in Brownsville and transported him to Hopkins County jail. Huffman noted the 41-year-old Brashear man was cooperative and polite the entire trip. Botello-Zapeda was booked into Hopkins County jail at 8:08 p.m. Dec. 14, 2021, on the warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for a Nov. 13, 2016 third or more driving while intoxicated offense, according to arrest reports.
He remained in the county jail Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, held on the outstanding charge, according to jail reports.
HCSO Deputy Kevin Lester took custody of Wesley Thomas McConnell into custody at 1:24 p.m. Dec. 13, 2021, at Franklin County jail. Lester transported the 43-year-old Scroggins man to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked at 2:31 p.m. Dec. 13 on a warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for a July 27, 2018 tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair charge, according to arrest reports.
McConnell was held in Hopkins County jail Dec. 15, 2021 on the 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.
What Is A Winter Solstice?
The term “solstice” comes from the Latin words /sol (Sun) and /sistere/ (to stand still) because, during the solstice, the angle between the Sun’s rays and the plane of the Earth’s equator (called declination) appears to stand still.
So what does that mean, exactly? On the arrival of the winter solstice, the Sun appears at its lowest in the sky, and its noontime elevation seems to stay the same for several days before and after this day. The Sun’s gradual decrease in the sky reverses upon the winter solstice. In the United States, the official start of the winter season happens on the winter solstice.
Winter solstice 2021 will take place on December 21, albeit at different times across the country. It doesn’t fall on the exact same date every year, but occurs on either December 21 or December 22 annually across U.S. time zones. Arriving a few days before Christmas, most people are long into their cold weather activities by then, and many not even realize that this December solstice is taking place.
On December 21, 2021, winter will come to the central standard time at 9:59 am.
Solstice vs. Equinox
They are not the same thing. In fact, they are opposites.
Because the planet rotates on a tilted axis, different locations receive varying amounts of sunlight as the year progresses. The solstices mark the days at which the path of the sun travels farthest north or south from the earth’s equator. This is why the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, and conversely the summer solstice is the longest day.
The equinoxes, which take place in March and September are the moments in the spring and fall where the sun is directly above the equator and daylight and night time are relatively equal. Meaning, that while solstices and equinoxes are related, they happen at different times of the year.
Easier to remember is that solstices are the longest and shortest days of the year, while equinoxes occur when the day and night are equally as long, or the same number of hours.
While we celebrate the winter solstice, those living in the Southern Hemisphere will be simultaneously marking the arrival of summer. That’s because while our half of the globe is inclined away from the Sun, their half is inclined toward it. Being tilted away from the Sun brings us shorter days and colder temperatures.
Historians believe Stonehenge in England was erected to keep track of the Sun’s yearly progress.
Winter solstice gardening, in most regions of this country, the first day of winter is too cold for much winter solstice gardening. However, many gardeners find some indoor gardening practices that work for them. For example, one way to celebrate winter solstice for gardeners is to use that day to order seeds for next spring’s garden. This is especially fun if you get catalogs in the mail that you can flip through, but shopping online is increasing in popularity.
There’s no better time than winter to organize and plan for sunnier days to come!
Contributed by Phyllis Kitten, Hopkins County Master Gardeners
