Welding Shop at the Paris Junior College Sulphur Springs Campus
WELDING SKILLS
Jarrett Bartley of Sulphur Springs practices his skills in gas tungsten arc welding at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center welding shop.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Pay Increases Approved For All SSISD Employees
Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees Tuesday approved pay increases for all district employees during a special meeting.
Sulphur Springs ISD Superintendent Michael Lamb asked the school board to consider approving a set pay increase for all SSISD teachers (and other employees on the same compensation plan, including nurses, librarians, counselors, testing coordinators and law enforcement officers) and a percentage increase for those on the five other compensation plans. The proposal was made as a means to retain current staff and become more competitive for recruitment purposes.
“We are basically saying at this point that there’s nothing more important than our people and doing this for our people. Yes, we may have to take a trip or two less, we may have to do without a few things here and there, but right now, it’s a commitment to people and this pay scale, and that’s our most important thing,” Lamb said. “We’ve still got a lot of positive things going our way.”
Lamb said administrators had hoped to have proposals to include at the April meeting, but at that time were still waiting on some information from experts, including tax values. The plan then was to present them at the regular May board meeting on the 9th, but after seeing information circulating about pay scales at other nearby or similar school districts they asked the board to convene a week earlier in this very competitive market. Administrators felt the need to have a compensation package with an increase from top to bottom for retention and recruitment purposes, Lamb noted.
Business Manager Sherry McGraw and Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams crunched number, taking into account a number of factors, including the need to be more competitive, balanced with staffing needs and financial resources.
Lamb said while it’s rare for salary increases to be presented for board approval before the budget process, but administrators feel confident that working from now until August they will be able to accommodate an increase for 2022-23 in a balanced budget. ESSAR funding which the district anticipates receiving for through the 2023-2024 school year will help offset some of the expenses.
“It is a bit of a risky move, particularly in this atmosphere, but it’s a risk we feel like we have to take under the circumstances to be competitive. It’s a tough time for all of you. Your businesses I think are facing these same things and decisions. We just think it’s an incredible time to commit to teachers in this way,” Lamb said, when asking the school board to approve the proposed compensation plans for district employees.
SSISD Trustee Leesa Toliver made a motion, which Board Vice President Craig Roberts seconded, to approve the compensation plans as presented. The board voted unanimously that teachers will receive $2,000 more in the 2022-2023 school year than during the 2021-2022 school year.
Under the current compensation package, teachers could look at the scale, see their number of years and expect a certain pay increase according to an established step scale. For the 2022-2023 school year, the increase will be a flat $2,000 over this year’s base salary for all teachers.
“This is everybody – all of the teachers are much better off this way,” Williams said of the flat $2,000 pay increase, which for the 2022-2023 school year will replace the current step pay schedule.
For instance, a first year teacher next year according to the 2021-2022 step pay scale for teachers, nurses, librarians, counselors and security personnel would expect to receive a $100 step increase, bumping it up to $45,100, and a teacher or librarian who is complete her/his eighth year as a teacher would expect a $500 pay increase during year nine. During the 2022-2023 school year, first year teachers would receive $47,000 and a ninth year nurse would receive $48,600. A 29-year teacher who this year receives a base salary of $59,600 would be receive $61,600 in the 2022-2023 school year. This will be for one year, not a new step scale.
“We are in transition, I want that to be clear,” Lamb said. “Our teachers have grown accustomed to looking at that scale and basically some form guaranty that says, ‘Oh I make this much this year. I’ll make this much next year,'” Lamb said. “Really, those intended to get you started, not all the time. So, just to be clear, for teachers this is a $2,000 raise.”
All other district employees will receive a pay increase of 2-5% in the coming year, the administrators noted. That includes educational aides, administrators and specialists, office staff and hourly workers
Compensation plans for district employees for the 2022-2023 school year are now currently available to view or download from the district website, https://www.ssisd.net. Select the Employment link, then click Compensation Plans to view the 13 page document.
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.
