Cumby Junior High OAP Finishes Second, 6 Students Earn Recognition At District Contest
The Cumby Junior High OAP cast and crew came home from the UIL District 15-AA Junior High One-Act Play competition held Thursday, Dec. 2 in Van ISD, with 7 awards.
The Cumby Junior High OAP students did an “amazing job” during their 1:30 p.m. performance, and received a 2nd Place plaque for their efforts. Six students also received medals for individual achievements.
Kiersten Walden, Bryce Bearden and Ailee McArthur were named All Star Cast members, while Luke Green and Josie Norris received Honorable Mention All Star Cast recognition.
Hunter McPherson received a medal for being an Outstanding Technician.
Cumby teacher Robin Wheat serves as director for the CJHS theater troupe.
Congratulations to these thespians and Wheat on their achievements in District OAP competition.
HCSO Seeks Information Regarding Vehicle Burglaries
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information regarding a string of vehicle burglaries overnight Wednesday to report it to Lake Country Crime Stoppers.
Several vehicle break-ins were committed Wednesday night December 1, through the early morning hours of Thursday, December 2, 2021, south of Sulphur Springs and in the city of Sulphur Springs.
Tips to Crime Stoppers are handled in such a way the caller’s identity remains anonymous. A tip that results in arrest and/or conviction could result in a $1,000 reward for the caller. Call Lake Country Crime Stoppers at 903-885-2020 to report information about the vehicle burglaries.
Christmas From the Paris Junior College Sulphur Springs Campus
CHRISTMAS NEAR
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center secretary Jocelyn Sanchez Ambriz, in back reaching for lights, and students decorate the campus Christmas tree.
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.
Paris Junior College Board of Regents Receives Student Achievement Update
PJC-Greenville Center
Public Information Service
PJC Board of Regents receives student achievement update
At their monthly meeting on Nov. 22, the Paris Junior College Board of Regents received the 2020-2021 report on 2021-2030 Student Achievement Targets.
“We’ve done well without targets,” said Dr. Pam Anglin, PJC President. “These are the same achievement targets that we’ve had for the last 10 years. We’ve increased our percentages as an expectation, so we continue improving.”
In other business, the Regents:
• Approved an additional transfer of $2.5 million from the General Operating Fund to the Renewals and Replacement Fund as of August 31.
• Cast all of PJC’s votes at the Lamar County Appraisal District for nominee Ed McCraw.
• Approved the 2022-2023 Academic Calendar with the Fall 2022 semester starting Aug. 29 and ending with Commencement on Dec. 16. The Spring 2023 semester will begin on Jan. 17 and end on May 12. Spring Break 2023 will be March 13-17.
• Approved a change to the associate degree nursing curriculum initially brought before the board of regents last year. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved the curriculum and it was scheduled to be implemented in Fall 2022. In working with consultants, it was found the current proposed curriculum would align with a statewide developed curriculum for RNs and this will be submitted to begin in the Fall 2022 semester.
• Accepted the reassignment of Gabriela Reyes as Student Success Coach/Financial Aid Advisor at the PJC – Greenville Center; the employment of Associate Degree Nursing Instructor Deborah Elmore, Adult Education Career Navigator Mike Minihan, and Student Recruiter/Academic Advisor Alford Echols III; and the retirement of Small Business Development Center Counselor James Struwe.
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.
Peace & Hope Remembrance Offered For Families Harvey Funeral Home Has Served
The staff at Sam B. Harvey Funeral Home invite the families they have served to stop by the Mount Vernon office this month for a Peace & Hope Remembrance ornament, to remember the loved ones during the 2021 Christmas season.
Man Allegedly Threatened Stepson With Gun During County Road 2326 Disturbance
A firearm was reportedly displayed during a County Road 2326 disturbance involving a man and stepson Wednesday night, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Communications operators dispatched Deputy Isaac Foley and Sgt. Tanner Steward to a rural Sulphur Springs address, where a disturbance was reported around 8 p.m. Dec. 1, 2021.
Upon arrival at the County Road 2326 residence, deputies were informed, by several people present, that a verbal altercation between the 65-year-old Carroll Wayne Clark and his stepson devolved into a shoving match between the two. Clark then was alleged to have pulled out a firearm, pointed it at the stepson and threatened to shoot the stepson.
As a result of the gun displayed during the County Road 2326 Disturbance, deputies took Clark into custody at 8:53 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1. The Sulphur Springs man was booked into the county jail early Thursday morning, Dec. 2, 2021, on an aggravated assault with deadly weapon charge.
Clark remained in Hopkins County jail just before noon Dec. 2, 2021, on the felony assault 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.
Both Basketball Teams in Tournament Play Starting Today
The Lady Cats and Wildcats basketball teams will both be away from home in tournaments this weekend.
The women’s basketball team will be a long ways from home when they travel to Glen Rose to participate in their tournament.
Thursday game day brings Coach Erica Delley’s squad against Amarillo’s Caprock High School later today at 5 P.M.
The women’s basketball team are still looking to mesh and develop more chemistry before district play in a few weeks, and tournament play is a great chance to get different looks from teams the Lady Cats would not normally play.
Once today’s tourney contest against Caprock HS concludes Friday’s tournament schedule will finalize itself and be posted here.
Moving over to the men’s basketball team, Coach Brandon Shaver’s squad will be a bit closer to home in the DFW metroplex when they travel south of Arlington to participate in the Mansfield tourney.
It will be a tough one as Coach Shaver’s squad will be taking on some tough 6A competition but will attempt to improve upon their 6-0 record.
The first game for the men’s basketball team will be against Atascocita at 1:30 P.M.
Win or lose, Sulphur Springs will play their second match later Thursday evening at 6 P.M.
They will continue to be in action in Mansfield on not only Friday but Saturday as well if they can put together wins in the tournament.
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.
Tis The Season … Be Sure To Lock Vehicles To Guard Against Burglary
Tis the season, for love, peace and good will. Unfortunately, it’s also a season in which some “shop” others’ unlocked vehicles for personal gain – taking Christmas presents and valuable items left in other’s vehicles. Thus, Sulphur Springs Police Department Chief Jason Ricketson reminds everyone to secure their belongings and lock their vehicle doors when exiting them.
“Don’t be an easy target. Help us help you by hiding your things, locking your vehicle doors, taking your keys with you,” Ricketson said. “Vehicle burglary is one of the most easily preventable crimes but often one of the hardest to prove. Don’t be a victim.”
Ricketson said SSPD has not had any reports of people’s cars being broken into, and your local law enforcement would like to keep it that way. This is, however, a time of year in which vehicle burglaries rise. Each motorist and passenger can do his or her part to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a vehicle burglary.
Many will be out shopping for just Christmas gifts for their loved ones and friends. Unfortunately, a few others also take advantage of others’ distraction, going through parking lots and residential areas, in town and in the country, trying doors for unlocked vehicles.
Those readily opened autos are easy pickings for would-be car burglars. Items are easily accessed and removed. It generally takes thieves seconds to pull at a door handle to see if it’s unlocked, then a moment or two to snatch any valuables inside and abscond with them. Ricketson reminds people to lock their vehicles doors when they exit them, regardless of where they are going or for how long.
Vehicle burglars also are known to target vehicles where pricy or easily pawnable items are clearly visible. Removing valuables from vehicles, or securing and storing them out-of-site to passersby held reduce the potential of the auto becoming a target for criminal activity.
Ricketson reminds people it’s never a good idea to leave valuables such as purses, wallets, checkbooks, jewelry or cash in unattended vehicles. When items must be left in vehicles, put them under seats, in the trunk, in closed compartments or other covered areas where they cannot be seen by anyone walking in the area. And, be sure to lock the car when leaving it.
When shopping for Christmas presents, don’t leave visible items inside your car or truck while you go in a restaurant to eat or visit another store, if possible. Conceal and stow parcels in a trunk, if possible, or covering giftbags, packages, store bags and other items out-of-site, so they do on attract attention.
Also, be sure to remove keys from vehicles when exiting them – even at home – so that others won’t be able to drive off in your ride.
If anyone witnesses what appears to be a vehicle burglary or other suspicious activity, they are encouraged to call their local law enforcement agency or, if witnessing a crime in progress, call 911.
2 Women Caught Tuesday With Methamphetamine
Two women were caught Tuesday with methamphetamine at local businesses, officers allege in arrest reports.
East Shannon Road Arrest
While in the 1500 block of East Shannon Road, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Justin Wilkerson and Zack Steward saw a person slumped over the steering wheel on a white Dodge pickup parked at a gas pump at 12:47 a.m. Nov. 30, 2021. The deputies approached the truck, Wilkerson on the driver’s side and Steward the passenger’s side, to check on the driver.
Wilkerson reported seeing a baggy in the woman’s hand. When asked about it, she allegedly admitted she had a little marijuana. The deputies ordered her out of the truck.
While she was getting out, Wilkerson reported seeing objects protruding from inside of the woman’s shirt near her bra area. When asked to remove it, she pulled out two lighters and a baggy containing a crystal-like substance the deputies suspected was methamphetamine.
Rene Lucia Grimaldi was placed into custody. A probable cause search of the truck revealed additional drug paraphernalia. The truck was impounded. The 50-year-old Pickton woman was transported to the county jail.
Jail staff reported finding a pipe of the kind used to smoke meth concealed in her bra. The substances located field-tested positive for meth; combined, the substances weighed 2.164 grams, including packaging. Grimaldi was booked into Hopkins County jail at 3:05 a.m. Nov. 30, 2021, on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Grimaldi was released from the county jail Dec. 1, 2021, on a $10,000 bond on the felony controlled substance charge.
South Broadway Street Arrest
Sulphur Springs Police Special Crimes Unit Lt. Mark Estes and Sgt. Joe Scott reported being contacted to investigate a claim of a woman smoking methamphetamine in the front restroom at a South Broadway Street store Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 30, 2021.
(HCSO jail photo)
The woman had allegedly left a cell phone and suspected methamphetamine when she left the restroom. The items were found and turned over to store staff, who contacted the SCU officials.
The woman, identified in arrest reports as Marsha Michelle Whitaker, returned for the cell phone and zipper bag containing 1.4 grams of suspected meth and pipes. After she took custody of the items on video which the SCU officers were watching, the SCU officers detained her. The 49-year-old Grand Saline woman allegedly admitted to possession the items and to smoking it in the restroom.
She was taken into custody at 2:59 p.m. Nov. 30, 2021, and jailed on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1/1-B controlled substance.
Whitaker was released from Hopkins County jail Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, on a $5,000 bond on the felony controlled substance 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.
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.
Chili Cooks Needed Dec. 10 For A Cook-Off
Chili cooks are needed Dec. 10 for a Chili Cook-Off at the Senior Citizens Center.
The contest is open to anyone who wishes to dust off their apron and whip up a crock pot full of their best chili recipe to be judged and shared with senior citizens.
At the beginning of the week, Senior Citizens Center Director Karon Weatherman sent out a request for additional cooks. At that point, only 5 had signed up to compete. Since then at least 7 others have responded their willingness to enter a crock of chili they’ve prepared at home.
The contest will feature 5 judges. The winner will not only have bragging rights for having the best chili this year as well as tokens recognizing their edible achievement.
“You will get a trophy, Certificate of Award, bragging rights and a prize from Carriage House Manor. I have 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place and 4 Honorable Mention trophies,” Weatherman said.
Anyone who would like to enter a crock pot full of chili in the Dec. 10 contest, to be judged at noon at the Senior Citizens Center, may do so by calling Weatherman at 903-885-1661.
