Emily Glass had a Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey September 23rd
September 25, 2025 – Dial Study Club’s Emily Glass dropped by for a Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey September 23rd, 2025. Emily and John Mark chatted about the successful Homecoming Parade that was held a few weeks ago, the United Way and their new campaign, upcoming plans for The Venue 219 on Main Street, and much more. Be sure to check out this interesting episode of KSST’s A Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey and learn what’s happening in the Sulphur Springs, Texas, community!
Several SSISD Choir Program Students Recently Earned a Place in the TMEA All-Region Choir
September 25, 2025 – Beth Cole with the Sulphur Springs ISD High School Choir recently shared some exciting news with KSST. Several SSISD students recently earned a place in the TMEA All-Region Choir, a highly competitive honor that recognizes musical excellence across our area.
Four of these students advanced to the next round of auditions, Pre-Area, placing them among the very best in our region. Their achievements represent countless hours of preparation, practice, and dedication to their craft.
The All-Region Choir Concert will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025, in Mount Pleasant, and is open to the public. The following week, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, the advancing students will return to Mount Pleasant for Pre-Area auditions.
Below is a list of the students in question.
Tabitha Cumming (pre area candidate)
Stella Huddleston
Mallory Peel
Chanell Robinson
Bailee Wilkerson (pre area candidate)
Jasper Sandoval
Lincoln Amburn
Aden Davis (pre area candidate)
Juan Hernandez (pre area candidate)
We are incredibly proud of these young musicians and look forward to celebrating their success with the community.
Texas Wine Builds Global Momentum in International Organization
September 25, 2025 – Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences forges ties with 50-plus nations to advance wine science
For the booming and rapidly evolving Texas wine industry, membership in the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, OIV, has its privileges.
OIV is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the science behind viticulture and winemaking. Its membership represents 51 nations, including major wine-producing countries like France and Spain. There are 15 international wine and spirits organizations that act as “observers.” Those organizations help set the standards for the vine and wine industry and contribute to grape production practices and the science of making wine.
Texas is the only U.S. state with observer status. Observer status allows the state to participate in global OIV activities and research that supports the wine industry.
The Texas Department of Agriculture gained the state’s observer status in 2022, and subsequently chose the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Horticultural Sciences to lead the state’s scientific delegation. Amit Dhingra, Ph.D., head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, said the department has leveraged the special designation to open innovative research, teaching and outreach opportunities in Texas.
“The OIV Observer designation gives Texas’ growing wine industry a voice in shaping the future of global wine production,” he said. “It is more than recognition. It is an invitation to help lead through science.”
The Texas wine industry has been booming. The OIV Observer designation will enhance the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Science’s ability to coordinate research and collaborate on projects that support vineyards and winemakers across the state. (Sam Craft, Michael Miller, Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife)
A growing Texas wine industry
The Texas wine industry represents a $24.39 billion economic impact for the state, according to a study by WineAmerica, the national association of American wineries. It benefits a range of sectors from agriculture to tourism.
Now the Texas wine industry has direct access to expertise and scientific findings from more than 50 countries, including major wine-producing nations like Spain, Italy and France.
“Texas vineyards and winemakers aren’t just making great wine, they’re driving a $24.39 billion economic powerhouse that elevates our state’s reputation,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “With 700 wineries and over 14,043 vineyard acres, this sector sustains more than 141,000 jobs and attracts 2 million visitors annually. Nearly $686 million flows directly into our local communities. This is what Texas innovation looks like: homegrown, hardworking, and globally recognized.”
Land-grant mission working for Texas wines
The OIV observer designation allows Dhingra, the department and other key partner institutions to engage with OIV’s broad network of experts and participate in broader global initiatives.
The network opens possibilities for collaboration and provides decades of knowledge and experience that can help guide the industry as it grows. It also strengthens Texas A&M AgriLife’s ability to advance sustainable economic, cultural and environmental solutions through science, education and outreach.
Advancing wine science also lends well to key missions of the Department of Horticultural Sciences – to enhance Texas horticulture’s competitive position nationally and globally while increasing food security and improving health and wellness.
“Texas winemakers want to market to the world,” Dhingra said. “The land-grant mission is focused on impact, and the observer status opens doors for us to elevate how we deliver on that mission.”
Texas: a wine-science laboratory
Dhingra said the department is investing time and effort to optimize the designation. He organized a wine tasting at the OIV headquarters in Dijon, France, last year, and has visited other observer countries like Spain and Mexico for international wine and vine conferences.
Department experts also participated in an OIV symposium in Austin that focused on grapevine diseases, including Pierce’s disease and Flavescence dorée disease, last year. The engagement is changing how the wine world views Texas’ industry and potential for world-class wines.
Opening Texas to global research and collaboration via the OIV observer status will benefit growers here and around the world, Dhingra said. Texas’ geography, range of climates and soil types make it an ideal testing ground for wine grapes.
“We believe Texas can become the world’s wine laboratory,” he said. “Between our unique geography and our land-grant mission, we are at the spearhead of wine science. In Texas, we are no longer following global wine trends, we are helping shape them.”
Texas wine, scientifically rooted
From the vineyard to the lab, the Department of Horticultural Sciences is advancing wine science through research, teaching and Extension. Discover how their work is shaping the future of Texas wine across climates, communities and campuses.
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Family Friendly Flower Fun During Uncorked: Wine Music and Art Festival Coming This October
September 25, 2025 – Ruthmary Hall, Randa Massey, Ruanne Horton and Rori Stroud, owners of The Depot in Sulphur Springs, have joined up with the Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art Festival. From the original ticket window to the giant wooden doors, this unique venue is perfect for gatherings, and local events near downtown Sulphur Springs, TX! If you like flowers, and who doesn’t, this event is perfect for you and your friends. Especially if you want to try some flower wine! There will also be drinks suitable for children, and those who don’t drink alcohol.
Flower Wine and Flower Art
$40.00
Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM CDT
Whimsical fun at the historical “Depot” event venue. This come and go event will have beautiful flowers for you to choose to create a classic framed pressed flower craft. Come grab a complementary glass of FlorVino Flower Wine from Galveston and make a unique memory! All ages are welcome at this event.
The Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival has outgrown it’s Main Street origins, and will now be held on Celebration Plaza. This event is part of the larger Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival. Additional events, featuring local business, have been added.
Proceeds from your ticket support Main Street Theatre, our town’s nonprofit stage for over 40 years of diverse performing arts. As the sole beneficiary of the Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival, we invite you to enjoy their fall comedy show!
Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a Free Mammogram
September 25, 2025 – Sulphur Springs, Texas – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation has a great gift for the community. The cost of 75 mammograms will be covered in a free clinic using proceeds from Designer Handbag Bingo.
Uninsured Hopkins County women age 40 and older may call (903) 438-4325 to schedule while spots are available. Sign-ups began September 2 and more than half of the spots have been taken. Call Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to reserve.
Mammograms are a powerful form of self-care, but they also make the perfect excuse for a day of pampering. Fill the day with friends, treats, shopping – all the things that bring joy!
All screenings will be performed at the Ruth & Jack Gillis Women’s Center inside CHRISTUS Mother Frances – Hospital Sulphur Springs. Clinic dates are set for every Friday of October.
The Foundation has worked to improve local healthcare since 1997, offering free educational resources, programs, and clinics, while also funding major equipment, programs, and construction for the local nonprofit hospital, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, and the state special district Hopkins County Hospital District/EMS.
Mammograms make the perfect girls’ day! Practice self-care and call (903) 438-4325 to schedule a free mammogram, courtesy of the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation. This free clinic is for uninsured Hopkins County women age 40 and older. Pictured from left to right are Carol Stillwagoner, Stefanie Walton, and Melissa Hastings, the lovely staff of the Ruth & Jack Gillis Women’s Center.
Gala Seeks Items for Live Auction
September 25, 2025 – Sulphur Springs, TX – The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation’s 20 th Anniversary Gala planning is well underway. Great moments that will be throwbacks to Galas past will highlight the evening which features a live auction, silent auction, heads and tails game, and a 100 for $100 drawing. The evening will start with a reception featuring a signature drink followed by a fabulous dinner and dancing to a live band.
This event is the main annual fundraiser for the Foundation with a net goal of $275,000 for the night. The Live Auction is a significant portion of the overall proceeds. Last year’s Live Auction brought in $74,000 from ten items auctioned off.
The sale of 100 raffle tickets for $100 each provides additional income from the Live Auction, raising $10,000 each year. The winner of the raffle gets to choose a Live Auction item as their winnings. Last year’s winner chose a fun vacation to Boston for two donated by Galactic Travel at the request of Grocery Supply Corporation.
Each year, eleven unique or high-value items, trips, or collectibles are auctioned off to the Gala crowd by a professional auctioneer. Volunteer callers show off their cattle-calling skills as they point out high bidders. The stakes are high with ten lucky bid winners and a raffle winner taking home amazing, donated prizes.
Foundation Board Secretary and Gala Leadership Committee Member Bob Weaver said about the Live Auction, “the Live Auction is a long-standing component of the Gala which is a lot of fun to watch. There has been some fierce bidding in the past which always ends well for Hopkins County healthcare. We are so thankful for our many donors of the items as well as those who generously bid. And we ask for your support in helping us secure items to include in the Live Auction”
If you have an item or experience that you would like to donate to the Live Auction, please contact the Foundation at 903-348-4799 to find out more information. The eleven Live Auction items and donors are featured in professionally filmed videos that are shared via social media in the lead up to the Gala. The videos are also shown the night of the event as an introduction before bidding begins on the items. Additionally, details about the items are shared through the Gala’s printed program. Since the Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, a donor receipt will be provided for the item donated.
The Gala will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2026 with the theme, A Celebration of Twenty Years. Proceeds will be used to advance local medical offerings, with $250,000 going to the Spreading Our Wings campaign to help purchase new medical equipment for the surgical wing expansion at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.
In addition to funding its own free clinics and educational programs, the Foundation also raises funds for special projects at the local non-profit hospital, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, and the State special district, the Hopkins County Hospital District/EMS. All proceeds are used to benefit healthcare in Hopkins County.
For more information on the Gala, visit the website at Gala2026.Givesmart.com.
Foundation Board Secretary and Gala Leadership Committee Member Bob Weaver reviews confirmed and possible items for the Gala 2026 Live Auction. Bob and a volunteer committee are planning the 20 th anniversary celebration Gala for January 24, 2026.
The evening will focus on the people who and projects that have been associated with the Gala over the past nineteen years.
To donate an item to the live or silent auction, please contact the Foundation at 903-438-4799.
Uncorked Kickoff Then A ‘Boozy Brunch’ Coming This October
September 24, 2025 – Allison, owner of The Oaks Bed and Breakfast in Sulphur Springs, has joined up with the Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art Festival. The B and B’s doors will swing wide for two special events on October 10th and 11th.
The Oaks is known for hospitality and specialty cocktails. They host weddings and other events at their location on Oak Street.
Happy Hour Festival Kickoff
There’s no better way to start the weekend than on the beautiful patio and lawn of our local historic Inn. Your ticket purchase is for two Uncorked signature cocktails and bar snacks at The Oaks. Your host Allison, a food writer, is a busy mom who’s made the Inn a family affair. The Oaks has a full bar and small plates are available for purchase.
- The Oaks Bed and Breakfast
- 5:00-7:00
Boozy Brunch
Fuel up for the Festival with a home-cooked breakfast buffet and live music at our historic Inn. Tables on the patio will fill up fast, so reserve your seat soon! In addition to morning juices and coffee, your ticket includes one specialty Uncorked Bloody Mary or Mimosa. The Oaks has a full service bar for any other bubbles or delights you might require.
- The Oaks Bed and Breakfast
- 9:00am-12:00pm
The Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival has outgrown it’s Main Street origins, and will now be held on Celebration Plaza. This event is part of the larger Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival. Additional events, featuring local business, have been added.
Proceeds from your ticket support Main Street Theatre, our town’s nonprofit stage for over 40 years of diverse performing arts. As the sole beneficiary of the Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival, we invite you to enjoy their fall comedy show!
Hopkins County Honors 4-H Participants
September 24, 2025 – The Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court honored officers of the local 4-H group while announcing upcoming National 4H week with a proclamation. Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom proclaimed October 5-11, 2025 will be recognized in Hopkins County as “National 4-H Week” and “encouraged all citizens to recognize 4-H for the significant impact it has made and continues to make by empowering youth with the skills they need to lead for a lifetime”
Officers were on hand to accept the proclamation from the Commissioner’s Court were: Claire Jalufka, President, Tayden Lane Horton, Vice-President, Kaden Mabe, Secretary, and Kallie Mabe, Treasurer. Hopkins County Extension Agent Mario Villarino was on hand to make the introduction of the officers to the Commissioner’s Court.
ER Service Ends for Commerce and Quinlan
September 23, 2025 – Hunt Regional Healthcare Announces ER Closures in Commerce and Quinlan Amid Financial Strain.
Hunt Regional Healthcare and the Hunt Memorial Hospital District Board announced on September 23, 2025, a difficult but necessary decision to discontinue emergency room services in Commerce and Quinlan, effective September 30 at 7:00 p.m. The closures come as the hospital system continues to face mounting financial challenges, including rising labor and supply costs, an increase in uninsured patients, and declining reimbursements from insurers and government payers.
As a not-for-profit, independent system, Hunt Regional has long worked to provide high-quality, compassionate care to the community. However, freestanding ERs have proven unsustainable, requiring costly 24-hour physician staffing, specialized equipment, and medications. By discontinuing these services, the system will save more than $15 million annually in direct operating expenses.
Earlier this year, Hunt Regional reduced costs by laying off 43 employees, streamlining vendors, and improving billing and coding efficiencies. Leadership continues to explore partnerships and evaluate operations, including options in Royse City, to ensure long-term sustainability.
Patients in Commerce and Quinlan will still have access to care through Hunt Regional’s urgent care clinics—open seven days a week for minor illnesses and injuries. Additionally, a new urgent care location in Quinlan is planned. Hunt County EMS will continue transporting trauma and 9-1-1 patients to Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville or other facilities as appropriate.
The decision underscores the financial pressures facing rural and rural-adjacent health systems while prioritizing the preservation of core hospital services for Hunt County.
Extra Special History Walks Available in October
September 23, 2025 – John Sellers would tell you that every History Walk he does is special, and we agree. In conjunction with the Uncorked: Wine Music and Art festival coming October 10th and 11th, John is offering two walks that are extra special.
Sip and Stroll Tour
Join our Sulphur Springs’ Historian, John, to learn the secrets of Sulphur Springs. A great way to spend an evening; enjoying the hidden elements inside our iconic courthouse, long gone Opera Houses and so much more! This is a casual one hour walk downtown with a delicious complimentary glass of wine. $20.00
- History by John
- 6:00pm
History Walk & Breakfast
Join our local Sulphur Springs’ Historian, John, to learn about the secrets of Sulphur Springs. A great way to spend an hour enjoying hidden elements of our iconic courthouse, long gone Opera Houses and so much more! Meet at Haystacks Restaurant for a delicious pastry bar and morning mimosa before the start of the walk. 9am. Limited Tickets
- Haystacks Restaurant
- 9:00am
The Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival has outgrown it’s Main Street origins, and will now be held on Celebration Plaza. This event is part of the larger Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival. Additional events, featuring local business, have been added.
Proceeds from your ticket support Main Street Theatre, our town’s nonprofit stage for over 40 years of diverse performing arts. As the sole beneficiary of the Uncorked: Wine, Music and Art festival, we invite you to enjoy their fall comedy show!
