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
$10,000 Worth Of Stolen Property Recovered, 2 Burglaries Added To Hays’ List Of Charges
More than $10,000 worth of stolen property has now been recovered and two burglaries have been added to the charges Brian Alan Hays has formally been charged with, according to Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum and jail reports.
“Investigators recovered over $10,000 worth of stolen property taken out of a residence in Weaver around Thanksgiving. Items were also recovered in Wills Point. The subject, Brian Hays, is in custody now for a parole violation has 2 burglary of a habitation warrants pending,” Tatum reported Tuesday night.
At 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, jail records show two burglary warrants among the charges Hays is held on. The 49-year-old was arrested Dec. 9, 2021, on the parole warrant.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Aaron Hanna around 3:40 p.m. last Thursday located and stopped a suspicious vehicle, one reportedly seen leaving the area of a recent burglary in which firearms were stolen, on FM 1567 east, just south of State Highway 11 east. As Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Lester and Sgt. Richard Greer arrived, they observed the trooper approach the passenger’s side door of the maroon Nissan Sentra. The trooper reported seeing marijuana scattered throughout the vehicle and instructed the man in the car to get out. As the man got out, Lester too reported seeing marijuana not only on the floorboard of the car but also on the man’s lap, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
The man, identified as 49-year-old Brian Alan Hays, was placed into handcuffs as a safety precaution while the officers continued to investigate. A records check showed Hays to be wanted by the Parole Board in Austin, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
A probable cause search of the wanted man’s car allegedly revealed more than one item reported to belong to the person whose guns were reportedly stolen during the prior burglary. At least one of the items was believed to have been stolen earlier Thursday morning, Dec. 9, 2021, as the property owner’s family member reported seeing it that morning, Lester noted in arrest reports. The items had not, at that time, been reported stolen yet.
Officers took Hays into custody on the violation of parole warrant. The investigation into the alleged burglaries and suspected stolen items continued. The car was impounded and Hays (who is also known to use the aliases Brian Alan Hayes, Brian Allen Hayes, Brian Allen Hays, Brian Samuels and Brian Wilson) was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he remained Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 15, 2021, according to jail reports.
Tatum Tuesday night reported altogether more than $10,000 worth of property stolen around Thanksgiving has been recovered, including items found in Wills Point. Deputies sought warrants for two burglaries the items were connected to. Two burglary of a habitation charges were added to the list of offenses Hays is accused of by midday Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, 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.
Lady Cats Basketball Falls to Mount Pleasant in District Opener
The Lady Cats basketball team were on the road the last two games and lost both to Dallas Kimball and Mount Pleasant.
Last Saturday the women’s basketball team travelled to coach Erica Delley’s alma mater and took on the Lady Knights, falling to Dallas Kimball in a tight one 34-30.
Sulphur Springs was up in the fourth against the Lady Knights, but once Kimball got momentum and came back, the Lady Cats could not put the breaks on and as a result suffered a come-from-behind defeat to the Lady Knights.
“We did a whole bunch of good things,” Coach Delley said. But said her team “[has] to work on finishing games,” the women’s basketball coach said.
Sulphur Springs had the chance to rebound Tuesday, Dec. 14 when they travelled east on I-30 to take on district foe Mount Pleasant in both teams’ district openers.
The women’s basketball team fell to the Lady Tigers to go 0-1 in district.
The Lady Cats started out well, jumping to a 7-3 lead, but the Lady Tigers defense which presses their opponents wore down the women’s basketball team.
Mount Pleasant hit a couple of threes and jump shots to pull away from Sulphur Springs in both teams’ district openers.
Coach Delley said her freshmen may have gotten rattled by the defensive pressure, but liked the way her team performed nonetheless.
“We’re getting better,” Coach Delley said. “I like the way they played and I liked the way they hustled and never gave up the game,” the women’s basketball coach said.
The two losses drop the Lady Cats basketball team to 0-16 overall (0-1 district).
Next up, the women’s basketball team will be back at home on Friday, Dec. 17 when they host Texas High. JV will get the action underway at the SSHS Main Gym on Friday at 5 P.M. followed by the varsity at 6:15 P.M.
Friday’s district match-up between Sulphur Springs and Texas High will be broadcasted over the radio on KSST 1230 AM. If given permission, we will also be broadcasting the game on to KSST Radio’s YouTube channel.
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.
