SBOE Now Accepting Nominations For The 2021 Heroes For Children Award
AUSTIN, Texas – May 13, 2021 – Each school day, thousands of Texans volunteer their time in the state’s more than 8,800 public schools.
Please take the opportunity to recognize the contributions of your local volunteers by nominating them for the State Board of Education’s (SBOE) Heroes for Children Award. The award recognizes the many outstanding volunteers whose effort and excellence in advocacy for education has significantly benefitted Texas’s public school students.
A Texas resident who gives time, service, or support to public schools and students may be nominated for the award. However, elected officials and educational employees are ineligible for consideration of this award recognition.
Nominations are being accepted now through July 1, 2021 at 5 p.m. (CDT).
Since its creation in 1994, the board has recognized over 450 outstanding school volunteers with this award. Each year, the 15 SBOE members select one award recipient from each of their districts. Last year’s 15 recipients collectively donated a total of 190 years of volunteer service to Texas public schools.
Examples of volunteer services provided by past “Heroes for Children” recipients include mentoring children, providing weekend meals and Wi-Fi access during the pandemic, providing ready-made meals for families in need, organizing fundraisers, and much more to help create happy, thriving school cultures.
This year’s recipients will be recognized at the board’s September general meeting in Austin, Texas. Each recipient will receive a plaque and a resolution. Their names will also be engraved on a perpetual plaque outside the SBOE board room.
The nomination form and additional information can be found here: https://tea.texas.gov/Heroes_for_Children.aspx.
Tira News – May 13, 2021: Residents Enjoyed Mother’s Day With Family, Friends
By Jan Vaughn
We want to express our sympathy to the families of Wanda Clayton and Terry Runyan. Wanda was buried on May 8, and Terry was buried on May 11, in the Tira Cemetery. Please remember these families in your prayers.
Nicolas Esterhuyse, grandson of Robert and Yvonne Weir, celebrated his 5th birthday Sunday the 2nd at his home, with his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Yvonne Weir and Brenda Allen spent two nights in Salado, Texas, enjoying the first annual Cowboy Poetry gathering. Yvonne comments, “It was very relaxing and fun. It was great to go somewhere!”
Michael McNiel came on Saturday to see Joyce and William Dodd for an early Mother’s Day. Joyce reports, “He brought lunch and stayed for a long overdue visit.” They hadn’t seen each other in over a year due to COVID-19. Brad Dodd came to eat with them, too. Joyce adds, “On Sunday Brad and Matthew ate Mother’s Day lunch with us. Jerry and Tonja Lucas visited with us that afternoon, and Robby Dodd came later in the day.” They really enjoyed their weekend visits.
Our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, Tiffany, Perry, and Jaidyn, came in from Malvern, Arkansas, for Mother’s Day weekend. We enjoyed a delicious meal at Tejano’s Mexican Restaurant in Cooper on Saturday evening. After church on Sunday, Elizabeth Steinsiek, Linda Ellen Vaughn, Landon, Laiken, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden Joslin, Kenden Joslin and Emma Hall joined us for lunch. Jim Vaughn from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, arrived just in time to eat with us, too. Lana Hall, John Vaughn, and Tim and Lori Vaughn, also, came by to see Grace for Mother’s Day on Sunday. Linda Ellen stayed until Monday morning, and then Grace went home with her for a couple of days. Chip went to Dallas on Wednesday and helped Linda with some home repairs and brought Grace home that evening.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Bessonett And Resendiz Named Top Miller Grove High School 2021 Graduates
Jorja Bessonett has been named the valedictorian and Andrea Resendiz the salutatorian of the Miller Grove High School Graduating Class of 2021, MGISD announced earlier this week.
Bessonett achieved the top ranking in the senior class with an overall 102.06 grade point average.
She is the daughter of Bill and Cherrie Bessonett and the granddaughter of Glen and Carolyn George and Susie and Mike Bessonett. She has an older sister, Aleigh, and two younger siblings, Titus and Ava.
Throughout her four years of high school, Bessonett participated in basketball, track, and cross country. In cross country and track combined, she won four individual and one team State Championship, and currently holds the 1A state meet record in the 3200.
In addition to being an accomplished athlete, Bessonett was involved in many academic activities. She was an active member of National Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions and Miller Grove 4-H Club. This year’s senior class valedictorian participated in Academic UIL.
Some of her favorite things to do in her free time include spending time with her family and friends, baking, and drawing.
Bessonett graduated in December 2020 with her Associate Degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from Paris Junior College, where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa.
She plans to continue her education at Texas A&M University-Commerce in pursuit of a degree in Kinesiology and Sports Studies. She then plans to receive certification as a Medical Diagnostic Sonographer and obtain a job that she loves.
Above all this, Bessonet said she hopes to live a life of service to her Lord and show the love of Christ through her daily actions.
Andrea “Andi” Resendiz earned salutatorian honors with 99.76. GPA.
The second ranked 2021 MGHS senior is the daughter of Fred and Elizabeth Resendiz. She has four sisters, all who have graduated from Miller Grove ISD.
During the beginning of her high school career, Andrea was a member of the FFA Chapter, serving as a Reporter her freshman year. She participated in state Forestry competitions and other career and leadership development events such as Creed Speaking.
In addition, Resendiz was a member of the National Honor Society, acting as Treasurer of the Miller Grove ISD chapter.
She too was an active member of UIL, participating in math and language arts competitions.
Resendiz was also a member of the MGHS athletics program, acting as a volleyball manager her sophomore year.
As a dual-credit student, she earned her Associate Degree in Sociology at Paris Junior College, where she also was a Phi Theta Kappa member.
Resendiz will be attending Grand Canyon University in Arizona this fall on an academic scholarship, majoring in Justice Studies.
both Bessonett and Resendiz were awarded a $2,850 scholarship from the Finis and Onree Attlesey and Sweet Gamblin Scholarship Trust to apply toward their college studies.
Top Miller Grove 8th Graders Announced
Miller Grove ISD this week announced Gabe Hayden and Emma Knight as this year’s top Miller Grove 8th graders.
Hayden is the 2021 Miller Grove 8th Grade class valedictorian, an honor he earned with an overall grade point average of 93.71. He is the son of Jimmi and Marcella Hayden of Miller Grove and has six siblings, Kavan Smith, Ashley Hayden, Heather Melton, Chandra Hayden, Melanie Hayden, and Jessica Linex.
He has competed in UIL events such as Oral Reading, Spelling, Modern Oratory and One Act Play.
Outside of school, Hayden has been a part of Shining Star Productions community theater, where he has played Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast,” Michael in “Mary Poppins” and, most recently, the Tin Man in the “Wizard of Oz.”
In his free time, Gabe enjoys playing the guitar and ukulele, drawing and painting, as well as baking.
Emma Knight secured the MG 8th Grade salutatorian spot with an overall grade point average of 90.9.
The 2021 MGJH 8th grade salutatorian is the daughter of Josh and Robin Knight. Her siblings are Jace and Luke Knight.
She has competed in several UIL academic events throughout junior high such as Maps, Graphs and Charts.
In her spare time, Knight enjoys swimming, cooking, and working with her horses and cows.
2 Miller Grove Junior High Robotics Teams Advance To Global Contest
Two Miller Grove Junior High Robotics Teams have advancing to the Global VEX Robotics Competition, while the Grove’s high school team competed in their second state robotics tournament this year.
The MGISD teams compete in VEX Robotics Competitions featuring competitors from schools ranging in size from 1A to 6A, as well as home school teams. The Junior High and High School teams all compete together and against each other at competitions, not dividing into grade levels until state. Then, junior high and high school have separate tournaments, explained Laura Smith, who along with David Mosley and Robert Smith, serves as a MGISD robotics sponsor.
The MGJH teams ranked third and seventh in state in the robotics skills competition and qualified for the Junior High State Competition. As has been the case for many things this year, both teams competed virtually in the state skills competition and judges’ interviews. The MGJH teams won the Build Award and the Amaze Award from the judges’ interviews, which qualified them for the World Robotics Skills Competition.
Both Junior High Teams had their judges interviews virtually with a panel of judges from across the world. They are still waiting to be sent the appropriate links so their robots can be checked in and their skills competition scheduled.
(Photos: Courtesy Miller Grove ISD Robotics )
“Those should drop any time. The World Competitions are all happening virtually this year, which is actually kind of exciting for our students. We should be competing some time next week,” Laura Smith said Tuesday.
Junior high robotics students include Alessandro Alvarez, Blanca Culbertson, Kaden Hiller, Yahir Santana and Sebastian Tovar.
For the second time, the MGHS robotics team qualified for and competed at the State Tournament.
“They competed very well, but were beaten out by 5A and 6A in the tournament. We are very proud of how well they did,” Laura Smith said.
The MG High School Robotics Team includes George Back, Aiden Yudell and Hannah Nalls.
Since the junior high robotics students’ won’t get to experience the live global contest, MGISD is planning a Watch Party for the robotics teams at the end of the month so they can watch the Global finals in their tournament division, as well as announcement of awards and the reveal of next year’s game.
Wrap up Report on Lady Cats Golfer Mariam Tran’s 9th Place Finish at State Golf Tourney
With everything complete at the Girls Class 5A State Golf Tournament, Lady Cat senior Mariam Tran finished in 9th place in the State. There were 71 players in the field.
The two day tournament, played Monday and Tuesday (May 10-11), was at the White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown. Tran played very well both days shooting 74 and 73 for a two-day total of 147, 3 over par.
It marked a great finish for Tran’s 4 years of excellent golf as the Lady Cats #1 player.
There were only 9 sub par rounds recorded over the two days of the State Golf Tournament.
Tran was 7 strokes out of the lead.
The winner was Mason Lewis of Granbury, one of Tran’s playing partners during the first round. San Antonio Alamo Heights won the team championship.
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.
Lady Cats Softball Tops Huntsville in Game 1 in Extra Innings
It took an extra inning, but the Lady Cats softball team capitalized when they needed to most, winning against the Huntsville Lady Hornets in 8 innings, 1-0 on Wednesday, May 12.
The two teams starting pitchers started out on a tear.
Both teams struggled to make contact early in the game.
When either side did get a runner on base, and at times two runners on base, each time those same runners were left stranded after neither team could capitalize by getting runners home.
After 7 full innings, both teams had 3 hits a piece, but neither team could manage to get a runner home to take the lead.
Sulphur Springs looked as though they could have walked it off in the bottom of the seventh, because with only 1 out, the Lady Cats had the bases loaded.
With the game threatening to go to extra innings, it looked as though this might be the best chance for Coach David Carrillo’s squad to get the win in Game 1 of the Regional Quarterfinal.
But it would not be so, as the two following Lady Cats batters were called out to end the inning and send the game to extra innings.
The top of the eighth was a tense one for the traveling Sulphur Springs fans, as the story was flipped.
Huntsville looked to be knocking on victory’s doors when with one out, LF for Huntsville Kylie Woods tripled to be only 90 feet away from taking the lead in a deadlocked 0-0 tie.
Unfortunately for the Lady Hornets, 2 of the next 3 Huntsville batters struck out to thwart any chance of the Lady Hornets taking the lead.
Now taking on DP/Relief pitcher JJ Duke, the Lady Cats knew they had to close the game out in the bottom of the eighth if they wished to win in Game 1 of the Regional Quarterfinal.
The second batter of the inning, RF Grace Magnuson, was walked with one out.
The following batter, 3B and clean-up hitter Addison Caddell advanced Magnuson to second with a sac bunt.
So with two outs, and with Magnuson in scoring position at second, it was all up to starting P Crimson Bryant in her fourth at-bat of the evening to determine if the Lady Cats would walk-off with an extra inning victory, or if the game would go to the ninth inning.
Bryant cashed in on her opportunity, doubling on a line drive to center field to get Magnuson home to walk-off the game with a 1-0, extra inning victory over the Huntsville Lady Hornets in Whitehouse.
Both teams fought tooth-and-nail for the victory, but it would be Coach David Carrillo’s Lady Cats who emerged victorious.
Bryant had an incredibly solid outing, pitching the full 8 innings while giving up no earned runs on 4 hits. The dynamite ace walked three batters in the eight inning game, but did manage to strike out 18 Lady Hornet batters in the victory.
The win over Huntsville gave the Lady Cats a Game 1 victory in the best-of-three series. The win increased Coach Carrillo’s squad’s season record to 27-3 overall (11-1 district).
With the game 1 victory over the Lady Hornets, Sulphur Springs will now be looking at Game 2 with the hopes of closing out the series.
Next up, the Lady Cats will be in Rusk, TX on Friday, May 14 for Game 2 of the Regional Quarterfinal series. That game is set to tee off on Friday at 6:30 PM.
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.
After Fan Sendoff From Home, Lady Cats Softball Team Opens Regional Quarterfinal Series Wednesday Night
Some of the parents of Lady Cats’ softball players organized a send off event as the team left Lady Cat Park on their bus headed for their game against Huntsville Wednesday evening at Whitehouse.
It gave the girls’ fans a chance to cheer the girls as they departed town.
The Lady Cats Softball Team does begin their best 2 out of 3 Regional Quarterfinal Series with Huntsville Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Whitehouse.
Huntsville was a district champion and the Lady Cats were co-champs, Huntsville in District 16-5A and the Lady Cats in District 15-5A.
The Lady Hornets went 10-0 in district play and they are 28-5 for the season. Huntsville defeated Texas High and Forney to get to the Regional Quarterfinal. The Lady Hornets are ranked #7 in the State in Class 5A according to a Texas Girls Coaches Association Poll.
The Lady Cats were 11-1 in district play and they defeated Hallsville in a seeding game to earn the district’s number one seed. The Lady Cats downed Lufkin and Crandall to get to the Regional Quarterfinals. The Lady Cats are 26-3 for the season.
Lady Cats Coach David Carrillo says he has fond memories of the Whitehouse all-turf field. The Lady Cats defeated Whitehouse there in game one of a bi-district series in 2019, 14-4, in a game shortened to 5 innings due to the ten run rule.
The next day, at Lady Cat Park, the Lady Cats got a win to wrap up the series.
This marks the fifth time Coach Carrillo’s Lady Cats have made it to the Regional Quarterfinal round. Game two is at Rusk Friday at 6:30 p.m.
A game three, if needed, will be back at Whitehouse Saturday at 2 p.m. KSST sister station, KRVA-FM, 107.1, will bring you Lady Cats and Lady Hornets Regional Quarterfinal action tonight at 6:30 p.m. from Whitehouse. Ross LaBenske will have the play by 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.
Dallas Man Jailed After Bond Revoked On Felony Charge
A 46-year-old Dallas man was jailed at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 11, 2021, after his bond was revoked on a felony charge, according to arrest reports.
Kenneth Paul Tolly Jr. was taken into custody in the district courtroom by a Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office corrections officer and escorted into the jail for bond revocation on a possession of less than 1 gram of a 2020 Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports. He man remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday morning, May 12, 2021, on the bond revocation order.
Tolly was initially arrested on July 15, 2020, on the controlled substance charge as well as an assault by threat charge. Deputies responded to reports of a person trying to break into his own residence and arguing going on at an Interstate 30 address shortly after 5 a.m. July 15. Upon arrival, deputies found Tolly screaming and yelling at his father and his girlfriend. Tolly allegedly made threatening comments to harm both and sent text messages about harming his girlfriend, deputies wrote in 2020 arrest reports. Tolly was arrested on the assault by threat charge, then later served with a controlled substance warrant.
The Dallas man was released from jail Aug. 20, 2020, on a $10,000 bond on the controlled substance charge, according to jail records. A Hopkins County Grand Jury indicted the Dallas man in December of 2020 for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
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.
Dike Woman Reportedly Had Child In Car During Drunk Driving Crash
A 39-year-old Dike woman had a child in the car with her during a drunk driving crash. The crash occurred Tuesday afternoon, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Lavender reported finding Sydnee Rochelle Kirk at the scene of a suspected drunk driving crash reported at the intersection of County Road 3512 and FM 3236 around 4 p.m. May 11, 2021. Lavender, in arrest reports, noted a child passenger had been in the Ford Fusion with Kirk.
While speaking with the Dike woman, Lavender reported smelling a metabolized alcohol odor emitting from her breath. When asked, she claimed she had “only had one or two shots” around 2 p.m. Lavender determined Kirk was intoxicated following standard field sobriety tests and took her into custody for drunk driving.
When asked, Kirk agreed to a breath test. The test was administered by a state trooper. She tested 0.103 g/210L on the first sample and the second breath sample had a reading of 0.102 g/210 L.
Kirk remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday, May 12, 2021, on the driving while intoxicated with a child passenger under 15 years of age charge. Her bond was set at $10,000 on the felony DWI charge.
