Parade of Pageant Contestants; Elizabeth, Patsy, Linda and Valerie.
On the final day of Good Morning Show interviews with contestants for the 2021 Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic title, we talked with Linda Pickle-Hill, Elizabeth Wilburn and Patsy Cowan. They are pictured above, left to right. (Valerie was not able to attend the interview.)
Linda Pickle-Hill is a US Marine Corps veteran, a public speaker and an advocate for pet rescue and service animals. Due to a challenge from her granddaughter, she ‘stepped out of her comfort zone’ and entered the pageant. That was 10 years ago, and she has been a Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic pageant contestant each year, “celebrating the changing image of aging”. Her pageant path has widened to include the U.S. United Pageant’ for Women of Purpose which promotes breast cancer awareness. Linda is currently the 2020 Ms. Elite Texas and will head to the National competition this summer. Her granddaughter, whose challenge motivated her, is the 2020 Teen Miss Texas U.S. United. Linda enjoys speaking to groups and encouraging senior women to assume the role they deserve as examples and leaders in our society. Linda will do a Reading as her talent on Saturday June 12.
Elizabeth Wilburn is a native and life long resident of Sulphur Springs. She lives to travel and likes taking photos of places she’s been and people she knows. One of her daily hobbies is bird-watching the variety of birds which come to the feeders in her yard. Elizabeth attends Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs; also enjoys the fellowship the local Seniors Center offers. She is joyful that Seniors can get together again post-pandemic, and is excited about the new Senior Citizens building that’s being constructed. For her talent, Elizabeth will perform a skit.
You might know Patsy Cowan as an outgoing Avon lady and TOPS member who is always smiling. Patsy says it’s because of her weight loss through TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and the Avon company that her personal image is now positive and confident. With a top weight at 335 pounds, she once felt that the rest of her life would be spent indoors in a recliner. But she ‘stepped out of her comfort zone’ seeking to change her life, and now she helps others to refashion themselves. Patsy is a Vietnam-era veteran of the US Air Force and a retired social worker. Since the pandemic began, she’s stepped up to help several geriatric friends and families with food needs, a personal service she continues to do. A clown skit will be Parsy’s talent presentation at the Pageant.
Although Valerie Ross was not present at the interview, here is her bio information. Valerie Ross first entered the pageant six years ago when she was rather new to Hopkins County. Because her passions are crafting and sewing, her first talent presentations were exhibits of crafting projects. Then Valerie switched to comedy, and has taken the Best Talent award a number of times. She will present, what else?, a comedy skit at this year’s pageant. Valerie’s church is Community Bible Fellowship at Dike, Texas. Although she broke her ankle in April, Valerie hasn’t let that stop her and will be sporting a boot brace in the Pageant.
For 2021, there will be seven contestants competing for the title of Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic. The pageant will be staged on Saturday June 12 in the convention hall of the Hopkins County Civic Center starting at 6pm. Winner and runners-up can advance to the Ms. Texas Senior Classic Pageant to be held in Tyler in September 2021. Current Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic, Vender Wright (shown below) will crown the winner. It’s absolutely free to attend the local pageant, and friends and family are encouraged to come out and support the contestants. Organizer is Karon Weatherman, Director of the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center.
Tira News – June 10, 2021: Residents Celebrate Births, Birthdays, Graduations
By Jan Vaughn, Tira News Correspondent
Congratulations are in order for Billy Moss! His granddaughter, Caroline Jo Shaffer, was born on June 3, which is, also, Billy’s mother Mamie Jo’s birthday. Mother, Mindy Moss Shaffer, and baby are doing well. Billy commented, “We are blessed.”
Billy, also, reported that he has two new colts that were born on “Cinco de Mayo.”
Robert, Yvonne, and Wesley Weir traveled to Sunnyvale on Friday to celebrate Nicolaas’ pre-kindergarten graduation. They spent the night at Eben and Destri’s house before returning home the next day. Nicolaas is Robert and Yvonne’s grandson.
The Tira City Council met at the Community Center on Monday evening. They discussed routine business and heard a report from Tira Volunteer Fire Chief Tony Macy. The next quarterly council meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 13, due to Labor Day on the first Monday.
Our daughter and granddaughter, Tiffany and Jaidyn, came in from Malvern on Friday and we had an early birthday lunch for Tiffany. That afternoon, we went to Cooper Lake to spend time with Laiken, Dixie, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden Joslin. Landon was at work. The kids enjoyed playing in the water. Tiffany took Jaidyn to her dad, Malcolm, and his family in McKinney, and then she spent the weekend in Forney with her friends, Stephanie and Gary. Tiffany’s husband, Perry, had to work all weekend.
Linda Ellen Vaughn came to our house on Saturday and then we all went to the Aiguier Cemetery Association meeting on Sunday.
Make plans to be at the Tira Homecoming on Sunday, July 4. Danna Lewis is coordinating the program, which will begin at 11 a.m. inside the Tira Methodist Church. A covered-dish lunch will be shared at the picnic tables on the grounds at noon.
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].
Two Paris Women Found At Motel With Suspected Methamphetamine
Two Paris, Texas women were found at a local motel with suspected methamphetamine Wednesday morning, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Tyler Francis responded at 1:05 p.m. June 9 an East Industrial Drive motel, where a worker expressed concerned for two women. The worker told police he tired to wake up the women, who were late on checking out, but couldn’t get them awake. Upon arrival, the officer observed two women lying on the bed next to each other. The officer tried multiple times before getting the women to wake up.
The officer located a large bag with a large amount of a clear, crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine on the bed next to one of the woman, identified in arrest reports as 33-year-old Chelsey Nicole Cole of Paris. A small clear pipe was also seen on the bed.
Francis asked Cole and the other woman, identified in arrest reports as 32-year-old Miranda Ranell Thomas of Paris, to get up off the bed. When they complied, the officer observed another bag with a large amount of suspected meth inside of it. As a result, both Thomas and Cole were arrested at 1:30 p.m. June 9, 2021, with possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. The Two Paris women remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning, June 10, 2021; bond was set at $50,000 each 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.
PJC Dragons Basketball Holding June 13 Tryout
The Paris Junior College men’s basketball team will hold a tryout at the Hunt Athletic Center on Sunday, June 13 at 1:30 P.M.
Any players interested in playing basketball at the junior college level are welcome to attend.
“All class of 2021 athletes or older are welcome to attend,” said PJC Head Basketball Coach Bill Foy.
“You will be fairly evaluated in individual and group situations.”
Registration will begin in the Hunt Center at 1:15 p.m.
Players will sign a waiver and must have a current and updated copy of their annual physical with them.
For more information, contact Coach Bill Foy at [email protected].
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.
4 Men Charged With Felony Offenses Tuesday
Four men were charged Tuesday with felony offenses Tuesday, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputy Mark Poindexter served Brayden Lynn Brown at 8:50 p.m. June 8, 2021, with a warrant for a March 29 burglary of a habitation. The 19-year-old Sulphur Springs man was already in custody at Hopkins County Law Enforcement Center. He was jailed March 29, 2021, for unauthorized use of a vehicle. Brown was reportedly found in the county in a truck stolen using keys taken during a North Jackson Street burglary. His bond was set at $20,000 on the UUV charge and $50,000 on the burglary warrant.
Curtis Earl Fisher 
Randy Dale Hargrave
HCSO Corrections Officer Courtney Steward took 45-year-old Randy Dale Hargrave of Cooper and 58-year-old Curtis Earl Fisher of Sulphur Springs into custody Tuesday morning, June 8, 2021, in the 8th Judicial District Court.
Harvey was jailed on orders revoking his bond on a possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone charge and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon charge. He was arrested Jan. 8 on controlled substance and firearm charges. He was indicted in March for unlawful possession of a firearm and was indicted in April for controlled substance possession.
Fisher was jailed on an order revoking his bond on a Dec. 7, 2020, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge charge, which he was arrested on for allegedly swinging an axe handle at his neighbor. He was indicted in February on the aggravated assault charge.
HCSO Deputy Elijah Fite served Christopher Andrew Stachel at 8:35 a.m. June 8, 2021, with a warrant for forgery of a financial instrument. The 41-year-old Carrollton man has been in Hopkins County jail since Feb. 25, 2021, when he allegedly attempting to pass a forged check at a Sulphur Springs bank, then ran from police. He later admitted to officer that he had tried to pass a check for more than $600. His bond on the forgery warrant was set at $10,000.
Outgoing Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic Vender Wright
A servant’s heart and an encouraging smile are the first things you notice when you meet Vender Wright, a 2019 contestant in the local seniors pageant. Little did anyone know what lay ahead for all of us in the months to follow in 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Vender’s crown encouraged her even further in assisting people in need and doing what she could to ease the loneliness and isolation of homebound seniors and those confined at nursing homes. As the months wore on, she became the first local senior winner to hold the title for a double term, because the 2020 Pageant was cancelled due to Covid concerns. However, she used those two years to bless others as has become her mission. Strong in her faith and loaded with personality, Vender Wright will appear at the 2021 Pageant set for Saturday June 12 at 6pm in the Civic Center Convention Hall. And you can bet you will hear her testimony in song and spoken word when she joyfully crowns the new Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic.
Eight senior ladies will compete in Philosophy of Life, Interview with Judges and Evening gown categories. Not a beauty pageant, the Senior Classic pageant series is a celebration of aging focusing on the inner beauty and talent, as well as the wisdom and grace displayed in today’s senior woman. Friends, neighbors and family of the contestants are invited to attend, was well as the entire community. Admission is free. You will enjoy some great talent presentations as well.
In Vender’s 2019 talent presentation, she performed a gospel song titled ‘Just Stand”. The sentiment in that song remains a good lesson today about being strong, faithful and resilient, one learned by all of us from our experiences during the Covid pandemic. Come and enjoy an evening of fellowship and upbuilding entertainment and find out who will become the 2021 Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic. The event is sponsored by BT Medical and the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center.
Fort Worth Pair Arrested Following An Early Morning Traffic Stop
A Fort Worth pair was arrested on possession charges following am early morning traffic stop, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Elijah Fite and Reserved Deputy Mark Poindexter reported stopping the driver of a silver Dodge Charger at 3:18 a.m. June 9, 2021, on West Shannon Road for failing to signal a lane change and an unreadable license plate.
Upon contact with the occupants, the deputies reported smelling a marijuana odor emitting from the car. Deante LaJuan Crutcher admitted to Poindexter that there were marijuana cigars in the passenger’s purse. The passenger was asked to exit the car and two blunts were removed from her purse. The passenger, a 23-year-old Forth Worth woman, was arrested on a misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia charge.
Deputies allegedly found two pills believed to be MDMA (also known as Ecstasy) in a wallet in the console during a probable cause search of the car. Crutcher claimed the pills and was arrested. The pills field-tested positive for MDMA and weighed 4.6 grams, resulting in the 27-year-old Fort Worth man’s arrest at 3:44 a.m. on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge.
The Fort Worth pair was released from jail later Wednesday, June 9, 2021. Crutcher’s bond was set at $5,000 on the 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.
Church Street Building To Receive New Façade
Sulphur Springs Downtown Revitalization Board conducted their meeting Tuesday evening in short order. Approval was given to an application giving Bethany Ashby and 2 Times LLC the go ahead for a new façade at 206 Church Street as well as the minutes from the May 18 meeting.
Ashby is proposing repainting the structure, exposing transom windows and replacing and painting the area above the current awning, removing the old awning with a new cloth awning which would.
The main walls of the building instead of brick red will be painted light beige with black trim around the window and door.
Ashby noted in a renovation list for the business that the rotted double doors on the side alley side of the building would be replaced, the back wall is planned to be rebuilt to code, a new electrical meter box installed and a parking pad added to the rear of the building. The applicant would also like for the sidewalk in front of the building to be replaced as well.
DRB members Helena Martinez and Robin Boshears complimented the clean modern appeal of the neutral pallet with black trim selected for the facade. Boshears noted that Ashby as also purchased the Coffee Shop building next to it. Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski said it is his understanding that work has been ongoing on the interior of both buildings.
The DRB approved the façade paint colors, and noted a preference for the black and white awning or neutral awning pictured in the designs supplied to them by the applicant.
TWC Ends COVID-19-Related Job Refusal Guidance; Standard Health And Safety Guidance Remains In Place
AUSTIN – Following the continued economic recovery in Texas and the announcement of Texas opting out of certain Federal Pandemic Unemployment benefits, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is ending job refusal guidance associated with the COVID-19 emergency orders. The guidance for individuals at high risk from COVID-19 were put in place a year ago. The decline in COVID cases in Texas, widespread availability of vaccines, and greater availability of services such as child care renders such guidance out of date as Texas ends certain federal unemployment programs with the benefit week ending June 26, 2021 and Texas’ economy continues to recover.
Both federal and state law require individuals on unemployment insurance benefits to actively search for work, and be able and available for work. Refusing a suitable offer of work can result in a loss of benefits. TWC will continue to apply State law and TWC rules to investigate suitable work issues, such as health and safety concerns, on a case by case basis.
The Texas Workforce Commission provides a wide variety of programs and services to assist individuals in the Lone Star State find jobs, expand their skills and improve their marketability to employers. With over 800,000 jobs available on MyTXCareer.com, the Lone Star State is hiring, and TWC and its partners are working to bring employers and workers together to speed the state’s recovery.
Here are ways TWC is helping Texans:
- MyTXCareer.com and WorkInTexas.com – Both websites provide a platform for employers to post open jobs, and for Texans to connect with those employers about those jobs. MyTXCareer.com provides new users an easy streamlined way to list or find jobs in Texas. WorkinTexas.com is a comprehensive online job search resource and matching system. WorkInTexas.com provides recruiting assistance to Texas employers of all types and sizes, and job search assistance to anyone seeking work in Texas.
- Workforce Solutions Centers – TWC’s Workforce Solutions Partners have over 180 offices around the state and help Texans find work. They offer free services such as access to thousands of job postings, job search resources, training programs and help with exploring career options, resumé and application preparation, career development, and more. Find your local workforce solutions center on the TWC homepage at www.twc.texas.gov
- Restaurant Recovery Training – The Texas Workforce Commission in partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association is providing free and flexible online training to quickly prepare workers for restaurant industry jobs. The restaurant recovery training certification portal can be accessed at https://certification.txrestaurant.org/
- Virtual and In-Person Job Fairs –Workforce Development Boards across Texas are sponsoring job fairs virtually and in-person to help connect job seekers with employment opportunities.
- Child Care – TWC’s child care services program promotes long-term self-sufficiency by supporting parents who are currently working or in education/training activities, through subsidized child care. TWC’s child care program also educates parents about the availability of quality child care, which enhances children’s early learning. For more information, go to https://childcare.texas.gov/
Wildcats and Lady Cats Cross Country Athletes are Getting in Morning Runs During The Edge
Wildcats and Lady Cats Cross Country Coach Ross Hicks says summer running is vital for his teams.
He says starting in August right before the first meet is just too late.
Some Cross Country runners are participating in The Edge. It got underway Monday (June 7) as athletes gathered at Gerald Prim Stadium and then took off for a run.
Coach Hicks says he was pleased with attendance as 23 high school and 19 middle school runners showed up.
The Edge begins for cross country runners bright and early at 7:15 A.M. and concludes at 8:45 A.M.
Coach Hicks says he will have a competition in mid-August to determine whether runners will be on the varsity or the JV.
He says the first meet takes place on August 21. Coach Hicks says the key to cross country is doing a lot of runner and getting the mileage in.
He says The Edge also features some body workouts, some quick burst exercises as well as running up and down the Prim Stadium stands. Coach Hicks is hopeful athletes who are in good shape can avoid injuries.
He says he is looking forward to the coming fall season. He notes that the Lady Cats are the defending District Champions adding they also finished up 10th in the region.
Coach Hicks says his Wildcats have a chip on their shoulders because last season did not turn out the way they would have liked. He says they are motivated.
The Edge for Cross Country continues Mondays through Thursdays ending July 15.
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.
