SSHS Band Students To Perform Downtown Tonight During Jazz Concert
Many SSISD Band Students Recognized For Achievements During Award-Winning Year
Community members will have an opportunity to hear some of the the award winning SSHS Band students perform tonight downtown. SSHS Wildcat Jazz Band students will present “Jazz on the Square” staring at 7 p.m. April 22 on Celebration Plaza.
All are welcome to stop by downtown Sulphur Springs to hear the free concert, which will include music by Toto, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins and the Blues Brothers. SSISD Band program invited everyone to bring a lawn chair and stay for the big event, with will feature professional sound and lights.
These students are among the man who contributed to the stellar year the SSISD Band Program has had. Not counting managing to stay well with no band students having to miss due to COVID-19 and still being able to play at Friday night games even during the pandemic, the students have tied a school record, according to Sulphur Springs ISD Director of Bands Spencer Emmert
Band Awards
For only the second time in school history, all four SSISD bands – including two middle school bands, made straight first division ratings at all UIL contests, according Emmert.
The SSHS Band earned first division ratings at the Mesquite and Celina Marching Festivals, then went on to take the UIL sweepstakes award after capturing first division ratings at the Region UIL Marching Contest. The SSHS Wind Ensemble and Concert Band also captured first division rates at the District UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest. The marching band went on to capture second at the Area Marching Contest, as well.
Sixteen 9th graders made the Freshman All Region Band, 15 made the High School All Region and 27 soloists earned first division ratings at the UIL contest.
Cameron Beard, Tyler Burnett, Matthew Sherman and Joel Villarino were area qualifiers. Burnett also made the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Band. State solo qualifiers included Adam Arnecke, Brooklyn Arneson, Beard, Matthew Harper, Kendall Little, Sherman, Trison Stewart, Alexis Villarino and Brandon Williams.
Four SSHS ensembles are also state qualifiers. They include the following:
- Saxophone ensemble – Sherman, Emma Eddins, Uriel Santacruz, Clayton Boykin;
- Brass ensemble – Levi Caton, Ronaldo Sanchez, Arneson and John Moser;
- Jazz ensemble – Colby Albritton, Arneson, Anthony Arroyo, Beard, Burnett, Eddins, Moser, Sanchez, Hannah Hughes, Kaden Kirkland, Little, Lauren Maynard, Jakson Medelline, Matthew Sherman, Trinity Sherman, Madison Sperry, Michael Shirley, Stewart and Catherine Starzyk; and
- Brass Ensemble – Stewart, Medelline, Galilea Sosa, Arroyo and Qunicey Chisom.
All of these SSHS Band students were recognized at this year’s annual band banquet, along with awards for outstanding students at each grade level and most improved students. Seniors were recognized for their continued dedication to the band and music.
Receiving Outstanding Leadership awards were Joel Villarino and Clayton Boykin
A Rex Wilemon Award, given annually to students who have gone above and beyond in a special way to continue the legacy of what the band program means, were presented to Galilea Sosa and Qunicey Chisom.
A newer award created and presented by Emmert is the Double Duty Award. Emmert noted the importance of highlighting students who give 100 percent to the very demanding band organizations and other organizations are too. To do so all the way through high school, Emmert said, is admirable. Emma Eddins received the Double Duty Award for setting an example for many years to come.
The Director’s Award, a national award given across the country to one student in a school’s band program who is most likely to become another staff member, by leadings by example, went to senior drum major Triston Stewart. Emmert noted he “plays a really good guitar and base too” and is among those scheduled to perform at Jazz on the Square tonight downtown.
The Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, given to a student who has achieved the most in the area of jazz is “our fantastic drummer” and SSHS Class of 2021 salutatorian Kendall Little.
The Leonard Bernstein Award, named after the one of the most important composers in American music history and given to someone who is “a musician through and through,” went to Anthony Arroyo.
Receive the John Philip Sousa Award, a national award given to high school students across the country who has achieved the most went to Cameron Beard.
Commerce Tigers Baseball Drops Double-Header to Grand Saline
It was a hard fought night, but the Commerce Tigers baseball team dropped a double-header to Grand Saline, 2-1 and 8-7 on Tuesday, Apr. 20.
The first game was a low-scoring affair, as neither team scored a run through two full innings. Grand Saline was able to get two runs in the bottom of the third to break the no-run tie.
Commerce would respond with a run of their own in their next at-bat in the top of the fourth, but that was all the Tiger offense could muster as they lost to the Indians by a 2-1 margin. Commerce did manage to outhit Grand Saline 6-1, with both teams committing an error a piece.
The Tigers came out swinging in their second game of the double-header versus the Indians, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Neither team scored in the next two innings, but Grand Saline eventually found their way on offense, getting five runs in the top of the fifth to make it a one run deficit.
The Indians then scored a run in their next at-bat in the sixth to tie the game up at 6 points a piece. To make matters worse for the Tigers, Grand Saline added on two more runs in the top of the seventh to give the Indians their first lead of the night at 8-6.
Commerce scored a run of their own but that was it as the Tigers lost a high-flying affair 8-7 to Grand Saline. The Indians outhit the Tigers 12-8 but gave up three errors to Commerce’s two.
Two hard-fought games that, unfortunately for Coach Britt Melton and his squad, found themselves on the wrong side of. The two losses dropped the Commerce Tigers baseball team’s overall record to 5-15-1, according to their game changer page.
Next up, the Tigers will take on Lone Oak in Commerce for the baseball team’s final home game of the season. The Senior Night game is set to tee-off at 7 P.M. on Apr. 27.
DEA ‘Takeback Day’ is Saturday April 24 on Atwoods Parking Lot, Helping Fight Drug Abuse and a National Prescription Drug Crisis
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse will coordinate the Spring ‘Drug Takeback Day’ on Saturday April 24, 2021 from 10am til 2pm on the parking lot of Atwoods Ranch and Home Center in Sulphur Springs, Texas. The address is 817 Gilmer Street. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s ‘Takeback Day’ affords a quick, simple and anonymous way for residents to dispose of prescription drugs which are unused, unwanted or expired. There will be a tent on site where you can just drive up and drop off the medications, for example in a ziplock bag, to have them disposed of properly and safely. You won’t have to get out of your car and you won’t have to give your name or any information. It’s totally anonymous. From Texas alone, this twice-per-year practice has collected over a million pounds since the program began, significantly reducing the unauthorized use of these medications by the wrong hands.
According to Captain Frank Tiemann of the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse, Takeback Day can accept unwanted prescription drugs, vitamins, minerals, veterinary drugs and drug samples. Marking out personal information on labels on original containers is encouraged but not required. Takeback Day cannot accept include liquids, inhalers, thermometers, needles or other medical sharps. Once collected, the Sheriff’s Department will follow the mandated DEA protocol for safe and secure handling of the drugs and a fairly intensive chain of custody reporting before the drug collections are received and destroyed by the DEA.
During a KSST Good Morning Show interview, Tiemann explained that the DEA introduced the program in 2010 after EPA studies showed an abnormally high content of prescription drugs ending up in water systems, and in turn notified the DEA, and the result is the Drug Takeback Day program. To date, almost 14 million pounds of drugs have been collected nationwide. Hopkins County collects an average of 300 pounds each year.
A 2019 study by the DEA concluded that there were 10 million people who abused or were addicted to prescription pain relievers, 5 million abused or were addicted to prescription stimulants, and 6 million abused prescription tranquilizers. Unfortunately, the majority of these drugs were obtained from family or friends. Opioids…the pain relievers like oxycodone and hydrocodone…are the top two opioid drugs abused. Next is line is barbiturates… the sedatives like Valium, Xanax and Klonopin. Stimulants like Aderall and Ritalin come in third. Another local Drug Takeback Day is planned for October 2021.
SSHS Blue Blazes Spring Show Slated April 23-24, 2021
The Sulphur Springs High School Blue Blazes are gearing up for their annual Spring Show this weekend in the Civic Center Auditorium.
This major production includes dancing, singing, special guest appearances, skit acting and more. Each year brings a new theme, routines, and special effects. This year’s theme is “Shine.” Students typically work all semester learning choreography, choreographing, making sets, as well as raising funds for lighting and costumes. The work is designed not only to show case the students’ abilities and hard work but to teach the students budgeting, advertising, communication, cooperation and design skills.
“After coming off of last year and not getting o have one, we are just super excited to be back on the stage performing this year in a live performance. We haven’t had too many of those this year,” Christie McCullough, Blue Blazes director. “Our theme is Shine. We think that’s an appropriate theme coming out of the crazy weird year that we’ve had.”
McCullough said the Blazes show will “take a journey on what makes us shine as people” and will also honor those in the community who do shine, with special recognition the role of those who have shined throughout the last year.
“We are just going to re-find the light inside us that burns and rekindle it Friday and Saturday nights,” the Blue Blazes director said. “If you need a little joy, if you need a little motivation, if you need a little toe-tapping, come join us. We’d love to see you back in this audience.
The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 23-24, on stage in the SSHS Auditorium at Hopkins County Civic Center. The doors will open at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available online only, and can be accessed at www.sshsblueblazes.org in advance or can be purchased at the door online on a smartphone or device. There are three ticket levels:
- General admission tickets will be $10 each, or $15 at the door and are good for either Friday or Saturday.
- A backstage pass costs $15, which allows ticket holder to enter at 6:45 p.m. either Friday or Saturday night to visit backstage until shortly before the show begins and to attend that show only.
- VIP tickets are $45 each, and are good both nights and include reserved parking and a swag bag of commemorative goodies and items for the Spring Show this year. Be prepared to show photo ID and parking pass when arriving
For additional ticket information, click here.
Wildcats X-Man Xavier Cork is Transferring To TCU
Former Wildcats’ basketball standout Xavier Cork is transferring from Western Carolina to TCU in the Big 12 Conference.
The 6-9 Cork has been with the Catamounts for the past two seasons playing 58 games.
This past season, Cork led the Southern Conference shooting 64.1% from the field.
He also averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds for Western Carolina.
Cork had a fantastic senior season for the Wildcats in 2018-2019. He was named co-MVP in District 15-5A.
The Wildcats went 29-9 and captured the district championship with a perfect 10-0 record.
The team also qualified for the State Tournament making it to the State Semifinal Game.
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.
Mariam Tran Qualifies for State Golf Tourney, Kip Childress Begins Play at Regional Wednesday
Lady Cats’ golfer Mariam Tran will be heading to the State Golf Tournament. Tran qualified for the State Tourney by shooting rounds of 77 and 80 at the two-day Region II Golf Tournament at Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club Monday and Tuesday (April 19-20).
Tran ended tied for 6th place with her 157 total. The State Tournament will be held May 10-11 at White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown.
Making the State Tournament has been a goal for Tran since she has been in high school. Her Lady Cats Golf Coach Whitney Spigener predicted Tran would make it to state several years ago. Coach Spigener also qualified for the State Tournament when she was a Lady Cats’ golfer.
Meanwhile the Boys Region II Golf Tournament got underway Wednesday at Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club. Wildcats’ golfer Kip Childress is in the field.
Childress qualified for the Regional Tournament by finishing 3rd at the District Tournament at Tempest Golf Club in Gladewater back on March 29-30. At district, Childress shot 71 and 75 for a total of 146.
At the Regional Golf Tournament, top teams and individuals can qualify for the State Tournament at White Wing Golf Course May 17-18.
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.
North Hopkins Panthers Baseball Team Overwhelms Yantis, 20-1 Tuesday
The North Hopkins Panthers Baseball Team dominated all phases of their game with Yantis earning a 20-1 win Tuesday.
After giving up an unearned run in the top of the first, the Panthers scored 5 runs in the first, 9 runs in the second and 6 mores runs in the third inning.
Three Panthers’ pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter.
Dakota Smith got the win going the first 2 innings allowing no hits and an unearned run while striking out 6 and walking 3. Tate Myers went 1 1/3 innings allowing no runs or hits while striking out 4. Braydon Nguyen pitched the final 2/3’s of an inning allowing no hits or runs.
For the Panthers, Carson Mathis was 2 for 2 with 3 RBI’s and 2 runs scored with a walk and stolen base. Smith was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI’s and 4 runs scored with a stolen base. Tate Myers drove home 2 runs and scored a run. Karson Jenkins had 2 RBI’s, scored 3 runs and had a walk and a stolen base. Aaron Nguyen was 1 for 3 with 2 RBI’s, a run scored and a walk.
Dylan Minick had an RBI, a run scored and a walk. Landry Breckeen scored 2 runs, walked and stole 3 bases. Santos Hernandez scored a run and walked. Braydon Nguyen scored 3 runs, walked and stole 2 bases. Gaven Buccieri scored a run and walked twice. Frank Valdez scored a run. Jack Jackson stole a base.
Protecting Yourself Online From Identity Theft
Austin – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is warning Texans to protect their identities online amid a wave of unemployment insurance fraud applications. While TWCsystems have not been breached or hacked, Texas, like all states, is seeing large numbers of fraudulent applications due to identity theft that occurs outside the system.
Identities are being stolen at record rates, some in breaches of health insurance companies, hotels and in one of the largest cases, a consumer credit reporting agency. The Insurance Information Institute (III) reported that the number of identity theft complaints in America doubled in 2020. A growing cybercrime community known as the Dark Web traffics in these stolen identities, passing them from hackers to fraudsters seeking to monetize your information. Even the hackers are being hacked. The III reports that government benefits programs are now the largest single target for these thieves, above even credit cards. With the high-profile increase in unemployment claims due to COVID-19, fraudsters are seeking to capitalize.
If you receive a letter stating that you have applied for benefits, which you have not applied for, it is very likely you are the victim of identity theft. You should report it immediately on the TWC fraud portal.
What to Do
You should also take the following steps:
- Contact the police department in the city in which you reside and get an incident report and number.
- Consult the Federal Trade Commission website to report the ID theft and for prevention tips and resources.
- Contact one of the three credit reporting agencies listed below and ask that a free fraud alert be placed on your credit report. If needed, ask to have your credit account frozen. Also request a free credit report. You only need to contact one of the three agencies because the law requires the agency to call to contact the other two:
- Equifax – 800-349-9960
- Experian – 888-397-3742
- TransUnion – 888-909-8872
- If your bank or credit union account was compromised, contact the fraud department of each institution. Report the identity theft and, if needed, ask them to close or freeze the compromised account. If your ATM card was compromised, contact your financial institution and request a new card.
- If unauthorized charges appear on your legitimate credit cards, cancel the cards and request replacement cards with new account numbers. If an authorized card was opened using your ID, cancel the cards and close the accounts.
- Contact the Social Security Administration office in one of the following ways:
- Visit www.ssa.gov and type “identity theft” in the search box
- Call: 800-269-0271
- Fax: 410-597-0118Mail: Social Security Fraud Hotline, PO Box 17785, Baltimore, MD 21235
All Texans should take steps to secure their identity online by practicing Internet security best practices. Treat your TWC account and all accounts like you would your bank account. The Texas Workforce Commission will investigate every unemployment benefit claim to confirm identity and to lock accounts that are fraudulent.
Additional Resources
U.S. Department of Labor information on reporting unemployment insurance fraud
- U.S. Department of Labor information on reporting unemployment insurance fraud
- IRS Identity Theft and Unemployment Benefits webpage
- Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft and Unemployment Benefits webpage
- Texas Office of Attorney General, ID Theft
- Texas Department of Public Safety ID Theft Information Guide
The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the services it offers in coordination with its network of local workforce development boards, call 512-463-8942 or visit www.texasworkforce.org. To receive notifications about TWC programs and services subscribe to our email updates.
Eight Lady Cats Make District 15-5A Soccer All-District Team
The Lady Cats Soccer Team had eight players chosen on the All-District Team in District 15-5A.
One player received a superlative as sophomore forward and midfielder Rebekah Stanley was named the All-District Sophomore of the Year.
Lady Cats making the All-District First Team are senior midfielder Janine Yamaguchi and sophomore defender Isabelle Thesing.
Two Lady Cats earned Second Team All-District honors: freshman midfielder Anna Williams and freshman forward Haylee Shultz.
Named All-District Honorable Mention were senior defender Chloe Jones, freshman defender Emma Romero and sophomore goalkeeper Zoe Haywood.
The Lady Cats were 6-6 in district play and they were 11-10-4 for the season.
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.
FM 2285 Assault Complaint Results In Felony Warrant Arrest
A FM 2285 assault complaint resulted in a felony warrant arrest Tuesday afternoon, according to arrest and sheriff’s reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Bobby Osornio and Sgt. Richard Greer responded at 3:23 p.m. to a report of a fight between two females in progress on FM 2285. One woman allegedly had the other in a headlock and assaulted the second woman when she tried to leave after being assaulted.
Upon arrival at the location for the FM 2285 assault complaint, deputies talked to both women alleged to have been involved in the altercation as well as a witness. Deputies believed resident Yvonne Yvette Lozano was the aggressor in the physical altercation with the other woman, reported to be Lozano’s girlfriend.
The 30-year-old rural Sulphur Springs resident, however, denied being involved in a physical altercation. The visible marks consistent with those sustained during a physical altercation on the San Antonio woman, however, lead deputies to believe otherwise. Consequently, Lozano was taken into custody on a Class A misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury charge. She was also found to be wanted on an active Bexar County warrant.
The 30-year-old was booked just after 5:30 p.m. April 20, into Hopkins County jail, where she remained Wednesday morning, April 21, 2021, on the local assault charge as well as the Bexar County possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to jail reports. An emergency protective order was requested on behalf of the woman she is accused of assaulting.
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.
