Chamber Connection – April 28, 2021
By Butch Burney, President/CEO, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
Greetings from the Redneck Riviera! We are on our way back from Gulf Shores, Alabama, following the wedding of our youngest daughter and we are excited about getting back to town.
We found that, like Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County, people and businesses in the Deep South are thankful to be reopening and getting back to business and fun.
Speaking of business and fun, you’ll be happy to know that the Southwest Dairy Museum is reopening on Monday, May 1, at 9 a.m., and will resume normal weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The creamery will be open and selling prepackaged novelty ice cream.
Also, don’t forget Saturday’s Cinco de Mayo celebration of food, music and Mexican culture on the downtown plaza.
The Chamber will be hosting a ribbon cutting for Guys and Gals Barber Shop and Salon at noon Monday, May 3, at 325 South Davis St., Suite 2. Come out to support this new venture.
Another significant event downtown is the National Day of Prayer at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 6. The public is encouraged to join together at that time.
The Chamber will be hosting another ribbon cutting on May 13, at noon, for Money Law Firm. The celebration will be held at their Sulphur Springs location, 1335 South Broadway, Suite 40, and we would love for you to join us.
Also, don’t forget about the 5th Annual Salute the Veterans BBQ Cookoff at VFW Post 8560 on May 14-15. To enter a cook team, call 903-335-0966.
Davison Development & Building will be hosting their ribbon cutting on May 18, at noon. We would love for you to join us, at 204B Linda Drive, for a fun celebration with free BBQ and refreshments.
For those who are long-term planners, mark Saturday, Oct. 23, as the date for the 52nd Annual World Championship Hopkins County Stew Contest. We will have more information coming this summer on the contest for the T-shirt design. If you’re not a member of the Chamber of Commerce, now would be a great time to join to get in on the stew contest sponsorships.
Business Highlight
The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is highlighting a member of the Chamber each week. Please join me in congratulating our Business of the Week for April 28, Julia Wilhite – State Farm. The preceding Business of the Week was Texas Trading Company. You can read biographical stories at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page and Instagram page.
Meet Craig Toney, SSISD Bi-Lingual/ESL/Two-Way Dual Language Program Coordinator
During the KSST Good Morning Show on April 27, 2021, Craig Toney dropped in to share information about programs in place for K-3rd graders in the Sulphur Springs school district who need or want dual-language training in English and Spanish. The amazing Dual-Language program may be new to some in the community. According to Toney, learning about the Dual-Language Program is especially important for parents of young students who are new to the school district. An upcoming New Student Registration Round-up for K-3rd students will be hosted on May 5, 6 and 7, 2021 at the SSISD Administration Building, 631 Connally Street in Sulphur Springs, and the Dual-Language Program can be selected at that time. Please pre-register for an appointment to attend the Round-up by clicking HERE .
During the interview, Toney shared that parents of new Spanish-speaking and English-speaking students coming into Kindergarten can select the Dual-Language Program for their child, designed to give instruction in both languages until they complete the 5th grade. The program currently has room for 40 students. The New to Sulphur Springs Roundup May 5-7 will begin the process of filling the 40 slots for the 2021-2022 school year. The final day to turn in an application for the Dual Language Two-Way Immersion program is May 28, 2021.
Toney stated that the goal of the Two-Way Dial Language Program is to promote high academic achievement through development of skills at or above the grade level in all academic areas starting in Kindergarten, thereby creating bilingualism and biliteracy by the time the student completes the fifth grade, and promoting cross culture awareness. Students work in bi-lingual pairs with one English-speaking and one Spanish-speaking student who work together to master both academic content and acquisition in a second language. The program was active during 2020, and will again be housed at the Travis Primary campus utilizing the Gomez and Gomez DLE model. Toney stated that youngsters who have been enrolled in private pre-schools, local Pre-K facilities and those children who have not been enrolled anywhere previously can benefit from this program, which is available only for incoming Kindergarten students.
Craig Toney joined SSISD in July 2020 during the upsurge of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Raised in Pittsburg, Texas, Toney was active in sports and recalled that during the summer of 1987, he was a team member on the ‘Sulphur Springs Eagles’ American Legion Baseball team. Toney brings several years experience in leadership as Principal at Daingerfield and Mt. Pleasant ISD’s to his current position at SSISD. He is confident in the teaching staff of the ESL departments who are trained and equipped to care for the ‘special lane’ of Dual-Language instruction. Toney is looking forward to the new school year and further employing his skills with the growth of the Two-Way Dual Language, ESL and Bi-Lingual instruction offered at SSISD.
TWC Warns: Protect Data On Social Media
Austin – The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is encouraging Texans to use extreme caution on social media amid a dramatic increase in identity theft. Although no TWC system has been compromised, a record number of identity theft cases shows just how important it is to be vigilant in securing private information.
Private information is exposed like never before. Social networking sites routinely expose full names, addresses, birthdates and other information valuable to scammers. Combined with information stolen from data breaches, cell phone hacking or “phishing” scams that expose social security numbers, they can empower criminals who can impersonate you online.
Over the last few months, multiple fake TWC pages have been set up by scammers in an attempt to use phishing to solicit private information from people applying for unemployment benefits. TWC has warned those on social media that the agency never conducts business on social media, and if anyone claiming to represent the agency contacts you asking for private information, do not respond. Instead, you should only conduct business through TWC’s official unemployment portal or phone number.
Additionally, unsuspecting individuals seeking assistance have shared their own private information on TWC’s legitimate social media channels, often in public posts that can be viewed by anyone. TWC reminds Texans to never give out Social Security numbers, account logins, bank information, payment or even addresses on any social media platform, even in direct messages to TWC.
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.
If you think you are the victim of this type of identity theft, you may report it at the TWC fraud and identity theft portal by clicking here.
COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available At Cody Drug, April 28 Clinic At Hospital
109th COVID-19 Hopkins County Fatality Reported
While the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Hopkins County continues to dwindle as more COVID-19 vaccines become available, the virus has not been eradicated in Hopkins County. Not only are people still contracting the virus, one additional Hopkins County resident’s death has been confirmed to be the result of COVID-19 — the 109th COVID-19 fatality reported for Hopkins County, according to the April 26 Texas Department of State Health Services Case Counts dashboard.
Monday marked the fourth consecutive day with no new confirmed COVID-19 cases. However, probable cases rose by three on April 26, after four days with no new probable cases. In the last four days, four Hopkins County residents recovered, 631 doses of vaccine were administered to Hopkins County residents, according to the DSHS Case Counts and Vaccine Data dashboards. The 109th COVID-19 fatality was reported for Hopkins County as well; the death was reported to have occurred on April 13.
So far this month, 24 confirmed cases and 17 probable cases of the coronavirus 2019, two deaths and 56 recoveries have been reported for Hopkins County.
That brings the cumulative total since March of 2020 to 3,061 Hopkins County residents (8.25 percent) who have had COVID-19, including 1,594 Hopkins County residents (4.3 percent of the population) who have received lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 results and 1,497 residents (4.04 percent) reported as “probable cases,” as well as 2,930 county residents who have recovered from COVID-19, 109 who died (6.84 percent of Hopkins County COVID-19 cases) from the virus and 16,031 Hopkins County residents who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
On April 25, 2021, the number of Hopkins County resident who’ve been fully vaccinated rose to 6,995 while the number who’ve had a least one dose of the vaccine was 9,036 who’ve had one dose. That’s 23.17 percent of the 29, 175 Hopkins County residents age 16 and older, and 50.43 percent age 65 or older who’ve been fully vaccinated, and 18.95 percent of the Hopkins County population vaccinated for COVID-19 as of April 25.
That’s down from 52 confirmed, 36 probable cases, 102 recoveries and three fatalities from March 1-26, 2020. The active case count has also declined from 142 active cases on March 26to 22 active cases on April 26. Overall, 18.98 percent of the county’s population had been vaccinated for COVID-19.
For those who have yet to receive one dose of any of the COVID-19 vaccines, shots are available at Cody Drug as well as some other pharmacies. Each pharmacy has different scheduling; checking with the pharmacy for more information is advisable. To register for the Moderna vaccine at Cody Drug, go online to healthmartcovidvaccine.com and sign in to your individual account. Those who do not already have a HealthMart account can register on the main page, then sign in to schedule an appointment at Cody Drug. There’s also a link on the Cody Drug website to HealthMart.com; click it to be taken to that website, then select Schedule Your Appointment.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs will also host another vaccine clinic on Wednesday, April 28, to administer the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments are still available for most time slots from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those planning to attend the clinic at the hospital April 28 are asked to register for an open time slot, to help ensure no doses of the vaccine are wasted. Go online, and click “Sign Up” beside the desired available time slot, then click “Submit” and fill in the required information. Click here to register online for the CMFHSS April 28 Pfizer Clinic. Those who do not have Internet access may contact Holly Ragan at 903.439.4033 to schedule an appointment for a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on April 28. The Pfizer vaccine is available to anyone age 16 or older.
As the number of COVID-19 vaccines available and administered to Hopkins County residents continues to rise, the number of people being tested for the virus has also fallen. In fact, test numbers declined so much at the free testing center in Sulphur Springs this month that the state has officially closed the free facility on Wednesday. Since then, 270 people have been tested elsewhere in Sulphur Springs.
Weed War, by Hopkins County Master Gardener Ronnie Wilson
By Ronnie Wilson, Hopkins County Master Gardener
Now that spring is here and both the desirable and undesirable plants are growing again, it is time to begin the never-ending battle with weeds.
It is a shame that the frigid February temperatures only seemed to harm our “good” plants, and left the “bad” ones undamaged.
In order to begin combat with these weeds, it is first necessary to identify what type of weed is invading your landscape so that the proper control can be used.
Weeds are grouped into 3 categories — Broadleaf, Grasses, and Sedges. Each group has different structure as well as growing habits. Broadleaf weeds can be identified by looking closely at the stems, which are solid, can vary in shape, and are often branched.
The leaves of these plants will vary in number, are wider than grassy weeds, and will have leaves at various points on the stems. Examples of broadleaf weeds include henbit, chickweed, dandelion, clover, thistle, dollarweed, and curly dock.
The group of grassy weeds have hollow stems that can be round or flat. Leaves of this type of weed are usually grouped by twos, and they will alternate from one side of the stem sides.
Common grassy weeds include crabgrass, Dallisgrass, rye grass, sandbur, Johnson grass, and the insanely hard to control Bermuda grass.
Sedges may be the easiest to identify as their stems are solid, have a triangular shape, and the waxy leaves are clustered in a group of three, growing from the same point on the stem. Sedges grow and spread from underground rhizomes or tubers, and do best in excessively moist areas. Purple and yellow nut sedge and green kyllinga are common sedge “weeds.”
There are numerous controls for weeds on the market, and a trip to the local garden center can be extremely confusing. Some products prohibit weed seeds from germinating (pre-emergents), some disrupt the cell membranes of the plant (MSMA, DSMA), while others prevent the amino acids necessary for plant life (glyphosate).
All herbicides are labeled with the active ingredients, a list of the weeds controlled, and with instructions for use. These directions must be followed exactly for best results. Blindly spraying “weed killer” in your landscape not only wastes money, but doing so can kill desirable plants, grass, and even trees.
If in doubt about which herbicide to use, ask for help at your garden center, or visit the A&M Extension website: https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu
All pre-emergent products must be applied several months before the seeds begin to germinate, and have no effect on any weed you can see. Two brands of this type are Dimension (for grassy weeds), and Gallery (for broadleaf weeds).
Post-emergent herbicides include those products containing DMSA or MSMA for grassy weeds, while 2,4-D is effective for broadleaf weed control. For sedges, product brand names Sledgehammer or Image are useful.
The very popular herbicides Round Up and Finale are non-selective herbicides, meaning these products kill all types of plants. Although these glyphosate based herbicides are very effective, gardeners should be extremely careful where they are used, as desirable plants can be killed by only a few drops.
And lastly, there is always the tried and true, old fashioned methods of weed control — hand pulling and using a hoe. With this method, there is no need to identify your weed adversary, just attack until the weeds’ roots are reaching for the sky!
Cheap and 100% effective, the old ways also have the benefit of giving you more time in the garden, as well as being a source of outdoor exercise!
Wildcats Baseball Team Has Playoff Hopes Going Into District Finale
The Wildcats Baseball Team concludes district play Tuesday night at Hallsville with some playoff hopes still alive. There will be a JV contest at 4 p.m. The varsity game is at 7 p.m.
The Wildcats come into the Tuesday night game tied for 4th place with Marshall. Both have 6-5 district records. For the Wildcats, just about everything depends on what Marshall does Tuesday night.
The Mavs wrap up district play at Mount Pleasant, tied for 6th place with a 1-10 district record. The Wildcats could actually upset district champ Hallsville and still not get in if the Mavs also win.
That would create a three-way tie with Texas High for 3rd place and the Wildcats would be the odd team out due to the head to head tiebreaker.
If Marshall loses Tuesday, the Wildcats could end up in a tie with Marshall if if the Wildcats also lose. The Mavs and Wildcats would then end up at 6-6 and would have to play a game to determine the #4 seed.
The Wildcats are 10-15 for the season. Hallsville comes in at 22-5.
When the two teams played in Sulphur Springs back on April 1, the Bobcats took an 8-1 win.
KSST Radio will bring you the Wildcats and Bobcats live from Hallsville starting at 7 p.m. The game will feature streaming video and audio. The game will also be videotaped for replay later on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
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.
2 Transferred To Hopkins County Jail On Felony Warrants
Two people were transferred to Hopkins County jail Monday on felony warrants, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Amanda Weatherford traveled to Collin County Sheriff’s Office, where Lisa Faye Abraham was held on a Hopkins County warrant. Weatherford took Abraham into custody at 1:50 p.m. April 26, 2021, and transported her to Hopkins County jail, where she was booked at 3:20 p.m. for violation of probation, which the 53-year-old Sulphur Springs woman was on for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. She was held in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, April 27, 2021 on the charge.
Weatherford also traveled to Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, where Steven Lee Welborn was held on a Hopkins County warrant. Weatherford took custody of Welborn at 5:12 p.m. Monday, April 26, 2021 and transported him to Hopkins County jail, where the 54-year-old Irving man was booked at 7 p.m. on a warrant for bond forfeiture on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge. He remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, April 27, on the charge; his new bond was set at $20,000.
The controlled substance charge stems from a June 30, 2020 Interstate 30 traffic stop in which a plastic bag containing pills suspected to be Xanax and a yellow bag containing a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine were found lodged in the front passenger’s head rest area, glass pipes of the type used to smoke methamphetamine with suspected meth, used hypodermic syringes and a burned spoon with other drug paraphernalia were found in a zip bag located in the center console, and more syringes and another burned spoon were among the drug paraphernalia found on the back seat. Additional loose crystal-like substance believed to be meth was located on the floorboard behind driver’s seat of the SUV. The suspected meth field tested positive on a field test kit. Welborn and two women were arrested early June 30 on a third-degree felony possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, deputies alleged in 2020 arrest reports. Welborn was released from jail the next day on a $10,000 bond.
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 Softball Bi-District Schedule Announced
On Tuesday, Apr. 27 Lady Cats softball coach David Carrillo announced the schedule for the softball team’s bi-district round of playoffs versus Lufkin.
After beating the Hallsville Lady Cats 2-0 in a seeding game in Mt. Pleasant on Monday, Apr. 26, Sulphur Springs was officially awarded the #1 seed from District 15-5A for the 2021 playoffs.
After the game Coach Carrillo announced that his squad would be taking on Lufkin in the Bi-District (or first) round of playoffs.
But now the softball coach has officially announced the dates and times of the Lady Cats’ first round games. Game 1 will take place on Thursday, Apr. 29 at 8 P.M. in Whitehouse.
The two teams have Friday off before taking part in a double-header on Saturday. Game 2 of Bi-District will occur at noon on Saturday, May 1, with the (if necessary) game 3 taking place thirty minutes after the end of game 2. All three games versus Lufkin will take place in Whitehouse.
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.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report – April 19-25, 2021
The Winnsboro Police Department media report for the week of April 19-25, 2021, included the following activity:
Arrests
- Joshua Orr, 37 years of age, of Newsome, was arrested on 4/22/2021 for possession of 2 ounces or more but less than 4 ounces of marijuana.
- Donald Moses, 51 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 4/22/2021 on a Wood County warrant for driving while license invalid and possession of marijuana.
- Cameron Moore, 33 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 4/25/2021 on an Austin Parole Board warrant for Parole Violation-Burglary of Habitation.
Calls for Service
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 150 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
- The Winnsboro Police Department issued 43 citations and 60 warnings during this reporting period.
Resisting Arrest Added To Charges Wanted Man Is Accused Of Committing
Resisting arrest was added to the list of charges to the list of charges a wanted Sulphur Springs man is accused of committing, according to sheriff’s reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Lavender and Deputy Richard Brantley responded shortly before noon Monday, April 26, 2021 on Locust Street in Sulphur Springs. They attempting to locate Lucas Wayne Williams, a man wanted on two charges. As the deputies began walking to the front door of Williams’ residence, they spotted a man walking around the north side of the house toward the front of the residence. When asked, the man identified himself as Luke. He matched the photo sent to him by HCSO Sgt. Todd Evans, who had reported seeing Lucas Williams wearing blue jean, a black hoody and carrying a black backpack when he saw him walking earlier in the day.
The deputies advised Williams of the warrants and attempted to take him into custody. Instead of complying, Williams allegedly began actively resisting the officers, attempting to pull away from one officer’s grasp in an effort to get away. Williams was then reportedly pushed against the front wall of the residence and instructed to stop resisting.
He did not heed deputies’ instructions. Williams allegedly continued resisting and refused to put his hands behind his back. He was reportedly “taken to the ground” so the officers could put handcuffs on him, and continued to resist officers by refusing to stand up and walk to the deputy’s patrol vehicle.
Once deputies were able to finally get Williams to the patrol vehicle, he allegedly refused to get into the back seat by pushing away from the vehicle. Deputies reported pinning Williams against the vehicle and instructed him to cease resisting, to which Lucas responded by banging his head on the side of the patrol vehicle, the sheriff’s office alleged in arrest reports. Williams was eventually placed into the back of the patrol vehicle and taken to jail.
Williams, who is also known by Williams Lucas Blade, was booked into Hopkins County jail at 1:30 p.m. April 26, 2021, for resisting arrest, on warrants for bail jumping and failure to appear and for bond forfeiture on an aggravated robbery charge. The 28-year old remained in Hopkins County jail at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 27, 2021; his bond was set at $30,000 on the bail jumping/FTA charge and $10,000 on the Class A misdemeanor resisting arrest charge. His new bond on the aggravated robbery charge was set at $100,000, twice the original bond.
The robbery charge stems from a July 3, 2020 incident on Van Sickle Street. Williams allegedly displayed a knife during an altercation with a male family member who is hearing impaired. The male family member allegedly sustained a small laceration on the arm during the disturbance. Williams also allegedly struck the other man in the head and took money from him. The family member fled the residence to get away from Williams. He was taken into custody Aug. 2, 2020 and remained in custody on the aggravated robbery warrant, and released from custody on a $50,000 bond on the charge on Aug. 4, 2020.
Williams was last in Hopkins County jail a little over a month ago. Sulphur Springs Police Officer Sean Hoffman spotted him walking on the wrong side of south Davis Street and contacted him. Williams allegedly was so nervous his hands shook excessively and he trembled. When asked about it, Williams allegedly stared past Hoffman as if he didn’t hear him. Williams reportedly became even more nervous when asked to empty his pockets. After a brief hesitation, the 29-year-old allegedly removed a rag from his hoody pocket that contained a glass pipe of the kind used to smoke methamphetamine. When Hoffman tried to place him into custody, Williams reportedly resisted. Another officer arrived to help get the man into custody. Williams spent the Monday night, March 22, 2021 in custody on a possession of drug paraphernalia 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.
