Texas DPS Apprehends 22 Special Interest Aliens
October 15, 2024 – At least 1.7 million special interest aliens have entered the country under the Biden-Harris administration.
Photo courtesy of DPS drone footage.
Texas Department of Public Safety officers apprehended a large group of illegal border crossers, including 23 unaccompanied children and 22 special interest aliens.
The groups crossed onto private property in Maverick County, as reported by Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesman for DPS.
Olivarez posted that of the 23 unaccompanied children, 16 were boys, and seven were girls. The 22 special interest aliens were from Egypt and Turkey.
A special interest alien is someone who is identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a potential national security threat due to analysis of their travel patterns and country of origin.
“SIAs are not regarded as terrorists but, because they arrive as almost complete strangers from nations where avowed anti-U.S. terrorist groups are prevalent, homeland security protocols dating to a 2004 CBP Memorandum and still largely in effect call for SIAs to be tagged and detained until they can go through extra security screening,” wrote Todd Bensman, Senior Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.
In September, 27 special interest aliens crossed into Maverick County from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and India. Last week, 14 special interest aliens from Iran, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were apprehended.
A U.S. House Judiciary Committee report estimates that at least 1.7 million special interest aliens have entered the country under the Biden-Harris administration.
This article originally appeared here.
Neighboring County Institutes Burn Ban
October 15, 2024 – Hopkins County has yet to issue a burn ban this fall, but our neighboring county to the east issued one this week. Residents of Franklin County are now prohibited from outdoor burning.
In Texas, local governments are empowered to take action on the behalf of those they serve. When drought conditions exist, a burn ban can be put in place by a county judge or county commissioners court prohibiting or restricting outdoor burning for public safety.
A burn ban means no outdoor burning is allowed, except in an enclosure that contains all flames and/or sparks. Non-commercial cooking, such as backyard cookouts and barbeques, are still allowed. Any outdoor welding and/or other “hot work” must be performed in accordance with fire code requirements.
As of this posting, there is no significant precipitation in the 10 day forecast.
Learn a Little About Medicare and Enrollment in this Episode of A Second Cup Of Coffee
On this episode of KSST’s A Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey, John Mark had a Skype chat with Sulphur Springs Independent Insurance Advisor Gillan Boyer. In this conversation, John Mark and Gillan cover such topics as what you should do when preparing to change your Medicare plan, how much your Social Security is going to go up next year, what you should do with commercials advertising renewing or changing Medicare plans, and so much more. Check out the video below.
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Invites the Community to Their “Blessing of the Animals” October 19th
October 14, 2024 – St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, located at 1206 College Street, invites the community to bring their pets to the Church October 19, 2024, for their “Blessing of the Animals.” The event will be held from 1:00pm to 2:30pm. They invite you to bring your dogs, cats, longhorns… any pets to this event. “All are welcome.” There will also be a petting zoo of farm animals at the event. You can also meet the fun-loving dog, Jerry, with Hearts of Life Animal Rescue. Bring your favorite critters out to this event and have a good time!
Sulphur Springs Church of the Nazarene to hold Their Fall Craft Fair October 19th
October 14, 2024 – The Sulphur Springs Church of the Nazarene will hold their Fall Craft Fair Saturday, October 19, 2024. The fair will be open from 8:00am to 3:00pm. The Craft Fair will be held at the Sulphur Springs Church of the Nazarene, 1300 South League Street, Sulphur Springs, Texas. You can expect handmade jewelry, housewares, Christmas Decor, Freeze Dried sweet treats, Food Trucks, Gift Baskets, and so much more. This is an indoor event so will be held, rain or shine.
Things are Jumping at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Activity Center in October and November
October 14, 2024 – Activities are a many coming up at your Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Activity Center. The Silver Santa Keep Warm Drive, with the help of the Sulphur Springs Corvette Club, Fireside BBQ, and Cherished Events and Catering, is under way. You can donate blankets, heaters, socks, coats, and other items to help keep our Senior Loved ones warm this winter. Drop off donated items at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Activity Center, or Fireside BBQ. The Sulphur Springs Senior Activity Center Stew Cook-Off is scheduled for October 18, 2024. The fun event begins at 11:00am. You can win prizes! If you would like to enter this competition, please call 903-439-3720. And then bring your stew ready to serve. November promises to be just as exciting at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Activity Center with such activities as Tai Chi, a Nail Polish Party, Left Center Right, and so much more. Check out the calendar below. Enjoy!
Houston Murder Suspect Named October Featured Fugitive
October 14, 2024 – AUSTIN – Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Ernest Nathan is this month’s Featured Fugitive. The reward for information leading to his arrest is increased to $6,000 for the month if the tip is received in October.
Ernest Christopher Nathan, 45, of Houston, has been wanted out of Harris County since Feb. 2024 for murder. Nathan has a criminal history out of Georgia dating back to 2006, receiving convictions for aggravated assault, battery and bail jumping. In Oct. 2022, Nathan was arrested by the Houston Police Department for murder and evading arrest/detention with a vehicle. He was released on bond the following day.
Nathan is 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has tattoos on both arms and on his back. In addition to Houston, Nathan has ties to Georgia, Ohio and Louisiana. More information about Nathan or updates in the event of his arrest can be found here.
Funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders or Criminal Illegal Immigrants. So far in 2024, DPS and other agencies have arrested 36 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants, including 13 sex offenders, 10 gang members and 4 criminal illegal immigrants.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
- Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
- Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture.
- Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants Lists. You can find the current lists — with photos — on the DPS website.
Secretary of State Reverses Guidance Allowing Non-Citizen IDs for Voting
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy reported Thursday evening that, according to DPS, 2,824,613 noncitizens have driver’s licenses or IDs issued by the state.
By Brandon Waltens – October 11, 2024 – In a major reversal from her guidance just days ago, Secretary of State Jane Nelson now says non-citizen driver’s licenses may not be used as a form of voter identification.
The Texas Department of Public Safety issues driver’s licenses and personal identification cards to lawfully present noncitizens, which are clearly marked “Temporary Visitor” or “Limited-Term” and expire after one year or when the individual’s period of lawful presence ends.
An advisory from the Secretary of State issued Tuesday afternoon stated that while citizens should not use these types of IDs to vote, poll workers should nonetheless offer a regular ballot to people on the voter rolls who present a noncitizen ID. This contrasts with previous guidance from the Secretary of State’s office in 2018, which specifically stated that DPS-issued driver’s licenses and personal identification cards “should not be used if ‘Limited Term’ or ‘Temporary Visitor’ appears on the face of the card, as this indicates the person is not a U.S. Citizen.”
Instead, voters with such IDs were urged to show other forms of identification, including naturalization certificates or passports.
After backlash, Nelson has issued “updated guidance” reversing the decision:
When an individual attempts to vote by presenting a temporary or limited-term driver’s license (which federal regulations say must be issued only to non-citizens who are lawfully present in this country) election workers must require that the individual produce a naturalization card or naturalization certificate demonstrating U.S. citizenship to receive a regular ballot.
After issuing the initial advisory, Nelson had asked Attorney General Ken Paxton for further guidance though stated she updated the guidance prior to receiving a response.
“Secretary of State Nelson did the right thing,” said Paxton. “Her amended election advisory closes a potential loophole that could have allowed noncitizens to attempt to vote. Texas must do everything in its power to prevent noncitizens from voting, and this is a critical step toward securing our elections.”
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy reported Thursday evening that, according to DPS, 2,824,613 noncitizens have driver’s licenses or IDs issued by the state.
Grand Opening for Tyler State Park’s New Headquarters
October 13, 2024 – TYLER – Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Tyler State Park will host a grand opening event Oct. 18 for the new park headquarters.
The facility, designed to resemble Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) facilities found elsewhere in the park, features an interpretive gallery highlighting the history of the park, improved accessibility for staff and visitors, increased office space, centralized conference room, better parking options to prevent traffic congestion and a new radio tower for improved communications within the park. Natural materials help the building blend into the park environment.
Planning for the new headquarters facility began more than 10 years ago and construction commenced in the winter of 2021. Tyler State Park was built by CCC 2888 between 1935 and 1941 and has a total of 985 acres.
Where: Tyler State Park – 789 Park Road 16, Tyler
When: 10 – 11 a.m. Oct. 18
Media will have a chance to interview Tyler State Parks staff and other TPWD dignitaries along with photo opportunities and a tour of the facility.
RSVP is required for media who want to attend this private grand opening event. If interested, please RSVP to [email protected].
Funding for this project was provided by Proposition 5 through the Sporting Goods Sales Tax.
Watch Two Top 10 Teams Compete in this SSHS Wildcats Football Game Versus Celina from October 11, 2024
October 13, 2024 – Below is KSST’s coverage of the SSHS Wildcats game against the Celina Bobcats from Friday, October 11, 2024. KSST’s Sports Director, John Mark Dempsey calls Play by Play while Tony Flippin does Color Commentary. Our new Intern Erin Groom helps out on cam and James Terry runs the board back at the KSST studios. This game was played at Gerald Prim Stadium in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
