SSHS Wildcat Academic UIL Team Second In District Competition, 10 Students Advancing To Regional Contest
The Sulphur Springs High School Wildcat Academic UIL Team finished second at the District UIL Competition held in Mount Pleasant over the weekend. SSHS earned 347 points to Hallsville’s 561. Mt Pleasant, Pine Tree, Longview, Texas High and Marshall rounded out the field. In One-Act Play competition, one student was named to the All Star Cast, three others received honorable mention and one was named an Outstanding Crew member.
SSHS One-Act Play cast and crew 
Allie Grace Woodard
The cast and crew of You on the Moors Now also concluded their season at the Bi-District competition in Texarkana last week. Hannah Shultz was named to the All-Star Cast. AllieGrace Woodard, Rorie Young, and Danielle Verlander were named to the Honorable Mention All-Star Cast. Ricardo Chavarria was named to Outstanding Crew.
AllieGrace Woodard is advancing to state in UIL Theatrical Costume Design and for the third consecutive year in UIL Theatrical Hair and Makeup Design, according to SSHS Wildcat Theatre Department.
Ten SSHS students scored high enough in the district to advanced to the regional academic UIL competition on April 16 – 17 at Whitehouse High School in 11 events. Three teams were also recognized for their achievements as first and second place finishes at the meet.
SSHS Wildcat Academic UIL Coordinator Gerald Grafton offers congratulations and thanks to all students and sponsors who participated at the district UIL events and to the One Act Play cast and crew for a great season.
Below are results from the weekend’s district academic UIL competition:
| Contest Category | Student Competitor | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| News Writing | Lexi McCoy* | 1st |
| Crystal Flores | 4th | |
| Ready Writing | Zoe Westlund* | 2nd |
| Lexi McCoy | 5th | |
| Matthew Harper | 6th | |
| Feature Writing | Lexi McCoy* | 1st |
| Crystal Flores* | 3rd | |
| Zoe Westlund | 4th | |
| Editorial | Joel Villarino* | 1st |
| Dawson Carpenter* | 2nd | |
| Matthew Harper | 5th | |
| Headline | Shelby Ray* | 1st |
| Matthew Harper* | 3rd | |
| Copy Editing | Matthew Harper* | 2nd |
| Dawson Carpenter | 6th | |
| Journalism | Team | |
| Computer Science | Joel Villarino* | 2nd |
| Harrison Allen | 5th | |
| Kaden Kirkland (Team) | ||
| Luis Ruiz (Team) | ||
| Team | 2nd | |
| Literary Criticism | Matthew Harper* | 1st |
| Kendall Little* | 2nd | |
| Dawson Carpenter* | 3rd | |
| Shelby Ray* | 4th | |
| Team* | 1st | |
| Poetry Interpretation | AllieGrace Woodard* | 3rd |
| Caitlyn Monaghan | 6th | |
| Social Studies | Alfredo Renteria* | 2nd |
| Spelling and Vocabulary | Dawson Carpenter* | 1st |
| Joel Villarino | 4th | |
| Cameron Beard (Team) | ||
| Kaden Kirkland (Team) | ||
| Team | 2nd |
Sulphur Springs Man Jailed On Felony Warrant
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Wilkerson arrested a 60-year-old Sulphur Springs man at his residence Sunday night on a felony warrant. Wilkerson was made aware of the outstanding charge, located Danny Ray McPherson, served the felony warrant and transported the man to the county jail.
McPherson was held at the jail Monday morning, March 29, 2021 for violation of probation on a tampering with or fabricating physical evidence charge.
The original offense was reported to have occurred on May 11, 2014. He remained in the county jail overnight and was released on a $10,000 bond on the charge the next day. He was jailed locally Aug. 8-Nov. 9, 2015 prior to serving a commitment in a substance abuse felony punishment facility for a conviction for violating probation on the tampering with evidence 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.
Missing Brashear Man Found Deceased In Crashed Vehicle In A Creek Off FM 2653 Friday
A missing 55-year-old Brashear man was found deceased in a vehicle wedged down an embankment in a creek off FM 2653 around 2:40 p.m. Friday, March 26, 2021. A family member had reportedly contacted the sheriff’s officer early in the week to report the man missing.
A Texas Department of Transportation employee reportedly discovered the man inside the vehicle in a ravine in the creek off FM 2653 south around 2:40 p.m. Friday. The man is thought to have crashed a few days before he was discovered. The vehicle was stuck in the water, which flows heavily in the area. Recent rains caused increased run off and flow under the roadway. Investigation into the crash is ongoing by Texas Department of Public Safety
“Preliminary investigation indicates that a 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass was northbound on FM 2653. For an as yet undetermined reason, the vehicle left the roadway striking a tree and landing in a creek. Due to heavy rains, the vehicle moved from where it landed in the creek. The crash was believed to have occurred during the night of March 21 to March 22, 2021,” news release from Sergeant Gregg Williams, Media Communications/Safety Education for Texarkana/Mount Pleasant Texas Department of Public Safety, stated.
The vehicle was reportedly found approximately 10 feet down the embankment in the water, where it was not immediately visible from the road, local authorities reported.
Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Brad Cummings pronounced 55-year-old Richard Alan Speiler of Brashear dead at the crash site at 3:15 p.m. Friday, March 25, 2021. The body was sent for an autopsy at American Forensics in Mesquite, and the crash remains under investigation pending results of the report.
HCSO: Man Caught On Video Stealing An Antique Rooster From Main Street Business
A 48-year-old Sulphur Springs man was caught on video stealing an antique rooster and other items from a Main Street business Saturday morning, sheriff’s officers alleged in arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Dennis Findley reported seeing a man on camera stealing items from a business in the 1200 block of Main Street around 9:45 a.m. March 27. Findley notified dispatchers over radio about the theft in progress and provided responding officers with a description of the suspect.
Upon arrival in the area, officers reported seeing a male matching the description given by Findley. The man was walking east on the railroad tracks behind a Main Street milk business. Findley and HCSO Sgt. Richard Greer contacted the man. Findley identified as the male as the man he observed on camera taking property from the business. The man identified himself as Meo Medina, Greer alleged in arrest reports.
The man admitted to taking a rooster from the business with the intent to take it home, but ended up leaving it by a fence because it was too heavy. Findley told the man he had seen him take other property in addition to stealing an antique rooster. The man was taken into custody for theft and escorted down the train tracks to a patrol vehicle, which Deputy Dan Turrentine used to transport the 48-year-old to jail.
Meanwhile, Findley and Greer continued to search the area in an attempt to locate and recover the stolen property. Officers reported finding not only an antique rooster but an antique flower cart and a large stew pot reported to have been stolen as well. The value of the items was estimated to be $2,500, resulting in the man, identified in arrest reports as Meo Medina-Tuirubiates, being charged with theft of property valued at $2,500-$30,000, a state jail felony offense.
Medina-Tuirubiates remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, March 29. Bond on the felony theft charge was set at $100,000.
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.
Research Library Reopens for Genealogists and Historians
The Hopkins County Genealogy Research Library, located inside the Sulphur Springs Public Library has reopened for walk-in visitors and researchers following a lengthy closure due to COVID-19 cautions. The Research Library will open at 9:30am weekdays, staffed by volunteer members of the Hopkins County Genealogy Society, who will assist you with your genealogy research within the extensive library. Find out more at hcgstx.org or by phone at 903-885-8523 or stop in at 611 North Davis Street.
Dinner Bell Menu For March 31, 2021
Come help us Celebrate EASTER with a colorful and tasty holiday menu!
Clayton Homes is our Community Partner.
Balsamic Glazed Ham
Wild Rice with Sauteed Mushrooms, Celery and Green Onions
Decorated Broccoli Salad
Yeast Rolls
Cherry Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake
We at Dinner Bell wish everyone a holy and joyous Easter. PLEASE continue to WEAR your mask, WASH your hands often and KEEP your distance from others.
Secure your meal under the covered driveway on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus. Meal service begins at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
PLEASE PLEASE continue to WEAR MASK. Get your SHOTS when you can. STAY SAFELY from OTHERS. WASH YOUR HANDS. OFTEN. DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.
THANK YOU 1ST CHOICE HOME HEALTH, Stephanie and Warren Mitchell, for the GENEROUS DONATION of 350 pounds of ground beef to Dinner Bell. This has been their practice for several years. A freezer is FULL!!!
Dinner Bell remains a Grab and Go distribution system for meals. Meals may be secured by driving under the covered driveway on the Northeast Corner of The First United Methodist Church Campus after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
Hopkins County Commissioners Court March 29 Work Session Agenda
Hopkins County Commissioners Court March 29 Work Session Agenda
- DATE: Monday, March 29, 2021
- TIME: 9 A.M.
- PLACE: Meeting Room Located On The Third Floor Of The Hopkins County Courthouse Located At 118 Church St., Sulphur Springs, Texas
ORDER OF BUSINESS
- The Court To Meet With Chief Endsley To Discuss The County Fire Department Operations, Review Of Revenue & Expenditures, Proposed Improvements And Repairs.
- The Court To Meet With Sheriff Lewis Tatum To Discuss The Sheriff Operations, Review Of Revenue & Expenditures, Proposed Improvements And Repairs.
- The Court To Meet With Tom Glosup To Discuss Maintenance Of County Buildings.
- The Court To Discuss Vegetation Maintenance On Railroad.
- The Court To Discuss County Road Inventory.
- Budget Work Session(s).
PJC, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Among 8 Recipients Of TWC Grants For Camp Code
AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission awarded eight grants totaling $399,586 for Camp Code to focus on increasing the interest of middle school students in coding and computer science; Paris Junior College and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas were among the eight grant recipients. At summer camps throughout the state, students will get hands-on experiences that allow them to learn problem solving and analytical skills while fostering an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related careers with a focus on computer science.
“The growing demand for high-skilled technical workers means Texas must continue to attract more students into STEM fields,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “Through programs like Camp Code, TWC remains committed to building a diverse workforce with the foundation in STEM necessary to keep our world class economy growing.”
The grants awarded to independent school districts, universities and higher education institutions are designed to spark interests in careers in computer programming from an early age and encourage them to consider careers in these highly sought-after fields.
“Camp Code fosters interest in STEM fields and gives students a head-start towards rewarding careers with competitive salaries,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “By giving young Texans a glimpse into the world of computer programming we can inspire them to continue their studies in science and engineering fields.”
Creating summer camps that offer computer science projects that incorporate art and storytelling with robotics, video games, websites and applications can also further interest in the coding field. The coding education includes the most in-demand and popular computer science languages, such as Java, SQL, C++, Net, Perl, Ruby and JavaScript.
“Texas employers continue to call Texas home because of our world-class workforce and out-of-state businesses continue to move here in order to access this workforce,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “Camp Code is a prime example of preparing our future workforce and introducing them to STEM occupations at an earlier age, which increases the recruitment and retention rate of high tech and other businesses in our state.”
The eight recipients of the Camp Code scholarships are:
- Paris Junior College, $49,567 – The curriculum provided during Camp Code will bring computer science to life and teach real industry competency. 90 Students will become familiar with the basics of Arduino, Blockly, C++ and Python coding, Cyber Security, Raspberry Pi, drone systems, robotics, mechanical and electrical engineering and programming in a team-based environment.
- Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, $34,383 – Camp Code: Think Like a Programmer will serve 50 students in grades 6-8. The camps will take place at the STEM Center of Excellence and will allow students to participate in interactive computational-thinking activities to learn how programmers solve problems. The STEM Center of Excellence is a 92-acre living laboratory where students experience STEM and Outdoors in a unique Scout environment. GSA of Northeast Texas serves Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Navarro, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood Counties.
- Texas Tech University, $64,390 – Raiders Who Code will provide 80 students with a diverse curriculum that covers programming and coding activities across a broad spectrum of applications. Hands-on, practical activities will not only provide campers with experience with industry-standard coding and programing languages and environments, but also with practical applications of those programs such as mobile and web applications, robotics, and 3D printers.
- Angelo State University, $36,256 – These camps will provide 68 students with direct instruction in programming, along with additional sessions on team building, information on opportunities to join groups or organizations focused on learning and implementing coding activities, and careers in coding, robotics, and technology.
- Urban STEM Corporation (USTEM), $99,995 – D-Code Camp 2021 is projected to serve 200 middle school students. To address the underrepresentation of minority and female students in STEM fields USTEM seeks to provide preparation, exposure and access to coding and its applications to middle school students.
- University of the Incarnate Word, $99,465 – The purpose of the summer computer programming camp (miniGEMS) is to increase the number of female students in STEM, especially from low income communities. Various hands-on coding exercises and robotic challenge courses will be held throughout the two-week session to reinforce coding/programming concepts for the 150 middle school students who will participate.
- North East Independent School District, $5,030 – 50 students will participate in the camp that is designed to prepare middle school students for future studies in computer science, robotics and cybersecurity. Successful completion of the camp will create a prepared pool of students from which to populate the new Cybersecurity Magnet Program scheduled to open in August 2021.
- Del Mar College, $10,500 – The camp will serve 15 student campers designed to encourage a team building experience where activities require campers to work together through various activities with understanding of design logic, computational thinking, and scripting languages. This camp will offer hands-on experiences that will provide challenging and innovative concepts in learning, problem solving, and analytical skills while fostering an interest in computer coding/programming using robots and drones.
Meal A Day Menu For March 29-April 2, 2021
Although the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center will remain closed through April 4 due to COVID-19, volunteers continue to work weekdays preparing and delivering meals to shut-in elderly and senior adults in the community. The Meal A Day Menu for March 29-April 2, 2021, includes:
- Monday – Chicken Chow Mein On a Bed of Rice, Egg Roll and Oriental Vegetables
- Tuesday – Beef Spaghetti, Italian Vegetables and Garlic Sticks
- Wednesday – Chicken Pot Pie, Pickled Beets and Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
- Thursday – Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and a Roll
- Friday – Cheese Burgers, Lettuce Tomato Onion, Pickle Spears, Baked Beans, Potato Chips
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
April 1 Is Deadline For Eligible Voters To Register To Vote In May 1 Elections
April 1 is the deadline for eligible voters to register to vote in May 1 elections.
“Exercising your right to vote and making your voice heard is a fundamental part of our democracy,” said Texas Secretary of State Ruth R. Hughs. “I encourage all eligible Texans who have not already done so to register to vote by April 1st so that they can actively participate in shaping the future of Texas.”
Texans who aren’t sure if they are registered to vote or not can check their registration status on the Texas Secretary of State’s website on the “Am I Registered?” page.
Poeple who have moved to a new address within the same county or have changed their name, you can also update their information online.
Eligible Texans who are not already registered to vote may complete and print a voter registration application here, or request an application from their county elections administrator. In Hopkins County, Tax Collector/Assessor Debbie Pogue Mitchell at (903) 438-4063 or check out the Voter Information page on the county website for more voter and election information: http://www.hopkinscountytx.org/page/hopkins.
Once completed, eligible Texas voters should submit the application to the county voter registrar in their county of residence. Completed voter registration applications must be postmarked by April 1st in order to be accepted.
Voters with questions about how to cast a ballot in the upcoming May 2021 uniform election can call 1-800-252-VOTE or visit VoteTexas.gov for more information.
