Women’s History Month Observed Virtually with a ‘Women of Distinction’ Awards Ceremony
TAMU-Commerce Professor Lavelle Hendricks, Pastor of East Caney Missionary Baptist Church in Hopkins County, announces a virtual event honoring women to be held in Sulphur Springs, Texas on Sunday March 28, 2021 at 5:30pm. You are welcome to attend this free event at https://tamuc.zoom.us/j/93955723705, or get more information at [email protected].
The Inaugural Gyeula Watson ‘Women of Distinction and Honor’ Awards Ceremony will honor Demetra Robinson, Cleoria Bozeman, Ann Spivey, Lucy Phifer, Janie Taylor, Patricia Cooper, Hillary Young, Regina Gasaway, Raymona Hynson, Yuvonne Necy Thornton, Dorothy Jo Thomas, Pamela Clayton, Audine Turman, Yvonne Ford and Marcie Porter. Guest speaker will be Dr. Joyce Miller, Professor of Education at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Women;s History Month is celebrated locally for the significant contributions made by women in Business, Social, Industry, Church, Technology and Education fields of endeavor.
Join Zoom Meeting by clicking on following link: https://tamuc.zoom.us/j/93955723705
About Women’s History Month
Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic To Be Held Saturday In Sulphur Springs; Registration Required
This Saturday, March 20, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the state will be hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Sulphur Springs at the First United Methodist Church Gymnasium, Sulphur Springs Police Department Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Jason Ricketson announced Tuesday afternoon.
“At this time, we are still vaccinating under category 1B to include teachers and first responders. To register for the vaccine you can email [email protected] or call 903-440-5902. You will later be contacted by phone for your appointment time,” Ricketson said.
Eligible people in Category 1B are individuals age 65 and older and persons that our 16 and over with a health condition that increases risk of severe COVID‑19 illness.
“You must register to be vaccinated,” Ricketson emphasized.
AG’s Office Sues Griddy Energy, Negotiating Plan For Relief For Customers From High Storm-Related Energy Bills
AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton released the following statement in response to the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Griddy Energy, LLC:
“My office sued Griddy Energy, under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, to hold them accountable for their escalation of last month’s winter storm disaster by debiting enormous amounts from customer accounts as Texans struggled to survive the storm,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I ensured that Griddy’s proposed bankruptcy plan takes an important step forward by offering releases to approximately 24,000 former customers who owe $29.1 million in unpaid electric bills. Griddy and my office are engaged in ongoing good faith negotiations to attempt to address additional relief for those Griddy customers who have already paid their storm-related energy bills.”
The following steps are being taken to ensure Texans are protected:
- Through the bankruptcy plan, Griddy will release all outstanding payment obligations for those Texas consumers who were unable to pay their energy bills due to the high prices charged during the storm.
- Texas will abate the state court lawsuit and Civil Investigative Demand and Griddy will work with it in good faith to resolve these matters.
- Texas and Griddy will work in good faith to address relief for Texans who have already paid.
Information about Griddy’s Chapter 11 case, including access to Court documents, is available here:
District Wildcats Baseball and Soccer and Lady Cats Softball and Soccer on Tuesday Game Day
The Wildcats Baseball Team is playing Mount Pleasant on the road in a district game on this busy Tuesday (March 16) game day. The schedule calls for the JV game at 4 p.m. with the Varsity game to follow at 7 p.m. The Wildcats got a district win at home over Longview one week ago and they are 1-0 in district play. They are 4-10 for the season.
The Lady Cats Softball Team will resume their always competitive rivalry with Mount Pleasant in a district game at Lady Cat Park Tuesday night. The JV game starts at 4:30 p.m. with the Varsity game at 6 p.m. The Lady Cats are 1-1 in district play after their 1-0 win over Longview Friday evening. The Lady Cats have a season record of 10-3. According to Max Preps, Mount Pleasant is 3-0 in district play and 12-4 for the season.
KSST’s sister station KRVA-FM, 107.1, will have the radio broadcast of the Lady Cats and Lady Tigers with Ross LaBenske doing the play by play.
Meanwhile the Lady Cats Soccer Team appears to be playing for their playoff lives in a district game on Senior Night against Hallsville at Gerald Prim Stadium. There will be a JV game at 5:30 p.m. with the Varsity game at 7:15 p.m. Seniors Chloe Jones and Janine Yamaguchi will be recognized between the two games. The Lady Cats are currently in fourth place in the district standings. They appear to need a win to secure a playoff spot. The Lady Cats are 6-5 in district play and they have 17 points. If they lose to the Lady Bobcats, Mount Pleasant could well move past them. An expected Lady Tigers’ win over winless in district Marshall would give Mount Pleasant 18 points. The Lady Cats, with a win and a Pine Tree loss to first place Longview, would move into third place in district. The Lady Cats are 11-9-4 for the season. Hallsville is second in district with 22 points. They are 7-3-1 in district play and 15-4-2 for the season. Hallsville won the first match between the two at home, 4-3 back on February 25. KSST will have the Lady Cats and Lady Bobcats broadcast from The Prim on Senior Night. The broadcast will feature streaming video and audio. The game will also be videotaped for replay at a later date on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
The Wildcats Soccer Team also needs a win in a district game tonight in Hallsville to nail down the district’s #4 playoff spot. Win and they are in, lose and they are out. There will be a JV game at 5:30 p.m. The Varsity game will follow at 7:15 p.m.
The Wildcats are 5-6 in district play and 14-10-1 for the season. The Bobcats are 5-6 in district play and 8-16-1 for the season. When the two teams met at The Prim on February 25, the Wildcats won 5-0.
It’s a big night indeed for the Wildcats and Lady Cats.
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.
Genealogical Research Zoom Meeting to be Held March 18 with Researcher Bernard N. Meisner
Our Speaker: Bernard N. Meisner, is a genealogist and lecturer based in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He began researching his family 30 years ago and enjoys sharing lessons learned from that experience, including his mistakes. Although he knew only one grandparent (his maternal grandfather) he has successfully identified all of his great-great grandparents, several triple- and quadruple-great grandparents, and his Meisner 8th great grandparents.
He is a past president and current social media chair of the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society, a co-leader of the Dallas Genealogical Society’s German SIG, and is a member of the Texas State Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.
Bernard retired from the National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters where he was the Chief of the Science & Training Branch. He is certified as a consulting meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society. He has taught at the Universities of Texas, Oklahoma and St. Thomas (Houston).
Bernard earned a B.S. in physics/German from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Hawaii. He has completed coursework of the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, and has attended the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh each of the last five years, completing courses in Irish and German Research, Digital Research Skills, and Practical Genetic Genealogy.
Our Program: “Techniques and Strategies for More Effective Online Searching”.
As more genealogical material becomes available through the Internet it is essential to formulate efficient searches to find the relevant information about your ancestors. This presentation will cover how to determine what information is available, where it is located, and how to use search tools such as filters, wildcards, relationships, and complementary data sources to improve the likelihood of finding it. The hand-out for the program is attached to this email.
This will be a virtual presentation, hosted by the Texas State Genealogical Society and the Hopkins County Genealogical Society. We hope you will join us for this very informative program.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Mar 18, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwucOitqz4sH9WxalmP2M7TlBKCtTQv2CY1
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Request To Rezone Property On Rockdale Road, SH 19 Headed To City Council For Consideration
The City of Sulphur Springs Planning and Zoning Commission Monday evening had two primary goals, elect officers and consider a request to rezone property on Rockdale Road and State Highway 19.
The P&Z Commission, in a meeting conducted via Zoom, elected Chuck Sickles to chair the group and Pat Chase to serve as as vice-chair.
The commission also discussed with Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski Donnie and Allen Wisenbaker’s request to rezone their property, located at northwest Rockdale Road and State Highway 19, from single family to heavy commercial. The property spans 11.74 acres, identified as three parcels, surveyed in two tracts to land.
“The applicant is proposing to rezone the property to heavy commercial to accommodate existing uses and future uses along the SH 19 corridor and consist of two tracts of land. The property is surrounded by a mix of zoning designations, from light commercial to the east and the south, single family to the west, and light industrial to the north. Given the context of the area, heavy commercial is an appropriate use. It also fits in with the land use plan of commercial along Highway 19,” Niewiadomski told the P&Z Commission.
Currently, the area already has one auto repair garage working on one tract of land. Changing the designation would conform with the intended use for property in that area. The two brothers, Niewiadomski reported, thought the property was industrial zoned when the city annexed that area and took in Wildcat Way.
While the Wisenbakers are not planning on building on the property at this time, if they decide in the future to sell the property, they could sell it would allow it to be developed commercially
City staff sent eight certified letters to surrounding property owners within 200 feet of the Wisenbaker property. They received only two replies back, both in favor of the requested zoning change, the community development director noted.
The P&Z Commission unanimously approved the request based on city officials’ recommendation, and are recommending to Sulphur Springs City Council. The item will likely appear on the April 2021 City Council agenda for first reading and consideration. It the council approves it, it would then be presented for a second and final reading at the City Council’s next regular meeting.
Sulphur Springs Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Sexual Assault
A 42-year-old Sulphur Springs man was tried and sentenced to life in prison for the sexual assault of a teenager, according to court reports.
Based on a prior case of sexual assault, the law required Charles Edward Horne Jr. to be automatically sentenced to life in prison upon his conviction in the current case. There was no punishment range to be considered by the judge or the jury, prosecutors explained.
The 42-year-old Sulphur Springs man was tried last week in the 8th Judicial District Court, with Assistant District Attorney Zach Blackmon as lead attorney on the case and First Assistant Matt Harris as second chair.
“This was not an easy case to try, but it involved a man that needed to be held responsible. Thanks to Mr. Blackmon’s willingness to try a difficult case, justice was achieved. Mr. Horne will have no further opportunities to commit his heinous acts,” 8th Judicial District Attorney District Attorney Will Ramsay said.
Horne was accused of the sexual assault of his adult stepdaughter. The allegations involved an extended period of “grooming” where he would have intimate discussions with his stepdaughter. Around the stepdaughter’s 18th birthday, he provided the teen with a large amount of alcohol while celebrating with family. Later, while she was intoxicated, he sexually assaulted her, prosecutors alleged.
A search of the defendant’s phone revealed an internet search history directly related to sexual escapades with stepdaughters, supporting the accusation, officials alleged.
Horne has remained in Hopkins County jail since his arrest Jan. 14, 2020, on a warrant for an aggravated sexual assault charge. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office was contacted Jan. 13, 2020 regarding an outcry made by the victim. She spoke with sheriff’s investigators. The investigation team determined the elements of an aggravated sexual assault were present, officials reported following Horne’s arrest on Jan. 14.
Sheriff’s officers sought a warrant for Horne’s arrest. A warrant was obtained around midnight. Deputies served Horne with the warrant and took him into custody at 12:23 a.m. Jan. 14 at his rural Sulphur Springs address, according to arrest reports.
During that investigation, investigators allegedly learned Horne had directed a child younger than age 14 to use his cell phone to record herself naked. A warrant was sought and obtained based on evidence presented, HCSO Investigator Michael Russell alleged in arrest reports.
A sexual performance by a child warrant was added March 25 to the charges Horne was jailed on. The charge stemmed from information gleaned during a previous investigation of Horne, according to arrest reports.
According to court and law enforcement reports, Horne was accused in May of 2019 of the sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman. He had been convicted of the offense and in 2020 was placed probation and required to register annually for life as a sex offender.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report – March 8-14, 2021
The Winnsboro Police Department media report for the week of March 8-14, 2021, included the following activity:
Arrests
- Timbre Reid, 32 years of age, of Winnsboro was arrested on 3/10/2021 on a Just of the Peace Pct. 4 warrant for driving while license invalid with previous convictions.
- Brian Lison, 20 years of age, of Winnsboro was arrested on 3/12/2021 on a Franklin County warrant for sexual assault of a child.
- Roy Wade, 52 years of age was arrested on 3/12/2021 for possession of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams.
- Missy Wylie, 45 years of age of Winnsboro was arrested on 3/12/2021 for driving while intoxicated.
Calls for Service
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 143 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
- The Winnsboro Police Department issued 36 citations and 64 warnings during this reporting period.
FM 1567 Traffic Stops Result In Controlled Substance Arrests
Two FM 1567 traffic stops conducted by deputies overnight Friday resulted in controlled substance arrests, according to sheriff’s reports. Sulphur Springs police also arrested one person on a controlled substance charge Sunday night, arrest reports noted.
Late Night Stop
The first of the FM 1567 traffic stops occurred shortly before 10:20 p.m. Friday, March 12, 2021, on FM 1567 west at County Road 1137. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Aaron Chaney reported stopping a Dodge pickup or speeding . Upon contact with the driver, Chaney recognized him as Kelly Wayne Gathright, a 49-year-old Mabank man he’d take into custody during a previous encounter for a narcotics offense. Thus, the deputy had Gathright step out of the Ram 1500 to speak with him and obtained the man’s permission to search the white truck, the HCSO officer noted in arrest reports.
Chaney found a small amount of a crystal-like substance he suspected to be methamphetamine in a cellophane wrapper inside of a clipboard container, the deputy alleged in arrest reports. Gathright denied ownership of the the substance and was taken into custody.
Deputy Chris Baumann then arrived to assist at the scene. Chaney noticed the upholstery on the driver’s seat of the truck to be loose. When Chaney lifted the upholstery skin, he found a burned glass pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke methamphetamine with residue underneath it. Next to the pipe, Chaney located a bag with suspected methamphetamine and a box with a digital scale, the deputy alleged in arrest reports. The contraband found during the FM 1567 traffic stop was secured as evidence and Gathright was arrested at 10:51 a.m. March 12 for possession of a controlled substance. Chaney took Gathright to jail while Baumann completed an inventory of the truck, which was then impounded.
The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 3.6 grams, thus, Gathright was booked into Hopkins County jail at 12:31 a.m. Saturday, March 13, 2021, according to jail reports.
The 48-year-old Mabank man remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, March 15, in lieu of a $30,000 bond on the possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to jail reports.
According to jail and prior arrest records, Chaney did stop Gathright on Dec. 19, 2020, for driving the pickup over the white lane marker into the roadside grass. Methamphetamine was found in his sweatshirt pocket and digital scales and two burned glass pipes were found in the truck, Chaney alleged in the 2020 arrest report. He was booked into the county jail early Dec. 20; he was released from the county jail on the Dec. 23, 2020, on a $30,000 bond on the charge, according to jail reports. Gathright was indicted on the December controlled substance charge during the March 5, 2021 Grand Jury session, according to court reports.
Early Morning Stop
The second of the FM 1567 traffic stops occurred just before 1 a.m. Saturday, March 13, 2021, on FM 1567 west at County Road 1118. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chris Baumann reported stopping a blue Chevrolet pickup for swerving from the fog line across the center line and back again. Upon contact with the occupants, Baumann noted both the driver and passenger to appear noticeably nervous. The driver shook and wouldn’t make eye contacts while the passenger was standoffish when spoken, according to arrest reports.
When asked if there was anything illegal in the Silverado, the 57-year-old passenger denied there was. After being refused permission to search the truck, Baumann called for a police canine at the location. The police K-9 gave a positive alert on the truck during a free air sniff search, resulting in a probable cause search, the deputy noted in arrest reports.
Baumann and Sgt. Scott Davis reported finding a bag containing a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine, a glass pipe used for smoking meth with two large unsmoked shards of suspected meth in its bowl and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. When asked about the contraband, 57-year-old Scott Arthur Gorton of Sulphur Springs claimed it all as his.
As a result, Gorton was taken into custody at 2:12 a.m. March 13 on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports. The substance was seized as evidence; it field-tested positive for meth. The total weight of the bag was 0.362 gram and the total weighed of the unsmoked shards of suspected meth was 0.048 gram.
Gorton was released from Hopkins County jail on a $10,000 bond on the felony controlled substance charge later Saturday, March 13, according to jail reports.
Jail records also showed Gorton has a prior controlled substance charge, for possession of 1-4 gram, on April 24, 2013. He served from Aug. 20 to Oct. 27, 2016, in Hopkins County jail as part of a three-year prison sentence for violation of probation on the controlled substance charge, according to jail reports. Gorton was last jailed in Hopkins County from Feb. 19 to Feb. 25, 2020, for violation of parole and on a traffic warrant.
Sunday Night Arrest
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Silas Whaley just before 8 p.m. Sunday, March 14, contacted a 31-year-old Sulphur Springs man seen walking with traffic near his South Broadway Street residence.
A search of Nicholas Anthony Reynolds’ pockets turned up a bag with a crystal-like substance the officer believed to be methamphetamine in a wallet in his pocket, Whaley alleged in arrest reports.
Whaley took Reynolds into custody and to jail on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports. Reynolds remained in Hopkins County jail Monday. Bond was set at $5,000 on the felony controlled substance charge, according to Hopkins County jail reports.
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.
The Hopkins Rains Local Work Group Listening Session Will be Held April 20th
The United States Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service will present the Hopkins-Rains Local Work Group Listening Session on April 20, 2021. The meeting will be held via conference call due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Conference Call Number will be 602-580-9853, Access Code 6399187. The Meeting will begin at 10:00 A.M. A request for accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to help determine natural resource priorities and criteria for USDA-NRCS conservation and programs planning for the upcoming fiscal year. You are invited to: Help shape plans and priorities future projects. Identify where the best investments can be made to address natural resource issues. Review the work that has already been done in the county, and… Share your vision for what the country will look like when these natural resource concerns have been addressed. The meeting is being brought to you in part by the Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board, and the Hopkins-Rains Soil and Water Conservation District.
