Summer Sports Activities Winding Down as July Progresses
It has been a busy few weeks here in Sulphur Springs for Wildcats and Lady Cats sports.
Several teams have already had their youth camps; volleyball, girls basketball, softball, baseball, tennis and boys basketball, which took place last week at the SSHS Main Gym.
Not only that, but several programs finished the Edge last week.
Football, cross country, and both boys and girls soccer concluded their final week of the summer strength and conditioning program on Thursday.
With the Edge drawing to a close, it means summer is quickly approaching its end, with season schedules soon to be released.
The first team to release their schedule was Coach Bailey Dorner’s Lady Cats, who released the volleyball schedule to KSST early last week.
Coach Dorner’s squad finished their six week run of the Edge last Thursday, July 8. Women’s basketball also concluded their summer strength and conditioning program last week after beginning on June 7.
That leaves just basketball and team tennis, coached by Tony Martinez, who wrap up their summer strength and conditioning programs on July 22 and 25, respectively.
New Wildcats Basketball coach Brandon Shaver has kept busy the last two months since he was introduced as head coach in mid-May.
Not only has he ran the Edge Monday-Thursday from June 22 until now, he also had his first opportunity to coach a youth basketball camp here in Sulphur Springs.
Coach Shaver said things like SSISD’s youth camps can be huge for the community, and several coaches have seen the benefits of winning and what it can bring to younger generations.
The youth basketball camp concluded Thursday, July 15.
With so many teams having wrapped up the Edge, and their corresponding youth camps, those same squads can now take a bit of a breather before shifting their focus to gearing up for the season.
Cross country and volleyball both hit the ground running in August, with football in the same camp. The three teams are set for their first events as early as the first week of August.
For more updates on Wildcats and Lady Cats teams and their schedules, be sure to stay tuned and plugged in to KSST Radio.
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 – July 12-18, 2021
The Winnnsboro Police Department’s weekly media report for July 12-18, 2021, included the following:
Arrests
Kerry Joe Bell 
Bryan Couch 
Amanda Knutson
- Ashley Hale, 35 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on July 12, 2021 for driving while intoxicated.
- Michael Truett, 30 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on July 13, 2021, on a Titus County warrant for theft of property, $100-$750.
- Kerry J. Bell, 45 years of age, of Sulphur Springs was arrested on July 16, 2021 on a District Court warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
- Bryan Couch, 29 years of age, of Grand Prairie, was arrested on July 16, 2021 for hinder apprehension or prosecution known felon.
- Amanda Knutson, 41 years of age, of Sulphur Springs, was arrested on July 16, 2021 for hinder apprehension or prosecution known felon.
Calls for Service
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 145 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
- The Winnsboro Police Department issued 44 citations and 39 warnings during this reporting period.
Congratulations to the Winners of Annual Summer ’42’ Tournament!
Karon Weatherman had done it again…put on a successful event which brought lots of smiles and a whole year of bragging rights! The Summer 2021 ’42’ Tournament was held on Saturday July 17 at the Seniors Center at 150 MLK Drive.
Congratulations to all the 42 winners!
Here are some of the many other events taking place at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center at 150 MLK Drive in Sulphur Springs!
Don’t forget BUNCO on the 4th Thursday of the Month at 1:00 PM Everyone brings $ 5.00 and a Snack to Share. All the money is paid out in Prizes at the end of the Game. If you don’t know how to play, it is easy. You can learn in just a minute or two.
The Parkinson’s Support Group started back in May 2021 and is held monthly on the third Tuesday at 11:30.
Balloon Chair Volleyball at 1:00 on the 2nd Thursday of each month.
We play LCR at 10:45 on the 2nd Thursday of Each Month. Come and try to win a $20.00 Gift Card
Line Dancing Class is held each Tuesday at 1:30. It is free.
The monthly Birthday Party is the last Friday of each month at 10:45 am.
An Affiliated Driving Course is scheduled for Thursday, July 29th at 10:00 AM. Sign up if you would like to get 10% off of your Liability Insurance or a ticket dismissal. Cost is $15 or $25m respectively. It is also a good refresher course on driving situations and new driving laws. Contact Karon Weathermen to sign up in advance to make sure there are enough participants to hold the class.
They hope to see you soon at the Senior Citizens Center! Find out more by calling 903-885-1661.
Some Homeschool Students Eligible to Participate In UIL With Sulphur Springs ISD
Some homeschool students who meet eligibility requirements may now apply to participate in UIL activities. This would allow them to complete along side equal grade level Sulphur Springs ISD students.
“The legislation passed that makes this an allowable thing – it’s never been before – if the school board says it is,” SSISD Superintendent Mike Lamb said, referring to the passage of House Bill 547. “We were kind of waiting on rules and some of them came out, the toughest one being if you’re going to do this, you have to do it by August first. I still kind of contend that there are a lot of questions that could be asked that aren’t answered yet by the state.”
Homeschool students do have to meet specific criteria. They must live in Sulphur Springs ISD and able to enroll in SSISD. The families, if homeowners, are paying SSISD taxes. Allowing their homeschool children to participate in UIL activities would allow their students to benefit from that required payment. The homeschool student also must be passing all classes, with students’ parents or guardians permission and vouching for the child’s grades.
Students would have to successfully pass from among a list of tests, to show that they have achieved grade level competency. Ex: A freshman who homeschools, but wants to play sports at SSISD, must prove their grade level. They would have had to pass the grade level appropriate test, passing them from eighth to ninth grade. A sophomore would need to have five high school credits and prove through a test. Once they are eligible and start, the student would be required to maintain their grades for a specified grading period. Their parents, who would be considered their teacher or educator, would have to affirm to the coach or activity sponsor on a signed form that their students are passing all classes and meet all other requirements.
SSISD Trustee Robbin Vaughn, when presented with the proposal to allow homeschool students to participate in SSISD UIL activities, said the one concern she has is that someone could at or toward the end of a season question a homeschool student’s eligibility, whether the student is actually passing their courses or not. For instance, Vaughn said, What if someone who has access tried tracking a homeschool student through an online program, which showed the student had not satisfactorily completed their class assignments as had been reported, questioned a student’s eligibility. Lamb said those issues would have to be addressed in policy.
“If you follow the way the law is written, we have a responsibility to pursue every kid,” Lamb said. “When they take homeschool, there can be times when we say to ourselves, ‘that kid, we know everyday he’s not doing everything or he’s still developing, go check it out.’ The homeschool lobby has said, ‘Leave him alone. You don’t touch him.’ If they say they’re homeschooled, their homeschooled. … Once they are homeschooled, we don’t have any say whatsoever [about their grades and program course work].”
Students would only be eligible to apply to participate in UIL activities not offered by their homeschool program. For instance, if Christian Home Educators of Sulphur Springs program offers competitive basketball, homeschool students who are part of CHESS would not be eligible to be part of the SSISD basketball program for their grade level.
“These UIL rules say if something like that exists, then, you can’t. In our case, a homeschool kid could come here to play football, but they couldn’t play basketball because of the CHESS organization,” Lamb said.
Homeschool students would still have to follow SSISD’s rules for the UIL program, which could mean trying out and being selected to play on a varsity team.
“The problem we’ve got is some of the rules will come later, but we’ve got to make this decision by August first if we want it,” SSISD Board of Trustees President Robert Cody said.
“I can see this as an opportunity for these children to be integrated into our campuses and do some of these things, and they are taxpayers,” Trustee Leesa Toliver said. “I just see that it could be a challenge for us in some ways.”
Lamb said while discussion regarding homeschool students being allowed to participate in SSISD UIL activities may start out sounding very similar to discussions about students and the voucher system, allowing these students to participate in UIL is a different scenario.
“Where a kid who wants to use a voucher to go to a private school is basically wanting to take tax dollars away from the school using the voucher, that’s not the case here. When you get to that part of the conversation, you get down to how can you really look at somebody and say this why we don’t do it. They’ve essentially paid for that ability, just like anybody else,” Lamb said.
While homeschool students who live within SSISD are eligible to participate in SSISD’s UIL activities, that doesn’t mean that they will. Students and their families who opted out of having the students on campus, may choose not to have the students participate in UIL activities alongside students enrolled at SSISD.
“I suggest we do this, move forward with it and learn as we go. If we need to close that door one day, we have that opportunity,” Lamb told SSISD Board of Trustees during the regular meeting on July 12, 2021. “It’s our recommendation that we vote and allow homeschool students to play our UIL sports.”
SSISD Board of Trustees after the discussion voted on a motion by Toliver and seconded by Vaughn to provide UIL participation opportunities for homeschool students who meet the established criteria for participation in UIL activities.
For the FAQ UIL has released so far regarding homeschool participation in UIL activities, click here.
Work On Dike Solar Plant Accelerates Ahead Of Lawsuit
There has been a flurry of activity in the Dike community since a lawsuit was filed against Hopkins Energy, LLC and Hopkins County over the proposed solar plant that has been planned for the Dike community. Contractors for the project have stepped up their efforts and seem to be working at a faster pace to get the project further along before a hearing planned for 9am on Monday, July 19th which could put a stop to all work. Judge Will Biard will consider a Temporary Restraining Order against the project which was asked for in the pending lawsuit, to give all parties time to consider the allegations made in the 96-page lawsuit. When one contractor was questioned about their work, the contractor was unaware that there was a pending lawsuit, and said, “the company that hired them told them to work as quickly as possible”. The French Solar company, Engie, has also stepped up their efforts by sending out flyers to the surrounding community which some residents refer to as “propaganda”.
This “David versus Goliath” battle has the Dike community pitted against a billion dollar foreign company with an American subsidiary that has unlimited resources. The battle will ensue in a Hopkins County courtroom with Hopkins County itself as one of the defendants as the huge solar plant has only been made possible by a contract between the solar company and Hopkins County Commissioners Court. That contract and how it was negotiated and excuted is a major topic of the lawsuit.
The following information was previously published on June 30, 2021:
After months of questions, meetings, and disagreements a lawsuit has been filed against Hopkins Energy LLC and Hopkins County which will bring all of the back and forth between Dike residents, county officials and Engie Energy Company into the courtroom.
Cynthia Martin, who has lead “Save Dike From Solar” efforts to prevent a solar facility from being constructed in Dike, has filed a petition in the 62nd Judicial District Court against Hopkins Energy LLC and Hopkins County. The legal document, filed June 29, 2021, asks for “equitable relief,” a temporary restraining order, as well as temporary and permanent injunctive relief. The lawsuit names Cynthia Martin as the sole Plaintiff. Defendants were notified via certified mail.
The 96-page petition is filled with very specific points of contention that have been argued by Dike residents and the lawsuit also tracks the timeline of the project all the way back to 2017. The original LLC was filed in March of 2017 and the project changed hands several times before winding up in the hands of a Houston based subsidiary (Engie North America) of a French company (Engie SA). The lawsuit details each of the documents approved by the commissioner’s court and alleges that some documents were either not posted for public notification properly, not approved properly, or even may have been altered after being approved. In many instances the lawsuit alleges that it appeared that the solar company (Engie) was manipulating the contract process as that process progressed. The lawsuit further states that the way that the negotiations were handled invalidates the contract itself, even alleging that documents that should have been notarized were filed as public record without being notarized.
Many Dike residents have spoken at length to county commissioners about their concerns for “environmental impacts” to the land occupied by the solar plant as well as adjoining properties. The Dike resident filing the lawsuit, Ms. Martin, was concerned of flooding on her adjoining property. Ms. Martin commissioned a study of possible flooding due to the project and the lawsuit claims that the company “Aqua Strategies found the project could have significant impact on the size of the floodplain, increase water levels in the creek and in the floodplain, increase runoff and sediment discharge to downstream water bodies, and increase runoff to the Martin property by as much as 43%.” The lawsuit also alleges that the solar company was supposed to acquire a permit from Hopkins County as stipulated by Hopkins County’s own “flood ordinance” but that Engie “did not seek or acquire a permit.”
The lawsuit alleges that this flooding could cause irreparable damage to the Martin property and asks the court to issue a temporary restraing order (TRO) immediately. A TRO would in effect be “ordering Defendant Hopkins Energy, LLC to desist and refrain from building the proposed solar power plant until such time as the Court issues final judgment in this lawsuit.”
Martin, according to the petition, is seeking “monetary relief of $250,000 or more, attorney’s fees of an amount to be determined, and non-monetary relief of declaratory judgment and injunctive relief.” The Plaintiff also is asking for a jury trial in this action.
The other stakeholders in this project are two local school districts, Sulphur Springs ISD and Sulphur Bluff ISD. Neither school district has been named in this lawsuit, as their agreements are separate from the Hopkins County agreement.
Now it appears this project, which has taken several years to get to this point, could be delayed. Certainly, it appears that there a lot of questions still to be answered.
Meal A Day Menu For July 19-23, 2021
Volunteers prepare meals at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center and deliver them five days a week to Meal A Day program recipients in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County. The Meal A Day Menu for July 19-23, 2021, includes:
- Monday – Chili Cheese Dogs, Frito Corn Chips and Cole Slaw
- Tuesday – Manager’s Choice
- Wednesday – Chicken and Dressing Casserole, Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole and a Roll
- Thursday – Beef Stroganoff, Italian Vegetables and Garlic Toast
- Friday – Smothered Beef Patties, Mashed Potatoes, Normandy Vegetables and a Roll
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.
Hopkins County Records – July 17, 2021
Land Deed Transactions
- Julie Ann Sells Stewart to Kason Childress and Rayli Childress; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Anthony N. Foster and Gail T. Foster to Brandon Sells and Brandy Sells; tract in the Thomas Lee survey
- Jennifer Wilson to Lesbia Riego Kimberg; tract in the James Lee survey
- Andrew Fouse and S. Fouse to Lisa H. Evans
- Dorothy Faye Edwards to Uriel Hernandez Perez and Maribel Pacheco; tract in the Harred Addition
- Brenda Sue Mosley to Stacie Mosley; tract in the HP Barron survey
- Ricky John Skelton to Joe E. Cordova and Sonia Cordova Yanez; tract in the WH Moses survey
- Pablo E. Bonilla to Jose Mario Hernandez and Juana Medina; tract in the U. Aiguier survey
- Ben H. Moore to Wade Randell Morrison; tract in the George C. Roberts survey
- Vickie Gwen Luckey Lane and Lecia Lynn Luckey Sholl to Blooming Oak Properties LLC; tract in the Edmond Gaines survey
- GVD Rengals LLC to Benny Donell Dial and Yvette Michelle Dial; tract in the Mary Ann Bowlin survey
- AE Moore Jr. to Alyssa Ann Cross and Blake Alan Cross; tract in the White Oaks Estate
- Gene Dixon Jr. and Victoria Dixon to Brannon B. Moore and Stacy Michelle Moore; tract in the Maria Santos Coy survey
- Gary Randall Harrell and Jeanene Hamrick Harrell to Ken Ragadale
- Bobby Burney, Karen Burney, Kenneth Burney, Lance Burney, Rita Burney, Starla Burney, Janet Phillips and Michael Phillips to Anthony Chad Brown and Stephanie Brown; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Dustin Ray to Barbara Evans Yost; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Johnny Ray Gibson to Juan M. Galvan and Augustin Oviedo; tract in the WM Whitley survey
- Kashyap Patel and Vaishaliben Patel to John Clark Ash; tract in the Lake Highlands Addition
- Anson Lowrie to Maverick Maxcy; tract in the William Cannon survey
- ES Coakley to Jennifer Annette Holliday and Zane Cody Holliday; tract in the Juan Polvedore survey
- Moverine Deaton to Amy Lowrie; tract in the O Barb survey
- McLarry Family Truszt, Wanda L. McLarry independently and as trustee, to Margaret A. McDonald
- Linda Rosamond and William E. Rosamond to Melvin Askew and Jeremy Hill; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Nathaniel Ryan Lisenbee who is also known as Nathan Ryan Lisenbee to Aletha A. Stewart, trustee for the Aletha A. Stewart Revocable Living Trust and Arlie E. Stewart Revocable Living Trust; tract in the Daniel Draper survey
- Mayra M. Velasco and Ramon Velasco to Martha Aguayo and Yesinia Thornhill; tract in the John G. Procello survey
- Christopher Daniel to Gary Nichols and Tina Marie Nichols; tract in the Francis Hopkins survey
- Misti Koon to Kyle Koon; tract in the Stephen Jennings survey
- Horace Ray Lewis and Thelma Lewis to Hermanna Aarsen and Jentje Steenbeek; tract in the Lucy Ann Cullum survey
- Pam Joiner, independent executor for the Charles Gaylor Oxford Estate, to Jason P. Lacomfora and Jennifer Jill Lacomfora; tract in the Elizabeth Melton survey
- Rinze De Groot to Seaton Living Trust, Michael Seaton trustee; tract in the Nacogdoches University survey
- Cecile A. Moody and Roy Moody to Bessy M. Knechtel and Charles A. Knechtel; tract in the Nacogdoches University survey
- Thomas Whitworth Sr. who is also known as Tommy Whitworth Sr. to Tommy Whitworth II; tract in the John W. Hatchell survey
- Sunell Comfort, independently and as independent executor for the Lena Mae Rogers Estate which is also known as the Lena Waits Rogers Estate, to Texas DEVCO LLC; tract in the Mary Ann Bowlin survey
- Beverley Owens and William Alfred Owens to Fran Frias and Santiago Martinez; tract in the MA Bowlin survey
- Anna Billingsley and Gary Billingsley to McIlrath
Applications for Marriage Licenses
- Jesus Gonzalez and Malorie Lynn Padron
- James Ray Loving and Elizabeth Silva Steele
- Jared Colton Kaster to Caitlyn McKenzie Nix
- Salvador Eduardo Mejia and Rachel Lee Wilkinson
- William James K. Dangelo and Sydney Morgan Gee
- Jose Ismael Cuevas and Kimberly Cayla Hall
- Blaine Riley Mitchell and Alivia Nichole Walker
- Thomas D. Peace and Hollie Leann Watson
- Anthony Curtis Reese and Michelle Christina Lovell
- Justin James Holcomb and Emma leigh Haygood
Woman Jailed On Fraud And Parole Charges
Rains County officers transported a 31-year-old Emory woman to Hopkins County jail Friday and released her to Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy J. Davis. Amy Jo Fulfer was booked into the county jail at 2:53 a.m. July 16, 2021, on Hopkins County warrants for fraudulent use or possession of identifying information and violation of parole, according to arrest and jail reports.
Fulfer remained in Hopkins County jail Saturday afternoon, July 17, 2021, on the felony charges. Bond was set at $20,000 on the fraud charge. She was held without bond on the parole 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.
Sulphur Springs Man Jailed On Aggravated Assault Charge
A 38-year-old Sulphur Springs man was jailed on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge Friday afternoon. Aaron Kyle Dodd was escorted into the jail by Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy T. Thompson and booked on the felony warrant at 1:55 p.m. July 16, according to arrest reports.
Dodd remained in Hopkins County jail Saturday afternoon, July 17, 2021. Bond on the charge was set at $125,000, according to 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.
Sulphur Springs ISD Expands Transfer Policy To Potentially Include Eligible Students At All Grade Levels
Sulphur Springs ISD has expanded the district transfer policy to potentially include students of all ages, who would be eligible to attend provided they meet one of three exceptions.
Until this past week, SSISD’s inter-district transfer policy, FDA (Local) would only allow non-resident students to enroll in SSISD: if the students were children of a nonresident full-time district employee or if the students were legally enrolled high school student who been enrolled for at least one complete school year.
The request would only be approved if it did not limit educational opportunities of resident students, and space and instructional staff are available. The student’s disciplinary history and attendance records may also be considered. These factors continue to apply.
However, district administrators this past week proposed a change which allow students who’ve been enrolled in SSISD for at least a year to continue attending SSISD even if they no longer live in the district.
“If you’re looking at the policy, all we’re really asking is to strike the word high school,” Superintendent Michael Lamb said, when explaining the changes presented to SSISD Board of Trustees at the July 12 board meeting. ”We’ve had it in policy ever since I’ve been here that a currently enrolled high school student who has been legally enrolled as a resident high school student in the district for at least a complete school year.”
Essentially, this change to the SSISD transfer policy would apply to a student who has lived in the district for at least one school year and has been enrolled consistently at SSHS that entire year, then moves out of the district with their family. An exception, on request, would be made to allow that student to continue attending classes at SSHS.
“We’ve made some younger kids go ahead and change schools. That’s a hard conversation to have. I’m not real sure the intention is to say it’s OK for high school and not other grade levels, but we’ve run across it enough where we feel like if it’s good for one, it’s good for all,” Lamb said. “So we’d like to strike the words ‘high school’ [from the transfer policy]. Basically, when kids have been here 2, 3, 4 years — even 1 year, and they move to the country we feel like it does no harm to keep them. It does no harm to that neighboring district that might get them. They’ve not had them to this point so we’d like to strike that word.”
In addition to removing the requirement that stipulates the exceptions may be made only for high school students, unless children of school employees, Lamb proposed adding as an acceptable exception “a sibling of currently enrolled transfer student.”
As an example, Lamb noted that a third grader who has been attending Sulphur Springs ISD for the required time span, now has a sibling who is a kindergartener. The policy change would allow both the third grader and the kindergarten sibling to attend SSISD, even if the students’ now live with their family outside of SSISD’s boundaries. This should make it more equitable for all students and easier for parents, who won’t have to make arrangements for students to arrive and have transportation from two different school districts each school day.
“It makes sense that both kids get to do it instead of saying, well you can go here, but you,” Lamb said indicating a second sibling in a household, “have to go to a different school. We’ve added that language. We’ve dealt with that a lot: a high school kid qualifies, and the question becomes what do we do with his younger brother or sister. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to require them to go to a different place.”
SSISD Board of Trustees approved the transfer policy revisions as proposed, enacting them in time for the 2021-2022 school term which officially begins Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 for SSISD students.
