Softball and Baseball on Game Day Friday, Weather Permitting
It is common for baseball and softball coaches to fret about the weather this time of the year. That’s the situation on this game day Friday (March 12) with Lady Cats’ softball and Wildcats’ baseball on the calendar.
The Lady Cats Softball Team continues district play with a scheduled home game Friday against Longview. Weather permitting, there will be a JV game at 5 p.m. The varsity match will follow at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Cats are 0-1 in district play after a loss at Hallsville on Tuesday night. Their season record is 9-3. KSST Radio will bring you the Lady Cats and Lady Lobos live from Lady Cat Park at around 6:30 p.m. The broadcast will feature video and audio streamng. The game will also be videotaped for replay at a later date on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
Meanwhile the Wildcats Baseball Team is scheduled to play another game in the Reich Builders Classic in Hallsville Friday. Again weather permitting, the Wildcats will take on Pleasant Grove at 4 p.m. The Wildcats won two games in the tourney Thursday defeating Liberty-Eylau, 11-1 and Lindale, 5-4. The Wildcats have won three games in a row and their season record is now 4-8.
The Wildcats and Lady Cats Soccer Teams have a bye on this game day Friday. Both teams wrap up district play next Tuesday against Hallsville with the Wildcats on the road and the Lady Cats at home for Senior Night.
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.
Wildcats and Lady Cats Track Teams Place 5th at the Mount Pleasant Varsity Invitational Thursday Night
Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats Track Teams earned fifth place in an 8 team field at the Mount Pleasant Varsity Invitational Meet held Thursday evening. The Lady Cats racked up 67 points and the Wildcats had 55.
For the Wildcats, Alex Flecker took first place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:04.56. Landon Fields placed third in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.30. The Wildcats team of Weston Fields, Matthew Mitchell, Brady Driver and Malachi Roland finished fourth in the 4X100-meter relay with a time of 44.89. The team of Roland, Mitchell, Devon Franklin and Weston Fields were fifth in the 4X200-meter relay with a time of 1:35.16. In the long jump, Jermaine Cleveland finished sixth with a jump of 18′-0”. In the discus, Connor West was second with a heave of 123′-9” and Luke Caton was fourth with a toss of 117′-10”. In the triple jump, Kaden Eaton placed third with a leap of 40′-2 1/2”. Cleveland was fifth going 39′-1”. In the pole vault, Corde Mayo was third with a height of 10′-6”.
For the Lady Cats, Bre’Asia Ivery took first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.94. In the 200-meter dash, Janine Yamaguchi was sixth with a time of 28.21. Laney Hurst was fifth in both the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run with times of 1:05.42 and 2:36.03. Haylee Shultz placed sixth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 14:07.55. The team of Dalanee Myles, Vanessa Wayne, Ivery and Yamaguchi were second in the 4X100-meter relay with a time of 50.39. The team of Ivery, Myssiah Dugan, Myles and Yamaguchi were fourth in the 4X200-meter relay with a time of 1:52.14. The team of Makayla Jimmerson, Shultz, Hurst and Myles placed sixth in the 4X400-meter relay with a time of 4:43.18. In the long jump, Ivery was second with a mark of 15′-7 1/2”. In the shot put, Mia Jones took third with a toss of 30′-6”. Jayden Holley was sixth throwing 28′-10”. In the pole vault, Claire Bybee took first place soaring 11′-0”. Next the teams will compete at a Lindale Meet on March 19.
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.
Wildcats Baseball Team Wins Two Games in a Hallsville Tournament Thursday
It was a good day to be a Wildcat at Hallsville Thursday. Playing back to back games in the Reich Builders Classic Thursday, the Wildcats took care of Liberty-Eylau, 11-1 and then rallied late in game two to edge by Lindale, 5-4.
Against L-E, the Wildcats had a 2-1 lead after two innings but then broke the game wide open with 6 runs in the top of the third. The Wildcats added 3 more runs in the top of the fifth. Matthew Sherman, the winning pitcher, was sharp on the mound throwing 64 pitches and pitching all five innings in the five inning game, giving up 3 hits and 1 unearned run while striking out 2 and issuing no walks. The Wildcats outhit the Leopards, 8-3. In the big third inning, Matthew Mitchell and Dawson Carpenter had big hits. Mitchell hit a home run and Carpenter had a double. Mitchell had 3 RBI’s and scored a run. Carpenter scored 2 runs, had an RBI and got a walk. Mayer Millsap was 3 for 4 with a double and 2 runs scored. Matthew Singleton was 2 for 2 with an RBI, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases. Colt Silman was 1 for 2 with an RBI, a run scored, a walk and a stolen base. Kaden Wallace drove in a run in the first inning on a ground ball out. Ty Stroud and Hayden Hurst both walked and scored a run. Reese Rabe scored a run.
Against Lindale, the Wildcats fell behind early allowing 3 runs in the top of the first. The Wildcats chipped away at the lead getting a run in the bottom of the second and third innings. The Eagles scored a run in the top of the fifth to go up 4-2. It stayed that way until the Wildcats big bottom of the sixth when they scored three times to take a 5-4 lead. When pitcher Carpenter shut the door on Lindale in the top of the seventh, the Wildcats had a 5-4 victory. Carpenter, who got the win, pitched all 7 innings throwing an economical 87 pitches, allowing only 4 hits and 3 earned runs while striking out 3 and walking 5. The Wildcats outhit the Eagles 9 to 4. Blake Vice had a big game at the plate going 2 for 3 with 3 RBI’s and 2 doubles. Millsap was 1 for 3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Stroud was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Aiken Owens was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a double. Wallace was 1 for 3 with a triple and a run scored. Hurst was 1 for 3 with a run scored. Colby Albritton was 1 for 3 with a triple and a run scored.
The Wildcats improved their season record to 4-8 and they have won three games in a row. Weather permitting, the Wildcats will play Pleasant Grove Friday at 4 p.m. in the Hallsville tournament.
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 Men Jailed On Probation Violation Warrants
March 11, 2021 – Two men, one from Cumby and the other from Cooper, were jailed on probation violation warrants Thursday evening, according to sheriff’s and arrest reports.
Seth Dalton Bryant turned himself in at 5:50 p.m. March 11, 2021, at the lobby of Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Nick Marney escorted Bryant into Hopkins County jail, where the 21-year-old Cumby man was booked on violation of probation warrants; he was on probation for a Hopkins County possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge and a Delta County possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge.
Bryant was held at Hopkins County jail Friday March 12, on both charges, according to jail reports. According to the arrest report, he is alleged to have violated his probation on Jan. 29, 2021.
Bryant was arrested in Hopkins County on May 30, 2020 on the Hopkins County controlled substance charge as well as a tampering with physical evidence charge, a Delta County warrant for the controlled substance charge and a Hunt County warrant for possession of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance in a drug-free zone.
The 21-year-old Cumby man remained in Hopkins County jail on all four charges until Nov. 25, 2020, when Bryant pled guilty in court and received a 10 year deferred sentence on the May 2020 Hopkins County charge. His sentence required Bryant to serve 180 days in jail (he received credit for approximately 6 months he was jailed) as a condition of probation and to complete an intensive residential drug rehab program.
Billy Joe Thomas also turned himself in at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office at 5:55 p.m. Thursday, March 11, 2021. Marney escorted Thomas into the county jail, where he was booked on the warrant for violating probation on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
The 39-year-old Cooper man was held in Hopkins County jail Friday morning, March 12, 2021 on the charge, according to jail reports. The offense is alleged to have occurred on March 10, 2021, according to arrest reports.
Thomas was arrested on a possession of 1-4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance as well as a violation of parole warrant on Nov. 30, 2019, and remained in Hopkins County jail on the charges until Sept. 16, 2020. His jail record also shows that he was sentenced on Sept. 11, 2017, to serve 12 months in a state jail for violating probation on a prior possession of controlled substance charge and 10 years in prison for violating probation on a manufacture or deliver of a controlled substance charge.
Thomas also served from July 31 to Sept. 8, 2014 in the county jail on 2013 manufacture or delivery and possession of controlled substance charges, for which he was sentenced to a commitment in a substance abuse felony punishment facility, 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.
DPS Caught Wanted Cooper Man Returning To Truck In CR 1118 Pasture March 11
Cumby Woman Arrested Later Thursday At FM 2653 Residence Where Disturbance Initiated
Additional details were released Friday regarding the incident which resulted in a multi-agency hunt for a wanted Cooper man Thursday morning. A woman was also arrested later Thursday at the residence from which Williams was reported to have fled, according to arrest reports.
The incident allegedly started before 9 a.m. March 11 with 49-year-old Steven Bret Williams threatening his girlfriend at a FM 2653 south residence. According to a previous report from Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, the woman is a previous victim in another case.
Shortly before deputies arrived, Williams was reported to have left the property on foot using a gate on the northwest corner of the backyard, which opens into a pasture. Deputies were told Williams typically parks a white Dodge 4×4 in a pasture across from FM 2653 on County Road 1118.
Williams was determined to be wanted on an order revoking his bond on a deadly-discharging a firearm toward individuals charge. Thus, deputies launched a search for the man. An item the man was reported to have been holding when left the location was soon located nearby.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers assisted deputies in their search for Williams. Troopers reportedly located the man’s vehicle in a pasture on CR 1118.
Deputies and other agencies had set up a perimeter of the area by 10 a.m. while waiting for Texas Department of Criminal Justice to arrive with tracking dogs to assist in the search.
Shortly after the dogs started tracking Williams, troopers reported seeing the wanted Cooper man. He had returned to the CR 1118 pasture with his truck. They had set up watching the area and took Williams into custody just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 11, 2021. HCSO Deputy Alvin Jordan transported Williams to the county jail on the order. His bond, according to arrest reports, was recommended to be set at $200,000. He remained in Hopkins County jail Friday morning, March 12, 2021, according to jail reports.
At approximately 2:45 p.m. Thursday, March 11, officials returned to the FM 2653 residence with a search warrant. They reportedly located a small bag containing a crystal-like substance deputies believed to be methamphetamine in a trash can in the woman’s bathroom. Consequently, a 39-year-old Cumby woman was arrested at her Cumby residence. Deputy Jordan transported Kelly Lynn Dicken to Hopkins County jail, where she was booked for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest reports. She remained in Hopkins County jail Friday morning, March 12, 2021 as well, 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.
Dena Loyd Invites Community to the WAA Mobile Educational Exhibit for Vietnam Vets Near Veterans Memorial Downtown on Wednesday March 17, 2021
Long known to promote recognition of veterans in Hopkins County, Dena Loyd of Sulphur Springs has secured for our community a visit from the Mobile Educational Exhibit for Vietnam Veterans, sponsored by the Wreaths Across American non-profit organization. The MEE mobile museum will be set up near the Veterans Memorial in downtown Sulphur Springs on Wednesday March 17, 2021 between 10am and 6pm. The exhibit is for everyone to view and enjoy. Loyd stated, “the mission of Wreaths Across America is Remember, Honor and Teach, and this tangible exhibit reflects that mission.”. All Veterans, active duty military, their families and the local community are invited to visit the mobile museum and speak with WAA representatives. The tours are free and open to the public, with social distancing, sanitation and COVID-19 safety procedures in place to protect the health of all visitors. The general public, dignitaries, veterans and families, school classes, Boy and Girl Scout troops and everyone interested is invited. The hours are from 10am til 6pm on Wednesday March 17, 2021. The mobile museum will be set up on Oak Avenue downtown, just east of the Veterans Memorial and courthouse. That one block section of Oak Avenue will be closed to public traffic, between Jefferson Street and College Street, for the duration of the exhibit’s presence”. Loyd also stated that she is pleased that this Wreaths Across America exhibit was able to make Sulphur Springs a stop on it’s Texas tour as a way to say thank you. A special thanks goes out to her committee of cemetery coordinators as well as City of Sulphur Springs Tourism Director Joey Baker for their help in arranging for the location of the exhibit.
Loyd is hopeful that the MEE will draw increased public attention to the Wreaths Across America events planned in Hopkins County cemeteries during December 2021. “Each year, more cemeteries are joining with the Sulphur Springs City Cemetery, and holding observances of their own to identify and mark the graves of each veteran buried in their cemeteries. By volunteers, these graves are marked with a beautiful, fragrant balsam wreath and red bow, supplied by individual sponsorships of $15 each to the Wreaths Across America non-profit organization. This year’s date for the Wreaths Across America wreath-laying event is Saturday December 18, 2021. So far, 5 cemeteries in Hopkins County have signed up to hold the event. More cemeteries are welcome to join in. With questions, contact one of the cemetery coordinators listed below.
Dena Loyd SS City Cemetery 903-348-8174
Polly Swatsell Old Pickton Cemetery 903 439-5577
Marynell Bryant Gafford Chapel Cemetery 903-439-5412
Jan Kimmel Greenview Cemetery 281-755-2600
Loretta Scott Black Oak Cemetery 903-307-9000
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery begun in 1992. For more information or to sponsor a wreath, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
City Of Sulphur Springs Seeking Input For Finishing Touches For Pacific Park Improvements
Deadline For Community Members To Complete Online Pacific Park Improvements Survey Is March 19
The City of Sulphur Springs is seeing input regarding improvements at Pacific Park. City Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski invites residents are invited to complete an online survey regarding their preferences of options for improvements, including top uses for a pavilion, type of new playground equipment, additional desired amenities, and any other feedback community members wish to relay.
The Pacific Park improvements are part of the Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan adopted by the city in 2019. An emphasis of the plan was to design and develop a Pacific Park Site Specific Master Plan, created based on input from community members during a design charrette.
Voters in November 2019 approved a proposition allowing up to $200,000 of EDC sales and use tax funding to be used annually for up to 20 years by the city’s parks department to repay $3 million worth of bonds which will fund qualified 4B projects, including a new Grays Building in Pacific Park and a new Senior Citizens Center. In August 2020, the city was approved for a $750,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant for improvements to the grounds at Pacific Park.
Areas of focus in the Pacific Park Specific Master Plan include: construction and relocation of large playground for children ages 2-5 and 5-12 years of age; contraction of a large pavilion with multipurpose sports courts, such as basketball and volleyball courts; renovation and expansion of the existing splash pad, renovation of the existing pavilion, development of a large great lawn areas for sports practice and general play; redesign and construction of the Grays Building, construction of a new looped trail in the park, with additional recommendations outlined in a concept drawing for the park.
The Grays Building is already in progress, and focus now is turning toward the redesign and upgrade of the rest of Pacific Park.
“We are delighted to report that we can accomplish the goals for the plan and need further input on some of the finishing touches for the park. Specifically, we would love to hear your input on the playground and functionality of the covered sports pavilion. This information will be reviewed by City Staff and will ultimately lead to a decision on which elements to incorporate into the park,” the prompt on the survey page states.
The survey can be accessed on the City Facebook Page and on the home page of City website, http://www.sulphurspringstx.org/, under the “Latest News” heading or by clicking here
Those who wish to weigh in by completing the Pacific Park Improvement Survey will be able to do so online through Friday, March 19, and a Zoom meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, to discuss the results and presentation on the next steps moving forward, Niewiadomski noted.
Baseball and Track are on the Schedule Thursday If the Weather Allows
There is baseball and track on this spring break Thursday (March 11), weather permitting.
The Wildcats Baseball Team is playing in their third and last tournament of the season. They are at the three-day Reich Builders Classic Tournament in Hallsville On this Thursday, the Wildcats play back to back games. The Wildcats will face Liberty-Eylau at 2 p.m. and then will play Lindale at 4 p.m. The Wildcats played Lindale at the Rose City Classic in Tyler back on February 26. The Eagles squeezed by the Wildcats, 1-0 in that one. The Wildcats are also scheduled to face Pleasant Grove Friday and Atlanta Saturday in the tournament. The Wildcats enter the tournament with a 2-8 season record.
Also scheduled for Thursday is a varsity only track meet for Wildcats and Lady Cats’ track athletes that are available. The meet, in Mount Pleasant, is scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m. This is the third meet of the season for the Wildcats and Lady Cats Track Teams.
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.
Man Accused Of Assaulting His Fiancée, Brother
A 26-year-old Sulphur Springs man was accused of assaulting his fiancée and his brother early Thursday morning, according to police reports.
A Sulphur Springs Police officer responded at 2:40 a.m. March 10 to an East Industrial Drive residence, where a physical disturbance was reported. Officers noted they had responded to at least one previous call at the residence.
Upon arrival, the policeman encountered the 26-year-old who he reported was “highly intoxicated.” The Sulphur Springs man also was alleged to have assaulted his 29-year-old fiancée and his 25-year-old brother, causing them pain.
Police arrested the man on one Class A misdemeanor family violence assault charge based on statements from family members who were at the location and to prevent further violence from occurring, officers alleged in arrest reports. The man allegedly became aggressive; he taken to jail on the assault charge, according to police report.
The man remained in Hopkins County jail at lunch time Thursday, March 11 on the misdemeanor charge, according to arrest reports.
KSST does not publish the names or photos of people charged with misdemeanor crimes in staff-generated reports, only those accused of felony offenses.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
French Company Takes Over Management of Proposed Dike Solar Farm
Through open records, it appears that a French company will now be managing the proposed Dike solar farm under the “Hopkins Energy, LLC.” corporation name. Engie Solar N.A., LLC was added as an officer back in the fall of 2020, and not soon after the originating officer of Hopkins Energy, LLC, was removed as an officer. This would leave the French Company, and it’s U.S. subsidiary in charge of the project moving forward. The parent company, Engie SA, is a French multi-national company that has recently had over $70 billion in revenue worldwide (2019 information).
Engie NA is the U.S. subsidiary in charge of energy projects, and seems to be a major force in the renewable energy market in North America building two solar projects in Texas in 2020. Those two solar projects will produce 425 MW of electricity. They have also built three windmill projects in Texas over the past year, with those projects combing to produce 663 MW of electricity. The almost 3,000 acre Dike project was originally planned to produce 320 MW.
Although Engie NA is taking over for the German company that was previously in charge, all of the agreements, decisions, and contracts remain in place as they were executed under the Hopkins Energy, LLC company name. The organizers of the Save Dike From Solar group have been requesting solar company representatives to come meet with community members, but cannot get a positive response from the company. Community members have banned together and have concerns over the conservation issues related to the huge project. Not only are they worried about trees and wildlife on the almost 3,000 acres, but they would like some answers and guarantees of what happens to the land (and the solar panels) in the future once the project reaches the end of it’s life expectancy. The project seems to be moving forward without community input as solar representatives have already filed paperwork with the Public Utility Commission for their connection to the power grid through Oncor. This could make the project exempt from future Texas laws such as HB2372 filed by local texas Representative Bryan Slaton that would require these companies to put up a bond to guarantee the clean up.
Engie NA dedicates a full page of their own website to “Ethics & Compliance” that discusses their companies moral code and how they apply it, along with how they base their decisions on four core principles. One of these principles is “Respect Others” where they explain that “This principle particularly applies to the respect for the rights of individuals, for their dignity and their differences, as well as a respect for different cultures. It also applies to tangible and intangible goods that belong to others.” Another interesting ethical principle posted on the company’s website was their definition of Integrity being: “Integrity is about avoiding any conflict between personal interests and the Group’s interests. It underpins an absolute belief in the obligation to respect certain values.” The Save Dike From Solar group certainly may feel they have differences with this $70 billion company, but can’t seem to get them to discuss those differences face-to-face.
The Dike group has hired an Austin-based attorney who will try to give a voice to their concerns where the solar company may hear them. They are set to meet on Saturday, March 13th, at 1:00 pm at the Dike Community Center and invite any interested community members to attend.
