Meet New Director of Hopkins County Community Chest
During April 2021, Heather White stepped into the capable shoes of outgoing Director Judy Moore who had successfully led Hopkins County Community Chest for eight years. White is not a new face to Hopkins County, nor to the work that Community Chest does for local residents. Heather is originally from Saltillo and a 2002 graduate of Como-Pickton CISD, then following a 15-year career in Lowe’s management, she made a career change. Beginning as a volunteer, she learned just about every task in the daily operations. White got the nod for the Director’s seat as Moore ramped up her retirement plans earlier this year.
In addition to assisting families through the ongoing food distribution programs at the headquarters at 217 Linda Drive in Sulphur Springs, there’s also the Reach-Out program where a mobile unit travels to food distribution stations in the county on a monthly basis. Community Chest also offers bill-pay assistance as well as emergency resource services for families in need. Assistance is determined by income and application process. If you have needs or have questions about Hopkins County Community Chest, you can visit the office Tuesdays and Thursdays, or you may phone 903-885-3452.
For persons currently receiving food assistance, the ‘shopping” format is being restored in May 2021, as opposed to the bulk distribution which was utilized during the pandemic year of 2020. The food products offered in distribution program is funded by donations from sources in the local community as well as distributions from the Northeast Texas Food Bank.
Lady Cats Softball Playoff Series Has Changed, No Game Thursday Night
The Lady Cats Softball Team’s bi-district schedule versus Lufkin has changed.
The new schedule calls for two games Friday at Marshall at 6 p.m. The second game is scheduled to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of game 1.
Game 3, if necessary, will be Saturday at noon at Whitehouse. The Lady Cats, district co-champions and the #1 seed from district 15-5A, have a season record of 22-3.
They enter the game having won 13 games in a row. The Lady Cats were 11-1 in district play.
The Lady Panthers are the #4 seed in district 16-5A. They were 4-6 in district games and their season record is 13-12.
The winner of the Lady Cats and Lufkin bi-district series will play the winner of a Joshua and Crandall bi-district series in the Area round.
Lady Cats Softball Coach Carrillo is no stranger to the playoffs. In fact, his Lady Cats have made the playoffs 13 years in a row not counting last year’s COVID-19 interruption.
Only Coach Carrillo’s first Lady Cats’ team, in 2007, did not make the playoffs and they lost a play-in game that kept them out.
Four times the Lady Cats have advanced to the Regional Quarterfinals, or 3rd round. They have also gone to the Area round seven times.
KSST sister station, KRVA-FM, 107.1, will bring you the Lady Cats and Lady Panthers bi-district series and again the schedule has changed. Game 1 and 2 will now be Friday night beginning at 6 pm from Marshall.
Game 3 if needed will take place Saturday at noon at Whitehouse.
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.
Miller Grove HS Has 3 UIL Academic Competitors Moving on to State
Miller Grove High School Academic UIL competitors showed up at the Regional contest with winning in mind.
Of the ten who advanced to Regionals from the District level, the academic team walked away with a total of five medals, three students who are moving on to the state level, and the Speech Team won overall second place.
Bailee Shipp placed fifth in poetry. Addison Stanton fared just a bit better in the prose competition, getting fourth in the event.
Jamilyn Hensley snagged second in Ready Writing, and with that top two finish Hensley will be advancing to State.
Jolee Fox had a solid outing in Persuasive Speaking, getting fifth, but it is the Lincoln Douglas Debate where Fox has shined brightest, winning the event in first place and maintains her unbeaten debate season in the event over the course of this Academic UIL season. Since Fox got gold in the Lincoln Douglas debate, she will be moving on to state as well.
Jagger Qualls finished just behind Fox in the Lincoln Douglas Debate, getting second, and as a result Qualls will be joining Hensley and Fox in advancing to the State competition.
And to round out events for Miller Grove, the Speech Team of Bailee Shipp, Addison Stanton, Kayti Brignon, Kavan Smith, Jorja Bessonett, Jolee Fox, and Jagger Qualls snagged second in the event.
Marcella Hayden, English teacher at Miller Grove HS and the UIL coach of the Ready Writer and all of the Speakers/Debate team said congratulations to the whole Miller Grove HS Academic UIL team.
American Legion, VFW Hosting May 1 Blood Drive
American Legion Post 66 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8560 are hosting the Carter BloodCare bus Saturday in Brookshire’s parking lot, 809 Gilmer St. in Sulphur Springs. The May 1 blood drive will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
According to Carter BloodCare, more than 3,500 blood drives were canceled or postponed due to the pandemic, leaving many banks at critically low levels, reported locally to be the worst blood supply shortage in a decade. Thus, every donation is appreciated.
Donor Eligibility
Blood donors must be at least 16 years of age, weight a minimum of 110 pounds, and be in good general health; 16-year-olds must have written parental consent. There is no upper age limit to donate blood. Donors are encouraged to east a low-fat meal 2-4 hours before giving blood, and drink lots of water or juice before and after donating. They are recommended to avoid alcoholic beverages and caffeine products for 12 hours before and after donating, and to avoid strenuous activity for 12 hours after donating blood.
According to Carter BloodCare, most health conditions won’t prohibit people from donating blood. Exceptions that could prevent a person from donating, include those: with skin cancers, solid tumor cancers, leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma, Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease, variant Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease, or people who have had certain exposure risks, a history of heart disease, hereditary hemochromatosis, or a history of certain infections, lung disease, people who are on antibiotics for treatment of a current infection (not including topical treaments), who are pregnant and for 6 weeks following pregnancy, on testosterone therapy, within 3 months after most blood and platelet transfusions or receiving human grafts and transplants, a history of other certain transplants, who are malaria risks due to travel outside the US, who have had certain recent vaccinations.
Click here to see Carter’s full list of medications and deferral period for each before donor eligibility as well as a list of infections and exposure risks, and conditions that would make a person ineligible to donate blood.
How To Donate
Those who wish to donate blood Saturday need only look for the bus; have a state-issued, school or government issued photo ID in hand; and meet eligibility requirements to donate at the drive hosted by the American Legion and VFW, according to American Legion Post 66 Judge Advocate Billy Cassy.
For the safety of donors and staff, Carter BloodCare continues to follow all national guidelines from the industry as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That means face masks are to be worn by donors and staff, and donors are asked to observe social distancing where possible, according to the CBC website.
All potential donors will be asked for their name, address and to show valid photo ID. A phlebotomist checks temperature, blood pressure, pulse and blood count for potential donors, then asks questions about their medical history to make sure giving blood is safe for the individual and that the potential donor’s blood will be safe to give to patients. Blood donation typically takes approximately 5-10 minutes, and the entire process from registration to post-donation refreshments is anticipated to take less than an hour. The drive is for whole blood donations.
While an appointment is not necessary, those wishing to reserve a time may go online to the Carter BloodCare website and select mobile drive conducted by the American Legion Post #66, select an available time slot and register. All others may look for the Carter BloodCare bus in Brookshire’s parking lot between 9 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. Saturday, May 1. Then get in line with ID.
All donors will be COVID-19 antibody tested. Individuals who have received the COVID-19 vaccine may donate blood with no deferral time.
Further questions about this drive may be directed to Andy Lowen at 903-355-3733 or Post 66 Judge Advocate Billy Cassy at 903-440-1873
Cumby City-Wide Clean Up Scheduled This Weekend
The three-day Cumby City-Wide Clean Up is scheduled for Friday, April 30, -Sunday, May 2, 2021
A dumpster will be provided behind the water tower on Depot Street to allow City of Cumby residents to dispose of larger household items to help clean up their personal property in town. I
While most things that can fit into a dumpster are allowed, the City of Cumby officials remind residents that there are a few restrictions. The following are not allowed in dumpsters:
- Chemicals
- Tires
- Antifreeze or Freon, or any appliance containing either substance, including refrigerators and window A/C units
- Oil and gas, or any equipment containing either, including lawnmowers.
Residents are reminded that items should be deposited into the dumpster and not left on the ground around it.
State Securities Board: Beware Unregistered Online Platforms Offering “Investment Plans”
AUSTIN – The Texas State Securities Board is warning investors about unregistered online platforms defrauding the public through the sale of so-called “investment plans.” These investment plans often sound appealing – they tend to be tied to blockchain technology, artificial intelligence or foreign currency and promise guaranteed returns paid over very short terms. In many instances, however, the investment plans are simply a means to attract victims, take money and defraud the public.
Bad actors are using descriptive terms to market these investment plans – often referring to them as “silver” plans, “gold” plans or “platinum” plans. They tend to be advertising through social media and websites that serve as online platforms for depositing principal. The promoters generally tell potential clients that, upon receipt of principal, the firms will use the money to trade any number of different products – from stocks to forex, and from contracts for difference to cryptocurrencies. In any event, these promoters tend to have one thing in common: they fraudulently claim investors can reap risk-free guaranteed profits – as high as ten or twenty percent or more over a term often measured not in years or months but days and hours.
Securities Commissioner Travis J. Iles noted the “red flags” associated with these fraudulent promotions. “First, the parties are generally not registered to deal in securities,” he explained. “Many parties are not providing basic information – a real physical address for the office or the identities of corporate officers. Still, they’re offering sky-high returns over a very short term – with no risk whatsoever. All investments carry some degree of risk – and anyone telling you otherwise should not be entrusted with your hard-earned dollars.”
The Texas State Securities Board continues to bring enforcement actions to protect Texans from promoters of fraudulent investment plans. For example, earlier this year, Commissioner Iles entered an emergency order to stop DailyForex247 from continuing to advertise silver, gold and premium plans that fraudulently promised to pay up to $8,000 over five days. He entered a similar emergency action against Digitaly [sic] Invest and FxSmart-Robots, another against Delta Crypt Limited, and other enforcement cases – including a case that named James Blundell and nearly a dozen other parties offering various investment plans that could purportedly turn $1,000 into $15,000 after five days of trading. Blundell was promoting the investment plans through a broad social media presence, and he was even adding false legitimacy to the scheme by using a forged Texas driver license and a phony trading certificate.
Earlier this week, Commissioner Iles brought another emergency cease and desist order against promoters of fraudulent investment plans. This order named Affort Projects, the operator of numerous online platforms including AlgorAndTrade24, AuxiliaryFX Ltd., CryptoDailyTradePlus, CryptoStreamTrade, Exerlo, FXTradePlus24, FXVirwoxFair, Nexetral, PrimeCoinOption, SplitFxTrade, TradeFlow 24, TradeOptionMarket, ViaForexTrade, XpressTrade24 and XpressTrade247.
The emergency order found they were offering investments in investment plans, including the starter plan, premium plan and executive plan. The off-market products supposedly paid exorbitant returns – as much as 20 percent per week through high-frequency Bitcoin trading. Most returns were allegedly characterized as either risk-free or guaranteed.
According to the order, these investment plans were part of a scheme to defraud the public. In furtherance of the scheme, the respondents were not providing full, truthful information to potential clients – they were not, for example, identifying principals and key personnel or strategies for actually generating the exorbitant profits. The emergency order also accused the parties of deceiving potential investors through their claims of regulation by a forex regulator – and not disclosing Spanish officials already warned the public about a previous illegal offering.
“Scammers are recruiting victims by illegally advertising silver plans, and expert plans, and various other plans. These plans tend to have one thing in common – they’re fraudulent plans. If you deposit your money, you should expect to lose your money,” said Enforcement Director Joe Rotunda.
The Texas State Securities Board encourages investors to conduct thorough due diligence and investigate before they purchase an investment. Investors can obtain more information about protecting themselves from fraud at the agency’s website at www.ssb.texas.gov.
Commerce Tigers Baseball Falls to Lone Oak on Senior Night
The Commerce Tigers baseball team jumped out to a quick lead on Senior Night but it was not enough as Lone Oak scored 11 unanswered to best the Tigers in Commerce on Tuesday, Apr. 27 by a score of 11-1.
Commerce got their only run of the game when Nicholson of the Tigers was walked by Lone Oak pitching, and following an error by Lone Oak catcher Jackson, Nicholson was able to advance all the way to third base.
The following batter for Commerce, Elliott, hit a sac fly to left field with 1 out to allow Nicholson to tag and reach home, giving the Tigers a 1-0 advantage after 1 full inning. Neither team would score in the second.
But the Buffalos would no go quietly, as they then proceeded to score their first run of the game in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-all. Lone Oak then scored two more runs in the top of the fourth to take their first lead of the night at 3-1. The Buffalos put on 8 more runs in their next at-bat in the top of the fifth to make the score 11-1.
Commerce, after scoring their first run of the contest, could not manage any more offense in the middle of the game as the district match-up was called after five to the tune of an 11-1 Tiger loss to Lone Oak.
Colby Lewis and J’den Wilson both led the Tigers with 1 hit a piece, the only hits on the night for Commerce.
Elliott got the loss for Commerce after pitching 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and five runs while striking out 5 Buffalo batters. Lewis came in and pitched the final 2/3 innings for the Tigers.
With the loss, the Commerce Tigers baseball team’s season record falls to 5-16-1 according to their game changer page.
Next up, the Tigers will conclude their season on Friday in their rematch with Lone Oak, with the notable difference being that the two teams will be playing at Lone Oak on Friday. That game is set to tee off on Friday, Apr. 30 at 7 P.M.
Auto Tech Students Accept Top Tech Challenge
Sulphur Springs High School automotive technology students Jackson Burnett and Jessica Snyder competed in auto tech competition at the 2021 Universal Technical Institute Top Tech Challenge. This is the first year SSHS students have competed in this competition.
The contest took place on the UTI – Irving campus on April 24. The students competed against teams from across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
“The contest was hands-on and based on ASE testing standards. They did an amazing job,” said Jenny Arledge, SSHS Director of College and Career Readiness, and Career and Technical Education.
This competition follows Snyder and Burnett’s win of first and second place honors in the SkillsUSA Texas District 5 Automotive Service Technology contest, for which they received awards. The competition included comprehensive testing of 8 ASEs (testing areas). They then competed at the state level in the SkillsUSA Texas competition on April 20.
CHRISTUS Facilities Offer COVID Vaccines, Pain Management, Digestive Health Services
By Holly Ragan, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs, Texas – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Health Ministry of Jesus Christ.
The current blood shortage is the worst in decades – We need your help!
Carter BloodCare is hosting a blood drive in the CBC bus at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs in the front parking lot on Saturday, May 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and again on Wednesday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call or text (800) 366-2834 or visit their website at www.carterbloodcare.org. Type “O” donations are in high demand.
COVID Vaccines Available
Contact Holly Ragan at 903.439.4033 to schedule an appointment for a Pfizer vaccine. The 1st dose will be on April 28, and the 2nd dose will be on May 19.
Hospital Visitation – *UPDATED
We continue to ensure a safe and compassionate process for families and essential support persons to visit patients, while preventing person-to-person transmission of infectious diseases in our acute care settings. All visitors will continue to be screened to make certain they do not fit a COVID-19 profile, based on CDC guidelines. To safely regulate access to patient care areas within our hospital, visitor screening stations are placed at the entrance of our facilities.
Please note the following guidelines:
- Visitors must acquire masks themselves prior to entering our facility; cloth masks are acceptable
- Masks must cover both the nose and the mouth
- Visitors must pass screening before entry
- Emergency Department entrance open 24/7
- Main Entrance open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday – Friday
- Gift Shop open
- All visitors are screened at the door, including a temperature taken
- All associates are screened at each shift, including a temperature taken
- Visiting hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- COVID Unit limited to (1) visitor (age 16 and over)
- ER and ICU limited to (2) visitors
- ALL hospital visitors are required to wear a mask. Visitors should bring their own mask; homemade cloth masks are acceptable.
Effective March 17, 2021: We will no longer restrict the number of visitors per patient, however, we strongly encourage to limit visitors to ONE (1) essential support person and for all other visitors – continue utilizing virtual communication through mobile devices to monitor your loved ones in our care.
Clinic Services
Digestive Care
We are fortunate to have care specialists dedicated to your gastrointestinal health right here, close to home. Our highly trained team provides screening, diagnosis, and advanced treatments for a wide range of complex digestive disorders including colon cancer screening, esophageal disease, stomach and intestinal conditions, large intestine and colon conditions such as ulcerative colitis, and pancreas, liver, and gallbladder conditions. To schedule an appointment, please contact the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Gastroenterology office at 903.885.1770.
Pain Management
Chronic pain can be caused by a number of disorders, affecting all aspects of your physical and psychological well-being. Pain conditions are often treatable, which is why we are committed to provide you with safe and effective pain management through the continuum of care. We offer a wide range of services that deal with both chronic and acute onset pain designed to treat many kinds of pain due to disease, aging-related issues, and other conditions. Pain conditions are often treatable through a number of different protocols; but not every approach works for everyone, which is why the expert oversight of the physicians and staff at our facilities is so critical to helping you find the right care for your pain. If you would like to schedule an appointment with our Pain Management physician, Dr. Matthew Johnson, please call 903.885.1740.
Name the Robot Contest for Kindergarten through 5th Grades
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has a new family member… the Mako robotic surgical assistant. We invited all local students from Kindergarten through 5th grades to enter a coloring sheet and come up with a name for our new robot. Students worked with their teachers to enter their submissions, and with the voting aid of the community, a decision was made.
The winning name is “Kneemo,” and was selected by Kylie Harrison (4th grade) and Matthew Evans (5th grade), both members of the Sulphur Springs Elementary School Robotics Club. This past Friday, the club got to meet the robot, have a pizza party, and have their picture made with the robot and our Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Chris Meltsakos, who will be using the robotic assistant to work on patients’ knees. We are very appreciative of the help naming the Mako!
COVID-19
Don’t Delay Care
We want to be perfectly clear – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances remains a safe place for all to receive quality care. Go to the Emergency Department or call 9-1-1 if you are urgently ill. While COVID-19 is new, our processes and procedures in place for infection prevention and preventing the spread of illness are not. To learn more about COVID-19, go to ChristusTMF.org or www.cdc.gov.
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CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals – Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
- Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
- Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
- Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
- Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
Commerce Tigers Track Competes Well at Regionals, But None Advance to State
The Commerce Tigers mens track and field team competed in the 3A Region 2 Track meet last Friday and Saturday in Whitehouse.
Seven athletes from Commerce advanced to the Regional meet with the hopes of advancing to state.
While the seven Tigers fought hard and competed well, no Commerce athletes advanced to the state track meet.
Three Tiger athletes placed in the top 6 in their respective events.
In running events, J’den Wilson finished third in the 300M hurdles and was just shy of advancing to state.
Oliver Roberts finished 6th in the 3200 and 8th in the 1600 as a freshman. Commerce Tigers mens track and field coach Cameron Warren said he expect great things from Roberts in the future.
Enrique Morales finished 10th in the 800M run.
In field events, Omarhi Davis finished 6th in the discus and 10th in shot put. Richard Jackson finished 14th in shot put. To round out the events for Commerce at the Regional meet, Aidan Crowder competed in the 200M dash.
“Overall, we had a great season with winning district at all four levels, area runner-up, and a strong showing at regionals,” the Commerce coach said.
Coach Warren said he is looking forward to a bright future.
