Lady Cats Softball Wins at Longview, 6-0
The Lady Cats softball team keep on rolling as they beat the Lady Lobos in Longview on Apr. 6, by a score of 6-0.
Coach David Carrillo’s squad looked like they might be entrenched in another pitchers duel, but the tide turned in the top of the third inning when Sulphur Springs scored 3 runs to take a 3-0 lead.
Grace Magnuson got the scoring going for the Lady Cats, singling on a fly ball to left field to get Jayden Harper home to break the 0-0 tie.
Catcher River Hulsey for Longview committed two costly errors in the bottom frame of the third which allowed Nylah Lindley to cross home, and then another wild throw allowed Addison DeSmet to advance home to make it a 3-0 ball game.
But the Lady Cats weren’t done there, though. 1B Lindley doubled in the top of the fourth to get SS Parris Pickett home to take a 4-0 lead. Magnuson got another RBI when she doubled on a line drive to deep center field to get Lindley home, making it 5-0 in favor of Sulphur Springs.
Nicole Higgins made a stellar tag on second base in the last at-bat for the Lady Cats to get home en route to a 6-0 victory over the Lady Lobos.
The Lady Cats have completed their regular season sweep of Longview, first winning in Sulphur Springs on Mar. 9 by a score of 1-0, then beating the Lady Lobos on Tuesday by a score of 6-0.
Crimson Bryant got the win over Longview, pitching the entire 7 innings while only allowing 3 hits over the course of the game. Bryant struck out 15 and walked one Lady Lobo.
With the win, the Lady Cats have now won 8 straight games, with 7 of those victories coming against district foes. The Lady Cats softball team season record is now 17-3 overall (6-1 district).
Next up, the Lady Cats will be back on the road Friday as they’ll travel to Mt Pleasant to take on the Lady Tigers. That game is set to tee off at 6 PM.
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.
Customers Behind On City Utility Bills Due To COVID-19 Have 24 Months To Pay Amount Owed
Sulphur Springs City Council determined Tuesday night that customers who are behind on city utility bills due to COVID-19 will have up to 24 months to pay off the amount owed on their bills without fear their water service will be turned off.
As of Tuesday morning, April 6, a total of $157,384 in past due amounts is owed by city utility customers. Of the 503 accounts behind by 30 days or more, 29 are 12 months or more past due. City staff asked the City Council to consider approving a resolution establishing a payment plan for utility customers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the city manager indicated in previous months’ reports would likely be recommended to the council, City Finance Director Lesa Smith proposed having those who are behind due to COVID-19 pay the current month’s pill plus 1/12th of the past due amount each month. That should allow the customer to get caught up in one year and avoid disconnection of water service. She said letters could potentially go out today to those utility customers who are behind due to COVID-19 to make them aware that the city will begin requiring them to start paying the amount.
As an incentive, Smith recommended having customers who come in and sign an agreement with the city establishing a plan to pay off the balance within the approved time frame would not face any additional financial penalties for the amount they are behind on and as long as the customer makes the payment as stipulated in the agreement on time each month. She recommended penalties for arrears be added and resuming service disconnects starting with May utility bills for those who do not visit the city to sign an agreement with a structured payment plan.
Place 2 Councilman Harold Nash asked if there was a plan in place for those who may not financially be able to come in and pay that amount. He said he is aware of some who can not.
Smith said the resolution as proposed does not include anything that would address that situation.
“I feel like what we are doing to the folks on this that have already been struggling is we’re making them now pay two payments in one month if we do it at just 1/12th the amount,” Place 5 Councilman Gary Spraggins said. “I would like to propose that we let them do it in 24 months. They would pay their current bill pay and also 1/24th of their balance. “I talked to Lesa this afternoon about it and she said of the people involved, about 10 percent of them went the whole 12 months, go back on the whole 12 months of it. So we’re figuring affecting quite a few of the people so I would like for us to make it 1/24th that they that they pay on their arrears and their current payment. I believe that might help them out on that. I agree. That’s going to be tough. They need to pay this, to do both. I believe this is something that could handle instead of making two payments at one time.”
“That’s a nice compromise,” City Manager Marc Maxwell noted.
Place 4 Councilman Freddie Taylor asked if the plan means that the letters would go out April 7 with the agreement going into affect with the percent of past due and current amount of city utility bills due with the May payment, or if it would be on the May bill with payment due starting in June. Smith noted that the customers who have arrears would have one month to come in, make a payment plan and pay the first payment amount agreed upon.
“So you want to give them two months to set up a payment plan?” Smith asked.
Taylor indicated a desire to send the paperwork to give them time to come in and be able to make that first payment.
Place 3 Councilman Oscar Aguilar also indicated a preference to give customers a little bit longer than the original 1 month proposed to come in, sign up and work on funding to make the payment.
The city manager noted that some will receive the first letter, discard it without reading or paying attention to it, then have their water shut off before they pay attention and decide to visit the city to make a payment agreement. The resolution, he noted needs to be structured in a way that it still allows them to come in and set up an agreement., perhaps with a warning if one is not made initially.
Sellers noted the some customers have had over a year of accumulated arrears without fear their water would be shut off due to the suspension of fees and serve being cut off for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Spraggins, of the 236 accounts that are behind, 10 percent, or about 29 accounts have been behind for 12 months or more during the pandemic.
Spraggins made the motion to accept a resolution establishing a payment plan, allowing up to 24 months for utility customers who are behind on their bills due to COVID-19 to pay 1/24th of the owed amount plus the current bill each month if they wish. Letters would be mailed on Tuesday by the city, notifying those utility customers who owe back amounts that the grace period due to COVID-19 is being lifted, that they must visit the city offices to sign an agreement in order to avoid penalties and having their city water service disconnected. Cutoffs, Spraggins proposed, would not begin until water bills are issued for June.
That means, beginning June 10, 2021, the City of Sulphur Springs will resume disconnections and penalties for accounts that are past due. To avoid disconnection and penalties on balances accumulated through May 31, 2021, the account holder must go to the city’s Business Office, located at 125 South Davis St., where they will then complete and sign a payment agreement before June 7, 2021. While the payment plan can be for up to 24 months, the payment amount will be determined by the customer provided the account is caught up at the conclusion the 2 years. Utility customers should also be aware that only the person identified on the city account as the account holder will be able to discuss issues regarding an account and enter into a payment agreement. If a payment plan has not been established before June 7, 2021, the account will be subject to penalties and/or disconnection, and be required to pay the entire balance in full along with the $30 reconnection fee in order to restore service.
The City Council unanimously approved the resolution as proposed by Spraggins.
City Of Sulphur Springs Is Hiring
City Posts Listings For Job Opportunities
City workers were busy Wednesday morning putting up a “Now Hiring” sign outside the City of Sulphur Springs Service Center on Hillcrest. Several positions are open including full-time with benefits. You can check the latest opportunities on the city’s website by clicking here: City of SS Jobs. Applications can be picked up in person at 125 S. Davis Street in Sulphur Springs (water department). It appears that multiple positions are available in the Parks department, as well as the Capital Construction department.
Wildcats Baseball Team Falls Out of Second Place Tie With 8-3 Loss at Longview
The Wildcats Baseball Team struggled on the mound and in the batters box in an 8-3 loss at Longview Tuesday night. Longview used two big innings to win the game.
The Lobos scored 5 runs in the bottom of the second and 3 more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Wildcats managed a pair of runs in the top of the fourth and 1 more in the top of the fifth. The Lobos outhit the Wildcats, 10-3.
Kaden Wallace was the starting pitcher and he took the loss going 1 2/3 innings allowing 4 hits and 5 runs with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks. He also hit 3 batters. Matthew Sherman followed and went 1 2/3 innings giving up 2 hits and 3 runs with 2 strikeouts and 3 walks. Hector Martinez finished up pitching 2 2/3 innings allowing 4 hits and no runs with 5 strikeouts and a walk. With the bats, Blake Vice nearly hit a home run that bounced off the left field wall and he got a double. Dawson Carpenter also doubled right down the third base line. Matthew Singleton beat out an infield ground ball.
Two Wildcats runs scored from third base when Lobo pitching delivered 2 wild pitches that got away from the catcher. A third run was the result of a well executed double steal that allowed Singleton to steal home.
The Longview win gives them sole possession of second place with a 5-2 district record. The Wildcats and Texas High, who lost to Marshall Tuesday, tumble into a third place tie with 4-3 district records. Marshall is just one game behind at 3-4.
The Wildcats season record is 7-13. Next the Wildcats take on Mount Pleasant Friday night at Wildcat Park.
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.
DBA Sponsoring April 17 Spring Market On Main
Chamber Connection- April 7, 2021
By Lezley Brown, President/CEO, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber is certainly a busy place right now! We are looking forward to a wonderful golf tournament this Friday at Sulphur Springs Country Club. If you would still like to sign up to play, we have room in the morning flight. Here’s to crossing our fingers that the rain stays away, and the day is absolutely beautiful!
Downtown Business Alliance is sponsoring a Spring Market on Main Street
The Downtown Business Alliance is sponsoring a Spring Market on Main Street on Saturday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry is free. Enjoy spring items inside and out, clothing, crafts, décor, food and gifts.
Ribbon Cuttings
Pacheco Spine & Sport hosted their ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday, March 30, at noon. They are located at 1067 Gilmer Street, Suite C, in Sulphur Springs. Anthony and Amber Pacheco are now offering chiropractic services to Hopkins County five days a week!
Legacy Power hosted their ribbon cutting celebration on Wednesday, March 31, at noon at the Chamber, located at 110 Main Street in Sulphur Springs. Legacy Power is ready to help you make educated decisions when choosing electricity.
3 Jailed After Bond Revoked
Three people were jailed after their bond was revoked on a controlled substance charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
Denver Jacque Fender was taken into custody at 10:03 a.m. April 5 in the 8th Judicial District Court after having his bond revoked on a March 21, 2020 possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge and on a May 30, 2020 possession of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance in a drug-free zone charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
The 40-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail April 6, 2021. His new bond was set at $50,000 on the Penalty Group 1 charge and $25,000 on the Penalty Group 3 charge, according to jail reports.
Robert Earl Hawkins Jr. was also taken into custody April 5, 2021, after having his bond revoked on a burglary of a habitation charge, assault of a family or household member impeding breathing or circulation, possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charges, according to sheriff’s reports.
The 36-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday. His new bond was set at $100,000 per charge on all four charges, according to jail reports.
April 5 was the second time Hawkins has been jailed in Hopkins County in 2021. He was also taken into custody on new year’s day on outstanding burglary of habitation and theft of service warrants. He was released from jail on Jan. 7 on a $50,000 bond on the burglary charge and a $1,000 bond on the theft charge, according to jail records.
Lisa Beth Manning was jailed Monday for revocation of bond on possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to sheriff’s reports.
Manning (who is also known by Lisa Anderson Manning, Lisa A Manning and Michelle Anderson) was originally arrested on the original controlled substance charge on July 22, 2020, and was released from jail the next day on a $5,000 bond, according to jail reports.
The 57-year-old Powderly woman was remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Her new bond was set at $30,000 on the charge, according to jail records.
Some Local Students Experienced Technical Issues When Attempting To Take STAAR Tests
TEA Reports Varied State-Wide Connectivity Issues With The STAAR Online Testing Platform
State testing days can be a tense time for students as well as teaches and parents tasked with preparing students for and administering the tests. On Tuesday, the first of five scheduled state testing days, some students taking the state fourth grade writing, seventh grade writing and English I exams felt that strain even more due to what Texas Education is calling “connectivity issues with the STAAR online testing platform.”
“At 10:17 a.m. CDT today, districts were advised if they were having issues that they should stop online testing for the day while the vendor works to resolve these problems. Online testing will resume tomorrow,” TEA Student Assessment Division reported in a statement issued around noon April 6, 2021.
Students had four experiences when attempting to take their STAAR tests online:
- the student could have successfully submitted the test without disruption;
- the student could have successfully submitted answers but may have noticed unusually slow response times;
- the student could have been prevented from logging in to begin with; or
- the student could have begun to answer questions, but at some point was prevented from continuing, and in this instance, answers were saved every thirty seconds so that these students will be able to pick up where they left off.
While Superintendent Steve Johnson reports no issues with the online today at Miller Grove ISD, Sulphur Springs and and Sulphur Bluff ISD officials reported some of their students did encounter problems while attempting to take the online State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness tests.
According to Principal Amy Daniel, three Sulphur Bluff Elementary students were disrupted by the connectivity issues while taking the STAAR. They had a hard time entering the testing site. However, all three will retest Thursday.
Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams reported Sulphur Springs students all four potential situations, some were not able to even start their tests, while others started but the system quit on them.
Williams acknowledged that testing can be a stressful time for students, and interruptions do not help ease that. He praised SSISD staff for “loving on” and reassuring students who did have difficulties taking the test.
“The state is well aware of educator concerns throughout the state that have asked that we not have state testing this year as a result of the chaotic nature that the pandemic has placed on our schools. Ignoring that, the state still mandated testing and added extra stress on teachers during an already incredibly stressful year. After today’s debacle, the testing situation has not only shown weaknesses in the state model for a push for mandating online testing in the near future, but it also caused another set of stresses to an already fragile education system,” Como-Pickton CISD Superintendent Greg Bower stated.
“We understand the frustration this has caused students, parents, teachers, and administrators. What happened today is completely unacceptable. ETS, the testing vendor, experienced problems with their database system, which are in the process of being corrected. The 2021 online administration of STAAR will be ETS’s last for the State of Texas. Beginning next school year, Cambium Assessment will be taking over these critical testing functions to ensure that users have a seamless online testing experience moving forward,” the TEA Student Assessment Division noted in the prepared statement. “All involved in public education in Texas should expect better than what they have experienced today; we are working to ensure that our students do not experience future testing issues.”
While districts will be held “harmless” on state accountability rates which would normally be based largely on state testing results, Texas students are still required to take the STAAR tests this year for districts and the state to measure student growth. The STAAR test results may not necessarily influence students grade level advancement, the data will be used by schools as a measure of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed schools in 2020 after spring break and this year has resulted in some students quarantining at home due to sickness or exposure and others attending Virtual Academy, on individual, grade level, campus, district and state-wide.
Building Maintenance, Wrecking and Salvage Yard Regulations Discussed During Commissioners Work Session
Hopkins County Commissioners during a Monday work session discussed a number of topics, including the outdoor sound stage at the Civic Center, building maintenance, wrecking and salvage yard regulations, and NETEX’s railroad vegetation maintenance proposal.
According to Judge Robert Newsom, the court conferred with Hopkins County Civic Center Manager Lonnie Fox regarding the condition and use of the outdoor sound stage, or Coca-Cola Sound Stage. Fox reported the stage, excluding the past year, hasn’t been used as frequently in recent years as it once was in the past. He also reported on repair needs. While no major changes are planned imminently, the court was asked to consider the possibility in the future of eventually putting another building up in that area to take place of the stage, an area better suited to community use, according to the judge.
The court also discussed the possibility of contracting for a building consulting agreement, one in which someone would go through all of the county’s buildings, piece by piece to see what repairs and maintenance are needed regularly for each. A consultant would be hired to make sure they are maintained with routine maintenance as needed. This would take care of those things that should be checked on a regular basis, but are not necessarily among the daily matters that county maintenance staff tend, such as cleaning leaves from gutters and changing air conditioning filters.
“We want to make sure our buildings are maintained. We can do better than we are doing right now,” Newsom said.
He noted that building consulting agreements are anticipated to be presented for court consideration during a future Commissioners Court meeting.
Also during Monday’s workshop, the Commissioners briefly discussed the need to update the wrecking and salvage yard regulations. The county’s regulations haven’t been updated since 1988, and need to be updated to include any changes made by state and national officials. More work is needed on these before a proposed update is presented to the court for consideration.
The court also discussed railroad vegetation. An official with Northeast Texas Connector (NETC), operator for Northeast Texas Rural Rail Transportation District (known by NETEX), has been contacting counties that share in NETEX to see if each would be willing to assist in clearing of vegetation off or around the railroad tracks through their county. The matter of the county being requested to provide financial assistance has also been discussed by the NETEX Board.
Newsom said no decision has been made regarding what if any assistance Hopkins County will commit to regarding removal of vegetation. No agreements have been reached regarding the matter.
Wildcats Baseball and Lady Cats Softball Have Big District Games in Longview on Game Day Tuesday
The Wildcats Baseball Team and the Longview Lobos are in a big second place tie with Texas High going into their game Tuesday night (April 6). In Longview, there will be a JV game at 4 p.m. The varsity game starts at 7 p.m. This game marks the start of the second half of district play. The Wildcats come in 4-2 in district play after a loss to Hallsville last Thursday. The Wildcats season record is 7-12. Longview is 4-2 in district play and 15-5 for the season. When the two teams played at Wildcat Park back on March 9, the Wildcats scored 7 runs late to take an 8-1 win. KSST Radio will bring you the Wildcats and Lobos live from Longview at 7 p.m. The game is expected to have streaming video and audio. The game will also be videotaped for replay later on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
The Lady Cats come into their district game at Longview tied for first place with Hallsville. The Lady Cats are 6-1 in district play and 16-3 for the season after defeating Hallsville last Thursday, 3-0. When the two teams played in the first round back on March 12, the Lady Cats won a pitchers’ duel against the Lady Lobos, 1-0. There will be a JV game Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. The varsity game will follow at 6 p.m. KSST’s sister station, KRVA-FM, 10-7.1, will have the Lady Cats and Lady Lobos game starting at 6 p.m. Ross Labenske will do the play by play.
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 Tennis Team Gets Ready For District With Wills Point and Tyler Tournaments
Soon District 15-5A interests will gather together to determine all important seedling for next week’s District Tennis Tournament in Texarkana.
It takes place next Tuesday and Wednesday, April 13-14.
To get ready for district opponents, the Wildcats played in a Wills Point tournament last Thursday (April 1) and in a Tyler tournament Monday.
Wildcats senior Harleigh Stegient broke her wrist when she fell in a singles’ match in a Pleasant Grove tournament on March 26. She continued to play a couple of sets after the incident. She is now in a cast but she is still trying to play. Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez has switched her to less demanding doubles with some good results. She’s playing with Ella Ray. The pair ended up taking first place in the consolation bracket at both Wills Point and Tyler.
Coach Martinez has moved #1 girls’ player Jeauxleigh Cantu to singles for district play. Cantu took first place at Wills Point and was second at Tyler. Also at Wills Point, the Wildcats’ mixed doubles team of Tate Smith and Paige Miesse took first place in the consolation bracket.
The mixed doubles team of Alex Romero and Emily Dick made it to the semifinals in the main draw at Wills Point. At Tyler Coach Martinez said Tyler Legacy, a top ten team in state in Class 6A, dominated matches. Now Coach Martinez is hoping for some favorable draws for next week’s district 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.
