Reception for Retiring Carolyn McKinney Held Friday at SW Dairy Museum
From an accounting position to the Directorship, the 20-plus year career of Carolyn McKinney officially came to an end on June 18, 2021. A steady stream of friends, co-workers and business associates came to say goodbyes and share memories of good times shared at community events. For many years, Carolyn’s duties have included making sure cheese and milk products were featured at major events locally and across the several states where Southwest Dairy Farmers live and work. Thank you, Carolyn for your dedicated and tireless service to the dairy industry and our community!
Ribbon-Cutting at the new Grays Building on June 18 in Observance of Juneteenth, a New National Holiday
The community was well-represented as a couple of milestone events came together on a single day for Hopkins County residents. At noon on Friday June 18, as the nation was observing the new Juneteenth national holiday, the local community celebrated the near-completion of the Grays Building Community Center.
More than 100 persons were present to see the interior of the beautiful new facility, hear a reading of the Juneteenth proclamation and enjoy a BBQ lunch prepared by Bodacious BBQ.
John Sellers, by the virtue of the authority vested in him as Mayor and on behalf of the Sulphur Springs City Council, urged citizens to join in appropriate observances of the historic day. The proclamation documented the significance of the date of June 19, 1866 in Texas history when the news of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves finally reached the people of Texas. In 1979, Texas became the first state to recognize the emancipation celebration, and in 1980, Texas adopted Juneteenth as an official Texas state Holiday. Sellers concluded the reading with “Juneteenth is an important opportunity to honor the principles of the Declaration of Independence and to celebrate the achievements and contributions that African Americans have made, and continue to make in Sulphur Springs, Texas and across our nation.”
A portrait of Mr. HW Grays hangs in the entrance-way of the new facility dedicated to his memory. The final touches will include installation of roll-up bay doors. Outside in Pacific Park, the final phase of construction will include completion of the grounds and playgrounds to be enjoyed by the children and families of the community.
JUNETEENTH PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Our country is composed of people from all races, who are declared
equal; and
WHEREAS, Our nation was declared on July 4th, 1776, with the statement: “We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness”; and
WHEREAS, At 2:00 p.m. on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1863, using his war powers
as President, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, providing that
all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State “shall be then,
thenceforward, and forever free;” and
WHEREAS, Texans began the celebration of Juneteenth in 1866, with community
events and celebrations; some communities purchased land for Juneteenth
celebrations, such as Emancipation Park in Houston, TX; and as freed families
relocated from Texas to other parts of the United States, they carried the Juneteenth
celebration with them; and
WHEREAS, Al Edwards, a freshman state representative, put forward the House Bill
1016, in 1979 making Texas the first state to recognize this emancipation celebration;
and
WHEREAS, On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official Texas state holiday;
and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is an important opportunity to honor the principles of the
Declaration of Independence and to celebrate the achievements and contributions that
African Americans have made, and continue to make in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and
across our nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, John A. Sellers, by the virtue of the authority vested in me
as Mayor, and on behalf of the City Council of the City of Sulphur Springs, Texas,
urge citizens to join in appropriate observances of this historic day.
Signed and sealed the 18th day of June of the year of our Lord, two thousand twenty-
one.
John A. Sellers, Mayor
City of Sulphur Springs, Texas
Tumbleweed Unveils His New One Man Show in Fort Davis
During the pandemic Tumbleweed Smith has been in his studio doing interviews by phone. Since he wasn’t traveling, he used his time going through his collection of more than 13,000 interviews to prepare a new one-man show. This time he is using only colorful women who love to laugh. The new show is OUTRAGEOUS TEXAS WOMEN OF CHARACTER. It will be presented for the first time at 2 PM Saturday, July 3 in the Limpia Hotel Ballroom in Fort Davis. There is no admission charge. He will be doing a different one-man show at 5 PM that same Saturday in the same location. If you want to laugh in a cool place, come to Fort Davis over the July 4th weekend. You’ll find plenty of things to do.
Tyrik Rollison Joining Coach Owens’ Football Staff at SSHS
On Thursday, June 17, we met up with Wildcats football head coach Greg Owens at the Multi Purpose Building to discuss his recent athletic program update at the June 15 SSISD board meeting.
Coach Owens said the athletic update he gave was to answer any questions given to him by the school board that asked by the public and community in regards to things they may not understand.
The athletic program update is good because it allows people attending to ask the Wildcats football head coach and athletic director any questions regarding each program and where they stand.
Coach Owens gave KSST a paper which the Wildcats coach used at the board meeting to go through the numbers of students attending each program at each level (varsity, junior varsity and freshman) as well as season results from the 2020-2021 school year and MVPs from each team.
The athletic program update is a great way, Coach Owens says, to reflect on each team and how they performed in their most recent season.
One of the many things Coach Owens discussed was coaching changes, and one immediately stood out: Tyrik Rollison.
Rollison, former quarterback for Sulphur Springs, was on the 2008 4A state champion football team and holds every passing record in Wildcat football history.
Coach Owens said it’s great to have #7 back with the program and is an excellent opportunity. Owens said Rollison has been looking forward to the opportunity to return to Sulphur Springs for a long time.
The Wildcats football coach said he has been following Rollison since he was coaching peewee football, and is excited to have his state champion-winning QB back where he made his fame.
“I think he’ll be a great role-model for our kiddos,” Coach Owens said, and took it one step further by saying Rollison will “bring a lot to our program.”
Rollison is one of several younger coaches that have been hired by Coach Owens this off-season. The Wildcats head coach said that each of the new hires has brought energy to the Edge that he loves.
Speaking on how he believe Rollison will do upon his return to Sulphur Springs, Coach Owens said that he believes Rollison will do a fantastic job, and the program is excited to have him back.
Many fans will be happy to see Tyrik Rollison back on the home sidelines at Gerald Prim come this fall, but for now coach Owens’ squad will keep focusing on the Edge and how they can keep improving before football season begins this fall.
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.
Downtown Business Alliance is Accepting New Members and Planning 2021 Events
The Sulphur Springs Downtown Business Alliance is a group of business people and individuals meeting monthly to develop ways to foster and support local business and community pride. DBA has been active in Sulphur Springs for more than two decades. During the recent in-person meeting held on June 15, 2021, discussions were held on the new Billboard located on I-30 near Greenville promoting shopping in Sulphur Springs, the recent History By Foot event conducted by John Sellers, and upcoming Summer and Autumn events in downtown. The Business Focus portion of the meeting brought the owners of ‘Baked and Brewed’ to the meeting to meet members and acquaint them with the new bakery and coffeeshop now open on Main Street in the former German Joe’s location. Plans to participate in the Independence Concert and Fireworks on July 3, a Market or Ladies Night Out in September, the visit of Vietnam Healing Wall November 2-6, the annual DBA Heritage Car Show downtown on November 6 and a Winter Market on December 4 were also discussed before the close of the hour-long meeting. The next DBA meeting is planned for Tuesday July 13, 2021 at 5:30pm in the Chamber of Commerce board room. To join as a member or to find out more about DBA, go to sulphurspringsdba.org
DBA Mission Statement
The primary mission of the Downtown Business Alliance is to develop and maintain a working partnership between local business leaders and local government as well as other advisory boards dedicated to the continued development of Downtown Sulphur Springs.
Secondly, to provide support for merchants and property owners and to encourage community pride in downtown, by recreating the charm and relaxed atmosphere of small town Texas through an enjoyable and safe place to shop, dine and conduct business.
From the DBA website, the Downtown Business Alliance hosts annual events such as the Classic Car Show every fall, and promotes family movie night every Friday in the Spring and Summer, a Saturday morning buy-local market, and many other events to draw visitors to Sulphur Springs.
“Many downtown squares in small town Texas have not fared well, and Sulphur Springs was no exception. Over the past decade, we’ve seen small businesses return as we’ve bucked that trend. Now Downtown Sulphur Springs is vibrant, with shops, restaurants, and other businesses returning. We even have our own micro-brewery!”
- SS Downtown Business Alliance Board of Directors
Lara Colby – President
Marlene DeYong – Vice President
Linda Galligher – Treasurer
Lynn Chianese – Secretary
Lynda Hager – Director
Hope Smith – Director
Billie Ruth Standbridge – Director
Joy Wilson – Director - Monthly Member Meetings
Date: 2nd Tuesday of each Month
Time: 5:30 pm
Place: Hopkins Co Chamber of Commerce
110 Main St, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
Jury Panel Summoned to Appear Monday Has Been Cancelled
On Friday, June 18, Hopkins County District Clerk Cheryl Fulcher announced that the jury panel that was summoned to appear on Monday, June 21, has been cancelled.
The 62nd District Court were scheduled to have a jury panel after the weekend on Monday, June 21, but that has again been cancelled.
District Clerk Fulcher thanks those that were scheduled to appear for the jury, but now advises readers and listeners, regardless of whether they were scheduled to appear at the 62nd District Court on Monday, to stay cool during the hot summer days of Texas.
SSISD Eligible To Apply For $11.5 Million In Federal ESSER Grant Funding
Sulphur Springs ISD students and staff could benefit from up to $11.5 million in federal ESSER Grants funding over the next three years, provided the district can adequately articulate in grant applications that the funds meet the terms stipulated for their intended use.
SSISD Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams reported the district has been notified SSISD is eligible to receive two types of federal funding, but must apply to Texas Education Agency for the federal grants.
The school district is eligible to receive $7,984,629 of the $11.2 billion appropriated to Texas for public education purposes under the American Rescue Plan Act through the in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Fund. The district has to apply for funding, which may be spent on qualifying expenses from March 13, 2020-Sept. 30, 2024, resulting from COVID-19’s impact on the local educational agency.
SSISD too will apply for its allocation of $3,555,269 of the $5.5 billion appropriated to the state for public education purposes under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act through the ESSER II Fund. The money should be spent on costs incurred between March 13, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2023.
Applicants must answer three questions regarding intended use of ESSER funds:
- Is this reasonable and necessary purchase for the good of students and programs?
- Does it meet the intent of the statute: to address the impact that COVID-19 has had and continues to have at SSISD schools?
- Has to be an allowable activity according to the statute? There are 15 potential allowable uses.
“If you read through these you’ll see there’s money for everything from technology, money for tutorials, after school programs, supplies to clean, upgrade facilities-particularly HVAC for clean air, activities, people, materials, resources to meet the needs of low income students and children with disabilities, English language learners and so on for every subpopulation that we have,” Williams told the school board members at their regular June meeting Tuesday night.
The final allowable reason is deliberately vague to cover a broad array of other needs that can be district or campus specific and necessary to maintain.
Twenty 20 percent of the ESSER III grant funds must be set aside to address academic impact on students and campuses. That’s 20 percent on evidence-based interventions such as summer learning, extended day comprehensive after-school programs, or extended school year programs, which respond to students’ academic, social and emotional needs and address disproportionate impact of coronavirus on various student populations, including those receiving special services, economically disadvantaged, disabled, in foster care and experiencing homelessness.
Yet a third component of the grant is “meaningful consultation,” which means stakeholders must be engaged in the process and the public given the opportunity to provide input in development of the district’s plan to use ESSER III funds, including students, families, school and district administrators, teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators and school staff.
SSISD on May 19, consulted the District Advisory Committee; on May 27 the Sulphur Springs High School Campus Advisory Committee, May 14 Community survey (invitations were sent to families, students and educators via Blackboard and a notice inviting community members top weigh in was posted on Facebook), the June 15 SSISD board meeting, and a District Advisory meeting was slated today (June 17) as well.
District administrators compiled a color coded chart (see below) not only indicating how each of the uses meets the three requirements, but telling which population it will help or serve, what campus, and year of the award, and whether it was a pre-award amount, if it’s the 20 percent set-aside to address academic impact, if it’s a measure to implement CDC recommendations or if it will be unfulfilled until the remaining 1/3 of ESSER III or ESSER II amount is available. That will be included with the applications submitted for the ESSER II and ESSER III funding.
District officials anticipate that a certain amount of the $3.555 million ESSER II funding will be held back to hold the district harmless for any shortfall in the last year; the district has calculated that at 10 percent, but the district won’t know until later this summer when all numbers are in, Williams noted.
Williams later in the June 15 meeting asked trustees to approve a resolution adding to Policy CB (Local) text regarding ESSER statutes, as recommended by Texas Association of School Board, to ensure all requirements outlined by the federal government for the ESSER grant funding are met, including a public notice. The board members present unanimously approved the resolution to be included in the local policy regarding the federal funding.
Independence Concert is Back! July 3 by SS Symphony League
From a Press Release by SS Symphony League:
We’re back!! The Symphony League is so excited to be hosting the downtown concert and fireworks once again! This event is outdoors and free to the public thanks to our major sponsors: Alliance Bank, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, and Grocery Supply Company. Bring your chairs and visit one of our downtown restaurants/eateries for a memorable evening of music and fireworks! The event will begin at 8pm, opening with a Veterans Parade.
The 2021 Independence Concert is set for 8pm on the evening of Saturday July 3, 2021 for the 29th annual Independence Concert and Fireworks extravaganza! Bring the family for this heart-stirring, flag-waving community event! Conductor Dr. Doug Bakenhus and the NE Texas Symphony Orchestra will present a thrilling prelude to this unique Fourth of July celebration. Music starts around 8pm and the Fireworks will begin at dark. The concert is presented free to the community by major underwriters Alliance Bank, Grocery Supply and CHRISTUS Mother Francis Hospital, Sulphur Springs.
In a letter by SS Symphony League Board member Linda Galligher,
The League has planned this 29th annual event as the kick-off for summer community events. The Symphony League’s Board is very excited and expects a great performance and good attendance. This is the 29th year since we started the annual event, which has drawn thousands to the Sulphur Springs downtown area. The orchestra will play favorite patriotic staples along with some new American selections. We are pleased that Conductor Dr. Doug Bakenhus will again join us to direct the returning professional musicians, some who have played at every concert, and others who are new to us. Soloists will include local singer Della Cleveland and her daughter Trelandra Miles. Plan to make lasting memories will be made as you experience this unique community event.
2 Hopkins County Men Returned To Jail On Felony Charge
June 17, 2021 – Two Hopkins County men were returned to jail this week on a felony charge each, one who was released less than 3 months ago and another just four days months after his release, according to arrest and jail reports.
(HCSO jail photo)
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Steve Shing and Kevin Lester located 43-year-old Charles Ray “Chuck” Rollins at his Saltillo residence just before 3 p.m. June 14, 2021, on an indecency with a child by sexual contact warrant. The offense, is alleged to have occurred on June 6, 2021.
Rollins remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday night, June 17, in lieu of the $100,000 bond set on the second-degree felony indecency with a child charge.
Monday was the second time in less than a week Rollins was booked into Hopkins County jail. He was booked into Hopkins County jail Thursday, June 10, 2021, on another indecency with a child by sexual contact warrant; he was released later that day on a $100,000 bond as well.
Lester also took Cory Layne Belz into custody at 10:13 a.m. Tuesday June 15, 2021, in the 8th Judicial District Court and escorted him to jail. The 36-year-old Brashear man was booked on an order revoking his bond on a possession of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone. He was held at the jail Thursday night without bond.
Belz has been arrested locally about two dozen times since 2005, most recently from Feb. 12 to April 8, 2021, on possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone, failure to identify by giving false or fictitious information and surety off bond on a second offense driving while intoxicated charge. bond on the Feb. 12 charges totaled $16,000.
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.
2021 SSHS Wildcat Football Season Tickets To Be Sold Online
Wildcat football season tickets will be sold online this year, a June 17 release from Sulphur Springs ISD superintendent’s office stated. Individuals who were season ticket holders in 2019 will be contacted first via email (or by letter if the school has no email on file) with instructions on how to secure season tickets in the next week or so. The email will come from the email address of [email protected].
More information will be released to the public when any remaining season tickets are available to purchase online, according to the SSISD release.
