Cumby ISD Board Extended Superintendent’s Contract
At a special called board meeting held by the Cumby ISD Board of Trustees on January 30, the committee took action on Superintendent Shelly Slaughter’s employment contract. With a vote of 6-0, the Cumby ISD board extended Mrs. Slaughter’s contract by another year, making the total agreement for five years.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to extend Mrs. Slaughter’s contract. With the pandemic, all schools have faced challenges and Mrs. Slaughter along with the CISD faculty and staff have done a tremendous job providing quality instruction both on campus and remotely. Mrs. Slaughter is also leading the charge with the Lone Star Governance program that is approved by Education Commissioner Mike Morath of the Texas Education Agency,” Cumby ISD Board of Trustees President Jason Hudson said on behalf of the CISD school board.
Hudson explained that the purpose of Lone Star Governance is to provide coaching and support, through a continuous-improvement framework, for school governing teams that choose and commit to intensively focus on the objective to improve student outcomes. TEA has approved about six school districts across the state of Texas to participate in this specialized cohort program.
Cumby ISD has also been approved as a Collegiate Edu Nation program for the 2020-21 school year. This Early College Program provides students the opportunity to earn their associate degree prior to high school graduation, thanks to the long-standing partnership between CISD and Paris Junior College, Hudson noted.
“Mrs. Slaughter has been influential in the design process of preparing this model so that our students can better plan for the next level of education or workforce,” Hudson stated.
The school offers the Texas Success Initiative test on-site at the school for students starting their eighth grade year and offers a program to help students be successful with skills needed for the college entrance test , according to the superintendent.
Cumby ISD is the only P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) and EduNation school in Region 8, school officials noted. Edunation joins all learning needs into one advanced platform giving students, teachers and parents tools for a simpler and more connected learning experience across all grade levels.
The school also utilizes an AVID program to provide strategies for career readiness starting at the seventh grade level. These plans will allow the district to better meets components of House Bill 3 which shift more emphasis toward college, career and military readiness for high school graduates, according to the superintendent. Partnering with area businesses and industries will help provide students for the local job market, not only providing information about jobs in the area, but giving them marketable skills to be successful in those areas through hands-on learning in internships. The school is planning an upcoming P-TECH Advisory meeting later this month, and invites businesses, industries and schools of higher education to participate and learn more about partnering with the school to help students complete high school with industry certifications or an Associate’s Degree.
“These are exciting times for the Cumby community and we look forward to working with Mrs. Slaughter for many years to come,” Hudson said.
Slaughter began her career at Cumby ISD in 2004 as the elementary principal. She served in this role for 8 years, then moved to Cumby High School as principal. She served 1 year at the High School, then, became district superintendent. She is currently in her eighth year as superintendent and her 17th year of service to Cumby ISD.
Slaughter also has served on the board of Texas Council of Women School Executives for about 10 years and currently is president elect for the organization.
Community Input Desired for TexasSpeaks Assessment
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas
TexasSpeaks is being conducted in County and across the State of Texas to allow the citizens
of Texas to provide their input on the assets and issues in their communities. The local branch
of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a rich history of providing educational
programs that address the most critical issues in the county, and invites your participation in the
TexasSpeaks process.
The Extension Service highly values the opinions shared through the TexasSpeaks community
assessment. The expectation is that the assessment will take about 10 minutes.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is a statewide network of professional educators,
trained volunteers, and county offices. It reaches into every Texas county to address local
priority needs and to extend the latest research to the people of Texas. Some of the major
efforts are in mitigating drought impacts; conserving water use in homes, landscapes, and
production agriculture; improving emergency management; enhancing food security; and
protecting human health through education about diet, exercise, and disease prevention and
management.
You can provide your input by going to the following tx.ag/texasspeaks or by scanning the QR
code below.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the County Extension office at (903-348-4906) or email me at [email protected]
Thank you very much for your involvement in this process!
Lady Cats Soccer Team Makes One Goal Enough In 1-0 Win Over Texas High At Home Friday
The Lady Cats Soccer Team scored a goal and then managed to shut out Texas High 1-0 Friday night, February 5, at Gerald Prim Stadium. It was the first outright win in district play this season for the Lady Cats.
In three games, they now have a win, a shootout win and a loss. Texas High suffered their first district loss after getting two wins at home. The Lady Cats improved their season record to 7-5-4.
The Lady Cats travel to Marshall on Tuesday. The Lady Mavs are 0-2 in district play with losses at Pine Tree, 4-0 and at Texas High, 13-0.
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.
Woman Attempts To Evade Police In A Vehicle
A 21-year-old Sulphur Springs woman was arrested Sunday night after attempting to evade police in a vehicle.
Sulphur Springs Police Sgt. Josh Shufeldt reported seeing a white Infiniti traveling east at a high rate of speed in the 1100 block of Main Street at around 9:15 p.m. Feb. 7. He confirmed the speed on radar, according to arrest reports.
After the vehicle passed him, the officer turned around and activated his overhead lights in an attempt to stop it. The vehicle slowed, then turned south onto Craig Street, where it reportedly sped up again. The white vehicle stopped in the 400 block of Craig Street,.
The driver, identified in arrest reports as Celecia Nicole Jeffery, was arrested for reckless driving and evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. She remained in Hopkins County jail mid-morning Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.
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.
Plans for Clara Bridges Banquet to Honor Local Seniors Age 90 and Older
Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center Director Karon Weatherman is reaching out to explain the purpose and importance of the Clara Bridges 90-Plus Banquet, held annually in the Springtime for the past sixteen years. Karon is planning for the Banquet can resume in 2021 and is asking fro help from the public.
Who is Clara Bridges and why do we have an Annual Clara Bridges 90+ Banquet?
In 2005 the Morning Chapel Baptist Church decided that they wanted to honor Clara Bridges who was the oldest member of their congregation at that time. Sister Clara Bridges was a Woman of Character, Knowledge, Loyalty, Wisdom and was a very Godly woman. Pastor Harold B. Nash and her church family officially designated her as the “Mother of the Church” on August 21, 2005.
The Church held a Banquet in her honor and invited everyone 90 years of age and older along with their friends and families to the Banquet. Sixteen years later, a Banquet is still held to honor every Senior Citizen in Hopkins County that has made it to the 90 Year Milestone.
The Banquet consists of a Luncheon, Musical Entertainment, A Special Speaker and Presentation of Awards for all the 90+ Seniors in the County. Special Awards are also presented to the Seniors who have made it to 100 Years of Age.
Last year was tough and the Banquet had to be postponed and then eventually canceled due to Covid-19. Hopefully this year we will be able to honor these precious members of our community. They deserve all the recognition that we can give them.
Since 2011 I have been compiling a list of names of all of the Senior Citizens in Hopkins County who have reached 90 Years of age. On my list right now I have 211 Hopkins County Senior Citizens that I know have made it to 90 or will be turning 90 in the year 2021.
I need your help finding other Seniors in our Community that I don’t know about. Please think about your family, friends, neighbors and church members who you think might need to be added to this list. Please email Karon Weatherman at [email protected] or phone meat (903) 885-1661. It will take me just a moment to check and see if their name is already on the list.
I am not sure if we will get to hold the Banquet in 2021 but I need to be ready by having all of the names and addresses so that invitations can go out to everyone. I don’t want to leave anyone out. Even if an honoree cannot attend the Banquet, they will be mailed or hand delivered a Certificate.
The Clara Bridges Banquet is made possible every year by wonderful sponsors and lots of volunteers. The Banquet is held at the ROC at 1st Baptist Church. Seniors are asked to bring their family and friends with them to the Banquet to celebrate. It is FREE to anyone who wants to attend. Please help me make this year’s Banquet Special!
Karon Weatherman, Program and Marketing Director
Senior Citizen’s Center 150 Martin Luther King Blvd
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
(903) 885-1661
CTE Month Feature 2: SSHS Graphic Design and Multimedia Arts Program
February is Career and Technical Education Month, a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. To help Sulphur Springs High School celebrate CTE Month, KSST’s high school interns have compiled short videos featuring a few of the CTE programs offered at SSHS. One will be featured each week during CTE Month.
Design and Multimedia Arts
KSST intern Jamie Cervantes interviewed Graphic Design I and Advanced Graphic Design teacher Megan Tingle in her classroom to learn more about the Design and Multimedia Arts program offered at SSHS.
These courses feature many hands-on projects which the students learn to take from concept to finished product, including creating graphic designs for t-shirts, logos, event posters and sticker production for actual clients in the community and social media. They are currently working on a print shop to be able to produce their designs.
Students are able to utilize the creative and creation skills they learn in the graphic design classes to aid them in other classes, to build portfolios and obtain internships. Tingle even has a team of students who create the yearbook each year.
Be sure to stay tuned to KSST Radio 1230, check out www.KSSTradio.com and the KSST social media accounts to ensure you don’t miss these weekly CTE features.
Feb. 8-12 Meal A Day Menu
Although the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center remains closed due to COVID-19, volunteers continue to work five days a week preparing and delivering meals to shut-in elderly in the community.
The Feb. 8-12 Meal A Day Menu includes:
Monday – Chili Dogs, Chips and Pickle Spear
Tuesday – Cheesy Beef and Potato Casserole, Corn and Normandy Vegetables
Wednesday – Chicken and Rice with Vegetables, Pickled Beets and Pinto Beans
Thursday – Manwich Sandwiches, Lettuce Tomatoes, Onions and Pickles, French Fries and Coleslaw
Friday – Chicken Spaghetti, English Peas, Garlic Toast and Tossed Salad
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
Feb. 6 COVID-19 Update: 23 New Hopkins County COVID-19 Cases, 6 Recoveries
COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to decline across the state on Friday, including Trauma Service Area F, and six additional COVID-19 recoveries were reported for Hopkins County, in DSHS Feb. 6 COVID-19 dashboards. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 23 new novel coronavirus 2019 cases were also reported on Saturday for Hopkins County on Saturday.
Case Counts
Five Hopkins County residents had received positive lab-confirmed molecular COVID-19 test results as of lunch time Saturday, for a total of 57 new confirmed COVID-19 cases this week, Jan. 31-Feb. 6. While still 13 less than in Dec. 31-Jan. 6 and 25 less than Nov. 3-Dec. 6, that’s still nine more cases than Oct. 31-Nov. 6, and 18 more than Sept. 30-Oct. 6. Cumulatively, since last March 1,425 Hopkins County resident have received positive molecular COVID-19 results, according to the DSHS Feb. 6 COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard.
Another 18 Hopkins County residents Saturday were reported as having “probable” COVID-19 cases, that is they have either tested positive for COVID-19 on an antigen test or have a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis. That makes 59 Hopkins County probable cases reported this week, five more than Dec. 31- Jan. 6. Cumulatively, Hopkins County has had 1,425 probable COVID-19 cases since the state began tracking antigen and other probable case data.
Six additional Hopkins County residents had recovered from COVID-19 by noon Feb. 6. That makes 47 recoveries this week. Cumulatively, 2,457 of the 2,854 Hopkins County COVID-19 cases reported since the pandemic began have recovered.
That leave 190 Hopkins County residents who still actively had COVID-19 as of noon Saturday.
COVID-19 Testing
Ninety-one COVID-19 tests were conducted in Hopkins County Friday, 57 viral or molecular tests, 31 antigen tests and three antibody tests. That makes 373 molecular tests, 130 antigen tests and 10 antibody tests conducted Feb. 1-6
Cumulatively, 14,573 viral tests have been conducted in Hopkins County since the pandemic began, and 1,956 antigen tests and 1,784 antibody tests since the state began tracking the data a few months back, for a total of 18,313 COVID-19 tests conducted in Hopkins County, according to the DSHS Feb. 6 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard.
Free oral swab COVID-19 testing has been extended through the month of February in Sulphur Springs. Testing is typically offered from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays inside the Red Cross (old Fidelity Express) building in Sulphur Springs.
Free testing is open to anyone regardless of age or address. However, registration is required online at www.GoGetTested.com in order to be tested at 128-A Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs.
Hospital Reports
Across the state, COVID-19 hospitalizations have continued to decline this week, dropping from 11,002 on Feb. 1 to 10,827 on Feb. 2 and 9,957 on Feb. 5
In Trauma Service Area F, not only did COVID-19 hospitalizations drop from 137 on Thursday to 131 on Friday, overall hospitalizations declined as well from 640 to 627, DSHS reported in the Feb. 6 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard. The last time COVID-19 hospitalizations was near that mark was Dec. 11 and 12, when 130 and 133 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients were reported to be in TSA-F hospitals.
| COVID-19 Hospitalizations | 1/31 | 2/1 | 2/2 | 2/3 | 2/4 | 2/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Trauma Service Area F | 152 | 143 | 134 | 134 | 137 | 131 |
| Percent TSA F Capacity | 13.94 | 13.18 | 12.38 | 12.33 | 12.42 | 12 |
| In Texas Hospitals | 11,074 | 11,002 | 10,827 | 10,523 | 10259 | 9,957 |
The overall hospital capacity also declined Friday: with 1,092 total hospital beds staffed and 1,000 total staff inpatient beds on Friday, 11 less than Thursday. Not surprising, COVID-19 hospitalizations also declined in Trauma Service Area F, from 12.42 percent Thursday to 12 percent Friday, according to the DSHS dashboard.
COVID-19 Vaccine
As of 11:59 p.m. Feb. 5, doses of the vaccine had been administered to 2,264 people in Hopkins County, that’s 39 more than on Thursday: 29 who received the first dose of the vaccine, increasing that total to 1,906, and 10 who received the second dose of the vaccine, for a total of 358 who’ve been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the DSHS Feb. 6 COVID-19 Vaccine Data dashboard.
Two providers in Hopkins County are listed among the 358 across the state allocated to receive some of the 401,750 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine the federal government is due to send to the state for distribution the week of Feb. 8. Brookshire’s and Walgreens pharmacies have each been allocated 100 doses from the first-dose supplies of Moderna vaccine the state is slated to receive during Week 9 of vaccine distribution.
To see if you are eligible to have the COVID-19 vaccine at a Walgreens location, visit walgreens.com/schedulevaccine. For information about Brookshire’s vaccine waiting list, visit https://www.brookshires.com/covid-19-information. The full list of vaccine allocations for the week of Feb. 8, vaccination hub providers with contact information, the DSHS/Texas Department of Emergency Management map of vaccine providers, and the Texas Vaccine Data dashboard can all be accessed by clicking the links. More information on the COVID-19 vaccine can be found at dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx.
Wanted Man Charged With 3 Additional Offenses After Running From Deputy
Sulphur Springs Woman Jailed On Warrant
A wanted man was charged with three additional offenses after running from the deputy who attempted to take him into custody, and having syringe loaded with methamphetamine, sheriff’s officers alleged in arrest reports. The arrest was the third time in less than a year that the 49-year-old Sulphur Springs man has been booked into Hopkins County jail on felony charges.
Two other were also booked into Hopkins County jail on unrelated possession charges, a teen for possessing marijuana in a drug-free zone and a woman on a controlled substance-related warrant.
Man Runs From Deputy
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office deputies, aware of a warrant for his arrest, went to Richie Wayne Porter’s FM 71 west residence around 1:10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, to serve it. Deputy Drew Fisher went to the rear of the residence while others went to the front door in an attempt to contact the 49-year-old Sulphur Springs man.
Fisher reported hearing noise behind a vehicle parked in the back yard of the residence. Seeing feet on the other side of it, the deputy instructed the person to show their hands. The man reportedly stepped around the front of the vehicle, then took off running from the deputy. Fisher said he instructed the man if he didn’t stop running he would be tased. The deputy got within range and deployed the Taser, but the man’s jacket prevented it from being effective, Fisher noted in arrest reports. The man did, however, stop and drop to his knees. The man, identified in arrest reports as Porter, was taken into custody.
After deputies walked the man back to the residence, Fisher retraced the path Porter took and found a metal container with a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine and a glass pipe commonly used to smoke meth wrapped in a cloth rag. Porter was transported to jail, where staff reportedly discovered he had a loaded hypodermic syringe containing suspected methamphetamine. The suspected meth weighed 4.66 grams.
Porter was booked into jail not only on the warrant for violation of parole but also for evading arrest or detention on foot, tampering with evidence and possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest and jail reports. Porter remained in custody later Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, on the parole warrant. His bond was set at $35,000 on the controlled substance charge, $15,000 on the tampering with evidence charge and $2,000 on the evading arrest charge.
Saturday was the third time he’s been booked into Hopkins County jail in less than a year. She was also jailed on May 27, 2020, for possession of grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and failure to identify; and again on Oct. 16, 2020 for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Additional Arrests
HCSO Deputy Drew Fisher and Sgt. Tanner Steward located Jenny Lacresha Slater around 12:15 a.m. Feb. 6, at her State Highway 11 west residence and took her into custody for surety off bond on a possession of controlled substance charge.
The 43-year-old Sulphur Springs woman was booked into and remained in Hopkins County jail later Saturday. Bond was set at $10,000 on the charge.
Slater, who is also known by Jenny Lacresha Blanton, Jenny Blaton and Jenny L. Smith, was arrested Aug. 11, 2020 on a possession of controlled substance charge.
Just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, Sulphur Springs Police Officer Francisco Castro stopped a black Chrysler 300 on Woodlawn Street for a traffic violation, and upon contact with the occupant, reported smelling a marijuana odor emitting from the vehicle. A search revealed a bag with a green, leafy substance suspected to be marijuana in the vehicle. The 17-year-old driver admitted he’d received multiple tickets for possession of drug paraphernalia. The suspected marijuana weighed less than 2 ounces but was located within 1,000 feet of a school property, a drug-free zone. Consequently, the teen was jailed on a Class A misdemeanor possession of marijuana in a drug-free zone charge, according to arrest reports. He remained in jail later Saturday. Bond on the charge was set at $2,000.
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.
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.
Lady Cats Softball Explodes in Scrimmage Shutout at McKinney North, 11-0
On Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, the Sulphur Springs Lady Cats Softball team traveled out to the DFW metroplex for a scrimmage against McKinney North. While both teams featured stout pitching through the first third of the game, the visiting Lady Cats offense proved to be too much for the Lady Bulldogs as Sulphur Springs cruised to an 11-0 shutout scrimmage victory.
What looked like a scrimmage that featured pitching at its finest through 3 innings, quickly changed when the Lady Cats walked up to the plate in the fourth inning. Sulphur Springs put a run on the board in the fourth inning, breaking the 0-0 tie up to that point, and never looked back: the visiting Lady Cats exploded in the 5th inning, putting four more runs on the board to make it a 5-0 lead as the scrimmage grew closer to an end.
Coach David Carillo and his squad weren’t done there, though, for they managed to get another assurance run in the sixth, and a few north in the seventh en-route to a smashing 11-0 shutout scrimmage victory at McKinney North.
These two teams played last year, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke-out, and while this game wasn’t exactly the 20-6 home defeat the Lady Bulldogs suffered last year versus the Lady Cats, an 11-0 scrimmage victory against a fellow 5A school is big nonetheless for Carrillo’s squad.
The Junior Varsity team also emerged victorious against the Lady Bulldogs, in a 11-5 victory filled with offensive fireworks.
Next up, the Lady Cats will travel out to Royce City for another scrimmage on Tuesday, Feb. 9, with JV playing the Bulldogs at 5 P.M. and the Varsity following at 6:30 P.M.
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.
