Sulphur Springs Basketball, Soccer and Softball on Game Day Tuesday
On this game day Tuesday, there is district soccer and basketball and a Lady Cat softball scrimmage.
The Wildcats Basketball Team travels to Mount Pleasant for a summit meeting with the Tigers. The Wildcats are 8-2 in district play and in second place after bumping off Longview on the road Friday, 62-44. The Tigers are 10-0 in district play and they are 21-0 for the season. The Tigers are currently ranked #10 in state in Class 5A according to a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ poll. The Wildcats come in with a season mark of 15-8. There will be a freshman game in Mount Pleasant at 5 p.m. A JV game will follow at around 6:15 p.m. The Wildcats and Tigers’ varsity teams meet up at around 7:30 p.m. When the two teams played in Sulphur Springs back on January 12, the Tigers won in overtime, 44-41, on a three point basket at the buzzer. The Wildcats have won 5 games in a row since then.
Meanwhile the Wildcats Soccer Team will have their big rivalry game with Mount Pleasant at Gerald Prim Stadium. One has to go back to 2006 to find the last time the Wildcats got the best of the Tigers. The Wildcats come into the game at 0-1 in district play after their district opening loss at home last Friday, 1-0 to Longview. The Wildcats are 9-5-1 for the season. The schedule calls for a JV 2 game at 4 p.m., a JV 1 game at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity contest at around 7:15 p.m. KSST Radio will bring you the Wildcats and Mount Pleasant soccer beginning at around 7:15 p.m. The game is expected to have streaming video and audio. The game will be posted to YouTube after the game and will also be aired at a later date on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
For the second straight district game, the Lady Cats Soccer Team will be on the road. They too travel to Mount Pleasant. There will be a JV game at 5:30 p.m. The varsity match begins at 7:15 p.m. The Lady Cats opened district play in Longview last Friday and came up short, 5-3. The Lady Cats, 0-1 in district play are 6-5-3 for the season. The Lady Tigers are 1-0 in district play after a win over Pine Tree on Friday at home, 3-1.
Finally, the Lady Cats Softball Team opens the scrimmage portion of their schedule Tuesday. The Lady Cats will scrimmage Gilmer at Gilmer beginning with a JV scrimmage at 5:30 p.m. with the varsity scrimmage to follow.
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.
Landscaping, Flower Garden Maintenance, Planting Recommendations From Texas AgriLife Extension For February
Submitted By Dr. Mario Villarino
Here are some recommendations from Texas AgriLife Extension for February:
If you have ash trees in your landscape, keep an eye open for the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis), an insect invader from China that has killed many thousands of ash trees in the eastern United States, and is approaching our region. The Texas Forest Service has recently begun a monitoring program in a number of counties that may become affected by the half-inch- long beetles. If you discover any beetle you think may fit the description, please contact Joe Pase (East Texas) at 936-639-8170 or [email protected] or James Houser (Central Texas) at 512-339-4589 or [email protected].
Continue to water and fertilize cool-weather annuals such as Flowering Tobacco, Bells of Ireland and Stocks to encourage the best blooms. Now is an excellent time to transplant mature or established trees and shrubs while they are dormant.
Make flower and vegetable garden plans now before the rush of spring planting. Time spent in armchair gardening before the fireplace will pay off in improved plant selection. Besides, it is fun to page through the garden catalogs.
Sow seeds in flats or containers to get a jump on plant growth before hot weather arrives. Petunias, begonias, and impatiens should be sown in early January. Warm temperature plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, and periwinkles, should be sown in late January or early February.
Apply a light application of fertilizer to established pansy plantings. Use one-half pound of ammonium sulfate per 100 square feet of bed area. Repeat the application every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on rainfall. Dried blood meal is also an excellent source of fertilizer for pansies.
Prepare beds and garden area for spring planting. Select and order gladiolus corms for February/March planting. Plant at two-week intervals to prolong flowering period.
Check junipers and other narrow-leaf evergreens for bagworm pouches. The insect eggs overwinter in the pouch, and start the cycle again by emerging in the spring to begin feeding on the foliage. Hand removal and burning of the pouches are ways of reducing the potential damage next spring.
The life of the plant received as a Christmas gift can be prolonged with proper care. Keep the soil moist but provide drainage so that excess moisture can flow from the pot. Keep the plant out of range of heating ducts and away from heating units. Keep in a cool room at night, preferably at 60 to 65 degrees F.
Don’t fertilize newly set out trees or shrubs until after they have started to grow, and then only very lightly the first year.
When buying plants, the biggest is not always the best, especially when dealing with bare-root plants. The medium to small sizes (4 to 6 feet) are usually faster to become established and more effective in the landscape than the large sizes.
Hold off on pruning bush roses until February or early March. Use good shears that will make clean cuts. Remove dead, dying, and weak canes. Leave 4 to 8 healthy canes and remove approximately one-half of the top growth and height of the plant. Now is an excellent time to select and plant container-grown roses to fill in those bare spots in your rose garden.
When pruning shrubs, first prune out any dead or damaged branches; then thin out by removing about one-third of the canes or stems at ground level, removing the oldest canes only; and last, shape the rest of the plant, but do not cut everything back to the same height.
Water foliage plants as well as other containerized plants only when needed and not by the calendar.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County AgriLife Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Time To Prepare Soil For This Year’s Garden
By Gere Camper, Hopkins County Master Gardener
It is time to prepare the soil for this year’s garden. A soil test is inexpensive, easy to do, and has many benefits. The first benefit is to maximize the garden’s production. It will tell you how much of the primary plant nutrients, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) that need to be added. It will also tell you the status of other important nutrients such as Carbon, Sulfur, and Magnesium as well as other important trace minerals. Finally it will tell you how much organic matter is available and the pH or acidity of the soil. The soil test kits are available at the AgriLife Extension Office and include simple instructions for pulling the sample and an envelope to submit the sample.
While you wait for the results of the soil test you can clean up the waste from last year’s garden. Any waste from diseased plants should be burned or put into the garbage for pick up. Waste from healthy plants can be chopped into smaller pieces and added to the compost pile. The garden plot should be raked clean and smooth and covered with a 2” to 4” layer of mulch. Compost, shredded leaves, or shredded native wood chips are excellent for this. This mulch layer will protect the soil from rain and wind erosion, retain moisture, attract beneficial insects, beak down into valuable organic matter, and help warm the soil for faster seed germination.
When this is complete or when the weather is too bad to be working in the garden, you can plan the layout of the garden. It is important to rotate your crops so that you are not always growing them in the same spots. This crop rotation will prevent harmful insects and disease vectors such fungus and harmful bacteria from preying on the same species of plants year after year. If space permits leave some areas in the garden for cover crops. Legumes are a good cover crop. These will take nitrogen from the air and fix it in the soil. Common examples are alfalfa, red clover, vetch or cowpeas. Rotate these to different areas and they will greatly improve your soil over the years.
When you get your soil test results, it will have recommendations of nutrients to add. It will recommend a certain number of pounds of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium per 100 square feet. These will correspond to the three numbers on bags of fertilizer such as 30-10-20. That would be 30% Nitrogen (N), 10% Phosphorous (P) and 20% Potassium (K) or 15 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds of phosphorous, and 10 pounds of potassium in a 50 pound bag. This will let you determine what fertilizer to buy and how much you will need, follow these closely. Too much can be worse than not enough. The soil test will also tell you if you need to add lime to raise the soil pH or sulfur to lower the soil pH and how much of either to add.
The mulch cover should be raked back and the amendments spread evenly over the gardens surface. The soil surface should be lightly tilled or broken up with a hoe to incorporate the nutrients into the first few inches of the soil. Then the mulch should be raked back over the surface. You now have a well prepared bed for your summer garden crops to call home.
Sulphur Springs City Council To Consider Requests For 380 Agreements, Final Plat
Sulphur Springs City Council has a full agenda tonight, Feb. 2, which includes requests for 380 agreements, a final plat for apartments, a Homeland Security grant application, calling for general and special elections, a Capital Improvements Plan, a proposal to crush waste concrete and to extend emergency paid sick leave and an executive.
Three of eight resolutions on the agenda are requests for 380 agreements to build three properties: at 110 West Ross Street, 212-214 East California Street and 220 Craig Street. Since the city approved the policy in August, a few requests for these type of agreements have been made to take advantage of the city’s infill housing policy, which offers incentives for construction of single family homes on identified lots within the city with existing city-maintained streets, sewer and water. The lot must be at least 10 years old and the new single family home must be constructed within 3 years of being granted a 380 agreement.
In exchange for providing the additional housing, either for personal use or as a rental property, thereby providing additional housing to meet growing needs, the City of Sulphur Springs can reimburse upon completion city permitting fees, tap fees to utility systems, delinquent city taxes and liens on the property if there are any. The city may also, if agree upon and needed, assist with demolition costs to clear the lot for construction of the single family home.
Submitted to the City Council at the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission is a request for a final plat from BGE Inc. for Block 24-4 Z of Jewell Subdivision, 5.488-acres at the northwest intersection of League and Bell Streets, abutting Rockdale Road, to construct 2 three-story apartment buildings. Darren Smith with developer MVAH Partners told the P&Z Commissioners last month that the 72 units would be age restricted to senior adults age 55 and older, and would be funded with low income tax credits from the State of Texas.
Bids are to be considered for a bank depository and a proposal for TBK Materials, LLC, to crush solid waste concrete into recycled millings for street and infrastructure development are also on the agenda.
The annual report on traffic stops and arrests, monthly manager’s report, Black History Month proclamation and Capital improvement presentation are also slated to be given by city staff during the 7 p.m. meeting Feb. 2.
The City Council will be asked to consider amending the 2019-2023 CIP Plan for drainage at Beckham and Lamar Streets.
Resolution approving an application for a Homeland Security Grant; calling a special election for Place 5 and general election for places 1-3 on the council, naming election judges and setting early voting dates; and a resolution extending the temporary emergency paid sick leave due to COVID-19 disaster declaration also are on Tuesday night’s agenda.
The City Council is scheduled to enter into executive session to discuss personnel matters, “in accordance with Texas Government Code, Title 5, Chapter 551, Section 551.074, Personnel Matters, specifically relating to discussions regarding the Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals, the City Secretary, the City Attorney, and the City Manager; and Section 551.087, Economic Development.”
Afterward, the City Council will reconvene in open session to take action on any matters forwarded for action following the closed session.
The meeting will be begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 and will be conducted on Zoom and streamed for public viewing on the City Of Sulphur Springs Meetings YouTube page in observance of COVID-19 social distancing parameters. A number will be provided during the meeting to allow community members to call in at designated times should they wish to comment on any of the topics on the agenda or during the designated public forum time.
Guaranty Bank and Trust Front Lobby Now Open
You can now enter Guaranty Bank and Trust’s newly remodeled front lobby to do your banking business. Masks are required and masks will be provided for those who enter. The Sulphur Springs location at 919 Gilmer Street opened the new lobby on February 1, 2021.
Feb. 1 COVID-19 Update: 16 New Cases, 9 Doses Of Vaccine Administered
Texas Department of State Health Services’ Feb. 1 COVID-19 dashboards show 16 new COVID-19 cases for Hopkins County on Monday, but no additional recoveries or fatalities.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are also down locally, across the state and across Trauma Service Area F compared to totals posted one week ago, according to DSHS and county reports.
Case Counts
DSHS Feb. 1 COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard shows 14 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, 13 more than on Jan. 1. On Sunday, only one Hopkins County residents received a positive molecular COVID-19 tests result, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in January to 247. That’s more confirmed cases during January than any other months of the pandemic except October and December, when 323 and 290 new confirmed cases were reported.
Two new probable cases were also reported for Hopkins County on Monday, 19 less than on Jan. 1. There were no additional probable cases reported for Hopkins County on Sunday, so the total for January was 153 Hopkins County residents who either received a positive antigen COVID-19 test result or had a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis.
While six Hopkins County residents were reported to have recovered from coronavirus on Sunday, increasing January’s total to 363 on Jan. 31, no new recoveries were reported on Monday. Cumulatively, 2,416 of the 2,639 Hopkins County residents who have had COVID-19 have recovered from it, according to the DSHS data.
That means the active COVID-19 case count for Hopkins County increased from 130 on Jan. 31 to 145 on Feb. 1. February has started with seven more active cases than on Jan. 1, 55 more than on Dec. 1, but only one more than on Nov. 1.
Hospital Data
The patient count in the COVID unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs continued to decrease Monday, from 20 reported on Friday to 14 on Monday, Feb. 1, Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials reported in the Feb. 1 COVID-1 update. The least number reported for the COVID unit in January was 18 on Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 27-28, and the lowest COVID unit count in December was 17. In fact, the last time the COVID unit held as few as 14 patients was Nov. 9.
That has been reflected across Trauma Service Area F, which includes all of Northeast Texas, and the state as a whole. In Texas, the COVID-19 hospital counts began dropping from 12,851 last Monday, to 12,380 on Wednesday, 11, 981 on Thursday, 11,473 on Friday, 11,200 on Saturday and 11,074 Sunday.
Across Trauma Service Area F, the lab-confirmed COVID-19 patient count has been less than 170 for the last week, rising from 167 on Monday and Tuesday to 168 on Wednesday, dropping to 158 on Thursday and 142 on Friday, increasing to 163 on Saturday and dropped back to 152 on Sunday.
Those lower numbers, coupled with changes in overall capacity, mean that for the past four days TSA-F has accounted for less than 15 percent of the area’s overall hospital capacity. TSA-F fell from 15.73 percent on Wednesday to 14.73 percent on Thursday, 12.91 percent on Friday, 14,89 percent on Saturday and 13.94 percent on Sunday, according to the DSHS Feb. 1 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard. Three more days below that 15 percent and businesses in TSA-F will be able to again open at 75 percent capacity and elective surgeries can resume.
COVID-19 Vaccine
As of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, 2,093 people in Hopkins County have received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, nine more tests administered on Jan. 31.
A total of 1,784 people (1,088 females, 691 men and two people for whom no additional data is known) had received the first dose of the vaccine and 324 people had received the second dose of the vaccine (180 females, 105 men and three people for whom no additional data is known) on Jan. 31. That’s eight more people (seven women and one man) who received the first dose of the vaccine and one more woman who is fully vaccinated.
An additional 400 doses of the vaccine have been allocated to Hopkins County this week. However, as was the case with the 100 allocated to Hopkins County last week, all 400 are the second dose to be administered to those who received the first dose of Moderna vaccine about 28 days ago.
People can find more information about the COVID-19 vaccine at dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx.
Click here a full list of vaccine allocations for the week of Feb. 1.
For a list of vaccination hub providers and their contact information, click the link above.
Click this link to see the DSHS/Texas Department of Emergency Management map of vaccine providers.
COVID-19 Testing
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management reported 8,982 molecular COVID-19 tests had been performed 128-A Jefferson Street since the fall when the Red Cross building was set up as a free testing site. That means a total of 95 oral swab tests were performed at the free testing center on Friday and Saturday combined.
DSHS’ Test and Hospital Data dashboard shows a total of 14,200 viral or molecular COVID-19 tests have been performed in Hopkins County since the pandemic began last March. Twenty-one antigen tests and four antibody tests were conducted on Sunday in Hopkins County, increasing the totals counted so far in Hopkins County to 1,826 antigen tests and 1,774 antibody tests.
Cumulatively, that’s 17,800 COVID-19 tests conducted in Hopkins County.
Free oral swab COVID-19 testing has been extended into February. 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 at is open to anyone regardless of age or address. Registration is required online at www.GoGetTested.com in order to be tested at 128-A Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs.
Cumby ISD Board Considering Calling For A Bond Election For Renovations, New Additions
Cumby ISD Board is considering calling for a bond election to be held May 1, 2021, which would fund safety and security improvements, renovations to the existing high school and elementary building, construction of a new school building and ag shop, and prepare the district for potential future growth.
The school board and administrators presented information regarding the potential bond election during community meeting hosted in the school cafeteria Saturday morning, and made available for streaming on Zoom and livestreamed on the CumbyISD Youtube channel. Approximately 15 people joined the district officials at the school and four more signed into Zoom. The livestream on YouTube was recorded and is available for viewing. As of 7:20 p.m. Monday, 38 people had viewed the community meeting on YouTube, either while it was broadcast or afterward.
The bond, if called for a vote, is expected to be for at least $7.34 million, but could be higher, as additional calculations show the district’s bonding capacity is greater than originally expected, officials reported at a community meeting held Saturday morning, Jan. 30, in the school cafeteria. The proposed location and design of buildings takes into account potential future growth. Relocations and new construction could occur while students remain in current facilities without a disruption to education, the Cumby ISD officials noted.
The board also discussed the possibility of putting two issues on the ballot, one for primary improvements and an additional option which could also provide funding for construction of a track. A proposal is expected to be presented to Cumby ISD Board of trustees during a special meeting on Feb. 11, just before the Feb. 12 deadline to call for an election.
The renovations being proposed at the elementary level would provide two levels of entry at the building entrance before visitors have access to students as an added safety measure, canopies and sidewalks to protect students from the elements when being dropped off or picked up and bus loading and unloading, updating the playground to replace deteriorating equipment and enclosing it to better secure it and address drainage issues that have created flooding and standing water at the cafeteria and football field and has been running under the building, add a break area for elementary teachers, enlarge and renovate the cafeteria to better accommodate student growth and school functions. The current projection of renovation costs for the elementary is estimated at $660,8000.
The district is proposing creating a new high school with labs and career and technology education classrooms, driveways and parking, and a new metal ag shop as the current facility needs more space and ventilation to better accommodate the number of students, necessary equipment and guidelines for ventilation. The most recent estimate for a new high school with labs and CTE facilities and driveways/parking was about $5.28 million. A new metal ag shop is projected to cost almost $1.1 million.
The current high school would then be converted to an intermediate campus, with renovations so the students wouldn’t have to cross the street for lunch and would get students out of portable buildings into buildings with secure entries. The cost to convert the building to an intermediate campus, with interior renovations and added eating space, is projected to be about $224,000.
Several other identified potential projects are also being considered. One potential option being considered is a finished track to provide a safer place for students to run than on the city street, district officials noted Saturday. Other options being considered are a new gym with the football stadium behind it.
Currently, the school’s tax rate is $1.17. If the district calls for a bond election, asking the voters to consider approving a bond for $7,341,000 later this month, the cost would raise the Cumby ISD school tax rate by 29-cents. However, depending on which, if any, projects are chosen, the bond election could be $7.94 million to $8.4 million, which would increase the tax rate by 32 to 34 cents per $100 property valuation.
School officials emphasized passing a bond election would have no affect on the school taxes for citizens age 65 or older who have a homestead exemption filed with the district; their taxes would continue to be the same rate they were frozen at, unless the property owner makes significant improvements to their home which would increase it’s appraised value, unless the property’s value decreases, then the rate would be filed accordingly. Texas law prevents the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older from increasing above the amount paid the first year after the person turned 65, regardless of a change in the school tax rate or property value, unless significant improvements are made to the home.
Passing a bond now, instead of waiting would take advantage of historically low interest rates, down as low as 2.14 percent, for repayment of the bond fund over the next 30 years. Depending on the interest rate, tax appraisals, the amount of the bond proposed, the tax rate could potentially be lower than projected, and likely would go down at some point, as other debts are paid off.
If a bond is called and passed by voters on May 1, 2021, ground could potentially be broken on the project as early as the end of 2021, get under way in 2022 with completion in 2023.
One meeting attendee, who has served more than 20 years on the school board, noted that this is the first time the district has had a clear-cut long term plan for structures, as opposed to adding a building as it becomes necessary. This plan factors in future growth, age and rate of deterioration of existing buildings.
There are a lot of factors still to be considered, including whether to or not to call for a bond, whether to include extras, and if they are included on the ballot, whether they should be presented as one bond package or separately as included pieces, to be considered. Regardless of the school board’s decision regarding the potential bond election, the board and Superintendent Shelly Slaughter emphasized Cumby ISD will remain open and will continue to serve those students enrolled in the district.
That means a lot of work is still planned before a bond proposal is ready to be considered by the school board. The Facilities Committee chaired by community members Bobby Yarbrough and Joe Salinas plans to meet again before the planed Feb. 11 Cumby ISD Board of Trustees meeting at which time the board is expected to consider calling for a bond election. Community members should also watch the online and the district account, for places for community comments and concerns regarding a potential bond election.
If Cumby ISD Board of Trustees does call for a May 1 bond election, it would be the second time the board has called for a bond election for facilities improvements. Cumby ISD voters were asked during the Nov. 5, 2019 election to consider approving a school bond. In the early ballots, 60 percent of voters were in favor of the bond for school improvements and 40 percent voted against it. However, once Election Day totals were in, the bond was defeated by only 10 votes.
Superintendent Shelly Slaughter noted that district officials listened to community concerns voiced in 2019, including a need for parking, funding for concessions and restrooms, an unfinished track, and wording of the 2019 bond proposal which included the football field but did not seem to outline the full scope of the planned project at that time. She said some asked previously why not just tear down the existing elementary and/or cafeteria and build a new one. That was not proposed because of the amount the district has invested in the cafeteria; the cost to construct a new one would be very expensive.
The plans under consideration this year differ from those presented for voter consideration in 2019 in that the football stadium will remain in its current location instead of being moved to allow for construction of an elementary addition. This plan to does not call for an addition, but renovations at the elementary campus, and reorganization of grade levels with elementary housing only prekindergarten through second grade. Intermediate/middle school would house students in grades 3-8, and the high school campus as currently proposed would house grades 9-12, Slaughter noted.
Additional information would be communicated by Cumby ISD to the community regarding what, if any, bond proposal or proposals would fund, and what that would mean for tax payers, before May 1.
Public Notice: City Of Cumby Resolution No. 2021-01
Cumby City Council approved the follow, Resolution No. 2021-01, at a special Jan. 28 meeting. The City of Cumby is also currently accepting applications for a city secretary. The application is available on Indeed.com.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report – Jan. 25-31, 2021
The Winnsboro Police Department media report for the week of Jan. 25-31, 2021, included the following activity:
Arrests
- James Courson, 54 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 1/26/2021 for driving while license Invalid with previous convictions.
- Justin Thomas, 43 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 1/27/2021 for driving while license invalid with previous convictions.
- Daniel Boswell, 23 years of age, of Durant, Oklahoma was arrested on 1/28/2021 for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
- Gage Lewendt, 22 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 1/31/2021 for DWI.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 126 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 26 citations and 23 warnings during this reporting period.
Mayor Declares February CTE Month In Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs Mayor John Sellers helped Sulphur Springs High School kick off its month-long celebration of career and technical education programs Monday morning by declaring February CTE Month in Sulphur Springs.
As has been the case for many things since March 2020, this year’s CTE kickoff was a little bit different at SSHS in order to provide social distancing protocols in place due to COVID-19. Instead of speaking before a library room filled with students from CTE classes and organizations, Sellers’ proclamation was videoed for virtual attendance by students.
“This is probably the fourth or fifth time I’ve had the privilege to present this over my career over City Council and as mayor,” Sellers said. “It’s always exciting to me come my alma mater. I graduated from high school here. My son graduated from high school here. My parents graduated from high school and even a grandmother graduated from high school here. So I have a long history with Sulphur Springs Independent School District and as some of y’all know, I love history. But, I also know how important these careers are and the kinds of training you are receiving in high school.”
Career and technology education programs offer students the option to gain academic, technical and employability skills necessary for career readiness. CTE classes and experiences provide students with career exploration opportunities earlier in their educational experience, enabling them to make informed and beneficial decisions about their academic course work and pursue established patterns of study in career pathways. CTE helps connect qualified individuals with available careers in CTE-related fields, including health care, energy, advanced manufacturing, cyber security and information technology. CTE programs helps link secondary and postsecondary fields of study and leads to industry related credentials and provides employers with access to a qualified workforce to ensure a fair and competitive economy, Sellers noted from the proclamation.
“This is such an important part of these young people’s education. More and more we are realizing that there are emerging technology, emerging careers, some career things we don’t know what to call them yet that are going to be happening in our future.”
Sellers said while it’s important to teach the fundamental of education, such as reading, history and English, skills that are so important to students’ future must also be taught. Whether the students choose to go from high school to college or technical school or straight into the work force, it’s most important that “we are trained do what we need to be a beneficial part of our society.”
Sellers encourages all citizens to become familiar with the services and benefits offered in CTE programs to this community, and to become involved with and support the programs designed to enhance these students skills.
“Here at Sulphur Springs High School, we have a tremendous career and technical education program. About 96 percent of our students are involved in a CTE course at some point and most have endorsements in career technical education fields of study. We are very excited to promote CTE Month for the month of February, to promote our students to promote our teachers and to promote our programs here at Sulphur Springs High School,” said Jenny Arledge, SSHS Director of College & Career Readiness/ Career & Technical Education.
To help SSHS celebrate CTE Month, KSST has enlisted the help of our high school interns to compile short videos featuring a few of the CTE programs offered at SSHS. Be sure to stay tuned to KSSTradio.com, check out www.KSSTradio.com and the KSST social media accounts so you don’t miss these weekly CTE features.
