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Three people were jailed after their bond was revoked on a controlled substance charge, according to arrest and jail reports.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.
Drug Paraphernalia Found In Shoe Of Wanted Sulphur Springs Man
Sulphur Springs Police officers reported finding a drug paraphernalia in the shoe of a wanted Sulphur Springs man Monday afternoon.
SSPD Officer Sean Hoffman was made aware of a warrant for 32-year-old David Salvador Luna’s arrest and a possible area he was known to be at. The warrant, Hoffman noted in arrest reports, was related to an SCU investigation in which methamphetamine was allegedly purchased from Luna.
Hoffman began patrolling the area the man was reported to be in. Around 10:30 p.m. April 5, Hoffman saw him walking out of a motel toward an East Shannon Road convenience store and contacted him. A pipe of the kind used to smoke methamphetamine was located in a shoe, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports.
Luna was jailed on the warrant for manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, but was not charged Monday for possessing the drug paraphernalia found in the shoe. He remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, April 6, 2021, in lieu of a $20,000 bond on the charge, according to arrest reports.
April 5 was the second time in the last 5 months that Luna has been booked into Hopkins County jail. He spent Nov. 12-25 in custody on one criminal trespass of a habitation, shelter or other facility and two criminal trespass warrants, according to arrest reports.
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.
Dallas Man Jailed On Felony Collin County Warrant
A 20-year-old Dallas man was jailed on a felony Collin County warrant Monday night.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Chad Norris made a traffic stop on a Gray Dodge Ram 2500 in the 300 block of Wildcat Way just after 10:30 p.m. April 5, 2021.
During the course of the roadside interview, Norris contacted Jose Castillo Castillo. A records check using the man’s ID information revealed the Collin County warrant. Castillo was taken into custody and transported by SSPD Officer Cameron Robinson to the county jail, according to arrest reports.
Castillo remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, April 6, 2021, in lieu of the $25,000 bond set on the Collin County aggravated assault with deadly weapon charge, according to jail reports. The offense, according to arrest reports, occurred on Jan. 2, 2021, Norris noted in arrest reports.
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.
PJC-Sulphur Springs Enrollment For Summer Session
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Secretary Jocelyn Sanchez Ambriz assists student Jonathan Orvis as he begins work on his placement test for the college. Enrollment for the summer semester has begun.
For more information about enrollment and educational opportunities, call 903-885-1232.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
COVID-19 Numbers Continue To Fall In Hopkins County, Northeast Texas Area
CMFH-SS COVID Unit Empty, No New COVID-19 Cases Reported April 5 For Hopkins County
COVID-19 numbers continue to fall in Hopkins County and the Northeast Texas area. For the first time since Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management began reporting the data late last summer, not only were there no COVID-19 patients in the local hospital’s COVID-19 unit, the state also reported no new COVID-19 cases reported on Monday for Hopkins County. cumulative
So far in April, Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases (eight on Thursday and one each on Friday and Saturday) and three probable cases on Thursday. A total of 13 confirmed cases and 10 probable COVID-19 cases were reported March 1-5, 2021, for Hopkins County; 51 confirmed and 40 probable cases Feb. 1-5; 54 confirmed and 43 probable cases Jan. 1-5; and 81 confirmed cases along Dec. 1-5.
In April of 2020, the pandemic was just beginning in Hopkins County. A total of 89 Hopkins county residents had been COVID-19 tested on April 6, up from 76 on April 2. Of those four people had tested positive for the novel coronavirus 2019, 65 received negative results and 20 county residents were still waiting on the results of their COVID-19 test, HC/SSEM officials reported.
A total of 1,579 Hopkins County residents have been lab-confirmed by molecular (viral) testing to have COVID-19 since March 27, 2020, the day the very first Hopkins County resident was confirmed to have COVID-19. As more people began getting the quicker antigen tests in the fall, the state began tracking probable COVID-19 cases. DSHS didn’t begin reporting probable cases daily on the S Case Counts dashboard until Dec. 11, starting with all 963 probable cases counted since the fall. Overall, a total of 1,453 probable cases have been reported among Hopkins County residents, for a combined total (confirmed nd probable) of 3,032 COVID-19 cases reported for Hopkins County as of April 11.
While no new cases were reported, that does not mean, however, that there are no COVID-19 cases. According to DSHS, 141 Hopkins County residents had COVID-19 on April 5, 31 less active cases than on March 5, 49 less than on Feb. 5, 56 less than on Jan. 5. These numbers include COVID-19 cases confirmed by molecular lab testing and probable cases from individuals who have either tested positive through an antigen test or have a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis.
As of April 5, only 2,784 of the total 3,032 Hopkins County residents who’ve had COVID-19 since March 27, 2020 have recovered from the virus. So far this month, four have recovered from the virus. We are definitely on the right track. Recoveries outpaced new COVID-19 cases in March, with 98 new cases but 121 recoveries.
The lab-confirmed COVID-19 patient count for Region F Trauma Service Area, which spans across Northeast Texas to Hopkins County, has also declined significantly over the last few months. On April 4, only 14 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients occupied beds at hospitals across TSA F. CMFH-SS’ COVID unit had double digit figures alone through March 1, when 10 patients were reported, and 14 patients on Feb. 8-9. The lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients count for Trauma Service Area F hasn’t been that low since May 31, when Hopkins County’s cumulative total was only 21 COVID-19 cases since March 27, 2020 (892 had been tested, with 635 positive, 6 recovered and 237 were waiting on test results).
As of April 4, a total of 10,865 people in Hopkins County had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is 368 more than on April 1 and nearly double the 5,169 reported on March 3.
On April 4, 4,072 people in Hopkins had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, which is 264 more than on April 1, 1,748 more than on March 3 and 3,724 more than on Feb. 4; no one in Hopkins County had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Jan. 4, in fact, Jan. 4 was the first time anyone in Hopkins was reported to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and only tow who’d received the vaccine at another facility. By the end of January, however, 324 people in Hopkins County had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
The first time anyone in Hopkins County was reported to have received the first dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was on Dec. 20, when three people in healthcare/emergency services received the shot at an out-of-county facility; the number receiving the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine increased to 256 for Hopkins by New Year’s Eve. On Jan. 4, that number rose to 294 and by Jan. 31, 1,784 people in Hopkins had gotten the first dose of the vaccine. On Feb. 4, a total of 1,877 people in Hopkins County had received the first dose and were awaiting the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. On March 3, a total of 3,372 people in Hopkins County had received the first dose of the vaccine and were waiting to get the second dose.
Hopkins County has also been fortunate in that not only are fewer people getting the virus and fewer of those who do are having to be hospitalized, but there have also been no new confirmed COVID-19 deaths announced for Hopkins County since March 12, when DSHS received confirmation of a 107th Hopkins County COVID-19 fatality. Three COVID-19 deaths have been confirmed for March, two on March 2 and one on March 6. Fewer COVID-19 deaths have been reported for Hopkins County in each of the past three months as well, dropping from 26 fatalities in December 2020 to 15 Hopkins County residents who died in January, and five in February.
