Wildcats Football Offensive Coordinator Matt Young Comments on Scrimmage and Frisco Wakeland Defense
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young gave his weekly football review and preview Tuesday morning. Concerning the scrimmage last Thursday against Mount Pleasant, Coach Young said the Wildcats’ offense is in a good place but he added they still have a lot of work to do. He said his standards are higher than the level of play last week. Coach Young said the offense felt like they shot themselves in the foot when they did not score due to things like bad snaps, penalties or pass routes that were run too deep that led to negative plays. On the positive side, Coach Young liked the physicality of the offensive line, especially from seniors Somjai Pryor, Raydon McCormack and Alfredo Olavide. He said quarterback Kaden Wallace was a lot more comfortable in the pocket. He said receivers caught the ball well. Coach Young said Matthew Sherman made a great catch in the end zone and also blocked well. He said Bryant Sanchez and Cable Glenn did good jobs and he said C.J. Williams had some catches. Coach Young said the Wildcats got physical runs from backs Caden Davis, J.J. Hall and Douglas Deloney. Concerning Frisco Wakeland, Coach Young said they are a great program that does not have down years as they just reload. He said they play hard and are well coached. On defense, Coach Young said the Wolverines are good up front and have quickness in the defensive line. He added the Wakeland safeties are good players who he called ball hawks. Coach Young said even the new faces on the Wakeland defense look like Friday night players. He said the Wildcats must execute on offense.
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.
Lady Cats Volleyball on Game Day Tuesday, Team Tennis Match Postponed
On this Tuesday (September 22) game day, the Lady Cats Volleyball Team has a non-district home match against Commerce. There will be a JV Gold game at 4:30 p.m., followed by a JV Blue contest at 5:30 p.m. with the Varsity match scheduled to start at around 6:30 p.m. Tonight is also Senior Night. Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner said she has five senior players and a senior manager. The Lady Cats have started off the season at 2-2 after wins Saturday at Pittsburg and at home against Paris. KSST Radio will bring you all of the action of Lady Cats Volleyball Tuesday beginning at around 6:30 p.m.
The Wildcats Team Tennis squad was also supposed to play a home district match against Longview at 4 p.m. Tuesday but the match was postponed by rain. Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez said he hoped to play the match on Wednesday. The Wildcats are 1-1 in district play and 2-1 for the season.
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.
Paris Junior College Sulphur Springs News
SPANISH LESSON
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Spanish Instructor Mayra Cummings reviews words and pronunciations with her students during a recent class. For information about education opportunities and enrollment at Paris Junior College, 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.
High Speed Chase Ends With Crash
A high speed chase ended with a crash early Tuesday morning. The vehicle involved was reported to have been stolen from Bonham Monday evening, according to sheriff’s and arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Chaney at 2:48 a.m. Tuesday Sept. 22 reported radar showed a Chevrolet Tahoe traveling south on State Highway 19 north of Sulphur Springs at 75 miles per hour in the 65 mph speed zone. The northbound patrol deputy turned around to try to catch up to and stop the white sport utility vehicle.
Chaney alleged the driver, instead of pulling over or slowing down when he activated the emergency lights on his patrol vehicle, the driver accelerated. When the SUV continued, Chaney advised via radio that he was in pursuit of the vehicle. The vehicle allegedly reached speed of more than 120 mph on wet roads during the pursuit, which continued into Sulphur Springs city limits with the deputy keeping the SUV in sight but a distance behind it.
The SUV reportedly turned off SH 19 onto Loop 301 onto Hillcrest Drive, where it allegedly continued at a speed of more than 100 mph. The deputy reported closing the distance between his patrol vehicle and the fleeing SUV as the pursuit crossed State Highway 11 west and continued south on Hillcrest Drive.
As the pursuit neared the Hillcrest Drive-Main Street (US Highway 67) intersection, Chaney observed Sulphur Springs Police units waiting to try to intercept the SUV. The SUV then allegedly turned west onto Main Street and continued traveling at a speed of more than 100 mph as the pursuit approached Interstate 30, Chaney alleged.
As the SUV traveled south on US Highway 67 over the Interstate 30 overpass, the driver reportedly failed to navigate the sharp corner and crashed into a tree line south of the south service road connector, Chaney noted in arrest reports. The 24-year-old man allegedly got out of the wrecked Tahoe, where he complied with officers commands.
During an interview, Fred Castlow Jr. allegedly admitted to stealing the SUV the evening before from Bonham. A record check also showed the 24-year-old to be wanted in Bonham for criminal mischief, family violence assault with a previous conviction, cruelty to animals and bond revocation on the assault charge, Chaney noted in arrest reports.
Dispatchers contacted Bonham Police regarding the allegedly stolen SUV and notified EMS to respond to check out Castlow. The man reportedly refused treatment for any possible injuries. Chaney arrested Castlow at 2:53 a.m. Sept. 22, 2020, for evading arrest or detention in a motor vehicle, and transported the man to jail on that charge as well as the Bonham warrants.
Upon arrival at the county jail, dispatchers advised Bonham Police contacted the vehicle owner who confirmed the vehicle had been stolen. Consequently, the Castlow was also booked into Hopkins County jail at 5:22 a.m. Sept. 22 on an unauthorized use of a vehicle charge, according to arrest reports.
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.
Commissioners Court Agrees To Tax Incentive For Dike Solar Farm, EMP Credits For TxDOT Bridge Projects
Increases To Jail & HCFD Budgets, Longevity Pay, OSSF Fees Also Approved
Hopkins County Commissioners Court Monday approved several items during a special session, including a tax incentive for a Dike solar farm, equivalent match credits for bridge projects and increases to jail and fire department budgets, longevity pay for county employees and OSSF fees.
381 Agreement
The court approved a 381 agreement, which would provide a tax incentive to a Dike solar farm. The agreement is essentially the same as a tax abatement. However, with a 381 agreement, instead of not having to pay the agreed upon amount in exchange for locating the service in Hopkins County, the applicant would pay full taxes on the property up front, but would have what would be the abated amount returned when all terms for the incentive are met.
The 381 agreement the Commissioners Court approved Monday is a 10-year agreement with Hopkins Energy LLC which would decrease in incentive amount each year by 10 percent. The proposed Dike solar farm also has asked for limited tax liability agreements with Sulphur Springs and Sulphur Bluff ISDs and indicated a desire for a tax break from any other taxing entity within the boundaries of which the project would be located.
Barker made the motion, which was seconded by Anglin, to approve the Chapter 381 agreement for Hopkins Energy LLC as presented. The proposal received full approval of the court.
OSSF
Hopkins County Fire Department Chief Andy Endsley asked the Commissioners Court Monday to consider increasing the fees charged for On-Site Sewage Facility permits.
“This is something I was tasked by the court to research as far as our fees for OSSF. We canvassed our surrounding counties and we are below what they are,” Endsley said.
Endsley proposed increasing the OSSF permit fee for a single family dwelling by $100 to $360 and commercial inspection fees would increase by $200 to $560. He said the additional fees for commercial permits because there are several more site inspections involved in the process
For instance, North Hopkins ISD over the summer required a 5-6 on-site process plus additional paperwork.
“There’s a lot of administrative work to get these inspections ready, even though it’s a one time visit to residential unless something’s wrong, but there are a lot administrative work on that side of it. This helps compensate that side of it,” Endsley said.
“This would be a one time a one-time only fee for building of a residence?” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom asked.
“Correct, it’d be a one time deal, unless that resident is building a lot of houses,” Endsley said.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker made the motion, which was seconded by Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price, that the OSSF permit fees be increased as requested. The motion received unanimous approval of the 3 commissioners present and the county judge; Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley was unable to attend the Monday morning meeting.
Budget Amendments
Hopkins County Sheriff Lewis Tatum asked the Commissioners Court to consider amending the jail budget.
Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook noted an increase was requested because the original jail budget approved in fall 2019 did not include expenses or revenue from the housing of federal inmates in Hopkins County jail. Thus, the jail is over budget in food and medical operating.
“We predicted they would bring in from prisoner housing $80,000. As of today, they’ve brought in $259,000. So I’m asking you to give them $100,000 of that to bring their budget up, not in the red,” Aulsbrook said. “The budget amendment for the sheriff or for the jail is from the revenue he’s brought in.”
“We are in the process of making some changes at our farm to save some more money and try to bring that cost down on this, but we are also making quite a bit of revenue off of them,” Tatum said.
The funding received for is for housing and care of inmates while in custody at HCSO jail, but does not include salaries or wages for any jail or other sheriff’s office staff. The federal government will also reimburse the county for any transporting of federal inmates between facilities.
“If you look at projections for the year, that’s going to be quite a bit of money we’re going to be bringing in – at first we thought about $800,000 but it could be even more than that,” Tatum said.
“Is the state of Texas still continuing to having us hold many of their people that should have been in the prison system?” Newsom asked, referring to the decision for state prisons to not accept any additional prisoners through much of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a precaution.
Tatum said the county jail still has about 30 inmates who have been assessed time in prison, approximately 10 were released last week and another 8-10 or so are scheduled to be sent to prison this week if they pass the health inspection now required before an inmate will be accepted in a state prison.
Barker asked if CARES Act funding could be used to cover some of the costs associated with the longer term housing of inmates who have been sentenced to time in a state facility.
“No, we asked. They weren’t willing to pay for that. They may pay for some of the jailers who had to get overtime or things like that, but that’s all they are going to help with,” Aulsbrook noted.
Tatum said the program to house federal inmate is new, but one he feels will be a lot better once the county has a long term contract to do so and a routine and budget for the feeding and other associated costs are established.
HCSO Chief Deputy Tanner Crump anticipates potentially completing the application process within the next month.
Aulsbrook reported the fire department budget also needed to be amended. The county was notified after the 2019-2020 budget was approved that the fire department had been approved for a SAFER Grant which allowed Hopkins County Fire Department to hire three firemen, 1 additional full-time firefighter per 24-hour shift daily for each of the three shifts.
The SAFER grant did not include cost of uniforms and PPE gear for the three firemen it allows the county to add, 1 additional full-time firefighter per 24-hour shift daily. That put required an additional $6,057, which would need to come from the county fund balance to fully cover the expense.
“This is actually structural firefighters gear and, actually, we saved $3,000 on that by hiring one of our part-time firefighters so we only had to buy two sets of PPE. They run $3,000 a piece. That’s from head to toe for the firefighters. We didn’t budget for it because we didn’t know we were getting the SAFER grant until after the budget had been set,” Endsley noted.
Newsom asked how much the SAFER grant funds of the 3 new full-time firefighters’ salaries.
Endsley noted the federal grant pays 75 percent of their salaries the first year, and 35 percent the third year of the grant program. The county was notified HCFD was selected for SAFER grant about a month into the 2019-2020 budget.
HCFD was able to use uniforms the department already had in reserve, saving on the cost of additional clothing. HCFD did budget in the 2020-21 budget approved earlier this month for the additional uniform costs.
Price made the motion, which was seconded by Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Anglin, to approve the budget amendments for the jail and fire department as recommended.
EMP Credit
Hopkins County Commissioners Court approved a 3-page resolution which helps the county meet the required funding match for off-system bridge projects using equivalent match project credits from work already performed on other deficient bridges or deficient main lane cross-drainage structures.
Bridges that meet criteria go into TxDOT’s 10-year plan, so the projects designated in the near future were projects submitted at least 10 years ago by previous commissioners.
Hunt and Rains County have designated excessive EMP work in those counties to Hopkins County for work on Texas Department of Transportation off-system bridges.
Hopkins County is submitting the following $315,464.54 in EMPs in return for waiver of the local match fund from their participation-waived projects not yet awarded:
- Culvert replacements — on Hopkins County Road 4719 near FM 2653, $3,320.51; on Hopkins CR 4707 near CR 4702, $3,058.10; Hopkins CR 4574 near CR 4581, $2,428.12; Rains CR 1140 at Glad Creek, $85,000; and Hopkins CR 1173 near CR 1174, $9,240.96.
- Installation of a new culvert — Hopkins CR 1100 near FM 3389, $3,228.06.
- Repair of bridge abutment and approach — Rains CR 3160 at Magee Brancfh, $9,662.13.
- Sheet piling installation at east abutment and backfill — Hunt CR 3110 at Timber Creek, $13,770.57.
- Construction of new bridge — Hunt CR 3512 at Little Creek, $76,026.09; Hunt CR 1072 at Cowleech Creek, $48,305; and Hunt CR 1091 at Holden Branch, $61,425.
Hopkins County’s required match is $170,565 for six bridge projects:
- $36,996 on County Road 1152 over Big Creek;
- $26,352 on CR 4714 over Crooks Creek;
- $23,790 on CR 4767 over North Caney Creek Tributary;
- $39,528 on CR 1138 over Turkey Creek;
- $22,814 on CR 1137 over Mitcham Branch; and
- $21,106 for CR 3545 over Mitchell Creek Tributary.
The resolution also authorizes the county judge to execute advance funding agreement with TxDOT for those 6 projects.
Other
Hopkins County Commissioners Court also approved as presented:
- The annual Statewide Victim Notification System (SAVNS) maintenance grant contract. SAVNS is “an automated method of providing victims of crime with access to information and notification about changes in offender status and court events twenty-four hours a day. SAVNS provides crime victims with this information via a toll-free number and website. The system operates by networking status information from participating county and state contractors into a central database operated by a private vendor. Resources are allocated to the Office of the Attorney General by Texas Legislature to provide assistance in establishing contracts between county/state entities and the central database company, according to the OAG’s office.
- An Additional $25 per county employee in longevity pay after a full year, increasing it from $75 to $100
At the recommendation of Price, the Commissioners Court tabled a request from Oncor Electric Delivery to construct an electrical power distribution facilities which would extend about 2,450 feet west, along County Road 4592 right of way, which is located 1.32 miles northwest of FM 1536 in Precinct 4. This gives the parties involved another week to further negotiate some differences between them.
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner Enjoys Two Saturday Wins After Friday Road Loss
Saturday’s (September 19) good play by the Lady Cats Volleyball Team was probably just what Coach Bailey Dorner wanted to see after a lackluster loss on the road Friday evening.
In the Lady Cats 3-0 loss Friday at Frisco Heritage, Coach Dorner said the Lady Cats did not do well with serve receive and seemed to rarely get hands on many balls during the match. The Lady Cats responded with a pair of wins Saturday, 3-0 at Pittsburg and 3-0 at home against Paris later Saturday.
Coach Dorner said her team seemed to be a little sluggish for the Saturday noon start at Pittsburg but, then, did well. She said she was proud of the straight sets’ win.
Then, at home against Paris, Coach Dorner said she hated that the Lady Cats lost a 17-5 lead in the first set but, she said she was proud that the team was able to pull out a 30-28 win. After the 3-0 win over Paris, Coach Dorner said it would be nice if her team could play a whole set well from start to finish.
She said early the Lady Cats have hit some spots where they have struggled. Coach Dorner noted that the Lady Cats had an unusual match serving versus Paris. The Lady Cats recorded 10 service aces but the coach said her team also gave up entirely too many points on bad serves.
Sophomore Laney Hurst has been promoted to the varsity and has contributed as a server. Coach Dorner said she has been working hard in practice and is handling things well, considering it’s her first time to be playing at this level.
Coach Dorner has moved Senior Night to Tuesday night’s game against Commerce at home. She said she wants to make sure to get the recognition in during these uncertain times. Five senior players and a senior manager will be honored Tuesday night before the 6:30 p.m. Varsity contest.
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.
Lady Cats Cross Country Wins Pine Tree Puddle Jump Meet, Wildcats Are Fifth
The Lady Cats Cross Country Team had another strong showing Friday, September 18, at the Pine Tree Puddle Jump held at Lear Park in Longview. The Lady Cats won the meet. The Wildcats finished 5th in an 8-team field.
Again Friday, the Lady Cats were led by freshman Haylee Shultz who finished 2nd overall with a time of 21:29.9. Sophomore Laney Hurst was 6th. Sophomore Mattie Bridges was 9th, senior Kenia Herrera was 11th, sophomore Rebekah Stanley was 13th, sophomore Emily Soto was 18th and senior Maurie Flecker was 19th. Three more sophomores, Makayla Jimmerson, Allison Peckham and Angel Cruz also competed in the race. Coach Ross Hicks said the Lady Cats totaled a good low team score of 27. He said the second place team was in the 50’s. Coach Hicks said all of the district’s teams were in the race.
The Wildcats were led by senior Camden Fuller who finished 7th with a time of 17:53.4. Coach Hicks said Fuller worked hard this summer and has had to overcome injuries. He said Fuller is running about a minute faster now than he was a year ago at this time. Junior Alex Flecker finished 15th just over a second ahead of junior Evan Patrick who was 16th. Next finishers for the Wildcats were sophomore Hector Hernandez, junior Johnathan Scott, sophomore Kevin Garcia, senior Alejandro Diosdado and senior Abdiel Ramirez. Coach Hicks said the Wildcats had to do without two of their good boys’ runners.
The Wildcats and Lady Cats run next at a meet Saturday at LeTourneau University in Longview.
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.
Hopkins County Sept. 21 COVID-19 Update: 25 New Cases, 25 Recoveries, 14 Patients In COVID-Unit
Hopkins County’s COVID-19 case counts increased significantly over the weekend, with 25 new COVID-19 cases and 25 additional recoveries reported Monday afternoon, Sept. 21, Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials reported in their Hopkins County Sept. 21 COVID-19 update.
That’s 78 new positive lab-confirmed cases reported during the first 21 days of September, outpacing July and August case counts. There were 67 new cases reported through from July 1-21 and 89 total new cases reported in July. There had only been 77 new cases reported Aug. 1-21 and 91 total cases during the month of August.
Because the number of recoveries matched new cases, the active case count remains 73, as reported on Friday, Sept. 18.
The 25 recoveries reported since Friday increases the total number of Hopkins County residents who have recovered from COVID-19 this month to 52. That’s better than during the whole month of July, when only 48 people recovered from COVID-19, but is still behind August’s pace of 94 recoveries through the 21st, although only 3 more Hopkins County residents recovered in August. Cumulatively, that’s 248 of the 321 Hopkins County residents who tested positive for COVID-19 on molecular PCR tests who have recovered.
The number of patients in the COVID-19 unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs increased significantly from 8 on Friday to 14 on Monday, HC/SS Emergency Management officials reported on Sept. 21. That’s the most patients in the COVID-19 unit since HC/SSEM began reporting the data.
An additional 83 molecular COVID-19 tests were conducted on Sept. 18-19, during the free testing offered at Hopkins County Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Sept. 18-19. That makes 633 total tests performed at HCCC since the free tests were first offered Sept. 7 and continued to be offered weekly through last Saturday.
Texas Health and Human Services on Sept. 14 reported an increase in COVID-19 cases at one local nursing facility on Sept. 7, the most recent data available regarding nursing facilities. Carriage House Manor reported 2 of the 4 employees who tested positive for COVID-19 continued to have active cases, the other 2 have recovered on Sept. 7. The facility also reported 1 resident had tested positive for COVID-19 on Sept. 7, according to the HHS nursing home report.
There were no active COVID-19 cases among either employees or residents of assisted living facilities in Sulphur Springs on Sept. 7, according to the Sept. 21 HHS assisted living facility report.
HHS also reported no active COVID-19 cases at any of the child care centers in Sulphur Springs on Sept. 20.
Guaranty Bank & Trust Lobbies Re-Opening
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Pickton-Pine Forest VFD Adds Brush Truck To Fleet
PICKTON, Texas – Pickton-Pine Forest Volunteer Fire Department increased their fleet thanks to a $99,723 Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance cost-share grant administered by Texas A&M Forest Service.
“The new apparatus has four-wheel-drive, a 300-gallon water tank, foam capability, bumper spray nozzle and electric hose reel,” said Fire Chief Trey Thompson. “It is built for wildland firefighting but can also be used for
structure fires and rescue and will carry a cache of wildland equipment and medical supplies.”
The truck has gone into service.
“Our department trained on the functionality of the truck and it has already been out on five or six calls,” said Thompson.
Pickton-Pine Forest Volunteer Fire Department has been serving their community since 1976 and continues to grow and advance their fire service.
“The addition of this brush truck to the Pickton-Pine Forest VFD fleet will help to increase their capacity to better serve their community and surrounding area,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator Cody Mayo.
Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, a cost share program funded by Texas State Legislature and administered by
Texas A&M Forest Service. This program provides funding to rural Volunteer Fire Departments for the acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry-hydrants, computer
systems and firefighter training.
For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.
