Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Saw Good Things And Bad At Saturday Home Scrimmage
After the Lady Cats Volleyball Team scrimmaged Greenville, Princeton and Forney Saturday, September 12, at the Main Gym at Sulphur Springs High School, Lady Cats Coach Bailey Dorner commented on things positive and negative.
Coach Dorner said the Lady Cats served well at times and had some good blocks and digs. She said she would have liked her team to play better defense. Coach Dorner said there were times the Lady Cats did not read the ball well and ended up reacting late and not getting where they needed to be to make a play on the ball.
She said part of it was Saturday was the first time this season for the Lady Cats to face another team. All of their practices so far have been against themselves. Coach Dorner said it was good to face the other good teams because it helped point out current Lady Cats’ weaknesses. Now, she said,the Lady Cats can work to improve in those areas to get better.
Coach Dorner said she has to remind herself that it is very early in the season. She said if the Lady Cats were playing their best at this time of the year that might not bode well for later in the season.
The Lady Cats split sets with Princeton and Forney Saturday but struggled against Greenville. Coach Dorner said the Lady Lions are a good team that always comes to Sulphur Springs ready to play
Coach Dorner said several of the Lady Cats are capable of playing better than they did on Saturday. She said some of the younger players came in wide eyed at first.
The Lady Cats open the regular season Tuesday evening at 5:30 p.m. at Greenville.
TDSHS To Report 2 Additional Measures Of COVID-19 Positivity Rate
The Texas Department of State Health Services today will begin reporting two additional measures of the COVID-19 positivity rate, the percentage of tests that are positive in a given period. The update is the result of DSHS’s work to enhance the state’s COVID-19 data in partnership with the Governor’s Strike Force.
While DSHS will continue to post the data in the form Texans are used to, DSHS will primarily rely on the positivity rate calculated according to when people were tested, the specimen collection date, which provides the most accurate view of the pandemic’s effect over time. Because all test results received will be counted by when the test occurred, the rate for previous days will change as that information becomes more complete, and it will not be skewed by delays in reporting test results to the state.
“These enhancements are part of our continuous effort to improve the information we present,” said Dr. John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner. “As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, so must the data we share. Our information must provide the clearest possible picture of what is happening now and what has occurred in the past. The trends in this and other data shape our understanding of what to expect in the future.”
As an additional point of reference, DSHS will also post a rate based on when lab results were reported to the state. Both new methods will use positive and total molecular test results reported in NEDSS, the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, and be calculated as a seven-day average. They will also exclude duplicate or other erroneous lab results. Recent upgrades to NEDSS now allow DSHS to clean up the testing data more quickly to be used in the positivity calculations.
The state’s legacy positivity rate used the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over seven days divided by the number of new molecular test results over the same seven days. That method served as a reliable proxy for the overall COVID-19 trend for most of the pandemic. However, an influx of older test results in August caused new cases and new test results to get out of sync, leading to large swings in the positivity rate and the need to reevaluate methods to calculate it.
The positivity rate by specimen collection date shows a peak in late June and July as Texas saw a dramatic increase in the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the state. The other methods mirror the same overall trend until diverging when the older test results began to be reported in August. DSHS will post all three methods for a time to allow for a continued comparison.
Each day, more than 600 clinical laboratories and other testing providers, 600 hospitals, 57 local health entities and the eight DSHS public health regions submit data about COVID-19 to DSHS where it is quickly analyzed and reported to the public to the provide the most up-to-date information possible. DSHS will continue to work with the Strike Force on further improvements.
Update On COVID-19 Cases Reported At County Schools
Several county schools have posted notifications regarding additional cases of COVID-19 among employees and students.
Como-Pickton CISD as of the last campus update reported there were 4 active student cases and one active staff cases. Fourteen students and two staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered and returned to classes/work.
Cumby ISD has posted no new cases since Aug. 20. Both students who tested positive should already be back at school.
Miller Grove has posted no updates since Aug. 31. The superintendent at that time reported three students had tested positive for COVID-19. One of the students was already in quarantine before their diagnosis, a second had not been at school since exposure and the third student was at school but did not exhibit any symptoms while present.
One junior high student who was present on the North Hopkins ISD campus on Sept. 3 was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19.
Saltillo ISD has not reported any additional COVID-19 cases since Aug. 24 at that campus. One student reportedly tested positive on Aug.; 24 and one school employee on Aug. 12.
Sulphur Bluff ISD, as of the last update on the district chart listing of cases, reported 2 active student cases and 1 active employee case. Four students were also reported to have recovered and returned to school.
Yantis ISD on Sept. 10 reported an elementary student had tested positive for COVID-19; the student was last on campus Sept. 9. On Aug. 30, a staff member that’d been on campus through Aug. 25 was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19.
| School District | Student Cases (active/recovered, if reported) | Employee Cases (active/recovered, if reported) |
| Como-Pickton | 4/14 | 1/2 |
| Cumby | 2 | 0 |
| Miller Grove | 3 | 0 |
| North Hopkins | 1 | 0 |
| Saltillo | 1 | 1 |
| Sulphur Bluff | 2/4 | 1 |
| Yantis | 1 | 1 |
3 Additional COVID-19 Cases Reported For Sulphur Springs ISD Campuses
Sulphur Springs ISD Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams over the weekend received information regarding 3 additional COVID-19 case reported for SSISD campuses.
On Sept. 11, another Sulphur Springs High School student was lab-confirmed to have COVID-19. The student was reported to have been present at SSHS during the first week of school. The student is at least the third high school students confirmed to have COVID-19 since school started on Sept. 1
The first student high school was reported to have been present on campus Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 1-2. The second SSHS student was reported Sept. 9 to have been on campus within the past week.
On Sept. 13, 2 middle school teachers who were present on campus during the week of Sept. 8-11 were lab-confirmed to have COVID-19.
Two Bowie Primary students — one who was on campus Sept. 1-3, and another who was on campus Sept. 1, 2 and 4 — were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19.
One Sept. 9, a Travis Primary School teacher who was on campus the week before tested positive for novel coronavirus 2019.
On Sept. 8, a SSISD bus driver also was reported to have COVID-19. The individual drove a bus Sept. 1-4, according to SSISD reports.
| SSISD Campus | Student | Employee |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Academic Center | 0 | 0 |
| Barbara Bush Primary | 0 | 0 |
| Bowie Primary | 2 | 0 |
| Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center | 0 | 0 |
| Lamar Primary | 0 | 0 |
| Travis Primary | 1 | 0 |
| Sulphur Springs Elementary | 0 | 1 |
| Sulphur Springs Middle School | 0 | 2 |
| Sulphur Springs High School | 3 | 0 |
| Other (bus driver, special services, admin. etc.) | 0 | 1 |
5 Arrested After THC, Bundles Of Money, Pills, Firearm, Marijuana Found During Interstate 30 Stop
Five Tennessee residents were arrested Saturday after THC, bundles of money, pills, a firearm and marijuana were found in their vehicle during an Interstate 30 traffic stop, according to arrest reports.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Arturo Ugalde reported stopping a Hyundai Sonata before 8 a.m. Sept. 12, 2020, at mile marker 110 on Interstate 30 west for speeding. When he approached the vehicle he detected an odor of fresh marijuana coming from inside. A probable cause search was conducted.
The driver, identified as 33-year-old Alphonso Orlando McCracken, was accused of having a bundle of cash totaling $20,000. Two of the passengers, identified in arrest reports as 32-year-old Michael Daniels Thomas Jr. and 26-year-old Cadarrius K. Bell, were alleged to have bundles of cash in their pockets. Bell allegedly had $2,000 and Thomas $6,000.
McCracken also was accused of possession of 5 oxycodone acetaminophen pills (3 mg), a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Bell was accused of possession of approximately 5.6 ounces of marijuana in a glass jar and unlawful carrying of a weapon, a semi-automatic Glock handgun.
Another passenger, 28-year-old Cardiss Savannah Henderson, allegedly possessed of a bag containing 3 suspected Ecstasy pills (weighing 3 grams), another bag with approximately 21 grams of THC edibles and a plastic bottle containing THC syrup that weighed approximately 35 grams. The fourth passenger, a 25-year-old Memphis, Tennessee woman, was allegedly found in possession of a green pipe containing marijuana residue.
All five Memphis residents were placed under arrest and transported to a highway patrol office for further investigation. Criminal Investigations Division Special Agent Kelly conducted interviews with the Tennessee residents.
“All occupants of the vehicle were traveling from Memphis, TN to Dallas, TX, both hub-city for narcotics distribution while in possession of controlled substances, a large amount of currency and a firearm. Thomas admitted to being a ‘prior’ gang member. Based on the totality of the circumstances and evidence, the occupants of the vehicle were traveling to Dallas with the intent to use the currency to further the commission of criminal activity,” Ugalde alleged in arrest reports.
Jail reports show the following were released from Hopkins County jail Sunday, Sept. 13 on bond:
- Cadarrius K. Bell on a $20,000 bond on the money laundering charge, on a $10,000 bond on the possession of more than 4 ounces but no more than 5 pounds of marijuana charge, and $2,500 on the unlawful carrying a weapon charge;
- the 25-year-old Tennessee woman on the misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charge; and
- Michael Daniels Thomas Jr. on a $20,000 bond on the money laundering charge.
The two other Tennessee residents remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, Sept. 14, according to jail reports. Cardiss Savannah Henderson’s bond was set at $40,000 bond on the possession of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance charge and a $25,000 bond on the possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance charge. Alphonso Orlando McCracken’s bond was set at $25,000 bond on the possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge and a $20,000 bond on the money laundering charge.
Local DAR Reminds of US Constitution Week, Observed Annually September 17 – 23
The observance of Constitution Week runs annually from September 17 to September 23. It was officially enacted on August 2, 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower from a congressional resolution petitioned by the Daughters of the American Revolution , but it was George W Bush who officially declared the inception of Constitution Week in September 2002.[2]
The purpose of the observance week is to promote study and education about the United States Constitution which was originally adopted by the American Congress of the Confederation on September 17, 1787. Specifically, the Daughter’s of the American Revolution state the purpose as:
- Emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution.
- Inform people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life.
- Encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.[3]
The Captain David Phillips Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met on Saturday September 12, 2020 at Gafford Chapel United Methodist Church. During the meeting, two proclamations were presented by County Judge Robert Newsom; one for Star Spangled Banner Day September 14, and one for Uncle Sam Day September 13. Both these dates lead up to Constitution Week, September 17-23. The DAR chapter will have a display at the Sulphur Springs Public Library which everyone is welcome to view.
“Uncle Sam Day” is September 13. Uncle Sam became the nickname for the United States government more than 200 years ago. It was coined indirectly by Sam Wilson, a meatpacker from New York. Wilson, who in supplying barrels of meat for soldiers during the War of 1812, identified the shipments by stamping ‘U.S.’ on the barrels. Soldiers dubbed the deliveries as being from “Uncle Sam”. The image of Uncle Sam has had many forms, most with the starred top hat and striped pants. His image with the slogan “I Want You for the U.S. Army” first appeared in “Leslie’s Weekly” news magazine during a World War 1 recruitment campaign.
“Star Spangled Banner Day” is September 14. A few lines were jotted down by an observer during a fierce battle in the War of 1812. Those lines became a poem in the mind of attorney Francis Scott Key who at daybreak next morning, beheld the American flag still flying. He originally titled the work “The Defense of Fort McHenry”. The poem was later set to music, and in 1931 became America’s national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”.
Highlights From John Chester Dutch Oven Class
The class was held on Saturday September 12, 2020 inside Heritage Park, and a healthy-size interest was obvious from the number and variety of cooks who registered. From beginner to advanced, from young to forever young, these cooks have learned the secret that great outdoor cooking is best shared with others! Thanks Rick and Carlie for keeping alive and strong the Hopkins County legacy sparked by Johnny “Buffalo” Chester!
SSISD Trustees To Consider Accepting Application For Solar Farm, Request To Close Portion of CR 3602 Sept. 14
Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees has a full agenda Monday evening. The SSISD trustees will be asked to consider an application for a solar farm, a request to close a portion of CR 3602 and SHAC members, designating 4-H as an extracurricular activity and appointing Extension Agents as adjunct faculty, and legal policies, according to the Sept. 14 meeting agenda.
A large portion of the 6 p.m. meeting has been designated for items related to a proposed solar farm in the northwestern part of SSISD. The trustees first are slated to enter into executive session to discuss with legal counsel the application for appraised value limitation on qualified property from Bright Arrow Solar LLC legal, as well as any other personnel items submitted for board approval since the last meeting.
Items on the agenda related to the solar farm include: acknowledgment of Conflict of Interest policy and concerning the application for the tax break on qualified property; retain attorneys and consultants to assist the in the review and processing of the application for appraised value limitation on qualified property from Bright Arrow Solar LLC; and accept the application and authorize the superintendent to review it for completeness and approve any request for a deadline for board action beyond 150 days.
An assistant superintendent is scheduled to report on the School Health Advistory Committee. The board will later be asked to consider approving the propsed list of SHAC.
A resolution is proposed which would grant extracurricular status to the Extension office. They too will be asked to again appoint the local Extension Office staff as adjunct faculty members.
The school board too will be asked to consider allowing the superintendent to execute a letter indicating no objection from SSISD for the closing or abandoning of the last 407 feet of County Road 3602.
Submitted for school board approval based on recommendations of Texas Association of School Boards Policy Services will be revisions and additions to local local board policies.
The SSISD Board of Trustees meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, in the board room of the Administration Building, 631 Connally St.
Hopkins County Hospital District Board of Directors Sept. 14 Meeting Agenda
Hopkins County Hospital District
Called Meeting of Board of Directors
Notice is hereby given that a Called Meeting of the Board of Directors of Hopkins County Hospital District will be held on Monday, September 14, 2020 at 6:00 pm in the Plaza Conference Room of the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic at 113 Airport Road, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
AGENDA
- Call to Order
- Invocation
- Public Forum
- Swearing in of Tim Kelty
- Review and Approve Tax Rate for Year Ending September 30, 202
- Review and Approve Budget for Year Ending September 30, 2021
- Update on EMS Headquarters Building
- Review and Approve Financial Statements for July 2020
a. Financial Statements for July 2020
b. EMS Update and Review - Consent Agenda
a. Nursing Home Reports
b. Review and Approve Minutes of Called Meeting for 08-12-20 - Update for CHHA by Paul Harvey, President/CEO
- Executive Session
a. Review Executive Session Board Minutes for Called Meeting 08-12-20
b. Discuss Adding Controller (or Accountant) and Discuss Positions for Current Staff - Return to Regular Session
a. Approve Executive Session Board Minutes for Called Meeting 08-12-20
b. Approve Adding Controller (or Accountant) and Positions for Current Staff - Adjourn
Texas Conference For Employers Hosting Virtual Seminar on Employment Law
The Texas Conference For Employers will be hosting a 90-minute law session later this month.
The session in question is a free virtual employment law session hosted by the Office of Commissioner Representing Employers. The session will include lessons on Wage & Hour Law, Medical Leave, and Payroll Tax 101.
Attendance is free, and the link to sign-up can be found here. More information for the Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas, which serves Hopkins County, can be found on their Facebook.
Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas‘s mission is to be a “driving” force in the area to provide employers with workforce support for the economic benefit of the communities served.
Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas provides workforce development services in Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Morris, Red River, and Titus Counties. The agency links employers to a large pool of skilled workers and connects job seekers to training opportunities. They help young adults identify career and training optioSns for their future. The agency links employers to training options for their workforce and link workforce, economic, and community development for the continued growth of the region.
