Lady Cats Volleyball Has Season Opener and Wildcats Team Tennis Also in Action on Game Day Tuesday
The Lady Cats Volleyball Team opens the regular season with a non-district road match against former district foe Greenville on this game day Tuesday (September 15). There will be JV and Freshman games starting at 4:30 p.m. in Greenville with the Varsity match set to start at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Cats have had a hard time defeating Greenville the past two seasons and that trend continued during scrimmage games Saturday in Sulphur Springs. The Lady Cats last defeated Greenville in 2017. Lady Cats Coach Bailey Dorner is in her second season as Head Coach. The Lady Cats had a record of 24-18 last season.
The Wildcats Team Tennis Squad takes on mighty Texas High in a district match in Texarkana on this game day Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. The Wildcats come in 2-0 for the young season and 1-0 in district play after picking up a forfeit win against Mount Pleasant last week. Friday the Wildcats won a non-district match at Greenville, 13-6.
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.
Chapter 313 Agreement Sought From SSISD For Bright Arrow Solar, LLC
Sulphur Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees Monday evening received an application from a group seeking a Chapter 313 agreement for Bright Arrow Solar LLC, a proposed solar farm which would be located in the northwestern part of SSISD.
As is procedure in such matters, the 6 school trustees present reported signed an acknowledgement declaring no conflict of interest in the solar project. Craig Roberts was absent from the meeting.
The school board then approved an agreement to retain attorneys and consultants to assist in the review and processing of the application submitted for an appraised value limitation on qualified property for Bright Arrow Solar LLC, in accordance with Chapter 313 of Texas Tax Code. Powell, Youngblood & Taylor has represented the district in legal matters related to all Chapter 313 agreements sought thus far from SSISD for solar farms.
PYT has assisted the district in drafting of all legal documents relating to the completion of an Agreement for Limitation on Appraised Value under Chapter 313 of the Texas Tax Code, including submission of all documents to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts as required. The firm utilizes expert consulting services of Region 12 Education Service Center for a school finance impact study. All fees for legal services and the impact study come from the $75,000 application fee the Chapter 313 applicant is required to pay.
The completed application is to be submitted to the Comptroller, once all portions are determined to be complete and correct. The Comptroller then would determined whether the project qualifies for a Chapter 313 tax agreement. Total investment for the project is cited at $275 million.
The request is for a 10-year limitation on taxable property value for maintenance and operations purposes, but would be fully taxable on the interest and sinking (debt service) portion of the tax rate, according to the proposal submitted to the SSISD school board Monday.
If the application is approved by Feb. 2021, the proposed project would be for a 300 MW/AC facility, with construction projected to begin in June 2021 and be completed by December 2022.
Bright Arrow Solar LLC, according to the proposal submitted to the school district, will be comprised of approximately 867,000 photovoltaic panels and 85 central inverters and is being developed by RWE Renewables Americas, LLC.
Up to 300 people could be employed during the construction process. The project is to be completed and begin commercial operations on Dec. 31, 2022. Once constructed, however, 2 qualifying full-time employees would be hired to maintain the solar farm. The district would be required to waive the 10 job minimum required for Chapter 313 agreements. The project would be valued at $25 million beginning in 2023 and would fully go back on the tax rolls in 2033.
Supplemental payments, which are not subject to recapture, may be made to the district in lieu of taxation. The statutory maximum would be $100 per average daily attendance per year. Depending on the net tax benefit, the district could potentially receive supplemental payments for up to 15 years. If the district has an ADA of 4,069.421, that could generate up to $406,942 a year, for a potential supplemental payment of up to $6,104,131 over a 15-year period, according to data provided.
The district only agreed Monday to accept and review the application for completeness, so that it can be submitted to Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Should the review period take more than 150 days, the superintendent is authorized to extend the review period. Once the Comptroller’s findings are returned. The district then will be asked consider approving the tax incentive for the project.
As has been the case with the Solemio solar project proposed in Arbala and Hopkins Energy solar project planned in Dike, KE Andrews will represent the project developers, listed in the application as RWE Renewables, a company with an Austin address.
The project developer also plans to ask Hopkins County Commissioners Court and Hopkins County Hospital District to consider granting tax abatements for 2023-2032, if the project is developed in Hopkins County.
If a Comptroller approved Chapter 313 agreement is not approved for Hopkins County, RWE Renewables would funnel funding planned for the project to another area, likely one of several states in which the business has previously successfully constructed solar projects.
Hopkins County Tax Rate, Budget Approved
Hopkins County Commissioners Court Monday unanimously approved the adoption of the tax rate, salaries for elected officials, and the 2020-21 budget as proposed on Sept. 14.
The Commissioners Court approved a 2 percent salary increase for elected officials and all county employees, as well as an additional $25 in longevity pay for employees after they have been with the county for two year. The raises and longevity increases are within what County Judge Robert Newsom Robert Newsom calls a “conservative budget.”
A public hearing for the proposed 2020-21 county budget, a balanced budget, was conducted.
Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook submitted a few changes to the originally proposed county budget, which was posted on the county website.
After adjustments for monthly expenses, the Civic Center Manager requested the facility’s machinery and equipment budget be changed from $8,000 to $8,600 and the special projects fund increase from $56,000 to $64,892, Aulsbrook reported.
“Also, I had a change on the Elections budget for the software maintenance. Proposed was $18,880 and her invoices that are coming in showed that she needed more, so we raised it to $20,366,” Aulsbrook reported.
“We have purchased some additional equipment,” County Clerk Tracy Smith said.
Aulsbrook said the changes are still within the county budget for 2020-21.
“The only fund that we may need to discuss is road and bridge. It’s within budget by $926. We’re bringing in more than what’s budgeted. We need to discuss later on the rollover, whether we are going to continue that. I know y’all wanted to continue it this year, but moving forward, we need to talk about that.”
“This budget will raise more money from property taxes from last year’s budget. The amount of $425,410, which is a 3.4 percent increase from last year’s budget. All of the funds are within budget,” Aulsbrook.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley pointed out and Aulsbrook affirmed the increase in projected overall tax revenues is not due to an increase in the tax rate, but can be attributed to an increase in property values, which the commissioners court and county other elected county officials have no control over.
Bartley made the motion, which was seconded by Precinct 1 Commission Mickey Barker, to approve the budget as proposed with the noted revisions. The measure received unanimous approval of all 4 commissioners and the county judge.
The Commissioners Court also unanimously approved on the motion by Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Anglin and a second by Bartley, to adopt a 2020-21 county tax rate of $0.624892 per $100 property value, as recommended by County Tax Collector/Assessor Debbie Mitchell.
The county will allocate $0.546892 of that tax for maintenance and operations and the remaining $0.078 toward principal and interest on debts. As mentioned by Aulsbrook, that tax rate will remain the same, but will generate more in revenues than during the 2019-2020 year.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs Appoints New Healthcare Foundation Director
By Holly Ragan, Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
Sulphur Springs, Texas, September 15, 2020 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs and the Board of Directors of Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Shannon Barker as the organization’s Foundation Director. Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to fundraising in support of patient care of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs and the residents of Hopkins County.
“We’re exceptionally pleased that Shannon has taken on this leadership role,” said Paul Harvey, Administrator of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs. “Her infectious enthusiasm and commitment to building relationships throughout the Sulphur Springs community is important and at the core of everything we do.”
CHRISTUS Health Vice President of Philanthropy for Northeast Texas, Louisiana and Southeast Texas, Scott Fossey shared, “Shannon’s innate nature to develop genuine relationships throughout Hopkins county coupled with her desire to share the latest innovative projects of our CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs will give the community opportunity to support important health care initiatives that will benefit the patients and families of this region for decades.”
“Speaking on behalf of the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation Board, we are truly excited about Shannon’s vision and excitement to raise funds for our local hospital,” said Leesa Toliver, Foundation Board Chair. “We are all committed to partnering with Shannon to build on the past successes of fundraising so our local hospital will continue to offer exceptional health care to the people of our community.”
Shannon Barker and her family moved to Sulphur Springs in 2016 and fell in love with the community that welcomed them warmly. She immediately pursued service with local organizations: Mother’s Culture Club, PTO at Travis Primary and Sulphur Springs ISD strategic planning.
With an early career in workforce development consulting, Shannon has studied interpersonal behavior across corporate and altruistic America, leading improvement efforts and contributing on various projects with both Fortune 500 companies and government organizations.
Shannon earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Studies at TCU in Fort Worth. Post collegiate, Shannon served as the Business Manager and Senior Consultant for a boutique-consulting firm in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with clients spanning the country and many abroad.
Shannon believes, “Finding, fostering and cultivating rich communication with persons who care about the wellness of Sulphur Springs and the progress of this community [will be] key.” The Director of the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation position is the perfect fit to continue that work and utilize her skills in event planning, relationship development and community building. She is delighted to step into a position and team that is already highly functioning and successful and hopes to carry on the work and legacy of the people that have come before her.
About Hopkins County Health Care Foundation
Health Care Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1997 and was organized to secure funds from individuals, businesses and corporations, to provide, promote, maintain and improve the continual growth of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.
Two Hunt County Men Arrested On Oak Avenue On Possession Charges
September 15, 2020 – Two Hunt County men were arrested on Oak Avenue on possession charges Monday night. Two others were arrested on warrants related to controlled substance charges.
Oak Avenue Arrests
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Elijah Fite and Sgt. Tanner Steward reported stopping a Nissan Maxima at 11 p.m. Sept. 14 on Oak Avenue at Jefferson Street for failing to signal the required distance prior to turning and no license plate light.
Upon contact with the driver, identified as 32-year-old John David Sampson of Greenville, and passenger, a 38-year-old Caddo Mills man, deputies alleged they could smell a strong marijuana odor emitting from the car. They were asked to exit the car.
As the passenger stepped out, Fite alleged seeing a small clear bag containing marijuana. He was asked to open his mouth; the deputy observed a green, leafy substance in his mouth. He was placed into handcuffs.
A records check showed Sampson to be wanted in Hunt County on a manufacture or delivery of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. Sampson was placed in handcuffs.
A probable cause search of the car allegedly revealed a small yellow bag containing a clear crystal-like substance in a compartment above the rear view mirror. Sampson was placed under arrest and transported to jail by HCSO Deputy Justin Wilkerson.
The clear, crystal-like substance, which weighed 2.1 grams, field-tested positive for methamphetamine, resulting in Sampson being charged at the jail on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. He remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, Sept. 15. Bond was set at $15,000 on the Hopkins county possession charge and $75,000 on the Hunt County charge.
The passenger allegedly claimed ownership of an empty hypodermic needle found in a bag in the vehicle during the search. He was taken into custody and transported by Sgt. Tanner Steward to the county jail. The passenger was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. He remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning on the charge.
Jail Transfer
HCSO Deputy Elijah Fite traveled to Denton County jail, where he took Johnny Ray Cason Jr. into custody at 3:37 p.m. Sept. 14, 2020.
Fite transported the 29-year-old The Colony resident to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked on a warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Cason remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, Sept. 15 on the charge.
I-30 Traffic Stop
HCSO Deputy Thomas Patterson reported stopping a 37-year-old Dallas man at mile marker 126 on Interstate 30 at 11:54 p.m. Sept. 14 because the Chevrolet Malibu he was driving did not have an operational license plate light and for disregarding an official traffic control device. A records check showed the man to be wanted for violation of parole, which he was on for possession of a dangerous drug. He was jailed on the warrant, 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.
Armyworms: What To Do If You Find Them
By Mario Villarino, DVM, Ph.D., Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag, NR
According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, hay fields with a dense canopy and vigorous plant growth are often more susceptible to armyworm infestations than less intensely fertilized and managed fields. Irrigated fields are also susceptible to fall armyworm infestations, especially during drought conditions.
Monitor volunteer wheat and weedy grasses in ditches and around fields which may be a source of armyworms that can move into the adjacent crop. Look for fall armyworm larvae feeding in the crop canopy during the late evening and early morning and during cool, cloudy weather.
During hot days, look for armyworms low in the canopy or even on the soil surface where they hide under loose soil and fallen leaves. A sweep net is very effective for sampling hay fields for fall armyworms. When fields are wet with dew, armyworms can stick on rubber boots worn while walking through the field. Small larvae chew the green layer from the leaves and leave a clearing or “window pane” effect and later notch the edges of leaves.
The key to managing fall armyworms is frequent inspection of fields to detect fall armyworm infestations before they have caused economic damage. Once larvae are greater than ¾-inch long, the quantity of foliage they eat increases dramatically. During their final 2-3 days of feeding, armyworms consume 80% of the total foliage consumed during their entire development.
The density of armyworms sufficient to justify insecticide treatment depends on the stage of crop growth and value of the crop. Seedling plants can tolerate fewer armyworms than established plants. Infestations of more than 2-3 armyworms (1/2 inch or longer) per square foot may justify an insecticide application. If practical, apply insecticides early in the morning or late in the evening when armyworm larvae are most active and therefor most likely to come into contact with the insecticide spray.
If the field is near harvest, an early harvest, rather than an insecticide treatment, is an option. Parasitic wasps and flies, ground beetles, and insect viruses help suppress armyworm numbers. However, these natural enemies can be overwhelmed when large numbers of migrating moths move into an area and weather conditions favor high survival of eggs and larvae.
There are several products labelled for armyworm control. IF you find more than 3 caterpillars per square feet of pasture or hay meadow do not delay and treat the area. Due to the fast growing speed (few days) of these caterpillars the damage might be quick.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Age Ranges Of COVID-19 Patients Reported Sept. 14, Along With Daily Case Updates for Hopkins County
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials today, along with the daily case counts provided an updates report regarding ages of COVID-19 patients in Hopkins County.
As of Monday, people ages ages 61 and older made up the 22 percent of Hopkins County residents ho have tested positive for COVID-19, the largest percentage of any of the groups. In second were people ages 31-40. Tied for third largest group at 14 percent each was the group consisting of people ages 21-30 and ages 51-60. People age 51-50 make up 13 percent of the COVID-19 cases among Hopkins County residents on Sept. 14, followed by Hopkins County residents ages 11-20 at 12 percent. Children ages 1-10 years account for the final 6 percent of Hopkins County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.
While there have been no new cases reported Sept. 14, HC/SSEM reported 7 additional people have recovered from COVID-19, since Friday. That’s 23 recoveries reported so far this month. Overall, that’s 217 of the 281 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 since March have recovered.
The 7 recoveries reported Sept. 14 reduce the number of active cases among Hopkins County residents to 62.
Two fewer patients were reported to be in the COVID-19 unit at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital on Monday than the four reported on Friday, Sept. 11. That’s the fewest number reported in the COVID unit so far this month, according to the updates provided by HC/SSEM during their Monday-Friday updates.
From Sept. 7-Sept. 12, there were 319 COVID-19 tests conducted during the free testing offered at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center.
As of Sept. 13, there were no active COVID-19 cases among enrolled students or employees at Hopkins County child care centers.
There also were no active cases at Sulphur Springs assisted living facilities as of Aug. 31, the most recent data available provided by Texas Health and Human Services. There continued to be two active COVID-19 cases among employees at Carriage House Manor on Aug. 31, HHS reported.
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 |
