Hopkins County Gardening In July
By Bob Suson, Hopkins County Master Gardener
The spring was probably the wettest spring vegetable gardening in our memory; the changes that have occurred are beginning to show up. If you experienced less than desirable results, July is time to start to plan on what you want or need to change.
Low spots that hold water areas that is too shady for plants to grow and don’t produce to their potential, these are suggestion areas that could be a problem. The rain will stop sometime in the near future; our lawns’ and trees’ and other plants’ needs will change, keep an eye out for changes that indicate a need for more water and other needs.
October will be the time to do soil tests; that should give you time to amend the soil for peak performance in next spring’s gardening, lawns, trees and other plants you may have that may require different soil amendments.
It may be a time to consider Solarizing: Solarization is a simple method to reduce harmful soil organisms, like weeds, nematodes, insects and soil-borne diseases, which will help your vegetables and flowers grow and produce better. Research has shown that increased vegetable yields gained by solarization are greater than what would be expected from just destroying insect and disease-causing pests. No one is quite sure exactly why this is true, but results consistently show increased yields. There is evidence that nitrogen is more readily available to plants. And, beneficial soil organisms can be favored by solarization.
The process works by simply trapping the heat of the sun under clear plastic to heat-up the upper layer of the soil, where most of your plant’s roots are located. To solarize your garden or flower bed, first prepare the soil. Eliminate all weeds and old garden plants. Next, rototill the soil as deeply as possible to produce a uniform soil texture. If your soil is too dry to easily work, irrigate, wait a few days and then rototill.
Tira News – July 8, 2020
By Jan Vaughn
We want to express our appreciation to all of those who have sent contributions for the upkeep of the Tira Cemetery. We hope to see you at the homecoming next July.
Billy Moss reports that he and “Cinda Moss celebrated [their] wedding
anniversary on July 4th alone at Cooper Lake Dam, watching the sun go down.” He added that they’ve been together 22 years and have been married for 3 years.
Billy, also, shared, “Mamie Jo Garner [Billy’s mother] will get a new pacemaker soon. Keep us all in prayer.”
Morgan Joslin, our grandson, came for a visit on Saturday, June 28th. He spent some time with his brothers, Kenden and Landon, and their families, and with us that afternoon. He, also, visited Chuck and Karen Olmsted, and then came back to have supper with us before returning to his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Our great-grandsons, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden Joslin, spent Saturday afternoon with us, and then their family celebrated the 4th with brisket and all the trimmings and fireworks that night.
Grace, Chip, and I practiced social distancing and watched fireworks on the
Capitol 4 th television presentation. It was very beautiful.
I guess that most Tira residents stayed home, too. I don’t have much to report this week.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-438-6688 or [email protected]
Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report – July 2020
The following Manager’s Report was presented July 7, 2020, to Sulphur Springs City Council by City Manager Marc Maxwell.
COVID-19 RESPONSE
• Most City Offices have reopened. Police Department, Fire Department, Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant remain closed. The Municipal Library has reopened.
• Police and Fire continue to implement new procedures for dealing with persons suspected of COVID-19.
• Police and Fire employees still have their temperature taken when arriving at work.
• Department Heads, the City Manager and the Mayor meet each week (virtually) to coordinate our efforts.
• We are all wearing masks now.
GRAYS BUILDING
The Capital Construction Division has begun preparing the pad site for the Grays building. I expect to hire a construction manager this week. The manager will prepare and receive all bids and manage the day to day construction of the project. Each contract for foundation, structural, HVAC, roof, etc., will be a prime contract with the city. City staff will perform all dirt work, construct all sidewalks and on-street parking. Staff will also perform all plumbing and electrical work.
SENIOR CITIZENS BUILDING
I expect to sign a contract for architectural services later this week.
BELLVIEW STREET
Atmos is still replacing their gas line on this project. I don’t expect Atmos to be finished for 30 days. Suddenlink and Frontier also need to move a
portion of their lines. I expect this to be a problem.
MCCANN STREET – HOLIDAY DRIVE
We have decided to proceed with this project, and staff is currently preparing to begin construction.
CONNALLY STREET
Construction continues on the sidewalk on the south side of Connally Street. We should finish in July!
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
The Street Improvement Program (SIP) is completed. Below is a list of streets which were paved this year. Only the north-bound lane of Mockingbird was paved. This was according to plan. Fortunately the SIP came in a bit under budget, so we pave the south-bound lane of Mockingbird later this year. The SIP is funded by a combination of General Fund revenues and the Street Maintenance Fee on the water bill. Streets funded by the Street Maintenance fee are highlighted in yellow.
CLAIMS
We did not receive and liability claims in June.
We had 3 workers compensation claims in June. All 3 claims were from police officers. Thankfully, all 3 injuries were minor.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
Finance Director Lesa Smith will give a year-to-date report of revenues and expenditures.
MISCELLANEOUS
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Fertilized all athletic fields.
- Prepared baseball fields for local league play.
- Hosted a 34-team tournament.
- Replaced 17 parking and sidewalk lights at Coleman Park.
- Built stages for two events.
- Performed 12 major street repairs following utility repairs.
- Patched 157 potholes.
- Trimmed South Town Branch.
- Made drainage improvements on CR 2307.
- Installed “No Truck” signs on Whitworth.
- Shredded areas around Lake Sulphur Springs and the Airport.
- Made drainage repairs on Ryan Road and Van Sickle.
- Repaired the beacon light at the airport.
- Responded to 167 calls for fire/rescue including 0 structure fires and 2 vehicle fires and 5 grass fires.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 88 fire hydrants.
- Upgraded lighting in the truck bay at Fire Station #2
- Responded to 164 animal control calls and achieved an 89% adoption rate.
- Made 2 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit.
- Responded to 44 accidents, wrote 443 citations, recorded 51 offenses, made 48 arrests, and responded to 2,025 calls for service.
- Treated wastewater to a daily average total suspended solids count of .32 mg/L.
- Repaired 7 water main breaks and replaced 10 water meters.
- Unstopped 13 sewer mains.
- Repaired 5 sewer mains.
- Washed 85,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Treated 166 million gallons of potable water.
- Sold 2,806 gallons of AvGas and 7,017 gallons of JetA fuel.
- Conducted 32 building inspections, 17 electrical inspections, 28 plumbing inspections, and issued 20 building permits.
- Checked out 2,780 items from the library and an additional 755 eBooks.
- Accommodated 522 computer users at the Library.
Sulphur Springs Country Club Hosting NTPGA Junior Tour Event Thursday
Sulphur Springs Country Club will be hosting a NTPGA (Northern Texas Section PGA) Junior Tour tournament Thursday, July 9, beginning at 8 a.m.
Youth golfers between the ages of 11 and 18 will be playing in the Medalist Tour or the Prep Tour.Categories include boys 11-12, boys 13-14, boys 15-18. girls 13-14 and girls 15-18.
Players from Sulphur Springs include Mariam Tran, Tatum Tran, Kipper Childress, McKenna Meskimen and Grant Mohesky.
Players will also represent Rockwall, Heath, Longview, Allen, Mount Pleasant, Hideaway, Tyler, Lindale, Paris, Waxahachie, Crandall, Kaufman, Bullard, Plano, The Colony, Forney, Blossom, Corsicana, Hallsville and McCaskill, Arkansas.
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.
Dallas Man Served With Warrants Related To June 29 Pursuit
Hopkins County – July 9, 2020 – A 23-year-old Dallas man was served with warrants alleging additional offenses related to a June 29 vehicle pursuit, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff‘s Deputy Thomas Patterson served Demondre Deshawn Holiness at 2 p.m. July 7, 2020 with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and tampering with evidence warrants.
Holiness was alleged to have been driving a stolen BMW on Interstate 30 east near Cumby,TX on July 29. When officers attempted to stop him near mile marker 110 the BMW did not immediately pull to the improved shoulder. When a deputy initiated his vehicle’s siren, the vehicle was driven at an increased speed and began making evasive maneuvers in what officers believed was an attempt to evade law enforcement, according to arrest reports.
He was accused of nearly striking a deputy in his effort to avoid striking spike sticks near the 117 mile marker. Holiness ended up on the south service road and took Business Highway 67 east, according to deputies.
The vehicle was reportedly recovered in the 1200 block of Kendal Lane after citizens contacted dispatchers about it. Holiness allegedly exited the car on foot and was identified by witnesses as the driver of the stolen vehicle. The 23-year-old Dallas man’s cell phone was also allegedly still connected to the stolen vehicle’s bluetooth radio system, further linking him to the vehicle.
Holiness was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, according deputies wrote in June 29 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.
Como Man Arrested On Child Pornography Warrant
A 30-year-old Como man was arrested on a child pornography warrant early July 7, 2020. The arrest is part of ongoing investigations into allegations of internet crimes against children.
As part of officials’ response to a rise in cases involving internet crimes against children over the last 4-6 months, three search warrants were obtained for three Hopkins County addresses. The warrants were executed June 25 according to Corley Weatherford, chief investigator for Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office
During the searches, officials seized a number of electronic items. Forensic investigations were conducted on everything seized.
Based on the evidence recovered a warrant was obtained for Justin Andrew Crump’s.
Crump was located at his place of work and taken into custody at 1:48 a.m. July 7 by HCSO Sgt. Shea Shaw and day shift deputies on the possession or promotion of child pornography warrant.
The 30-year-old Como man was interviewed at the sheriff’s office and allegedly confessed.
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.
SCU Investigation Results In Arrest
July 8, 2020 – A SCU investigation resulted in the arrest Tuesday evening of a Sulphur Springs man on one controlled substance and tampering with evidence charges, and two warrants.
Sulphur Springs Police Special Crimes Unit began an investigation of Jackson Blaze Gilreath for suspected narcotic possession or distribution. During the investigation the SCU investigators purchased narcotics then obtained warrants for the 24-year-old Sulphur Springs man’s arrest.
SCU Sgt. Joe Scott on July 7, 2020 reported seeing Gilreath sitting in a vehicle outside of his residence. When Scott attempted to serve the felony warrants, Gilreath ran around the side of a vehicle, reaching near his pocket as he did, Scott alleged in arrest reports. Gilreath then reportedly returned to the back of the vehicle and was taken into custody.
Officers alleged finding a syringe and hide-a-key box that contained suspected methamphetamine and Xanax. Officers believed Gilreath discarded the contraband in an attempt to hide it from the investigator.
Consequently, Gilreath was arrested for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence, in addition warrants for manufacture of delivery of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance and manufacture or delivery of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, 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.
Free Walk-Up COVID-19 Testing Offered Today
Free walk-up COVID-19 testing is currently being offered at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. Testing started at 9 a.m. today (July 8).
No pre-registration is required, just show up and walk up to the testing site.
Testing is scheduled through 4 p.m., however, test administrators only have enough oral swabs to conduct 300 tests. So tests will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis, until the end of the testing period or until they run out – whichever occurs first. Thus, those planning to be tested at the walk-up collection site are encouraged to do so early, Hopkins County Emergency Management officials reported this morning.
The testing will be offered free to the public. However, those tested will need to have continued access to a phone as results will be returned either by phone call or message.
2 Sulphur Springs Men Jailed Twice In 2 Weeks
Two Sulphur Springs men were jailed Tuesday for the second time in 2 weeks, according to jail and arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies Kevin Lester and Justin Wilkerson were made aware a wanted person was at a South League Street address. Upon arrival, they reported finding 37-year-old Cameron Clay Fountain and 29-year-old Jose Ismael Cuevas standing outside with other people.
Both men were positively identified. A warrant was confirmed and both were taken into custody at 6:47 p.m. July 7, 2020.
Both men were booked into Hopkins County jail on a forgery charge, marking the second time they’ve been in custody in 2 weeks. They were arrested June 28 on a possession of controlled substance charge.
Sulphur Springs Police found them walking away from an address where a disturbance had been reported at approximately 2:30 p.m. June 28. The pair was observed removing a backpack and placing it a short distance away from them, SSPD Officer Adrian Pruitt alleged in the June 28 arrest reports.
One of the two men allegedly admitted there was marijuana inside the bag. A probable cause search of the bag allegedly revealed not only suspected marijuana, but also a baggy containing a white crystal-like substance the officers believed was methamphetamine, Pruitt alleged in arrest reports. Both reportedly denied ownership of the substance and were arrested. They were released from jail June 30 on a $5,000 bond, according to jail reports.
The July 7 arrest marked the third time this year that Cuevas has been jailed in Hopkins County. He was arrested February 11 on five misdemeanor traffic charges, according to jail 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.
City National Bank Again Restricting Access To Lobby Services In All Branches
As of July 8th, 2020, City National Bank will once again restrict access to any lobby in their branches. Those customers with any business that requires being in the lobby, may call that branch for an appointment. All drive thru locations will be open regular hours. Customers are also encouraged to use online tools or CNB’s digital app as well as ATMs.
This action is to better ensure the health and safety of the customers and employees of City National Bank.
