Volleyball and Tennis on Tap This Game Day Tuesday
On this game day Tuesday (September 29), there is Lady Cats Volleyball and Wildcats and Lady Cats Tennis on the schedule.
The Lady Cats Volleyball Team, who are 3-5 this season, were to be playing in only their third home game of the still-young regular season. Unfortunately for the Lady Cats, the Mount Pleasant varsity team has been quarantined. There will, however, be junior varsity games played at 4:30 P.M. and 5:30 P.M., according to Lady Cat Coach Bailey Dorner.
Meanwhile the Wildcats and Lady Cats Tennis Team will be competing at Pine Tree HS at 4 P.M. for a district match between the two teams.
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 Team Tennis Topples Pine Tree in Longview, 14-5
LONGVIEW — Wildcats Team Tennis beat Pine Tree in Longview on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, 14-5.
Wildcats Tennis coach Tony Martinez believes the win over the district rival Pirates will earn the Wildcats a playoff spot.
Coach Martinez’s squad is now 2-2 in district play and 3-2 overall. The Wildcats will again face the Pirates as they host Pine Tree in Sulphur Springs on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020.
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.
Texas Conference For Employers Hosting Lunchtime Live
Texas Conference for Employers will be hosting Lunchtime Live, a series of 90-minute sessions on a variety of topics related to employment law, Texas Workforce Commission announced. One two different days each month through the end of the year a lunch session will be offered.
The schedule, topics and registration links include:
October 1: Click here to REGISTER
- COVID-19 Paid Leave-Related Laws
- Privacy in the Workplace
- Unemployment Claims and Employer Chargeback Liability
- Payroll Tax 101 discussion
October 15: Click here to REGISTER
- Unemployment Claims: General Overview for Employers
- Unemployment Taxes: Chargeback and Reimbursing Employers
- Best Practices for Maintaining a Safe Workplace
- Payroll Tax 101 discussion
November 5: Click here to REGISTER
- Policies and Procedures during COVID-19
- Allowable Workplace Health Screens & Medical Exams
- We Hire Vets’ Recognition
- Payroll Tax 101 discussion
November 19: Click here to REGISTER
- Labor Market Update
- TWC’s Shared Work Program
- Managing Employees Working Remotely
- Payroll Tax 101 discussion
December 3: Click here to REGISTER
- Workers’ Compensation and Covid-19
- Civil Rights in the Workplace
- Governor’s Office of Economic Development
- Employer Commissioner Update/Deadline dates for end and beginning of the year
December 17: Click here to REGISTER
- Employer Recognitions
- 2 – 30-minute Keynote speakers
Texas Workforce Commission’s Office of the Commissioner Representing Employers sponsors the Texas Conference for Employers, a series of employer seminars held each year throughout the state. Employers who attend the seminars learn about state and federal employment laws and the unemployment claim and appeal process. TWC assemble the agency’s best speakers to guide employers through ongoing matters of concern to Texas them and to answer any questions they have regarding their business.
Libertarian Lou Antonelli Seeking Texas 4th Congressional District Seat
A meet and greet was hosted over the weekend at The Magic Scoop in Sulphur Springs for Lou Antonelli, who is the Libertarian candidate running for Texas 4th Congressional District seat, a seat held by John Ratcliffe until he was confirmed as the Director of National Intelligence.
Antonelli faces Democrat Russell Foster and Republican Pat Fallon, who currently serves Senate District 30 and was elected last month by a Republican Congressional District Executive Committee to replace Ratcliffe on the November ballot, in the November election for District 4.
Antonelli lives in Clarksville in Red River County, where he and his wife own The Clarksville Times. He is the managing editor, and has been a community journalist for 40 years.
He told KSST he chose Sulphur Springs to start holding events due to it’s location in the middle of Congressional District 4, which spans from Collin County to Texarkana.
Antonelli said he wants to bring fresh blood to the political system and, if elected, plans to serve one term in office. He said he believes in the Libertarian platform of limited government, including lower taxation, and less government infringement on personal liberties.
Sept. 29 COVID-19 Update: 7 New Cases, 21 Recoveries, Update On Age Percentages
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials reported 7 new COVID-19 cases and 21 recoveries on Sept. 29. A breakdown of Hopkins County COVID-19 cases by age percentages was also provided by the Local Health Authority and the emergency management officials.
That’s three fewer cases than were reported on Monday, which included any new cases reported to HC/SSEM officials since their report Friday afternoon. That brings the total number of new positive COVID-19 cases reported to 114 in September, with just one day left in the month.
The 21 recoveries reported Tuesday increases the monthly total so far to 84 Hopkins County residents who have recovered from novel coronavirus 2019, and bumps the cumulative total of recoveries since March to 280.
The recoveries also help reduce the active COVID-19 case count among Hopkins County residents from 91 to 77. The cumulative case count since March is 357 COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County.
HC/SSEM officials also reported that there were 16 patients in the COVID-19 Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs, one less than on Sept. 28. The COVID-19 Unit patient count has remained a double digit since Sept. 21. Prior to that, the most patients local officials had reported in that department at CMFH-SS since they began reporting the hospital information in the last few months.
The local emergency management officials reported 70 COVID-19 tests were performed on Monday at the free COVID-19 testing site offered at the County Annex Building. That’s 121 tests conducted since the free tests were offered at the site Friday afternoon, Sept. 25.
COVID-19 Case Counts By Age Percentages
Also compiled using information from the Local Health Authority were statistics regarding the ages of Hopkins County COVID-19 patients. This data has been provide once every 2 weeks and is based on cumulative case counts since March.
Adults ages 61 and older have continued to represent the highest percentage of Hopkins County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19. Overall, 27 percent of all Hopkins County residents who’ve had COVID-19 since March were age 61 years or older, that’s a 5 percent increase over the Sept. 1 and Sept. 14 reports.
The next largest percentage of increase from Sept. 1 to Sept. 29 was in youth ages 11-20. This group comprised 10 percent of the overall COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County on Sept. 1, 12 percent on Sept. 15 and 15 percent on 15 percent on Sept. 29.
The biggest decrease was in patients ages 31-40, declining from 19 percent of the overall residents who’d had COVID-19 on Sept. 1 to 18 percent on Sept. 14 and accounting for only 15 percent of overall COVID-19 patients on Sept. 29.
Hopkins County residents ages 21-30 made up 12 percent of the cumulative number of COVID-19 patients on Sept. 29, down from 14 percent the two previous reporting periods.
Adults ages 41 to 50 continued to represent 13 percent of the overall COVID-19 cases, a decline of only 1 percent from Sept. 1.
Adults ages 51-60 accounted for 13 percent of the COVID-19 cases among Hopkins County residents, a decline of 1 percent in each of the last 2 reporting periods.
Children ages 1-10 accounted for the remaining 5 percent of COVID-19 cases among Hopkins County residents as of Sept. 29. That’s a 1 percent decline from the two previous reporting periods.
HHS Case Counts For Hopkins County
Texas Health and Human Services on Tuesday, Sept. 29, reported there were 15 active employee and 16 active resident COVID-19 cases at Carriage House Manor on Sept. 15. Four employees were also reported to have recovered and one resident of Carriage House Manor Had recovered from COVID-19. Coupled with the three employees of Sulphur Springs Health and Rehab who have long recovered from COVID-19, that makes 22 employees and 16 residents of Sulphur Springs nursing homes who have tested positive for COVID-19 from March-Sept. 15, according to the Sept. 29 HHS nursing home report.
There were no active COVID-19 cases reported on Sept. 15 at Sulphur Springs assisted living facilities, only the 4 employees and 7 residents of Wesley House facilities who have in the past contracted COVID-19, according to the HHS Sept. 29 assisted living facility report.
HHS also showed no active COVID-19 cases among Hopkins County licensed child care centers, school-age programs, and before and after-school programs on Sept. 28. All five facilities in Hopkins County — Little Texans Learning Center, Sulphur Springs Christian Preschool, His Kids Learning Center, Annekes Preschool and Water Oak Preschool — have had at least one employee who has tested positive for COVID-19 since March but recovered. Little Texans has had 2 employees who had COVID-19 but have recovered. His Kids Learning Center is the only program that has reported a student has had and recovered from COVID-19, according to the Sept. 29 HHS child care center report.
Strides For Blue 122 On Their Walk To Dallas
The Strides For Blue 122 organization is making it’s way through Hopkins County on their journey from Mt. Pleasant to Dallas. The walking trip, a distance of 122 miles, is to educate, train and advocate for the prevention of PTSD and suicide for all First Responders, Veterans and their families. Their journey started on September 28th in Mount Pleasant and should take five days to reach Dallas. Supporters from all of the country have come in to join in this walk and to support their cause. If you are in the Sulphur Springs vicinity between 3pm and 4pm today (September 29th) you will find them on the service road headed west.
The “Strides For Blue 122” is part of Code 9 Project, a national organization. You can find out more about their services at: https://thecode9project.org/strides-for-blue-122.html
3 Jailed On Controlled Substance Charges Monday
Three people were jailed on controlled substance charges Monday, Sept. 28, and 3 others on controlled substance or related charges from Sept. 25-28, according to arrest reports.
Houston Street Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chris Baumann and Sgt. Tanner Steward arrested 2 Sulphur Springs women around 7:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 on controlled substance charge.
(HCSO jail photo)
The deputies reported stopping 48-year-old Carrie Elizabeth Vaughan at 7:38 p.m. on Houston Street at South Davis Street for failing to signal 100 feet prior to a turn. She agreed to an officer search the Pontiac Solstice.
When asked to step out of the car to wait, she attempted to take a purse with her; she was asked to leave it in the car, according to arrest reports. The passenger in the car, 24-year-old Rebekah Liann Feagan, also was asked to exit the vehicle.
Officers allegedly found a glass pipe with suspected methamphetamine inside of a make-up bag on the passenger floorboard and a small bag with a crystal-like substance the deputy believed to be methamphetamine in the black purse left on the driver’s seat. Both women reportedly claimed the make-up bag. Vaughan claimed the purse but denied ownership of the substance, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
Deputies reported Feagan began making furtive movements and digging in her waistband while they finished their search of the vehicle. A scan of the area in which the woman had been detained allegedly revealed under the bumper a bag containing a scale, 3 syringes and cigarette case containing a bag with a crystal-like substance the sheriff’s office believed to be methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia.
The crystal-like substance found in the purse field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 1.221 grams, including packaging. Consequently, Vaughan was arrested for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
While Feagan was being booked into the county jail, corrections officers reported finding additional drug paraphernalia and a brown substance suspected to be heroin in a black face mask Fegan had on her. The crystal-like substance field-tested positive for meth while the brown substance field-tested positive for heroin; both weighed 0.984 grams, including packaging, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
Consequently, Feagan was booked on two possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, one each for the suspect meth and heroin, as well as for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, according to arrest reports.
Vaughan, who is also known by Elizabeth Saffel, Kerry Saffel and Carrie Vaughn, remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning. Bond on the controlled substance charge was set at $10,000, according to jail reports.
Feagan also later had a city failure to maintain financial responsibility warrant added to her list of charges. She remained in the county jail Tuesday morning in lieu of $10,000 on the tampering with evidence charge, $5,000 each on the two controlled substance charges, according to jail reports.
Mockingbird Lane Traffic Stop
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Nick Floyd stopped a Saturn VUE just after 4 p.m. Sept. 28 in the 1400 block of Mockingbird Lane for a traffic stop.
(HCSO jail photo)
A records check showed the driver, 45-year-old Christopher Lee Whitaker of Sulphur Springs, to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Whitaker was taken into custody and jailed for bond forfeiture on a manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Whitaker was originally arrested on June 27, 2019 on a manufacture or delivery warrant. He was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on State Highway 19 north. A records check revealed the warrant; he remained in Hopkins County jail until Aug. 10, 2019 on that charge, sheriff’s deputies noted in the 2019 arrest reports.
The 45-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, Sept. 45, for bond forfeiture on the charge. Whitaker’s new bond was set at $60,000, which is twice his original bond, according to jail reports.
SH 154 South Vehicle Check
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Lavender stopped to check on what appeared to him to be a running vehicle parked on the shoulder of State Highway 154 south near County Road 1174 just before 9 a.m. Sept. 25. However, upon approach, Lavender reported seeing a white male who appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat.
(HCSO jail photo)
When awakened, Lavender said he asked Russell James Whited to step out of the pickup without reaching for anything to speak to the deputy. The 48-year-old Quitman man allegedly grabbed at something on his right side multiple times. As Whited stepped out, Lavender reported seeing a glass pipe of the type used to smoke methamphetamine on the driver’s seat.
Lavender then located a zipper pouch containing a white, crystal-like substance which field-tested positive for meth and weighed 1.22 grams, including packing, on the floor behind the console during a probable cause search of the vehicle, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
Consequently, Whited was charged with possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. He was released from Hopkins County jail on Sept. 27, 2020. Bond was set at $10,000, according to jail reports.
The arrest marked the second time in just over a month Whited has spent time in Hopkins County jail on a controlled substance charge. He was arrested Aug. 20, 2020 for possession of less than 1 gram of a controlled substance after being stopped for nearly striking a sheriff’s patrol vehicle on FM 1567. He was found to be in possession of a substance that field-tested positive for meth on Aug. 20 as well, according to sheriff’s reports. He was released from Hopkins County jail Aug. 21, on a $5,000 bond on that charge, according to jail reports.
Whitworth Street Warrant Arrest
HCSO Cpl. Todd Evans and Chief Deputy Tanner Crump went to a Whitworth Street residence, where a wanted 55-year-old woman was located.
(HCSO jail photo)
The sheriff’s officer took Leanna Kay Lane Stroup into custody at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 25 and transported her to jail, where she was booked on the warrant for violation of probation, which she was on for a possession of controlled substance charge.
Stroup remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, Sept. 29, on the charge. Sept. 25 marked the second time in 2020 that she’s spent time in the county jail. She was also arrested Jan. 11 for criminal trespass, a warrant for criminal trespass and a warrant for theft of property by check. She was released from jail Feb. 5 on $1,000 bond per charge for those offense, according to jail reports.
Carter Street Warrant Arrest
Sulphur Springs Police Officers received a tip that a wanted Sulphur Springs man could be located at a Carter Street residence. Police located Jackson Blaze Gilreath and took him into custody at 7:37 p.m. Sept. 26 on four warrants, SSPD Officer Silas Whaley noted in arrest reports.
(HCSO jail photo)
Gilreath, 24, was booked into Hopkins County jail, for surety off bond on a tampering with or fabricating physical evidence charge, a manufacture or delivery of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3/4 controlled substance charge, manufacture or delivery of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
The possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence charge were alleged to have occurred and resulted in his arrest on July 8. He also was jailed in July 2020 on the two manufacture or delivery charges. He remained in the county jail until Aug. 5, according to jail reports.
Gilreath remained in Hopkins County jail Sept. 29 on the surety off bond charges. He will need to secure $60,000 in bonds in order to be released from the county jail, 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.
Hicks: Plenty in Store For the Rest of 2020
By Johanna Hicks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Family & Community Health Agent, Hopkins County
Folks who visit our office never ask if anything is going on – they ask what is going on! We always have something of interest planned for all ages. The 4-H program is off to a good start, and enrollment for the 2020/2021 year is now taking place. We have five clubs in the county. Enrollment is open to all youth grades 3 thru 12. Contact our office for information on joining.
4-H Foods & Nutrition is one of the most popular projects in Hopkins County. Recently, our 4-H Foods Project kids were given kits in leu of a face-to-face workshop. Each participant received 5 kits to take home and complete at their own pace.
Topics included:
- Set the Table/Read the Label
- Mix and Measure
- Gadgets and Gizmos
- Experimenting with Herbs and Spices
- Crockin’ Kids
Each kit provided challenges to complete at their own pace. All utensils and equipment were provided – even some spices and herbs. Through a grant, I was able to purchase a spiralizer for each participant. (If you are not familiar with that, it’s a gadget that can make noodles from spaghetti, apples, and other fruits and vegetables.) Master Wellness Volunteers assisted in preparing the kits. A survey and a check sheet for completed projects rounded out the project. From feedback received so far, the kits were a huge hit!
National 4-H Week Quickly Approaching
National 4-H Week, October 4-10, is just around the corner. Hopkins County 4-H members, parents, leaders, and supporters will celebrate with a kick-off at the Extension office on Monday, October 5. Judge Robert Newsom will be on hand to read the 4-H proclamation at 4:15, followed by refreshments and County 4-H Council and leaders/parents meeting. The new 4-H Food Show guidelines will be introduced via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. for interested 4-H’ers and leaders.
Also taking place during national 4-H Week is the Project Show. This event gives 4-H members the opportunity to showcase their talents in photography, art, woodworking, crafts, handiwork, and others. Items may be brought to the Extension office Monday thru Friday, October 5-8. Items will be judged on October 9 and on display to the public the week of October 12. Be sure to drop by and view the exhibits!
Walk & Talk
Also kicking off in October is the annual Walk & Talk event. This is an 8-week series focusing on regular physical activity and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables. Fresh Start to A Healthier You is another program that will be held on-line for viewing from the comfort of your own home. Contact my office at 903-885-3443 for more information on both of these.
Hopkins County Fall Festival
Of course, the Hopkins County Fall Festival is a popular annual event. As coordinator of the Arts & Crafts Show and the Creative Arts Contest, I encourage you to take advantage of the festivities on October 23 and 24. Other events will include a petting zoo, hay bale contest, parade, and more.
Annual Extension Christmas Joys Holiday Program
Looking to November, the ever-popular Extension Christmas Joys holiday program will be held on Monday, November 9, at the ROC (please note the change in location.) A third session has been added to accommodate physical distancing. It is shaping up to be a great program – decorating, recipes, gift-giving ideas and more! Call 903-885-3443 to reserve a seat. We must have a name and phone number for each seat reserved.
So, what’s happening with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension? Now you know!
Closing Thought
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people. – Abraham Heschel
Contact Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B W. Houston St, Sulphur Springs, TX, 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected]
Sulphur Springs Time Capsule Extraction to Take Place Oct. 3 in Heritage Park
Lyndsey Palmer, a member of the SSHS Class of 2000, tells KSST that an intermediate-age school project is about to come to completion, when a Time Capsule is unearthed in Sulphur Springs Heritage Park.
From a press release, we learned that “at 10AM on Saturday October 3, 2020, the Sulphur Springs class of 2000 plans to unearth a time capsule placed in Heritage Park in 1993. During our fifth grade year, we were at Douglas Intermediate School, and several teachers helped us students place pictures, relics, and even a VCR tape recording into the time capsule to be buried in Heritage Park. Honestly, no one really seems to remember what all is inside!” Lyndsey and fellow students are anxious to find out, and share some memories about the time capsule and the ways in which the world has changed since they graduated in 2000.
Back in their fifth grade classroom, the students voted to exhume the capsule in the year of their 20th Class Reunion. That year has arrived! But, due to Covid-19, the reunion has been postponed. However, the contents of the time capsule will be displayed at Heritage Park over the next few months where students and the public may come and view the items.
“After this, we will still take the capsule to our reunion once it’s rescheduled, but we thought that displaying at the museum during on October 3 on Indian Summer Day 2020 would allow others to see the contents as well,” Palmer said. She also hopes that one or more of the Douglas teachers will attend the unearthing event, so they can explain a bit more about how and why this happened back in 1993.
The late Bill Bradford of KSST attended the burial of the Time Capsule and even placed something inside it, to be re-discovered by a future generation. Bradford, a radio pioneer, was manager/owner of KSST for 68 years, and embraced new technology and the coming of the “Information Highway” or Internet, which changed the world for most of it’s inhabitants.
Grant Application To Pave Road Into Mine Received No Opposition At Meeting
The public meeting, conducted by the City of Sulphur Springs regarding a proposed grant application to help pave the road into the city-owned former Thermo/Luminant mine property, received no opposition.
The city posted a public notice regarding the city’s intent to apply for $2,976,960 from the Economic Development Administration Program Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, including CARES Act funding, to engineer and construct roadway into the property to provide heavy truck access as an intended Industrial Economic Development Property that is located at FM 1870 Southeast of downtown Sulphur Springs approximately 3-miles from I-30.”
A public meeting was announced and notice posted for Sept. 28 to allow anyone who might be affected by the activities in the area to express concerns and to provide information about the planned project. Mailing and email addresses were also provided for those who preferred to submit written comments as well.
While the proposal to rezone the mine property as heavy industrial was met with opposition and even an online petition, the proposal for grant funding to concrete the road into the mine did not. Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski and Finance Director Lesa Smith were present, along with Ark-Tex Council of Governments Executive Director Chris Brown and Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County EDC Executive Director Roger Feagley were present at Monday’s public meeting; no community members opted to attend the meeting.
The application for grant funding to construct the concrete road received approval of the Sulphur Springs City Council during a special meeting Sept. 22. A resolution which received full council approval authorizes the city manager, or his designee, to act on behalf of the City of Sulphur Springs to prepare and submit the $2,976,960 application for funding from the Economic Development Administration Program Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, including CARES Act funding.
Smith, on Sept. 22, explained that the city has the opportunity to apply for the EDA Public Works grants throughout the year.
“This has CARES Act funding with it. I did speak to an EDA grant representative last week and he did say wee would qualify based on the things that have happened in the economy in regards to the pandemic,” Smith told the council during the meeting, conducted via Zoom and streamed on YouTube.
“The CARES Act funding allows an 80/20 match, which gives us up to a $3 million grant amount whereas if we only did a Public Works grant we would only be eligible for $1 1/2 million. The CARES Act, given the amount of funds available, time is of essence to from what we are hearing from EDA and our ArkTex as far as trying to get this going,” Niewiadomski said at the Sept. 22 City Council meeting.
The project we would help pave 2 miles of concrete road going into the mine, off FM 1870 and going into mine. Funding is tied to economic development of some sort. This would provide opportunities for industrial development in the mine. Without the road, it will be harder to attract economic development, according to Smith.
City Manager Marc Maxwell at last week’s meeting explained there are two haul roads, one that spans east to west and the other that spans north to south. The intended road would be on top of the existing north-south road, across the railroad tracks then go on to FM 1870
“So there would be a new entrance out on 1870,” Niewiadomski said. “Rather than follow the curve parallel to the railroad track, once it crossed the railroad track it would go straight to 1870. So, it would be a shorter distance.”
