Chamber Banquet Award Recipients
February 16, 2024 – Another sell out crowd attended this year’s 97th Annual Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet. Well deserving recipients received the following awards:
- Caregiver of the Year – Jerry Pritchett
- Growth and Renewal Award – Main Street Theater
- Ambassador of the Year – Kim Beck
- Vision Award – Billie Ruth Standbridge
- Community Pride Award – Help a Child Benefit, Wade Bartley
- Educator of the Year Auxiliary – Holly Self, Nurse Como-Pickton CISD
- Para-Professional – Rowena Johnson Primary, Renee Smith
- Professional – SSHS Spanish Teacher, Renee Maeker
- Agricultural Family of the Year – Karl and Kelli Ebel
- Woman of the Year – Sharla Tanton Campbell
- Small Business of the Year – Slaughter’s Barbecue
- Large Businiss of the Year – D-6 Incorporated
- Citizen of the Year – Don Sapaugh
Survey: Bond Proposal Vote in May 2024
February 16, 2024 – A brief survey is available to provide feedback for the upcoming Bond Proposal vote on May 4, 2024. This survey is provided by KSST and is not affiliated in any way with any school district or other institution.
A link to the official ‘Bond Facts Flyer’ is provided.
Jennings Family Members Get Caught Allegedly Hiding Fugitive
February 16, 2024 – As the investigation continues into the automobile theft case reported by KSST News in early January, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputies made thier way to a residence on County Road 2300 to serve a felony warrant on Everett Jennings.
Deputies knocked on the door and received no answer although two residents could be seen walking through the house. Deputies moved to the northwest side of the residence and observed their suspect, Everett Jennings, attempting to exit the residence through a bedroom window. The suspect quickly closed the window, retreating back into the house. Deputies were then met at a south side door of the residence by Juana Jennings. She was advised by deputies that were holding a warrant for Everett Jennings. Deputies made their way into the residence making contanct with Valton Jennings.
Both Valton and Juana Jennings became combative with officers, grabbing the officers and using physical force to impede the officer’s advancement into the homestead. Officers were being prevented to make their way to the bedroom from which they saw Everett trying to exit via the window. During the scuffle, one deputy’s badge was knocked off, and another deputy’s bodycam was knocked off of his uniform. The two family members were contained and handcuffed before the deputies were able to resume their search of the residence.
Once officers were able to search the bedroom and the rest of the residence, Everett Jennings was not found and it is believed he had fled the residence during the scuffle with the family members. Deputies discovered Everett Jenning’s wallet, driver’s license, and some checks made out to Everett in the bedroom where they had previously observed him.
The two family members, Valton Jennings, and Juana Jennings were transported to the Hopkins County Jail and booked on several charges including Assault of a Public Servant, and Hindering Apprehension of a Known Felon, both felonies. Bond has not been set for either inmate on the charges as of Monday morning. Hopkins County law enforcement await Everett Jennings to turn himself in on the latest matter.
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.
Hopkins County Records – February 2024
Daily Instrument Register For 2/5/24 Thru 2/7/24
- LJ Martin Ranch LLC to Carmen Maria Cornejo and David Gerardo Cornejo; Tract in the F Marrs Survey
- Jared Robinson, Megan Self, and Shalia Self to Lavania Glenette Self; Tract in the Francis Hopkins Survey
- Eleven One Homes Series LLC to Diosdado Properties LLC; Tract in the Mary Ann Bowlin Survey
- Donald R Hales to Clifford Dean Autrey, Sheri Jo Autrey, and Diamond D Barn; Tract in the JJ Box Survey
- Judith Hudgins Also Known As Judith Ann Hudgins, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary Kevin Keith Hudgins to Tony Wallace Flippin; Tract in the Kelli Circle Survey
- Cheryl D Cook to Susan Brock Drummond; Tract in the Joseph H Simpson Survey
- Noel Sims III to Barlos R Sims; Tract in the Levi Landers Survey
- Samuel K Miller Also Known As Samuel Keith Miller to Cedar Ridge Egg Farm LLC; Tract in the William Teer Survey
- Melissa James to Jessie Lee James; Tract in the Johnson Survey
- Alexandra Jane Chapman Formerly Known As Alexandra Jane Stair to James L Chapman; Tract in the Francis Hopkins Survey
- Diego A Mendez Also Known As Diego Armondo Mendez to Cassie E Mendez Also Known As Cassie Elizabeth Mendez; Tract in the J W Hatchell Survey
Daily Instrument Register For 2/8/24 Thru 2/9/24
- Jerry F Hamlin to Patricia June Hale, Glen Hamlin, Amanda Hampton, Jake Hampton, Kathy Janway, Dylan Taylor, Beverly Tynes, and Susan Tynes; Tract in the M A Bowlin Survey
- Merit Becerril, Anna Carpenter, Leo L Carpenter, and Shannon Carptenter to Seth Gonzales; Tract in tthe Anna Lake Estates
- Kenneth R Farrow Also Known As Kenneth Ray Farrow to Leah Caitlyn Arrington; Tract in teh Lot 31 Block 1 Woodbridge Crossing Survey
- Fernando E Lira and Maria R Nunez to Chester Phillips and Jessica Phillips; Tract in the Jesse Odom Survey
- Virginia Ann Alberts to Mary Glenn and Betty Lynn Immel; Tract in the E Melton Survey
- Carmelo Lopez and Karen Sue Lopez to Frank Long and Samuel Long; Tract in the M A Bowlin Survey
Report of Marriage Documents for Hopkins County 2/2/24 Thru 2/14/24
- Bryan Scott Thomas and Angela Joy Bevill
- Salazar Edgar Silva and Trevino Jesslin Rodriguez
- Weldon James White Jessica Leeanne Brice
- Kevin Ray Keen and Jamie Kay Shobert
- Ronnie Middleton Wooten and Cheyenne Marie Gray
- Joseph Kawl Stephens Jr. and Shanelle Lanae Carlisle
- Christopher Lee Preciado and Marquez Jimena Yaqu Morua
- Dakota Alan McBride and Kaitlyn Nicole Shetler
- Bobby Dale Faulks and Herlinda Reyes Diaz
- Rodriguez Selvin M Garcia and Melva Jane Elizondo
SSISD Bond Election set for May 4
Dr. Deana Steeber discusses the upcoming $157 million bond election for two new schools and the renovation of three others with KSST’s John Mark Dempsey.
Plans Underway for the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation’s First MAN Bingo
February 15, 2024 – Sulphur Springs, TX –
The Hopkins County Health Care (HCHC) Foundation is planning the first Man Bingo, to be called Mingo, featuring prizes that guys (and gals) will be excited to win. The big night will happen on Thursday, April 18.
Sponsorships are available now with reserved tables for 8 going on sale on March 23, and individual tickets, if seats are available, will be available on April 1. Designer Handbag Bingo sells out quickly and the same is anticipated for this male-focused offering.
“We are thrilled to be offering an event targeted at men, but most importantly we are over the moon to use the proceeds to impact men’s health locally,” shared Foundation Chair Maleta Reynolds. She added, “The Foundation Board of Directors has voted to use the proceeds to fund heart calcification tests for Hopkins County men.”
This is a full-circle moment for the HCHC Foundation as one of the CT Scanners used for the testing was partly funded by the Foundation in 2021.
There are two sponsorship levels, $2,500 and $1,500. Those two sponsorship levels include tickets for eight players at a reserved table. Two additional sponsorship levels, $500 and $250, are for prize sponsorships only, with no tickets. Table reservations include tickets for eight players and cost $550. Individual tickets are $60 each.
Reynolds added, “The women of our community have embraced our annual Designer Handbag Bingo, and we wanted to do something equally as fun and impactful for men.”
This event is a fundraiser for the Foundation. Proceeds are used locally to benefit local men’s health.
Sponsorships are on sale now at mingo2024.givesmart.com. Or email [email protected] or call 903-438-4799 for a sponsorship form or more information.
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Chamber Connection – February 14th
By Butch Burney
If you haven’t started preparing for the great Total Solar Eclipse in which Sulphur Springs is on the centerline, you have less than two months.
The Chamber has a eclipse website, TotalEclipseSSTx.com, in which you can upload information about events, attractions, lodging, retail shops and restaurants. That will be the information clearinghouse for what is happening in Hopkins County on April 8 and the weekend leading up to that day.
We will be hosting a free concert on Saturday, April 6, downtown, featuring The Paper Dolls, Jason Waldon and the Alibis and Dubb and the Luv Machines. Plus, there will be vendors’ market at The Venue at 219 that weekend.
On the website, you can also order eclipse T-shirts, stickers and glasses.
Check out the website, upload information and get prepared!
Chamber Golf Tournament
For all the linksters out there, the Chamber’s annual golf tournament, which is historically the first Friday in April, has been moved to the first Friday in May due to the eclipse traffic. We will post registration information the middle of next week.
The tournament is limited to 43 teams – 18 in the morning and 25 in the afternoon.
Joy of Hope
Joy of Hope, Inc., will have a Concert Fundraiser at 7 p.m. Friday. Feb. 16, at Central Baptist Church. Admission is $20 and proceeds go to Joy of Hope, Inc., which is a ministry to the blind, visually impaired, diabetics and others will skills needed to live independently.
In concert will be the Erwins and the DeVore Family.
Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
Get your bacon on at the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Hopkins County Civic Cener. Cost is $8 per person (children under 6 eat free). It includes all you can eat pancakes, sausage, bacon, coffee, milk and juice. The funds will benefit local charitable programs.
Ribbon Cuttings
Pioneer Café will host a ribbon cutting at noon on Friday, Feb. 16, at their new location on Jefferson Street. Please join us for this event.
Lone Star Community Response will have a ribbon cutting at noon on Feb. 22 at the Chamber office. Everyone is welcome.
Gear Up Supplements will have a ribbon cutting at their location at 101 Bill Bradford Road at noon Friday, Feb. 23. Please join us.
Sulphur Springs Spring Cleanup 2024 Scheduled for April 22nd Through the 27th
February 15, 2024 – The annual City-Wide Spring Clean-Up will be April 22nd 2024 through April 27th 2024. Sulphur Springs residents may bring large items to discard from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on clean-up days to the city collection site, located about a ¼ mile east of Flowserve, on East Jefferson St (Old US Hwy 67).
Spring Clean-Up Week is strictly for Sulphur Springs residents, not for commercial interests. City residents are allowed to transport household trash, brush and larger items that won’t fit into their designated trash containers to the dump site annually.
To verify the person arriving with garbage is a resident who lives within Sulphur Springs limits, those bringing items to discard will be asked to show proof of city residency by presenting a driver’s license, or city water bill, with their physical address on it.
No containers or appliances with hazardous or harsh materials will be accepted at the city collection site If discarding a refrigerator for instance, the city resident must show documentation the refrigerant has been removed. No paint, batteries, tires or other household hazardous wastes will be accepted.
Residents do have to bring their own items to the clean-up site. There is typically city staff on-hand to help city residents who bring items to the Clean-up Site. If available, the staff can help with some items.
Sulphur Springs ISD Board Calls May 4 Election
February 14, 2024 – Sulphur Springs Independent School District contacted KSST to share that the SSISD Board has called for a bond election to be on the May 4th ballot.
The communiqué stated, “representatives from the SSISD Bond Planning Committee made a recommendation to our school board in January that outlined a plan to address our oldest facilities at the primary and elementary level.
… our Board of Trustees voted unanimously to call a $157,150,000 bond election that will be on the May 4 ballot. This plan will allow us to impact more than 2,100 students who are in grades PreK-5, which is about half of our student enrollment, and it will create K-5 elementary schools, which research shows is better for young students compared to multiple transitions.
Specifically, the bond proposal includes:
- New Elementary School #1 (K-5)
- This new school would replace Sulphur Springs Elementary School and would be built on the same site as the current SSES building.
- New Elementary School #2 (K-5)
- This new school would be constructed on a new site and would be named Rowena Johnson Elementary.
- Land Purchase
- We would acquire land to construct the new Rowena Johnson Elementary.
- Renovations to Bush
- The campus renovations would include an addition; new playground; updates to floors, walls, ceilings, lighting; site accessibility improvements; and some new classroom furniture.
- The school would serve students in grades K-5 in the future.
- Renovations to Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center
- The campus renovations would include updates to floors, walls, ceilings, lighting; site accessibility improvements; brick and masonry repair; and the repair and/or replacement of exterior windows.
- The school would continue to serve our early childhood students.
- Updates at Bowie
- The renovations include converting the building for use by special programs staff, which could include creating offices and updates to finishes such as flooring, painting, and lighting.
… After studying our district goals, financial outlook, and various options, committee members brainstormed solutions and ultimately recommended the plan to build two new schools now…
This proposal also will allow us to retire the Johnson, SSES, and Travis buildings, which are 58, 65, and 70 years old, respectively.”
In the communication to KSST, Superintendent Deana Steeber, Ed.D. also stated, “I’m very grateful to community partners like Sulphur Springs First Baptist Church who opened their doors when our schools were unusable, but I prefer for our students to be able to stay at their home campus in spaces designed for them and you. Our new schools would include safety features and modern classroom tools that are now standard in schools you see in other districts.
Based on Taxable Assessed Values and paying off previous debt early, we can issue the bonds with a ¼ penny increase per $100 of property valuation. For a home valued at $150,000 – and then subtracting the new $100,000 homestead exemption that Texas voters approved in November – this equates to an increase of $1.25 per year. A tax impact calculator is on the district website for you and other homeowners to calculate the impact on your property taxes.”
The communiqué also expressed, “Any Sulphur Springs ISD resident who is registered to vote may cast a ballot in this election. Voters will be asked to vote “for” or “against” the bond proposition.
- The deadline to register to vote in the May election is April 4.
- Early Voting will take place April 22 through April 30.
- Election Day is Saturday, May 4.
We have visited several campuses so far and we will schedule additional informational meetings to share details and answer questions. As soon as those meetings are finalized, we will share through our regular communication channels. In the meantime, please visit ssisd.net/bond for more information and/or use the form on the FAQ page to submit your questions.”
Three Student Art Exhibitions on View at Texas A&M University-Commerce
February 13, 2024 – Three Student Art Exhibitions on View at Texas A&M University-Commerce
By Melynda Seaton, Department of Art
COMMERCE, TX—The Texas A&M University-Commerce Department of Art is pleased to announce three newly opened student exhibitions:
Biomimetics and Industrial Gardens by Amber Parker
In Biomimetics and Industrial Gardens, Parker reimagines relationships based on visual elements and utility to ask how our community interacts with objects and spaces. Parker seeks to find balance and harmony between natural and artificial environments. Parker is a senior pursuing a degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Ceramics.
Biomimetics and Industrial Gardens will be on view from February 5 to March 21, 2024, at The Dean’s Gallery, located in Room 222 of the Agriculture Building on the A&M-Commerce campus. A closing reception for the exhibition will be held at the same location on March 19 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Self-Vanitas by Melanie R. Martinez
Using light, color and her body, Martinez uses self-portraits as a form of self-expression as she explores her turbulent emotions and situations. Martinez’s photographs portray her personal mental health and body-image struggles as she seeks to find beauty in the imperfect and the so-called “ugly” parts of ourselves. Martinez is a senior pursuing a degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Photography.
Self-Vanitas will be on view from February 5 to March 21, 2024, at The Dean’s Gallery, located in Room 222 of the Agriculture Building on the A&M-Commerce campus. A closing reception for the exhibition will be held at the same location on March 19 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Silent Collision by Juste
In Silent Collision, Juste focuses on portraying the beauty and essence of East Africans as they adapt and become a part of communities in the United States. Juste’s painted portraits feature family members and close friends framed with simple abstract backgrounds utilizing colors that hold symbolic meaning related to the lives of those pictured. Juste is a senior pursuing a degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Painting and Studio Art Teaching.
Silent Collision will be on view from February 6 to May 11, 2024, at The President’s Gallery located on the 2nd floor of the McDowell Business Administration building on the A&M-Commerce campus. An opening reception will be held at the same location on February 15 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Dean’s Gallery and the President’s Gallery are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. A&M-Commerce is located at 2200 Campbell Street in Commerce, Texas.
