8th Annual George Dorner 42 Tournament Slated Nov. 5
The 8th Annual George Dorner 42 Tournament is scheduled to be held Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Sulphur Bluff United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Registration for the 42 tourney will begin at 9 a.m. and play will start at 9:30 a.m.
Early registration through today, Oct. 25, 2022, costs $10 per person. Oct. 26-Nov. 5, the cost will be $25 per team. Metal plaques will be awarded to the top three teams.
Pizza, drinks and dessert will be available for donations. Those who do not play are still invited to stop by, eat and cheer on the teams.
Proceeds will go toward the cost of providing Bibles for the Sulphur Bluff graduating Class. Checks should be made payable to Sulphur Bluff Baptist Church, with Bibles in the memo line.
Mail entry fee along with the name and address of the 42 player and his/her partner, as well as the address and a phone number for each, to Jimmy Dale and Jamie Fite, PO Box 31, Sulphur Bluff Texas 75481.
For additional information, call Jimmy Dale and Jamie Fite at 903-335-3068.
Elections On Nov. 8, 2022 Ballots
Nov. 8, 2022 General Election ballots include multiple candidates for district, county and state offices, as well as certified unopposed incumbent candidates and options for voters to manually add certified write-in candidates.
Sulphur Springs ISD
Sulphur Springs ISD has called a bond election, asking district voters to casts ballots either for or against Proposition A:
The issuance of $81,500,000 of bonds by the Sulphur Springs Independent School District for Travis Elementary, Bowie Primary, Barbara Bush Primary, Sulphur Springs Elementary School and Sulphur Springs High School and purchasing school buses and levying the tax in payment thereof.
As explained by SSISD Board of Trustees, Superintendent and Facilities Committee, the $81.5 million bond would require a 1-cent increase to the Sulphur Springs ISD tax rate. This would be on the issuance and sinking (debit service) portion of the tax rate.
Some community members at a Town Hall meeting for the SSISD bond proposal Monday night reported an issue with some ballots for this election earlier in the day. Apparently the school bond election was not on ballots for some voters who reside within SSISD. They were told that issue was corrected upon it being brought to the attention of local election officials Monday morning.
However, SSISD facilities committee members, community members and SSISD trustees encourage SSISD voters to check their ballots before voting to be sure the election is on it. In the event the SSISD bond election it is not on the ballot of voters residing within the school district (or any election that should be on the ballot, but isn’t), those voters should promptly alert their election official as soon as they discover it, prior to officially casting their ballots, so the matter can be addressed.
Saltillo ISD
Saltillo ISD is also holding a school board election. The school district opened filing over the summer for four places on the school board: Place 2, held by Ryan Garmon; Place 4 held by Barry Brewer; Place 6, which is currently open; and Place 7, currently held by Chip Tully. Each seat is for a 4-year term on the school board.
When filing closed on Aug. 22, incumbent Ryan Garmon was unopposed for Place 2 and incumbent Barry Brewer was unopposed for Place 4. Two candidates each had filed for Place 6 and Place 7, which are both on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Voters have the option of selecting either one or none of the candidates per place on the school board.
The two candidates for Place 6 on Saltillo ISD Board of Trustees are Mason Littrell and Josh Redar.
The two candidates for Place 7 on the Saltillo ISD school board are Jason Tully and Phillip Alcorn.
North Hopkins ISD
Voters in North Hopkins ISD will be asked to choose up to three of the four candidates seeking one of the three full-term seats on the school board. Because the election is at-large, the three candidates receiving the most votes will be elected to the school board.
Candidates for the full term seat on the North Hopkins ISD Board of Trustees include:
- Charles C. Vaughn
- Sherry Smiddy Clair
- Michael S. James
- Brian A. Lewis.
The ballot also contains one unopposed candidate, Robert. E. McPherson, who is seeking the seat for an unexpired term on the school board. NHISD voters have the option to vote for McPherson for the unexpired seat or to not vote at all for the unexpired seat on the school board.
Miller Grove ISD
Voters within MGISD are asked to cast ballots for up to three candidates for MGISD Board of Trustees.
The district had three individuals turn in their candidate packets by the August filing deadline, seeking three at-large seats on the school board, which would have allowed trustees to cancel the school trustees election with the three seats going to the three candidates — Brandon Darrow, Bret Garrett and Ray Sparks.
However, a fourth individual, Collin Alexander, filed as a write-in candidate for MGISD Board of Trustees Election just under the filing deadline, requiring a trustees election. So, while his name will not appear on the ballot, MGISD voters do have the option of writing in Collin Alexander as their choice to serve as a MGISD school board seat.
The MGISD seats are at-large, so the three candidates getting the most votes in the Nov. 8 election will be elected to a full term on the school board.
Opposed State and District Elections
Voters will have multiple candidates to choose for 14 state and US races, and will even have an option to add write-in candidates, if they so choose, in four elections.
Write-in Candidates
Four state residents and one county school district resident were certified as write-in candidates. That means they met the terms to be on the ballot, but their names do not appear on the ballot. Voters who wish to vote for a write-in candidate must do just that, write their name in the blank on their election ballot.
While any name may be written on a blank line on the ballot, only the certified write-in candidate names will be counted. (In other words, if you write in John Doe or Mickey Mouse, and no one by that name has been certified, that nomination will not be counted for election purposes).
Write-in candidates for state and district offices that may be entered on Nov. 8 ballots include:
- Governor
- Jacqueline Abernathy
- Mark V. Goloby
- Commissioner of General Land Office
- Carrie Evelyn Menger
- State Board of Education, District 12, Member
- Rosiland Davis
- Miller Grove ISD Board of Trustees
- Collin Alexander
Opposed Candidates
State and US elections with opposed candidates include:
Unopposed Candidates
In Hopkins County 9 candidates were unchallenged in their bids for reelection to their district, county and precinct offices.
Among the certified unopposed incumbent candidates for county and precinct offices in Hopkins County (which appear at the end of Hopkins County ballots) are the following:
- County Judge — Robert Newsom
- County Court At Law Judge — Clay Harrison
- District Clerk — Cheryl Fulcher
- County Clerk — Tracy Orr Smith
- County Treasurer — Danny Davis
- County Commissioner Precinct 2 — Greg Anglin
- County Commissioner Precinct 4 — Joe Price
- Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 — BJ Teer
- Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 — Brad Cummings
Thus, the above candidates, who are all Republicans, are declared elected and their names will be listed on the General Election ballot after the contested races under the “Unopposed Candidates Declared Elected-County” heading, according to the “Certification of Unopposed County and Precinct Candidates” signed Aug. 29, 2022, by the county election official and posted on the Hopkins County website, www.hopkinscountytx.org
Five people at the state level are also shown as “unopposed candidates declared elected-state.” Those unopposed state candidates on the Nov. ballot are as follows:
- Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place 2 — Mary Lou Keel
- State Senator, District No. 1 — Bryan Hughes
- State Representative, District 2 — Bryan Slaton
- 6th Court of Appeals District Chief Justice — Scott E. Stephens
- 6th Court of Appeals District, Place 3 Justice — Charles Van Cleef
All five of the unopposed state candidates which have been “declared elected” for lack of an opponent on the Nov. 8, 2022 ballot are also Republican candidates.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report —Oct. 17-23, 2022
Winnsboro Police Department each week provides a media report with information about department activity. WPD activity for the week Oct. 17-23, 2022, included:
Arrests
- Makenzie Knight, 23 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Oct. 23, 2022, on a Wood County Warrant for Possession of 2 Ounces or Less of Marijuana.
- Scotty Wallis, 33 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Oct. 22, 2022, for Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon.
- Reginald Shaw, 31 years of age, of Quitman, was arrested on Oct. 20, 2022, for on Upshur County Warrant for Driving While Intoxicated.
- Jordan Crist, 29 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Oct. 19, 2022, for Driving While License Invalid with Previous Convictions.
- Brandon Watson, 31 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Oct. 18, 2022, on a Wood County Warrant for Credit Card and Debit Card Abuse.
- Joseph Bearden, 58 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Oct. 18, 2022, for False Report to Police Officer or Law Enforcement Employee.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 118 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 21 citations and 25 warnings during this reporting period.
Camping Is More Than A Tent In The Woods At Cooper Lake State Park
Have you ever been camping? If not, how would you like to get started? Do you know your camping comfort level? Cooper Lake State Park is a perfect place to explore camping since the park has such a wide variety of overnight opportunities! The park contains two unique units perched on the banks of Cooper Lake. The South Sulphur Unit, which is the largest of the two, is located on the south side of the lake, and the Doctors Creek Unit on the north side. Both parks have a wide variety of camping site types available. Just like Goldilocks, you can find something that’s “just right”! From people who wish to stay in their own motorhomes or travel trailers, to those wishing to camp in a tent by the lake, and even to those who don’t own any camping gear at all, Cooper Lake State Park has something “just right” for the night enjoying the great outdoors!
The cabins at the South Sulphur Unit come furnished with beds, kitchen, and a bathroom. Most of them include beautiful lakeside views. The only thing for you to bring is linens and cookware.
For a cozier experience at either side of the park, we have mini cabins. These smaller cabins are one room structures with two bunk beds, mini fridge, microwave, and AC/Heat. Again, no camping equipment is required. Just bring your pillows, sheets, and blankets from your house and you’re ready to go!
The screened shelters are next level in amenities. These shelters help protect you from the rain while still letting you enjoy the view. Bring your air mattress, hammock, or whatever you want to sleep on, and skip the tent for the weekend. So, you have too many people to fit in the shelter? Go ahead and bring the tent and pitch it next to your shelter.
For those wanting to spend the weekend in their motorcoach, RV, or camper van, both park units have water and electric sites with some having lake views. South Sulphur has a camping loop available for equestrian campers right next to over fifteen miles of hiking/equestrian trails. All of our sites except for our cabin area are also available for tent campers who want electricity to help beat the Texas heat or cold. You can park right at your site, unload, and get setup for a weekend at the lake.
For a more primitive experience, the South Sulphur Unit has 15 water-only sites along the lake’s edge. These sites share a parking lot, and you are only a short walk away from your tent home for the weekend. For a group experience, Doctors Creek has a group site for multiple tents that will accommodate up to forty-eight people. This site has amazing lake views!
Once you have decided on your camping comfort level, be sure to make your reservation by visiting TexasStateParks.org or by calling (512)389-8900. Both park units fill up 3 to 4 weeks in advance on weekends most of the year, so reserve your site early. Once you arrive, enjoy your weekend fishing, hiking, swimming, boating, dark sky stargazing, join a ranger led educational program, roasting marshmallows over the campfire, or just enjoy nature resting under a giant post oak. Texas State Parks are great places to relax, recreate, and recharge your soul!
Park entrance fees are $5 for adults, with kids twelve and under always free. Senior Texans 65 and older will only pay $3 to enter the park daily with a Bluebonnet Pass. Unlimited park entrances for you and everyone in a vehicle you are in can be accomplished with the purchase of a Texas State Park Annual Pass for $70. This pass is good for over 12 months from the date of purchase. All programs are free with a valid entrance permit. For more information on this or other events and programs at Cooper Lake State Park, please visit and like our Facebook pages (Cooper Lake State Park – South Sulphur, 903-945-5256, and Cooper Lake State Park – Doctors Creek, 903-395-3100).
— Submitted by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Benefits Of ‘Overseeding’ Pastures
By Mario Villarino, Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Hopkins County, [email protected]
“Overseeding” is the term generally used to refer to broadcast-seeding winter annual forage crops on summer pastures, with or without disking or other tillage. “Sod-seeding” usually refers to planting annual crops into a pasture using a drill. Either or both of these operations may be used to establish winter annuals in warm-season pastures. For convenience, in this publication the term “overseeding” will be used to refer to both of these planting methods.
Over-seeding extends the length of time during which a warm-season pasture can provide forage for grazing animals. Instead of six to eight months of forage production, over-seeding can result in 8 to 10 months of productivity, thus helping reduce the need for expensive stored feed. In addition, pastures over-seeded with winter annuals have less hoof damage by grazing animals compared to winter annuals planted on a prepared seedbed. This can be particularly important during prolonged wet periods or on soils that tend to stay wet during the cooler months of the year.
Winter annual forages can also improve animal nutrition. Ryegrass and other winter annuals produce high quality forage; much higher than produced by warm-season perennial grasses. The timing of this nutritional advantage is also important. Cows have their highest nutritional requirements from two months prior to calving until they are re-bred. In many areas, most cows calve in late winter or early spring and are bred again within three months after calving. The peak production of ryegrass forage is also in early- to mid-spring, which is the time it can greatly affect calf weight, calf health and conception rates of cows.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email [email protected].
Early Voting In Nov. 8 General Election, 4 School Elections Under Way Today
Early voting in the Nov. 8, 2022, General Election and four school elections — 3 trustees and one bond election 3 — got under way Monday morning, Oct. 24, 2022, at The ROC (First Baptist Church’s Recreational Outreach Center). Early voting by personal appearance will continue through Nov. 4.
As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24, when the first count was posted, a total of 142 Hopkins County residents had cast ballots in the General Election.
That is 34 less voters casting ballots Oct. 24, 2022, than on Oct. 13, 2020, the first day of the 2020 General Election, which concluded with a total of 1,070 county voters (4.25% of registered voters) casting ballots. The 2020 election concluded with a record number of ballots being cast during the early voting period, according to data posted by local Election Officials and Texas Secretary of State’s office. Another 254 ballot-by-mail voters cast ballots on the first day of voting in 2020, increasing the total to 5.31% of registered voters casting ballots on the first day of early voting in 2020.
If the steady stream of voters entering the temporary early voting center at 10:30 a.m. was anything to go by, 2022 could prove be another year of high voting tallies, coming close to the 2020 early voting totals.
Early In-Person Voting
Any registered Texas voter may vote early by personal appearance (in person) at the early voting location in the county of registration.
All in-person early voting in Hopkins County is being conducted in The Game Room inside of The ROC, 115 Putman St. in Sulphur Springs, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 through Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, with voting extended four of those days to better accommodate those working during regular business hours. The early voting location will also be open from:
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022;
- noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct 30, 2022;
- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022; and
- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.
Mail Ballots
Voting by mail is NOT available to everyone. The only people who are eligible to vote by mail are individuals who are: 65 years or older, sick or disabled, expected to give birth within 3 weeks of Election Day, out of the country on Election Day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance, confined in jail but otherwise eligible, or civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
The last day the County Clerk is allowed to accept Applications for Ballots By Mail is this Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Election law specifies that this is the day by which the clerk’s office must have received the application. Getting it postmarked by the day is not enough, it must be in hands of voting officials by Oct. 28, 2022. The County Election Official is Hopkins County Clerk Tracy Smith; applications for ballots by mail should be returned to her at 128 Jefferson St., Suite C, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483. She may be contacted by phone at 903-438-4074, fax at 903-438-4110, or by email at [email protected].
All applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk before the close of regular business or 12 noon, whichever is later. The deadline to receive ballots mailed within the United States from non-military and military voters who submitted an Application for Ballot by Mail (“ABBM”) is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov 9, 2022, if the carrier envelope has a postmark showing it was in the mail by 7:00 p.m. Nov 8, 2022. Please note that different deadlines apply to the last day to receive ballots sent by the following: (1) Non-military and military voters who mailed ballots domestically and submitted an ABBM; (2) Non-military and military voters who mailed ballots from overseas and who submitted an ABBM; (3) Non-military voters who mailed ballots from overseas and who submitted a Federal Post card Application (“FPCA”); and (4) Military voters who mailed ballots domestically or from overseas and who submitted a FPCA. Ballots in category (1) must be received by the early voting clerk by 5 PM on Nov 9, 2022. Ballots in categories (2), (3), and (4) must be received by the early voting clerk by Nov 14, 2022. Ballots in categories (1), (2), and (3) must bear a postmark indicating the ballot was mailed by 7 PM on Nov 8, 2022. Ballots in category (4) do not need to have any postmark.
Texas voters who are eligible to vote by mail must provide: (1) a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)-issued Texas Driver License, Personal ID or Election ID Certificate number; OR (2) the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number on both their Application for a Ballot by Mail (ABBM) and mail ballot carrier envelope. As long as one of the ID numbers provided matches what is on the voter’s registration record, the voter’s ABBM and ballot can be accepted.
Acceptable Forms Of Voter ID
In order to vote in Texas, registered voters must provide one of the seven forms of ID:
- A Texas Driver’s License
- A Texas Election ID Certificate
- Texas Personal ID Card
- Texas Handgun License
- US Citizenship Certificate with Photo
- US Military ID Card with Photo
- US Passport in either book or card format
In the event the voter does not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of the seven “acceptable forms of photo ID,” the voter may qualify for a reasonable Impediment Declaration by showing a copy or original one of the the following supporting forms of identification:
- Certified Domestic Birth Certificate or Court Admissible Birth Document;
- Current Utility BIll
- Bank Statement
- Government Check
- Paycheck
- Government document with the voters’ name and an address, including a Voter Registration Certificate.
Voters ages 18-69 may present a photo ID that has been expired for up to four years. For voters age 70 and older, photo ID can be expired for any length of time if otherwise valid.
Election Day Voting
Voting on Election Day will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at the following designated voting centers:
- PRECINCT 1 — LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1000 TEXAS STREET, SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX (FRONT FOYER);
- PCT. 2A — H.W. GRAYS BUILDING, 413 BECKHAM STREET, SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX (MEETING ROOM);
- PCT. 3 — HOPKINS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 118 CHURCH STREET, SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS (1ST FLOOR COURTROOM);
- PCT. 3A — PARIS JUNIOR COLLEGE- SULPHUR SPRINGS CAMPUS, 1137 TX-301 LOOP, ROOM 101A, SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX;
- PCT. 4 — HOPKINS COUNTY CIVIC CENTER, 1200 HOUSTON STREET, SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX (WEST HALL)
- PCT. 4A — LEAGUE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST, 1100 SOUTH LEAGUE ST., SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX (FRONT FOYER)
- PCT. 5 — SALTILLO ISD, 150 CR 3534, SALTILLO, TX 75478 (AG LAB)
- PCT. 11 — CUMBY MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 100 EAST MAIN STREET, CUMBY, TX 7543, (CITY MEETING ROOM)
- PCT. 12 — SULPHUR BLUFF ISD, 1027 CR 3550, SULPHUR BLUFF, TX 75481 (FOYER OUTSIDE GYM)
- PCT. 13 — COMO-PICKTON CISD, 13017 TX HWY 11 EAST, COMO, TX 75431 (ART ROOM)
- PCT. 16 — MILLER GROVE ISD, 7819 FM 275 SOUTH, CUMBY, TX 75433 (FOYER OUTSIDE GYM)
- PCT. 17 — NORTH HOPKINS ISD, 1994 FM 71 WESTS, SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX (ADMIN. BUILDING)
Additional Information
Hopkins County voters can find additional information about the Nov. 8, 2022, General Election by selecting the “Voter Information” menu option on the main page of the Hopkins County website, https://www.hopkinscountytx.org/page/hopkins.VoterInfo.
Saltillo XC Has Three Teams Winning 24-1A District Championship
Saltillo XC had themselves a very solid outing in Avery at the 24-1A District Championship. Both the Varsity boys and girls advance to Regionals.
Not only that, but three of the five teams competing in Avery won their respective championships with two more finishing second and third.
Results from the District Cross Country Meet at Avery are as follows:
Varsity Boys:
- 1st- Coy Collins- 17:40
- 2nd- Gunner Tarver- 17:57
- 4th- Luke Ritter- 18:08
- 5th- Tobin Potter- 18:40
- 6th- Adrian Don Juan- 18:47
- 7th- Jacob Sexton- 19:00
- 9th- Cristian Trejo- 19:33
Saltillo varsity boys creamed the competition, finishing with just 18 points, 30 less than second place Sulphur Bluff.
Varsity Girls:
- 11th- Jaylee Miller- 15:25
- 12th- Lani Dean- 15:29
- 14th- Yadhira Alonso- 15:39
- 16th- Kallie Potter- 15:45
- 18th- Jasmine Alonso- 15:58
- 19th- Shelbi Ricketson- 16:04
Lady Lions XC finished third at the District meet, which is the lowest finish for the five Saltillo teams competing in the district championship.
JV Boys:
- 1st- Heston Peeples- 19:44
- 2nd- Rowdy Speir- 19:51
- 3rd- Colton McGill- 20:28
- 4th- Dakoda Womack- 20:35
- 5th- Ethan White- 22:26
- 8th- Ethan Sexton- 23:33
Just like the varsity boys, Saltillo’s JV squad crushed the competition at just 15 points, almost 30 fewer than second-place Sulphur Bluff.
JH Girls:
- 1st-Yissett Moreno- 13:53
- 2nd- Addi Pipkin- 14:11
- 4th- Jaelynn Miller- 14:19
- 9th- Ava Underwood- 15:38
- 10th- Mia Underwood- 15:40
- 11th- Kenzi Pipkin- 15:42
- 13th- Katie Olvera- 16:14
- 14th- Eden Godwin- 16:30
- 16th- Valerie Castro- 20:38
The JH girls of Saltillo beat second-place Sulphur Bluff 24 to 32 in points to win the JH girls district championship.
JH Boys:
- 3rd- Lucas Womack- 12:10
- 9th- Mason Stillwagoner- 13:58
- 10th- Colby Walker- 13:59
- 11th- Grant Speir- 14:34
- 12th- Kevin Moreno- 14:44
Saltillo JH boys with just 41 points finished second, 10 behind first place Avery.
More Than 79,000 Dead on Texas Roads
MORE THAN 79,000 DEAD ON TEXAS ROADS. IT’S TIME TO CARE.
November 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways
Commissioner Ryan video
David Elizalde video
B-roll of Andrea’s car
Mendoza’s cell phone video
Oct. 20, 2022
AUSTIN – The cell phone video from Easter Sunday shows the convertible Chevy Corvette going 110 mph on Dumas Highway in Amarillo.
“Joey! Chill, bro!” is what the passenger, Dyego Mendoza, shouted over the roaring engine. But it was too late. The car flipped and rolled for several hundred feet before it flew across a highway below, slammed into the side of an overpass and slid down the embankment.
In the video just before the horrific crash, David Elizalde’s 17-year-old daughter, Andrea, can be seen sitting on the center console between the two front seats. She was not wearing a seatbelt.
The crash scene along Dumas Highway was gruesome. Andrea’s Corvette was in pieces, scattered everywhere. The only part of the car that remained intact was flattened.
“We pulled up to a car that was unrecognizable,” said Amarillo Firefighter Brenton Goerend. “You couldn’t tell what it was. It was horrible. We couldn’t find the third person, so we started looking underneath the car.”
Mendoza and the driver survived. Andrea died at the scene, making her one of more than 79,000 people who have died on Texas roads since Nov. 7, 2000.
“It’s not OK to drink and drive,” Elizalde said. “It’s not OK as a father to go through the death of your daughter at the hands of people who are drinking and driving.”
The wreckage of Andrea’s car will provide the backdrop for Elizalde who will be a guest speaker during an #EndTheStreakTX press event in Amarillo on Nov. 16.
Background
This Nov. 7, Texas marks 22 years of daily deaths on our roadways with more than 79,000 innocent lives lost to preventable fatal crashes. For the past several years, about 10 people have died every day in crashes across the state.
For the first time in the agency’s history of analyzing fatal crashes, experts spoke with a psychology professor to dig deeper into the driver behavior. In an interview, Dr. Art Markman from the University of Texas, alluded to an erosion of community that can be a cause for an increase in traffic fatalities.
“We have to remind people that they are part of a community,” Markman said. “We have to start considering everyone as part of our community. If we don’t do that, there are going to be all sorts of negative consequences, and those are going to include negative consequences on the road.”
Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan, a champion for road safety and TxDOT’s #EndTheStreakTX campaign, said every Texan must do their part. And while the goal of ending the deadly streak is ambitious, Ryan said, it is far from impossible, but we must start to care about others around us.
“With the knowledge that, since the pandemic, people don’t seem to view others around them as part of a community, and, that they care less about those around them, we are starting to identify the problem,” said Ryan. “If we know there is a problem and we can identify that a big part of the problem is a lack of caring or apathy, then we also know the solution – we must care more about those around us.”
Solutions
Drivers have the power to protect themselves, their passengers and fellow community members because most crashes and fatalities are preventable and caused by things such as speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving. That’s why the approach to reaching zero deaths must be through what TxDOT calls the 3 E’s: engineering, education and enforcement. We all have a responsibility to keep our roads and fellow drivers safe.
TxDOT is asking all Texans to do any or all the following to raise awareness:
Make the best and safest decisions behind the wheel, don’t drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs; always obey traffic laws; always wear your seatbelt.
Post pictures on social media with this downloadable sign displaying the hashtag #EndTheStreakTX.
Share personal stories on social media of loved ones who have been lost in a crash and use the hashtag #EndTheStreakTX.
Follow @txdot social media pages and share the content we post.
Media
Please see the links at the top right of this press release that have the following downloadable, high-resolution interviews and videos that can be used in TV, radio, print and online news stories:
An interview with Texas Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan
An interview with David Elizalde, a father who lost his daughter, Andrea, in a car crash
B-roll of Andrea’s car
Pre-crash cell phone video from Dyego Mendoza, a friend of Andrea who was in the car
For media inquiries, contact TxDOT Media Relations at [email protected] or (512) 463-8700.
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Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse Joins DEA In Hosting Drug Take-Back Day On Oct. 29, 2022
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse, in conjunction with the DEA, is hosting a National Drug Take-Back Day for the Hopkins County area from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, October 29, 2022, in Wal-Mart parking lot (the northwest corner close to Super Handy), 1750 South Broadway St. in Sulphur Springs.
The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.
The DEA and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Posse (along with the Sheriff’s Office) are committed to making communities safer and healthier, by reducing overdoses and overdose deaths. Part of that includes the annual Drug Take-Back Day events like the one the Sheriff’s Posse will be hosting Oct. 29, 2022. It’s not uncommon for 200 pounds of medications to be discarded at the Hopkins County Take-Back event.
All are encouraged to bring their prescription drugs that are out of date or unneeded. Also, left over prescription drugs from a family member that need to be disposed of, will be accepted by the Sheriff’s Posse during the Drug Take-Back day.
No inhalers or needles will be accepted, however, liquids can now be disposed of at the Take-Back event.
After each collection, DEA picks up the boxes of discarded prescription and OTC medication and sees their safe disposal.
Wildcat Football Picks Up Fifth Straight Win
Sulphur Springs hosted a tough Paris team Friday, winning 21-14 thanks to a number of defensive stops.
On October 21, Coach Brandon Faircloth and his team hosted a challenging Wildcat squad (1-7 overall, 0-3 district) who is better than their record indicates.
Wildcat football had not been challenged in the second half of a contest, as their past four victories all came with the game already out of reach at the half.
Friday, Oct. 21 in Sulphur Springs though, Paris came to play.
It took four stops on defense in the second half for football to be able to add a one to the win column as it stayed tight throughout the entirety of Friday’s contest at Gerald Prim Stadium.
So much so, that Sulphur Springs watched as Paris took the second offensive drive down the length of the field for a score. After the two schools swapped three-and-outs, the Wildcats scored for the first time on the night thanks to Skylar Lewis.
The wide receiver took a double-pass, bubble screen 56-yards to the house to tie the game up 7-7.
Paris then responded in kind, getting their second and final touchdown on the night to lead 14-7.
WR CJ Williams before the first half concluded got his first score on the night with a 25-yard touchdown reception to tie the game back up at 14.
Entering the third quarter though, it was anyone’s ballgame. Both teams traded punts before Williams picked up his second touchdown on the evening to give the Wildcats their first lead on the night at 21-14.
From there, the defense imposed their will as Sulphur Springs forced a punt and turnover on downs to ice the game away. Paris looked as though they were fixing to tie the ball game up, but a pass to the end zone was ruled incomplete with little time on the clock as the Wildcats kneeled their way to victory.
With the home win over Paris, Coach Faircloth’s team’s record improves to 7-1 (3-0 district).
Next up, Wildcat football heads to Kaufman in what has turned out to be a battle for the 2-seed.
The Lions (6-2 overall, 2-1 district) are the current 3-seed, but a win for Sulphur Springs locks the Wildcats as the 2-seed come playoff time. A loss on Friday in Kaufman all but locks them into the third seed.
The battle for the 2-seed begins Friday, Oct. 28 in Kaufman at 7:30 P.M.
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.
