Try A Roma Tomato This Year
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener
Roma tomatoes are a determinate variety and grow more as a bush than a vine. The produce flowers at stem tips, and where tomatoes develop all at once. This results in a quick and highly prolific production cycle, which is great for canning. Fruit production ends by mid to late July. You can expect 55-62 fruit per plant. As a determinate, pruning is not necessary.
Roma tomatoes average 3” in size, and as such, are smaller than most slicer varieties, but they’re bigger than cherry tomatoes. The have a shape like an egg or pear and are not juicy, because they have less water than most slicer varieties. They also have fewer seeds. As a result, they are not juicy. Most are red, but orange and yellow varieties are available. They do possess a thicker skin than most slicers and combined with these above qualities, are thus great for sauces, roasting and drying, canning, and tomato paste.
Roma tomatoes are a recent tomato variety, having developed as a hybrid after WWII when new tomato varieties were needed for canning. Now, they are heirlooms. They were/are bred to resist diseases and pests with an ability to grow in different climates. Newer varieties are more disease resistant that when originally developed.
There are several varieties. Granader is very prolific, while Heinz is noted for above normal amounts of lycopene. Martino’s is great for sauce, and Marzino F1 is sweet and makes a great snacking treat. Old Ivory is egg shaped but easily cracks. Plum regal is a deep red Roma. Striped Roman is a large variety and can be up to 4-6” long. Sunrise Sauce is bushy and very good in containers. Ukrainian Purple is naturally cold tolerant.
Roma tomatoes are nutritional, containing vitamin A and C, Potassium, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene.
Lady Cats Track and Field comes up big in 2nd
It has been a long time coming for Sulphur Springs track & field.
The two teams were last in action Thursday, Mar. 3 in Mount Pleasant, but their last two competitions were rained out.
With that, in only the third competition for Sulphur Springs, the women’s team got a season high finish in Winona in second.
Running Events
Vanessa Wayne in the 100 M dash got fifth, a quick two points for the Lady Cats.
In the 200 M dash though, Codee Roland crossed the line at 28.28 for a third place finish and another six points.
Abigail Williams proved to be the first Lady Cat to emerge victorious, with a winning mark of 2:41.73 in the 800 M run. Her efforts got her 10 points for Sulphur Springs.
Just six seconds later Laney Hurst crossed the line in third for another six.
The former Lady Cat got fourth in the 1600 M run. Also getting points for Sulphur Springs was Dylan McKinney in third and Edith Martinez in second. The three runners cumulated 18 points in the event.
Martinez then went and won the second event for Coach Ross Hicks’ squad. In the 3200 M run, her winning mark of just over 13 minutes got her another 10 points for the Lady Cats. McKinney and Consuelo Martinez placed third and fifth, respectively.
Wayne, Roland, Joanna Mejia, and Trinity Jefferson in the 4×100 M relay crossed the line at 52.16 for another third place finish, getting 12 points in the event.
The same team, sub Mejia and Wayne for Aaliyah Cheatum and Teryn Bethea finished fifth in the 4×200 M relays.
Cheatum, Hurst, Madison Jeter and Kaylee Carter got another third place finish in relays. In the 400s, the Lady Cat relay team crossed the lien just under five minutes for another 12 points.
88 of the 122 points rewarded to Sulphur Springs Thursday all came in running events.
Field Events
Roland picked up a quick two points in long jump, getting fifth. Maegan Dial finished fourth in shot put.
In triple jump Bethea got fifth.
Izzy Thesing tied a team-high finish in field events. In discus, the senior had am impressive mark of 88′ 5″ for a second place finish and eight points for the Lady Cats.
High jump had two more Sulphur Springs athletes finishing high enough to get points, as Jefferson and Carter finished third and fourth, respectively.
Pole vault saw the other highest finish in a field event. Amerson Boles, at 6′ 10″ got second in the event, another eight points for the Lady Cats.
Cumulating 122 points Thursday, the women’s track and field team had a leg up on third place Athens (106). The second place finish is the highest on the season for Sulphur Springs.
Thursday in Winona is only the third competition in the spring. The Lady Cats placed 5th in Lindale at their season opener and 4th most recently in Mount Pleasant.
Their last two competitions were rained out.
Next up, both track teams host the Wildcat Invitational.
That gets underway Thursday, Apr. 6 in Sulphur Springs at 4 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.
Sulphur Springs sets record, sending five tennis players to Regionals
Coach Tony Martinez and his squad had themselves a very solid outing.
“We had a very successful district tournament,” the tennis coach said Thursday morning in an interview with KSST Radio. “The kids performed at their best and we were happy with the results.”
In Sulphur Springs at the tennis center Tuesday and Wednesday, the 15-4A district championship saw five athletes move on to the Regional meet held in two weeks.
The first two of five athletes from Sulphur Springs to move on to the Regional meet are the No. 1 girls’ doubles team for Coach Martinez.
The duo of Trynity Luckett and Mykylie Meador move on after winning girls’ doubles this past week at the 15-4A district tournament. Ian Westlund and Ella Sant, in mixed doubles, also move on to the Regional meet after finishing second Tuesday and Wednesday.
Lastly seed Jessie Li in girl’s singles advanced past the 15-4A tournament held in Sulphur Springs this last week for the final Regional berth for coach Tony Martinez’s team, coming in second.
The tennis coach said his squads had a chance to send more players from Sulphur Springs to the Regional meet, but a select few fell short of hopes and expectations.
Malachi Negrete had himself a very solid outing this past week. Coach Martinez said the Wildcat fought for third, having to overcome fellow Sulphur Springs player Oscar Guerrero for that positioning. The tennis coach said Guerrero had Negrete’s number, beating out Malachi all year-long.
That changed in the 15-4A tournament when Negrete beat #1 player for the boy’s side in Guerrero, getting a playback to take on the 2 seed following the big win over Guerrero. Unfortunately for the Wildcat, Malachi Negrete got up to an early 5-2 lead only to crumble down the stretch, falling in five straight to lose 7-5.
Also falling in set two, as a result Negrete saw his hopes for a Regional berth slip away.
More results from Sulphur Springs saw the No. 3 boys’ doubles team of Mika Petty and Mac McCoy finish third at the 15-4a tournament. The fourth boys’ doubles team of Justin Chen and Crawford Johnson, a late change prior to the big test, still ended up meshing well together for a fourth place finish.
In girls’ singles, Kierstan McDonald got third, doing well according to Coach Martinez.
McDonald had to battle with the fourth seeded Libery Eylau player that made it close, but the Sulphur Springs athlete got the last laugh, winning to secure another third place finish.
Coach Martinez said the last few tournaments prepared Sulphur Springs well for the 15-4A district championship.
Most recently, last Friday at Pleasant Grove, the tennis team ran into Lindale and Bullard. Both schools are competitors the Wildcats would face in Regionals and State, respectively.
Taking on stiff competition these last few weeks clearly worked in the Wildcats’ favor, as Sulphur Springs has five athletes moving on to the second round, in tennis the Regional round.
The coach believes having so many move on to round two of playoff spring tennis is a school record.
“Since I’ve been here, but maybe going 15-20 years back, to have this many participating at Regionals is kind of a record,” Coach Martinez said Thursday.
The team takes a brief moment to celebrate, prior to round two (or in tennis Regionals) getting underway for Sulphur Springs.
Next up Coach Martinez takes five athletes to Regionals, held Tuesday and Wednesday, Apr. 11-12 in Longview.
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.
Men’s Track and Field gets season-high finish in 3rd
It has been a long time coming for Sulphur Springs track & field.
The two teams were last in action Thursday, Mar. 3 in Mount Pleasant, but their last two competitions were rained out.
With that, in only the third competition for Sulphur Springs, the men’s team got a season high finish in Winona in third.
Running Events
In the 200 M dash, Skyler Lewis picked up a point with a sixth place finish.
400 M dash saw five points picked up by Sulphur Springs, as Trysten Hankins and Zac Clark finished fourth and sixth, respectively.
Trentin McKinney and Candilario Tonsil cumulated six points between the two in the 800 M run.
Jackie Knutson in the 110 M hurdles came up fourth for four points. Knutson finished a spot better in the 300 M hurdles when the Wildcat came in under 47 seconds for a third place spot and six points.
The team of Zac Thomas, Malachi Roland, Keyshawn John and Riley Hammons crossed the line at 44.45, getting third in the 4×100 M relays and 12 more points for Sulphur Springs.
The same team, sub Roland and Thomas for Jamorian Jeffrey and Jaxon Haire, finished two spots lower in 5th in the 4×200 M relays for four points.
Jeffrey, Lewis, Clark and Creed Whisenhunt in the 4×400 M relays came in third, crossing the line at 3:53.62 for 12 more points for Sulphur Springs.
Wildcats track and field scooped up almost half of their total points in running events alone, at 50.
Field Events
Hankins got a huge second place finish in long jump, going 20’6″ and getting eight points in the process. Hammons came in sixth for another one.
In shot put, Sean Dial hurled it 41’1″ for a third place finish for the Wildcat.
Discus proved the biggest event for Sulphur Springs, as Luke Caton proved to be the lone victor of an event for the Wildcats, with an impressive winning mark of 136’11”. His efforts got him another 10 points for the men’s track & field team.
Haire in triple jump left Winona with a bronze medal, going 40′ 8.75″.
In the high jump event, Creed Whisenhunt and Caden Spigner finished third and second, respectively, combining for 14 points for Sulphur Springs.
Cumulating 95 points Thursday, the men’s track and field team had a sizable distance between themselves and fourth place Athens (68). The third place finish is the highest on the season for Sulphur Springs.
Thursday in Winona is only the third competition in the spring. The Wildcats placed 5th in Lindale at their season opener and 6th most recently in Mount Pleasant.
Their last two competitions were rained out.
Next up, both track teams host the Wildcat Invitational.
That gets underway Thursday, Apr. 6 in Sulphur Springs at 4 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.
17th Annual Lights Of Life Gala Sponsors
Thank you, Bell Concrete, for sponsoring the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation’s Lights of Life Gala which will be held on April 22. Matt Jasmer (l-r) poses with Gala Co-Chairs Whitney and Logan Vaughan. Tickets are available at LOLGala2023.GiveSmart.com
Advanced Heart Care is sponsoring the Light of Life Gala that supports local healthcare. Gala Co-Chair Logan Vaughan joins Dr. Donald Wurzburg for the check presentation. The Gala is a project of the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation with all proceeds remaining in Hopkins County.
Hopkins County Hospital District Gala Co-Chairs (l-r) Logan and Whitney Vaughan join Dave Shabaz at the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram office to recognize the newspapers support of the Foundation’s Lights of Life Gala. This event raises money to buy medical equipment and offerings that a community the size of Sulphur Springs normally does not have available to its citizens. The newspaper has provided advertising to support the event.
Bush Sentenced to 10 Years
March 31, 2023 – Ronald Joe Bush was sentenced to 10 years in 8th District court. Bush, now 63 years old, was arrested in Garland, TX last year on Hopkins County Warrants. The offences for those warrants were committed in March of 2021.
Bush was sentenced for Indecency with a Child Sexual Contact. At the time of his 2022 arrest he was charged with several other offences. See that story by clicking here.
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 Community Chest will Participate in East Texas Giving Day
The Hopkins County Community Chest is participating in this year’s East Texas Giving Day. It opens April 3, 2023. The official Giving Day is April 25, 2023. They are both hoping to find folks to contribute to their goal or perhaps even see if anyone in the community would be willing to match funds either in part or in whole. The Hopkins County Community Chest and Christian Alliance is located at 217 Linda Drive, Sulphur Springs, Texas, 75482.
Next Sulphur Springs City Cemetery Meeting
The next Sulphur Springs City Cemetery Monthly Meeting will be held April 11, 2023. The Meeting begins at 10:00AM in the Myra Wilson Chapel.
Paris Junior College Students Were Enjoying a Tasty Ice Cream Float
ICE CREAM FLOATS
Megan Chapman, left, Student Activities Director for Paris Junior College, recently served up ice cream floats for students at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center campus.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Police Chase Ends in a Pit Stop for Ohio Woman
March 30, 2023 – What should have been a normal traffic stop by a Sulphur Springs Police Officer ended with an officer performing a “pit manuever” to stop the fleeing vehicle after a 40-mile pursuit. It all started at 9:49 a.m. Thursday March 30, 2023 as an SSPD officer attemped to make a traffic stop using sirens and flashing lights at the 125 mile marker on I-30 but the vehicle would not stop. As the vehicle continued Eastbound and down I-30 through Franklin and eventually Titus Counties, any nearby law enforcement joined in the chase. With law enforcement from at least seven different agencies, a DPS officer chose to end the chase by performing a pit manuever which disabled the vehicle at the 164 mile marker.
The suspect still not wanting to give up brandished a weapon and refused to exit the vehicle. After some negotiating, the Cleveland Ohio woman exited the vehicle and was promptly placed under arrest. Joanne Haynes was transported back to Hopkins County and remains in the Hopkins County jail awaiting bond to be set on the charges of Evading Arrest and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.
The following agencies were involved in the pursuit:
- Texas Department of Public Safety
- Sulphur Springs Police Department
- Hopkins County Sheriffs Office
- Saltillo ISD Police Department
- Franklin County Sheriffs Office
- Mount Vernon Police Department
- Mount Pleasant Police Department
