Sulphur Springs Man Accused Of Drunk Driving With Grandchild In Truck
A 59-year-old Sulphur Springs man was accused of drunk driving with his grandchild in the truck at the time of his arrest, according to arrest reports.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper George Greenway reported stopping a Chevrolet Silverado around 7:51 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, for driving 63 in a 55 mile per hour speed zone on State Highway 11. Upon contact with the driver, Greenway reported smelling a strong alcohol odor emitting from inside the pickup and noticed two open containers in the passenger’s lap.
Once out of the truck, Guy Anthony Pruitt was noted to be unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emitted from the 59-year-old’s breath. The Sulphur Springs man’s eyes were also constricted and slow to respond to light, he showed clues of intoxication during standard field sobriety testing, Greenway alleged. In fact, the trooper noted, he did not attempt to have Pruitt conduct the walk and turn and one-legged stand tests due to his “extreme unsteadiness” on his feet and the man claiming he couldn’t due to injuries. The trooper indicated he feared Pruitt would fall if he attempted the more physically challenging tests on SFSTs. Horizontal gaze nystagmus tests were administered, but all attempts were performed incorrectly, Greenway alleged in arrest reports.
Pruitt’s grandchild was reported to be in the back seat of the truck. The child and vehicle were released to the child’s grandmother. Pruitt was transported to the county jail, where he tested 0.138 and 0.130 on breath tests, well over the 0.08 legal limit. Pruitt was booked into Hopkins County jail Sept. 3, 2022, on driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, his grandchild, and open container charges.
Greenway noted after releasing Pruitt to jail staff, a review of Pruitt’s criminal history showed one previous arrest with conviction, according to arrest reports. Jail reports, however, show Sept. 5, 2022, was the first time Pruitt has been booked into Hopkins County jail.
Pruitt was released from Hopkins County jail Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, on a $5,000 bond on the DWI charges, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Lady Cats Volleyball Returns to the Main Gym Tuesday
Coach Bailey Dorner’s team is all too happy to return to the SSHS Main Gym.
Lady Cats volleyball continues flying through non-district season Tuesday, hosting Texas High.
Tuesday evening’s game hosting Texas High is now a non-district contest, as Sulphur Springs moved down to 4A Division-II following the previous school year.
The Lady Tigers come into Tuesday evening’s game sporting a 17-8 record.
Sulphur Springs hopes to snap a skid, currently standing at three games. The Lady Cats lost both of their contests last week, getting swept by both Canton and Lindale on Tuesday and Friday, respectively.
Volleyball lost two of their three before last week as well, bringing their losing skid over the last week and a half to five of six.
Sulphur Springs now sports an 11-10 record with five games left before district season begins.
Coach Dorner and her young program look to regain momentum if they can beat a tough Lady Tigers team Tuesday in the Main Gym.
That game between former district rivals Sulphur Springs and Texas High begins on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 5:30 P.M.
Both JV team precede the varsity at 4:30 P.M.
For those who cannot make Tuesday’s game in the SSHS Main Gym, Coach Dorner’s team follows Tuesday’s contest with two more games at home.
Volleyball begins a three game home-stand Tuesday hosting Texas High. The two following contests are:
- Friday, Sept. 9 vs. Redwater (4:30 P.M)
- Tuesday, Sept. 13 vs. Melissa (5:30 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.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report For Aug. 28-Sept. 4, 2022
Winnsboro Police Department each week provides a media report with information about department activity. WPD activity for the week Aug. 8-Sept. 4, 2022, included:
Arrests
- Penny Pritchard, 48 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Sept 3, 2022, for Possession of less than 2 ounces of Marijuana.
- Joseph Mungo, 34 years of age, of Fountain Valley, California, was arrested on Sept. 3, 2022, for Public Intoxication.
Calls for Service
- The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 104 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
- The Winnsboro Police Department issued 15 citations and 16 warnings during this reporting period.
Updated COVID-19 Booster Vaccines Expected To Be Available In Texas This Week
With updated COVID-19 booster vaccines now authorized and recommended for use, doses are expected to begin shipping over the next few days and arriving at health care providers across Texas this week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has allocated a total of about 900,000 doses of the updated boosters to Texas, including 502,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 192,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine available for order by health care providers. Another approximately 200,000 doses will be available through large retail pharmacies like H-E-B, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.
The updated “bivalent” vaccines are different from earlier versions because they are designed to protect against the original strain of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, which is responsible for more than 99 percent of the COVID cases in Texas over the past month.
The boosters are a single dose that uses the same mRNA technology as the original Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, and they will be available in many of the same locations. The updated Pfizer booster is authorized for people at least 12 years old, and the Moderna booster is for people 18 and older. People can get the updated booster as long at it has been at least two months since they completed any primary COVID-19 vaccine series or gotten a previous booster. They should talk to their health care provider about the best timing for them.
Doses of the updated boosters are shipping to clinics, health departments, hospitals and pharmacies. People can use the vaccine finder at vaccines.gov to locate a provider with doses of the new boosters in stock starting next week.
About 47 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Texas since they first became available in late 2020. Eighteen million people have been fully vaccinated, and 7.4 million have gotten at least one previous booster.
Considerations To Keep In Mind Before Constructing Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens
By David Wall, Mount Pleasant Master Gardener
This year, many are reconsidering raised bed vegetable gardens. The reasoning is simple. They’re compact, easy to work, easy to water, maintain moisture better, fewer problems with weeds, and usually produce more than a regular garden the same size. They come in all lengths, although widths are usually (not always) restricted to 4 feet.
Soil depth is extremely important. Raised beds that are only 4 inches tall work, but the effort combined with bed life makes them (for me) not worth the effort. Eight inches tall, which allows plenty of soil/ compost, should be the minimum height. Eight inches allows for adequate soil, compost and mulch for growing vegetables. Deep till the underlying soil, so future vegetable roots can go deeper if they need it. Layers of cardboard on top of the tilled area prevent weeds from penetrating. Well, if you have Bermuda grass, cardboard will at least slow it down!
The more height, the more room available to max out the garden’s ability to produce. My raised bed is 4 foot X 38 foot, and 24 inches tall, and made from three layers of concrete blocks. Twenty-four inches allows for construction of a hügelkultur garden. In the bottom is a layer of firewood, followed by 10-plus large bags of leaves. On top of this are several cubic yards of compost, topsoil and mulch. The bottom portion will take several years to totally decay, meaning additional fertilizers are not required. Initially overfill by at least 2 inches to account for settling. Also, raised beds may require some soil additions each year.
The remaining concern is sidewall construction. Nontreated wood won’t last long. Higher walls require thicker sidewalls. Treated wood is, by and large, not recommended due to leaching of chemicals into the vegetables. There are a few treated woods that are acceptable and fabricated wood, including concrete wood.
Support For Uvalde CISD
Many local schools — including Cumby, North Hopkins, Saltillo, Sulphur Springs ISD — will be joining others across the state Tuesday in a show of support for Uvalde CISD.
Students in Uvalde CISD will return to classes tomorrow for the first time since 21 died last spring as a result of the shooting on the Uvalde school campus. It will be tough day for many in Uvalde, the staff who want to do what they can to protect children and each other, the students who can’t forget what happened a few months back, the parents who once again are asked to entrust their students’ safety to school personnel with the horror of the spring tragedy is still fresh in memory.
School children and staff at campuses across the state will don shirts of maroon, Uvalde CISD’s school color, to show support for all in Uvalde, students, staff, parents and community. The maroon out is designed to show that “our flyer family stands with Uvalde”, that local hearts, love, support and prayers remain with the Uvalde community, especially during the start of school Tuesday.
Community members who wish to also stand in unity for Uvalde CISD are encouraged to do so as well.
Wildcats Football Beats Mount Pleasant, Starts Season 2-0
Coach Brandon Faircloth’s team fought until the final whistle, emerging victorious in a 34-17 non-district win over the Tigers.
Friday’s second straight home game for Sulphur Springs was a tight one until the finish. Wildcats football’s non-district contest versus Mount Pleasant was closer than the final score indicated.
For a majority of Friday night’s contest, the rivalry game between the two schools remained a one possession game. Each time a school would score, the other would quickly regain momentum. Sulphur Springs jumped out to an early lead, only to see it dwindle as the game progressed.
Running the ball proved to be the bread and butter of both teams’ offense.
QB Brady Driver once again set the tone with his legs, taking it into the end zone twice himself. That gives him four rushing touchdowns through two games. He has also gained almost 200 yards on the ground through the team’s two games.
The quarterback also picked up his second passing touchdown on the season, thanks to a beautiful spiral to wide-open Skylar Lewis for a 44-yard house call.
The second-to-last drive for Mount Pleasant was a tough one to swallow for the Wildcat defense, as the Tigers converted several 3rd and 4th downs to gain a new set of downs. They cashed in on the momentum with a touchdown, following that up with a successful 2-point conversion, and the Tigers then trailed by only three at 20-17.
A rushing touchdown for Malachi Roland put the game in a more firm position for the Wildcats, but the ensuing drive for the Tigers put the game out of reach for Mount Pleasant.
The score in the win is Roland’s third rushing touchdown on the year. He also broke several ankles on the way to a huge 43-yard gain, setting up a Driver rushing TD.
The second straight win for the Wildcats gives them a 2-0 record to start their season.
Next up, football hits the road for two weeks, first traveling to Hallsville for a non-district contest on Friday, Sep. 9.
But even with Driver’s impressive rushing ability, a talented Tiger offense stringed together several impressive drives to get back into Friday night’s game.
It was not until an interception returned for a touchdown that the Wildcats iced the game, sealing a 34-17 win for Sulphur Springs.
That game with the Bobcats kicks off on Friday 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.
Meal A Day Menu – Sept. 5-9, 2022
Volunteers prepare meals at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center and deliver them five days a week to Meal A Day program recipients in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County. The Meal A Day Menu for the week of Sept. 5-9, 2022 includes:
- MONDAY, September 5 — Chili Dogs, Baked Beans. Pickle Spear and Chips.
- TUESDAY, September 6 — Oven Omelet, Ham Slice, Fruit Cups and Blueberry Muffins.
- WEDNESDAY, September 7 — Chicken Pot Pie, Broccoli, Pickled Beets.
- THURSDAY, September 8 — Red Beans and Rice with Sausage, Tomatoes and Okra, and Garlic Toast.
- FRIDAY, September 9 — Smothered Beef Patties, Brown Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and a Roll.
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
Aside From SB3 Requirements, SBOE To Delay Revising Social Studies Framework Until 2025
Texas History To Remain Standalone Course, Development and Implementation Process for Innovative Native American and Asian American Studies Courses Already In Progress Will Continue
The State Board of Education (SBOE) met this week with a primary focus on updating the Social Studies Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). After public testimony and much discussion, board members were tasked with deciding whether or not to move forward with the revision of the whole subject area or limiting changes to those required as a result of Senate Bill 3 passed during a recent special legislative session. Previously, board members had tasked TEKS review work groups with providing them possible revisions to the Social Studies TEKS based on a new framework that would change the timeframe in which certain courses are currently taught. In particular, this would have embedded both 4th and 7th grade Texas History into a broader history course, as opposed to a stand-alone course, causing some concerns. This along with other changes to the framework led some members to believe they were moving too fast and needed to spend more time investigating such changes.
As a result, SBOE members voted to slow the process down. The Social Studies TEKS were not required to be updated until 2025, aside from the necessary changes required by SB 3. Members voted first to request that TEA staff bring to the next SBOE meeting a draft that only adds missing SB3 requirements to existing TEKS and gives staff the latitude to use draft student expectations from the work groups as a starting point in adding student expectations that meet SB 3 requirements.
SBOE members then voted to establish that the board will spend the next two years, until 2025, investigating the framework, essentially, delaying any revisions until that time.
In addition, a vote was taken to begin future revision processes with a new framework provided by SBOE Member Will Hickman (R-Houston). It would keep Texas History as a stand-alone course while moving it to 5th and 8th grade. This framework would only be a starting point for discussion and investigation.
The SBOE also voted to move forward with the development and implementation process for innovative courses in Native American and Asian American Studies, as these are already in progress.
The SBOE expects to have a special called meeting at the end of September to hear public testimony and have 1st reading on the revisions to the Social Studies TEKS as required by SB 3.
The board’s Committee on School Initiatives also reviewed the timeline for the charter school application process: applications are due November 4, 2022; determination notifications for applicants that will advance to capacity interviews will be sent April 17, 2023; capacity interviews with TEA and the SBOE will be May 8-12, 2023; the commissioner will propose awards on May 30, 2023; and the SBOE will meet in June for any potential vetoes.
Nation’s Report Card results Highlight Student Learning Loss
The U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) this week. Known informally as the nation’s report card, these latest results are the first nationally representative dataset that provide insights into student achievement and learning prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to now. Average scores for students aged 9 in reading and mathematics declined by 5 and 7 percentage points respectively – the largest average score decline since 1990 and the first decline in the average math scores for students since the inception of NAEP. USED says the findings underscore the impact the pandemic has had on student learning.
Click here to read the Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Recent NAEP Data.
Click here for information on Sulphur Springs ISD report card scores
Click here for information about report cards of rural schools serving Hopkins County students.
Click here to select and view Texas school district and campus report card data for the 2021-2022 school years.
Venue Change Announced For Hopkins County Genealogical Society’s Annual Fall Seminar
A venue change has been announced for the Hopkins County Genealogical Society’s Annual Fall Seminar. The Oct. 15, 2022 event will now be held in the Genealogical Society’s Research Library, located just inside Sulphur Springs Public Library, at 611 North Davis St. in Sulphur Springs.
The 2022 Fall Seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with John A. Sellers, 5th generation Hopkins County native HCCGS President since 2017, as the featured speaker. Sellers will hold four sessions each covering one of the following topics:
- Learning Where Your Ancestors Played, Prayed, Lived and Died
- To Be, To We, To Pass
- The ABCs and Double S of Census Research
- Was Grandpa “His Brother’s Keeper?”
There’s still time for any who have yet to register for the fall seminar. Cost is $30. Attend in person or virtually by Zoom. A link will be provided for those indicating they will be attending virtually via Zoom.
“We have worked hard this past year to improve our virtual experience and feel sure you will enjoy that experience almost as much as being with us in person!” Rhonda Bechhold, HCGS 1st Vice President of Programs, said in a release.
To register, complete the registration form (Click here for link or download from below) and return with check payable to Hopkins County Genealogical Society, Fall Seminar, to PO Box 624, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483.
For more information, call HCGS at 903-885-8523 or send an email to [email protected].
The HCGS website, https://hcgstx.org/, also has details about the fall virtual “lock-in” from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, the society and available resources for genealogical research.
