Another 61 Staff Changes Approved For SSISD
Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees were made aware of and approved 61 staff changes during the regular July school board meeting — 21 resignations, 27 new hires and 13 jobs swaps either in position, campus or classroom — as recommended by district administrators during the regular July 11, school board meeting.
These changes follow the 72 personnel changes — 18 resignations, 1 retirement, 32 new hires and 21 inter-district job and/or campus swaps — reported following the June 14, 2022 school board meeting; three dozen staff changes in April; 75 on May 9; a dozen May 16; 15 personnel changes as well as routine contract extensions recommended for certified and non-certified administrative personnel for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years made in March; and a dozen staff changes in February.
The changes approved this month will impact every campus, from administrative and special services departments to Douglass, all 4 primary campuses, the early childhood, middle and high school campuses and ranged from speech pathologist and principal to teachers, coaches, administrative assistant, receptionist, and aides.
Resignations
Among the SSISD staff whose resignations were submitted and formally accepted at the July 11, 2022, school board meeting were (by campus, name and position):
- Administration
- Patricia Garcia, Administrative Assistant
- Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center
- Lauren Scivally, Head Start 3 Teacher
- Bowie Primary
- Jaidyn Schroeder, Title 1 Aide
- Kayla Emerine, Title 1 Aide
- Laura Kring, Grade 1 Teacher
- Rowena Johnson Primary
- Chandra Crawford, Principal
- Logan Scott, Title 1 Aide
- Dustin Morgan, Academic Specialist
- Sulphur Springs Elementary
- Ashley Rodriguez, Special Education Aide
- Sulphur Springs Middle School
- Brittany Maness, PE/Coach
- Karen Jolly, Grade 7 Co-Teacher
- Zuleyma Rocha, Grade 6 Math
- Donald Butler, Teacher/Assistant Girls Basketball Coach
- Ryan Watts, Assistant Principal
- Marcos Graza, Athletic Trainer
- LaCrisha Shimp, Receptionist
- Sulphur Springs High School
- Courtney Anglin, Special Services Coordinator
- Reta Linette Banks, Special Education Teacher
- Erica Delley, Teacher/Girls Basketball Coach
- Sadie Evans, Special Education Aide/Connections
- Special Services
- Jennifer Spencer, Speech Pathologist
New Personnel
Among those hired to join the SSISD faculty and staff during the July 11, 2022, school board meeting were (by campus, name and position):
- Douglas ECLC
- Especially Carr, Head Start 3 Teacher
- Carmela Loera, Head Start Bilingual
- Cynthia Looney, Special Education Aide
- Bowie Primary
- Laura Geeslin, Title 1 Aide
- Dara Crawford, special education aide
- Rowena Johnson Primary
- Alesia Rollins, Music
- Jill Whitney, Grade 3 English Language Arts and Reading/Social Studies
- Travis Primary
- Jacqueline Espinoza, Title 1 Aide
- Emalee Bowley, Grade 1 Dual Language Enrichment English Language Arts and Reading/Math
- Sulphur Springs Elementary
- Lisa Parris-Orr, Special Education Aide
- Amy Urquiza, Special Education Aide
- Sulphur Springs Middle School
- Erin McCray, Grade 7 Special Education Co-Teacher
- Carrah Griffith, Special Education Aide
- Taylor Rouleau, SPED Aide
- Roxanna Thedford, Grade 6 History
- Stefanie Cowden, Special Education Aide
- Hannah Fields, Grade 6 Math
- Nancy Gutierrez, At-Risk English as a Second Language Aide
- Jacqueline Morovick, ISS Aide
- Nyla Woodruff, a SPED Aide
- Sulphur Springs High School
- Lori Evans, Library Aide
- Jacob McKeever, English
- Joel Skipper, Culinary Arts
- Bryan Jones, Teacher/Head Girls Basketball Coach
- Amy Maker, Art & Digital Design
- Nicholas Tovar, Math
- Shaye Sabedra, PED Aide Connections
Personnel Changes
Included among the SSISD staff changing either campuses, jobs or both were:
- Sasha Posey, going from Academic Specialist at SSES to Rowena Johnson Primary to become Principal
- Vallesha Adams, from Special Education Aide at Douglass ECLC to SSMS to each 6th Grade Math
- Cody Carns, from Special Education aide at SSHS to Special Education Teacher at SSHS
- Crystal Cervantes Sanchez, from Head Start 4 Bilingual Teacher at Douglass ECLC to Travis Primary to teach 1st Grade Dual Language Enrichment Spanish Language Arts, Science and Social Studies at Travis Primary
- Kim Chisom, from 8th Grade English Language Arts and Reading 180 at SSMS to teach Special Education Resource Reading at SSMS
- Jordan Cruz, from SSES Special Education Aide to become a Teacher and Coach at SSMS
- Jessica Hall, switching Special Education Aide duties at SSES
- Jerica Hankins, from Special Education Aide to At-Risk Aide at SSMS
- Cassie Ibanez, from Title 1 Aide to Behavior Aide at Bowie Primary
- Kimberly Isonhood, from English teacher at SSMS to 3rd Grade Math and Science teacher at Bowie Primary
- Cammie McGraw, from Special Education Teacher to Special Education Coordinator at SSHS
- Gerson Salvatoreh, From At-Risk Aide at SSMS to English Language Arts and Reading/Read 180 Teacher
- Heather Velez, from At-Risk Aide to Special Education Aide at SSMS
Smart Snacking At Bedtime
By Johanna Hicks, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent for Family and Community Health, Hopkins County, [email protected]
“I’m hungry!” How many of us have said that at bedtime, as the stomach grumbles? Late-night snacking has pros and cons, especially for people with diabetes. So, how can you tell if it’s okay to snack at all and, if so, how many carbs should that snack have? One of the clues for people with diabetes is the morning blood glucose levels.
Unfortunately, it’s not often simple. Fasting blood glucose readings are only the start. According to Diabetes Daily, to get a better sense of overall patterns, test blood glucose before going to bed at night, and again at 3 a.m., in addition to your morning test. Do this for several days in a row and you will begin to see your body’s typical nighttime blood sugar cycle. A continuous glucose monitor makes it even easier.
You will want to consult with your doctor or dietitian about how to best work with the pattern you discovered. Snacking at night can lead to weight gain because we don’t always choose carefully when we have the post-dinner munchies. Sometimes we sit in front of the television or hang out with friends and don’t pay attention to how much we’re eating. We wind up packing on the calories, which often means extra carbs. If the issues are weight control, and if you’re still hunger after dinner, grab a “free” food, which is mostly free of carbs. “Free foods” include:
- Baby carrots
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Cauliflower or broccoli florets
- Bell pepper strips
- Zucchini
- Radishes
- One cup light popcorn
- Sugar-free gelatin
If you don’t have those options on hand, the following snacks are fairly low carb and may not pose a blood sugar issue. Always check to see how your body handles different snacks.
- Small handful of goldfish-style crackers
- Six saltine crackers
- 6 plain animal crackers
- 3 gingersnap cookies
- 4 vanilla wafers
Diabetes Daily offers some bonus tips for nighttime snacking, but options can differ depending on your specific situation. The following three bonus tips are good for anyone to follow:
- Exercise portion, carb, and calorie control – Know how much you need and understand what a service size actually looks like.
- Choose healthy snacks – this requires you to know what’s right for you and your particular needs. Some snacks are just plain unhealthy, no matter what. Stay away from things that are pure sugar, contain high fructose corn syrup, or have more carbs in one serving than most people with diabetes should have in an entire day.
- Eat mindfully – When you snack, focus on the food. Savor every bite and chew slowly allowing yourself to fully experience all the flavors. Turn away from external distractions. Cultivating mindfulness will naturally help you feel more satisfied with your snack and can help prevent mindless overeating.
The Dawn Phenomenon and Somogyi Effect are issues pertaining to off-kilter blood sugars in the morning and middle of the night. I’ll cover those in next week’s column, so stay tuned!
Closing Thought
Children are like sponges – they soak up everything that is said and done, so be sure you are setting a good example in all aspects of life!
Contact Johanna Hicks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent at the Hopkins County office at P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston Street, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected].
How To Identify And Getting Rid Of Tomato Hornworms
By David Wall, Mt. Pleasant Master Gardener
Anyone who has grown tomatoes knows the dangers of the tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata). It is also known as tobacco hornworm with the only distinguishable difference between the two being the color of the horn, which resembles a stinger (black for tomato and red for tobacco). This caterpillar, which can grow to 3-4 inches virtually overnight.
Because they are so destructive so quickly, adult sphynx moths usually lay only one egg per plant. Loss of foliage is noticeable after 24 hours and the caterpillar can denude the plant in 2-3 days. Body color is bright green with white diagonal stripes across he back.
It should be noted that while gardeners most often see their resulting damage of tomato plants, they can also go after potato, egg, and tobacco plants as well as some weeds!
The caterpillar blends very nicely with the tomato plant and is difficult to find. And they are voracious eaters. It’s possible for a caterpillar to almost completely de-leaf a tomato plant before retiring to the soil where it will pupate into a sphynx moth. The only way I’ve found that works is to start with a branch already eaten bare and s-l-o-w-l-y work back toward the base of the plant. The problem with this is that, for me, this is only about 50-60 % successful.
There is, however, another way to find it/them that works very well. While we see the damage under sunlight, the caterpillars do most of their work at night. So, get yourself an ultraviolet light, and head out to the garden well after dark. Hornworms “glow” under the light and can easily be seen. Often, you’re looking for one worm but will find two or more.
Adult sphynx moths are good pollinators having a long proboscis that can reach in deep-throated flowers.
Wanted Man Caught Discarding A Bag Of Methamphetamines During Traffic Stop
A wanted man was arrested after deputies caught him discarding a bag of methamphetamines during a traffic stop, resulting in two additional charges, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Scott Davis conducted a traffic stop on a maroon Chevrolet Silverado on FM 1537 at FM 3236 at 10:36 p.m. Monday, July 11, 2022. Upon initial contact, Davis noted the driver had rapid speech and displayed signs of bruxism (the involuntary grinding, gnashing or clenching of teeth, often associated with recreational drug use). When a records check showed Rocky Monell Lockaby to have an outstanding warrant, Davis asked him to stand in front of his car while he waited on confirmation on the warrant.
When the warrant was confirmed, Davis asked the 45-year-old Sulphur Springs man for permission to search the truck. When Lockaby refused, Davis requested a police canine at the location, according to arrest reports.
In the mean time, Davis went to have the passenger step out of the vehicle as well. As he did Deputy Justin Wilkerson arrived to assist as well. Wilkerson reported seeing an object thrown from the area where the driver was standing to the roadside ditch. Wilkerson reported finding a small cellophane wrapped bag containing suspected methamphetamine. Both Lockaby and the passenger denied knowledge of the suspected meth, Davis alleged in arrest reports.
Deputy Colt Patterson and then arrived with his canine partner, Chiv. The police dog conducted an air sniff around the vehicle. K-9 Chiv alerted to the odor of a controlled substance. A search of the truck, however, revealed no contraband, Davis wrote in arrest reports.
Davis and Wilkerson transported Lockaby and the passenger to the sheriff’s office for further investigation. When video from the traffic stop was reviewed, Davis said it was clear Lockaby threw the item they suspected to be a bag of meth from in front of Davis’ patrol vehicle into the ditch. At that point, the passenger was released in the truck, and Lockaby was escorted into the county jail.
The suspected meth was weighed, photographed and field-tested. The substance and packaging weighed 1.629 grams and tested positive for meth. As a result, Lockaby was booked into Hopkins County jail at 12:33 a.m. July 12, 2022, on the Austin parole warrant as well as new charges for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and criminal attempt-tampering with evidence.
The 45-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail later Tuesday, July 12, 2022. He was held on the parole warrant. Bond was set at $10,000 on the controlled substance charge and $5,000 on the tampering charge, according to jail records.
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.
Verbal Complaint Results In Warrant Arrest
A verbal complaint resulted in a felony warrant arrest, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Victor Reyna reported being dispatched Monday, July 11, 2022, to a verbal complaint on Glover Avenue. Upon arrival in the area, Reyna located Bradley Scott Keene, who’d reportedly walked away from the disturbance at his residence.
A records check by dispatchers showed the 38-year-old Sulphur Springs man to be wanted in Fannin County. Reyna took Keene into custody at 5:35 p.m. July 11, 2022, on the warrant. Keene was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked in at 6:12 p.m. Monday on the Fannin County warrant for violating bond on a credit or debit card abuse charge, according to arrest reports.
Keene remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, July 12, 2022, held for Fannin County on the felony warrant, according to jail reports.
HCSO jail records also show Keene was jailed once before in Hopkins County, Oct. 14-18, 2019, on a Bonham warrant for credit or debit card abuse and on a Gregg County warrant for violation of probation on a possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana charge.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
SSATA Students Win at South US District Championships
Students from Sulphur Springs ATA Martial Arts brought home 37 medals from the 2022 Southern US District Championships that were held on June 3 in Mesquite. This invitation-only tournament features students who have qualified based on their tournament results over the entire 2021-2022 season.
Harleigh Stegient took home the District Championship in Combat Sparring, Creative Weapons, and Extreme Weapons, as well as a silver medal in Traditional Weapons. Sam Perry won a District Championship in Extreme Forms while also capturing 3 silver medals and 2 bronze. Summer Miller won District Champion in Traditional Forms and a Bronze in Sparring. Chris Miles II took three championships in Creative Weapons, Extreme Forms, and Extreme Weapons. Dequavian Person continued the winning ways with his championship in Creative Forms. Mr. Daron Bilyeu won three titles in Creative Forms, Creative Weapons, and Extreme Weapons, as well as 3 silver medals and 2 bronze.
Susie Chessher took silvers in two events and bronze in two others. Karisma Stegient won silver in Extreme Weapons, Taylor Wilson-Calhoun added three bronze medals. EmmaLynn Bodiford rounded out the medals with a Bronze medal. Abraham Shadix, Brandon Bilyeu, Jose Mejia, Jr., and Rebecca Tamsma had incredible competitions but were not able to place in the medals.
Harleigh Stegient, Karisma Stegient, and Daron Bilyeu will be travelling to Phoenix, Arizona July 13-15 for the Tournament of Champions. This tournament features the top black belt competitors from all over the world.
SSISD Board Asked To Consider Increasing Pay For Food Service Employees, Custodians
Two Sulphur Springs ISD cafeteria workers asked the school board Monday evening to consider increasing the pay for district food service employees and custodians to a livable wage.
Melinda Kile, during the public forum portion of the July 11 SSISD Board of Trustees meeting, provided school board members with a copy of a pay stub food service workers receive at Rowena Johnson Primary. Then, pointed out the gross pay at that rate is $15,483 a year, which comes out to $1,215 a month. After everything is taken out, that leaves $9,927 each year, or $827 a month for food service employees to live on. That’s all they have to pay for everything, including rent, utility bills, car or vehicle payments, gasoline and maintenance, vehicle insurance, food, medication or medical copays or deductibles, groceries, clothes and whatever other bills or else is needed to make ends meet.
With the current rate of inflation, Kile pointed out, that amounts to even less food service workers and custodians are able to buy with those their funds, or less to spend on medicine or apply toward utility bills and other living expenses. Kile asked the the board what they consider a livable wage, what would be enough to meet their needs. With $827, ends are not meeting, she said. With continually increasing prices and no raise in pay to help much less keep pace, there’s no visible light at the end of the tunnel for food services and other hourly workers such as custodial staff.
Kile said it is very frustrating, paying all of the bills that can be paid after receiving your paycheck and having no money left to live on the rest of the month, for gas to get to and from work or the grocery store.
The school employee asked the SSISD trustees if they could find ways to make that income of $827 work in today’s economy, challenged the board members to show her how to make stretch those dollars to include everything in today’s world.
Secretary Kerry Wright and John Prickette.
“You consider food service a retirement job,” Kile said. “For most, it’s a living. I have years and years until I can retire.”
Contrary to what some may think, Kile pointed out, their job is not just putting food on a tray. There’s a lot more involved. They have to do inventory, make sure the food is prepare, training on the safe food preparation, making sure temperatures reach the required mark, record keeping, lots of paperwork, working the register and being fast at it, keeping up with kids allergies, heavy lifting of supplies, chemicals involved in cleaning, and those, Kile said are just some of the responsibilities of food service employees.
Kile said while she could pursue work elsewhere she likes working for the school district, but needs to be able to make a living too.
She extended thanks to the board for the $1,000 stipend everyone got this year, noting she is appreciative and grateful to receive it. However, that was a one time allocation, not a raise. There’s no guaranty they’ll see that again.
Kile asked the trustees to consider raising the pay rate for food service workers so that they receive the same pay the months they don’t work, so it balances out, where they can make enough money to do things they need to do. She said she will appreciate anything the board can do to help improve the pay so hourly employees can make ends meet, just a livable wage for now, much less have enough to put into a 401K or savings. What little the hourly workers have will be even less when they are retirement age, as only a percentage of income goes toward retirement, and they are already struggling to make ends meet.
“We work hard. We need it,” Kile said, and noted that it’s not just food service employees but, custodian workers could use the pay too.
SSISD Trustee Robert Cody asked what hours food service employees typically work. Kile and Bonnie Spencer, another food service employee at Rowena Johnson Primary attending the July 11, 2022, school board meeting, indicated they typically work from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. SSISD Business Manager Sherry McGraw said food service employees typically work 7 1/2 hours at most, some only 5-6 hours each a day.
Spencer asked about the school insurance as well, if the district had looked at other options, may some that were better or since there are so many employees who are insured through the district health plan.
Superintendent Michael Lamb noted that SSISD has looked at and considered it carefully, and would be happy to sit down and visit with her about insurance at any time other than during the board meeting.
McGraw noted that the school district does have good insurance, and sought Spencer’s confirmation that she was referring to the cost to the district and employees themselves, not the coverage, that she was referring to.
Chamber Connection – July 13: Register For Leadership Sulphur Springs, Stew Contest
By Butch Burney
Leadership Sulphur Springs is back for another year, and registration begins next week. Leadership Sulphur Springs is a community leadership development program sponsored by the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. The course was created in 1989 with the concept of offering leadership training and community involvement for emerging business and community leaders. It is a nine-month session, with meetings held once a month.
Applicants should have lived or worked in Hopkins County for at least a year, have demonstrated a concern for the community, possess high standards of personal quality and integrity, be willing to commit the time required for the program, and have the endorsement of their employer to take the necessary time away from work.
To apply, go to the Chamber’s website at HopkinsChamber.org, email [email protected] or call 903-885-6515, starting July 18. The cost is $500, usually paid by the applicant’s employer.
Stew Time Already
Stew cooks, it’s time to get your spots. Registration for the 53rd Annual Hopkins County Stew Contest, set for Oct. 22, is already beginning. To register, go online to the Chamber’s website at HopkinsChamber.org/stewcooks, email [email protected] or call 903-885-6515. The cost to enter is $100 per stew pot, with $150 coming from the sponsor to pay for ingredients.
This year, stew cooks can also pre-order a T-shirt with “Stew Cook” on the back for $15. Register now to reserve your spot from last year.
Luau Business
Get your luau on at the Chamber’s next Business After Hours, hosted by Heritage Home Health and Hospice, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at the Chamber office.
Heritage will have tropical drinks, food and fun music for everyone to enjoy! Whether you’re a member of the Chamber or not, come on for one of the best networking events.
Mental Health First Aid
Lakes Regional will host a two-day event for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), which is free and open to the public. The adult MHFA is 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 14 at the Lakes Regional Sulphur Springs location on Airport Road. The youth seminar will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 26.
To register, call 972-977-7295 or email [email protected].
Ribbon Cuttings
Maltech Fleet Services will have a ribbon cutting at 1412 College St. at noon Wednesday, July 16. Please join us for this event.
Special Court, Plat, Fire Department Donations, Easement, Bridge Improvements Discussed
A special court, final plat, fire department donations, road easement and bridge improvements were discussed and approved by Hopkins County Commissioners Court Monday morning.
Easement
Jason Lacomfora asked the county to grant an easement for property located on Airline Drive, located just west of Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport. He noted that he’d first contacted city staff about obtaining the easement. He said he was advised while the road is in the city, it’s part of a swap program with the county, so the request would need to be made to the county.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price said he wasn’t knowledgeable about that, so he contacted city officials as well. Unfortunately, Price said, he never got a response back to the query.
“He asked me for permission that he didn’t need any permits to build down there. I agreed he did not,” Price said. “I think he’s got plans for 12 acres which didn’t fall within our plat. So I granted him the right to do what he wanted to do within the law. So I make a motion that we accept that.”
Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley seconded the motion to grant an easement for property located on Airline Drive. The motion receive unanimous approval of the Commissioners Court.
Road/Bridge Improvements
The Commissioners Court put on record four Texas Department of Transportation bridge projects, which will mean one road is a step closer to reopening and 3 other bridges will be replaced, making it easier for residents living on the other side of them to cross them during wet weather.
The county receives credit for other road repairs which are applied toward the county’s funding portion of the project. One bridge to be repaired is on Pipeline Road (South Loop 301) at Town Branch, with cooperation of the city and county. That is a big step toward getting Pipeline Road reopened, Bartley said. The project has been on TxDOT’s bridge plan for several years, and soon will be replaced. Officials are slated to advertise for bids next month, the Precinct 3 Commissioner noted.
“That’s a big step to getting that road reopened. That portion of our city, our area is growing tremendously in our industrial park. There are a lot of workers out there in that area. Should one of them need some hospital assistance, Pipeline Road would be a shortcut to the hospital for not only these workers but anyone on the that side of town,” Bartley said. “There has been several steps already to get that road constructed. We’ve been working with the city. We’ve got their support. “
The commissioner said while Pipeline Road is not one of the roads he as a precinct commissioner is responsible for maintaining, he will do whatever he can to get it open for the good of the citizens in the county.
One other of the roads on the bridge project list also is located within Precinct 3 on a road not traveled as much. Located east of Sulphur Bluff by an oil field, County Road 3545 at Mitchell Creek Tributary also is slated for bridge improvement. That road goes across a dam on a small lake that’s infested with beavers.
“They’re going to replace a cattle guard and put in some kind of drainage structure to help improve drainage,” Bartley said, adding, “So, that’s just how different [TxDOT] projects can be. TxDOT does mark their own bridges for our county roads if they need one that’s a certain size that needs replaced, they put it on their program and they incur the cost so it’s a tremendous help to the county.”
“There is a matching fund that we pay to TxDOT for our support of the drainage issues in our precincts. So that’s how we work very closely with TxDOT,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker noted.
A bridge on County Road 1180 in Birch Creek also is targeted to be replaced. Eight families live past the bridge on CR 1180. When there’s a lot of water runoff from Birch Creek, the road floods and the eight families are unable to leave their homes. Precinct 1 has in the past made preparations to go across this flooded bridge, which is dangerous, to bring people out to the hospital.
“I got involved four years ago, I’ve been working this four years. TxDOT is going to be letting the contract on County Road 1180 across Birch Creek next month. So, this has been a big feather in our hat to get this done over the last 4-5 years,” Barker said.
Commissioner Price said County Road 4767 at North Caney Creek Tributary is a small dead-end road that serves 2 people along the half-mile stretch from the bridge.
“It was already in the books when I came into office. We’ve done a match program on it also, so we are ready to go,” Price said.
Price made a motion, which was seconded by Bartley, to put on record and approved the proposed plans of improvement for SL 301/Pipeline Road at Town Branch, CR 4767 at North Caney Creek Tributary, CR 3545 at Mitchell Creek Tributary and CR 1180 at Birch Creek.
Final Plat
A final plat for Rios Estates was also approved Monday, July 11, 2022, by Hopkins County Commissioners Court. County Clerk Tracy Smith noted this was simply the final version of the preliminary plat the Court approved at a previous court meeting. The request, Smith during the June 27 court session, is for simple plat, sectioning one lot into two lots.
There had initially been some confusion as to the location for the request due to the road numbers listed on the initial proposal, FM 2653 and County Road 4112 were listed, but do not intersect. After getting clarity on that, the court approved the initial preliminary plat for Rios Estates on June 27. Then, on Monday, July 11, 2022, the Commissioners Court gave final approval to the final plat for Rios Estates as presented.
Fire Department Donations
Hopkins County Fire Marshal Andy Endsley noted that Hopkins County Fire department has received a $1,000 donation from Wood County Electric Coop. He said the check had been delivered to the County Treasurer and requested that it be applied to HCFD’s operations line in the budget to be applied to things like the cost of new fire hoses.
Endsley also noted that HCFD was donating a 20 x 32-foot portable building to Dike Volunteer Fire Department. HCFD has had the building almost since the department’s inception 20 years ago. When HCFD moved from Weaver Drive to the current intermodal facility on Texas Street, the building was moved as well. HCFD has now outgrown the portable building.
“We are needing to go up in size because we’ve got a few things that are coming in our way through grants that we have to house in a bigger location behind the fire station, so that building was taken down by sheriff’s office by the trustees, David Ray and Bobby Woodward. We are very appreciative of it,” Marshal Endsley said.
Dike VFD, however, is hoping to purchase an engine in the near future and will need a facility to house it. Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley put down a pad for Dike VFD at no cost to Dike VFD, then the trustees were utilized in Dike to put the building up on the new pad.
“We’re going to donate that over to the Dike Fire Department with the stipulation that if they ever do decide to move on in a different direction or add on to the building, that building will be used at another department for a substation or whatever they might need it for,” Endsley said.
County Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook noted the building will be removed from the HCFD inventory and insurance, which will mean Dike will need to insure it if the structure is to be insured moving forward.
“This is going to be a benefit to the community because Engie, the solar farm company, agreed to donate $30,000 to the fire department for the purchase a fire apparatus and this will be a structure to protect that vehicle. Once that’s in place — and I don’t know all the process — then we can apply for a different ISO rating, to get it lowered and will be able to lower insurance rates for everyone’s personal buildings in that area. It’s going to be a benefit to everybody out there and we’re going to have extra protection out there in the county,” Commissioner Bartley noted.
County Judge Robert Newsom noted that county officials have worked with fire departments to help several areas lower ISO ratings, which typically means lower insurance rates for everyone within a 5 mile driving radius.
With the exception of Sulphur Bluff VFD which is still rebuilding from the fire which destroyed the department’s station and most apparatus, Dike is the last VFD in the county that does not have a fire engine. Once the department gets one and outfits it for service, they can request state insurance representatives grade the district. Paperwork to start that process has already been started. Being graded with an engine should improve homeowners and property insurance costs for all within 5 road miles of Dike fire station, according to Endsley.
Special Court
Hopkins County Commissioners Court also was asked to approve a resolution for a special court, which would begin operations on Jan. 2, 2023. In accordance with Chapter 121 of Texas Government Code, the special court is being established as a special drug court, at the request of the District Attorney’s Office.
Essentially, this would provide first time controlled substance and alcohol offenders a chance to turn their lives around, Newsom explained. Basically, it would be an intervention step to try to reduce recidivism, to try to offer help for those who accused of crimes involving controlled substances, before they become deeply addicted to the illegal substances and end up with multiple arrests on their record, the county judge explained.
The drug court is a program several other court systems across the state already have in place. The program would be headed by Jody Cox with the District Attorney’s Office, according to Newsom.
Sulphur Springs Man Jailed On Felony DWI Charge
A 36-year-old Sulphur Springs man was jailed early Sunday morning on a felony DWI charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Cpl. Silas Whaley responded in the 100 block of East Shannon Road to a report of a suspected drunk driver at 1:54 a.m. Sunday, June 10, 2022. The officer was given a vehicle license plate number and told the person in question appeared to have passed out in the driver’s seat, behind the wheel of a truck.
Upon arrival at the fast food restaurant, Whaley located the silver Chevrolet Silverado in question and contacted the man in the driver’s seat. The officer in arrest reports said he detected an alcoholic beverage odor emitting from the 36-year-old Sulphur Springs man’s breath. Joshua Cruz also had bloodshot, glassy eyes and slurred speech, leading the officer to believe the man likely was intoxicated, according to arrest reports.
Cruz reportedly agreed to perform standard field sobriety tests. Upon completion of the tests, Whaley determined Cruz had operated the truck in a public place while intoxicated. As a result, Cruz was taken into custody at 2:06 a.m. July 10, 2022, and transported to jail. When the Sulphur Springs man agreed to a blood specimen for testing, the blood sample was drawn for analysis at the hospital emergency room.
Cruz was returned to jail, where he was booked in at 3:34 a.m. July 10, 2022, for third or more driving while intoxicated charge. He was released later Sunday, July 10, on a $10,000 bond on the felony DWI charge, according to jail reports.
Jail records show Cruz has twice before been booked into Hopkins County jail on DWI charges, on June 7, 2018, and again on March 2, 2019.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
