Work Begins at the New Senior Center
Work has begun at the new Senior Center here in Sulphur Springs. A crew started dirt work on the Oak Ave site this week.
This project has been in the works for several years. The most recent hurdle was a acquiring a $2.4 million grant. City Manager Marc Maxwell signed the contract with Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Thursday, Sept. 13, 2022. Once signed, it took several months for the funding to become available. Other issues included steel price fluctuations, asbestos and design considerations.
The now vacant lot previously had a healthcare related building on it. That structure had to be cleared of asbestos before it was razed.
Bond Set for Sulphur Springs School Bomb Threat Suspect
According to jail reports, a bond has been set at $100,000 for the suspect, Morgan Rechelle Durrett, on the felony charge of terroristic threat. As of Thursday morning, January 19th, Durrett remained in the Hopkins County Jail on the charge and it is unclear if she has retained an attorney. A felony warrant was issued after quick investigative work by the Sulphur Springs Police Department in the case of a bomb threat made against Sulphur Springs Elementary School prompting an evacuation of the campus.
Sulphur Springs Police identified a suspect very quickly in the case of a bomb threat at Sulphur Springs Elementary School on January 18th. Sulphur Springs police then issued a warrant for Morgan Rechelle Durrett of Dallas, located the suspect and arrested her. It is not known at this time what connection, if any, that Durrett has with any student, teacher or staff member at SSES. The bomb threat was called in to the main office of the campus around 7:55am Wednesday morning, which sent teachers, staff, and police into an evacuation protocol with all students quickly and safely evacuated out of the buildings and evcntually across League Street to the League Street Church of Christ which provided a safe haven for those affected. Parents were notified via Skyward about the threat and that the remainder of the class day would be cancelled, and instructing parents to come pick up their children in the church parking lot.
Sulphur Springs Police, Sulphur Springs Fire, and Hopkins County EMS personnel all continued on the scene for several hours as they continued the search of the building for any explosive devices. Special canines were brought in to assist in the search. The investigation into who made the call was an ongoing event simulataneous with the bomb search and eventually yielded the suspect.
SSISD administration praised all of the first responders that assisted in the event on the campus, as well as the investigative team who quickly identified a suspect.
Both Soccer Teams Begin Final Tourneys Thursday, Powerlifting Begins Season
Thursday, Jan. 19 brings both Wildcats and Lady Cats soccer squads beginning their final tournaments of the 2022-23 season. Powerlifting also gets underway on this edition of Thursday gameday.
Coach Adriana Brena and women’s soccer head back to Longview for the second weekend in a row for their final tourney, this weekend playing in the 2023 Longview Lobo showcase.
All three games for Sulphur Springs are played at Lobo Stadium in Longview.
The first match for the Lady Cats comes Thursday at 11 A.M. at Lobo Stadium against former district foe Texas High. Sulphur Springs was originally slated to play the Lady Tigers last Tuesday but after changes, such as varsity only, the game was ultimately cancelled.
Game two in Longview for women’s soccer doesn’t come until Friday, but the Lady Cats play Kilgore at 5 P.M.
The Lady Bulldogs are ranked #16 in 4A Region II as of Wednesday, according to Lethal Enforcer.
Saturday, Jan. 21 wraps up the final tournament for Coach Brena’s squad when they take on Sabine at 3 P.M.
Sulphur Springs is 4-3 on the season, fresh off going undefeated in the 2023 Pine Tree Lady Pirate Showcase.
Wildcats soccer also begins their final tournament on Thursday, Jan. 19 when they head to Terrell.
Coach Alexi Upton and his team take on host Terrell at 6:30 P.M. on Thursday.
The Sulphur Springs coach said following his team’s Tuesday win over Henderson that the Tigers should give his Wildcats a good challenge.
After taking on Terrell, men’s soccer next plays Friday, Jan. 20 playing now 5A Sunnyvale at 12:30 P.M. Their Friday foe is something of a familiar opponent as Sunnyvale came to town for the Sulphur Springs 4A Elite Invitational.
The last opponent for the Wildcats comes Saturday when Coach Upton’s squad plays Waxahachie Life at 9:30 A.M.
Sulphur Springs is 5-4-1 following their 1-0 win over Henderson at home on Tuesday. Men’s soccer has lost 2-0 games three times in their 10 games, but the other seven the Wildcats gave up just one goal in wins or a tie.
Also on Thursday, powerlifting gets their season underway in Lindale. The first competition for Coach Casey Jeter’s teams begins 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.
Arrest Made in Sulphur Springs School Bomb Threat
Sulphur Springs Police identified a suspect very quickly in the case of a bomb threat at Sulphur Springs Elementary School on January 18th. Sulphur Springs police then issued a warrant for Morgan Rechelle Durrett of Dallas, located the suspect and arrested her. It is not known at this time what connection, if any, that Durrett has with any student, teacher or staff member at SSES. The bomb threat was called in to the main office of the campus around 7:55am Wednesday morning, which sent teachers, staff, and police into an evacuation protocol with all students quickly and safely evacuated out of the buildings and evcntually across League Street to the League Street Church of Christ which provided a safe haven for those affected. Parents were notified via Skyward about the threat and that the remainder of the class day would be cancelled, and insturcting parents to come pick up their children in the church parking lot.
Sulphur Springs Police, Sulphur Springs Fire, and Hopkins County EMS personnel all continued on the scene for several hours as they continued the search of the building for any explosive devices. Special canines were brought in to assist in the search. The investigation into who made the call was an ongoing event simulataneous with the bomb search and eventually yielded the suspect.
SSISD administration praised all of the first responders that assisted in the event on the campus, as well as the investigative team who quickly identified a suspect.
Wildcats Basketball Has First Home District Contest Friday
Coach Brandon Shaver’s team makes a long-awaited return home Friday, Jan. 20 when they host North Lamar.
Sulphur Springs hopes to keep their momentum going as they are already 2-0 in district play after shellacking Liberty Eylau on Tuesday 72-47.
The Wildcats got off to a fast start and never looked back, leading big at the half 42-22. Sulphur Springs scoring that many points in the first half was only five points less than the Leopards scored in the entirety of Tuesday’s home loss to the Wildcats.
Tuesday’s victory in Texarkana was never in question for men’s basketball as they led early 19-13 after one.
If that wasn’t enough, the Wildcats raced past that point total, scoring 23 points as the game was effectively over at the half.
Halfway into the third Coach Shaver pulled his starters as his team lead by 30, 58-28. From there the men’s basketball team cruised to a demolishing win over L.E. 72-47.
Parker Whisenhunt and Kordrick Turner both had huge games in the beatdown of the Leopards, scoring 18 on Tuesday.
The only other player to end in double figures was another senior, Malachi Myles, who put up 12 in the victory.
From there it was Branson Lynn (eight), Theo Mckelvey (five), with Gavin White and DJ Wilkerson scoring four in the win. Rounding out scoring in the big night for the Wildcats was Cole Theofiledes with a three-pointer made in the first.
The win on Tuesday, Jan. 17 brings Sulphur Springs season record to 20-7 overall (2-0 district). Remaining undefeated after the win at Liberty Eylau, men’s basketball stays at least tied for first in 15-4A.
But after starting their district season with two games on the road Coach Shaver and his team next host North Lamar. Friday’s home game versus the Panthers is the first home district contest for the men’s basketball team.
That game tips off on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 P.M.
Friday’s home district match-up with North Lamar will be broadcasted onto KSST 1230 AM. That game will also be live-streamed onto KSST Radio’s Youtube channel.
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.
Law, Sellers Sign Up For Place 6 and Place 7 Sulphur Springs City Council
Tyler Law has signed up for Place 6 Sulphur Springs City Council. This seat is currently occupied by Doug Moore.
John A. Sellers has just filed an application for his seat which is Place 7 of the Sulphur Springs City Council. Sellers has previously served the city as mayor.
Wildcats Soccer Beats Henderson, Plays in Final Tourney This Weekend
Coach Alexi Upton was all too happy to come up with a win on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Sulphur Springs got back in the win column on Tuesday, beating Henderson 1-0.
“I don’t think we’re the greatest offensive team,” Coach Upton said, “but we’re good at defending, being organized… defense wins championships, kind of philosophy [is] what we’re going for this year.”
Their stifling defense has been a big part of the Wildcats’ story this season.
Through nine games after Tuesday’s win, men’s soccer has given up two goals in a game thrice, giving up only one goal in the other six contests.
The mantras for this team according to the soccer coach is to be smart, don’t make mistakes and just grind out wins, something Coach Upton believes this team has improved greatly upon.
The Sulphur Springs coach said his team is continuing to get better. He said his team started off their scrimmage season shaky because they were not as organized as they perhaps should have been. Men’s soccer went 3-5 in the preseason. But that was December, and this team has won or tied six of their 10 games to start the regular season.
Aubrey Camacho scored the lone goal in the 1-0 victory, assisted by Eric Rodriguez. Sulphur Springs had chances to score four or five on Henderson, but could not capitalize on the opportunities.
The win on Tuesday brings the Wildcats’ season record to 5-4-1.
Next up, Sulphur Springs heads to Terrell for their final tournament. The opening game has Coach Upton’s team taking on host Terrell, who should offer a good challenge according to the men’s soccer coach. That game kicks off Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 P.M.
Friday brings a game against Sunnyvale, now 5A, at 12:30 P.M.
Saturday, Jan. 21 brings one contest, against Waxahachie Life at 9:30 A.M.
If Sulphur Springs plays well enough throughout the three-day tournament they could find themselves playing for third place or higher.
Coach Upton believes his team stacks up well with their competition this weekend, citing a lack of overly explosive players & teams that ultimately benefits a defense-oriented squad like men’s soccer.
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.
Lady Cats Basketball Falls in OT Thriller, 49-48
Coach Bryan Jones and his team played a thrilling ballgame on Tuesday, Jan. 17 hosting Liberty Eylau.
Sulphur Springs kept neck-and-neck with the visiting Lady Leopards, with both teams refusing to give up momentum. However, a strong overtime saw L.E. push past the Lady Cats for good, 49-48.
Knotted after one, tied at seven, Liberty Eylau went on a 7-0 run that saw them leading 15-8, but Kenzie Willis willed her team back into the fight, going 4/4 from the line with a three to tie it up at 15. Another strong run from the visiting Lady Leopards allowed them to go into the half leading by six, 25-19.
L.E. made four shots from downtown in the quarter to propel themselves past Sulphur Springs.
While the lead ballooned to 11 at several points, Coach Jones’s team stayed in the fight and never quit. They saved their best for the fourth quarter, as the Lady Cats scored their highest quarter total (16) to send the game to overtime.
Making it to an extra period would not have been possible were it not for the heroics of the other senior on this team, Addisyn Wall, who hit one of her three free throws to tie it up, sending the game to OT.
From there though L.E. kept a slight advantage over the Lady Cats. A shot from Willis pulled Sulphur Springs back within one, but time expired on a courageous comeback as they fell at home 49-48. Coach Jones saw his team have a much-improved effort over their Friday home loss to Paris. The Lady Cats combined for 12 points over the middle two quarters, whereas on Tuesday Sulphur Springs put up 12 points in the second quarter alone.
Willis lead the way with 17 points in the loss. Codee Roland was the only other Lady Cat in double figures in the overtime loss at 11. The sophomore fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Addisyn Wall scored seven, followed closely by Trinity Jefferson (five), Kaylee Carter (three), and finally Kyra Carter and Rainey Johnson (both at two points).
Tuesday’s loss is the second straight for women’s basketball, now 19-6 overall (2-2 district). The loss to the Lady Leopards is both the second straight loss and second straight loss at home. Entering Tuesday Sulphur Springs was tied for second at 2-1, but have now slipped down to third.
They hit the road for a big duel at North Lamar on Friday.
That game tips off in Paris on Friday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 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.
2 Arrested on Possession Charges
January 18, 2023 – Two individuals were arrested on possession charges, a Dallas man and a woman were found to be in possession of marijuana. They tried to conceal the contraband from the arresting officer during a routine traffic stop, according to the arrest report.
I-30 East Traffic Stop
Cumby Police Officer Tally reported stopping a Dodge Charger at 2:58 p.m. Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at mile marker 111 on interstate 30 east for a missing front license plate. The driver was identified as 27-year-old Lacheshia Brown of Dallas, Texas and the passenger was identified as Jquan Wilson of Dallas, Texas.
Officer Tally reported initiating the stop and identifying the car as belonging to Lacheshia Brown. Brown was found to have an outstanding warrant. Ms. Brown was subsequently taken into custody. While speaking with the pair, Talley reported smelling a strong marijuana odor emitting from the car. Officer Tally then conducted a probable cause search, finding drug paraphernalia within Mr. Wilson’s immediate reach leading to his arrest. Mr. Wilson’s photo not available.
The pair was transported to Hopkin County jail without incident. Mr. Wilson was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia And Ms. Brown was booked on possession of drugs. While in jail Ms. Wilson was found to be in possession of a green plant like substance believed to be marijuana.
***Updated*** SSES Evacuated Due to a Bomb Threat
SSES classes cancelled for the rest of day. Parents are picking up students at League Street Church of Christ
January 18, 2023 – All students, teachers and staff were evacuated from SSES early Wednesday morning in response to a bomb threat made regrading that campus.
Everyone was taken across League street to the League Street Church of Christ. All students are safe and the building continues to be checked by law enforcement.
