Unemployment Rates Continued To Decline In Hopkins County, Across Texas In March 2022
Unemployment rates continued to decline in Hopkins County, Northeast Texas and across the state from February to March 2022. The Northeast Texas Workforce Development Area’s March 2022 unemployment rate of 4.1 is still a little bit higher than the overall Texas unemployment rate of 3.9, which was slightly higher than the national unemployment rate of 3.8, according to the March 2022 statistics released by Texas Labor Market Information for Texas Workforce Commission.
The overall civilian labor force in the US rose from 163,725,000 in February 2022 to 164,274,000 in March 2022, both up from 160,397,000 in March of 2021. The number employed in the US rose also from 163,725,000 in February 2022 and 160,397,000 in March 2021 to 158,106,00 in March 2022. Overall, the unemployment rate dropped 2.4% over the last year and 0.3% from February to March of 2022.
Texas’ overall labor force was slightly smaller, dropping from 14,539,800 people either working or searching for a job in February 2022 to 14,536,900 in March 2022. The number of Texans working also rose from 14,143,900 in March of 2021 to 13,854,600 in February 2022 and13,974,000 in March 2022, dropping the unemployment rate from 6.5% in March 2021 to 4.7% in February 2022 and 3.9% in March 2022.
The civilian labor force in the nine-county Northeast Texas Workforce Development Area has continued to grow over the past year, as has the number employed. In March 2021, the NET WDA’s labor force included 125,959 people. The CFL had risen to 126,509 by February 2022 and 126,781 by March 2022 in the Northeast Texas WDA. Last month, 121,602 of people in NETWDA were employed, up from 120,121 in February 2022 and 117,984 working in March 2021. Overall, that lowered the unemployment rate across the NETWDA from 6.3 in March 2021, to 5.0 in February 2022 and 4.1 last month.
Four of the nine counties in the NETWDA were doing better than the US, state and WDA, each posting March 2022 unemployment rates below the WDA, state and national averages.
In fact, the unemployment rate in all nine counties in Northeast Texas Workforce Development Area improved from February to March of 2022.
Leading the NETWDA with the lowest reported unemployment rate of 3.0 in March 2022 was Franklin County (Mount Vernon), with Hopkins County a close second with an unemployment rate of 3.1%, followed by Delta County’s 3.5% March 2022 unemployment rate and Titus County’s 3.7% unemployment rate.
Franklin County’s CLF of 5,283 people in March 2022 was larger than the 5,244 reported in February 2022, but both fell short of the 5,396 CLF reported for Franklin County in March 2021. Franklin County did, however report one more person employed in March 2022 than the 5,125 of March 2021, and 77 more than in February 2022. Those shifts have dropped the unemployment rate in Franklin County from 5.0 in March 2021 to 3.7 in February 2022 and 3.0 in March 2022.
Hopkins County also continues to do well compared to the rest of the WDA, growing both the labor force and the number employed. Hopkins County’s CLF rose from 17,929 in March 2021 to 18,097 in February 2022 and 18,266 in March 2022. With the number of employed rising over from 17,065 in March 2021 to 17,708 in March 2022. This has decreased the number of unemployed from 4.8% (864 individuals) in March 2021 to 3.8% (684 individuals) in February 2022 and 3.1% (558) in March 2022.
That places Hopkins County back at the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.1 posted in January and February of 2020. In fact, the unemployment rate was at the lowest in the past 22 years in 2019, with 2.7% reported in April and May 2021, 2.8% reported in October and December 2019 and 2.9% reported in September and November 2019. The highest Hopkins County unemployment rate in 2019 was 3.6% in January, followed by 3.3 percent in February and July 2019; and 3.2% in March, June and August of 2019. That put the annual 2019 average unemployment rate at 3.1%. While unemployment soared to 7.8% in April 2020 due to government mandated shutdowns, the highest unemployment rates in Hopkins County in the past 23 years were recorded in 2010 when the annual unemployment average was 7.5 and 2011 when the average was 7.6%. The highest Hopkins County’s unemployment rate has climbed since 2000 was 8.4% in June 2011, followed by 8.2 in July 2011, 8.1 in January of 2010 and 2011, and 8 in February 2011. The lowest unemployment rate in 2011 was 6.6 in December, and the lowest unemployment rate for 2010 was 7.1 in April, May and October.
Delta County (Cooper) has also seen an increase in the CLF and number unemployed, decreasing the overall unemployment rate over the past year. Delta County’s CLF was 2,470 in March 2021, had grown to 2,486 in February 2022 and reached 2,500 last month. The number of employed rose from 2,339 in March 2021 to 2,373 in February 2022 and 2,412 in March 2022. That dropped the unemployment rate from 5.3% (131 unemployed) in March 2021 to 4.5% (113 unemployed) in February 2022, and 3.5% (88 unemployed) last month in Delta County.
Titus County (Mount Pleasant)’s unemployment rate has declined 2.1% in the past year, going from 5.8% in March 2021 when 798 of the 13,669 CLF were unemployed to 3.7% with 515 of the 13,887 CLF unemployed in March 2022, which was a 1.1% dip from February 2022 when 661 of the 13,851 CLF were unemployed.
The remaining counties in the NETWDA have all reported a dip of at lest 1% in unemployment rates over the past month, and at least 2% over the past year.
The largest drop of 4% in unemployment rates over the past year in NETWDA was in Morris County (Daingerfield), which continues to have the highest unemployment rate of 7.4% in the 9-counties. Morris County’s CLF shows continued decline, dropping from 4,700 in March 2021 to 4,551 in February 2022 and 4,547 in March 2022. The number of employed in Morris County dipped from 4,166 in March 2021 to 4,148 in February 2022, only to rise one month later to 4,210 employed. Despite the fluctuation, the unemployment rate has dropped from 11.4% with 534 unemployed in March 2021 to 8.9% with 403 unemployed in February 2022 and 7.4% with 337 unemployed in March 2022.
The northeastern most county in the NETWDA, Bowie County (Texarkana), had a March 2022 unemployment rate of 4.3% (1,715 without jobs) in March 2022, down from the 5.3% (2,100 unemployed) recorded in February 2022 and 6.5% (2,532 unemployed) in March 2021. While Bowie County’s CLF has fluctuated from 39,020 in March 2021 to 39,851 in February 2022, then down to 39,619 one month later. The number working has continued to grow, however, rising from 36,488 employed in Bowie County in March 2021 to 37,751 in February 2022 and 37,904 in March 2022.
Cass County’s (Linden and Atlanta) unemployment rate fell from 7.5%, with 946 of the 12,564 CLF unemployed in March 2021, to 5.7%, with 711 of the 12,422 CLF unemployed in February 2022, and 4.6% with 576 of 12,495 unemployed in March 2022.
Lamar County’s labor pool rose from 24,612 in February 2022 to 24,734 in March 2022, which was still less than the 24,846 CLF recorded in March 2021. The number of people working in Lamar County (Paris) has continued to grow over the last year from 23,295 in March 2021 to 23,390 in February 2022 and 23,743 in March 2022. That dropped the unemployment rate from 6.2% (1,551 unemployed) in March 2021 to 5% (1,222 unemployed) in February 2022 and 4% (only 911 unemployed) in March 2022 in Lamar County.
Finally, rounding out the nine-county WDA, Red River County (Clarksville) has not only grown the CLF but the number of people employed as well over the past year. Red River County’s unemployment rate has improved from 6.5%, with 348 of the 5,365 CLF unemployed in March 2021, to 5.5% with 299 of 5,395 unemployed in February 2022, and 4.4% with 242 of 5,450 unemployed last month.
Alcohol Isn’t The Only Thing A Breath Test Can Detect; It Can Now Detect COVID-19 Too
Alcohol isn’t the only thing a breath test can detect; COVID-19 can now be detected in less than 3 minutes using a breath sample. Not having to stick a long cotton swab up the nose, have a blood sample drawn or cheek swab to check for the virus sounds great, just don’t expect to see the new diagnostic devices readily available to the average consumer anytime soon – or even some locations that previously conducted free testing.
The new diagnostic test given emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration Friday, April 14, is designed to be performed in environments where the patient specimen is both collected and analyzed, such as doctor’s offices, hospitals and mobile testing sites. And, the instrument used is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage. So, not quite as small, easily stored or transported as say a portable breath test a trained law enforcement officer might produce for someone to blow into to detect blood-alcohol content.
COVID diagnostic tests must also be performed by a qualified, trained operator under the supervision of a health care provider licensed or authorized by state law to prescribe tests. The device is the the first COVID-19 diagnostic test that detects chemical compounds in breath samples associated with a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
“Today’s authorization is yet another example of the rapid innovation occurring with diagnostic tests for COVID-19,” said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “The FDA continues to support the development of novel COVID-19 tests with the goal of advancing technologies that can help address the current pandemic and better position the U.S. for the next public health emergency.”
The performance of the InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer was validated in a large study of 2,409 individuals, including those with and without symptoms. In the study, the test was shown to have 91.2% sensitivity (the percent of positive samples the test correctly identified) and 99.3% specificity (the percent of negative samples the test correctly identified). The study also showed that, in a population with only 4.2% of individuals who are positive for the virus, the test had a negative predictive value of 99.6%, meaning that people who receive a negative test result are likely truly negative in areas of low disease prevalence. The test performed with similar sensitivity in a follow-up clinical study focused on the omicron variant.
The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer uses a technique called gas chromatography gas mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) to separate and identify chemical mixtures and rapidly detect five Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in exhaled breath. When the InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer detects the presence of VOC markers of SARS-CoV-2, a presumptive (unconfirmed) positive test result is returned and should be confirmed with a molecular test. Negative results should be considered in the context of a patient’s recent exposures, history and the presence of clinical signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19, as they do not rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions, including infection control decisions.
InspectIR expects to be able to produce approximately 100 instruments per week, which can each be used to evaluate approximately 160 samples per day. At this level of production, testing capacity using the InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer is expected to increase by approximately 64,000 samples per month.
As of April 12, 2022, a total of 427 tests and sample collection devices had been authorized by the FDA under emergency use authorizations (EUAs). These include 293 molecular tests and sample collection devices, 84 antibody and other immune response tests and 50 antigen tests. There are 74 molecular authorizations and 1 antibody authorization that can be used with home-collected samples. There is 1 EUA for a molecular prescription at-home test, 2 EUAs for antigen prescription at-home tests, 17 EUAs for antigen over-the-counter (OTC) at-home tests, and 3 for molecular OTC at-home tests.
The FDA has authorized 28 COVID antigen tests and 9 molecular tests for serial screening programs. The FDA has also authorized 925 revisions to EUA authorizations since COVID
City Receives Official Notification Of $2.42 Million Grant Award For New Senior Center
It’s official. City staff received official notification Thursday afternoon, April 14, 2022, that the City of Sulphur Springs has been approved for a $2.42 million grant award to construct a new senior citizens center.
Sulphur Springs Finance Director Lesa Smith just before 5 p.m. Thursday reported city staff got the official word that Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Governing Board has approved a Community Resiliency Program award for construction of a new senior citizens center. The award will be funded through the Community Development Block Grant – CARES Act (CDBG-CV) Program.
The CDBG-CV Entitlement Program is designed to provide rural communities with funds to prepare for, prevent, or respond to the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. The activities must be primarily for the benefit of low-income and moderate-income residents and align with one of the three national objectives for HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program.
The city specified the funds are being sought to support the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center, specifically construction of a new facility to enhance numerous services for seniors including meal preparation, emergency housing and pandemic preparation and response. These areas have already been certified to meet the HUD definition for Area Benefit for low- and moderate- income (LMI) persons.”
“We anticipate going out for bid on the construction of the facility later this spring. The new center will be slightly over 11,000 square feet and will include a large multi-use room, commercial kitchen area, 3 small activity rooms, and a library in addition to office and storage space,” Smith stated Tuesday when notifying local media of the award.
That’s more than 2,600 more square feet than the 8,331-square feet the city manager in August 2020 said had been allocated for the new senior center. The facility currently in use for senior citizens activities as well as the headquarters for the local Meal A Day program is about 4,500-square feet counting storage that was added onto one side of the building
The project was one of two approved by Sulphur Springs voters in November 2019. Pacific Park was to receive $1.5 million of bond funds received in March 2020 and another $1.5 million in bond funds was allocated for construction of a new senior citizens center. Voters agreed to allow the city to use up to $200,000 of EDC money for up to 20 years for a 4B purpose, to make payments on the bond. The project has to be finished within 3 years of issuing the bond.
However, construction materials like most other things have gone up significantly since 2019, and especially since construction of the new Grays Building in Pacific Park. The grant will be especially helpful in fully funding the project, and even a little extra to expand the original design for the project. The grant won’t apply to anything in the building that’s not permanent, such as furnishings. The bond funding and any other funds allocated for the project – such as those raised from donations and fundraisers conducted at the senior center – can be applied toward the remaining cost including furnishings.
The new senior citizens activity building will be located at 301 Oak Ave. on property which previously house a nursing home as well as the property behind it at 331 Oak Ave.
Homeschool Students Will Not Be Allowed To Participate As SSISD Students In UIL Activities
Homeschool students won’t be allowed to participate in UIL activities as Sulphur Springs ISD students in the future, reversing a policy implemented this year by the school board.
Sulphur Springs ISD Superintendent Michael Lamb noted that district administrators learned last summer that House Bill 547 changed a policy regarding homeschoolers participation in UIL activities. As they understood the rules in 2021, students would be eligible to apply to public school districts to participate in UIL activities not offered by their homeschool program. For instance, if a program like CHESS offers competitive basketball, but not football, the CHESS students could apply to a public school district such as SSISD to be allowed to play football for that district. Districts could decide whether or not to permit homeschool participation in UIL activities.
SSISD opted to allow homeschool students to apply, provided they meet and follow all the district’s and UIL rules, including trying out and being selected for a varsity team.
Not all parameters for homeschoolers to participate in UIL activities through a public school had been fully outlined in July 2021, but districts were asked to make a decision by August 2021 if they were going to allow homeschoolers to apply to participate in varsity athletics.
“I suggest we do this, move forward with it and learn as we go. If we need to close that door one day, we have that opportunity,” Lamb told SSISD Board of Trustees during the regular school board meeting on July 12, 2021. “It’s our recommendation that we vote and allow homeschool students to play our UIL sports.”
The school board, after additional discussion in July 2021, approved the policy to allow homeschool students who meet established criteria to participate in UIL activities. Lamb on April 11, 2022, said SSISD had only one homeschooler participating during the 2021-2022 school year.
Additional guidance and amendments have been issued since the policy was approved by SSISD trustees in July 2021. In fact, when SSISD administrators were looking at numbers recently, they learned that in order to allow the policy, SSISD could possibly be required to add 200 additional kids to the school’s count, the superintendent reported Monday.
Thus, Lamb recommended that the district not include homeschool students in SSISD UIL activities this year. Since the school board approved the policy before school started this year allowing homeschool students to participate in UIL, he recommended that they trustees vote to “undo what you did before.”
SSISD Board of Trustees during the regular board meeting on April 11, 2022, followed Lamb’s advice and voted to not allow homeschool participation in UIL activities moving forward.
Pair Taken Into Custody Following Two-County Pursuit Which Concluded In Sulphur Springs
Two people, a man and woman, were taken into custody following the two-county vehicle pursuit which spanned at least 20 miles and concluded Wednesday afternoon in the 700 block of East Shannon Road in Sulphur Springs.
According to officials, the chase was initiated by a Hunt County Sheriff’s Office and continued on Interstate 30 into Hopkins County. The driver of the white car exited I-30, turned onto South Broadway Street. The car then drove through Walmart parking lot, where car parts were reportedly heard dragging under the car, before it exited the parking lot heading back toward the Interstate on Mockingbird Lane.
The car was seen traveling on the service road to Bill Bradford Road, then west up alongside East Shannon Road and the overpass, raveled through some grass, toward the I-30 ramp, where it reportedly nearly struck a truck.
A bystander reported emergency vehicles from multiple agencies pursued the car. It appeared officials attempted to put down spike strips unsuccessfully. Then, two loud pops, which one witness said sounded like gunshots, were heard. The law enforcement officers used their vehicles to box the car in and prevent it from reentering I-30 via the entrance ramp to the Bill Bradford Road overpass. The two-county pursuit concluded when the white car stopped sideways in the grass; the car had visible front end damage.
Law enforcement called out to the pair, swarmed the vehicle and assisted the pair out. A man and woman were taken into custody and transported to a Hunt County jail. The pair in the car had out-of-state warrants, believed to be the reason for the vehicle chase, according to local officials.
Traffic slowed in one lane on East Shannon Road past the location for over an hour while officials worked and vehicles lines the roadside, but vehicles were still able to pass on the interstate onto the bridge.
According to Hunt County jail records, 27-year-old David Earl Graham was booked into jail at Hunt County Sheriff’s Office April 13, 2022, on an evading arrest or detention with a vehicle charge and also noted to be an out-of-state fugitive.
Among the agencies joining in the pursuit as it entered their jurisdiction were Hunt County Sheriff’s Office, Cumby Police Department, Hopkins County sheriff’s Office, Sulphur Springs Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. Sulphur Springs Fire Department and Hopkins County Emergency Medical Services personnel also responded at the location.
Villarino, Carpenter Recognized As Top Seniors In SSHS Class of 2022
Joel Villarino and Dawson Pace Carpenter were recognized as the top seniors in the Sulphur Springs High School Class of 2022.
Villarino, son of Mario Villarino and Leah Larsen, is this year’s valedictorian. Carpenter, son of Rodney and Nikki Carpenter, earned salutatorian honors with a 4.43 weighted grade point average.
The pair have been friends since second grader when they were in the same class at Bowie Primary School. While the pair has often been linked together – they took home most of the class awards that first year leaving their other classmates disconsolate, the 2022 valedictorian and salutatorian expressed pride in their entire class for pushing hard to take and excel in as many academically challenging courses as possible.
“I may be a little bit biased in saying this, but the class of 2022 has been one of the greatest to go through these doors in the past several years. I know that we’ve really pushed the academics par of our education by pushing for more AP classes, pushing for more, higher and higher, than any other class I’ve seen in the past. I really think the people who come out of our classes are going to do excellent things – everyone, from top to bottom,” Villarino said.
The pair also attributed their successes not just to their hard work, but a reflection of the hard work and sacrifices their parents and families have made for them. Surrounding themselves with an “excellent” core group of friends, ranked 3-5 in the class, who also take academics extremely seriously and come from families who take it seriously has also helped spear them toward academic successes.
Villarino too credits his younger sister, Alexis Villarino, for her role in his successes as well.
“I’ve done a lot and really worked hard, but I think my sister is really the better of the two siblings, to be honest. I’m a little unorganized at time and she was the one, even before she was a freshman, who had a study plan for the SAT for me. She was my coach. She was making the curriculum, and I’m thankful for that. She is going to be great things and I truly hope that I’ve been a good role model for her,” the valedictorian said, adding later he hopes to see Alexis standing at the head of her class in a couple of years. She’s currently ranked first in the sophomore class.
“My parents and my entire immediate family has been amazing in supporting me in everything I do, whether its getting to events, getting me to events, it’s tough,” Carpenter said. He introduce his parents as his “support system,” always there whether for sports, academic or other extracurriculars, even when it means taking off work as they did for the valedictorian-salutatorian recognition event Tuesday morning, April 12, 2022, and finding a way to be there for and support him always. He noted his family also includes a younger brother, a sixth grader.
The salutatorian also credits the great staff at SSHS and SSISD, especially Gail Herman, who has been his AP English teacher for two years and UIL coach all four years of high school.
“She kind of took me under her wing as a freshman, kind of gave me somewhere to belong, even when I may not have known what I was going to do,” Carpenter said, adding that Gerald Grafton has been amazing to him, AP biology teacher Kaley Williams who’s been incredible, as well as Madison Millsap.
“I could name a ton. We really have a a great staff of teachers. They really work hard to get us to be the best we can be. Obviously, the administration is great. Mrs. Ladd, I just met her this year. When I asked her, ‘Hey can we meet. I need a counselor recommendation for a college application?’ she was on it. I’m really thankful for that,” Carpenter said, turning to Jamie Ladd to extend appreciation to the counselor.
Villarino too offered thanks to the administration for serving as facilitators, going the extra mile to help students when resources may not have been immediately available at the school. For instance, last year he and Carpenter decided to study for AP exams instead of going home on an early release day, and Steve Carter saw them in the library every day. Amy Jumper, upon learning the students wanted to take the test, ordered it so the students could take it at SSHS instead of having to drive to another school to take it. He says things like that showed them personally how the administration cares for their students.
“All this is a reflection of all everyone has done,” Villarino said sweeping his arms to include the entire school, their families and administrators. “We are just happy to have been part of that.”
The valedictorian said one of the memories he will take with him to college and life will be not only serving the last two year as drum major, but learning to play accordion over the summer, then performing an accordion solo in front of thousands.
“That was one of those top 10 moments in my life, probably type of thing,” Villarino said, brimming at the memory. “Just being able to cheese it up in front of other people, it was awesome, the screams. I’m the accordion guy when I go to other schools. I think that is so awesome.”
Villarino explained that the halftime show typically features the drum majors at some point. This year the show featured a Paris theme, and originally instructors planned for the accordion part to be played on a synth. Joel’s friend Clayton Boykin voluntold him for the part, pointing to him and telling the instructor he could play accordion. So, he decided, “I guess I can,” and set out to do so. While hard to learn, it was a fun experience.
Carpenter cited his successes in UIL, especially being on the state champion literary criticism team and placing fourth individually at state last year as a particularly memorable experience.
“That was awesome for me, just to see that culminate all those years of hard work into a state championship was really cool,” said Carpenter, who is also part of the literary criticism team that this spring is also advancing from region to the state contest, where they hope to repeat their successes with another team championship.
Coached by Herman, who has a legacy of teams that win and place at state competition, Carpenter said it’s an honor to be able to be help continue her legacy and give back to the teacher who’s given so much to him.
“If there was a lifetime achievement for UIL directors, I feel like Herman would be one good candidate – winningest lit crit,” Villarino added. “A lot of the top students have been part of that. Last year’s val and sal were also on her team. She really does a good job pushing students beyond what they think they can do.”
“There are always moments where you’re not sure you can pull it off, meet her expectations, but you find a way,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter noted that his association with Herman began about a week before school started. When he picked up his schedule during freshman orientation (fish camp) there was a note attached to his schedule for him to see teacher Gail Herman. He was a little afraid because of Herman’s reputation for having hard classes.
While students were changing classes during the mock school day to become better acquainted with the campus, Carpenter spent the equivalent of a few class periods talking to Herman about UIL. She knew he’d participated won in district UIL spelling and vocabulary competition in seventh and eighth grades and recruited him to compete in academic UIL. She handed him thick stack of papers, which he demonstrated said appeared to be a few inches apart, for him to start working on. He was a bit lost for a few class periods the first day of school, but had met a teacher who would challenge him to push himself to be his very best.
The valedictorian and salutatorian credited their middle school GT teachers Clay Hansford and Brooke Howard, for having a monumental impact on their development as individuals.
“Those two especially had an extreme impact on myself, on my development throughout middle school, pushing us,” Villarino said of the gifted and talented instructors.
He recalled the formal dinner, “where you take these kids you would say are more nerdy,” and make them dance and eat food in a formal setting.” He says at 18, he’s already had occasion to use those skills and is so thankful to have had the experience.
Valedictorian Villarino plans to pursue a career in software engineering or software development. He hasn’t yet decided between the University of Texas-Austin Honors Program and Rice University in Houston, but knows he wants to major in computer science. His strengths are logic and mathematics and computer science involved applied math and applied logic.
He has competed in Business Professionals of America computer science events, and over the summer had the opportunity to participate in Texas Space Grants, working with the University of Texas and NASA. He said he used data from NASA space satellites to map areas using PYTHON and JAVA coding languages.
“It was very interesting to me because of the applications. There’s a lot of applications for it and the money’s nice. You get paid very, very well,” Villarino said with a laugh.
Salutatorian Carpenter is plans to attend Texas A&M University to prepare for a career in aerospace engineering.
“I’ve always been pretty interested in space. With that being on the forefront of exploration right now, it’s kind of the next frontier they want to explore, I want to be a part of that. I just want to build rockets,” he said with a smile.
While math and science have always been the 2022 salutatorian’s favorite classes, he has tried to be a well rounded student, taking a variety of different classes, as many of the core classes that are offered. He also has been involved in several activities in an effort to make as big an impact as possible while he’s at SSHS.
Carpenter was on the varsity baseball team, Student Council, National Honor Society, Hopkins County Leadership including attending RYLA, served as a Key Club officer, competed in five academic UIL events. Among the honors and recognitions Carpenter has also received are being named a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student, College Board National Rural & Small Town Recognition, and being an AP Scholar with Honor.
Villarino also is a National Merit Scholar, served as captain of the UIL computer science team, a member of the National Honor Society and the Hopkins County Youth Leadership group, received a Rotary Youth Leadership Award.
Avoid I-30 South Service Road East of Broadway
April 13, 2022 – A multi agency response to a vehicle crash is ongoing. Units from Cumby Police, Sulphur Springs Police, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and Texas State Troopers worked together to stop a fleeing white sedan. The pursuit of the vehicle started outside Hopkins County. This pursuit covered several surface streets in Sulphur Springs, and at one point went through the Wal-Mart Parking lot.
The south service road is partially blocked, but some traffic is moving. The area is a crime scene, and will be active for several hours.
Stay tuned to KSST for more details.
Traffic Backs Up For Over An Hour On Interstate 30 Due To 18-Wheeler Crash
Traffic on Interstate 30 west was slow going Tuesday afternoon due to an 18-wheeler crash near mile marker 122. Initial reports were that an 18-wheeler had jack-knifed in front of the Dodge dealership, causing damage to the trailer. The crash occurred around noon time.
As emergency responders arrived, after checking the condition of the occupant, reported to be only the driver, they began working to direct traffic away from the crash, allowing westbound traffic to flow as much as possible around the area until additional room was needed for emergency responders and wrecker unit to work to clear the roadway.
Traffic at 1 p.m. along that stretch was very slow going, backing up in both lanes for about 2 miles past League Street overpass and about half way to South Broadway Street overpass on I-30 west.
Motorists traveling west on I-30 out of Sulphur Springs are encouraged to seek an alternate route around the area or to plan for potentially lengthy traffic delays at lunch time.
All motorist are reminded to slow down as they near a work or construction area, especially during the spring thunderstorms as roads are especially slick during the deluge, and to be alert for emergency workers at the crash site and directing traffic. The law requires motorists to switch into the opposite lane, and when not possible to slow down. Be aware as the truck-trailer rig is cleared from the road that traffic may be diverted onto other roads, completely stopped, or stop and go depending on the stage of work.
Lady Cats Softball Crushes Texas High 12-0
Sulphur Springs won big in Texarkana 12-0 over Texas High on Tuesday, Apr. 12.
Coach David Carrillo’s team kept the hits coming in their 10th straight victory.
The Lady Cats put up two runs in their first at-bat. They then doubled their output in the second inning, scoring four more to lead big 6-0.
Sulphur Springs in the top of the 4th produced their second-straight district contest with a six run inning, blowing the game away en route to a 12-0 demolishing of the Lady Tigers in five innings.
Almost every single Lady Cat on the roster recorded hits in the 12-0 win Tuesday. Jadyn Harper and Reese Ragan led the way with two hits, both amounting to at least one RBI. Both Harper and Ragan crossed home twice in five innings, with the latter recording 2 RBIs and reaching home three times in the victory.
Kinz Smallwood also got 2 hits and 2 RBIs Tuesday.
3B Addison Caddell, Bryant, SS Parris Pickett, C Anahi Velasquez and DP Tia Nash all recorded a hit Tuesday in the 12-0 win. Nash’s hit went yard for a home-run.
Crimson Bryant won her ninth game in 10 starts pitching a complete 5 inning game. The junior gave up 5 hits but no runs, walking one batter but striking out 10 Tuesday.
The 12-0 crushing victory over Texas High gives Coach Carrillo’s softball team a 10-0 district record, now 19-1-2 overall. Tuesday’s win in Texarkana is also the 21st straight district win for the Lady Cats softball program.
It’s a quick turnaround for Lady Cats softball, as on Thursday, Apr. 14 Sulphur Springs hosts Marshall for Senior Night.
At least two seniors are set to be honored in their last home game.
Festivities begin prior to the 6 P.M. tee-off.
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.
You Would Not Drive Intoxicated, Why Drive Intexticated?
By Johanna Hicks
You have undoubtedly heard of the dangers of driving while intoxicated, but what about other driving distractions? Our roadways are more dangerous now than they were pre-pandemic and 2021 marks the second deadliest year on Texas roads. Calling attention to the dangers of distracted driving can help end this deadly streak on our roads.
In a study done by American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety, researchers found that even using a hands-free system or texting when you are stopped at a light can produce a ‘hangover’ effect where your mind stays distracted for up to 27 seconds after using smart phones or even voice to text systems in vehicles. Fortunately, when we look at the cars surrounding us each day in traffic, we do not see many drunk drivers. Yet, looking around and seeing a driver staring at their cell phone is all too common. Distracted driving is much more pervasive than drunk driving.
Like drunk driving, distracted driving slows the driver’s reaction time. Distracted driving additionally takes the driver’s eyes off the road for as much 4-5 seconds while they read or send a text message. At 55 miles per hour, this would be the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with a blindfold on. While teens and young drivers are more likely to be driving distracted, many of these drivers do not see texting as a risk. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey found 20% of drivers ages 18-20 said texting does not affect their driving, and nearly 30% of drivers ages 21-34 said texting has no impact.
Parents and caregivers need to be good role models and not have their children witness them driving distracted, just as they would not want to have their children see them driving impaired. So drivers need to put away their cell phones and wait until they arrive at their destination to use their phone. Children are paying attention and parents have more influence over their teens than they may think. This influence goes for any situation – not just driving.
Keep your eyes on the road and arrive alive!
District 4-H Contest Results are in!
I recently had the privilege of serving on various 4-H contest committees on the district level over a two-day period. I’m proud to announce that two of our Hopkins County 4-H members came home with numerous honors. Below are the results.
- Rylie Carroll: Public Speaking, 1st place; Food Show Side Dish, 2nd place; Fashion Show Specialty Division, 1st place; Healthy Lifestyles Invitations, 4th place.
- Diego Childs: Share-the-Fun Poetry, 2nd place; Food Show Main Dish, 4th place; Consumer Decision Making (Individual).
Congratulations to both of these 4-H members. As a first place recipient in Public Speaking and Fashion Show, Rylie has qualified for Texas 4-H Roundup contests to be held in College Station in June. We wish her the best!
Closing Thought
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a child, a friend, or a parent.
Barbara Bush
Contact Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent for Hopkins County at P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483; 903-885-3443; or j[email protected].
