Four Local May 7 Elections Expected To Be Canceled
Filing For Candidacy In Cumby City Council Election Ongoing
Four local May 7 elections are expected to be canceled. Filing for candidacy in the Cumby City County Election is ongoing through March 7, 2022.
Hospital District Board
Hopkins County Hospital District is expected to cancel the scheduled May 7, 2022, election for two seats on the HCHD Board of Directors, as the election drew no challengers.
The seats by default will go to incumbents Kerry Law and Joe Bob Burgin, who will be re-administered the oath of office to serve another full term each on the hospital district board starting in May.
Sulphur Springs City Council
Only two individuals filed candidacy for two places on the City Council Election, Tommy Harrison for Place 4 and incumbent Gary Spraggins for Place 5. Freddie Taylor opted not to seek reelection to Place 4 on the City Council.
Because neither candidate drew an opponent, the seats will go to the two candidates and the May 11, 2022, City Council Election can be canceled. The two candidates would then take the oath of office for a full term on the City Council in May.
Sulphur Springs ISD
Sulphur Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees called for two May 7 elections. the regular election for three seats on the school board and a special bond election.
Sulphur Springs ISD is expected to cancel the school trustees election. The three incumbent school board members were the only three to file candidacy for the May 7 SSISD Board of Trustees Election for three at large places on the school board. With no opponents, the seats will go to incumbents Craig Roberts, Leesa Toliver and John Prickette, to serve another full term on the school board, starting in May 2022.
Sulphur Springs ISD will still hold a special May 7 election, however. Votes will be asked to cast ballots for or against a $93 million school board election, called for on Feb. 14, 2022, at hte recommendation of the SSISD Long Term Facilities Planning Committee to fund facilities repairs, renovations and additions throughout the district as well as construction of a new elementary campus. The rate would increase the current tax rate by 10 cents per $100 property valuation, which is still lower than the SSISD ad valorem tax rate approved in the last SSISD bond election for a new middle school facility, according to school trustees.
Yantis ISD
As of the 5 p.m. Friday deadline to file candidacy, Yantis ISD had only two unopposed incumbent candidates for the two open positions on the school board. Unless there is a write-in candidate by that deadline, Yantis ISD expects to cancel the trustees election that time.
Incumbents April Johnson and Jeff Quinn will serve another full term on the school board.
Cumby City Council
Filing for candidacy for Place1 Alderman and Place 2 Alderman on the Special May 7 Cumby City Council Election ballot will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through March 7, 2022, at the Cumby Municipal Building (City Hall), 100 East Main St., in Cumby.
Alderman Place 1 was most currently held by Sheryl Lackey, who served as mayor pro tem as well. Place 2 has been vacant for a short time, most recently held by Amber Hardy Roberson. As of the last report, Cumby City Secretary Betty Jo Hardman said the city had received no completed applications for candidacy to fill the vacancies and complete the two-year terms ending in November 2022.
Monday Gameday Has Lady Cats Golf in Mount Pleasant
Women’s golf are the lone team in action on Monday, Feb. 21.
While last week featured both Wildcats and Lady Cats golf on Monday, Feb. 14 in the Regional Preview, Wildcats golf have a bit more time until their next competition.
Coach Jeremy DeLorge’s squad do not hit the green for their second competition until next Friday, Mar. 4.
Coach Whitney Spigener and company however are back in action in Mount Pleasant for their second meet of the spring 2022 season.
Women’s golf hope for better efforts than the Regional Preview which saw the Lady Cats place third out of three schools in a small competition.
The lowest score for Sulphur Springs came courtesy of McKenna Meskimen, who finished with 96. Valentines Day in Rockwall was the freshman’s first high school golf competition.
Mykylie Meador came in a tick behind at 97.
Coach Spigener’s squad needs all hands on deck Monday if they hope to leave Mount Pleasant victorious.
The Lady Cats’ second competition of the season begins on Monday, Feb. 21 at 9 A.M. at the Mount Pleasant Country Club.
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 Soccer Beat By Hallsville 5-0 on Friday
Women’s soccer could not keep up with a talented Hallsville team, falling 5-0 at home on Friday, Feb. 18.
The visiting Lady Cats (13-1 overall, 5-1 district) kept a healthy scoring average, putting one in the goal an average of every 16 minutes at Gerald Prim Stadium.
Hallsville scored two in the first period to head into the half leading 2-0.
Coming out of the break though, the visiting Lady Cats bested their first period gains by scoring three goals en route to a commanding 5-0 victory over women’s soccer on Friday, Feb. 18.
The shutout loss at home Friday drops Coach Javier Aguayo’s team’s season record to 4-11-1 (1-5 district).
Friday’s loss to Hallsville is the second straight and fourth in five games for women’s soccer.
Sulphur Springs has a tough week ahead of them in a two-game road-stand, first in Longview Tuesday followed by Mount Pleasant on Friday, Feb. 25.
The following Tuesday has Coach Aguayo’s Lady Cats hosting Texas High.
If Sulphur Springs cannot win or tie one of their two matches this week (a tall task up against the top two teams in District 15-5A), nor get a win over the Lady Tigers on Mar. 1, they may be all but eliminated from postseason contention.
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.
Wildcats Basketball Open Playoffs Tuesday at Navarro College Against Huntsville
Men’s basketball coach Brandon Shaver confirmed late last week that his squad take on Huntsville in the opening round of playoffs on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
The Bi-District round of playoffs tips off at Wolens Special Events Center, home to Navarro College’s basketball and volleyball teams, on Tuesday in Corsicana at 6 P.M.
Sulphur Springs takes on a Huntsville Hornets team that went 4-6 in district play, 2-2 over the final four to squeeze their way in to the playoffs as the 4 seed.
The Wildcats on the other hand won seven straight to close out their winter season, en route to their first district championship since the 2018-19 season.
That season saw the men’s basketball team make it all the way to the state tournament, bowing out in the Regional Final to San Antonio Wagner.
Coach Brandon Shaver’s team finished their regular season with a 26-9 record (10-2 district).
Tuesday’s winner in Corsicana takes on the victor of Midlothian/Mesquite Poteet in the Area round.
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.
Wildcats Soccer Falls in Hallsville 3-0
Coach Alexi Upton’s team played a close match in Hallsville, but a tough second period proved to be their undoing.
Sulphur Springs had some chances in the first period to put a goal in the net, but men’s soccer came up empty to remain tied with the Bobcats.
Men’s soccer kept a clean sheet with the Bobcats on Friday, Feb. 18 for majority of the game, but Hallsville used a strong second period to power past Sulphur Springs, 3-0.
The Bobcats scored two straight in two minutes to push ahead 2-0 in the 64th minute. Another goal late in the game put the icing on top in a 3-0 victory for Hallsville.
The loss for men’s soccer drops their season record to 4-12-2 (3-3 district). Friday’s loss also ends a three game winning streak for the Wildcats.
Sulphur Springs remains in third place to begin the second half of their district season.
Coach Upton and his squad begin the second half of their district season with a two-game home stand next week, first on Tuesday against Longview.
The second match in the two game home-stand features Mount Pleasant on Friday, Feb. 25.
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 – Feb. 21-25, 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 Feb. 14-18, 2022, includes:
- Monday – Chicken Spaghetti, Italian Vegetables and Garlic Toast.
- Tuesday – Chili Cheese Dogs, Fritos and Cole Slaw.
- Wednesday – Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and a Roll.
- Thursday – Red Beans and Sausage, On a Bed of Rice, Green Tomato Relish.
- Friday – Chicken and Dumplings, Crackers and Tossed Salad.
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.
Man Arrested On 8th DWI Charge
A 56-year-old Sulphur Springs man’s arrest by a state trooper Friday night turned out to be hat least his 8th DWI charge; a criminal history check also showed five prior DWI convictions on his record, the highway patrol trooper noted in arrest reports.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Arturo Ugalde stopped Terry Ray Born on State Highway 19, just off of Interstate 30, for failing to drive a Kia Optima in a single lane and failing to signal a turn. On contact, Ugalde reported smelling a strong alcoholic beverage odor on Born.
Feb. 19, 2022 for Terry Ray Born
When he stepped out of the car, Born was alleged to be unsteady on his feet and had slurred speed. The Sulphur Springs man’s eyes were also constricted and were slow to respond to light, and he showed clues of intoxication during the standard field sobriety tests conducted at the roadside, the trooper alleged in arrest reports. The trooper did not ask Born to perform the walk-and-turn and one-legged stand sobriety tests out of concern Born would fall due to his already extreme unsteadiness on his feet, according Ugalde alleged in arrest reports.
Born reportedly agreed to provide a blood sample for analysis, so he was transported to the hospital, where the sample was taken. The 56-year-old Sulphur Springs man was then transported to the county jail for booking on what turned out to be his 8th DWI arrest, according to arrest and jail reports.
Ugalde, in arrest reports, noted that a criminal history check showed Born had seven previous arrests for DWI, with five DWI convictions, Ugalde stated in arrest reports. Jail records show Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, was the first time Terry Ray born has been booked into Hopkins County jail, an indication the prior charges occurred in another county.
Born was released from Hopkins County Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022 on a $10,000 bond on the third-degree felony third or more DWI charge, 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.
Marijuana Odor Detected During Traffic Stop, Bottle Under The Driver’s Feet Result In 2 Arrests
An obscured license plate caught a Cumby officers’ attention at 4:11 p.m. Feb. 18, the marijuana smell coming from the car while talking to the occupants made him suspicious, but the yellow bottle under the driver’s feet was what resulted in not only her arrest the passenger’s as well, according to arrest reports.
According to arrest reports, the driver voluntarily handed over the bottle. It contained a crystal-like substance Cumby Police Officer Justin Talley identified as methamphetamine. The passenger, identified in arrest reports as 20-year-old Whitney Armstrong of Sulphur Springs, confirmed the bottle found under the driver’s feet belonged to her as well. Consequently, both Armstrong and the driver, 25-year-old Beverly Bailey of Greenville, were arrested at 4:24 p.m. Feb. 18, 2022, for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
A records check showed that Armstrong also had an outstanding Hunt County warrant for the same charge. She was booked on both.
Bailey was released from Hopkins County jail Saturday on a $10,000 bond on the charge. Armstrong, however, remained in Hopkins County jail Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022; her bond also was set at $10,000 on the local charge and $50,000 on the Hunt County charge, according to jail reports.
(HCSO jail photo)
Jail records also show that Friday was not the first time for either to be booked into Hopkins County jail.
Armstrong has been booked into Hopkins County jail on a controlled substance charge. She was arrested June 11, 2020 on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, then released on June 15, 2020 on a $5,000 bond. She also was jailed June 24, 2021, for bond forfeiture on the 2020 charge; a $10,000 bond was required for her release Sept. 8, 2021 from jail, according to jail reports.
Bailey was previously jailed March 6, 2018, for possession of drug paraphernalia as well as a Hunt County warrant for possession of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. She remained in Hopkins County jail until March 19, 2018, on those charges, jail records state.
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.
Pickton Man Accused Of Hitting Cousin In Head With Hammer
Deputies arrested a 62-year-old Pickton man accused of hitting his cousin in the head with a hammer, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Isaac Foley and Drew Fisher and Sgt. Tanner Steward responded just after midnight at a County Road 2379 residence, where concern had been expressed for a person’s wellbeing.
Upon arrival, they made contact with Mark Lynn Hanson. The resident, who reportedly had a mini sledge hammer, when he greeted deputies from the front porch. Hanson allegedly admitted to deputies that he’d hit his cousin in the head with a hammer, after a verbal altercation with the other man.
“Mark further advised he thought about assaulting his cousin yesterday evening, but he did not have the courage,” Deputy Foley wrote in arrest reports.
Deputies reportedly entered Hanson’s residence in an effort to locate the cousin Hanson claimed was in his room laying on his bed. The officers reported seeing blood on the floor in the hallway and found the cousin in his room, where Hanson had said he’d be lying on the bed, according to arrest reports.
Sheriff’s officers observed a laceration on the back of the cousin’s head and another on his forehead. The cousin claimed he’d been struck in the head and remembered waking up in the hallway, where they’d seen the blood, Foley noted in arrest reports. The injured man was transported to a medical facility for treatment.
Hanson was taken into custody at 12:55 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, and booked at 2:28 a.m. into the county jail on an aggravated family violence assault with a deadly weapon charge. Bond was set at $50,000, on the first degree felony assault charge. He remained in the county jail Saturday evening, Feb. 19, 2022.
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.
2022 CTE Month Feature 2: Programming And Software Development, Advanced Manufacturing And Engineering
Editor’s Note: February is Career and Technical Education Month, a public awareness campaign to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. To help Sulphur Springs High School celebrate CTE Month 2022, KSST has compiled short videos featuring a few of the CTE programs offered at SSHS. At least one will be featured for each week of CTE Month.
Students interested in computer science and robotics courses can take Matt Wilder’s Programming and Software Development and Manufacturing and Engineering classes. Students on the latter track at Sulphur Springs High School typically take principles of applied engineering, which flows into Robotics I and II.
Students enrolled in the manufacturing and engineering classes work on projects their senior year, and have an opportunity to apply for an internship, which allows students to gain hands-on experience in the work force. Wilder is working with Joe Wallace at Saputo to help facilitate opportunities for internships.
SSHS students Stanley Alba and Saul Mireles for the last few months have been working on special projects and helping other students involved in robotics classes and competitions by doing some of the prep work such as cutting for them. Last month, the students were readying to apply for an internship.
They’ve been working on their resumes and sending out emails with the needed communication to the appropriate person to schedule an interview with a goal of potentially being selected for an internship. While applying and interviewing for a new job can be a little scary, the students see it as an opportunity for a positive experience doing something new that could potentially benefit them as they prepare for their future.
One project they’ve been asked to take on is reprogramming of Andy the Ambulance, a motorize miniature “robot” ambulance which Hopkins County EMS in past years used to help teach young children safety advocacy topics. The EMS service has asked them to check it out to see if it can be updated for future use. So far, Alba and Mireles have torn parts of it down, pulled some wires out to see how it works and once they’re finished will put it back together again. They’ll have to check the wheel and motor system which allows Andy to flash it’s lights, emulating a real ambulance responding to a call. They’ve tested Andy’s voice, modulating it up and down, seeing how the robotic ambulance sounds with different tones, including a deep voice.
Another project has involved construction and use of a robotic arm in automation. Their task has been to design, design and program the robotic arm to “make a grilled cheese sandwich.” A potentially practical use for say a person with limited mobility or in an automated kitchen at a fast food restaurant. While the class doesn’t at this time have all the hardware needed, no George Foreman-type grill to cook the sandwich in, then flip it out of, the students are using a scanner/copier to simulating the process while they work through programming process.
While still in progress, the students have modulated a large portion of the engineering process: look at and set up a problem, look at the hardware and coding side of things, and making adjustments. The students are making good progress, Wilder noted.
Mireles explained programming the automated robotic arm to make a grilled cheese sandwich takes pin point precision. For instance, if the bread isn’t placed exactly on the designated spot, the spatula may not be able to pick it up or if it does pick it up may drop it because the measurement programmed in will be off. The equipment and supplies must be in line up precisely. Even a fraction or 1-2 centimeters can make a big difference in whether the sandwich can be made or even put together, much less grilled. A part that’s too loose or too tight similarly can negatively impact the success of the project as well, Alba noted. Any movement in equipment or ingredients used that are not attached to the robotic arm must be steady or result in an error which requires additional programming to correct.
But, Mireles and Alba enjoy the challenge, which they report is balanced – neither too easy and nor too difficult. The only down side, the students said, is that “more people need to sign up.” They are the only students currently in the class.
Students in these classes can also potentially work toward an industry based certification involving operation of the the FANUC Robotic Arm, according to CTE Director Jenny Arledge. Mireles and Alba are slated this month to begin studying in class to potentially work toward and meet requirements for the certification, which they can then use when they graduate to apply toward employment.
Be sure to stay tuned to KSST Radio 1230 and Suddenlink Channel 18, check out www.KSSTradio.com,the KSST Radio 1230 AM YouTube Channel and other KSST social media accounts to ensure you don’t miss these 2022 CTE features. Just watch for the “2022 CTE” heading throughout the month.
If you missed the features on the kickoff and pharmacy program feature, be sure to click the links below to catch up:
Kick Off Event: Sulphur Springs High School Kicks Off CTE Month 2022 With Mayoral Proclamation
2022 CTE Month Feature 1: Pharmacy Technician Certification Program
