World Series Trophy Stops in Sulphur Springs on Thursday
August 21, 2024 – The Texas Rangers won the World Series in 2023, not that you didn’t know that. But what you may not have known is that the trophy is stopping in Sulphur Springs.
Stop by the HW Grays Building on Thursday. Doors open at 12:30PM. KSST, your station for Texas Ranger Baseball in Hopkins County, will be on hand with Texas Ranger swag to giveaway.
Find out more by clicking here.
Governor Abbott Deploys Additional State Firefighting Resources As Wildfire Threat Increases
August 20, 2024 – Governor Greg Abbott announced that he has deployed additional state firefighting resources as wildfire threats continue to increase across Texas.
“As the state continues to endure triple-digit temperatures and dry vegetation, Texas is deploying additional firefighting resources to assist communities that have increased wildfire activity,” said Governor Abbott. “Texans are strongly urged to take all necessary precautions and heed the guidance of state and local officials to keep their families and their loved ones safe from wildfires. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management and local emergency management personnel for their work as they prepare for potential wildfires across the state.”
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, wildfire activity is expected to continue to increase in the north and northwest regions of the state, with an expanding risk towards east Texas, the eastern hill country, and central Texas, due to dry vegetation subjected to multiple days of triple digit temperatures. The Texas A&M Forest Service has raised the Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 3 due to increased firefighting resource commitment, as well as an increase in current and expected wildfire activity across the state. Over the past week, more than 60 wildfires have burned more than 10,000 acres across Texas.
At the Governor’s direction, the following state firefighting resources have been activated by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to support statewide wildfire response operations:
- Texas A&M Forest Service: State and local firefighters through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System totaling more than 350 firefighters and support personnel, as well as more than 100 pieces of equipment such as fire engines, bulldozers, and motor graders; 11 federally-contracted firefighting aircraft, including two large airtankers, a single engine air tanker for retardant drops, two fire bosses for water drops, four air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, and two firefighting helicopters.
- Texas National Guard: Four Blackhawk helicopters with firefighting capability.
- Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Wildland Fire Support Packages including paramedics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles.
Texas continues to request additional aircraft assistance from the federal government but recent requests have not been filled due to lack of aircraft availability.
At the direction of Governor Abbott, the Texas State Emergency Operations Center continues statewide wildfire coordination calls to provide local and state partners with situational awareness and ensure coordination between responders. Additionally, based on current conditions and the fire weather forecast, the Texas A&M Forest Service continues to operate the Abilene Air Tanker Base at Abilene Regional Airport to assist state and local responders in wildfire suppression efforts across Texas.
Texans are urged to prepare for wildfire danger by limiting activities that cause sparks, following instructions from local officials, making an emergency plan, and keeping emergency supplies readily available. Texans can visit TexasReady.gov and tfsweb.tamu.edu for wildfire tips and safety information.
Earlier this month, Governor Abbott deployed state firefighting resources across the state to fight increased wildfire threats, including more than 200 personnel and tactical resources like fire engines, all-terrain vehicles, and bulldozers.
Summer Burn Bans Creep Toward Hopkins County
August 20, 2024 – With sustained texas heat and no rain for the past week, and none in the forecast, burn bans have been steadily creeping east toward Hopkins County.
Based on the current weather forecast, it’s only a matter of time before the yearly summer ban will be in effect.
In 2023, a county wide ban was put into place on August 28.
In August of 2020, almost every county in Texas was under a burn ban.
A close neighbor to Hopkins County, Fannin County enacted a burn ban six days ago.
No word yet on when a burn ban will be placed on Hopkins County this summer.
Texas Wine Industry Joins ‘Come Over October’
Celebrate Texas Wine Month with community, conversation, and Texas wine
AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) invite everyone to raise a glass in honor of Texas Wine Month this October and participate in the global Come Over October campaign. With around 500 wineries spread across the Lone Star State, there’s no better time to enjoy and share Texas wine with family and friends. Whether visiting your favorite local winery or hosting a gathering at home, join us in celebrating the rich flavors, friendships, and sense of community that Texas wine brings to the table.
“The Texas wine industry is woven into our state’s culture, mixing our proud agricultural roots with the bold, lively spirit of our local winemakers,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “With the wine industry contributing more than $20 billion to our state’s economy, it’s clear that wine and grapes create a powerful connection between rural and urban communities. From the Hill Country to the High Plains, our wineries serve up big flavors and even bigger welcomes, making every visit a chance to build friendships and create memories that last a lifetime.”
Spearheaded by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Uncork Texas Wines program, the Texas “Come On Over Y’all” initiative is supported by the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, Texas Hill Country Wineries, Texas Wine Growers, and Texas Fine Wine. The collective group and its wineries and vineyards will promote the Come Over October campaign as part of Texas Wine Month and celebrate the role of wine in community, culture, and lifestyle.
“We all know that good company, good conversation, laughter, and conviviality contribute to an enhanced lifestyle,” says Karen MacNeil, wine authority, author of The Wine Bible, and Come Over October organizer.
Texans are encouraged to pick up a bottle of their favorite Texas wine and invite friends to ‘come on over y’all’ to their homes. They can share photos of their gatherings on social media with the hashtags #ComeOverOctober and #ComeOnOverYall. They can also plan visits to Texas wineries and share photos of their gatherings with hashtags on social media. Winners will be selected randomly to win prizes throughout October.
More details about special winery tastings and promotions throughout October will be available soon.
About Come Over October
Come Over October is an international campaign during the month of October encouraging wine drinkers to invite friends, colleagues, neighbors, and family to “come over” to a home, a restaurant, a winery, or wherever people gather to share some wine, friendship, and goodwill. The campaign’s message leans fully into moderation, and some may choose to participate in non-alcoholic wine. Come Over October honors wine’s 9,000-year history as a communal beverage that brings people together. As an agricultural product consumed within the company of others and most often with food, wine has played a positive role in society and culture.
The first international Come Over October campaign will take place in October 2024. The campaign will be annual. The idea for Come Over October was conceived in the Spring of 2024 by journalist Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible. MacNeil shared the idea with two friends—Kimberly Noelle Charles and Gino Colangelo—who are marketing and public relations specialists who own their own communications companies. Together, the three formed the mission-driven company COME TOGETHER—A Community for Wine. COME TOGETHER’S first campaign is Come Over October.
Hopkins County Records – July/August 2024
Daily Instrument Register For 7/25/24 Thru 7/26/24
- Balbina Romero and Jose Luis Romero to Juan Estrada and Martin Estrada; Tract in the AC Manuel Ybarbo Survey
- Donghu H Bui and Giang K Bui to Duic Nguyen and Monique Pham; Tract in the AC Nacogdoches Univ Survey
- Amanda Luanne Kennedy to John Parten and Sherry Parten; Tract in the Lot 12 Blk 1 Oak Ridge Estates Survey
- Carole Stanley and Ron Stanley Also Known As Ronnie Stanley, Also Known As Ronnie L Stanley to Brian Ruppanner and Healther Ruppanner; Tract in the AC Zachariah Birdwell Survey
Daily Instrument Register For 7/29/24 Thru 7/31/24
- Big Country Land Management LLC and DCTXLP LLC to Tigist Fentie; Tract in the Lot 35 The Meadowsw At Deer Crossing Survey
- Big Country Land Management LLC and DCTCLP LLC to Akshaya Ramachandran, Gautham Ramachandran, and Ananthi Sankaranarayanian; Tract in the Lot 69 The Meadows At Deer Crossing Survey
- Embro Prooperties GP INC, Embro Properties LP, and Douglas Williams to Manasseh Development LLC Series 3; Tract in the 232 Marianne Circle Survey
- Embro Properties GP INC, Embro Properties LP, and Douglas Williams to Manawweh Development LLC Series 4; Tract in the 234 Marianne Circle Survey
- Embro Properties GP INC, Embro Properties LP, and Douglas Williams to Manasseh Develpment LLC Series 5; Tract in the 236 Marianne Circle3 Survey
- Embro Properties GP INC, Embro Properties LP, and Douglas Williams to Manasseh Develpment LLC Series 6; Tract in the 238 Marianne Circle Survey
- Billy D Waters Jr to Jennifer Marie Waters; Tract in the AC M G Shoemaker Survey
- Jerry Mack Price to Bobby Dewayne Barron; Tract in the AC WM H Craig Survey
- Bobby Dewayne Barron to Jerry Mack Price; Tract in the James Craig Survey
- Elizabeth Velasco Rivera and Jose Guadalupe Rivera to Alfredo Velasco and Marizol Velasco; Tract int he AC Thomas Tobar Survey
- Clint Mongomery Williams and Cydney Aleksis-Syno Williams to Carmela G Loera and Martin Loera Ortiz; Tract in the AC Levi Midgett Survey
- Laura L Hinds and Richard A Hinds to All In Cattle Company LLC; Tract in the Edward N Gage Survey
- Christopher Allen Norfleet to Erica Johnson; Tract in the H D Parsons Survey
- Curtis Sherer and Katie Sherer to Nicole M Hewett; Tract in the E Melton Survey
- Rhonda Drachenberg to Carla Nicloe Jones and Hannah Taryn Stotts; Tract in the Lot 9 Block 4 Green Acres Addn Survey
- Christopher James Currier to Carla Marie Currier; Tract in the Jose Ybarbo Survey
Daily Instrument Register For 8/1/24 Thru 8/2/24
- Fatmir Cosic to David Gordon; Tract in the Lot 67 Block Harris-Hamby Survey
- Benjamin Texas Construction LLC to Rafael Maciel and Maria Pilar Rodriguez; Tract in the Mary Ann Bowlin Survey
- Rita Flanagan to Deana Ann Hale; Tract int he Francis Hopkins League Survey
- Gary Fose, Also Known As Gary J Fose, Linda Fose, Also Known As Linda Lou Wey Fose, Also Known As Linda L Wey to Levelnine Holdings LLC; Tract in the Henry H Quirk Survey
- Kelly M Kimmel, Walter W Kimmel Now Known As Kelly M Townsend to Kristi Follis and Jeremy Lee Smith; Tract in the AC Pleasant Venables Survey
- Cheryl A Wake and Louis L Wake to Kevin Jones and Patricia Jones; Tract in the AC Naqncy Webb Survey
- Terry Sparks to Eden Of Farmersville Investments LLC; Tract in the M A Bowlin Survey
Report of Marriage Documents for Hopkins County 8/13/24 Thru 8/19/24
- Miguel Angel Deleon and Mendoza Maricela Serrano
- Martinez Jhonatan Mejia and Chloe Justine Romero
- Cameron Michael Redmon and Rikalla Rose Lowe
- Brenden Elijah Clark and Kelsey Daniell Kennington
- Zachary Shane Carr and Kara Lynn Watts
Texas A&M-Commerce News Release: TAMUC Faculty Named Prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar
A&M-Commerce Faculty Named Prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar
Will embark on an eight-month research excursion
COMMERCE, TX, August 19, 2024— Texas A&M University-Commerce Assistant Professor Eralda Lameborshi, Ph.D., received the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. The Fulbright Award allows higher education faculty, as well as artists and professionals from a wide range of fields, to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects overseas.
The Fulbright educational exchange program, established in 1946 by former U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, awards approximately 8,000 grants annually to students, teachers and more. The list of Fulbright recipients includes 42 heads of state, 90 Pulitzer Prize recipients and 62 Nobel Laureates. Scholarships are awarded through the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Lameborshi, who teaches world literature in the Department of Literature and Languages, is the second A&M-Commerce professor to receive a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award this year. Fellow Literature and Languages faculty member Maia Lamarque, Ph.D., also received the award.
Continuing a legacy of education
Born and raised in a small mountain town in Albania, Lameborshi was exposed to the world of education at a young age by her mother, a literature teacher.
When she was 17, Lameborshi stepped out in a big way by coming to the U.S. as an exchange student. She remained in the U.S. to continue her studies, earning a B.S. in Computer Science from Harding University in 2003, an M.A. in English from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2009 and a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University in 2017. She has taught at A&M-Commerce since 2021.
Lameborshi said she initially intended to earn her master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, but she grew to love studying English and literature.
“Some of the theoretical texts we were studying really just made sense to me and opened up the world in a way I hadn’t experienced before,” Lameborshi said. “I really fell in love with the discipline and decided to pursue my Ph.D. in English as well.”
A study of Southeastern Europe
Lameborshi’s main focus of study is the literature and film of Southeastern Europe, as well as the legacy of the former Ottoman Empire and how it shaped the region’s future. She has published several scholarly articles on the subject and received recognition from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her work.
“The topics that I have engaged with include nationalism, citizenship and national belonging,” Lameborshi said. “In my academic pursuit, I find out more about my own upbringing and the kind of contexts that have affected my own cultural belonging.”
She said that many of the questions that arise from her research are very important for the young nation of Kosovo. Kosovo is a 4,200-square-mile republic in southeastern Europe that has experienced a turbulent history both before and since its relatively recent declaration of independence in 2008. Only holding diplomatic recognition from 104 member states of the United Nations, the developing country is still finding its footing and identity on the world stage.
“When academic work focuses on such small nations, it features these countries and their contributions both regionally and on the world,” Lameborshi said.
Traveling to Kosovo
As part of her Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, Lameborshi will leave in January 2025 for an eight-month research excursion to Kosovo. While there, she will work with faculty at the University of Pristina—an institution in the nation’s capital with more than 20,000 students—and other academics to create a cultural history of the capital and research how art in the region has been affected by the country’s former connection to Yugoslavia.
“My mother exposed me to the works of Kosovar intellectuals, and from a very young age, I wanted to understand why there was such upheaval in the region,” Lameborshi said. She hopes that studying the art, film and literature produced by Kosovars can create a better understanding of the region and its culture.
In addition to writing a book on Kosovar films, she intends to create connections between Kosovo and its diaspora population in America.
Creating understanding
Lameborshi says that the purpose of the Fulbright program is ultimately to foster understanding and stability between the U.S. and the wider world.
“The program works to create mutual understanding, cultural exchange and intercultural dialogue,” Lameborshi said. “The ultimate aim is to create global stability through these cultural alliances.”
Going beyond just academic publications, Lameborshi hopes to bring back experiences and knowledge from Kosovo that she can share with her students at A&M-Commerce.
“My hope is that my experience will be one that can expand their horizons beyond a local context,” Lameborshi said.
Learn more about the Fulbright program and Literature and Languages at A&M-Commerce
The Superintendent of SSISD Visited and Gave an Update on This Episode of A Second Cup of Coffee
On this episode of KSST’s A Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey, John Mark had a visit with Sulphur Springs ISD Superintendent Dr. Deana Steeber. The two discuss the development plans of the new building projects coming to the Sulphur Springs ISD area, a new policy for medications recently introduced to Texas schools, safety procedures in the Sulphur Springs ISD, and much more. Give it a watch down below!
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report 8-12-2024 – 8-18-2024
Arrests:
Calls for Service:
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 168 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations:
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 39 citations and 67 warnings during this reporting period.
Venue Changed: Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce to Host Apex Clean Energy at Pacific Park
August 19, 2024 – Due to the level of response to this meeting, the venue has changed. The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce has promised to release that location today. The date and time will remain the same.
August 12, 2024 – The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is set to host Apex Clean Energy for a lunch and learn in September. The informative meeting will help educate the public about wind power plants and their roll in Hopkins County.
Find out more about APEX Clean Energy by clicking here.
See a map provided by APEX of the scale and location of the proposed wind power plant by clicking here.
You can submit your RSVP by clicking here.
Foreign National Heads to Prison for Trafficking over 17 Kilograms of Meth
Friday, August 16, 2024 – U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in Houston has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for less than five hours before convicting Alberto Ramos-Nogueda Feb. 7.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Ramos-Nogueda to serve 210 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In imposing sentence, Judge Lake noted that credible evidence showed Ramos-Nogueda played an essential role in the conspiracy and made the choice to participate in the distribution of a large quantity of a dangerous substance that affects many people.
“Seventeen kilos of crystal meth is a lot of deadly meth for any size city, no matter how large,” said Hamdani. “Had Ramos-Nogueda been successful in bringing the drugs into Conroe, many there and in other nearby communities north of Houston, such as The Woodlands and Kingwood, could have fallen victim to meth’s deadly effects. Thanks to law enforcement’s surveillance and hard work, including chasing him down into the woods, Ramos-Nogueda’s efforts to destroy lives for his own personal profit came up short and left him in prison.”
In May 2022, law enforcement conducted surveillance at a hotel in north Houston believing a large amount of meth was going to be transported through Houston into the Conroe area. Authorities observed Ramos-Nogueda arrive at the hotel carrying a large cardboard box into one of the rooms. Shortly thereafter, he left with Hector Hernandez-Velasquez.
He then placed the box into his vehicle and began to drive north on Highway 45 toward Conroe with Hernandez-Velasquez. When authorities attempted to stop them, both fled on foot. Law enforcement quickly took Hernandez-Velasquez into custody, but Ramos-Nogueda fled into a wooded area. They were able to apprehend him as well just a few hours later.
Law enforcement seized the box and discovered over 17 kilograms of crystal meth.
Hernandez-Velasquez, 49, illegally residing in Pharr, previously pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Oct. 24. At that time, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Ramos-Nogueda will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Houston Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Conroe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Stabe and Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case.
