Hopkins 2021 Year in Review
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While 2021 certainly had its ups and downs, there were many notable moments for residents of Hopkins County that made the year worthwhile. Here are a few events that made 2021 newsworthy, and cheers to 2022!
Storm of the Century sweeps county
Hopkins County faced record low temperatures and snow as Winter Storm Uri passed through between February 13 and February 20. Meteorological data recorded at the Dallas airport clocked a temperature of -2 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest day in all Texas in 72 years, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
Power systems failed, natural gas prices spiked, and plumbing froze. Due to rolling blackouts, some in Hopkins were left without heat, electricity or water anywhere from hours to a week. Food and other supplies were also scarce at local stores.
However, on the positive side, many younger residents got to experience the beauty of a snowfall which they had previously never seen in their lives. The National Weather Service recorded that 2-6 inches of snow fell on the Hopkins County area during that time.
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Tensions mount over Dike Solar
Starting in March, a group coalesced over their rejection of a planned solar installation in the Dike community. On June 29, 2021, Cynthia Martin, who leads the group “Save Dike From Solar,” filed a lawsuit in the 62nd Judicial District Court against Hopkins Energy LLC and Hopkins County.
Throughout the summer and fall, citizens from Dike who opposed a solar installation made their voice heard in the commissioners court, eventually finding pushback from solar officials, county commissioners, and even fellow community members themselves. In August, the debate even led the small Hopkins town to be featured in the Washington Post.
The ongoing legal matter and its controversy exposed an ideological divide in Dike, and Hopkins as a whole. Who has the right to say how the land is used? As of a December 14 update by activist Michael Pickens, the “Save Dike From Solar,” movement is continuing its movement.
Cow statues repainted
On August 3, residents glimpsed the familiar faces of the cow statues at the Hopkins County Dairy Museum with a fresh coat of paint. Citizens clamored to know what breed the heifers would become after their rehab, and were delighted to see classic dairying breeds Holstein and Jersey emerge.
The cows were painted by Neal’s Creative Remodeling of Mount Vernon, who also painted the cows in 2009. The statues were first erected thirty years earlier, in 1991.
Sulphur Springs KSLR’s Joey Baker named Texas airport manager of the year
Residents know how special Sulphur Springs’ KSLR regional airport is, but in 2021, the state of Texas recognized it too. On August 5, director Joey Baker was named airport manager of the year by the Texas Department of Transportation.
According to TxDOT, the award reflects the contributions of Baker to improve, sustain, enhance and develop the Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport at above ordinary standards. Baker beat out 370 other airport directors for this award.
Pacific Park Grays building completed
Those involved with the rehabilitation of Pacific Park know that the journey to see the first step of the project completed has been a long road. Beginning in March 2019, East End residents expressed concern about the state of disrepair and neglect of the public space. This led to community planning, design charettes, surveys, and more as citizens and city government came together to try to build a better park for the community.
A full two years later, on March 30, 2021, Pacific Park had its first tangible mark of progress. The H.W. Grays building was erected, named for East End leader and former county extension agent Harrison Wheat Grays (1913-1978). On May 28 the city held its opening ceremony for the building, and on August 15 the East End Allegiance- Our Youth group held the first large-scale event there with their Back-to-School Bash. Glass doors were installed September 1 to officially complete the project.
Work on Pacific Park is ongoing. As of December 30, city crews were installing fitness equipment for an outdoor workout space, and the city is currently in the process of ordering playground equipment.
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North Hopkins celebrates 80 years
On August 9, the Hopkins County commissioners court recognized that the month of August 2021 marked 80 years since the founding of the North Hopkins community. Comprising several smaller communities such as Birthright, Tira, Nelta, Flora, Peerless, Posey and more, in 1941 the district of North Hopkins was created to educate the area’s children just in time for a new term.
“All these little places we grew up in have such history,” lifelong resident Tommy Long told the court. “For a family of four or five kids to have a school within three or four miles, the school was what was happening.”
Main Street Theater begins rehabilitation
The history of the Main Street Theater building dates back to the late 1800s, according to its historical records, when Sulphur Springs downtown area was first being developed. In the fall of 1990, the Community Players moved into 225 Main Street, where they staged over 1200 productions. But in 2019, the group called on the city to examine the deteriorating roof.
A building rehab began on August 20, and with a generous gift from local construction firm XLNT, the city will now spend only $170,000 as the contractors are donating their time to the theater’s rescue. Still, the theater has a long way to go, as the city will only address structural issues and the Community Players are responsible for interior repairs.
Juneteenth declared a county holiday
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that slavery officially came to an end in America when Texas declared an end to slavery — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. On June 17 of this year, Congress signed a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, and on August 23, Hopkins County followed suit with a unanimous vote from the commissioners court.
9/11 twenty-year anniversary
September 11, 2021 marked the twenty year anniversary of the tragedy at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
At the County Fire Station, Fire in Texas Academy trainees performed a flag ceremony while Station 20 chaplain Pastor Joel Tiemeyer said a blessing and firefighter Rodney Caudle shared words of remembrance.
Arbala VFD completed a stair climb in bunker gear, as is their tradition. The Cumby VFD performed an honor walk in their bunker gear on Interstate-30, and Como VFD displayed their new engine which they purchased from the Larchmont, NY fire department and which responded that day to the initial call in Manhattan.
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Rowena Johnson Primary Unveiled
On May 11, SSISD approved the renaming of Lamar Primary School to Rowena Johnson Primary, after legendary black educator Ms. Johnson who passed in July 2020.
Ms. Johnson served SSISD for 50 years and as principal of the Lamar/ Johnson school for 27 years. She was SSISD’s first African American principal overall.
On October 16, the name change was made official as the school’s front exterior sign was revealed bearing Johnson’s name. “The Legacy of Rowena Johnson is one of character, faith, integrity, and courage,” said her son Marques.
Return of the Stew
2020 was a difficult year for citizens, as they could not look forward to the traditional Hopkins County Stew Contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although 2020 still had a non-traditional, drive-thru stew, residents were more than happy to return to their regular stew in 2021.
The October 23 theme of this year’s event was Stewstock, and attendees had fun dressing up in their 1960s getup and decorating their campsites with tie-dye and flower garlands.
For the first time in stew history, the site featured a small business plaza for local shops and guests to interact.
The Wall that Heals makes only Texas stop in Sulphur Springs
The Wall that Heals, a three-quarter-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, made its only stop in the state of Texas from November 2-7, 2021 at Sulphur Springs track and field.
The installation was met with fanfare and reverence from citizens, including a parade celebrating its arrival, opening ceremonies, and a near-constant stream of visitors at the site.
“It’s very exciting because we’re one of the few places in the United States that has the opportunity to have that wall,” said Sulphur Springs Mayor John Sellers.
Miller Grove wins fifth consecutive state cross country title
For the fifth year in a row and sixth year overall, the Miller Grove Hornets cross country team garnered a boys state title in early November.
Miller Grove was led by senior Lance Davis, who’s time of 16:44 was good enough for fourth place overall.
Also placing in the top-10 was senior Tanner Hensley. Hensley finished in ninth place with a time of 17:07.
Sulphur Bluff makes school history as volleyball makes state playoffs
The Sulphur Bluff Lady Bears had a historic year, making their first ever trip to the state tournament in late November.
Led by head coach Lacie Jessup, the Lady Bears finished the season with a record of 26-10, thanks to an 18-game winning streak that spanned almost two months, from Aug. 24 until Oct. 19.
Sulphur Bluff’s season finally came to an end at the hands of Fayetteville in the State Semifinals.
Sulphur Springs accelerates housing development
The city of Sulphur Springs had a robust year in the growth of housing development. The process to accelerate housing began a little more than a year ago when the city council passed a 380 policy in November 2020. The city of Sulphur Springs defines a 380 Agreement as waiving fees on individual properties to promote economic development.
According to calculations of city data, the city council has given homebuilders or homeowners incentives on 69 separate occasions over the course of the past year.
In addition to single family applicants, incentives were also given to high-profile housing developments such as Spence & Fisher, Woodbridge, and Connally. The council has only turned down one application for incentives over the course of the past year.
Many local residents, realtors, and hopeful homeowners expressed this was a positive first step, but are aware that the city had over 900 undeveloped or underdeveloped properties. Still, according to mayor John Sellers in September 2021, “This 380 is one of the best things we’ve ever done.”
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Sulphur Springs Athletic Director Greg Owens retires
On December 3 of this year, Sulphur Springs’ Greg Owens announced his intention to retire from the position of Athletic Director and head football coach effective 2022.
Owens came to SSISD in 2007, and led the Wildcat football team to a state championship season in 2008. In his time at Sulphur Springs, Owens coached and helped develop numerous Division I talents, and in seven subsequent seasons the Wildcats would win eight or more games per season.
Sulphur Springs moves back to division 4A
For the first time since the 2013-2014 school year, the Sulphur Springs Wildcats will be moving back down to 4A, after the UIL released their new classifications in early December for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 years. The Wildcats have spent the last eight seasons in 5A.
Sulphur Springs saw plenty of success at the 4A level, before moving up to 5A. Since joining 5A in the 2014-2015 season the football program has had it’s struggles, but programs such as basketball, softball, volleyball, and soccer saw great success.
Tyler Lennon and Taylor Nye contributed to this story. Photos by Front Porch News and Chad’s Media.
*A previous version of this story stated it was the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, whereas it was the 20-year anniversary. The story has been updated to reflect the correct anniversary.
