Texas DPS Shares Holiday Gun Storage Safety Tips for Families
December 16, 2025 – CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As families gather for the holidays, the Texas Department of Public Safety is reminding gun owners to prioritize safe firearm storage, especially in homes with children or visiting guests. As part of its Safe Gun Storage Campaign, DPS officials say the holiday season often brings increased risk as firearms may be left unsecured during busy travel, celebrations, or when relatives...
Trump Declares Fentanyl a ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’
December 16, 2025 – WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order formally designating illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as “weapons of mass destruction,” a move that significantly escalates how the federal government treats the deadly synthetic opioid and the criminal networks that traffic it. The order links fentanyl production and distribution to organized criminal groups, foreign terrorist...
Lou Ann Sanders (Walker)
January 18, 1939 — December 13, 2025 Sulphur Springs Visitation for Lou Ann Sanders (Walker), age 86 of Sulphur Springs, Texas will be held from 12:00 to 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at Murray-Orwosky Funeral Home. Mrs. Sanders passed away on December 13, 2025 at Wesley Oaks. With our condolences.
Ronnie Hoops
November 14, 1949 — December 13, 2025 Cumby Funeral service for Ronnie Hoops, age 76 of Cumby, Texas will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at Murray-Orwosky Funeral Home with Bro. David Burns officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. A private graveside will be held at a later time. Mr. Hoops passed away on December 13, 2025. Ronnie Hoops
Maribel Olmedo Garcia de Ugalde
April 4, 1972 ~ December 15, 2025 (age 53) Visitation for Maribel Olmedo Garcia will be from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025 at West Oaks Funeral Home. Maribel passed away on Monday, December 15, 2025 at her home surrounded by her loving family. Full obituary forthcoming. Arrangements are under the direction of West Oaks Funeral Home. www.westoaksfuneralhome.com With our...
Danny Charles Sprueill
December 27, 1957 ~ December 12, 2025 (age 67) Danny Charles Sprueill, age 67, passed away on December 12, 2025 in Winnsboro, Texas. Full obituary forthcoming. Arrangements are under the direction of West Oaks Funeral Home www.westoaksfuneralhome.com Danny Charles Sprueill
Richard Michael Emerson
Richard “Mike” Emerson age, 77 of Sulphur Springs, passed away on Saturday, December 13, 2025. He was born in Sulphur Springs on June 5, 1948, the son of JM and Dian Caldwell Emerson. He married Cherise Liggett on August 9, 1969, in Quitman, Texas and she survives. Mike was the former co-owner of Tapp Funeral Home and Furniture Store, a Funeral Director at Tapp and West Oaks Funeral Homes and the great grandson of HW Tapp who founded...
The Power of the Health Care Foundation’s Snowflakes
December 15, 2025 – Sulphur Springs, TX – The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation has learned how something as small and fragile as a snowflake can be harnessed to make a mighty impact on HopkinsCounty healthcare. The annual Snowflake Campaign has been accomplishing this feat of engineering for over twenty-five years. It was the original fundraising campaign for the Foundation, and through the years has made lasting...
Wildlife Health Alert: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Detected in Multiple Areas Throughout Texas
Dec. 15, 2025 – AUSTIN —Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) urges caution as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is circulating among wild birds across the state as waterbirds and waterfowl migrate and congregate on their wintering grounds. Detected in all 50 states across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, HPAI is a highly contagious zoonotic virus that transmits easily among wild and domestic birds. It can spread directly...
Homeschool Mom Sues Sam Houston State Over Dual-Credit Access for Son
December 15, 2025 – A Huntsville-area mother has filed a lawsuit against Sam Houston State University, alleging the school is unlawfully restricting homeschool students’ access to dual-credit courses despite a recent change in state law intended to guarantee equal treatment. Autumn Selman claims the university is refusing to comply with the new statute by limiting the dual-credit options available to her homeschooled son....
