Hopkins County Enters Drought, Burn Ban Coming?
August 25, 2023 – Although North East Texas has avoided severe drought so far this summer, the latest repot from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows Hopkins County has now entered the lowest level of drought at the D0 or “Abnormally Dry” stage. As other counties in Texas are rapidly moving up the scale, some in Central Texas have achieved the most severe level of D4 or “Exceptional Drought” and more counties...
White House Announces New Student Loan Repayment Program
August 24, 2023 – The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, like other income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, calculates your monthly payment amount based on your income and family size. The SAVE Plan provides the lowest monthly payments of any IDR plan available to nearly all student borrowers. The new plan can significantly decrease your monthly payment amount compared to all other income-driven repayment plans. Your...
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is Hiring
August 22, 2023 – Full time and part time positions are available at the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office as local Sheriff Lewis Tatum has added (3) new full time positions to next year’s budget, which will start October 1, 2023. In addition, salaries are increasing for all county employees including the newly needed Patrol Deputy positions which will start at $59,400 after October 1. Other positions are also...
Texas 4-H is Like a Club for Kids and Teens, and it’s BIG! by Mario Villarino
Texas 4-H is like a club for kids and teens ages 5-18, and it’s BIG! It’s the largest youth development program in Texas with more than 550,000 youth each year. No matter where you live or what you like to do, Texas 4-H has something that lets you be a better you! You may think 4-H is only for your friends with animals, but it’s so much more! You can do activities like shooting sports, food science, healthy living, robotics, fashion,...
Texas Attorney General Shoots Down Franklin County’s Fight Against Solar Plant
August 17, 2023 – Angela Comenero who is serving as provisional attorney general for the State of Texas dealt a blow this week to nearby Franklin County who has been searching for solutions to fight proposed solar plants. Angry residents in Franklin County have asked their county commissioners to impose restrictions on proposed solar farms in their county, including a 180-day moratorium on commercial solar development. The...
Hopkins County Commissioners Vote to Lower Tax Rate
August 14, 2023 – Hopkins County Tax Assessor-Collector Debbie Pogue Jenkins made the recommendation to the court Monday morning to lower the effective tax rate for county residents. The recommendation came as a result of an increase in the overall valuation of properties in the county as over 900 new properties were added to the tax rolls. The current tax rate for Hopkins County is set at .523900/$100 or a little over 52 cents...
FBI Seeks Victims in Investor or Other Financial Scams
August 11, 2023 – With the recent indictment of a local resident for what the Federal Bureau of Investigations is calling an investment scam, the Dallas FBI office is still looking for victims of this or any other scam from local residents. George Lewis Parsons, Jr. was indicted on July 12, 2023 on six counts of wire fraud totaling $3 million. Parsons and his attorney are set to respond to the federal court on August 14, 2023...
Wildfires Affect America’s Farms and Ranches by Mario Villarino
Wildfires affect America’s farms and ranches, damaging and destroying homes, barns, agriculture production facilities, crops and livestock. By the time this article gets to your hands, twelve wildfires are occurring in Texas at different stages of development. Much of this damage can be avoided, or at least minimized, if a few precautions are taken to minimize the risk and spread of wildfires. I. BEFORE Precautions should be taken...
Hopkins County – No Burn Ban, But Caution Advised
August 10, 2023 – The latest Drought Map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows Hopkins County to have a “No Drought” rating as of August 8th, 2023. As surrounding counties, mostly to our South and West are showing to start increasing in their drought rating, some are beginning to enforce burn bans in their counties. Officials in Hopkins County have not yet announced a burn ban for local residents but do advise county...
Smokey Bear Turns 79
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M Forest Service encourages Texans to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 79th birthday today by being extremely cautious with all outdoor activities that create heat or sparks. As a national icon and the longest-running public service campaign in the United States, Smokey Bear has been teaching millions of people how to prevent wildfires since 1944. “With increased wildfire activity across Texas, Smokey...
