Solar Panels To Be Installed At Hopkins County Fire Station Through Incentive Program
Hopkins County Fire Department will soon be utilizing solar power to generate energy for the station, thanks to a grant incentive program which will allow the panels to be installed on the facility at no charge to the county.
Hopkins County Commissioners Court during their regular meeting Monday approved documents authorizing James Showalter Solar Installs to install a 51.6 kilowatt capacity a solar electric power generating system, referred to as a DRG, on the roof of Hopkins County Fire Department or Station 20 at 1286 Texas St., at no installation or materials cost to the county. The project is valued at $73,515, which includes a $31,693 Oncor EEPM Commercial solar incentive, a $20,911 Community Safety and welfare benefit incentive and a $20,911 non-profit benefit incentive from the installer.
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said originally, Hopkins County received a grant from Oncor to put solar panels on the roof of the county jail. Those were installed in April. The county has yet to receive a bill or statement regarding impact of solar panels on energy costs. Hopkins County Civic Center already has solar panels to help with electric energy costs at that facility.
When inquiry was made regarding potential additional funding for solar panels for the fire department, officials were told there was no additional funding at that time. However, an application was made anyway, with a request that the county be given consideration if any additional funds were to become available.
County officials were notified late last week that some additional funding is now available. With the project approved, installation can begin. The panels are expected to be installed this week, weather permitting, Newsom reported.
Winnsboro Police Department Report for 05/27/2019 – 06/02/2019
Arrests:
No Arrests to report.
Accidents:
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a two vehicle
accident on 5/30/2019 at Walnut and College St. Injuries were unknown, if any.
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a two vehicle
accident on 5/31/2019 at Main and Broadway. No Injuries reported.
Calls for Service:
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 158 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations:
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 35 citations and 55 warnings during this reporting period.
2 Jailed Following Complaint Of Intoxicated Person at Gas Station
A complaint of an intoxicated person at a South Broadway Street gas station Saturday night resulted in not only a woman’s arrest for public intoxication, but also a Dike man being jailed on a controlled substance charge, according to police reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Lt. Eddie Moon, Sgt. Joshua Shufeldt and Officer Derrick Williams responded to a complaint of a suspected intoxicated person inside the South Broadway Street gas station at 11:11 p.m. June 1. They reported finding a 41-year-old Sulphur Springs woman who exhibited signs and indicators of intoxication. She was believed to be a danger to herself and others if left at the location, thus she was taken into custody for PI, Moon and Shufeldt alleged in arrest reports.
While at the location they encountered 50-year-old Tracy Odell Marshall of Dike. Marshall exhibited signs of nervousness while talking with police. When asked, he refused offices’ request to search his vehicle, a Dodge Ram 1500. An officer was contacted to bring his canine partner to the location. The police dog gave a positive response for narcotic odor, resulting a probable cause search of the truck. Less than 1 gram of suspect methamphetamine and a glass pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke meth were allegedly located in the pickup, resulting in Marshall’s arrest for possession of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, Moon and Williams alleged in arrest reports.
Marshall remained in the county jail Monday morning. His bond was set at $5,000 on the charge, according to jail reports.
Over 11 Grams Of THC Oil Found During Traffic Stop
A defective headlight on a Honda Element traveling on State Highway 154 at 10:06 p.m Sunday reportedly caught Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Chris Sorley’s attention and lead to a traffic stop .
Sorley reported smelling a marijuana odor emitting from the vehicle on approach. When asked if he had any kind of marijuana inside the vehicle, 23-year-old Bashir Ibrahim of Fargo, North Dakota, allegedly showed the trooper a container full of THC oil; it weighed 11.62 grams. Thus, Ibrahim was arrested for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 400 grams of a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance, Sorley alleged in arrest reports.
Ibrahim remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning. Bond on the controlled substance charge was set at $20,000, 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.
Vender Wright Crowned Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic 2019
Vender Wright was crowned Saturday night as the new Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic at the end of the end of the pageant which showcases the beauty, vitality, spirit, and talent of women age 60 and older.
Wright had the audience clapping and singing along during the talent contest as she encouraged everyone to “Stand.” When asked during the interview portion of the contest what she’d do if given a magic wand, Wright said she’d build a shelter to help the disabled.
When she realized she was this year’s winner, Wright’s surprise rendered her all nut speechless, able only to utter, “Oh my” at her excitement at receiving the honor.
Wright, 61, went home from the pageant with a tiara, certificate, trophy, a sash provided by Donna Nelson of Embroidery Designs, and flowers provided by Lydia Bryant of Sulphur Springs Flora Etc.
As Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic 2019, Wright also qualified to compete to represent Hopkins County at the Ms. Texas Senior pageant this fall in Tyler.
She receives $254, half of the funds raises in the 50/50 raffle conducted during the pageant, to help pay her entry fee and expenses to compete at the state contest. The remaining $254 was divided between raffle winners Barbara Ballard and Gene Crist.
Nancy Bolton, 71, was the first runner-up and was recognized for selling the most tickets. She received a trophy and certificate. As a former Ms. Texas Senior, Bolton in addition to competing also joined Ms. Hopkins County Senior 2017 Patsy Crist and Ms. Hopkins County Senior Mary Ivey as the Senior Entertainers group in the opening number — showing how rocking these senior entertainers are as they sang and danced.
Bolton for the talent contest donned a male’s attire and beard for a humorous account of the man’s trip to town one day, which included purchasing an undergarment for his wife. When asked what super power she’d choose if given the option, she said she’d be able to twitch her nose and do magic, like on “Bewitched.”
Second runner-up was Jan Gray. She received a trophy and certificate. Gray, 66, performed a lively, comical skit as a purple-haired witch, encouraging others in the land to be good witches, to do good deeds to overcome the bad reputation others had given them with their bad behaviors. When asked the possession she values most during the interview portion of the contest, she said the photos of her two girls when they were younger.
The title of Miss Congeniality went to Pam George, who sang “Amazing Grace” during the talent contest. Her interview question was who she’d like to meet if she could meet anyone. George, 65, said she’d like to meet Florence Nightingale to witness her many acts and let her know the impact of her deeds.
A special award was presented for the first time this year to an individual cited for exhibiting many of the characteristics of Ms. Hopkins County 2014 Clydene Fielden, including honesty, integrity, leadership and humility. The Clydene Fielden Memorial Leadership Award was given to 2012 Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic Ina Gore.
Contestant Majel Redick, 73, went home with not one but two certificates and a sash, one for Best Personality an another or Best Philosophy of Life. She recounted with humor about being married for the talent contest and during the interview contest said her guilty pleasure is reading. A published author, Redick says she can’t see well to read as she’d like and often loses herself in audio books.
Linda Pickle-Hill, 63, received a sash and certificate for having the Best Evening Gown. She was accompanied throughout the competition by her service dog Atticus Finch, who during the last few years when she’d competed has often been adopted as an unofficial mascot for the pageant. During the talent contest, she presented a reading on why “God Made Farmers.” For her interview questions, she cited a great-great grandmother she got to meet and learn from as a person who had a significant influence in her life.
The sash and certificate for Most Talented contestant this year went to Valorie Ross, 64. She donned less elegant gear and performed a comedy skit as the comic “Maxine.” When asked what she’d do if she won $1 million, Ross said she’d use some of it to help her kids, then get a new car which she’d drive to the new Senior Citizens Center, for which she’d provide funding to help see it built.
Marjean Allen, 65, received a sash and certificate for giving the Best Interview. When asked what advice she’d give her younger self, she said to “go for it” and not be afraid to try new things. For talent she showed the very first ceramic she ever made, a frog. This was Allen’s first time to compete in the event.
Judges were Crissy Kuiper with Home Care Network, Chick-Fil-A Director of Marketing Yorri Massey, Kaci Berryhill with ulphur Springs Health and Rehab and Misty Lauren Friddle with Caring Hearts Hospice. Retired math teacher Bea Rasmussen served as auditor for the pageant.
Performing a comedy skit while the judges cast their votes and the auditor tallied the scores was Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic 2018 Mary Ivey. Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic 2017 Patsy Crist performed a comedy skit based on a TV segment by her favorite actress, Lucy attempting to do a commercial. Ms. Hopkins County 2016 Lavonne Elam sang a Patsy Cline favorite, pulling items from her wardrobe to illustrate the items the person in the song was left with when another woman took her man. Ms. Hopkins County Senior 2010 Stella Bagley, the very first woman to earn the crown, too performed, warning the audience as before she started that she was taking them to church. She had people on their feet, clapping and singing along to her spirited song.
KSST’s Enola Gay Mathews and Chuck Roy from Community Chronicle assisted Pageant Director Karon Weatherman by serving as MCs. Gay also joined Mike Shing, who worked sound for the event, in singing at the pageant as well.
Of course, the pageant wouldn’t have been possible without sponsors Bill Holden and Tommy Anderson with BT Medical. Melba Nash of Melba’s Kreations provided use of the arch that served as the backdrop and plant stands on which ferns and fern provided by Michael Bowen and Como-Pickton CISD. Refreshments were provided afterward courtesy of Charlotte Baxter and Carriage House Manor and Cottages. Weatherman also offered thanks to KSST also videos the pageant for future broadcast.
Smith: Hopkins County EMS Receives American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition
Hopkins County EMS has earned the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS gold plus recognition, according to Hopkins County EMS Director of services Brent Smith.
The Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition program is “designed to showcase Emergency Medical Service organizations across the nation for excellent STEMI care,” according to the AHA website.
A STEMI is the term cardiologists use to describe a classic heart attack. It is one type of myocardial infarction in which a part of the heart muscle, the myocardium, has died due to the obstruction of blood supply to the area.
The AHA recognition is earned based on field data and tallies of certain patient reports and medical responses.
Hopkins County EMS has completed the required information to compete in the program since 2015; the data is based on the calendar year, with all data reflected in this award from calendar year 2018.
“This will be the third year in a row we’ve gotten gold plus award, which is the highest award. We got the Gold Award in 2016 and we got the silver award in 2015” said Brent Smith, director of Hopkins County EMS services.
For the award, the AHA looks at four core EMS measures. There are also four optional reporting measures in which EMS services can also submit data for AHA to consider, according to Smith.
One core measure is the percent of patients over 35 years of age who receive a 12-lead by EMS. This is how many people reporting chest pain are checked on a cardiac monitor using a 12-lead, Smith said.
Another asks the percent of patients with 12-leads that show a STEMI, “a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction,” was performed in the first 10 minutes on scene.
Smith said EMS has put procedures in place to speed up the process described in that core EMS measure.
Core value three asks the percent of patients who had a STEMI resolved in a Cath Lab within 90 minutes of first EMS contact. From the time EMS shows up on a call in which a patient is reported to have chest pain, and reports they are with the patient, that 90 minutes begins, Smith noted.
Hopkins County EMS received 95.28 percent on all three core measures the first quarter, and 100 percent the second, third and fourth quarters of 2018, Smith said.
“I am very proud of those statistics. That’s pretty rock solid across the measures,” he said.
He credited team effort, a lot of education and critical steps taken. He said the Cath Lab and ER staff too are to be credited for their roles as well.
“When we call a STEMI in the field, we notify the hospital as soon as we know about it. We transmit that 12-lead to the hospital so they can confirm. They activate the Cath Lab team and the doctor to come in, if they are not already here [at the hospital]. So, they’ve got to arrive here, the patient has to get here and everything has to flow, where they do everything – shave parts, stick needles in you, put the cath in you – and have it done within 90 minutes, and that’s from the time we arrive at your house. Sometimes, geography is against us, but I will tell you three of our STEMIs were out of Franklin County. That’s a lot of ground to cover in 90 minutes, to where you’re no longer losing a heart muscle because they crossed the legion in 90 minutes,” Smith explained.
In addition to the core EMS measures, there are also four optional reporting measures, added by AHA a year ago, which EMS services can also submit information on to count in their rating, Smith said.
Optional reporting measures are designed to “give insight into possible gaps in care that warrant a stronger focus as well as planning for future recognition measures,” according to AHA.
Hopkins County EMS only reported on two of the measures the first year, because the data was not at that time being captured in the EMS reporting system,. However, for 2018, the service reported on all measures. Not many do all optional measures, Smith noted.
For the first optional measure, percent of patients with suspected stroke with pre-hospital notification, HCEMS scores 25 percent. Smith said EMS personnel notifythe hospital of a “code stroke” just as they would for a STEMI. Then, upon arrival at the hospital, the doctor does a quick assessment and the patient is taken directly to CT, bypassing an ER bed. With the hospital moving to the stroke center certification, the hospital staff is “on the clock the whole time.”
Smith credited the lower rating on this measure is due largely to the fact that EMS personnel weren’t documenting when they called a code stroke that they notified the hospital. EMS notifies the hospital every time they are bringing a patient in, what they are being brought in for, the EMS services director reports.
On the second optional measure, percent of patients with suspected stroke with documented LKW (last known well time), EMS scored 86 percent. Smith said the results in this measure for 2019 will be 100 percent. That is now a mandatory part of EMS’ patient care reports; the form is set up so that the EMS worker can’t move past the scene on the form until they’ve documented last known well time, he explained.
On optional measure three, percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests with ROSC (return of spontaneous circulation), Hopkins County EMS scored 32 percent. The hearts of patients in this category had completely stopped and the patient was revived prior to arrival.
“That number is a little bit low. It goes back to our documentation of capturing that information. I pretty solid say we run more like 40 percent, but 32 percent is what I could back up with paperwork. Before we started with the LUCAS devices our 32 percent was hovering around 14 percent. That’s the difference those machines have really made,” Smith told the hospital board members
For optional measure four, percent of chest pain patients who received aspirin in the field, HCEMS rated 61 percent. Again, Smith cited documentation as contribution to this number. If a patient has already taken aspirin, it counts toward the measure, if documented. The EMS service’s documentation form did not ask the paramedic that question. The 61 percent reflects the number of all chest patients they responded to who received aspirin. He said he suspected some had already received aspirin, and EMS staff are now asking and documenting that too.
“We have some room to work on optional measures. I think the common denominator is documentation. But I feel very proud of what all the field staff are doing, with these measures as well,” Smith said.
Flags at Half-Staff Honoring the Victims of Virginia Beach
The flags at the Veterans Memorial and around the the community have been lowered in accordance with the proclamation below by the Hopkins County Marine Corps League.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Our Nation grieves with those affected by the tragic shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Americans unite in praying for God to comfort the injured and heal the wounded. May God be with the victims and bring aid and comfort to their families and friends. As a mark of solemn respect for the victims of the terrible act of violence perpetrated on May 31, 2019, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, June 4, 2019. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP
City Council Will Consider Ordinance Regulating Scrap Tires At Local Shops At June 4 Meeting
Sulphur Springs City Council will be asked Tuesday, June 4, to consider approving an ordinance regulating scrap tires at local tire shops.
The ordinance would require tire shops to do three things: shield from public view scrap tires stockpiled at local tire shops prior to disposal and cover the stockpiles so rainwater does not build up inside the tire, and limit the number of tires a business can stockpile. Tires may be covered either by a building or tarp, according to Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell.
“We’ve gotten a few operations in town where the tires keep piling up and don’t seem to be going away. We’ve focused on one of them recently and got them gone. We think that it’d be nice if we had an ordinance that set out the rules, so everybody knows these are the rules you’ve got to play by,” Maxwell explained.
At issue is public health and safety, according to the city manger and Sulphur Springs City Councilman Jimmy Lucas.
The matter was first brought to city officials’ attention last summer, according to Lucas. A member of his family at the time reported a mosquito problem at the home of a patient she cared for. Lucas said he checked out the matter and discovered there were numerous old, scrap tires on the property of a tire shop neighboring the residence.
“The problem is mosquitoes. A coupe of these operations are right behind residences. We’re trying to put an end to that,” Maxwell said.
Lucas said large mosquito populations are a problem for all, and he is especially concerned for the elderly.
Lucas said the number tires too would be limited, and the area shielded from the public as a means to prevent stacks from falling on any child who might access the area.
The tire ordinance proposal is on the June 4 City Council agenda for discussion and possible action.
Complaint of Alcohol Consumption in Parking Lot Lead to Man With 3 Traffic Warrants
A complaint of alcohol consumption in Gilmer Street parking lot Friday night lead police to a man wanted on three traffic charges, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police were at location at 10:39 p.m. in reference to people drinking alcohol in the parking lot in the 600 block of Gilmer Street.
The officers, in arrest reports, said he encountered a 22-year-old Sulphur Springs man he knew to be wanted. He had dispatchers verify the outstanding charges, then took the man into custody on one warrant for failure to maintain financial responsibility and two warrants for no driver’s license, including one for third no DL offense, according to arrest reports.
Enloe Man Jailed On Second DWI Charge
An Enloe man caught the attention of a state trooper when he failed to stop the Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving at Main and Gilmer Street stop sign, and ended up going to jail just before midnight Friday for drunk driving.
While talking to the man, the Texas Department of Public Safety officer reported smelling alcohol on the man’s breath. The trooper also reported the man to have red eyes with dilated pupils.
The 38-year-old man allegedly admitted to he’d consumed a few alcoholic beverages prior to driving. He failed standard field sobriety tests and was taken to the county jail, where he tested 0.088 on an intoxilizer test, which is just over the legal 0.080 limit for blood-alcohol content, the trooper alleged in arrest reports.
Consequently, the Enloe man was taken into custody at about 11:39 p.m. May 31 and booked into the county jail for driving while intoxicated, marking the second time he’s been charged with DWI, according to arrest reports.
He had been released from the county jail Saturday afternoon, June 1, on $2,000 bond on the Class A misdemeanor charge, according to jail reports.
