Dinner Bell for May 29th, 2024
The Rotary Club was organized in 1925 and will celebrate it’s one hundredth anniversary next year. “Service Above Self” is its motto and that is what the Rotary Club does! From its Christmas parties which includes lunch, meeting Santa and a gift that delights the youngest students in the local schools that date prior to 1960 to present day scholarships and financial gifts to local charities, the Rotary Club gives and gives!
The 9th Annual “Claws For A Cause” held on April 27 featured Louisiana style crawfish, shrimp and crab with corn, potatoes and sausage. This culinary delight of the South fund raiser gives much back to the community. It is a fun night to fund worthy local charity endeavors and also gives scholarships to help students cover college financial needs.
The Dinner Bell Feeding Ministry has been blessed each year since 2015 with Rotarians grilling hamburgers for the star item on the menu the last Wednesday of May. For their “Service Above Self” the Dinner Bell is extremely grateful!!!
GRAB and GO with a meal from the distribution area under the covered driveway (porte cochere) on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus starting around 10:30 on Wednesday.
MENU
Grilled Hamburgers
Lettuce, Tomatoes, Pickles and Onions
Bags of Potato Chips
Baked Beans
Sopapilla Cheesecake
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BY FOLLOWING SAFE HEALTH PRACTICES. WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN. WEAR MASKS WHERE REQUIRED. GET INOCULATED AND BOOSTED!
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
Used Wind Turbine Blades Pileup in Texas
May 24, 2024 – When a wind turbine reaches the end of its life cycle, roughly 85% of its components — including the steel tower, copper wire and gearing — can be recycled. Turbine blades, however, have proven to be a bigger challenge.
Made primarily from fiberglass, these blades lack the metals and minerals that attract recyclers. They are also coated with epoxy resins (made from oil) that make them particularly difficult to crush. As a result, most retired turbine blades end up incinerated or in landfills.
To deal with this challenge, the world’s biggest turbine makers are stepping up efforts to create recyclable blades. But perfecting that technology, and implementing it, will take years. In the meantime, turbines installed in the early aughts are starting to reach the end of their lifespan. In Europe alone, roughly 25,000 metric tons of wind turbine blades will be phased out each year by 2025, according to some estimates.
That’s where the startups come in.
“We’re delaying the disposal,” says Angela Nagle, a former Intel engineer who in 2022 co-founded Ireland-based BladeBridge to convert decommissioned turbine blades into pedestrian bridges. Although the upcycled bridges will eventually reach the end of their lifecycle, too, Nagle says they buy the technology some time. “It’s delaying the problem to see if somebody else can find a third life solution,” she says.
BladeBridge is one of a handful of companies turning old wind turbine blades into new products. Whether park benches, bike racks or playgrounds, these upcycled goods aren’t always cost competitive — at least not yet. But the early adopters are making progress that’s needed to prevent the clean-energy transition from developing environmental downsides of its own. The prices for these objects can be as high as $10,000.
The U.S. currently has very little regulation regarding the disposal of wind turbine blades. Adding to the problem is the fact that blades have gotten longer during the last 30 years, as wind technology has advanced, creating longer blades and shorter turbine towers for better energy production.
Send the Blades to Sweetwater Texas
In Sweetwater Texas, two “graveyards” for retired turbine blades have appeared in recent years. Hundreds of the football field-sized blades have been cut into thirds and laid out in pastures. The sawed edges of the blades stacked on top of each other and spread out over a 10-acre field can be seen just off Highway 70, south of Sweetwater. Another blade graveyard stretches across an industrial field across from the city’s only graveyard off of Interstate 20. Click here to see a Google Earth satellite view of the blades.
Texas A&M Forest Service Encourages Wildfire Preparedness ahead of Summer
May 23, 2024 – COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As Memorial Day unofficially kicks off summer this weekend, Texans should prepare for wildfires.
The potential for wildfire activity will be limited to the Trans Pecos and western High Plains regions of the state this weekend. Hot and dry conditions will dry vegetation in these areas and elevated fire weather may support the ignition of small wildfires.
“Though recent rains have helped decrease wildfire potential across most of the state, we encourage everyone to be careful with outdoor activities this holiday and throughout the summer,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief. “It only takes a few dry, windy days for wildfire potential to increase.”
Nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans and are preventable. As we head into summer, keep the following tips in mind to help prevent wildfires:
- Always check with local officials for burn bans and other outdoor burning restrictions. Pay attention to local guidelines regarding open fires, campfires and outdoor activities that may pose a fire hazard.
- Never leave your grill unattended. Wind gusts may blow embers into dry vegetation, potentially starting a wildfire.
- Ensure your grill is kept clean of excess grease to prevent flare-ups.
- Place your grill in an open space away from tall or dry grass, shrubs, woodpiles or other flammable materials. Also avoid placing your grill underneath a tree or on a wooden patio deck.
- After you are finished grilling, allow time for the coals in your grill to completely cool. Smoldering coals may reignite and release embers, which may be blown into nearby vegetation.
- If you are pulling a boat or camper, make sure the tow chains are properly connected and not dragging on the roadway creating sparks.
- Park in designated spaces and avoid driving over and parking on dry grass — the heat from your vehicle can easily ignite the grass.
For more information about protecting your home, visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/ProtectYourHome/
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CHRISTUS to Expand Cardiology Services in Sulphur Springs
May 23, 2024 – CHRISTUS to expand cardiology services in Sulphur Springs, creating Heart and Vascular Institute
(SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas) – CHRISTUS Health is expanding its world-class cardiology program to the greater Hopkins County community with the creation of the CHRISTUS Heart & Vascular Institute – Sulphur Springs.
On June 3, CHRISTUS Heart & Vascular Institute cardiologists will start seeing patients at the newly formed clinic on the campus of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, with access to the hospital emergency room, non-invasive cardiovascular services, and the cardiac cath lab.
“This is a major step forward for us in our efforts to expand our high-quality cardiology services for our community,” said Paul Harvey, president of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs. “Our community deserves to have excellent heart care close to home, and we are committed to providing that.”
CHRISTUS will hold a blessing ceremony for the new clinic, located at 100 Medical Drive in Sulphur Springs, on Monday, June 3 at 11 a.m. with a community grand opening event to follow in the summer.
The CHRISTUS Heart & Vascular Institute – Sulphur Springs will work in close coordination with the teams at the CHRISTUS Heart & Vascular Institute and Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital in Tyler, which has earned the National Distinction of Excellence as a HeartCARE Center four times from the American College of Cardiology, has earned a Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center certification from the American Heart Association and the Joint Commission, while maintaining a top-ranked heart surgery program as designated by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
The institute will be part of the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic team that currently employs more than 100 cardiologists, electrophysiologists, surgeons, and advanced practice clinicians in the Northeast Texas region.
“We remain steadfast in our mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ and are blessed to provide Sulphur Springs and the surrounding areas the cardiovascular care they deserve,” said Deb Chelette, vice president of cardiovascular services, CHRISTUS Northeast Texas. “Residents in Northeast Texas are accustomed to receiving innovative, quality heart care from CHRISTUS and we are looking forward to making more strides in cardiovascular care to ensure that your heart is in good health.”
Dr. Fagg Sanford, Chair of the CHRISTUS Heart and Vascular Institute – Tyler added, “The CHRISTUS Heart and Vascular Institute brings accessible, seamless, and highest quality heart and vascular care to Sulphur Springs, integrating the new CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Cardiology – Sulphur Springs and the well-established CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs with the entire Northeast Texas CHRISTUS team. The power of this integrated model of dedicated clinicians and highest quality hospitals, linked by the common Epic electronic medical record, can’t be overstated”.
New and existing patients can call (903) 438-8330 to schedule an appointment.
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Apex Clean Energy Wind Farm Map
May 23, 2024 – Apex Clean Energy met this week with the Hopkins County Commissioners and County Judge Robert Newsom. During that meeting, APEX layed out their plan for a Wind Energy Plant in Hopkins County.
A map of all the property APEX needs for their project was displayed at the meeting. KSST was unable to get a copy of the map, however a photo of the map was taken. From that photo an approximation of the land required has been created.
Windmill Company Informs County of Intentions to Build Huge Wind Farm in Hopkins County
May 23, 2024 – Five employees of Apex Clean Energy met with county commissioners on this past Wednesday for a scheduled work session to inform the Hopkins County Court of their intentions to lease up to 14,000 acres in hopes to erect up to 100 giant windmills. Two major electricity transmission lines disect Hopkins County making the area appealing to wind farms to sell windmill-generated electicity onto the Texas power grid.
Mark Weaver, Apex Senior Land Manager, told the court his team has already secured several pieces of property so far, and hopes to get 10,000 acres secured to begin testing for viability of installation of between 50 and 100 of the huge windmills. The vast project area map shown to commissioners covers a wide swath of Hopkins County properties west of Hwy 19, but above and below Interstate 30. In reality, Apex hopes to lease enough space either in the northern or southern areas to build one wind farm to connect to the closest transmission line. During the discussion, Apex revealed that it would probably not be feasible to have two smaller wind farms connecting to both the northern and southern transmission lines.
During the meeting, Apex Development Manager Callie Chaplain, stated that the project would only move forward based on several criteria including: Apex leasing enough property from land owners, having a “road agreement” in place with Hopkins County, and receiving a sizeable tax abatement from the taxing authorities in which the wind farm would be placed. County Commissioners were very interested in the road agreement as Apex stated depending upon where each of the windmills would be placed, up to six over-sized, over-length 18-wheeler truck trips would have to be made down county roads and across county bridges to supply parts to build each windmill. Apex Clean Energy was involved in a lawsuit recently in Kansas as the Neosho County Court sued the conglomerate for failure to repair damaged roads known as “haul roads” after agreeing with the county that they would pay for the rebuilding of those roads.
Chaplain also stated that a tax abatement was key to getting the project moving forward as they hope to get relief from a large portion of the tax burden over the life of the project estimated to be 30 years. Another Apex employee explained the bulk of the tax abatement would last for the first 10 years of the project during the time of accelerated depreciation of the equipment. A schedule of the remaining expected tax revenue was promised to be produced at a later time by Apex on the request of the Hopkins County auditor.
Hopkins County Commissioner Mickey Barker was adamant about Apex Clean Energy “informing the public of their intentions of the project, not only to those landowners in the project area, but to other landowners outside the project.” Callie Chaplain stated that Apex Clean Energy often enters into contracts with non-participants of the project which she referred to as “Good Neighbor Contracts” to be able to place windmills closer to property lines than the regular set-back rules would allow. On average, Apex would have to stay 1200 feet away from a property line of a neighboring property that was not under contract, but with this “good neighbor contract” the company would be allowed to build up to the property line but still stay 1200 feet away from an occupied structure.
Meal-A-Day Closed on Monday
May 23, 2023 – The Senior Citizen Activity Center will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Meal-A-Day will also be closed.
Volunteers were busy Thursday morning making bags of food to send out to clients with Friday’s meal. The food is intended to help seniors during the holiday.
“It’s a balancing act, ” said Director Amanda Dietlin. “We want to send canned and non-perishable foods, but we also dont want to overload the volunteer drivers.”
Clients will receive a variety of foods, and without charge. MAD provides the bags as a public service on days when Senior Activity Center is closed.
Activites Start Tuesday May 28th, 2024
May 23, 2024 – Senior Citizen activities officially start at the new Senior Citizen Activity Center on Tuesday. Volunteers are working to move the last of the supplies from the old building on MLK to the new one at 301 Oak Ave. Heavier, and more bulky items have already made the trip. The City of Sulphur Springs has been working for the last few weeks to make the short move a huge success.
Meal-A-Day will begin setting up shelving in the dry storage area of the new building on Saturday. The climate controlled pantry will be a huge improvement. Issues with food spoiling due to intense summer heat will not longer be a concern.
Director Amanda Dietlin said, “Meal-A-Day is not in any hurry to move. We have several hoops to jump through with the Texas Food Bank, and the current facilities are working well. We want to make sure all our clients get those daily meals.”
Volunteer cooks and drivers will be notified by Meal-A-Day when the new facilities are ready. If could be several weeks before that happens.
Buckle up to save your own life: Click It or Ticket
AUSTIN – In the time it takes to read this sentence, Texans can click their seat belt and save themselves from an early grave — and save their loved ones from the sorrow of preventable loss.
While millions wear their seat belts every day as drivers or passengers, unbuckled drivers and passengers accounted for 1,183 — that’s 28% — of the more than 4,200 lives lost on Texas roads last year, and nearly half of all fatalities where someone could have worn a seat belt.
The harsh reality is that life can be ripped away from our loved ones in the blink of an eye — especially if they’re not wearing a seat belt.
“If only David had buckled up that day, he’d still be with us,” said Doreen Palestrant, the mother of a 17-year-old Kerrville high school football player who lost his life in a November 2021 rollover crash that took his life. David, who was unbuckled in the back seat, died at the scene when the pickup he was riding in rolled several times.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my son,” she said. “In my son’s memory, I encourage all Texans to always wear their seat belt, whether for a short trip around the block or a longer trip across town.”
TxDOT’s annual Click It or Ticket campaign aims to save lives by getting drivers and passengers to wear their seat belt 100% of the time.
“Buckling up is both the simplest and most effective safety decision that most of us make every day,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “No one ever expects to be in a crash, and that’s why it’s so important to always put your seat belt on every time you get in a vehicle. The one time you skip it could be the time you pay the price.”
In addition to conducting educational outreach, the campaign partners with Texas law enforcement around the state to step up enforcement of seat belt and car seat laws from May 20 through June 2, including Memorial Day weekend.
Texas law requires everyone in a vehicle to buckle up or face fines and court costs up to $200. Children younger than 8 years old must be in a child safety seat or booster seat unless they’re taller than 4 feet 9 inches. If they aren’t properly restrained, the driver faces fines up to $250 plus court costs. TxDOT offers free safety seat inspections across the state.
TxDOT’s Click It or Ticket campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
Make a Splash Safely During Water Safety Month
May 16, 2024 AUSTIN – As temperatures across the state start to heat up, many Texans will begin taking refuge in the water. May is National Water Safety Month and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reminds boaters to follow some simple yet effective safety precautions to prevent accidents and save lives.
In 2023, 175 boating accidents occurred in Texas waters, resulting in 28 fatalities. Cody Jones, Texas Game Warden assistant commander for marine enforcement, is confident those numbers can shrink with more awareness and safety training.
“While we’re grateful the total number of boating accidents and fatalities decreased more than 17 percent and injuries decreased more than 15 percent from 2022, we’re not in the clear yet,” said Jones. “Accidents on the water can happen quickly and unexpectedly. It’s important to stay aware of your surroundings and practice boating safety.”
Jones also offers these safety tips:
- Wear a life jacket.
- Use an engine cut-off switch.
- Take a boater safety education course.
In 2023, drowning accounted for more than 57 percent of deaths on the water and was the leading cause of death in recreational boating fatalities. Of those, 75 percent of the victims were not wearing a life jacket.
“Wearing a personal floatation device or life jacket is one of the easiest things someone can do to protect themselves while on the water,” said Kimberly Sorensen, boating education manager. “In the event that an accident does occur, it is unlikely someone will have time to find their life jacket and properly secure it, so it is best to wear one at all times when on the water.”
Under the Water Safety Act, Texas law requires that a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket must be available and accessible for each occupant of a boat or paddle craft. Children under the age of 13 are required, by law, to wear their life jacket while the boat or paddle craft is underway or drifting.
“It’s important that each person have a properly fitted life jacket,” said Sorensen. “Adult-sized life jackets are not appropriate for children to wear, and you should never buy a life jacket for your child to ‘grow into.’”
If a life jacket is too big, whether on an adult or child, it can push up around the swimmer’s face and will not perform properly. TPWD has put together a quick, informative video about how to select the correct size of life jacket for children. Please refer to TPWD’s Boater Education website for more information about life jacket fitting, safety and regulations.
Engine cut-off switches are another important tool to prevent injuries and fatalities. Most motorized boats are equipped with this device, typically attached with a lanyard. Texas law requires that anyone operating a personal watercraft or motorboat less than 26 feet in length must have the engine cut-off device attached to themselves, their clothing or their life jacket when operating at greater than idle speed. In the event the boat operator falls off the boat or moves from the helm, the engine automatically and immediately shuts off.
“Most accidents and injuries happen when people are cruising around in boats or relaxing on the water; nearly a quarter of all operators involved in an accident have had more than 500 hours on the water,” Jones said. “This shows that even seasoned boaters in relatively benign circumstances can experience a mishap, so don’t let your guard down. Accidents can happen when it’s least expected. We want everyone to stay safe on the water.”
While enjoying Texas State Parks and water resources this May, please stay safe, stay aware and stay buckled into your life jacket.
For more information about boating safety, laws and requirements, visit TPWD’s boating laws webpage. To enroll in a boater education safety course, visit TPWD’s boater education webpage.
