ERCOT Already Planning For Potential Winter Problems
October 19, 2023 – As we enjoy the cooler temperatures of fall, it reminds us that winter is soon coming. Earler this week, the agency that manages the state’s electric grid came together to talk about it and so much more. After a record-breaking summer, there will be much to prepare the grid for ahead of the winter.
ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas told the organization’s board the Public Utilities Commission they have sent out a request to purchase enough back-up power for 600,000 homes an hour (3,000 megawatts per hour). They hope to have this deal completed by December when winter cold brings power complications.
In short, the amount of power generated in Texas is not keeping up with the state’s population and industrial growth, per Vegas.
“To build a power plant, you start the concept today and in two to four to five years depending on the type of power plant you’ll have something come online,” he said.
The types of power planted needed, per Vegas, are known as dispatchable power, the more traditional power plants like natural gas plants that can be turned on by humans and do not rely on the sun or the wind. Voters will weigh in this November on whether the state should put $10 billion towards encouraging plant construction.
It signals to the market and to the public that we have a potential problem this winter because the market has not provided the level of dispatchable resources that Texas needs,” said ERCOT Board member Bill Flores.
In the summer, the power grid’s most vulnerable time is when Texans return home from work and begin using their appliances, around 7 or 8 pm. In the winter, the grid will be most vulnerable in the mid-morning when it’s still dark outside – eliminating solar power as a resource – and Texans are beginning to wake up to use energy before they go to work.
According to an ERCOT analysis, they predict this December there’s a 4.3% chance of a controlled power outage every day around 8 AM. That chance goes up to 14.4% if there are similar conditions to last year’s December cold snap.
While the summer might feel like a distant memory, just a little over a month ago the metroplex was pushing 110 degrees in early September.
The cloud cover could impact the solar generation in the state, which ERCOT said the grid has become more reliant on than in the past. Solar helped get the state through high-demand days this summer but it might not be as helpful this winter, which is why natural gas storage and completed plant maintenance in time for winter is key.
Social Security Beneficiaries To Get Raise in 2024
Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2024
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 71 million Americans will increase 3.2 percent in 2024.
The 3.2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 66 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2024. Increased payments to approximately 7.5 million SSI recipients will begin on December 29, 2023. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits)
Read more about the Social Security Cost-of-Living adjustment for 2024.
The maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $168,600.
The earnings limit for workers who are younger than “full” retirement age (see Full Retirement Age Chart) will increase to $22,320. (We deduct $1 from benefits for each $2 earned over $22,320.)
The earnings limit for people reaching their “full” retirement age in 2024 will increase to $59,520. (We deduct $1 from benefits for each $3 earned over $59,520 until the month the worker turns “full” retirement age.)
There is no limit on earnings for workers who are “full” retirement age or older for the entire year.
Read more about the COLA, tax, benefit and earning amounts for 2024.
Medicare Information
Information about Medicare changes for 2024 will be available at www.medicare.gov. For Social Security beneficiaries receiving Medicare, their new 2024 benefit amount will be available in December through the mailed COLA notice and my Social Security’s Message Center.
Your COLA Notice
In December 2023, Social Security COLA notices will be available online to most beneficiaries in the Message Center of their my Social Security account.
This is a secure, convenient way to receive COLA notices online and save the message for later. You can also opt out of receiving notices by mail that are available online. Be sure to choose your preferred way to receive courtesy notifications so you won’t miss your secure, convenient online COLA notice.
Remember, our services are free of charge. No government agency or reputable company will solicit your personal information or request advanced fees for services in the form of wire transfers or gift cards. Avoid falling victim to fraudulent calls and internet “phishing” schemes by not revealing personal information, selecting malicious links, or opening malicious attachments. You can learn more about the ways we protect your personal information and my Social Security account here.
More Traffic Signals Coming to Hillcrest Near I-30
October 18, 2023 – Crews have been working quickly to erect new traffic signals on the West Loop in Sulphur Springs. The new lights on State Highway 11/State Highway 19 are at the intersection of Hillcrest Drive and the entrance to the new truckstop north of I-30.
The truck stop is nearing completion, and it’s two entrances will soon be connected to local streets. One of those entrances are at the new signals, and the other is on the north service road near the entrance to Coleman park at Gossett Lane.
They will also control traffic to and from the Woodbridge Crossing entrance. No word on when they will activate, but be cautious in the area until drivers get accustomed to the addition.
The 17th Annual Heritage Square Car Show will be Held November 4th
The 17th Annual Heritage Square Car Show will be held November 4th, 2023, Downtown Sulphur Springs! The event is presented by the Sulphur Springs Downtown Business Alliance. Judged Awards include The Nolan Cason Memorial Award, Best of Show, Best Foreign Car, Best Original Restored, Mayor’s Pick, Best Tri 5, and so many more!
Vehicles must be 1993 or older to participate. Registration takes place 8:00am to Noon. Awards will be announced at 3:00pm. First fifty entries receive one t-shirt and a dash plaque. Pre-Registration price is $30, $40 on the day of the event.
Don’t miss out on all the fun! See you there! For more details, call 903-439-2664.
Outstanding SSISD Middle School Students
October 17, 2023 – The 6th grade Spotlight Award Winners for the 1st 9 weeks are: Patrick Fleener, Jewell Tilson, Jolie McCoy, Cooper Desmet, Adalberto Gonzalez and Angel Vargas. These achievers all attend Sulphur Springs Middle School.
7th grade Spotlight Award Winners from Sulphur Springs Middle School are:
8th grade Spotlight Awards winners at Sulphur Springs Middle School for the 1st nine weeks are:
KSST is proud to celebrate all academic achievements, especially here in Hopkins County Texas.
Proposition 1 Protects Texas Family Farmers and Ranchers
By Russell Boening
Texas Farm Bureau President
October 16, 2023 – Proposition 1 on the Nov. 7 statewide ballot is a monumental opportunity for Texas farmers and ranchers and for Texas agriculture.
The language on the ballot reads: “The constitutional amendment protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management.”
More than 97% of our farms and ranches in Texas are family operations. Proposition 1 protects ALL farmers and ranchers. Large and small.
I am the fourth generation of my family to farm my family’s land near San Antonio. I work the same soil as did my grandfathers on both sides.
Proposition 1 will protect family farmers and ranchers from regulatory overreach of state agencies or local governments.
Local government overreach negatively impacts farmers and ranchers who provide “locally sourced” food products for consumers.
This overreach is not theoretical. It is real.
Here are a few examples of ordinances in cities and municipalities in Texas that exemplify the pressure agriculture faces from an increasingly urban state.
A city ordinance says no grass in the city limits is allowed to be over 12 inches. There are no exceptions for agriculture. So, the city found a farmer in the city in violation on both his hay field and his cattle pasture.
A farmer was harvesting corn in one city, and local police told him that it was illegal due to the dust.
A grower received citations from a city over hay bales on his property. He said he received citations of $250 each for 436 hay bales because of city ordinances.
If you can believe it, a city actually has an ordinance that bans the public mating of livestock.
To comply with the ordinance, family farmers and ranchers must build a structure that would prevent any public viewing of that activity.
These are just a few examples of what farmers and ranchers are dealing with at the local government level.
Proposition 1 protects the public from any real danger. It protects animal health and welfare. It protects crops from diseases and pests. And it protects water, fish and wildlife, trees, and other natural resources.
Texas continues to rapidly increase in population.
Texas has lost more than 2 million acres of farm and ranch land in the last quarter-century. Our farm and ranch legacy is at risk.
Proposition 1 maintains the legacy of agriculture in our state by protecting the right to farm and ranch.
It is critical that farmers and ranchers be able to grow food, fiber and fuel for our state and nation as more and more agricultural areas are impacted by development and population growth.
One out of seven jobs in Texas is related to the food and fiber system. Proposition 1 ensures the economic benefits of agriculture for our state continue, especially for rural communities and small family farms and ranches.
The election is Nov. 7. Early voting for the election begins on Oct. 23.
There are 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Please join me in voting YES on Proposition 1!
Education Issues at the Forefront of Candidate Forum
All six of the Texas State Representative candidates for District 2 attended a Candidate Forum in Sulphur Springs last week. The Forum was sponsored and hosted by Hopkins-Rains Retired School Personnel and was focused only on education issues. This group is a local chapter of the statewide organization, Texas Retired Teachers Association. HRRSP and TRTA do not endorse candidates, but members wanted to hear how each candidate feels about education issues.
District 2 includes Hopkins, Hunt, and Van Zandt counties. There are about 25 independent school districts in the three counties. Current educators, retired educators and the general public were invited to attend the forum.
Since the Governor has focused on vouchers, or Education Savings Accounts, many of the questions were focused on that issue. Superintendents in the three counties have expressed concerns about vouchers because private schools don’t have the same levels of financial transparency and student academic accountability as public schools, as well as the likelihood that already insufficient funding for public schools will be transferred to private schools.
Two of the candidates, Heath Hyde and Kristen Washington, supported the superintendents and stated they were against vouchers. Both stated they are very concerned about private schools discriminating against special needs students, and Ms. Washington stated that vouchers will specifically target poor students. Candidates Jill Dutton, Doug Roszhart, and Krista Schild all support Education Savings Accounts, but believe the private schools should be held to the same level of financial accountability as public schools. Candidate Brent Money supports Education Savings Accounts and believes that the private schools will be held accountable by the parents.
All of the candidates agreed that the A-F school accountability system needs to be abolished. All of the candidates agreed that teachers should receive a pay raise, but Mr. Money and Ms. Schild think that current funding should be redistributed to pay for those raises.
A related education issue concerns Proposition 9 on the November 7 ballot. The moderator briefly explained that Proposition 9 will authorize a Cost of Living Adjustment for public school retirees. The public is generally not aware that most retired school employees do not receive Social Security and have not received a COLA in 20 years. The cost of living adjustment has already been funded and will NOT cost taxpayers any money if approved, so attendees were encouraged to “vote for Proposition 9.”
Submitted by Hopkins-Rains Retired School Personnel
Chamber Connection for October 17
Chamber Connection – Oct. 17
By Butch Burney
It’s less than two weeks until the largest event in Hopkins County each year – the 54th Annual Hopkins County Stew Festival, and tickets are available.
Tickets are $8 each for those 13 and over. Children 12 years and younger will eat free this year, thanks to Signature Solar’s sponsorship, but they still need a ticket.
Tickets can be purchased online at HopkinsChamber.org or at the Chamber office, 110 Main St. Tickets can also be purchased at our financial institutions which include Alliance Bank, City National Bank, First National Bank of East Texas, Guaranty Bank and Trust, Pilgrim Bank, Red River Credit Union, and Texas Heritage National Bank
T-shirts are now available at the Chamber office for just $25 in adult sizes S-XXL. We also have a limited supply of hoodies, tumblers, mugs and stickers.
The 54th Annual Hopkins County Stew Festival, presented by Alliance Bank, has been able to keep its costs down because of our generous businesses in the community, and the cost just got even cheaper for some families.
Signature Solar and the Chamber announced that children 12 and under will eat free at the festival on Saturday, Oct. 28, due to Signature Solar’s generous sponsorship. Children will still need tickets, which can be obtained either online or via paper tickets.
One Church announced that they will sponsor the Fun Zone, which includes Gellyball, bounce houses and kids’ games. That means free fun for children, thanks to One Church’s generous sponsorship!
City National Bank will be sponsoring the Friday night festivities, Oct. 27, which will include our appetizer contest and concert by Dubb and the Luv Machines!
Thanks to all of our sponsors who make the stew festival affordable for families in Hopkins County. Follow the Chamber’s Instagram and Facebook accounts for spotlights on our sponsors and updates on the stew festival.
Help-A-Child Benefit
The 16th Annual Help-A-Child Benefit is set for Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Hopkins County Civic Center. Proceeds benefit the Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center and Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
Events start at 8 a.m. with the Ag Team Competition Build Off and continue with the Livestock Show at 9a.m., the Ag Mechanic Show and Silent Auctions at 11 a.m., and then at 11:30 a.m. will be chili and brisket ($10 all you can eat).
Cocktails and Conversation
Plan now to attend our next Cocktails and Conversation, the new name for our revamped Business After Hours, at Beauty Grace Lifestyle Shop on Connally Street. Cocktails and Conversation will be held the first Thursday of every month, from 5-6 p.m., and for November, Ana Velasco will welcome everyone to her shop.
This is a casual networking event and happy hour. You don’t have to be a Chamber member to attend.
Fall Festival
The Fall Festival is coming in October.
The parade (from Buford Park to Brookshire’s) will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Trade and vendor booths, a kids’ zone, creative art contest and craft show will all be conducted Friday, Oct. 27 to Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Civic Center.
Community Players
Main Street Theatre will present Bullets on Broadway, a murder mystery, four nights this month. The presentation by the Community Players will be 7 p.m. nightly Oct. 20 and 21.
Visit the CommunityPlayersInc.com for ticket information.
Heritage Square Car Show
The 17th Annual Heritage Car Show will go off on Saturday, Nov. 4, rain or shine, presented by the Sulphur Springs Downtown Business Alliance. The show, which will be downtown, will have registration from 8 a.m. to noon that day or pre-registration online at sulphurspringsdba.com.
Vehicles must be model year 1993 or older to participate. Cash prizes will be awarded at 3 p.m.
For more information call 903-439-2664 or email [email protected].
Free Mammography Clinic
The available appointments for the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation’s Free Mammography Clinic are filling up. Only a few openings are still available. If you are an uninsured woman over 40 years of age that lives in Hopkins County, you are eligible for a free mammogram through this program.
The staff of the Ruth & Jack Gillis Women’s Center, a part of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, will be welcoming women to the clinic on three Saturdays in October: 14, 21, and 28.
If you miss out on the free clinic this year, it should be back again next year in October.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is a good time to schedule an annual mammogram. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life. The risk of breast cancer increases with age, so mammograms continue to be important, as is early detection.
If you are eligible for a free mammogram, call 903-438-4325 to schedule an appointment.
Ribbon Cuttings
Hopkins County Veterinary Clinic hosted a ribbon cutting Friday, Oct. 13, and an open house on Saturday at their wonderful new facility. [Photo attached]
101 Barbershop, at 101 Bill Bradford Road, will host a ribbon cutting for their one-year anniversary at noon on Friday, Oct. 20. Make plans to attend.
Timely Advice of How to Stick It to Stickers
October 16. 2023 – Grassbur (field sandbur, sandbur, grass bur, sticker weed, etc.) is a troublesome, nasty grass weed species that affects desirable grass forage quantity and quality. Although young plants are often utilized as a grazing forage, seed capsules can penetrate animal tissues, causing pain and sometimes infection. More importantly, it has a negative effect on hay quality and substantially reduces forage value. There are many different grassbur species in Texas, although one of the more common is field sandbur, Cenchrus spinifex. Regardless, most are easily recognized in the mature stage of growth when the pernicious seed heads become apparent.
What you may interpret as the seed is a seed “capsule” that usually contains one to three seeds. This capsule provides a nice environment for the seed to soak up moisture from the soil and hold it until the seed has received the other stimulants (warm temperatures, light, etc.) necessary for germination. This is also what makes it more survivable than some other grass species in sandy soils that are more prone to dry out. Typical germination will occur when soil temperature rises above 52 degrees Fahrenheit or drops back below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. We often think of the grassbur species as being warm-season annual plants. However, many of these are classified as perennials, which can survive from one year to the next. Although foliage may get “burned” off by freezing temperatures in the fall or winter, sometimes these plants may survive and come back from the roots the following spring. These plants might be more difficult to eradicate since they have already developed a substantial root system the previous year. Whenever you have a weak stand of annual or perennial grass forage, grassbur will take advantage of this space and flourish. Therefore, one of the best cultural control measures is to keep your forage grass stands dense and healthy with proper management.
The most important consideration for control is recognition in the early stages of growth. The leaves on young seedling plants are usually hairless, while the sheaths surrounding the stem may have hairs along the margins. The sheaths will generally become pubescent (with hairs) as the plant matures. A narrow-fringed membranous ligule is present with hairs on the fringe. The stems are somewhat flattened and often purplish colored at the base. Tillers are produced on the plants early, which add to the competitiveness of this weed. These perennialized plants can be identified in the winter by cutting the crown of the plant open. The presence of green tissue when the foliage is dormant indicates the plant is a perennial (Fig. 5). When you are doubtful about seedling identification, you can dig up young plants and you will often find the bur attached to the seedling. Whether perennials are present or not, the foundation of grassbur control is using a preemergence herbicide. In areas where only annual grassbur is observed, indaziflam (Rezilon) at 0.039 to 0.065 pounds of active ingredient (ai) per acre (3 to 5 ounces of product/acre) or pendimethalin (Prowl H2O) at 2 to 4 pounds of ai per acre (2.1 to 4.2 quarts of product/acre) can be applied during forage dormancy and before spring grassbur germination, typically mid- February (South and Central Texas) to mid-March (North Texas). Excellent results can be obtained by indaziflam if it is properly incorporated by at least 0.25 inches to 0.5 inches of rainfall or irrigation within 3 weeks of application. Good results can be obtained from pendimethalin if it is properly incorporated by at least 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches of rainfall or irrigation within 7 days of application.For the best control of annual grassbur, a split application program is recommended.
To address summer and/or fall season germination, a second application of indaziflam at 0.039 pounds of ai per acre (3 ounces of product/acre) or pendimethalin at 2 pounds of ai per acre (2.1 ounces of product/ acre) will be necessary during the mid-growing season following a haying or grazing event. It is important to note that the maximum annual application rate for indaziflam is 0.078 pounds of ai per acre (6 ounces of product/acre). For pendimethalin, it is 4 pounds of ai per acre (4.2 quarts of product/acre). If germinated seedlings or perennialized plants are present, the approach is to use one of three products that are labeled for postemergence control, meaning the product must be sprayed onto an emerged grassbur plant. Nicosulfuron + metsulfuron-methyl (Pastora) is one such product that must be applied to small grassbur plants (1.5 inches tall or across) at rates of 1.0 to 1.5 ounces per acre. It is only labeled for use on bermudagrass, so applying it on any other type of pasture or hayfield is illegal and could cause severe injury. There are no grazing or haying restrictions associated with the use of Pastora.
Another postemergence treatment is glyphosate (Roundup WeatherMax, a 4.5-pound glyphosate acid product), which is labeled for use on bermudagrass hayfields immediately after the first hay cutting at a rate of 0.39 pounds of acid equivalent (ae) (11-ounce product) per acre. This application also will control many annual grasses other than grassbur. Some stunting of perennial forage grasses will occur if a broadcast application is made when plants are not dormant. Higher application rates may be used for hard-to-control weeds; however, higher rates will cause a stand reduction in the forage species. It is important to treat as soon as possible after the first hay cutting for two reasons. First, there will be less crop injury since there will be less bermudagrass leaf area to take up the herbicide. Second, the product must contact the grassbur plants while they are small; this is less likely to happen if the bermudagrass has regrown and is covering the grassbur. A maximum of 2.25 pounds of ae (2 quarts) per acre per year can be applied with no grazing restrictions.
The third postemergence product should be used with caution. The active ingredient, imazapic (Panoramic, Plateau, Impose), will stunt bermudagrass growth for a period of at least 30 days. Some varieties, such as Jiggs and World Feeder, are more prone to injury than others. It is labeled for use in most perennial grass species, including native rangeland. When used while haying, the same suggestions for glyphosate apply to imazapic regarding the timing of application. It is an excellent herbicide, with both preemergent and postemergent activity, and is only recommended where controlling grassbur is more important than forage growth. It is relatively inexpensive and has a wide weed control spectrum. There are no grazing restrictions, but a 7-day haying restriction applies when using imazapic. Always refer to product labels for specific information on recommended use patterns and other details.
You must keep hay fields scouted in the fall for grassbur presence to identify those areas where you might apply a preemergence, preventative herbicide in late winter or early spring, as described above. In the spring and throughout the summer, you should again scout the fields for early detection of grassbur and get postemergence treatments applied in a timely manner. No matter what the case, if you have had grassbur in the past, it is likely you will have it for years to come. However, a consistent weed management program can significantly reduce the grassbur pressure over time. Again, proper forage management will be the first step in grassbur control.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Mt Pleasant ISD Flag Corp Teacher Arrested
October 16, 2023 – Mt Pleasant ISD Flag Corp teacher CRISTIAN GOMEZ was arrested over the weekend. Gomez, age 30, is charged with:
SEX ASLT OF CHILD
It is unclear at his time if the child alleging the attack is in any way related to his work at the school district.
Gomez was arrested by a Texas Ranger around 5:30PM at a Taqueria in Winfield Tx.
Gomez bonded out the morning after his arrest on $40,000.
