Caddell Resigns as Chamber of Commerce CEO to Head Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation
Meredith Caddell
In a letter to Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Directors and Ambassadors Wednesday, Meredith Caddell announced she has accepted the position of Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation Director and will be stepping down as CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. Caddell has directed the chamber activities for over eight (8) years.
In her letter received by KSST Wedneday afternoon at 1 p.m., she wrote:
Good Morning Directors and Ambassadors!
This is a bittersweet moment for me…I am extremely excited to tell you that I have accepted the position as the HC Healthcare Foundation Director, and also extremely sad to tell you that I have officially turned in my resignation as the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.
I was offered an incredible opportunity for me to learn something new and to continue to work for the good of this incredible community.
For the past 8, going on 9 years, I have poured my heart and soul into the Chamber of Commerce. I truly feel like it is my child. I LOVE my job here and I was not searching for a new job. When Jackie retired, I realized that there are not many opportunities in Hopkins County to do what she and I do and I might need to consider it. As much as I love what I do, I knew that I could not continue to do it for 15+ years…it’s just too much of a physical job. So, the only way I could continue to do great things for the community, but with a slightly less physically demanding job, was to interview for the Foundation Director position. Much to my surprise, they wanted me.
My hope and desire is for each of you to continue your commitment to this Chamber of Commerce. It is a wonderful organization and it deserves to have dedicated people who will continue to make sure it prospers. The Executive Board is already busy making plans to start the selection process for a new CEO. In the interim, I have agreed to continue with my responsibilities at least through the Dairy Festival if they have not found a replacement by then. Although I will begin my career at the Foundation on May 9th, I will take the laptop and continue my Chamber duties in the evenings. I will run the May Board & Ambassador Meetings and make sure that the Chamber does not suffer with no one at the helm. Cathey will stay on as Office Manager. Fortunately, she knows the ins and out of the day-to-day activities and will handle all of those. Brittany will continue to work part time answering phones and helping Cathey where needed.
To each of you, I am so extremely blessed to have been given the opportunity to work with you, to get to know you, and to call you friends…actually, to call you family. You have made my life at the Chamber INCREDIBLE and I will forever be grateful! Thank you for all of your support and I hope you will continue to support me on this next amazing endeavor I am tackling! Just like I did at the Chamber in 2008, I have BIG plans for the Foundation and I am excited for this journey! Please pray for me and my family as well as the Chamber of Commerce! I KNOW that God’s plan is always the right plan!
I love each and every one of you!
Meredith Caddell
President/CEO
Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
300 Connally Street
Sulphur Springs, TX 75482
903-885-6516 (fax)
Water puddles: Mosquito Habitat
Mario Villarino DVM, Ph.D.
Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
1200B Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
903-885-3443
As rain continues in Hopkins County and temperatures steadily increase, I have felt recently the first mosquito bites of the season. As I reflect on vector borne diseases, I cannot help but to remember how complex and difficult task is mosquito abatement. During my days as a graduate student, I was involved in the Harris County mosquito abatement program using mosquito strains as reference for insecticide resistance. One of my professors was heavily involved in the actual implementation of the program and I learned a lot on field insecticide resistance from him. Another entomologist, Mike Merchant, posted recently in his website: “ Before it’s old news, I wanted to make it official. It’s Aedes (AID ees) season again in north Texas. Last weekend I spotted my first Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquitoes) of the season. So from now until November, get used to having these pesky mosquitoes around. Generally the Aedes season in the Dallas area starts in mid- to late-April. So this week’s mosquitoes were right on schedule. Numbers generally peak in June, but remain high through October. Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, along with its cousin the yellow fever mosquito, may be a Zika virus carrier this summer. Though markings on the thorax are different, both species have a dark body with white bands on the legs. Despite my nerdy entomologist status- Merchant wrote, I’m not happy to see the return of these mosquitoes. For one thing, they are especially annoying biters. Their bites are itchy and their behavior is sneaky! One colleague recently referred to them as “ninja mosquitoes”. They slip in, take a quick meal, and slip out before you notice anything amiss. Three minutes later you’re itching like crazy. There’s little chance for revenge by slapping, because they’re so skittish and so fast–they’re usually gone before you know it. And no time or place is safe from these blood suckers. Both are daytime and evening biters, and both will readily come indoors.
Perhaps the worst thing about Aedes is their potential as disease carriers. Until now, neither mosquito was considered important health-wise in the U.S. Despite its ominous name, the yellow fever mosquito hasn’t had any yellow fever virus to transmit in the U.S. for many years (due to aggressive mosquito control measures and a vaccine). Neither was thought to be a significant vector of West Nile virus or the other encephalitid diseases that occasionally pop up in our country. The arrival to the New World of chikungunya virus in 2013 and Zika in 2015 changes all that. The yellow fever mosquito, previously an important carrier of dengue fever, is almost certainly now also the principal vector (carrier) of both of these diseases in Latin America. While dengue fever occasionally flares up in south Texas and Florida, it’s never really gotten established this side of the Rio Grande. Even the easily-spread chikungunya virus has not found a home here. Zika may be different. It’s highly contagious, and its health implications are more significant than chikungunya. Scientists also think that the Asian tiger mosquito may be competent to spread Zika in the U.S. This is especially alarming because of the tiger mosquito’s more northerly range and greater numerical abundance here. What’s not in question is that both mosquitoes are here in abundance, and stand ready to assume the role of disease carrier should the disease and right conditions come along. These Aedes mosquitoes are not difficult to recognize. Both are small and fast for mosquitoes. Their entire body is covered with dark or black scales, but they have distinct white markings on the mouth parts, thorax and legs. If you see a small black mosquito with distinct white rings around the joints on the legs, you are probably looking at one of these two mosquitoes. It’s difficult to completely eliminate the breeding sites of these mosquitoes because they take advantage of many small water reservoirs. The adult females are what are called “skip ovipositors”, meaning that they lay only a few eggs in any given breeding container, then move on to another site. This type of behavior makes these mosquitoes more difficult to control through breeding site elimination because when one site is eliminated, they move on in search of another. I can testify as to the difficulty of eliminating breeding sites. I keep a close eye on any standing water in my backyard, but we still have high numbers of tiger mosquitoes in our yard every summer. Although these mosquitoes do not travel far from their breeding sites, they could easily be coming from a neighbor’s yard not as well patrolled as mine. Also, despite my diligence, I still continually find new spots with standing water after a rain. So if you’ve ignored the many warnings to wear mosquito repellent in recent years, and think you’re immune to diseases like Zika or West Nile virus, you might want to reconsider. We don’t know whether, or how bad, Zika will be in the U.S. this summer; but it has the potential to pop up anywhere, without warning. So far the only cases in Texas have been with travelers, or via sexual transmission, but the mosquito season is just getting started and Texas is a high risk state. So keep those arms and legs covered, or else well protected with repellent, as you venture out in the garden this summer. Let’s not let this be the summer of Zika”. Remember to be protected using mosquito repellents when working outside and drain pots and empty containers, even the smallest amount of water can be an active breeding site, even a small water puddle. 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].
Coming up:
Texas Watershed Steward Workshop, May 6, 2016, Rains County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 410 Tawakoni Drive (highway 276) Emory Texas. Workshop with overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas. CEU’s for Private applicators and others. Register by calling 979-862-4457 or http://tws.tamu.edu.
Homeowner Maintenance of Aerobic Treatment Units, May 16, 2016 at the Hopkins County Extension Office located at 1200B Houston Street, Sulphur Springs, Texas. $100 registration. Call 903-885-3443.
Cooking Through the Seasons Presented Friday Night
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
Dinner Tonight – Cooking Through the Seasons
Grab your friends and join us for food and fun at the Dinner Tonight “Cooking Through the Seasons” cooking show, presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service on Friday, May 20, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, at the ROC (Recreation Outreach Center), 115 Putman Street, Sulphur Springs. Presenters will focus on the various seasons of the year – New Year’s resolutions and making healthy food choices focusing on lean protein, knife skills focusing on spring and summer produce, and fall and winter baking featuring whole wheat flour. Between each cooking demonstration, presentations will be given on tablescapes – beautiful ways to decorate your table for the various seasons.
While there are many groups who conduct cooking schools, we believe the Dinner Tonight Cooking School has a unique niche. During the event, everyone will see demonstrations of quick and easy-to-make recipes from the Best of Dinner Tonight menu cards. The menu cards are divided into three main categories including entrées, sides, and desserts and perforated so you can mix and match your favorite Dinner Tonight menus– perfect for busy families.
We are targeting people who still want to make time for meal preparation and feel good about what they are feeding themselves and their family. Our goals are to promote nutritious mealtime, teach healthy meal planning and food preparation techniques, and promote Texas agriculture.
This event is brought to you by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and will feature local county Extension agents, including yours truly from Hopkins County, Denita Young from Rains County, and Angie Monk from Wood County. Dietitian, Kim Sellers, will also be on hand to discuss one of the main questions she receives from her clients – healthy vs. unhealthy fats. Our featured Chef is Lyndsay Caldwell, who will be demonstrating knife skills and at least three recipes. We are very excited to have her join us for this event, because she is getting married…the next day! Now that’s dedication!
All participants will receive high quality menu cards, gift bag full of kitchen goodies, and a chance to win door prizes. In addition, there will be exhibits to visit (and maybe do a little shopping!). The cost of “Cooking Through the Seasons” is $15. There are several ways to register: drop by any Extension Office in Hopkins, Rains, or Wood Counties, or go to http://hopkins.agrilife.org and click on ‘publications’. You will find the registration form on that site. You may also call our office at 903-885-3443 and we can mail or e-mail you the registration brochure. Registration is due May 9 so we can adequately prepare gift bags and plan for refreshments.
If you have questions, please contact our office at 903-885-3443, and we’ll be glad to answer them.
Twogether in Texas Marriage Education Workshop
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I can’t emphasize enough the positive effect that the Twogether in Texas Marriage Education workshop gives to those who participate. I am now taking reservations for the Saturday, May 21 workshop, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Hopkins County office of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 1200-B W. Houston, in Sulphur Springs.
The workshop is absolutely free, which also includes lunch and refreshments. Besides obtaining great information on marriage expectations, communication, conflict resolution, money management, and goals & dreams, engaged couples will receive a certificate to save $60 upon applying for a marriage license at the County Clerk’s office! The certificate is good for one year from the date I issue it to the couples, so even if they are not getting married until May 20 of next year, it is still good. However, I will be providing another workshop on Saturday, August 20, same time and place for couples who cannot participate in May.
Information can be found at the Twogether in Texas website and in the Northeast Texas Bridal Magazine. Give me a call at 903-885-3443 to sign up. As of this writing, there are four couples signed up for the May 21 event.
Closing Thought
“Go to bed on time, eat right, make friends with Godly people, laugh more, find time to be alone, and do something for the kid in you every day” – unknown
Wildcats, Lady Cats Reschedule Tuesday Games
No games were planned for Wednesday for either the Wildcats’ baseball team or the Lady Cats’ softball team. Here’s the latest.
Lady Cats Softball Coach David Carrillo plans to play the Lady Cats home game against Hallsville, originally scheduled for Tuesday evening, at Texas A&M-Commerce Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The college field has artificial turf all over. Coach Carrillo hopes to play Pine Tree on Senior Night as scheduled at Lady Cat Park Friday at 6 p.m. If the field is not playable, his plans call for playing sometime on Saturday at Lady Cat Park.
Wildcats Baseball Coach Jerrod Hammack has rescheduled the home game against Hallsville, also originally scheduled for Tuesday, to Saturday at Eagle Stadium at 2 p.m. On Friday the Wildcats’ schedule calls for them to travel to Pine Tree for a 7 p.m. game.
What to do When the Pound is Closed
Sulphur Springs Animal Shelter
The Sulphur Springs Animal Shelter operates five days out of the week, Monday through Friday. During Saturday and Sunday, however, the Shelter is closed and the officers off duty until Monday begins again. If anyone is in need of contacting the Shelter, they may call and leave a message. The Shelter records all messages and the officers play these messages when returning to feed the animals during the weekend. Any messages that are considered an emergency or any calls made while the officers are at the Shelter will be responded to by Shelter Officers.
People can also report animals to the Shelter on their Facebook page, which is checked regularly. When and if Shelter Officers are unavailable, the local Police will answer any reports made about animals and bring them to the Shelter.
The Sulphur Springs Animal Shelter can be contacted at (903) 348-1868.
*Updated* KSST Travel Deals
*Updated Info* There are still cabins left on most dates for the 9 day Mediterranean sailings. The FREE AIR and all of the other included upgrades are still in effect but only for a limited time. Additional Inside and Outside cabins have been added to some sailings starting at $1,999.00 per person (double occupancy). This is an UNBELIEVABLE price on this vacation.
The folks at KSST love to travel, and they also love to get a great deal on fun trips. No matter how long your “bucket list” may be, I bet it involves some kind of travel. Whether you are interested in a weekend trip in New York City or a week long cruise in the Mediterranean, the trip always seems to be more fun if you get a better deal on the trip. KSST has partnered with Montrose Travel to bring you an unbelievable travel deal each week for the next 12 weeks. These trips will range from weekend getaways that you can drive to the destination, to once-in-a-lifetime type trips overseas. The main thing that all of the trips will have in common, is discount pricing. We are looking to bring great deals on all kinds of travel, so if you don’t see something that you like, keep checking back.
This week’s offering is a definitely a “Bucket List” trip for a lot of people. Montrose Travel is offering through a special “KSST Travel” page, your choice of two Mediterranean Cruises that include Air Travel.
Complete 9 Day – Western Mediterranean Vacation sailing in JUNE/JULY/AUGUST
Norwegian Epic – 7 night Western Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona visiting: Naples (Pompeii), Rome, Florence/Pisa, Cannes and Provence (Marseille)
Included with this special offer:
Air from JFK, EWR, PHL, BOS, LAX, SFO, ORD, DFW, MIA or MCO
Pre-Night Hotel including buffet breakfast at Fira Congress
Transfers from airport to hotel, hotel to pier and pier to airport
Pick 2 – Unlimited Drinks, Specialty Dining, Shore Excursions, Internet
TOTAL PRICE in Balcony cabin per person = $2,899!! ($2,399 in Sept/Oct)
Use the following link to book this cruise and receive and ADDITIONAL $200 per stateroom voucher to use on board the ship. (Choose any sailing date in June/July/August)
9 Day Cruise Package (Click on desired sailing date and then click on “Get Quote” for Special Pricing)
Or
Complete 16 Day – Grand Mediterranean Vacation sailing 7/18/16
Norwegian Spirit – 14 night Grand Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona visiting: Toulon, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Naples/Pompeii, Mykonos, Athens, Corfu, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Koper, and Venice
Included with this special offer:
Air from JFK, EWR, PHL, BOS, LAX, SFO, ORD, DFW, MIA or MCO
Pre-Night Hotel including buffet breakfast at Fira Congress
Transfers from airport to hotel, hotel to pier and pier to airport
Pick 2 – Unlimited Drinks, Specialty Dining, Shore Excursions, Internet
TOTAL PRICE in Balcony cabin per person = $3,499!!
Use the following link to book this cruise and receive and ADDITIONAL $350 per stateroom voucher to use on board the ship. (Choose sailing date of July 18, 2016 for special pricing)
16 Day Cruise Package (Click on desired sailing date and then click on “Get Quote” for Special Pricing)
Both of these offers have limited availability and limited time to book. The rates shown are for Balcony Staterooms, but there may be even cheaper staterooms available without balconies. Email [email protected] with any questions or if you have difficulty booking.
You can also fill out the following form to receive a verified quote within 24 hours: Get Quote
Thunderstorms Move through Area Overnight; River Flood Warning
A line of thunderstorms moved through the Hopkins County area early Wednesday morning. KSST began broadcasting radar reports shortly after 2 a.m. as the first thunderstorm with a threat of hail moved across the northern segment of the county. Then at 3:07 a.m. a dangerous thunderstorm advisory was issued as high winds, small hail, and heavy rains marched across the county specifically in the Tira, Dike, Arbala, and Como areas. The City of Sulphur Springs saw gusty winds that blew small limbs from trees and heavy rainfall that created some light flooding. Lightning strikes were prolific during the storm.
A river flood warning was again issued for the Delta Hopkins areas on the banks of the South Sulphur River. That river flood warning extends until 8 p.m. Thursday. At 5:15 a.m. Wednesday the stage was 17.63 feet. Flood stage is 16.0 feet. The river will continue rising to a crest near 18 feet by Wednesday afternoon. The river should fall below flood stage Thursday morning. River flooding has occurred earlier in the week thanks to heavy rains upstream. As always, the National Weather Service warns that one not drive into flooded areas.
Thunderstorms, with a possibility of a few severe, are expected to continue through Wednesday morning as the weather system continues to move through the area making its way south and east.
You haven’t been on a Cruise?? Why Not??
Many folks voted in our ksstradio.com poll about whether or not they had been on a cruise. In our informal results, about the same number of people responding had said they had not been on a cruise, as those who had been on a cruise. My question is to those who haven’t been, is “What is holding you back?”. I understand some folks are worried about the movement of the ship and getting seasick, but tremendous improvements have been made in the stabilization of the cruise liners no matter what their size. Also, with advanced weather radar, most ships try to avoid the worst part of any storm that may be in their way. We have been on many cruises over the years, and really have never experienced any severe adverse conditions.
The best thing about taking a cruise vacation has got to be the convenience of unpacking your bags once and having the ship go from location to location as you enjoy the sights and get back on the ship for the included dining and rest while the ship moves overnight to another port. Certainly some people think that they do not get an in-depth experience by just spending the day in one port before moving to another, but now some ships are spending more time in port, even overnight so that the passengers can enjoy the nightlife. A lot of travelers will take a cruise to a certain region just to try out some of the ports so they can plan to return sometime in the future for a longer vacation.
Either way, you approach it, a cruise can be a very economical way to experience a new region. The first question you should ask yourself, is “where to go first?” The easiest way to go would be to “find a good deal” and give it a shot, but that could lead to mixed results. With so many cruise lines and so many ships going so many places, the choices can be overwhelming. We are always looking for unique experiences and of course the best deals on those trips, so keep checking back to see what we find. Or if you have any questions, feel free to email us: [email protected]
Plenti Card Comes to Sulphur Springs
Speed Pass Sensor
The Joe’s Exxon station, located on 1234 S Broadway ST, is now offering customers the Plenti card program. The Plenti Card allows card-holders to collect points through purchases in order to earn discounts and savings when buying gas and other products. “Depending on how many points you collect, it will show me if you want to take a certain amount off on your next purchase,” Manager Kushal Aryal said. “Whenever you swipe the Plenti Card, if you prepay your gas for $20 and there’s $20 worth of points on your card, then on your next purchase it will tell me on the register if you’d like me to take off $20 so that you don’t have to really pay any cash, you can just work with your points.” It is basically a loyalty program across several different brands. You can shop at one store and earn discounts on another brand.
The Plenti Card program is used by all AT&T, Macy’s, Exxon, Mobil, Nationwide, Rite Aid, Direct Energy, Enterprise, and Hulu establishments. The Plenti Card can also be connected to Speed Pass: a key-chain device offered by Exxon and Mobil that allows users to instantly pay for gas at the pump by waving the speed pass in front of the Speed Pass Sensor. Card Holders who link their Plenti Card to their Speed Pass can instantly pay for gas and used Plenti Card points without having to leave the pump.
There are a total of six gas stations in Sulphur Springs that use Exxon gas. The three Super Handy gas stations are now using the Plenti Card program with linked Speed Passes. These stations are located at 1700 S Broadway ST, 941 Gilmer ST, and 1401 College ST. None of the three Joe Bob’s gas stations are using the Plenti Card with linked Speed Passes. However, the Joe Bob’s station at 1302 Church ST does accept SpeedPass.
More information about the Plenti Card can be found at www.plenti.com/join.
Speed Pass users that want to link to their Plenti Card can do so at www.speedpass.com
