Dinner Bell Menu For September 13, 2023
The Cross Country Cowboy Church is making its 3rd appearance as a Community Partner for Dinner Bell this year. We are deeply appreciative of its dedication to this feeding ministry.
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
Hamburger Steak with Brown Onion Gravy
Rice Pilaf
Bacon Infused Green Beans
Garden Salad
Buttered French Bread Slices
Crumb Cake
BE CAREFUL AS THE PANDEMIC AND FLU ARE STILL IN OUR MIDST! WEAR MASKS WHERE REQUIRED! WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! GET INOCULATED AND BOOSTED!
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
Texas Faces Increased Fire Danger
Unprecedented heat, drought pushing Southern US fire danger to extremes
September 8, 2023 – COLLEGE STATION, Texas The Southern United States has faced a challenging summer with unrelenting daily temperatures of more than 100 degrees, abnormally low relative humidity, critically dry vegetative fuels ready to burn, wildfires exhibiting extreme fire behavior, and to top it off — a hurricane.
Hot summers and wildfires are not new to the South. Nor is interagency cooperation in responding to and suppressing wildfires. But this summer has been far from normal, and in the case of Louisiana wildfires this August — unprecedented.
“For more than 40 days, we’ve experienced temperatures over 100 degrees with low relative humidity, sometimes dipping into the teens,” said Wade Dubea, Louisiana State Forester. “For Louisiana, which typically has a wetter, humid climate, this is record-breaking.”
Lisa Lewis, Forest Supervisor of the USDA Forest Service Kisatchie National Forest grew up in Louisiana and said she has never experienced weather “so hot, so dry, for so long.” With such prolonged weather conditions, she recognizes no one agency can sustain such a wildfire response tempo and is appreciative of the cooperation among the USDA Forest Service, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and partners, having provided large air tankers, other aircraft and hundreds of support personnel.
According to the National Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR) — a synopsis of wildland fire and all-hazard activity across the country — the Southern Area remains the number one priority geographic area for wildfires nationally. Underscoring an already noteworthy North American summer fire season, this year is the first time on record that the Southern Area has been the top national priority area for wildfire response during this time of year when historically the West has experienced the most critical fire activity.
In fact, the only other time the Southern Area was the top priority region on the IMSR during the month of August was in 2005 for Hurricane Katrina.
This summer, the areas where many of the wildfires are occurring in Louisiana are the same areas where Hurricanes Delta and Laura left behind an abundance of downed trees and debris in 2020. This has created a tinderbox for fire conditions as the severity of the fire environment is influenced by the amount of available vegetative fuels, and how susceptible those fuels are to burn. This concern extends across the Southeast, where devastating hurricanes have, and continue to leave behind, conditions conducive to wildfire.
“The fire environment is extreme. We only saw similar conditions back in 2000, but this year, we’re having wildfires grow to over 10,000 acres, that run quickly and produce major crown fires in the tops of pines,” said Dubea. “That is totally unusual for us.”
The impacts that these high-intensity wildfires are having on the landscape is also extreme.
“Here in Texas, going out after a fire and seeing the devastation, it literally looks like a nuke was dropped,” said Mandy Chumley, USDA Forest Service National Forests and Grasslands in Texas Public Affairs Specialist. “The level of intensity of the fires and the effects on the landscape are what is unprecedented for me.”
In Texas, 4,279 wildfires have burned 165,837 acres since Jan. 1, 2023. Texas A&M Forest Service personnel responded to 942 of these wildfires for 112,091 acres.
For perspective, on average during the month of August, Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters typically respond to 151 wildfires. This year, agency firefighters responded to 519 wildfires during the month. Likewise, Louisiana experienced an average of 34 wildfires for 295 acres in August during 2019-2022, while in 2023, there have been 555 wildfires for approximately 53,464 acres.
The response to these wildfires has also been monumental. On Aug. 24, Al Davis, Texas A&M Forest Service Director and Chair of the South Central Forest Fire Compact activated an interagency agreement that allows for enhanced personnel and equipment resource movement among states.
“We are supporting the Texas A&M Forest Service and local fire resources to improve conditions in Texas,” said Shardul Raval, Fire and Aviation Management director for the Forest Service’s Southern Region. “The interagency response has been robust.”
In Texas, there are 322 personnel and 131 pieces of equipment from land management agencies from 36 states, and 52 aircraft staged and assisting in wildfire response. Also responding are more than 690 firefighters from Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, to include those sent to assist with Louisiana wildfire response.
“The current drought in Texas and Louisiana is unprecedented. Thankfully, fires on the National Forest and Grasslands in Texas have remained relatively small as a result of our prescribed fire program,” said USDA Forest Service National Forests and Grasslands in Texas Forest Supervisor Kimpton Cooper. “This has allowed the NFGT to support our state and federal partners with ground resources, heavy equipment and aircraft to protect the communities we serve. The collaborative effort between states, communities and federal agencies working together across boundaries is extraordinary. The NFGT is proud to work with outstanding partners and great organizations in these historic times.”
When asked if his state has all the firefighting resources it needs, Dubea said, “We are grateful for the support Louisiana has received from so many corners of this country. The one thing we really need right now is some rain.”
Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Analysts say there is a seasonal weather change forecast to potentially occur in early October. This change could cool temperatures down and possibly produce some much- needed rainfall.
For more information on wildfire activity visit https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/incident-information/national-incident-map.
Student Loan Payments Set to Resume
September 8, 2023 – A three-year pause on student loan payments and interest accrual initiated at the start of the pandemic is coming to an end Oct. 1, leaving nearly 4 million Texans scrambling to figure out how to factor the debt payments back into their budgets.
Former president Donald Trump first suspended payments in March 2020 to provide pandemic relief through the CARES Act, and that suspension was then extended through the end of the year and carried on by President Joe Biden.
But the final extension expired Sept. 1, with student loan interest once again accruing at regular rates after sitting at 0% for three years. Student loan payments will be due in October at varying dates, and borrowers will get a bill at least 21 days before their first payment is due.
Here’s what borrowers need to know as those deadlines approach.
Accruing Interest
How much you pay in interest depends on what type of loan you have and when your loan was issued, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The interest rate on student loan payments is 5.5% for subsidized and unsubsidized loans first issued after July 1, the highest it’s been since the 2008 recession. In comparison, the interest rate was 4.53% for loans issued to undergraduate borrowers from July 2019 to June 2020.
Making payments
The government offers a variety of plans for repaying your student loans, including income-driven repayment plans if your debt is relatively high compared to your income.
The Saving on a Valuable Education or SAVE plan is the newest option offered to borrowers, previously known as the Revised Pay As You Earn or REPAYE plan. It promises savings on student loan payments for lower-income borrowers compared to other plans, and unpaid interest doesn’t accrue if a borrower makes a full monthly payment.
How to Avoid Problems
Most of the consequences for failing to pay back student loans on time remain the same: Your loan becomes delinquent the first day after a missed due date on a payment.
You can avoid delinquency by getting short-term relief in the form of forbearance, which temporarily suspends your payments. But enough time in delinquency runs the risk of damaging your credit score, and you could eventually default and be forced to pay all your unpaid debt immediately.
A new temporary “on-ramp” for repayment allows borrowers who miss payments from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024 to avoid being considered delinquent or placed in default.
The Federal Student Aid Website has more information for student loan borrowers including the new SAVE repayment plan.
Paris Junior College Isn’t All Work and No Play
September 7, 2023 – Students at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center were treated to a hamburger day at the campus Wednesday. The free burgers brought smiles to their faces.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Making a Historic Investment to Provide Statewide Connectivity
September 7, 2023 – Texas has a lot to offer which includes over 80,000 highway lane miles. We also have worldclass rail and air facilities for freight and passengers. Nearly 2,000 people move here every day. That’s one of the reasons why the Texas Transportation Commission made history this month by approving a record $142 billion total investment for Texas’ transportation infrastructure, including the $100 billion 10-year Unified Transportation Program (UTP).
TxDOT works to provide the needed infrastructure to help move people and products across the state. The historic 2024 UTP reflects an unprecedented level of projected funding and estimates $34.2 billion in development costs and $7.5 billion in routine maintenance contracts.
This 10-year plan provides for the development of a network of rural highways to improve mobility, connect major activity centers, provide access to ports of entry into Texas, and address safety by building four-lane divided roads.
Since our mission at TxDOT is “Connecting You With Texas,” we’re working hard to make sure every region of the state stays connected. Since fiscal year 2015, we’ve completed more than 258 rural connectivity projects. We have another 120 projects — $7 billion worth — under construction.
We’re planning to invest a historic level of $19.2 billion in our rural areas over the next 10 years through the 2024 UTP. It demonstrates TxDOT’s commitment to building and maintaining a safe and efficient transportation system, not only in our most populous areas, but also in those rural areas that are so vital to our state’s economic success.
Alvin New, Commissioner, Texas Transportation Commission
New Nurse Honor Guard Commemorates Deceased Fellow Nurses in East Texas
September 7, 2023 – (East Texas) – At a recent memorial service, a group of nurses dressed in a traditional nurse’s uniform – white scrubs, white shoes, white cap, and blue cape – approached the casket.
A burning candle led them down the aisle where they delivered a card to the family, extinguished the candle, read a tribute and placed a rose on the casket. The ringing of a triangle followed the saying of the deceased name three times.
They are nurses from the CHRISTUS Northeast Texas Nurse Honor Guard, paying their respects to their fellow nurse in a short but powerful tribute.
“We liken the service to that of a military tribute, where we officially release the nurse from their nursing duties,” said Anitha Sanderson, chief nursing officer at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.
Sanderson is one of the founding members of the new Northeast Texas Nurse Honor Guard, created in February. Their mission: To honor nursing colleagues who have died and to provide comfort to their families by reading the Nightingale tribute at their services.
The Nightingale tribute is named for Florence Nightingale, widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing, and includes the reading of a poem titled, ‘She Was There.’
“I got the idea from a sister hospital CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth in Beaumont and I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part and extend the opportunity here in Northeast Texas,” Sanderson said.
The Nurse Honor Guard is not limited to CHRISTUS Associates. Any active or retired registered nurse (RN) or licensed vocational nurse (LVN) in the state of Texas is eligible to join.
Currently, there are 168 members in the Northeast Texas Nurse Honor Guard, with more than 30 nurses committed to participate in memorial services in the following counties: Hopkins, Delta, Wood, Rains, Franklin, Lamar, Cass, Fannin, Camp, Titus and Upshur.
The Nurse Honor Guard can be requested by the funeral home and/or families.
“Nursing is a calling, and we want to do what we can to recognize those who answered the call,” Sanderson said. “It means the world to us to be able to express to the families that, by being a nurse, their loved one made a difference.”
For those interested in the Northeast Texas Nurse Honor Guard, call 903.439.4049 or email [email protected]
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Sarah Mills, Anitha Sanderson, Alyssa Flatt, Tanna Holland, Cassidy Cameron, and Kari Froneberger
Paris Junior College Continues to Shape the Minds of The Future
CDL TRAINING
September 5, 2023 – Truck driving instructor Todd Vanderhart, in back, visits with a class of future truckers at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center. They will receive CDL certification upon completion of the course.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report 08-28-2023 – 09-03-2023
Arrests:
Marks, Cory, 35 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on 8-31-2023 on 3 Winnsboro Municipal Court warrants for Impersonate Public Service, Terroristic Threat, and Harassment.
Petrick, Seth, 30 years of age, of Gilmer, was arrested on 8-31-2023 on a Parole Board Violation.
Fulmer, Elizabeth, 43 years of age, of Daingerfield, was arrested on 9-01-2023
for Possession of Marijuana >2oz.<=4oz.
Alsobrook, Dyann, 24 years of age, of Saltillo, was arrested on 9-01-2023 for Possession of Marijuana >2oz.<=4oz.
Alsobrook, Joseph, 22 years of age, of Natchitoches, LA was arrested on 9-01-2023 for Possession of Marijuana >2oz.<=4oz.
Calls for Service:
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 143 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations:
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 47 citations and 58 warnings during this reporting period.
Paxton Trial Begins
September 5, 2023 – The impeachment trial for embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton begins on Tuesday. Support for or against the impeachment has mostly followed party lines, although the Republican was impeached in May of this year by the Republican led Texas House of Representatives.
The trial is expected to hinge on his relationship with a real estate investor and political donor Nate Paul.
The Austin real estate developer is perhaps the most central figure to the allegations pending before Paxton in the articles of impeachment. All but four charges are tied to his relationship with Paul in some form.
Allegedly Nate Paul bribed Paxton by funding a remodel of Paxton’s home as well as giving a job to Paxton’s mistress.
Dinner Bell Menu For September 6, 2023
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 a.m. on Wednesday.
MENU
Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas
Mexican Corn Salad
Tortillas
Crumb Cake
