Blue Bell Begins Layoffs
Massive layoffs begin for Blue Bell Creameries based in Brenham, Texas. The Texas-favorite ice cream brand announced today on their website that they will initially layoff 1,450 temporary and full-time employees in the wake of the ongoing Listeria outbreak that the company has battled the past few months. The announcement today was a shock to many employees and certainly a difficult decision for the owner’s and management of the company. The following is the quote from the announcement on their website.
“Due to the extended timeline required to ensure the highest quality and safety of Blue Bell’s products when the company resumes production, and because supply and distribution will be limited for some time to come, Blue Bell Creameries CEO and President Paul Kruse today announced “the agonizing decision” that the company will have to reduce the size of its work force and take other cost-cutting measures, including furloughs and salary reductions.”
The company also plans to furlough an additional 1,400 employees. In all, over 70% of Blue Bell’s employees are affected.
You can read the entire statement on Blue Bell’s website
Eagle Scout Donates Benches to Hopkins County Memorial Hospital & Clinic
Yesterday, May 14, 2015, Eagle Scout member Drew Sant donated multiple handmade benches to the Memorial Garden at the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital & Clinic. Sant chose to craft the benches as part of his Eagle Scout requirements.
Career Day at Douglas Intermediate
Among the Career Day presentations Friday at Douglas Intermediate School were bone setting by students supervised by Hopkins County Memorial Hospital Orthopedist Dr. Richard Graves, a look at some really big snakes brought by Veterinarian Dr. Leah Larson, what handcuffs feel like presented by Sulphur Springs Police Officer Derrick Williams, plus fencing and Mary Kay cosmetics to name but a few. Pam Ash at Douglas put the day together.
Parents were invited to present their careers and to talk about the different jobs in the community. With 25 careers to chose from, each student was allowed to chose and attend five career presentations according to Ash. Career Day activities are presented at all lower grade schools in SSISD.
Auditorium Renovation Plans Revealed Thursday
Don Roundtree is a consultant to the Sulphur Springs ISD on the Auditorium Renovation Project. Thursday evening Roundtree made a presentation on renovation plans. Lots of the work involving making the facility ADA compliant satisfying the needs of the handicapped. There will also be a sprinkler system. Seating will be reduced from 1500 to 1250 due to ADA issues. Curtains and all the seats will be replaced. Expect state of the art lighting and audio visual equipment. Water leaking into the facility hopefuly will be solved.
Roundtree said bids on the building will be submitted Tuesday, May 19. Following a couple of weeks of evaluating the various purposals including sealed purposals, selections will be made based on the best value of bids given. Recommendations will then be taken to the school board at their next meeting. The school board will approve the bids for the project. On June 22, access to the building will be available. Asbetos tiles will be removed first. The next step is for the county to remove the current seats, which will be replaced by new seats. Anticipated completion date for the renovation is in January. Roundtree would not commit to a specific completion date.
Entrances will be changed. Firewalls will be installed as will air-lock vestibules that will assist with sound.
Over 3.1 Million Dollars in Scholarships Presented SSHS Students
Over 3.1 million dollars in scholarships were earned by Sulphur Springs High School students this school year. The scholarships and other honors were present to students Thursday night during the annual Sulphur Springs High School Honors and Awards Program in the Civic Center Auditorium Thursday night.
Williams noted that the scholarships were presented by some of the finest technical schools in the country as well as Ivy League schools and the military academy. He said he would put up the students at Sulphur Springs against students from any school in the nation.
At the end of the program, High School Principal Josh Williams closed the evening with these remarks many of them aimed at underclassmen. Williams reminded the students that they live in a nation that is still one nation under God and the land of opportunity if they “are willing to roll up their shirt sleeves” and go to work. He said that if students are willing to work, “it’s there for you”. He stated that earning rewards was what has made this country great. “If you haven’t been working as hard as you ought to it’s not to late,” Williams stated to those present.
Ariel Gonzalez received both a $212,220 Academic Scholar Award to Brown University and a $56,535 academic achievement scholarship to Dartmouth. Payton Howard received an appointment to West Point Military Academy as well as scholarships from SMU. Athletic scholarships were presented to three Lady Cats and seven Wildcats totaling $290,714. A number of other colleges and universities also presented scholarships.
Colleges and universities were not the only ones awarding financial scholarships. Among those awarding scholarships, Hopkins County Memorial Hospital, Sulphur Spring Rotary Club, Lions Club, Farmers Electric Coop, Grocery Supply, City National Bank, Hopkins County Professional Land Tittle Company, and others.
Early Morning Arrest
Sulphur Springs Police arrested Joseph Rashad Washington, 22, on a Hopkins County warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Washington was arrested shorly after 1:30 a.m. Friday morning at a convenience store by SSPD officer Tyler Francis. Washington was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before Justice of the Peace B. J. Teer who set Washington’s bond at $20,000.
Flags Lowered on National Peace Officers Memorial Day
Friday morning, May 15, Marine Corps League Detachment 1357 lowered the flags at Celebration Plaza and the Hopkins County Courthouse in honor of those peace officers who have died in the line of duty. The ceremony was attended by Hopkins County Sheriff’s officers as well as Sulphur Springs Police officers.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which the 15th falls as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.
At noon today, the Marine Corp Detachment will repost the colors with the playing of Taps.
Tira News 5/15/2015 by Jan Vaughn
Shirley Glossup would like to remind everyone that the North Hopkins Memorial Day Service will be held on Sunday, May 24th, at 11:00 a.m. in the Cemetery Chapel.
Chip Vaughn clearing a tree that fell over the mailboxes during a storm in Tira last Thursday night (May 7th)
Joyce Dodd reports that Michael was home on Saturday to celebrate Mother’s Day early, and to attend the wedding for Dakota and Ashley Weir. She comments that the wedding was beautiful. On Sunday, they had lunch at their house to celebrate Mother’s Day with the rest of the family.
Yvonne Weir, Brenda Allen, Regina Taylor, and I met for a delicious lunch at Coffee Off the Square on Wednesday, in honor of Yvonne’s birthday – a few days late.
Our son, Delayne, came for a visit over Mother’s Day Weekend. Our daughter, Tiffany, and grandchildren, Morgan, Kenden, and Jaidyn joined us for lunch on Sunday.
Delayne visited with his grandmother, Grace Vaughn, in Sulphur Springs, before returning home on Sunday evening. He took a different route than usual in an effort to avoid the storms, which brought so much flooding to Corsicana. Thankfully, he made it without incident.
Landon, Laiken, Rylan, and Brailon Joslin celebrated Mother’s Day with Laiken’s mother and family on Sunday evening.
I’m sure there were other activities in the community. I hope to have more to report next week. I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-945-2190 or 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Winnsboro Police Department Acquires Narcotics Canine
Winnsboro Police Department will secure a narcotics trained and certified canine thanks to the cutback at the Winfield Police Department. The canine and a patrol car cage were approved by the Winnsboro City Council this week according to Chris Hill with the WPD.
Corporal Tim Joiner, an 8 year veteran at WPD will become the handler following a three week training program. The canine, which the department will take responsibility for next week, should be in limited service sometime in early summer. It is the department’s hope to have the corporal and canine working well together by September.
The last canine in the WPD had been given away during a previous administration. Hill stated the canine will be a good addition to the department.
HCMH Continues to Refine Customer Service
Sherry Moore and Anitha Sanderson
It’s Hospital Week on KSST Morning Show and Anitha Sanderson, Director of Medical-Surgical Pediatric Floors at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital and Sherry Moore, Marketing Director at Memorial, were guests. Sanderson supervises approximately 70 nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants. She has worked at HCMH over 8 years. Moore says the local hospital continues to promote and refine customer services to make a patient’s stay more positive in all areas.
Moore said patients are being asked how the hospital can better serve the needs of patients not only while in the hospital but also after they are dismissed to their home. She said there are a number of positive stories that have been heard during the past four years of the continuing survey. They also seek to resolve problems when those are presented.
The hospital has begun a color code in uniforms worn by hospital staff. Patients will now know the staff person’s role as the staff member enters the room. This will distinguish nurses, CNAs, lab personnel, and others. Bedside shift reporting has also been instituted. The nurse going off shift presents her report on the patient to the incoming shift personnel in the presence of the patient. This also gives the opportunity for the patient to be introduced to the incoming shift nurse.
