Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report — December 2022
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, 2022, presented to the City Council in a Memorandum as well as aloud the following monthly manager’s report:
CLAIMS
We did not have any workers comp claims in November. We did have two liability claims. One was for damage to a Frontier cable allegedly caused by city employees. The other claim seeks reimbursement for a tire and wheel after a driver struck a valve cover in the street.
SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER
Award of the construction contract for the Senior Citizens Center is on this agenda for approval.
PACIFIC PARK
XLNT Construction has ordered the steel frame for the pavilion. The lead time is 4 months. I don’t expect to see any more activity at Pacific Park until February. At that time XLNT will construct the building in about 90 days.
When the pavilion is complete, we will demolish the old basketball courts and grade the interior of the park. Then we will install irrigation and sod.
COLLEGE STREET
College Street is open down to Patton Street. We decided to construct the intersection at College and Jackson ourselves. The contractor needs to construct several driveway approaches and other miscellaneous items to complete his work in Phase 1.
Further east, the flooding problem at Ramsey Street has been resolved. We will now start Phase 2 of the project from Patton to Como. After that we will turn our attention to Holiday Drive.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
Finance Director Lesa Smith will present the year-end report of revenues and expenditures.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Texana Land and Asphalt paved Drexel Street this month and they should finish with Bonner Street tomorrow.
Bad news for the residents on Como Street. Atmos is about to replace a gas line on that street, so we have decided to delay Como Street until Atmos completes the gas line replacement project. We delayed Ardis Street last month for the same reason. We expect
to pave both streets in 2023.
Staff also pulled Fisher Street off the list. We think Fisher is a candidate for a full reconstruction project due to a water main issue. We will bring this issue to you at a future meeting.
RAW WATER SALES
In November, I executed the raw water sales agreement with the Upper Trinity Regional Water District that the city council had previously approved. I also retroactively authorized the transfer of approximately 915 million gallons of evaporative loss onto the city’s books. This represents all of the evaporative loss for Upper Trinity beginning June 1 and ending November 30. I expect a check for approximately $245,000 this month.
MISCELLANEOUS
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Responded to 164 animal control calls while achieving an 81% adoption rate.
- Made 6 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit.
- Responded to 26 accidents, wrote 479 citations, recorded 34 offenses and made 43 arrests in the Patrol Division.
- Sold 2,170 gallons of AvGas and 11,530 gallons of JetA fuel.
- Accommodated 1,503 operations (takeoffs or landings) at the airport.
- Repaired 299 potholes.
- Removed 2 fallen trees from the roadway.
- Cleaned storm drains twice.
- Replaced 2 stop signs and 3 street signs.
- Installed stop signs and yield signs for a new development.
- Installed new 4-way stop signs at College and Jackson/J.D. Franklin.
- Conducted 44 building inspections, 34 electrical inspections, 26 plumbing inspections, 7 mechanical inspections, and issued 28 building permits.
- Installed Christmas lights/décor downtown.
- Fertilized rye grass areas.
- Mowed Municipal Airport twice.
- Hosted 2 softball tournaments.
- Repaired Christmas light circuits.
- Repaired school zone lights.
- Repaired the service center car wash.
- Performed preventative maintenance on numerous items at the water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant.
- Treated wastewater to a daily average total suspended solids reading of .33 mg/L.
- Disposed of 150.36 tons of sludge at the landfill.
- Repaired 15 water main ruptures.
- Replaced 18 water meters.
- Unstopped 24 sewer mains.
- Responded to 203 calls for fire/rescue including 1 structure fire, 2 vehicle fires and 2 grass fires.
- Performed 25 fire inspections.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 72 fire hydrants.
- Checked out 2,781 items from the library and an additional 590 eBooks
Nominate A Texas Student Volunteer For The 2023 Student Heroes Award
Do you know an outstanding student volunteer who deserves recognition for their efforts helping or benefitting other students? You can nominate them for the State Board of Education‘s 2023 Student Heroes Award.
The Student Heroes Award program recognizes Texas public school students in prekindergarten through high school who voluntarily work to assist or benefit their fellow Texas students.
Student volunteers possess enormous passion and talents that are displayed in numerous ways. Actions of past recipients include organizing a project that distributed 350 care bags to the homeless and unsheltered, advocating for safe teen driving by successfully promoting an app, establishing a foundation to provide support to cancer patients and their families while receiving treatment, collecting supplies for disaster relief in hard-hit areas, and launching an organization dedicated to spreading awareness about mental health.
Up to 15 students – one per State Board of Education district – may receive the award each year. Anyone may nominate a Texas public school student for the award.
Award requirements include the following:
- The service, assistance, and/or good deed must be voluntary and not part of any curriculum, graduation requirement, class, or community project.
- The service, assistance, and/or good deed must benefit other students in Texas, either individually or collectively.
- The benefit may be to students of one campus, district, or community.
Nominations will be accepted through March 31, 2023, at 5 p.m. (CST).
Recipients of the Student Heroes awards will be announced in June. A plaque and medal will be awarded to each Student Hero by his or her State Board of Education member.
Nomination forms and program guidelines are available at https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news- and-multimedia/awards/student-heroes-award.
The online nomination form can be accessed directly at https://form.jotform.com/TXEd/student-hero- nomination-form.
For more information, please email [email protected] or call (512) 463-9007.
Hot Chocolate and Brownie Treat for the Paris Junior College Students
HOLIDAY REFRESHMENTS
Paris Junior College Student Activities Coordinator Megan Chapman, left, passes out cups of hot chocolate and brownies to students at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center campus — a treat that is enjoyed during the holiday season.
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.
Pittsburg Siblings, 1 Other Jailed Following Theft Complaint
Three Pittsburg residents, a pair of siblings and another man, were jailed on controlled substance charges following a theft complaint at Walmart, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police were dispatched at 3:23 p.m. Dec. 7, 2022, to what was reported as a theft in progress at Wal-Mart. Officer Sean Hoffman was near the area and responded. He arrived in time to see a man, who matched the description given for the theft suspect, running from the store to a white Mitsubishi Endeavor. Store personnel reported the man walked past all points of sale with two TVs he had not paid for. The man jumped into the SUV, which quickly exited the store parking lot, turning east onto Posey Lane. The officer also exited the parking lot and initiated a traffic stop.
Hoffman reported seeing “heavy movement inside of hte vehicle as it was coming to a stop.” As the officer walked toward the SUV, he ordered the theft suspect out of it. He got out of the rear passenger’s seat and was detained, Hoffman noted in arrest reports.
A records check using the driver’s ID information showed Thomas James Clower to have an outstanding parole warrant for his arrest, and was placed into handcuffs. The 58-year-old Pittsburg man’s sister was a passenger in the Endeavor. Hoffman asked her to exit the SUV as well, and she did.
While the officer was investigating, the woman threw a glass pipe of hte type commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and other narcotics; it landed in front of a vehicle, partially destroying it. The sister then was detained. After reading their rights to all three involved, the woman claimed her brother handed her two glass pipes, which she concealed in her bra. She removed a glass pipe used to smoke meth, two baggies containing meth residue, a plastic straw, and a glass container with a crystal-like substance Hoffman believed to be meth, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports.
He was granted permission by Clower to search the SUV for possible contraband. In a headphone case on the front passenger’s seat, Hoffman reported finding a large amount of crystal-like substance he believed was meth as well as numerous baggies of the kind used for illegal distribution of narcotics. When asked, all three denied any claim to the contraband, resulting in all three being taken into custody on a controlled substance charge.
The theft suspect, 27-year-old Hector Leonardo Hernandez; 58-year-old Clower; and 37-year-old Dana Lynn Lison were booked into the county jail at 6:57 p.m. Dec. 7, 2022, on a possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams with intent to distribute
While Hernandez was also charged with a heft of property valued at $100 or more but less than $750, both Clower and Lison were also booked in on one warrant each for a parole violation, according to arrest reports. All three remained in the county jail Thursday morning on the second-degree felony according to jail and sheriff’s reports.
USFDA Authorizes Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines For Children Down To 6 Months of Age
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the updated (bivalent) Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to include use in children down to 6 months of age.
“More children now have the opportunity to update their protection against COVID-19 with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and we encourage parents and caregivers of those eligible to consider doing so – especially as we head into the holidays and winter months where more time will be spent indoors,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “As this virus has changed, and immunity from previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes, the more people who keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, the more benefit there will be for individuals, families and public health by helping prevent severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.”
What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know
Children 6 months through 5 years of age who received the original (monovalent) Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine are now eligible to receive a single booster of the updated (bivalent) Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine two months after completing a primary series with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not yet begun their three-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or have not yet received the third dose of their primary series will now receive the updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as the third dose in their primary series following two doses of the original (monovalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have already completed their three-dose primary series with the original (monovalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine will not be eligible for a booster dose of an updated bivalent vaccine at this time. Children in this age group who already completed their primary series would still be expected to have protection against the most serious outcomes from the currently circulating omicron variant. The data to support giving an updated bivalent booster dose for these children are expected in January. The agency is committed to evaluating those data as quickly as possible.
The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include an mRNA component corresponding to the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component corresponding to the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.
Individuals who receive the updated (bivalent) vaccines may experience similar side effects reported by individuals who received previous doses of the original (monovalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
The fact sheets for both bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for recipients and caregivers and for healthcare providers include information about the potential side effects, as well as the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis.
“Vaccines remain the best defense against the most devastating consequences of disease caused by the currently circulating omicron variant, such as hospitalization and death. Based on available data, the updated, bivalent vaccines are expected to provide increased protection against COVID-19,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Parents and caregivers can be assured that the FDA has taken a great deal of care in our review, and we encourage parents of children of any age who are eligible for primary vaccination or a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to consider seeking vaccination now as it can potentially help protect them from COVID-19 during a time when cases are increasing.”
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent
The monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized as a two-dose primary series in individuals six months of age and older and as a third primary series dose for individuals 6 months of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise. With today’s authorization, the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is now authorized for administration in individuals 6 months through 5 years of age as a single booster dose at least 2 months after completion of primary vaccination with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is also authorized for use in individuals 6 years and older as a single booster dose at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
For the authorization of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for children 6 months through 5 years of age, the FDA relied on immune response data that it had previously evaluated from a clinical study in adults of a booster dose of Moderna’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine that contained a component corresponding to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and a component corresponding to the omicron lineage BA.1.
In addition, the FDA conducted an analysis of data from a clinical study that compared the immune response among 56 study participants 17 months through 5 years of age who received a single booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completion of a two-dose primary series of the vaccine to the immune response among approximately 300 study participants 18 through 25 years of age who had received a two-dose primary series of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in a previous study which determined the vaccine to be effective in preventing COVID-19. The immune response to the booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in the 17 months through 5 years age group was comparable to the immune response to the two-dose primary series in the adult participants.
The safety of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for children 6 months through 5 years of age is supported by safety data from a clinical study which evaluated a booster dose of Moderna’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1), safety data from clinical trials which evaluated primary and booster vaccination with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, and postmarketing safety data with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent.
In one clinical study, the safety of a single booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine was evaluated in 145 clinical study participants 6 months through 5 years of age who received a booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completion of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine two-dose primary series. The most commonly reported side effects after a booster dose of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine across this age group included pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, swelling/tenderness of the lymph nodes of the injected arm or thigh, and fever. In clinical study participants 17 months through 36 months of age, other commonly reported side effects included irritability/crying, sleepiness, and loss of appetite. In clinical trial participants 37 months through 5 years of age, other commonly reported side effects included fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, and nausea/vomiting.
The data accrued with the investigational Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) and with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine are relevant to the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent because these vaccines are manufactured using the same process.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent
With today’s authorization, children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not yet received the third dose of the three-dose primary series with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine will now receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent as the third dose of the primary series. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is also authorized for administration in individuals 5 years of age and older as a single booster dose at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
With today’s action, the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is no longer authorized for use as the third dose of the three-dose primary series in children 6 months through 4 years of age. The monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine remains authorized for administration as the first two doses of the three-dose primary series in individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, as a two-dose primary series for individuals 5 years of age and older, and as a third primary series dose for individuals 5 years of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise.
The authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for administration as the third dose of a three-dose primary series following two doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years of age is supported by the FDA’s previous analyses of the effectiveness of primary vaccination with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in individuals 16 years of age and older and individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, and previous analyses of immune response data in adults greater than 55 years of age who had received a two-dose primary series and one booster dose with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and a second booster dose with the investigational Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1).
The safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for administration as the third dose of a three-dose primary series following two doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years of age is based on safety data from a clinical study which evaluated a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) in individuals greater than 55 years of age, safety data from clinical trials which evaluated primary vaccination in individuals 6 months of age and older with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, safety data from clinical trials which evaluated booster vaccination in individuals 5 years of age and older with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and postmarketing safety data with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent.
The data accrued with the investigational Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) and with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine are relevant to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 Vaccine, Bivalent because these vaccines are manufactured using the same process.
The amendments to the EUAs were issued to Moderna TX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.
Related Information
42 SSHS Students Inducted Into Geral Kennedy Chapter Of National Technical Honor Society
The Geral Kennedy Chapter of the National Technical Honor Society inducted 42 new members during a special ceremony conducted Monday evening, Dec. 5, 2022, in Sulphur Springs High School cafeteria.
After Chapter President Kamilah Martinez welcomed everyone to the induction program, Vice President Isabelle Thesing lead the pledges to the US and Texas flags. Chapter Secretary Olivia Worth explained the history of NTHS, while Treasurer Natalie Negrete explained the purpose.
The SSHS NTHS is named in honor of Geral Kennedy, the first vocational director at SSHS during the 1966-1967 school year, and was responsible for getting the machine shop, vocational office education, marketing and distributive education, industrial cooperative training and vocational education for the handicapped. He retired in 1985 after 37 years in education, 19 with SSISD and 18 in Lamar County.
NTHS honors student achievement and leadership, promotes educational excellence, award scholarships, and enhances career opportunities members. The motto is “Excellence in America’s Workforce Begins with Excellence in Workforce Education.”
SSHS Director of College and Career Readiness/CTE Jenny Arledge explained the minimum criteria each student must meet in order to apply for membership in NTHS. The applicant must be classified as a junior or senior and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5. The candidate must also have been enrolled and/or completed a minimum of three Career & Technical Education courses, and be a current member of a Career & Technical Student Organization.
Martinez, Thesing, Worth and Negrete lit candles to symbolize the eight attributes of NTHS: knowledge, skill, honesty, service, responsibility, scholarship, citizenship and leadership.
SSHS students under consideration as candidates for NTHS regularly exhibit the characteristics which have been observed by his/her instructor(s):
- a desire to pursue a career in his/her course of study,
- scholastic achievement,
- honesty,
- dependability,
- responsibility,
- high quality task performance and pride in work performed,
- cooperation and ability to work well with others,
- interest in learning,
- initiative,
- leadership, and
- citizenship
Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher and NTHS advisor Debbie Stribling then called the name of each new member, who received a certificate of membership. Each then was asked to join Martinez in reciting the pledge of membership. New member inducted Dec. 5, 2022, include:
- Josleline Arenas
- Jayden Arledge
- Madelynn Bailey
- Peyton Ball
- Kody Barclay
- Coen Bell
- Makieya Boren
- Chloe Cameron
- Rylie Carroll
- Levi Caton
- Betzy Chacon
- Austin Chaney
- Celeste Chavarria
- Asia Chen
- Kylie Clarke
- Juan Garcia
- Maria Garning
- Lily Glenn
- Jaci Haire
- Hector Hernandez
- Payton Hooks
- Lorelai Lilley
- Ryan Mitchell
- Kathryn Monk
- Jacqueline Monroy
- Ivan Mora
- Holden Moss
- Katlyn Noe
- Emerson Penny
- Tomi Pirtle
- Annaston Price
- Emmi Price
- Osvaldo Rodriguez
- Brook Seagraves
- Catherine Starzyk
- Alexis Tanton
- Alan Tellez
- Daphne Valles
- Anna Williams
- Macey Williams
- Peyton Willis
- Jolee Wilson
Also recognized were 44 students who are 2-year members of the Geral Kennedy Chapter of National Technical Honor Society. They include:
- Jayla Abron
- Mali Maeker
- Carlos Alba
- Kamilah Martinez
- Lithzy Alvarez
- Trentin McKinney
- Jack Bain
- Mykylie Meador
- Brylee Brock
- Matthew Mitchell
- Mattie Bridges
- Natalie Negrete
- Luke Caton
- Lausen Ost
- Matthew Clarke
- Ella Ray
- Alexander Cooper
- Alfredo Renteria
- Catherine De La Rosa
- Jose Manuel Rodriguez
- Daniel Elam
- Mattye Schmidt
- Andres Flores
- Brooklynn Shackelford
- Jonah Foster
- Brooklynn Shelton
- Kinley Friddle
- Robert Lynn Smith III Smith
- Colbie Glenn
- Emily Soto
- Martha Gonzalez
- Rebekah Stanley
- Makayla Grinnan
- Isabelle Thesing
- Cole Haney
- Briley Vice
- Jadyn Harper
- Addisyn Wall
- Zoe Haywood
- Merrin Williams
- Laney Hurst
- Olivia Worth
- Jillian Jumper
- Khira Young
Afterward, NTHS members and those attending the induction cermeony were invited to stay, take photos and enjoy refreshments provided by the Culinary students, courtesy of Senior NHS members, while the room was being reconfigured for the National Honor Society meeting that followed.
Chamber Connection – Dec. 7: Nominations For 2022 Outstanding Individuals, Businesses Sought
By Butch Burney, President/CEO, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce, [email protected]
As 2022 comes to an end, it is time to get nominations in for those individuals and businesses that have been outstanding this year.
Nominations are being accepted for Citizen of the Year, Woman of the Year, Small and Large Businesses of the Year and other superlative recognitions. The awards will be announced at the Chamber’s membership banquet on Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Hopkins County Civic Center. Nominations can be sent to [email protected] or mailed to the following addresses:
- Citizen of the Year — Chamber of Commerce — 110 Main Street, SS, TX 75482.
- Woman of the Year — Beta Sigma Phi Organization — P.O. Box 72, SS, TX 75483.
- Caregiver of the Year — The Pilot Club — P.O. Box 131, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483.
- Community Pride Award — Adult Leadership Class — 110 Main Street, SS, TX 75482.
- Agriculturist of the Year — Hopkins/Rains Counties Farm Bureau — 233 College St., Sulphur Springs 75482.
- Growth and Renewal — DBA — 109 Jefferson St. E, SS, TX 75482.
- Outstanding Professional Educator (Administrator, Counselor, Diagnostician, or Teacher) — Chamber of Commerce — 110 Main Street, SS, TX 75482.
- Outstanding Para Professional Educator (Secretary or Aide) — Chamber of Commerce — 110 Main Street, SS, TX 75482.
- Outstanding Auxiliary Educator (Maintenance, Custodial, Transportation, Nurse or Cafeteria) — Chamber of Commerce —110 Main Street, SS, TX 75482.
- Businesses of the Year nominations should be for those businesses which exhibit outstanding community involvement —civic, church, educational, benevolent, humanitarian or other.
- Large Business of the Year — Chamber of Commerce — 110 Main Street, SS, TX 75482.
- Small Business of the Year — Chamber of Commerce — 110 Main Street, SS, TX 75482.
Hopkins County Ornaments
If you’re decorating your Christmas tree and you’re looking for that special ornament, come see our local one.
For the fifth year, the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce has commissioned a Christmas ornament, and this year it celebrates Heritage Park!
The shipment is expected on Wednesday and there is a limited supply (70) and the cost is $40. If you would like to purchase one, drop by our office at 110 Main St. while supplies last!
Eclipse 2024
It’s still 16 months away, but the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, will be here before we know it, and there is still a lot of planning to do.
Literally tens of thousands of people are expected to make Hopkins County their destination for the eclipse because Sulphur Springs sits directly on the centerline.
Plans have begun, but there is still a lot to do. Those who want to be a part of the process are invited to attend a planning meeting at noon on Friday, Dec. 16, at Clarion Pointe. You can RSVP [email protected] for more information.
Directories
Work has started on the 2023 Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Directory. We distribute over 7,000 of these directories to visitors, relocation hopefuls, and even hometown heroes who are interested in learning more about our local businesses. They include historical information as well all things to the see and do in Hopkins County. The best part is, they include an alphabetical and categorical listing of your business.
LeeAnn Peugh, with Echo Publishing, will be contacting you in the next few weeks to see if you are interested in placing an ad in the directory.
The rates are affordable, and one of the best ways to represent your business. You may also contact the Chamber, and I will pass your information along to her.
Christmas Activities
- Christmas in Heritage Park will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. Admission is $3; children under 7 are free. You can visit with Santa, see light displays and live nativity, roast marshmallows and enjoy free hot cocoa and old fashioned cider. You can also start your Christmas shopping in the country store!
- RPM Staffing Professionals will host its 2nd Annual Stockings for Seniors, with donations directly benefitting Rock Creek Health and Rehabilitation. Donations items include but are not limited to Chapstick, books, socks, denture cleaner, hand lotion, etc. Contact RPM at 903-439-1022 or drop off donations at 401 Church St., Suite B.
- First Baptist Church of Sulphur Springs will present Christmas at First, a celebration of the sights, sounds and the true meaning of Christmas, at 6 p.m. each day Dec. 10 and 11. Reserve your free tickets at SSFBC.org.
- Doerksen Hospice is hosting a sock drive benefitting our area oncology clinics, dialysis centers, and nursing homes. They will accepting the socks through the month of December. Drop off locations will be their office at 1304 Church St. and the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizen Center on MLK.
It’s That Time Of Year, Again … When Asian Lady Beetles Appear Indoors
Don’t Panic: They Are Not Toxic To Humans And Pets, And Can Even Help Reduce Aphid Populations
It is that time of year when Asian Lady Beetles make an appearance indoors, and usually in large numbers. While they can be a major nuisance, they shouldn’t cause panic and some simple exclusion practices can help prevent this issue in the future.
Asian Lady Beetles are not native to Texas – they were introduced from Asia to the United States in 1960s and 1990s as a USDA project to help reduce agricultural pests in several Southern and Eastern States from Louisiana to Connecticut. They are now found throughout the United States, either from natural spread or from further introductions into the United States from Japan on freighters.
Asian Lady Beetles are a true lady beetle, better known as a ladybug. They are wonderful biological control agents of pests such as aphids in nature and during warmer months, help control those pests in our landscape. During colder, winter months, they have a trait that makes them different from other ladybugs – their propensity to find harborage in protected spaces, which often is our warm home. One way to tell the difference between Asian Lady Beetles and other species is that these guys have a marking behind their head that looks like an M.
Asian Lady Beetles tend to be attracted to light or lit surfaces and will congregate in mass numbers on sunny, Southwest sides of buildings. Especially those structures that are lighter in coloration, but really any surface will do as long as it is warmed by the afternoon sun. They will soon find cracks and crevices to squeeze through and often times get into eaves of homes, attics, or directly indoors.
When we have these up and down temperatures in winter, typical of Texas, they will become active on the warmer days and are noticeable inside the home, clustering and flying around windows, door frames or lights.
The good news is that Asian Lady Beetles are not harmful to humans or pets. Even when consumed, they are not known to be toxic, although I imagine if a dog ate too many, it would get an upset stomach. But what they will do is leave a yellow stain on walls and surfaces, emit an musty odor, and just be a plain nuisance. You may love ladybugs outside in your garden, but who wants them indoors?
How do you get rid of them? Prevention is key, but it’s often times thought of too late. Seal up around cracks and crevices along windows and eaves, use screens on vents and large holes, replace weather stripping that is worn around door frames. For those already inside, vacuum them up! Throw them back outside and let them do their thing in nature.
Pesticide treatments are not always effective. It’s best not to focus on the indoors, but outside where they are entering. Where they are applied is key – put the pesticide where the ladybugs are entering . . . but if you know where that is, seal it up! The entry points are usually vents, eaves, soffits, windows and doors. Apply synthetic pyrethroids, such as bifenthrin, lambda cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, or cyfluthrin. But if the ladybugs are already indoors, it’s too late to spray. In that case, pull out the vacuum.
OR – consider your house lucky! Ladybugs are considered a sign of luck after all!
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-8853443 or email me at [email protected].
City Approves 35 MPH Speed Limit For The Section Of Mockingbird Lane South Of I-30
In the future, you’ should be able to legally drive a little bit faster along Mockingbird Lane, south of Interstate 30. Sulphur Springs City Council on Dec. 6, 2022, approved Ordinance No. 2819, which sets a prima facie speed limit of 35 miles per hour along Mockingbird Lane.
The change followed a request by a City Councilman to look into the speed limit on Mockingbird Lane from East Shannon Road to Posey Lane, as traffic through the area sometimes backs up, creating traffic congestion. A speeding profile was developed by placing a machine that gauges speed of motorists as each vehicle passed it on Mockingbird Lane. Information was also pulled from police records regarding traffic crashes at that location.
Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson presented the data collected during the speed survey of Mockingbird Lane to the City Council during their regular meeting on Nov. 1, 2022.
Using Texas Department of Transportation guides, the study showed the average vehicle was traveling at 33 to 34 mile per hour on that section of Mockingbird Lane (from East Shannon Road to Posey Lane. Of the more than 61,000 vehicles that passed the speed detecting trailer, 85% were rolling at speeds just over the current 30 mph speed limit for Mockingbird Lane, but under 35 mph. Based on the occupation along that stretch of roadway — which is heavily populated, and has a primary school, restaurants and a shopping center — city officials said even without a posted limit, the average person would reasonably slow down to that speed to accommodate the traffic and pedestrians in the area.
The school zone would not be impacted by the proposed ordinance change, as the school speed limit would still be enforced just as it currently is during peak school hours. Councilman Gary Spraggins on Nov. 1 proposed approving Ordinance No. 2819 amending Chapter 25 of the traffic ordinances by adding to section 25-35 a prima facie speed limit of 35 mph on Mockingbird Lane from the south service road to SH 11 east. Councilman Harold Nash seconded the motion, which was approved on first reading at hte Nov. 1 meeting.
The addition states:
Beginning at the north end of Mockingbird Lane at the intersection of East Shannon (Frontage Road) to the south end of Mockingbird Lane at the intersection of Posey Lane (Highway 11), a speed limit of 35 miles per hour; except that a school speed limit of 20 miles per hour will be effective on school days only at the school crossing zone that is approximately 0.08 to 0.22 miles south on Mockingbird Lane from East Shannon.
On Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, Place 5 Councilman Spraggins again made a motion, which Place 2 Councilman Nash seconded, to approve on second and final reading Ordinance No. 2819, changing the prima facie speed limit on Mockingbird Lane from 30 to 35.
A Year in Review – Master Wellness Volunteers
By Johanna Hicks, Texas AgriLife FCH Extension Agent, Hopkins County, [email protected]
This is the fourth in a series of program impacts conducted by the Family & Community Health Extension agent.
Relevance
Volunteers are the backbone of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Hopkins County has a strong group of 14 Master Wellness Volunteers who have received 40 hours of training in the areas of health and wellness, nutrition, working with diverse audiences, identifying reliable internet sources, food safety, and other topics. Numerous programs and educational opportunities are available through AgriLife Extension. However, there is a limit to the amount of programming the Extension Family and Community Health agent can implement. The Master Wellness Volunteers serve as advocates and substantially increase the scope and impact of the Family and Community Health program.
Response
Three new volunteers joined the elite rank of Master Wellness Volunteers in 2022. Eight issues of “Volunteer Connection” newsletter were delivered to volunteers recognizing their involvement, announcing upcoming volunteer opportunities, and providing a professional development segment. Partnerships and collaborators with the Master Wellness Volunteers included Texas A&M AgriLife specialist Andy Crocker, Retired Teachers’ Association, Senior Citizen’s Center, and Cumby and Sulphur Springs ISD’s. Volunteers are expected to earn 10 hours of professions development which includes assignments for research, reading reputable articles, and visiting reputable websites.
Results
In 2022, Hopkins County Master Wellness Volunteers contributed 1,413.5 hours (as of December 5, with more hours to be added during December). Their efforts reached 7,365 individuals. They served as presenters in the following events:
- Summer Youth Day Camp sessions
- Head Start Walk & Talk nutrition session
- Annual Christmas Joys Holiday program
- Leadership Advisory Board meeting report on the State of Health for Hopkins County
- Retired Teachers program
- Walk Across Texas (served as team captain)
- Walk Through Texas History (served as team captain)
Planning meetings and/or programs in which Master Wellness Volunteers attended or assisted were: Hopkins County Fall Festival Creative Arts Contest; Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes series; Cooking Well with Diabetes series; Ag-in-the-Classroom; 4-H Foods Project meetings; 4-H Sewing workshops; food collections; Meal-A-Day and Meals on Wheels; Heritage Park events; marketing events; and Dress a Girl Around the World. Volunteers also assisted in handling the front Extension office when short-staffed.
Summary
Hopkins County Master Wellness Volunteers have formed a strong friendship bond that expands beyond their volunteer efforts. They are the backbone to effective Extension programming, extending outreach to clientele.
Closing Thought
Faith is the place between where I am and the place God is taking me. – Author Unknown
Contact Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent at the Hopkins County Extension Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected]
