Chamber Connection – Oct. 12: Stew Festival, Youth Expo, Help-A-Child Benefit Coming Up
Stew Tickets Available Now At Local Banks; Stew Merchandise, Quart Tickets On Sale At Chamber Office
By Butch Burney, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO
Now is the time to get your tickets before the 53rd Annual Hopkins County Stew Festival, sponsored by Alliance Bank, on Saturday, Oct. 22.
This year, tickets are $8 each or four tickets for $28, if you buy them before Saturday. On Saturday, there will not be a four-ticket discount. You can purchase tickets at Alliance Bank locations, City National Bank locations, Texas Heritage National Bank and Pilgrim Bank, or at the Chamber office, 110 Main St. You can also purchase them online at HopkinsChamber.org.
Quart tickets are $15 this year. They can only be purchased at the Chamber office or the day of the stew, which is Saturday, Oct. 22.
If you want to wear your new T-shirt or carry your stew mug or tumbler with you to the stew festival, now is the time to gear up. You can get stew merchandise at the Chamber office now!
Be sure to come out to Buford Park on Friday, Oct. 21, for the free concert by Dubb and the Love Machines, which will start immediately after the Wildcats’ home game against Paris.
We will also have a Kids Zone with bounce houses and Gellyball.
We have doubled the number of port-a-potties, added a fourth drink station and will have about 30 vendors in our market.
It will be a great day for the entire family!
Volunteer Opportunity
If a person or group would like to volunteer to work in one of the service tents at the Stew Festival, please contact me at [email protected] or by calling 903-885-6515. Volunteers can help from 9 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m.
Help A Child Benefit
The 15th Annual Help-A-Child Benefit, which raises money for children’s charities, is Saturday, oct. 15 at the Hopkins County Civic Center. Benefitting from the proceeds will be Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center, local foster families, and local Masonic lodges scholarship funds.
Events include the IRA Black FFA shop project show and auction, a cookoff for chili, brisket and pinto beans, a cattle show, and an ag team competition build-off. There will also be carriage rides and photos.
One of the main fundraisers is the drawing for a Polaris 500 and custom-built trailer. Contact Clay Bartley at 903-438-3930 for tickets.
Free Mammography Clinic
Due to demand, additional appointments were added to the Free Mammography Clinic hosted by the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation in partnership with CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs. A few openings are still available. If you are an uninsured woman over 40 years of age that lives in Hopkins County, you are eligible for a free mammogram through this program.
The staff of the Ruth & Jack Gillis Women’s Center, a part of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, will be welcoming women to the clinic on two Saturdays, October 15 and 29.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is a good time to schedule an annual mammogram. If you are eligible for a free mammogram, call 903-438-4325 to schedule an appointment.
LEAP Youth Expo
Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas is sponsoring a LEAP (Learning Endorsements and Professions) Youth Expo at the Hopkins County Civic Center from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 28.
The expo is sponsored by Pilgrim’s Bank, RPM Staffing Professionals and the Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County EDC.
Halloween Costume Contest
Goodwill Industries is having a DIY Show Us Your Halloween Costume Contest from Oct. 25 to Oct. 31, for a chance to win a $50 gift card to any of the Northeast Texas Goodwill stores. Use items from Goodwill to make the costume, then upload a photo to their Facebook page.
University Day at TAMU-Commerce
Texas A&M University-Commerce is partnering with Sulphur Springs for the CommUniverCity Day on Saturday, Nov. 5, when the Lions football team hosts Northwestern State.
The Lions will highlight and honor local educators, youth programs and residents. There will be on-field photos, hospitality areas, team interaction and a family fun zone.
For more information, contact Chris Tobiaz at 903-468-8756 or [email protected].
Epilepsy Awareness
There will be an epilepsy awareness fundraiser set for Saturday, Nov. 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church’s The Roc. The fundraiser will include a car show, vendors and a spaghetti lunch.
All proceeds go to the Epilepsy Foundation of Texas.
Hopkins County 4-H Gives Back
By Johanna Hicks, Hopkins County AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent, [email protected]
National 4-H Week recognition has come to a close, but Hopkins County 4-H’ers are still going strong! Our County Extension staff feel strongly that we need to teach our youth to give back to the community, and that’s exactly what they are doing!
Throughout the month of October, contributions will be accepted at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Hopkins County office, 1200, West Houston, in Sulphur Springs. Items being sought include: body wash or bar soap, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, leggings, jogger pants, spandex shorts (long enough to wear under ripped jeans), undies and socks for middle-school aged students. These items will be delivered in November by our 4-H County Council. Encourage your neighbors, church groups, friends, and family to contribute to this cause!
Project Show
Another event that took place during National 4-H Week was the Hopkins County 4-H Project Show. If you missed seeing their entries, each 4-H member will also be entering the same items in the Hopkins County Fall Festival Creative Arts Contest, so be sure to drop by the Sulphur Springs High School Conference Center to see those items.
Participants in the 2022 4-H project show were:
- Clover Kids
- Eretria Giles – Art
- Rosia Childs – General sewing (pillowcase)
- Junior
- Kallie Mabe –Art, Photography, Craft (mobile), Craft (flower arrangement), and Holiday
- Intermediate
- Kaede Wolf – Decorated Accessory, Art, Craft (Trash-to-Treasure)
- Serenity Giles – woodworking
- Senior
- Rylie Carroll – Food Preservation (jalapeno jelly), Food Preservation (salsa), Horticulture
- Lena Reyes – General Sewing, photography, Crafts (Trash-to-Treasure), Art
- Diego Childs – General sewing (pillow case), General Sewing (bag holder)
Best of Show recipients included:
- Clover Kid – Eretria Giles (Art);
- Junior – Kallie Mabe (Craft – mobile);
- Intermediate – Kaede Wolf (Art);
- Senior – Rylie Carrol (Food preservation – salsa)
Congratulations to each of these 4-H members!
Paper Clover Campaign
Also now taking place is the 2022 Fall Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply. Two times per year, 4-H groups nationwide partner with Tractor Supply, Inc. to promote 4-H programs. The campaign is held to encourage customers to donate $1 or more upon check-out. A large proportion of the funds raised go toward the 4-H Clubs in the county where Tractor Supply stores are located. Last fall, over $400 was raised at the Sulphur Springs Tractor Supply. The campaign ends on October 16, 2022.
Closing Thought
An umbrella can’t stop the rain, but it allows us to stand in the rain. Faith in God may not remove our trials, but it gives us God’s strength to overcome them.
Contact Johanna Hicks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent at the Hopkins County Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected].
Commissioners Court Approves HCSO Vehicle Financing Agreement, Road Materials Bids
Hopkins County Commissioners Court approved financing agreements for four new vehicles for HCSO and road materials bids during the regular court session this week.
Sheriff’s Office Vehicles
The Commissioners Court approved a financing agreement for four Tahoes for HCSO through American National Leasing at a rate of 3.45% for three of the vehicles and 4.25% for the fourth vehicle.
“These are Tahoes that have already been approved through the leasing program. I just like to put hte actual lease on the agenda and approve it,” Hopkins County Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook noted, then cited the interest rates. “The interest just keeps going up as we are doing these leases. We do have to approve that we entered into a lease with American National Leasing.”
In a budget year 2020, the county was able to finance Tahoes through ANL at a 2.85% interest rate, to be paid back over 3 years
Hopkins County Judge
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom asked if the rates were variable or fixed. Aulsbrook affirmed the rates quoted are fixed interest rates.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price made a motion, which Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley seconded, to approve the financing agreement with American National Leasing at an interest rate of 3.45% for three vehicles and 4.25% for the fourth vehicle. The court gave unanimous approval.
One item was inadvertently left off the agenda, Aulsbrook noted. The county also sought bids for 2022 and 2023 vehicles for HCSO as well. Aulsbrook noted that Jay Hodge submitted two bids, one for the 2023 model that could be delivered Nov. 15 at a rate of $51,493.50 and another for the 2022 model at a rate of $47,685.86 that’d be ready on Oct. 29. County officials anticipate receiving about $20,000-$25,000 in trade-in value, which would go toward the purchases along with forfeiture funds, which have to be budgeted.
HCSO Chief Deputy Tanner Crump noted one truck was ordered 6 months ago. If the total cost is under $50,000, the county is not required to bid it out. However, since they’ve yet to receive the vehicle, that’d be two that hit the budget at the same time. He noted that in the past, the local Chevrolet dealership has offered the highest amount in trade ins, roughly $5,000 more. These will carry over into the new budget year. The money is there, but requires approval in budget for use of forfeiture funding.
The judge noted that the Commissioners Court would not be able to go forward with any action related to the item on Monday because it was not on the agenda, which is subject to auditing. Thus, Newsom said, the item will need to be put on the agenda for next time.
Asphalt Paving
The Commissioners Court received only one bid for asphalt paving services. Area Wide Paving quoted a rate of $113,532 for a half-mile of asphalt paving, Auditor Aulsbrook reported.
This rate is to include pulverizing the existing roadway 6-inches deep and compacting approximately 20-foot wide and 2% crown, cement stabilization, finish to profile grade of 22-feet wide with a 2% crown; lay two-inches of Type D compacted plan mix asphalt, leaving the county road with a 20-foot wide paved roadway, and all other conditions specified in bid packet.
County work crews will be responsible for all prep work, including ditches and replacement of culverts. The bidder is responsible for reclaiming existing oil sand and laying of asphalt, along with all equipment and materials needed to complete the job.
“It’s a complete redo of the road in asphalt as opposed to oil sand,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker noted. “It’s gone up. All of the oil products have gone up on these bids. I had brought it up to Shannah’s attention that in 6 months, we may want to relook at these bids, depending on whether the [price of] oil has gone up or down. It’s going to really hurt me.”
Price asked if the court approved the service now based on the bid, if the county could go out for bids again in 6 months.
“You can. If the prices drop, we can revisit it,” Aulsbrook said.
Commissioner Price then asked if the county would be required to go out for new bids, or if an agreement could be negotiated for the service at a lower rate in the future.
“This is what they said they would do for a year,” Aulsbrook noted. “If, in 6 months, the prices have dropped and you choose to revisit this, we can notify them that we are wanting to rebid. This is not signing a contract.”
In order to utilize the service in the mean time, the Commissioners court would be required to accept the bid of $113,532 for a half-mile of asphalt paving
Barker noted he does plan on using the service this budget year and made a motion to accept the bid for asphalt paving services. Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Anglin seconded the motion, which then received unanimous approval of the Commissioners Court.
Portland Cement
The court then considered the purchase of Portland Cement. The county has not sought bids for Portland Cement in the past, but Price this year asked for a quote, Auditor Aulsbrook reported.
“We’ve done stabilization of the road this year with P2 Emulsions and we thought we might get a better deal doing it with cement, so we asked for a bid for cement. What it does, it mixes it into the road to give you a better base,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price explained.
The county received one bid from Ashgrove Cement for $202.53 per ton, with a potential fuel surcharge as well.
Price made the motion, which Commissioner Bartley seconded, to accept the purchase quote from Portland Cement. The motion was unanimously approved by the Commissioners Court.
Road Materials, Road Oil & Culverts
The county received bids from multiple vendors in response to the county’s request for road materials, road oil and culverts bids.
“We did not receive a bid from Waste Management for fly ash [rock],” Auditor Aulsbrook said. “They emailed this morning wanting to know if their bid made it. I never received the package. Donna, did you ever? No? I just emailed him back and told we did not ever receive the package and I think they sent it FedEx or UPS; they were trying to get it here. But I had already extended these bids, so I think, as I explained to y’all, I think that is the only place you can get fly ash, so if you still want to buy fly ash you can, but you can’t spend all together collectively over $50,000 without a bid.”
Commissioner Barker asked if the court could delay making a decision on that particular item. Aulsbrook said they could choose to rebid for the fly ash rock. Doing so would require rejecting any current bids received that day, then paying to post the notice again and beginning the bid process again.
Judge Newsom asked if court could table selection of bids for fly ash rock instead of rejecting it. Aulsbrook noted that a deadline to get the bids in had been set.
In a past budget year, only about $32,000 was spent on the item. Commissioner Anglin said as far as he was aware, Precinct 2 was the only one using the fly ash rock, but wasn’t sure whether the amount spent would be less than $50,000. Commissioner Bartley said it had been used in Precinct 3 in the past, but not recently because fly ash rock is so hard to come by.
Aulsbrook said if that was the case, with it only being used in Precinct 2, she’d recommend Anglin keep a close watch on spending for fly ash rock, and if it looked like he might be getting close to $50,000 to rebid it.
The county auditor then asked each commissioner to go through and select their top three choices among bidders for the various materials, noting that each could if he chose accept all bids, just in case the top choices were unable to fulfill the need at a given time. Aulsbrook said she has had trouble getting contractors to submit bids.
| Category | Precinct 1 | Precinct 2 | Precinct 3 | Precinct 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culverts | 1. Burgin Pipe & Supply 2. Contech | 1. Burgin Pipe & Supply 2. Contech | 1. Burgin Pipe & Supply 2. Contech | 1. Contech 2. Burgin Pipe & Supply |
| Road Materials | 1. RK Hall 2. Richard Drake | 1. Richard Drake 2. RK Hall 3. M. Marietta | 1. RK Hall 2. Drake Construction | 1. RK Hall 2. Richard Drake 3. Commerce Sand & Gravel |
| Shingles | Sells Recycling | Sells Recycling | Sells Recycling | |
Road Oil | 1. Blazer 2. BASA | 1. Blazer 2. BASA 3. Henderson | 1. Blazer 2. BASA 3. Bryan and Bryan | 1. Blazer 2. BASA |
| Road Surface Sealant | 1. P2 Emulsion 2. Ergon | 1. Ergon 2. P2 Emulsion | 1. Ergon | 1. P2 Emulsions 2. Ergon |
| Oil Sand | 1. RK Hall 2. Drake 3. Wood County | 1. Richard Drake 2. RK Hall 3. Wood County | 1. Drake Construction 2. RK Hall | 1. RK Hall 2. Richard Drake 3. |
| All Bids | Accept | Accept | Accept | Accept |
“What do you think the reason for that is?” Barker asked, adding, “We’re spending plenty of money.”
“The ones that your are spending the most money with, they send their specs like clockwork. But if you want additional bids,” Aulsbrook said, then named a company that had in the past bid but had not initially submitted a bid. “Some places don’t feel like it’s worth their time.”
Aulsbrook said designating their top 2-3 choices to provide road materials “means something to them, that that’s who you’re going to purchase from first and second.”
The Commissioners’ preferences (see charge above) were noted, with each accepting all bids, then the Commissioners Court as a whole approving those designations and accepting all bids.
Gas And Diesel
Hopkins County Auditor
Auditor Aulsbrook noted that although she’d had multiple companies calling to show interest, she only received one bid back from Hall Oil for gas and diesel.
The business calculates price charges at rack price plus 10 cents, or cost plus 10-cents. The day the bids was submitted, regular unleaded $2.83271, road diesel $3.5288, sulfur diesel $3.7238. That rate will fluctuate based on current market prices, so the cost charged would be cost plus 10-cents per unit. That rate would be charged for any approved use by county employees in the course of business, the auditor noted.
The Commissioners Court approved the bid from Hall Oil to provide diesel and gasoline to the county on a 12-month contact.
MOU With ATCOG
Hopkins County Fire Marshal Andy Endsley presented for court consideration a memorandum of understanding between Hopkins County and Ark-Tex Council of Governments for a fiscal year 2023 solid waste project.
Endsley said the county has entered into the agreement with ATCOG for several years now, with $4,500 provided to help Hopkins County pay for dumpsters for the annual clean-up days each spring. Endsley described the environmental clean-up project is a “great program” that not only helps county residents by providing a means of disposal for household items too large to be put into a trash can to be collected by a sanitation company, but it also is a benefit to neighborhoods so the items don’t have to remain on people’s property. Too, the program helps county commissioners afford the cost of having the extra dumpsters available at each precinct barn for a weekend each year.
Commissioner Bartley noted while the program is indeed helpful, it does not cover the whole cost of hosting the annual clean-up.
Anglin asked if anyone knew of an option to dispose of tires, as there are many that need to be disposed of properly. Endsley noted that they have talked to the ATCOG director, who is looking for potential options, but none that’d been determined.
The court approved the MOU accepting the funding to help with the sold waste project.
Generator Transfer Switches
Hopkins County Commissioners Court also approved bids for generator transfer switches during the Oct. 10, 2022, regular court session.
Marshal Endsley noted that the transfer switches had previously been bid out, but had to be rebid because the awardee was not part of the required purchasing group. The switches will go on mobile generators being attained through some grant funding to benefit a few water supply corporations, Sulphur Bluff VFD and one city to assist with water operations in the event power is knocked out at those station.
“This bid is just for the transfer switches, which is $51,600. If there’s a cost increase, Beth [Wisenbaker, county grants coordinator] said she would go back and try to get more money, and then we would accept the rest. But right now, you just need to accept for the transfer switches,” Aulsbrook noted.
Each WSC and the city’s matching portion of the funding for the mobile generators, with the easy to install transfer switches, would come from the county, with each entity paying their portion of the match back to the county. The only amount the county would be out is the amount paid to the VFDs if the Commissioners Court agrees to assist the department with the matter, according to Endsley.
The mobile generators are currently projected to be delivered to the county in December, according to Endsley. The transfer switches have been engineered to the generators and will be simple to plug in.
Preconditioning And Process Verification
By Mario Villarino, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hopkins County, [email protected]
The purpose of preconditioning stocker/feeder calves is to minimize the morbidity and mortality experienced by calves as they move from their ranch of origin into the beef production system. Process verification is a systematic means of capturing and verifying (sometimes by a third party) the preventative health and management protocols administered to a well identified group of cattle.
Both steers and heifers are preconditioned. Most, if not all, current preconditioning protocols specify knife-cut steers. Castration of bull calves before they are 90 days old is an industry-accepted, Beef Quality Assurance best management practice.
A preconditioning program is based on:
- a minimum 45 day weaning period
- a series of two modified live respiratory complex (IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV) vaccinations 14-21 days apart. (Preferably, the second vaccination will occur at least 14 days prior to sale.)
- a series of two 7-Way Clostridial vaccines given on the same schedule as the viral vaccines mentioned above
- a Pasteurella (Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica) vaccine given during the first round of vaccinations
- treatment for internal parasites and external parasites.
(Note: Most preconditioned/process verified feeder cattle sales have well defined health and identification protocols for consignments. Consult the sale host for specific program requirements.)
It is recommended that the calves be held in the pen for a minimum of 3-5 days after weaning. A high quality preconditioning ration should be offered twice daily and cool, fresh, clean water should be available. Arrange feed bunks perpendicular to the fence so calves walking the fence will find the feed.
The remaining 40+ days of the weaning program will likely be most economical and efficient if done from a forage base in small pastures, grass traps or improved pastures. Supplementation with cubes, cake or a grain-meal mix may be necessary to achieve the desired gain of 1-1.5 lb/day.
[Tip: If possible/feasible, familiarize the calves with the preconditioning feed while they are still with their dams – calves will quickly learn how to eat feed by watching/mimicking their dams.]
Considerations
1. Determine the market (breakeven) price required to cover the cost of production. If that value is more than $5-8/cwt greater than the potential value of the calves at weaning, have a long visit with professional marketing personnel before proceeding with a preconditioning program.
Know where and how the calves will be marketed BEFORE the preconditioning process begins. Never consign preconditioned calves to the regular weekly sale at the local or regional auction market. They be the only preconditioned calves available that day and the marketing system cannot justify paying a premium and keeping them separate from non-preconditioned calves.
2. Realize that a preconditioning program will not change the muscle or frame score of feeder calves. If they are medium frame, #2 muscle score at weaning, they will still be medium frame, #2 muscle cattle on sale day. Accurate assessment of the quality of the calves is critical to predicting their performance in a sale. Perceptions indicate that as quality declines, so does the magnitude of the “premium” offered.
3. Sort off any calves that “won’t fit” load lots of calves on sale day. Sell these at weaning. Whether it is color, quality, size, age, condition, weight, disposition, phenotype or tail shape, if they don’t fit, sort them off. Calves not included in load lots and consequently sold as individuals at the end of the sale typically sell at a discount to their herd mates.
4. Realistically calculate what the preconditioning program will cost.
Vaccines + anthelmintic = a minimum $12-20 per head (essentially, a fixed cost)
If you accept the minimum preventative health program cost above AND want to keep the total per head cost of the program (before pasture cost, interest, labor, capital equipment, depreciation, etc.) at or below $25, you can spend no more than $15 – 19 per head on pasture, hay, supplement and/or feed. That equates to spending less than 35¢ per head per day.
To put that in perspective, if a supplement (hay cost not included) is fed 45 days and costs $300/ton, maximum daily per head allowance is 3.0 lb. Realistically, $15-20 per head is the minimum a cattleman can expect to invest for feed or supplement. On a 500# calf, that is a $3-5/cwt investment (not considering post-weaning gain).
Accurately evaluate the magnitude of potential premiums. Feeder calf market prices influence the “premiums” that can be paid for preconditioned and process verified calves.
5. Evaluate the potential pitfalls.
- Timing – The minimum acceptable weaning period is 45 days. Research indicates longer preconditioning periods are not necessarily more effective. Potential buyers coming to the sale expect a 45 day weaning period and are not prepared to pay additional premiums for longer weaning programs. Days 46+ cost additional dollars and add to accidental death risks. Therefore, plan your program as close to 45 days as possible.
- Precaution: Long weaning periods have the potential to move weaned calves into a ‘yearling’ (> 600 lbs) market. There is very little (if any) demand for preconditioned yearlings.
- Sickness – Calves weaned and backgrounded on the ranch where they were born seldom experience health problems. However, if sickness were to occur, the additional medicine costs and reduced performance could easily consume any potential premiums on sale day. Unexpected fatalities resulting from a broken neck, choking, strangulations, bloat, enterotoxaemia, etc. can quickly eliminate the profitability of a preconditioning program. Facilities (corrals, pens) need to be in good working order BEFORE initiating a preconditioning program.
- Nutrition Program – Often the largest cost, yet offers the greatest opportunity. Most producers will tend to spend too much on feed, hay and supplement. The gain target over this 45 day period is 1.5 lbs per day. Few producers can realize this gain on grass alone – thus supplementation is usually warranted. Contact an Extension Specialist or beef cattle nutritionist for assistance with development of a nutrition program.
- General observations relative to nutrition:
- hay is expensive relative to its efficiency of use and the performance (gain) it yields
- confinement feeding on the ranch is seldom an economically feasible option, unless cost of gain can parallel current feed yard economics.
- calf performance on bermudagrass alone in late summer or fall is typically less than expected. Weaned calf average daily gains during this time will often be 0.40 to 0.75 lb/day.
- forage quality is of paramount concern – nutrient requirements as a function of body weight are at their lifetime high. Again, if calves are expected to average 1.5 lbs per day gain for 45 days, supplementation will likely be required.
- Freight – If the host commission company is not your traditional marketplace or is significantly further away, carefully evaluate the freight expense. Commission company personnel can be a huge help. Freight rates are less expensive ($/head transported) for trucks than a pickup and trailer. Most cattle trucks have a 45,000 to 50,000 lbs payload; pooling calves with a nearby producer could fill a load and reduce freight expense.
- Shrink – Backgrounded calves typically exhibit less shrink than fresh weaned calves. Nevertheless, predict what that shrink will be and include it in your calculations. (Hint: Cattlemen who have always sold at weaning and never weighed a calf on the ranch may not understand the impact of shrink.) Check with the host commission company to understand how they will handle shrink.
- The Sort – A heavy sort at the commission company can result in too many calves being sold individually, usually at a discount to the load lot price. Discuss your calves and the sorting procedure with the host commission company personnel.
- Market slide – If the market is expected to fall during the 45 day preconditioning period, proceed with caution. Even small market declines of $2-4/cwt, when added to the $5+ per hundredweight investment in the post-weaning program, can become significant profit stealers.
6. Capitalize on the benefits!
Those benefits include:
- selling in large groups (truck load lots) of like kind, weight, condition and quality. It is well accepted that calves sold in groups command a premium compared to those same calves if sold individually.
- building a reputation. Cattle buyers know where the good ones come from and they come back to get them time after time. What a pleasure – having someone ask for your calves. What a change from dropping them off and hoping someone will pay top dollar …
- benefiting from the sort. Several comingled preconditioned feeder calf sales are available in Texas herein cattlemen can consign ‘smaller than load lots’ of cattle that adhere to the host’s management protocol. If variation within the offering would preclude them being marketed as a group, then selling through a comingled sale allows small numbers from individual consignors to sell for load lot prices.
- producing a better product. Preconditioned and process verified calves are less risk to the feeder or stocker operator. Calves that never get sick perform better in the feed yard, have a greater chance of achieving their quality grade potential and, most importantly, are more likely to produce a positive eating experience for the beef consumer.
One of the better know, longest established pre-conditioned called in the United States of America is the Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization preconditioned sales. Contact the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission in Sulphur Springs Texas for more details or visit their website for further information.
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].
Emory Man Arrested On Controlled Substance Charge
An Emory man caught deputies’ attention by failing to dim his headlights as he approached them on Hillcrest Drive, but the controlled substance in his pocket resulted in his arrest, according to arrest reports.
While talking to the man he stopped at 1:26 a.m. Sunday morning, Oct. 9, 2022, for failing to dim his high beam lights he passed him, Hopkins County Sheriff‘s Deputy Isaac Foley noticed the car smoking.
The driver got out of the car as Deputy Justin Wilkerson arrived. Wilkerson patted him down for weapons. The 27-year-old Emory man agreed to empty his pockets. He took a mints can out and shook it; it sounded like it contained rocks. When asked about the contents, Foley noted Micheal Todd Wallace Jr. became extremely nervous. A bag inside the can was found to contain a white crystal-like substance the deputies believed to be methamphetamine, Foley alleged in arrest reports.
Wallace was taken into custody at 1:35 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, and transported to HCSO. The substance was seized as evidence. It weighed 0.433 gram, including packaging and field-tested positive for meth, resulting in Wallace being booked into jail at 2:26 a.m. on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1/1-B controlled substance, according to arrest reports.
Wallace was released later Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, on a $5,000 bond on the felony controlled substance charge, according to jail reports.
HCSO jail personnel report they are currently unable to post on the jail’s public site new images, due to issues switching to a different computer system. Thus, only photos of individuals who were arrested and whose photos were posted prior to the start of the system conversion process are available. No photo was available Monday for Michel Todd Wallace Jr.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report — Oct. 3-9, 2022
Winnsboro Police Department each week provides a media report with information about department activity. WPD activity for the week Oct. 3-9, 2022, included:
Arrests
- Anden Watson, 18 years of age, of Winnsboro was arrested on Oct. 6, 2022, a Wood County Precinct 4 Warrant for Terroristic Threat.
- Matthew Perron, 51 years of age, of Scroggins was arrested on Oct. 6, 2022, for Driving While Intoxicated.
- Sherra Tilson, 41 years of age, of Winnsboro, was arrested on Oct. 10, 2022, for on a Wood County Warrant for Possession of a Penalty Group 1/1-B Controlled Substance Bond.
Calls for Service
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 109 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 22 citations and 19 warnings during this reporting period.
San Antonio Teen Caught Driving Stolen Vehicle In Hopkins County
A San Antonio teen was caught driving a stolen vehicle through Hopkins County Sunday night, according to arrest reports.
Cumby Police Officer Justin Talley was notified by county dispatchers a stolen 2017 Kia Forte was reportedly being driven east on Interstate 30 around 10:20 p.m. Oct. 9, 2022.
Talley reported spotting the vehicle near mile marker 112 on I-30 and initiated a high-risk traffic stop of the vehicle. The driver stopped 11:03 p.m. at mile marker 115 on I-30 east, arrest reports stated.
The driver was identified as Vicente Bello-Uriostegui, a 17-year-old who told officers he was from San Antonio. The white four-door vehicle was confirmed to have been reported stolen. Talley took the teen into custody and transported him to the county jail, according to arrest reports.
Bello-Uriostegui was jailed at 2:14 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, for unauthorized use of a vehicle, according to arrest reports. He remained in the county jail awaiting bond later Monday, according to jail reports.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 287,850 Reasons To Go Pink
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ.
By Jennifer Heitman, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
Go Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness
This past Friday night, I was pleased to see many of our local Northeast Texas high schools “going pink” for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We even see the pink accents from socks to mouth guards that the NFL football players are wearing.
This is with good reason. Breast cancer affects almost 1 in 8 women in the United States and is a curable disease if detected early enough. The American Cancer Society estimates that 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. These alarming statistics come with a plea for women to understand the importance of scheduling an annual mammogram.
The Ruth & Jack Gillis Women’s Center inside of the CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs provides compassionate care and services needed with the most innovative technology available. This includes Digital 3D mammography, which has proven to increase the detection of breast cancer. A 3D mammogram captures multiple images, or slices, of the breast from several angles, creating a multi-directional image in which masses and breast cancer are easier to see. It benefits women with dense breast tissue by allowing for a more sensitive evaluation. It also reduces the chances of unnecessary screenings due to false alarms.
We encourage you to wear pink, and let it be a reminder to you and your loved ones to be proactive about your health. Schedule your mammogram here today by speaking with your physician, or call 903.438.4325.
Give Back through AmazonSmile
Did you know that you can do nothing other than your regular online shopping at Amazon and give back to our Hopkins County Health Care Foundation? The program is easy and does not cost anything to the Amazon customer.
All a person needs to do is shop through smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com. Once on smile.amazon.com or the app, be sure to denote the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation as the beneficiary. Do this by going to “Account &Lists” then “Your Account” drop down. Click on Amazon Smile. From there a charity (Hopkins County Health Care Foundation, please) may be designated or changed. If using the app, select “Change your Charity” under Settings.
Purchase of certain products will generate a donation of 0.5% of the sale to the HCHC Foundation. It will cost nothing extra to the Amazon customer, but will be helpful to the Foundation, allowing it to do even more to promote health care initiatives in Hopkins County. Thank you for your contribution!
Free Student Athlete Injury Clinic Continues
CHRISTUS Orthopedics and Sports Medicine of Sulphur Springs continues to offer a FREE Saturday Athletic Injury Clinic for all student athletes, all sports included.
The clinic is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. through Nov. 12. Student athletes from 7th grade to college age will be able to get a free exam and x-ray to determine a plan of care to treat their injury.
The clinic will be held at our CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Orthopedics, Medical Building 5, at 103B Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs.
For more information about our Sports Medicine program or Orthopedic services, please call 903.885.6688.
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals – Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
- Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
- Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
- Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
- Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
Hopkins County Commissioners Court, Fire Department Observe Fire Prevention Week
Residents Reminded To Change Batteries In Smoke Detectors, Have A Fire Escape Plan
Hopkins County Commissioners Court and Hopkins County Fire Department are joining agencies across the country in observing Oct. 9-15, 2022, as Fire Prevention Week, and encourage others to do the same.
Hopkins County Fire Marshal Andy Endsley said while October is Fire Prevention Month, Fire Prevention Week has been observed since the 1920s.
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom, reading a Fire Prevention Week proclamation during Commissioners Court Oct. 10, noted that Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observation on record at the National Archives and Records Administration Library Information Center. President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day declaration in 1920. Each United States President has signed a proclamation for the national observance annually every year since 1925.
Since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed Sunday-Saturday of the week in which Oct. 9 falls, this coincides with the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871, but most of its damage occurred on Oct. 9, 1871. The blaze killed more than 250 people, destroyed more than 17,400 structures across more than 2,000 acres, and left an estimated 100,000 homeless.
Fire Prevention Week, Newsom noted, is also observed “to save lives and protect property by keeping the public informed about the importance of fire prevention.” The 2022 Fire Prevention Week theme is “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.”
Endsley said essentially, it’s a time to remind everyone “the importance of having a home fire escape plan.” It’s also a good time to remind residents of the potentially life-saving value of having a fire extinguisher in the home, and the importance of checking functionality and changing batteries in smoke detectors (and, if in use, CO or carbon monoxide) regularly.
Smoke detectors have been proven to provide the necessary warning to save lives, but can only function properly if they are functioning properly. One easy way to remember to change and check smoke detector batteries at least twice a year, is to do so the day each fall and spring of local time change between Standard and Day Light Savings Times.
Newsom presented a framed copy of the proclamation to Hopkins County firefighters to display at HCFD Station 20.
Many fire departments, both paid and volunteer, designate time during the Fire Prevention Week and Fire Prevention (Safety) Month to host or visit children and groups at schools and where they otherwise meet, to provide fire safety education lessons and reminders. This helps younger children become familiar with the sounds and attire firefighters use, so they won’t be as afraid if firefighters are called upon to respond at their location to offer assistance, and to help prepare kids to take appropriate action if a fire occurs in their home, school or other location.
Wildcat Football Wins Third Straight, Opens District Play 1-0
Another dominant first half for Sulphur Springs paved the way to a 37-7 win in their district opener.
Including Friday, Oct. 7’s win, Wildcat football has scored 21+ points in each of their last three games; all victories for Coach Brandon Faircloth’s team.
Friday’s victory at Gerald Prim Stadium comes over a Braves team that has rushed for 1500 yards in six games this season. Instead, Sulphur Springs flipped the script — consistently moving the ball downfield thanks to great play calling that constantly mixed it up against Community, chewing up clock and scoring all along the way.
The Wildcats rushed for 230 yards as a team, a season high. QB Brady Driver and and WR CJ Williams combined for 213 of those yards.
Wide receivers Williams and Skylar Lewis both caught touchdowns from Driver in the first half, blowing the game open for Sulphur Springs. The former’s receiving TD came with just four seconds on the clock as the Wildcats headed into the locker room leading 21-0.
Once again the defense has been the unsung hero of these games. In the two weeks leading up to the game, the Braves scored 40+ points as they pounded their way to crushing victories.
The Wildcat defense had other plans, as they forced two turnovers on downs and won the turnover battle in Friday’s home win — Drew Hodges recovered a Braves fumble in the third and Riley Hammons picked off the Community quarterback in the final minute to ice the 37-7 victory.
The 21-0 half-time lead would not have been possible in Friday’s victory were it not for Coach Bret Page’s defense, as their two defensive stops set up the Wildcat offense to score three times in the first half.
The 37-7 victory in the district opener brings football’s season record to 5-1 (1-0), and is the third straight victory for Coach Faircloth’s team.
Next, Sulphur Springs hits the road for their second-to-last road game of the regular season as they take on Mabank.
That game kicks off at Panther Stadium Friday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
