5 SSHS Students Attend National BPA Leadership Competitions
Sulphur Springs High School was well represented at the National Business Professionals of America Leadership conference, with five SSHS students participating in the May 4-7 event in Dallas.
BPA is the nation’s leading CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization) for students pursuing careers in business management, information technology, finance, accounting, office administration, and other business-related career fields.
A culmination of work and accomplishment through the year, the National Leadership Conference (NLC) brings together a diverse group of the best and brightest from across the country to compete in demonstrations of their business and technological acumen, develop their professional and leadership skills, network with professionals and each other from across the nation, and get involved with the betterment of their community through volunteer service projects.
Emily Atkinson put in the work for a Torch Service Award and competed in Financial Analysis and Concepts as well.
The Torch Awards Program is designed to promote professionalism and leadership in both career development and personal growth. Students complete activities in the seven Torch categories: leadership; service; cooperation; knowledge; friendship; love, hope, faith; and patriotism – then log their activities in an online Torch Résumé. Each activity is worth 5-20 points. When a student achieves a certain number of points for each category, his/her advisor or local reviewer can submit the résumé online to be reviewed for recognition. All students completing a satisfactory résumé will earn either an Executive, Diplomat, Statesman or Ambassador Torch Award certificate.
In financial and concepts competition, students assesses knowledge of math concepts and solve practical math problems related to work and consumer issues.
Mackenzie Posey was Administrative Support Research Project – Individual. In this contest, an administrative support topic is selected by the National Center and provided at the beginning of the school year. Contestants conduct research on the topic and present findings in a research paper, an oral presentation, and respond to questions from a panel of judges.
Jacob Semler competed in Advanced Word Processing, a contest in which students evaluate advanced-level skills in word processing and document production.
Jacob Beggs participated in PC Servicing & Troubleshooting. Students in these type of contests must demonstrate knowledge of device configuration, maintenance, and management as a computer technician.
Jonah Foster competed in Human Resource Management, which requires students to assess interpretation of personnel policies and knowledge of human resource management.
Hospital Visitors And Patients Encouraged, But Not Required, To Wear A Mask
All Will Be Screened For COVID-Like Symptoms
Helping Ukraine
In light of the news of the attacks on Ukraine, we would like to extend an opportunity to aid the community of Kharkov (a city in northeast Ukraine). One of the hospital associates has a spouse who is from this city, and their family is still there.
The hospital has been able to send some medical supplies. In addition, and thanks to the generosity of many others, we have been able to set up a fund through our Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation to raise money and send it directly to aid this city.
To donate to this effort, go to Online Giving (christushealth.org) and select “Helping Ukraine” in the drop down box.
Events
UPDATED – COVID Vaccine Clinics
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs will no longer offer the COVID Vaccine Clinic every Friday morning.
However, Net Health does offer Pediatric and Adult COVID vaccines. This vaccine clinic is located at 100 Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs. No appointment is necessary. Subsequently, Net Health will continue to come every four weeks to provide COVID vaccines.
From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily, Net Health will offer vaccines on the following weeks: May 31-June 3, June 27-July 1, July 25-29, August 22-26, September 19-23, and October 17-21.
Hospital Visitation
Please note the following guidelines:
- Patients and visitors will be encouraged, but not required, to wear a mask. However, we will continue to screen patients and visitors to identify those with COVID-like symptoms. Visitors who fail their screen will be asked to refrain from entering our facilities.
- Emergency Department entrance open 24/7
- Main Entrance open 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
- Gift Shop open
- Visiting hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Types of Visitors:
- COVID receiving aerosol treatments: via tele-visitation only
- COVID not receiving aerosol treatments: 1 Essential support person for the duration of hospital stay – Essential support person will be given a visible wrist band for identification purposes
- Types of Visitors:
Post COVID-19 Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Are you still suffering from shortness of breath related to previous COVID-19 infection? Medicare now covers pulmonary rehabilitation for individuals who have had confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and continue to experience persistent shortness of breath for at least four weeks. Neither hospitalization nor a positive COVID-19 test are required for program participation.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is designed to help increase strength, endurance, and overall health through exercise, education, diet, and support while decreasing patients’ shortness of breath.
Ask your physician for a referral to CHRISTUS Mother Frances – Sulphur Springs Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Phone Number: 903-439-4141 | Fax: 903-438-4697.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
We are in need of volunteers to help in various different roles throughout our hospital. We are asking for anyone willing to give his or her time, to help bring a smile to someone in our hospital! For more information, contact Sherry Moore at 903-439-4062.
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
May 11 Chamber Connection: See You On The Centerline April 8, 2024 – For The Solar Eclipse!
By Butch Burney, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, [email protected]
If you Google “April 8, 2024,” the first thing that will pop up is a total solar eclipse that goes from southwest Texas to Maine. If you look closely, you will see Sulphur Springs is slap dab on the center point of the Path of Totality.
What that means is that Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County needs to gear up for that event. People travel from literally all over the world to witness a total solar eclipse, and we need to make sure that our county is at the forefront.
We have commissioned a domain, SSTotalEclipse.com, and are working on the website to make sure people know we are prepared for them. To get it the website done, we need a logo.
So, we are opening up the Eclipse Logo Contest with the tagline “See You on the Centerline.”
If you are interested in participating, send your submission to me at [email protected]. The official logo will be used on the website and official SSTotalEclipse.com merchandise.
See you on the Centerline!
Golf for a Good Cause
The Reinforcement Foundation is hosting a benefit golf scramble on Friday, June 10, at the Sulphur Springs Country Club. Proceeds will benefit Hopkins County EMS and Cumby Volunteer Fire Department.
Tee time is 1:30 p.m., followed by a banquet dinner and a concert by Tyler and The Tribe.
Registration fee for the four-person scramble is $500, which includes four tickets to the banquet and eight raffle tickets. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded. There will be plenty of contest holes.
Register on Facebook on the Reinforcement Foundation page or call 903-259-9904. Sponsorships are also available, starting at $100.
Mystery Walk
Back by popular demand is a Mystery Walk with Mayor John A. Sellers! Hosted at Haystacks on Thursday, May 26, at 7 p.m., join Sellers as he takes you through the Sulphur Springs downtown. Enjoy small bites provided by Haystacks Restaurant and a glass of wine. Meeting and small bites will start at 7 p.m. at Haystacks (206 Main St.) You will then be guided by Sellers through the auditory adventure of the historic past of Sulphur Springs, making your way back to Haystacks to enjoy a small bites canapé hour with a glass of wine.
$30 per person: Book here: bit.ly/3w66sKP
Celebration Market
Celebration Market on the downtown plaza starts Saturday, May 21, at S p.m. and goes until 9 p.m. Come out and shop and browse what the market vendors have for you.
Freedom Ball
The Hopkins County Freedom Ball, celebrating our county’s veterans and active military and benefiting the Hopkins County Veterans Memorial, is set for 6-10 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at the Hopkins County Civic Center.
The ball includes a salute to the military, a speaker, dinner, music and more.
Hamburger Cookout
The Heritage Christian Counseling Center is sponsoring a hamburger cookout from 11 a.m. until they sell out on Friday, May 13. Orders can be picked up or eaten onsite in the parking lot between Alliance Bank corporate and First United Methodist Church, across from the City National Bank drive-through downtown. The $7 meal includes hamburger, chips, drink and dessert.
Ribbon Cuttings
- Kay Jae + Co Boutique, located at 325 South Davis St., hosted a ribbon cutting for their shop on Thursday, May 5. Please visit this new boutique.
- The North Hopkins Volunteer Fire Department opened their new firehouse on FM 2285 with a ribbon cutting on Friday, May 6. The fire station will help serve the Pleasant Grove area as well as the 123 square miles of its territory.
- Project One Roofing will have a ribbon cutting at their location at 209 Jackson St., at noon on Friday, May 20. Please join us for this event.
Business of the Week
Dr. David Liao’s Hunt Regional Healthcare’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic is the Chamber’s Business of the Week for May 11. See more about our Business of the Week on the Chamber’s Instagram and Facebook pages as well as our website.
Be Well, Live Well – Healthy Aging
By Johanna Hicks, Texas AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent for Hopkins County, [email protected]
As people age, nutrition and physical activity are even more important to their overall health. More than 12% of the population in Texas is older than 65, and that number is expected to surpass 20% by 2050. The theme of this year’s Older Americans Month in May is “Age My Way.”
The Age My Way theme refers to adults aging in a way that allows them to remain involved in their communities and maintain their independence. I recently implemented a 4-session series, “Be Well, Live Well”, that included nutrition, physical activity, meal planning, and food safety, leading up the May emphasis. Seven individuals completed the series and received some great incentive items, including pedometers, refrigerator thermometers, nutrition label magnifiers, shopping pads, and more.
It is important that older Americans age in a way that reflects their personal needs and interests. Nutrition is a vital part of healthy living, and good eating habits are important at any age. Protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and dietary fiber are just some of the nutrients that are important as we age. Many AgriLife Extension programs are designed in a manner that will resonate with a senior audience, such as staying active, being socially engaged and eating healthy to help maintain independence.
The “Be Well, Live Well Healthy Aging” Series addressed those very topics. The program helps people learn how to make healthy food choices, prepare and store food safely, become more physically active and improve food security. Many older adults may also have chronic diseases that can impact their quality of life and food choices, especially when looking at chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes that are related to the foods we choose. I will be implementing “Cooking Well with Diabetes” in August, so stay tuned for information on that series.
Cultivating mindfulness is also important for older adults. Our mental, emotional and physical health suffers when we lose connection with others and with ourselves. A well-balanced life is vital for personal wellness, and includes work, recreation, interacting with family and friends, community engagement, being physically and spiritually active, and rest. Some specific ways older adults can achieve a better balance in their lives is to increase their social connections and engage in hobbies or activities they enjoy.
Older adults may be more solitary or homebound. Those who can’t get out as much should try to stay in touch with friends and family by phone — or internet if they’re more tech savvy. It’s also important they have and maintain hobbies or interests – reading, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, etc.
Those who are more active can benefit from outdoor activities such as taking a walk or engaging with others through hobbies or civic engagement. The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizen’s Center has many activities for involvement.
The key message is just do something!
Closing Thought
Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen – Brene Brown
Contact Johanna Hicks at the Hopkins County AgriLife Extension Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston St., Sulphur Springs, TX 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected].
2 Citizens Ask SSISD Trustees To Reconsider Stance On 313 Agreement For Dike Solar Farm
Developer, Land Owner Asks School Board to Amend Agreement As Requested
Citizens asked Sulphur Springs ISD trustees this week to reconsider the district’s stance on 313 agreements, particularly amending the agreement with Hopkins Energy LLC. The developer and one landowner whose property is within the planned Hopkins Energy LLC area asked the board to approve the amended agreement.
Ryan Economy, developer for Hopkins Energy solar project parent company ENGIE North America, noted that the amendment simply asks the district to push back by the end date of construction and start date of the value limitation period by one year. He said the plan is to begin construction on the project later this year, with construction continuing into next year.
“We have over the last year been through extensive studies of our sight for wetlands and other factors that go in our design, specifically and very importantly civil engineering and water plans that are required by state so looking forward we can finalize our storm water permit,” Economy said, advising the school board that their responsibilities are to the school, funding, students, and success of those students.
Economy contended that determining zoning and environmental issues are not the job of the school. Those belong to the Commissioners Court and state.
“In the state of Texas, landowner rights prevail, and so landowners may do what they wish on their private property whether that be grazing cattle, capturing sunlight or raising crops,” Economy said. “So, I am here today requesting for you to simply extend the agreement we already have in place. That funding comes out to the net benefit of the school district of about $1.3 million aside.”
Economy said the agreement benefits both the school district and company. The company gets a break on school district maintenance and operations taxes in accordance with the terms of the agreement and supplemental payments and revenue loss payments of up to about $1.3 million to the district.
The request to extend the time dates for tax incentives for the planned Dike solar facility is the second amendment made for the project, which has changed hands since the original request was made a few years ago and has reduced somewhat in size. No construction has yet begun on the project, located in both Sulphur Springs and Dike school districts.
Cynthia Martin, whose property backs up to the planned solar facility, sought legal action to bar the plant from being located in Dike. So far, those requests have been denied in local court, but efforts continue legally and through the local grassroots collective Save Dike From Solar, which represents “hundreds of citizens” in Dike community who are opposed to “ENGIE’s industrial solar complex.”
Save Dike From Solar spokesperson Michael Pickens said the planned project is in a forested wetland. State Senators Brian Hughes and Bob Hall, as well as other elected officials, have voted down the 313 agreements. New 313 agreements cannot be made after Dec. 31, 2022.
“As Senator Bob Hall said, ‘I am dedicated to ending Chapter 313 tax abatements which increase the property taxes of citizens in order to pay for property taxes of corporations through a crumby capitalistic program,'” Pickens said. “There’s a whole bunch of news articles on this 313 program that is facing so much opposition in the Texas Senate and the communities around the state of Texas.
Pickens contends that the 313 program and allowing the solar facilities to be built in rural areas will lower property values of nearby properties in Dike next to the power plant. He said another reason Hall and Hughes are opposed to it is that school districts do not receive the additional funds promised to them by the solar operations while making “tons of money” for the solar companies.”
Besides that, Pickens noted, ENGIE – the parent company for Hopkins Energy LLC – is a French company. Before that, Alpine Sun, the company who originally proposed the agreement then sold it to ENGIE is a German company.
“So, our argument is that our land values are being depreciated, our lands will be environmentally impacted negatively for a French company to make lots of money,”
Michelle Barnes, Dike resident, said she did not know about the planned solar project when she moved to Dike 2 years ago, but is opposed to it.
“The one thing I’m concerned about is the devastation to the environment out there. I’ve already looked at the Stampede Solar project out in Saltillo where they are building big ditches for the water retention,” Barnes said. “Well, if you’re going to be building all of these retention ponds all over the place – this is 18 hundred and 50 acres out in the Dike area – you’re going to change the environment that we live in, because that water is no longer running off to where it’s supposed to go like it has been in past years. That is going to change everything for everybody there.”
Barnes said her research of the solar project in Cunningham, Texas, just 21 miles from Dike, developers have panels up but haven’t begun operations yet. She said she’s been told that’s due to lack of funding. Property values around the Cunningham project went up 9.1% the first year the farm was installed.
“So not only are we not going to be able to sell our homes because we live right next to a solar power plant, but we are going to be paying more in taxes because our assessed values are going to go up because we now live in a jurisdiction that has commercial property and and not rural agriculture,” Barnes concluded.
While Pickens and Barnes expressed opposition to the planned Dike solar facility, Tim Fuller is in favor of the project. He has land located within the planned Hopkins Energy LLC and knows the owners of the other parcels of land on which the solar projects are to be located.
“I just don’t think folks needs to be messing with what I do with my land. It’s my land. I should be able to put solar panels on it if I want. I think in our environment, that’s what we’ve got to get to. We need other things than fossil fuels, so I would like you to extend the contract,” Fuller said.
Garret Peters with KE Andrews, tax consultant for Hopkins Energy for ENGIE, said 313 programs have been highly successful.
“The fact that this company is going to save millions and millions and millions of dollars is not the truth. Just in this district alone, it’s a 90 million dollar investment. On that, over 15 years, they save $935,000. So we’re not talking about massive corporate welfare that’s going to change the balance sheet and the income statement of ENGIE, a global company, significantly,” Peters said.
All Texas property owners have seen an increase in their home and land appraisal values over the last year. An increase of 9.1% would be at the lower end of the increases. Peters said the property tax bill on his residential property in Rockwall went up 34%.
“I don’t believe that this is going to be a significant effect on any surrounding land. There’s been studies that kind of go either way on this topic of being close to solar plants. Without it being a major residential subdivision backing up to this, I don’t think it’s going to be a contributing factor to value,” Peters said.
Because the Comptroller’s office has certify the 313 agreements as qualifying for the tax incentive, an amended application was submitted to and approved by the Comptroller’s Office on April 28.
I truly understand your situation of adjacent land owners, but the school board is not the place to argue the legalities of this issue. If the state of Texas and all the laws and zoning committees make it legal for a landowner to do something with their land, it is by no means the purview of the school board to dictate what a landowner does with their land as long as it’s abiding by the laws of the state,” SSISD Board of Trustees Secretary Jason Dietze said. “And, if it weren’t, it’s still not the school board’s purview to do that. Our purview is to look at opportunities that benefit students and the district. To be honest, for me, it’s a no brainer the benefit that it is to our district financially to approve these type of agreements.
Following the public hearing with citizens comments during the May 9, 2022, SSISD Board of Trustees meeting, the school board, as is required, declared no conflict of interest in the proposed agreement for the Chapter 313 tax limitation for Hopkins Energy LLC. The amended agreement puts the start of the tax limitation period for the Chapter 313 agreement at Jan. 1, 2024, and end of it on Dec. 1, 2033. the final termination of the agreement would be Dec. 31, 2038, the last year of the limitation period plus 5 years.
“Again, I truly empathize with you. If I lived next door to one, I might have the feelings that you have. However, the school district is not the place to really confirm or condemn those actions. We don’t have the legal authority to do that. There’s a loophole authority, in that if we were to vote against it, it might negatively affect the project. However, that’s not the purview of the school board – what is best for the students financially, what’s best for the district financially is. We keep getting these and we keep getting the negative reflection on that. That is not the school board’s place. These may have fairly legitimate arguments but it’s not to be made before the school district. It’s to be made before your zoning committees, your state legislators,” Dietze concluded, just prior to the school board’s vote on the requested amendment.
SSISD Board of Trustees voted to grant the amendment adding the extra time for the start and completion of the project as well as bumping the value limitation period an additional year.
Value limitations in 313 apply to the M&O portion of the school tax rate. Beneficiaries granted limitations, in this case the solar company, will still be required to pay the taxes for the I&S (debt service) portion of the school tax rate, school trustees confirmed.
Disaster Assistance Available For 2022 Livestock Forage Losses In Hopkins County
Producers in Hopkins County are eligible to apply for 2022 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on native pasture, improved pasture and small grain grazing.
LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land or fire on federally managed land.
County committees can only accept LFP applications after notification is received by the National Office of qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits producers from grazing normal permitted livestock on federally managed lands due to qualifying fire. You must contact the office for an appointment or be placed on the register no later than January 31, 2023, for 2022 losses.
For additional information about LFP, including eligible livestock and fire criteria, contact the Hopkins-Delta County Farm Service Agency Office at 903-885-4433 or visit fsa.usda.gov
Paris Junior College Offers 3-Week Classes Starting May 16 and a Free Summer I or II Class
Paris Junior College’s May Mini-Term starts May 16 and offers a full course credit students can complete in three weeks. Graduating high school seniors also may take one free Summer I or II class, an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up, according to Sheila Reece, Paris Junior College Vice President of Access and Success.
The mini-term classes begin May 16 and end on June 3. These online classes offer students the ability to quickly complete a basic core.
Five-week Summer I or Summer II classes begin June 1 or July 12 PJC offers a scholarship for one free class for graduating high school students in the Paris Junior College service area. That includes Delta, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Red River and part of Fannin (Fannindel and Honey Grove) counties.
“Graduating seniors need to fill out the online application and enter ‘summer scholarship,’” said Reece. “If they plan to continue in the fall at PJC, they should enter ‘summer and fall scholarship’ and we will use the same application for the free summer class and the fall semester.”
Reece said many of the classes offered in Summer I or Summer II are from the Texas State Core Curriculum and transfer to Texas public universities. The process only takes about ten minutes; the online application at www.parisjc.edu/scholarships.
Once students are registered, more financial aid may be available. Qualifying students may also check out laptops to assist with online classes. Those planning to attend another school in the fall may still take advantage of the free class offer. For more questions about the free tuition for a Summer I or II class, contact Reece at [email protected] or Registrar Amie Cato at [email protected].
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.
I-30 Traffic Stop Nets Hydrocodone And Crack Cocaine, Felony 1 Arrest
An Interstate 30 traffic stop at 1:18 p.m. Sunday, May 8, 2022, netted hydrocodone, crack cocaine and one felony arrest.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Zack Steward reported stopping a Chrysler 300 for failure to signal a lane change. The driver, 56-year-old Tommy Lee Page of Lancaster, was discovered on a records check to have been arrested in Dallas earlier this year on a controlled substance charge, Steward noted in arrest reports. Page agreed to let the deputy search the car. The deputy reported finding three pill bottles, Two contained a total of 80.56 grams of suspected hydrocodone and the third contained 6.79 grams of suspected crack cocaine, Steward alleged in arrest reports.
As a result, Page was taken into custody at 3:29 p.m. and transported by Deputy Elijah Fite to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked in on possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of the Penalty Group 1 controlled substance crack cocaine, possession of 28 grams or more but less than 200 grams of the Penalty Group 3 controlled substance hydrocodone, and on a traffic warrant, according to arrest reports.
Page remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, May 10, 2022. His bonds totaled $30,000 – $15,000 per controlled substance charge, according to jail reports.
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.
Fatal Crash Reported Near Clarksville
A fatal crash was reported near Clarksville Monday afternoon. An Avery teen died and two Clarksville teens were hospitalized, according to officials.
Alexzandra Goodwin of Clarksville was reportedly driving a Ford Explorer with two passengers east on FM 114 in Red River County, about 4 miles east of Clarksville at 3 p.m. May 9, 2022. The truck ran off the roadway and rolled over, ejecting 18-year-old Harley Goodwin of Avery. The crash remains under investigation, according to Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Sgt. Gregg Williams.
The 17-year-old driver was transported to a nearby hospital with what were reported to be non-incapacitating injuries. Harley Goodwin was transported to a hospital, where she died from her injuries. A second passenger, 19-year-old Lindsay Hines of Clarksville was also transported to a hospital in that area for treatment of what were reported to be serious injuries; no additional information about Hines condition had been reported to DPS officials Tuesday afternoon.
Steps FDA Is Taking to Improve Specialty, Infant Formula Supply
Today (May 10, 2022), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on its work to increase the availability of infant and specialty formula products. On Feb. 17, the agency warned consumers not to use certain powdered infant formula products from Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan facility, and Abbott initiated a voluntary recall of certain products. Since that time, the agency has been working with Abbott and other manufacturers to bring safe products to the U.S. market.
“We recognize that many consumers have been unable to access infant formula and critical medical foods they are accustomed to using and are frustrated by their inability to do so. We are doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “Ensuring the availability of safe, sole-source nutrition products like infant formula is of the utmost importance to the FDA. Our teams have been working tirelessly to address and alleviate supply issues and will continue doing everything within our authority to ensure the production of safe infant formula products.”
Prior to the voluntary recall of several infant formula products produced at the Abbott Nutrition facility, the FDA was working to address supply chain issues associated with the pandemic including those impacting the infant formula industry. The FDA continues to take several significant actions to help increase the current supply of infant formula in the U.S. In fact, other infant formula manufacturers are meeting or exceeding capacity levels to meet current demand. Notably, more infant formula was purchased in the month of April than in the month prior to the recall.
Leveraging all of the tools at its disposal to support the supply of infant formula products, the FDA is:
- Meeting regularly with major infant formula manufacturers to better understand their capacity to increase production of various types of infant formulas and medical foods. The infant formula industry is already working to maximize their production to meet new demands. Efforts already underway by several infant formula manufacturers include optimizing processes and production schedules to increase product output, as well as prioritizing product lines that are of greatest need, particularly the specialty formulas.
- Helping manufacturers bring safe product to the market by expediting review of notifications of manufacturing changes that will help increase supply, particularly in the case of the specialized formulas for medical needs.
- Monitoring the status of the infant formula supply by using the agency’s 21 Forward food supply chain continuity system, combined with external data. 21 Forward was developed during the pandemic to provide a comprehensive, data-backed understanding of how COVID-19 is currently impacting food supply chains.
- Compiling data on trends for in-stock rates at both national and regional levels to help understand whether the right amount of infant formula is available in the right locations, and if not, where it should go.
- Expediting the necessary certificates to allow for flexibility in the movement of already permitted products from abroad into the U.S
- Offering a streamlined import entry review process for certain products coming from foreign facilities with favorable inspection records.
- Exercising enforcement discretion on minor labeling issues for both domestic and imported products to help increase volume of product available as quickly as possible.
- Reaching out to retailer stakeholder groups to request that their members consider placing purchase limits on some products in order to protect infant formula inventories for all consumers.
- Not objecting to Abbott Nutrition releasing product to individuals needing urgent, life-sustaining supplies of certain specialty and metabolic formulas on a case-by-case basis that have been on hold at its Sturgis facility. In these circumstances, the benefit of allowing caregivers, in consultation with their healthcare providers, to access these products may outweigh the potential risk of bacterial infection. The FDA is working to ensure health care provider associations and stakeholders understand information about the risks and benefits of pursuing this product.
It’s important to understand that only facilities experienced in and already making essentially complete nutrition products are in the position to produce infant formula product that would not pose significant health risks to consumers. The FDA established an Incident Management Group to continue coordinating longer-term activities, which is focused on working with other major infant formula manufacturers to increase supply and helping to ensure that production of infant formula products can safely resume at Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis facility, among other activities.
The agency continues to advise against making infant formulas at home and encourages caregivers to work with their child’s health care provider for recommendations on changing feeding practices, if needed.
The FDA will continue to dedicate all available resources to help ensure that infant formula products remain available for use in the U.S. and will keep the public informed of progress updates.
