Woman, 2 Men Jailed On Felony Warrants
A woman and two men were jailed in Hopkins County on felony warrants, including two wanted by out-of-town agencies, according to arrest and jail reports.
Delta County Sheriff’s Office located Justen Blake Saffel at his Pecan Gap residence and took him into custody on six Hopkins County warrants. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office deputies met the Delta County officers at the county line and took Saffel into custody and to jail. The 26-year-old remained in Hopkins County jail Friday evening on one warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for arson; one for bond forfeiture on an illegal dumping charge, three for failure to maintain financial responsibility, and one for speeding.
Arrested July 29, 2021, by Deputy Nick Marney was 19-year-old Chad Owen Dean of Commerce on a warrant for bond revocation on a possession of less than1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge. He remained in Hopkins County jail Friday, July 30, 2021. His new bond was set at $75,000.
At 11 a.m. July 29, Sgt. Todd Evans took Chelsea Renee Higginbotham into custody at the adult probation office on a Franklin County warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for felony assault of a family or household member with a previous conviction. The 30-year-old Pittsburg woman remained in Hopkins County jail Friday, July 30, on the charge.
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.
Investigation Into Stolen Firearms Results Location Of Methamphetamine, Warrant Arrest
Investigation into stolen firearms lead authorities to an East Industrial Drive motel, where a wanted man had a small quantity of methamphetamine, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a tip that a wanted person could possibly be in possession of stolen firearms and living at the East Industrial Drive residence. The deputies contacted the motel manager. A records check using the man’s name showed him to be wanted in Texarkana and Bowie County. Based on information gleaned, officers believed the man did have firearms in his room.
Deputies waited until they saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle, a silver Kia Soul with the back window broken out, pull into the parking lot at 2:47 p.m. July 29. They then conducted a traffic stop. The suspect, 34-year-old Joe Edward Rawson of Texarkana, was the front seat passenger. He was detained in handcuffs and gave deputies a false name, which he later admitted was because he was aware of a warrant for his arrest, Deputy Elijah Fite and Deputy Richard Brantley alleged in arrest reports.
When questioned about the firearms, he denied having any and agreed to let the deputies search his room. He admitted to having a methamphetamine pipe by his side of the bed. Deputies confirmed the man was indeed wanted in Texarkana for violation of probation which he was on for burglary of a vehicle and in Bowie County for violation of probation, which he was on for attempt to commit possession of a controlled substance. True to his word, officers failed to locate any firearms but did find multiple glass pipes of the kind used to smoke methamphetamine as well as a clear bag containing 0.2 gram of a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Rawson was arrested at 4:10 p.m. Thursday at the motel on the warrants as well as for possession of less than1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. A drug-fee zone enhancement was added due to the motel’s proximity to Paris Junior College.
The 34-year-old Texarkana, Texas man remained in Hopkins County jail Friday, July 30, 2021, in lieu of $5,000 on the controlled substance charge and $2,000 on the burglary charge. No bond was set on the other charge.
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.
Uplift Education Renews Partnership with A&M-Commerce
COMMERCE, Texas — Administrators from Uplift Education and Texas A&M University-Commerce met virtually on Thursday, July 29 to renew their long-standing partnership.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Uplift Education president Remy Washington, Ed.D., and A&M-Commerce president Mark Rudin, Ph.D. The agreement ensures that every Uplift student has an equal opportunity to access college education, no matter their socioeconomic status.
Uplift Education is a non-profit charter school company that operates 46 college-preparatory public charter schools and teaches 23,000 students on 22 campuses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to Uplift, most of their students will be the first in their families to attend college.
Since the partnership began in 2013, more than 1,900 Uplift students have been admitted to A&M-Commerce.
Through the partnership, A&M-Commerce supplies grants and scholarships to incoming Uplift students, hosts Uplift students on campus, presents parent-oriented programming to help families navigate the college application and matriculation process, and more.
This year, the school partnership will expand to include Auto-Admit Days, when graduating Uplift seniors will receive automatic and expedited admission to A&M-Commerce if they meet admission criteria.
Washington expressed appreciation for the partnership on behalf of Uplift Education.
“We are so fortunate to have a partner like A&M-Commerce,” she said. “We deeply understand that our students have needs, and you’re willing to work collaboratively to shape their lives for years to come.”
Rudin also expressed gratitude to Uplift Education.
“Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to consider you a great partner in this endeavor,” Rudin said. “We see our institution as a catalyst to transform lives, regardless of ethnicity and socioeconomic status.”
Read more about Uplift Education.
Securities Commissioner Enters Disciplinary Order Fining Waxahachie Investment Company
Legacy Wealth Advisors, Inc., a Texas registered investment adviser located in Waxahachie, Texas, consented to the entry of a Disciplinary Order that will require Legacy Wealth Advisors to pay an administrative fine of $15,000. The Disciplinary Order was entered today by the Securities Commissioner, Travis J. Iles.
The staff of the Texas State Securities Board conducts regular inspections of licensed investment advisers. During the inspection of Legacy Wealth Advisors, the staff found that Legacy Wealth Advisor’s registration with the Securities Commissioner had lapsed on two different occasions — 2019 and 2020 – for failure to timely pay annual renewal fees. In fact, Legacy Wealth Advisor was unlicensed for the entirety of 2020. Additionally, Legacy Wealth Advisors failed to timely renew the registrations of two investment adviser representatives. One of these remained unlicensed at the time of the inspection. Yet both Legacy Wealth Advisors and the two representatives had provided investment advice to their clients during this unregistered period. The Disciplinary Order sanctioned Legacy Wealth Advisors for providing investment advice in Texas while not registered with the Securities Commissioner.
During the inspection, the staff also found that Legacy Wealth Advisors had not developed written supervisory procedures relating to its activities as an investment adviser. Board Rule 116.10 requires investment advisers to do so, in order to prevent violations of applicable securities laws, such as failing to annually renew registrations. Legacy Wealth Advisors has agreed, as part of the Disciplinary Order, to retain an independent compliance consultant that will conduct a review of Legacy Wealth Advisor’s business activities as an investment adviser and assist the firm with developing written supervisory procedures and addressing other issues identified by the staff during the inspection.
Canceled: No Jury Duty Monday Morning At Civic Center
The jury panel summoned to appear August 2 at 8:30 a.m. at the Hopkins County Civic Center has been canceled. Thus, those called for that session do not need to report for duty Monday, acording to District Clerk Cheryl Fulcher.
End of July Also Marks End of Off-Season Activities for Sulphur Springs Sports Teams
It has been a busy summer for Sulphur Springs athletics.
With the conclusion of Wildcats basketball Edge yesterday, July 29, the summer strength and conditioning program for SSISD teams officially came to a close.
The men’s basketball program was originally slated to end July 22, after beginning June 14, but coach Brandon Shaver and his squad were forced to push back the end date of the Edge one week as campus-wide gym renovations were completed last week.
Coach Shaver also held his youth camp two weeks ago, from July 12-15 in the SSHS Main Gym. The new Wildcats basketball coach said camps like the ones Sulphur Springs holds are pivotal to building a family environment from the ground-up. Coach Shaver believes that these youth camps accomplish just that.
He also said that his student athletes have been learning the new system the coach implemented quickly, but he loves the buy-in from his varsity athletes and expects a tough, defense-oriented team that is still able to score consistently.
The season schedule for Coach Shaver’s Wildcats should be released here in the coming days.
The second full week of July was arguably the busiest week of the summer: not only was the boys basketball camp held, but football, cross country, and both boys and girls soccer finished up their six week runs of the Edge on Thursday, July 15.
Greg Owens, head football coach and athletic director of SSISD, has enjoyed the ability to get back to the Edge and be able to do the things that they wish to do without so many COVID-19 restrictions, something Coach Ross Hicks, cross country coach echoed.
And even though a new defensive coordinator in Kurt McCain has brought in a new system, several coaches from Coach Owens’ staff do not feel like there has been a steep learning curve, in fact, a number of football coaches have enjoyed watching Coach McCain implement his new system and noted his hands-on abilities and attention to detail.
While the number of attendees may not have been entirely what the football coach was hoping for, another sentiment shared by several coaches, Coach Owens, Coach Matt Young, and Coach Casey Jeter all thought progress went well and are excited for game-time action.
The season schedule for football was released last week, on July 20.
Moving over to cross country, Coach Ross Hicks could not stress enough how much buy-in he has seen from his student-athletes.
Numbers may not have been entirely what the cross country coach was hoping for, citing jobs as a big reason for a number of his athletes not attending the Edge, but the Sulphur Springs XC coach said his students have stayed vigilant in their quest for improvement.
Coach Hicks said a lot of his students have been tracking their progress and sending it to the coach, clearly demonstrating his athletes’ desire to better not only themselves but their team as well.
The Wildcats and Lady Cats XC coach said he looks forward to seeing how this dedicated team performs come fall.
Cross country fans will not have to wait long, though, as Sulphur Springs will be hosting an intra squad meet right here in Sulphur Springs on August 14. The event is free to attend.
For the varsity and middle school cross country schedules, click here.
Now on to both soccer teams, starting with women’s soccer, Coach Javier Aguayo, head coach of the Lady Cats soccer program voiced similar concerns as several other coaches wishing that he had more student-athlete attendees.
While the coach said they took the Edge day-by-day, trying best to adjust to who all shows up, but luckily for Coach Aguayo he has an incredibly talented nucleus of returning players who have regularly attended the summer strength and conditioning program, providing invaluable leadership to a program that lost a number of talented seniors.
Coach Aguayo would go on to miss a few Edge sessions as he rehabbed his leg, but it would be no matter as Coach Salvador Mejia, or Coach Sal, a Wildcats assistant coach, and Coach Steven Moreno, head assistant to Coach Aguayo, picked up where Coach Aguayo left off and got to work.
Coach Moreno echoed several statements that Aguayo made in mid-June; to have a number of talented players return, and on top of that to have a talented incoming eighth grade class, it is hard not to wonder if the Lady Cats are in good hands for the foreseeable future.
Men’s soccer went very well, according to HC Alexi Upton. The Wildcats soccer coach said in the second week of his six week run of the Edge that about 1 in 3 students in the soccer program attended the summer strength and conditioning program.
He said that the biggest obstacle his teams faced were his athletes working summer jobs, which forced the coach to adjust.
Fortunately for the Wildcats soccer coach, the student-athletes who attended the Edge regularly attended, so he will surely start off with a strong nucleus of players.
The coach said his team this year will have to work harder this year to be successful as they lost several key players to graduation. Luckily for Coach Upton, he has seen several freshmen and sophomores on his squad step up and put in the work daily to improve.
He said Wildcats fans should expect a well-organized team who works hard.
But before Coach Upton could shift his focus to prepping for the Winter season, he held the youth soccer camp at the Multi-Purpose Building this week.
Women’s basketball had a shorter run of the Edge; most teams had six-week runs of the summer strength and conditioning program, while women’s basketball only went for four weeks.
Not only did the Lady Cats basketball team have a shorter summer skills program than other teams who hold the Edge, the women’s basketball team also had to grapple with the loss of head coach Brittney Tisdell.
Coach Tisdell returned home to her alma mater to coach North Lamar, confirming the news by text in late June.
Losing a head coach is never easy, especially losing said coach when your summer skills program just got underway.
Luckily for a talented nucleus that the Lady Cats possess, they were able to keep working until news broke in mid-July that Erica Delley, former Greenville Lady Lions head coach, accepted the head coaching position in Sulphur Springs.
KSST will be meeting with the new Lady Cats head coach on Monday to discuss what it means to be here in Sulphur Springs and to helm this program.
Volleyball, like women’s basketball, had a shorter run of the Edge compared to other teams. Both women’s basketball and volleyball Edges began on June 14 and ran until July 8.
Coach Bailey Dorner, head Lady Cats volleyball coach, said that her team breezed through their four-week run of the Edge.
She said that her team has worked hard continuously and were consistently working to better themselves each and every day of the summer strength and conditioning program.
Even though she lost a number of talented seniors to graduation, notably Sadie Washburn, Coach Dorner has not had to ask her players to step up and take leadership on this team, saying it has been a natural progression.
Like cross country and football, Coach Bailey Dorner and her volleyball squad hit the ground running in August when they begin scrimmage and tournament play.
The volleyball schedule, which was submitted to KSST on Monday, July 12, can be found here.
But before games get underway, Coach Dorner will be holding volleyball tryouts starting August 2 from 8 A.M. to 11 A.M. and then 12 P.M. to 1 P.M. in the SSHS Main Gym.
Wrapping up with team tennis, coached by Tony Martinez, also wrapped up the Edge this week. Tennis had the notable advantage of not only starting before all other Edges, beginning on June 1, but also held their summer strength and conditioning program later than all others (that is, before basketball was pushed back a week).
Coach Martinez said he continuously, especially year-after-year, sees more and more interest for tennis here in Sulphur Springs. The team tennis coach said he had 35 student-athlete attendees on June 1 and 18-20 kindergarten through ninth grade students at the youth tennis camp held during the week of June 7.
He also cited the coronavirus and quarantine as contributing factors to an increased desire in tennis.
Not only that, but Coach Martinez said in a late-June interview that he sees a hunger for success in a lot of his younger, middle school students. To see such a passion for winning is something that brings a smile to the tennis coach’s face.
The Edge wrapped up on July 25. Even though the summer skills program may have concluded, though, Coach Martinez and his squad have been practicing from 7 to 9 P.M. at the Tennis Center this week in preparation for their first meet, held right here in Sulphur Springs, on Aug. 2.
The team tennis schedule can be found here.
With youth camps and now the Edge for all varsity teams that hold the summer strength and conditioning concluded, coaches in Sulphur Springs are either taking a breather before jumping head-first in to the season or are prepping for their first taste of action.
August is set to be a busy month as several teams will hit the ground running as soon as the first week of the month.
Tennis, volleyball, cross country and football all play their first scrimmages and meets throughout the first two weeks of August.
Tennis is set to have their first meet at the Tennis Center on Aug. 2 when they host Sherman and Denison at 9 A.M. and 1 P.M., respectively.
Volleyball will follow shortly thereafter, playing their first scrimmage on August 7, followed by football’s first scrimmage versus Liberty Eylau on Aug. 13 and the following day will be cross country’s intra squad meet held right here in Sulphur Springs.
For more season schedules, or to stay up to date with all things Wildcats and Lady Cats, be sure to stay tuned in to KSST over the coming week.
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.
Constitutional Amendment Order Decided for November 2, 2021 Election
AUSTIN, Texas – Deputy Secretary of State Joe Esparza today drew the ballot order for the 8 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution that will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot. In order to appear on the ballot, the proposed amendments must be approved by at least two-thirds of the members of both the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.
Texans will have the opportunity to approve the following amendments with a majority vote:
Proposition 1 (HJR 143)
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the professional sports team charitable foundations of organizations sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association to conduct charitable raffles at rodeo venues.”
Proposition 2 (HJR 99)
“The constitutional amendment authorizing a county to finance the development or redevelopment of transportation or infrastructure in unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted areas in the county.”
Proposition 3 (SJR 27)
“The constitutional amendment to prohibit this state or a political subdivision of this state from prohibiting or limiting religious services of religious organizations.”
Proposition 4 (SJR 47)
“The constitutional amendment changing the eligibility requirements for a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the court of criminal appeals, a justice of a court of appeals, and a district judge.”
Proposition 5 (HJR 165)
“The constitutional amendment providing additional powers to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct with respect to candidates for judicial office.”
Proposition 6 (SJR 19)
“The constitutional amendment establishing a right for residents of certain facilities to designate an essential caregiver for in-person visitation.”
Proposition 7 (HJR 125)
“The constitutional amendment to allow the surviving spouse of a person who is disabled to receive a limitation on the school district ad valorem taxes on the spouse’s residence homestead if the spouse is 55 years of age or older at the time of the person’s death.”
Proposition 8 (SJR 35)
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services of the United States who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.”
For more information and resources for voting in Texas, visit VoteTexas.gov.
Gilmore, Matthews’ Service To SSPD Celebrated At Retirement Reception
Thursday was a bittersweet day for Sulphur Springs Police Department. Officers, staff, city employees and friends gathered at City Hall to celebrate the service of two tenured public servants who collectively have dedicated more than 58 years to the police department and to wish the pair well as they begin the next chapter in their lives — retirement.
Cynthia “Cyndi” Matthews on June 29, 2021, submitted to SSPD Chief Jason Ricketson and Communications Supervisor Nancy Stillwagoner written notice that she will be retiring on July 31, 2021. She noted the decision was a hard one, after serving 26 years as a communications operator for SSPD, but felt the time was right to retire from dispatch.
Detective Sgt. David Gilmore then notified Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson July 22 of his intent to retire after 32 years and 4 months service at SSPD. He completed the last day of his tenured career with the department on July 29, 2021. While technically retiring, Gilmore is more or less trading in one badge for another. He has accepted the position of chief of North Hopkins ISD Police Department.
“This is a good day and a bad day. I know David is going to do good things at North Hopkins and. Cyndi, I know it’s a good day for you because of no more shift work, no more midnights. I know you’ll enjoy that,” Chief Ricketson said during Thursday’s retirement reception for Matthews and Gilmore. “It’s a bad day for the department because there’s no way you can replace 32 and 26 years of experience. There’s no way we can replace that — something we’ve lost that we can never get back.”
Ricketson said for him personally, the retirements mean even less of the “original crew” he worked with 25 years ago in the beginning of his career who are still in law enforcement.
“That’s kind of a sad day for me because there’s only a handful of us left. It’s a different time. You know that. I want to wish you the best,” Ricketson told Matthews and Gilmore.
The chief presented her with a plaque of recognition for “26 years of unwavering commitment to public service, sound judgement, calm demeanor and team work. Your dedicated service played an integral role in the success of this department.” He then congratulated her on her “well-deserved retirement.”
Ricketson asked those attending the retirement reception July 29 to sign a mat, which was taken Thursday afternoon to be sealed with a wooden badge and Matthews’ name placed in the center, a keepsake she can hang on her wall to commemorate the occasion.
Used to giving short directives to officers behind the scenes or interacting one-on-one with them when they visit the communications center, Matthews kept her remarks short.
“I appreciate everybody that came today. I’ve enjoyed working with all of you. I’m going to miss yall. Thank you,” Matthews said simply.
Ricketson too presented a plaque to Gilmore in recognition of “32 years of professionalism, dedication and service to the citizens of Sulphur Springs and Sulphur Springs Police Department.”
Gilmore also received from the Law Enforcement Association, in appreciation for his years of service, a shadow box featuring badges, patches, name tags and pins worn during his years at SSPD.
Gilmore first thanked God for “for keeping me safe and my family safe, for just giving me the knowledge and ability to be able to do this job for 32 years. I know I’ve needed it at times. We all do, most of the guys in here are public servants — police or dispatchers, some firemen. You’ve got to have help from a higher power sometimes and I needed it. I thank Him for that,” Sgt. Det. Gilmore said.
Gilmore has dedicated more than half of his life to SSPD, where he served under four chiefs: Donnie Lewis, Jim Bayuk, Jay Sanders and Jason Ricketson. He worked his way up from patrol officer to officer and detective sergeant.
He began is career on March 16, 1989, working as a patrol officer on the midnight shift with Andy Chester as his first training officer and really “loved it.” He recalled one of his first nights on patrol, driving down Oak Avenue in a patrol vehicle with Chester with the Fine Young Cannibals song, ‘You Drive Me Crazy,” playing, each shaking his head and rocking in their seats along with the music. At that point, he decided he “might stay here a while.”
However, Gilmore credited Jay Owens as his favorite supervisor, one of the most serious people you’ll meet but also one who can be funny.
Gilmore recalled earlier days on patrol, when he, Owens, Steve Hudson and even Lewis Tatum were on patrol, ensuring people who “needed attention” got it.
He then turned to address Matthews: “And Cyndi, you helped, by either sending me on a portable call or sending me backup units. I want to thank you for doing that and taking care of us, and all the dispatchers that did it over the years. And to all the officers that were there, we had each others’ backs,” he noted.
Often, he said, officers are told not to take the job home with them. He challenged each public servant there to show him the man or woman who can truly abide by that.
“You can’t not take stuff home. You can compartmentalize it, put it in, but when you get home and you’re in the idle time, that’s when stuff replays in your mind – or at least that’s how it was for me,” Gilmore noted.
The detective sergeant said retirement from SSPD has seemed a bit surreal, although filling out the required paperwork with the city’s human resources officer cemented the decision. While going through desk drawers over the last week, he ran across folders and files, containing various old cases and photos. Some were funny, personal photos involving longtime and former coworkers.
Others represented the many milestones that have occurred while he has worked for SSPD. During his years with the police department, his two children were born. He’s also been blessed with “two good wives,” Sallie who passed away in 2007, and Angie, who Gilmore acknowledge has “put up with me for 14 years.”
Gilmore noted a memo he found while cleaning out his desk this week signaled another huge marker not only in his life but those of all US residents old enough to remember 2001. Issued just after 9/11 by SSPD Chief Jim Bayuk, who had assigned at least one officer to every school in Sulphur Springs following the terrorist attacks and sent the memo addressing “suspicious substances,” particularly anthrax. He recalled responding shortly thereafter at the hospital, where a white powdery substance had been found on a pallet on a loading dock.
“I remember standing there with the fire chief and with the administrator of the hospital district. There were no detectives there — everybody was busy doing something. We were fixing to decide whether to evacuate Hopkins County Memorial Hospital, and all I could remember thinking was David don’t screw this up, because that was going to be a major deal,” Gilmore recalled. “Fortunately, we decided against doing that.”
That, he noted just shows that “in law enforcement, whether an officer or a dispatcher,” the job affects you.
“This job affects you mentally and physically. There’s some rewarding sides to law enforcement, but there are also times that there are some major events in our city and our citizens’ lives, and we’ve dealt with it,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore concluded by expressing appreciation to “every officer who’s ever helped me along the way,” past and present. He also offered thanks to wife Angie “for what you do.”
“I thank everybody for everything. I’m just moving up north, not going fishing – I wish I was,” Gilmore said of his new duties as chief of NHISD Police Department. “If you need cover, I’ll be there.”
In addition to a cake, a poster featuring photos of each retiree at various stages of their careers at SSPD, the celebration included a fajita meal from Los Mochis.
CHRISTUS-Sulphur Springs COVID Counts: 9,200 Vaccines Administered, 1,233 Inpatient & 75 Outpatient Infusions, 507 Inpatients Treated
Local Blood Supply At An All-Time Low creating Serious Supply Issue – Aug. 18 Drive Slated
By Holly Ragan, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
Sulphur Springs, Texas, July 30, 2021 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital - Sulphur Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Health Ministry of Jesus Christ.
Giving the Community Our Best Shot
Our Sulphur Springs ministry is happy to report that we have administered approximately 9,200 COVID vaccines (the combination of all three brands), as well as 1,233 inpatient infusions of Remdesivir to patients in the hospital. We have also administered around 75 outpatient infusions of the MABs (Bamlanivimab/Regeneron combo). In total, we have treated 507 inpatients with COVID, 498 ER patients, and 85 observation patients, since January 1, 2020.
COVID Vaccine Clinics:
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs will host a COVID Vaccine Clinic every Friday morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the main lobby of the hospital beginning through August 27, 2021. The available vaccines include Moderna (2-doses, ages 18 and older), Pfizer (2-doses, ages 12 and older) and Johnson & Johnson (1-dose, ages 18 and older), Appointments are not required.
Carter Bloodcare Blood Drive
The Carter Bloodcare Bus will be parked in the front parking lot of our hospital in Sulphur Springs on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Our local blood supply is at an all-time low creating a serious supply issue.
To sign up to give blood, or for questions, please call Yeon Mi Kim at 903.438.4380 or call/text Carter Bloodcare at 800.366.2834. All donors will receive a free t-shirt.
Please help us preserve our masks for clinical use, and BRING YOUR OWN MASK
With COVID cases rapidly increasing in our community, the hospital requires all visitor to wear a mask while in the facility. There is no entry into the hospital without a mask. Visitors may wear a cloth or medical mask. Thank you for your continued support of the safety of our patients and associates.
Hospital Visitation
Please note the following guidelines:
- Visitors must acquire masks themselves prior to entering our facility; cloth masks are
acceptable. Masks must cover both the nose and the mouth. Visitors must remain
masked during their time in the hospital. - 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 .pm.
- Types of Visitors:
- COVID receiving aerosol treatments: via tele-visitation only;
- COVID not receiving aerosol treatments: 1 Essential support person at a
time – Essential support person will be given a visible wrist band - ICU/ER: 1 Essential support person only
- All other patients may have 1 Essential support person and 1 visitor (up to
2 persons in room at a time)
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
Tira News – July 29, 2021: A 100 Year Old Woman Kayaks At Cooper Lake
By Jan Vaughn
Landon, Laiken, Dixie, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden Joslin camped at Cooper Lake State Park last week. Chip, Grace, and I visited them on Saturday evening and swam with the kids. Grace (100) and Chip paddled on the kayaks for a little while, and then we got supper from Tejano’s Mexican Restaurant in Cooper and all enjoyed eating together at the camp site. Laiken’s aunt, Rhonda Harness, brought her grandchildren, Brailee and Levi, over to visit, swim, and play on the kayaks on Friday.
Jason Beck, son of Kim & Lee Beck, will be wrapping up his Naval career and will be heading home from Japan next week. He will have a stop in Washington and then making his way to Dallas to start his new chapter. Kim shared, “We are excited to see him and want to thank Jason for his service!” I know I speak for many others in expressing our appreciation for his service, as well!
Yvonne Weir reported, “Natalie picked up Everly Saturday morning. (Natalie & Dustin had been traveling in Mexico.) Dacy and the kids, also, came by and Eli fished.” She adds, “It was good to see them before I left for South Dakota.” Yvonne enjoys traveling back there to spend time at her family home place.
If you know of anyone who would be interested in a custodial job at North Hopkins ISD in the evenings – 3-11:30 p.m., please have them contact the school at 903-945-2192, Option 3.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
