County Tax Rate Reduced By 4 Cents, Balanced Budget Includes Raises, Budget Increases
Hopkins County Commissioners Court have adopted a tax rate that is 4 cents lower and a balance budget that includes raises and increases to some budget areas.
Tax Rate Reduction
As proposed by County Tax Assessor/Collector Debbie Mitchell based on the formula given by the state and months worth of budget sessions the tax rate approved on Aug. 23 by the Commissioners Court is $0.584035, down from the current county tax rate of $0.624892 per $100 property valuation.
Although lower, that tax rate is expected to raise $888,540 or 6.9 percent more than the current 2020 tax rate, with $280,336 of the tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year. An overall increase in tax appraisals also contributes to the increase in revenue. In other words, while a property owner’s tax rate is down, an increase in appraisal value does not necessarily mean their tax bill will decrease. An increase in appraisal value could mean very little difference or, depending on the appraisal increase, or even an increase in the amount the property owner has to pay for their property bill.
Commissioner Wade Bartley pointed out while the Commissioners Court can control the tax rate, the group does not have any control over tax values; that is handled by the appraisal office.
County Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook also noted that the county has recently received and A+ Rating, which has allowed the county to pay down some debt.
Budget
The Commissioners Court also approved salaries for elected officials and the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget for Hopkins County.
According to the proposed budget posted on the Hopkins County website for the year beginning Oct. 1, 2021 and ending Sept. 30, 2022, the county judge, county clerk, district clerk, justices of the peace, county attorney, county auditor, county treasurer, tax assessor/collector, sheriff and commissioners salary as elected officials is set at $66,107, while the County Court-At-Law elected salary is $70,591 and constables’ salary is $62,501.
Also approved during the Aug. 23 meeting was the pay for the court stenographer (shorthand court reporter) for the 62nd Judicial District. Hopkins County will pay part of the salary and the three other counties in the district – Delta, Franklin and Lamar – will pay the rest. Hopkins and Lamar are larger, so they will pay a larger portion of the salary.
Aulsbrook reports the FY 21-22 budget will be balanced, even with a $0.040857 reduction in county tax rate, and leave $4 million remaining in the county’s general fund in keeping with policy at the end of the year.
Even through the pandemic, the county managed to pay down on debts and save in many areas of the budget due to inmate trustee programs and housing of federal inmates, she noted.
“These combined changes have allowed us to give across the board raises to all elected officials and county employees, as well as assist the budget in many areas,” Aulsbrook said.
Members of the County Commissioners Court after the Aug. 13 meeting reported a 12 percent pay increase, thanks to those special programs.
Also incorporated into the FY 2021-22 budget are three additional personnel at the sheriff’s office: a jail nurse, an additional jailer position and an additional dispatch position to meet the growing needs at the jail.
“All three judges – the 8th and 62nd Judicial District and County Court-At-Law – were granted funding in their Court Appointed Attorney expenses,” Aulsbrook said.
The volunteer fire department budget will also receive an overall increase to assist with the purchase of tires, and Hopkins County Fire Department will receive an increase overall to cover repairs and maintenance of buildings and vehicles in the FY 2021-22 budget, Aulsbrook also noted.
The budget proposal shows $215,000 budgeted to the VFDs, up from $214,200 in FY 2021 and $188,00 in FY 2019-2020. In a previous meeting, it was noted that the commissioners have opted to have the money received for turning in scrap metal to the volunteer fire departments to help with tire expenses. The county added $12,116 to the budget for this operating expense. Another $800 is allocated for pump testing for VFDs.
The budget also shows $557,247 allocated to HCFD for personnel, up from $522,883 in the FY 2020-21 budget and $507,684 for 2019-2020. Another $184,833 is allocated for operating costs, including $1,250 addition for direct operations; $3,000 more for gas, oil and grease; $6,000 more for repairs and maintenance; $364 more for maintenance agreements, $68 more for uniforms, and $1,000 more for office equipment. Overall, HCFD’s operating costs are expected to be $184,833, which when coupled with the $40,000 grant match and personnel brings the total HCFD budget to $782,090,
Another notable inclusion in the FY 21-22 budget is funding in the elections budget to purchase the mandates elections equipment for future elections.
Another budgetary change can be found in the courthouse security budget, which is decreasing from $75,016 to $16,300. The county completely cut out security salaries, which were budgeted at $40,163 that last year, as well as related amounts such as $8,256 in group insurance and $150 in longevity pay. When Butch Adams retired as security officer earlier this summer, funding for the security position switched from the courthouse to the sheriff’s office, as sheriff’s officers will work rotating shifts to handle all security for court systems.
“We are grateful for the cooperation from all elected officials, appointed officials, departments heads and county staff to help develop the FY 2021-2022 budget. In this challenging financial environment, their cooperation has been essential in helping the County keep its finances on a sound footing. I believe the budget provides the frame work to help us navigate through the anticipated challenges during FY2022, and by working together we have found ways within all departments to work smarter, be intentional with the tax payers’ dollars and to make the money stretch further than ever,” Aulsbrook concluded.
Cumby Mobile Home Heavily Damaged By Fire; 1 Fatality Confirmed
A Cumby mobile home was heavily damaged and one fatality confirmed as a result of a fire late Tuesday afternoon.
The blaze was called in just before 5 p.m. Aug. 24, 2021, as a structure fire with one possible entrapment. Cumby, Hopkins County, Miller Grove, Campbell, Commerce, Arbala and Brinker firefighters responded, along with Cumby Police, Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputies and Hopkins County EMS.
A neighbor reported seeing the smoke across the street and, aware an elderly man who is bedridden and on oxygen resides in the home, attempted to reach reach him. Unfortunately, due to the heavy smoke and fire, he was not able to get past the man’s window, firefighters were told.
Firefighters reported heavy fire blazing in the mobile home upon arrival at the Mill Street address, about a block from downtown Cumby. Firefighters got the fire knocked down relatively quickly. However, some places within the mobile home were thought to still be smoldering at 6 p.m., so firefighters remained on scene while investigators from more than one agency worked together to investigate at the scene Tuesday evening.
Hopkins County Fire Department officials just before 9 p.m. Tuesday confirmed the resident had been located deceased within the structure. The cause of the fire ha yet to be determined and the investigation is ongoing, HCFD investigators reported.
Wildcats Football’s Friday Opponent Changed to Frisco High School
The Wildcats football team’s original Friday opponent, Frisco Wakeland, had to cancel their game with Sulphur Springs Wildcats football head coach Greg Owens confirmed over text on Tuesday, Aug. 24.
Now, Coach Owens and his players will be taking on Frisco High School for their season opener on Friday, Aug. 27.
The Raccoons were originally to be traveling to Garland to take on Naaman Forest on Friday, but are now taking on Sulphur Springs at Gerald Prim Stadium for their season opener.
Frisco High School went 8-2 last season, finishing second in District 7-5A losing only to Lucas Lovejoy in the regular season.
The Raccoons went three rounds deep in the playoffs before falling to Aledo in the Regional Quarterfinal round of playoffs.
But that was the 2020 team. Now, both schools are prepped to get their seasons underway when Frisco High School comes to town on Friday, Aug. 27 to take on the Wildcats at 7:30 P.M. for both teams’ football season openers.
The game will be broadcasted on KSST 1230 AM and, if possible, will be live-streamed on our Youtube channel as well.
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.
Travel Tuesday: Atlas World Navigator Inaugural Cruise
Atlas Ocean Voyages’ new ship set sail on it’s inaugural voyage from Athens, Greece, with Rhonda and Chad Young from Sulphur Springs being welcomed as the first guests to check in on the cruise line’s first ship for it’s first passenger cruise. Atlas President, Alberto Aliberti, greeted the Youngs and shared that he was a “fellow Texan” as he went to high school in South Texas. Aliberti has made his way through the cruise industry starting in reception and working his way up as a shore excursion director with several cruise lines before developing the U.S. expansion of the new luxe cruise line owned by Mystic Invest Holdings. Atlas Ocean Voyages plans to have five ships and specialize in immersive experiences including voyages to Antarctica.
The Cruise
World Navigator set out to spend nine days at sea and was planned to end up in Alexandria, Egypt with stops in several ports throughout Greece and a special opportunity for it’s passengers to view the pyramids in Cairo at night. The ship had that “new ship smell” as we boarded and made our way to our stateroom. The ship is beautifully decorated with rich dark woods and bold color schemes that gives every part of the ship a luxurious feel. Certainly a smaller ship with overall capacity of 196 passengrs, but the layout of each public space gives the ship a feeling of plenty of space for whatever activity is taking place.
We found the staff to be friendly and eager to please, as we discovered some staff members were new to the industry, while others had worked at other cruise lines before. This first sailing would not be without the expected hiccups as the cruise line sought to “work out the kinks” of having passengers. Most of these hiccups proved to be minor and the staff improved their delivery of service each day.
Covid protocols were in place as all staff members wore masks and all passengers were tested before boarding the ship as well as tested at our last port in Greece before leaving the European Union on our way to Egypt. One passenger returned a positive test result from this test and the Atlas staff quickly sprung into action, by not only retesting the passenger, but quarantining other passengers in close contact with the positive passenger as the ship’s doctor awaited results from the subsequent tests. In the end, only the one passenger proved to be positive, but that was enough for our ship to turn around and head back to our last port in Greece. Due to European Union Covid protocols, that passenger would have to disembark in Greece and quarantine until testing negative. The other passengers on the cruise thought our cruise would be cut short, but we quickly found out the level of service provided by this new cruise line. An announcement was made over the ship’s public address system that Atlas executives had arranged for chartered plans to fly all of the other passengers from Greece to Cairo, Egypt so that we could continue our vacation and visit the pyramids of Giza. This is a level of service that we have never seen on any cruise line or tour operator.
Final Thoughts
Although this was the very first cruise of new cruise line, I thought the crew and staff did an excellent job of making sure everything went according to plan. With the added challenge of launching a new brand in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, the company went “above and beyond” at every level to ensure we had a safe, healthy and complete trip. Most everyone on the trip chose this sailing to see the pyramids, and among lots of challenges Atlas was able to deliver that experience for everyone.
To learn more, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com.
For more information about Atlas Ocean Voyages cruises or to request pricing contact us at: [email protected]
Paris Junior College Sulphur Springs Campus Classes Begin Monday August 30th
SCHEDULE
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center student Pedro Mendoza of Sulphur Springs picked up his fall semester schedule from Campus Office Manager Dana Smock prior to the start of classes on August 30. Registration for fall continues. Call 903-885-1232 for information.
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.
Wildcat and Lady Cats Tickets On Sale Now Online
Wildcats football coach and SSISD athletic director Greg Owens sent out a notice earlier today saying that athletic tickets for games can be purchased, but they will be sold online.
High school athletic tickets may be purchased online at http://www.ssisd.net/
SSISD is online for all high school athletic contests.
The button to press for any and all tickets related to Wildcats and Lady Cats sports can be found below.
For any other sports updates and notifications, be sure to stay tuned to KSST 1230 AM or ksstradio.com.
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.
Lady Cats Volleyball’s Tuesday Night Match With Quinlan Ford Cancelled
Coach Bailey Dorner reached out to KSST early Tuesday morning to give an update regarding their Tuesday, Aug. 24 match with Sulphur Springs.
Visiting Quinlan Ford has to cancel their game Tuesday night at Sulphur Springs due to the coronavirus.
The forfeit on the Lady Panthers’ part gives the Lady Cats volleyball team a win, increasing their overall record to 9-7.
This is the second forfeit for a team facing the Lady Cats volleyball team in the fall 2021 season due to the coronavirus; the first occurred on day two of the Garland Tournament on Aug. 14 when the first opponent on the day for the Lady Cats, Ranchview, also had to pull out of the tourney due to COVID-19.
With that, the Lady Cats now have an acting bye today and will shift their focus to Thursday’s Edgewood tournament.
The first match in the Edgewood tournament for Coach Dorner’s squad will be against Van at noon.
After that the Lady Cats volleyball team will be back on the court for their second match on the day at 2 P.M. when they play Caddo Mills.
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.
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Approved By FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday fully approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.
The vaccine will also continue to be available under emergency use authorization for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals, the FDA announced Aug. 23, 2021,
“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”
For Comirnaty, the biologics license application (BLA) builds on the extensive data and information previously submitted that supported the emergency use authorization (EUA), such as preclinical and clinical data and information, as well as details of the manufacturing process, vaccine testing results to ensure vaccine quality, and inspections of the sites where the vaccine is made. The FDA conducted its own analyses of the information in the BLA to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective and meets the FDA’s standards for approval, as is part of the standard process, according to the news release from FDA.
The safety of Comirnaty was evaluated in approximately 22,000 people who received the vaccine and 22,000 people who received a placebo 16 years of age and older, and based on results from the clinical trial, the vaccine was 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 disease. More than half of the clinical trial participants were followed for safety outcomes for at least four months after the second dose. Overall, approximately 12,000 recipients have been followed for at least 6 months.
The most commonly reported side effects by those clinical trial participants who received Comirnaty were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, and fever. The vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 and potentially serious outcomes including hospitalization and death, the FDA concluded.
Some say as the delta variant spreads, overwhelming some hospital systems, the FDA approval couldn’t come soon enough. Some have refrained from being vaccinated against COVID-19, citing lack of information and study into the side effects of the drug and lack of FDA approval. As of Monday, lack of approval is no longer a defense for the Pfizer product now being marketed as Comirnaty.
As of Aug. 23, 2021, a total of 2,914,188 COVID cases have been confirmed in Texas, including 4,809 new confirmed cases, 917 new probable cases and 29 new fatalities reported for Texas on Monday. Cumulatively, from March 2020 to Aug. 22, a totla of 54,023 deaths have been reported in Texas, according to Texas Department of State Health Services.
In Texas 28,332,965 doses of COVID vaccines had been administered as off 11:50 p.m. Sunday. A total of 16,096,758 people in Texas have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 13,370,501 Texans are fully vaccinated, according to Texas Health and Human Services.
In Hopkins County this month 100 residents have been lab confirmed to have COVID-19, 48 additional residents have been reported as probable cases of COVID, six people have died from the virus, 94 have recovered and 279 residents were reported to still actively have COVID-19 on Monday, Aug. 23. That makes 120 who have died, 2291 who have been lab-confirmed to have the virus since March 2020, another 1861 who’ve been reported as probable cases since last fall when the state began tracking these types of cases, and 3753 Hopkins County resident who recovered from the virus since March 2020.
A total of 22,829 does of COVID vaccine have been administered in Hopkins County since Dec. 14, 2020. In the last month, 1,452 doses of COVID vaccine have been administered, 428 the first week, 513 the second week and 511 last week. Overall, 13,030 people have been vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine and 10,799 are reported to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Doses of all three types of COVID-19 can be found locally at various locations in town. CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital- Sulphur Springs currently offers a COVID vaccine clinic in the hospital lobby each Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. All three types of vaccine are available, the Pfizer FDA approved vaccine as well as the emergency use approved Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Appointments are not required, but a parent or guardian must accompany anyone 17 and younger eligible for the appropriate vaccine.
To find a vaccine provider nearby, go online to https://www.vaccines.gov/search/, call 1-800-232-0233, or contact your primary healthcare provider or preferred pharmacy. Search options on the include by all or specific types of shots, distance from your location and locations with available appointments.
To find a COVID-19 testing site, visit https://covidtest.tdem.texas.gov/, or contact your primary healthcare provider or preferred pharmacy.
Don’t Be Alarmed, City’s Warning Sirens Will Be Tested Today
City emergency officials plan to test the warning sirens throughout the city Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2021, during the noon hour, according to Sulphur Springs Police Chief/Emergency Management Coordinator Jason Ricketson.
This will only be a test, to ensure the warning devices are properly functioning should the city experience any emergency situation that requires immediate action, such as a tornado requiring people to take shelter. Tune into KSST 1230 AM for severe weather updates.
When Encountering A Rain Of Wooly Aphids
By Dr. Mario Villarino, Extension Agent, Ag./Natural Resources, Hopkins County, [email protected]
As we were walking away from the Hopkins County Courthouse earlier today after our Commissioner’s Court interpretation, we ran into a “rain” of woolly aphids just as we tried to get into our vehicle.
A common name for woolly alder aphid (Prociphilus tessellatus) is the maple blight aphid because of the dense, white, woolly masses it produces on the leaves and twigs of its primary host, silver maple (and occasionally red maple). The aphids on the trees are wingless, plump, gray, and concealed beneath their own dense, white, waxy strands. These feed on sap from the maple trees from the time of bud-break until late June. Then, winged adults, some with abdomens covered in white fluffy wax, are produced in the colonies. These winged migrants readily fly when disturbed and create the illusion of tiny masses of cotton floating through the air.
These aphids are leaving the maple trees and flying to alders, where they will establish new colonies on the secondary host. Woolly alder aphids require both alder and maple trees to complete their life cycle.
They are similar to true aphids, but have white waxy strands covering their pear-shaped bodies. The wax filaments make these aphids look fluffy and cottony, as if they are covered with wool. The wax also keeps predators away from these aphids and helps them move easily around plant hairs. In most cases, management is not necessary for the health of trees and shrubs, especially large mature plants.
Similar to other aphids, natural enemies (lacewings, lady beetles, hover flies and parasitic wasps) help keep woolly aphid numbers low. Woolly aphids are not affected by horticultural oils and soaps, like other aphids. This is because the waxy secretions of the woolly aphids and the distorted leaves do not allow the pesticide to enter the leaves. Contact pesticides, like permethrin, also do not work on woolly aphids for the same reason.
In cases where management is necessary to protect plants, systemic pesticides, like imidacloprid and dinotefuran, are the most effective against woolly aphids. However, imidacloprid and dinotefuran are very toxic to pollinators. Either avoid applying these insecticides to bee attractive plants or wait until the plants have finished blooming before treating them.
For more information about this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
