Texas Department Of State Health Services To Award $10 Million In Grants To Support Local Vaccination Efforts Across Texas
The Texas Department of State Health Services will award $10 million to local organizations working to promote COVID-19 vaccinations in Texas. The Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant program will provide grants of $50,000 to $150,000 to a wide range of groups engaged in vaccine education with the goal of increasing the number of fully vaccinated Texans and slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
DSHS encourages educational agencies, faith-based organizations, government entities, community coalitions, associations and nonprofit groups to apply for the federal funds. They will be awarded for projects lasting from six to nine months.
“Community-based organizations have played a critical role in ensuring people across Texas have access to COVID-19 vaccines, and they have innovative ideas about how to engage the communities they work with,” said Imelda Garcia, DSHS associate commissioner for laboratory and infectious disease services. “These grants will give them the resources to expand their efforts to serve hard-to-reach communities that have been seriously affected by the pandemic.”
DSHS is partnering with Texas A&M University Health Science Center to administer the Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant program.
Texas organizations can submit proposals beginning today with award notifications expected to begin around the end of August. Priority will be given to applicants that focus on reaching rural communities, communities of color and Texans with disabilities. To learn more about the program, eligibility and how to apply, please visit https://health.tamu.edu/vaccinegrant.html.
Jefferson Street Traffic Stop Results In Location Of Methamphetamine, 1 Arrest
Arrested at 10:03 a.m. July 27, 2021 during a Jefferson Street traffic stop was a 29-year-old Sulphur Springs man found in possession of suspected methamphetamine, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Francisco Castro stopped a Nissan pickup at 9:19 a.m. Tuesday. The truck had an expired registration and the man did not have a valid driver’s license. He agreed to let the officer search his vehicle. A records check showed the man to be wanted on two Hopkins County traffic charges and on one Smith County warrant. A small bag containing a crystal-like substance to be methamphetamine was found. It tested positive for meth. The warrants were confirmed, Castro alleged in arrest reports.
James Barry Norton Jr. was transported to jail and booked on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, as well as the Smith County charge for insufficient bond on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, and the Hopkins County driving while license invalid and failure to maintain financial responsibility.
Norton remained in Hopkins County jail Wednesday, July 28, 2021 on all four charges. Bond was set at $20,000 on the controlled substance charge and his new bond on the Smith County charge was set at $50,000, according to jail reports.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
Clerk’s Office Enters Into Agreement With IDS For Docket Application
Commissioners Court Approves Interlocal And Special Road Use Agreements, Budget Amendment To Benefit VFDs
Hopkins County Commissioners Court Monday approved an interlocal agreement for insurance to help pay for a public defender insurance program to help with costs should the county have a capital murder case that advances to a death penalty, as well as one special road use and one docket application docket application agreement, and a budget amendment to benefit the county’s volunteer fire departments.
IDS Agreement
County Clerk Tracy Smith asked the Commissioners Court to approve another agreement with Integrated Data Services, this time to allow all county and district civil, criminal or probate dockets to be posted on the county website, and to do so easier. The agreement too will make searching for specific cases easier for the general public as well as county and district staff.
Smith said she has talked with District Clerk Cheryl Fulcher, who also is interested in using the service and willing to split the cost. The county clerk said as she understands it, both can use it, adding the district court docket to it without any added cost.
Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook noted there is enough money in the records management fund to cover the $2,000 cost for the IDS docket application, then a $500 maintenance fee.
This is the second agreement Smith’s office has entered into with IDS this week. Smith was granted approval at the July 12 Commissioner Court meeting to enter into an agreement with IDS for software services, with Bill Wilder as the vendor, so that certain records such as monthly reports, Commissioners Court records and election results can be post onto the county website. Prior to that, the Commissioners Court minutes were recorded on Laserfiche, which the clerk noted is not very user-friendly.
The request for an additional IDS agreement for docket application received full approval of the Commissioners Court on Monday, July 26, 2021.
Interlocal Agreement With Lubbock County
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom recommended that Hopkins County again enter into an interlocal agreement with Lubbock County in the Regional Public Defender for Capital Cases Program, the largest collaborative effort between Counties and a state-funded program in the formative years in the United States.
“The office represents only indigent defendants charged with a capital case where the death penalty is sought at the trial level. With the Administrative office and a trial office in Lubbock, there are satellite offices in Angleton, Austin, San Angelo, San Antonio, and Terrell. All offices are staffed with a combination of all positions, each of which is able to fulfill the constitutional requirements of a core team,” according to the program website. “Collaborative efforts between counties and state ensures that competent and effective counsel are appointed to represent defendants while also providing counties with budget predictability and stability.”
“This is the capital murder insurance program that we’ve been taking out for several years. And we have actually dipped into it a little bit at one time, but thankfully not lately,” Newsom said. “We need to go ahead and stay in the program.”
The cost is $13,199 for county to participate in the insurance program this year,
“What happens is, if we a capital murder and it goes to the death penalty, this insurance program would pay for the defense council and, I believe, a special investigator,” Newsom said. “That would round up into hundreds of thousands of dollars if we have that occur.”
Hopkins County is in Region 10, which also includes Camp, Cass, Franklin, Freestone, Hunt, Leon, Limestone, Marion, Morris, Rains, Red River, Sabine and Van Zandt counties.
Hopkins County Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to enter into the interlocal agreement to participate in the insurance program, should Hopkins County have a death penalty case in the future.
Budget Amendment
The Commissioners Court this week agreed for the $10,320.29 receive this year be combined with the $19,824.95 the commissioners received in 2020 from sale of scrap metal to be moved from the precinct budgets into a fund to benefit the volunteer fire departments. Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook reported if divided evenly among VFDs, that’d be $2,740.48 per department.
Judge Newsom noted that additional discussion was still needed to determine how that would be awarded to the VFDs. Newsom said one idea the court had discussed was for the funds to go toward the tire program. He said the court would discuss the matter more following Monday mornings regular Commissioners Court meeting, and anticipated consulting with some VFD officials to gauge their take on it. The court approved the budget amendment moving the $30,145.24 from precinct budgets to a VFD fund as soon as a decision is made regarding how the departments would benefit from the funding.
“This is another big step. I want to thank the Commissioners Court. They didn’t have to do that with the scrap metal that accumulated – I don’t know how you accumulated it. It comes in, they sell it and give it – one way or other – to the volunteer fire departments,” Newsom said.
Special Road Use Agreements
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price reported that a company is doing some logging on County Road 4760. A temporary permit was issued to the business last week, and the business posted a $20,000 bond which would be used for repairs if the road sustains damage during the approximately 90 days listed on the permit.
Price asked the court to approve a special road use agreement to allow the company to use of CR 4760. Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker seconded the motion, which received full approval of the Commissioners Court.
Pine Forest Hybrid, LLC, (Pine Forest Solar) also asked permission to use certain roads during work on the solar project, which is located within roads in both Precinct 2 and Precinct 3; the project is going by a different name, according to Commissioner Greg Anglin. The request as presented to Commissioner Bartley failed to note the road numbers. He said in order to consider the request, the county needs to know what roads the company is talking about.
Thus, Anglin made a motion, seconded by Bartley to table the request from Pine Forest Hybrid, LLC, until additional information is presented to the Commissioners Court. The rest of the court agreed, and the request was tabled pending receipt of additional information.
Youth Soccer Camp Continuously Attracts More Attendees Under Coach Upton
The last week of July is, comparatively, one of the slower weeks of the summer in terms of the number of activities.
This week here in Sulphur Springs, the only sports activities transpiring are the youth soccer camp, boys basketball Edge (which was extended one week due to gym renovations), and team tennis practices in preparation for their first meet next Tuesday.
The youth soccer skills camp, helmed by Wildcats head soccer coach Alexi Upton, continuously sees more and more students attend the summer camp as the years go on.
The camp is held yearly at the Multi-Purpose Building at the SSISD Athletic Complex, and Coach Upton said on the first day of camp, Monday, July 26, he had around 100-115 students attend the youth soccer camp.
Even with a dip in attendees on Tuesday, putting numbers around 85 total students, the Wildcats soccer coach was undeterred, saying that they’ve been doing really well.
The first year Alexi Upton coached here in Sulphur Springs, during the 2018-19 season, he said he had about 50-60 students attend the summer camp. In the following summer, 2019, Coach Upton saw an increase in attendees, going up to 65-70.
The summer of 2020 saw COVID-19 force the cancellation of most summer activities here in Sulphur Springs, so to shoot up to 100-115 students attending the summer camp “shows that the numbers are growing,” Coach Upton said.
Not only that, but the growth in years past shows that soccer here in Sulphur Springs is becoming more established and more recognized, the Wildcats soccer coach said.
Even though a mini-Monsoon hit Sulphur Springs yesterday, it was no matter for both soccer staffs helming the soccer camp since the camp was held at the indoor Multi-Purpose Building. Coach Upton said he believes kids like to be in the MPB.
The Wildcats soccer coach said camps like these are huge for the community.
“It’s really great to get these kids out here,” Coach Upton said. The exposure that kids get to being in an environment with so many skilled coaches and players teaching new skills but still having fun, is something the Wildcats soccer coach hopes sticks with students as they contemplate what sport they make like play later down the line.
The camp is still open for those who wish to attend tonight and Thursday night’s sessions at the MPB, and Coach Upton said he might discount folks who wish to attend the youth skills camp but could not make it to camp Monday or Tuesday.
The camp runs Monday through Thursday, from 6 to 7:30 P.M. at the Multi-Purpose Building. The camp is open to both boys and girls who are students ranging from entering kindergarten, to the ninth grade.
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.
Splash into School at Splash Kingdom
Splash Kingdom in Greenville is hosting a Splash into School, School supply drive! The first 500 people to bring and donate school supplies on August 5th will receive free entry into the park!
Hicks Column: Restaurant Leftover Safety Tips and Healthy Texas Youth Ambassador
By Johanna Hicks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Family & Community Health Agent, Hopkins County
Restaurant Leftover Safety Tips
Meeting friends at a restaurant is common among many folks who enjoy socializing. My husband and I will often share an entrée, but every now and then we have more food than we can eat.
Bringing home leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day is becoming ordinary again. Don’t invite bacteria to your next meal.
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service gives some food safety tips so you can enjoy your restaurant leftovers without getting foodborne illness:
- If you plan to go to a movie or be out and about after eating at a restaurant, then you should skip taking the leftovers. Perishable foods should be brought directly home because the faster food gets into the refrigerator, the lower the likelihood of bacterial growth.
- Meat and poultry leftovers that are handled properly may be safely refrigerated at 40ᵒ F up to 4 days. Eggs and lunch meats that are handled properly may be safely stored at 40ᵒ F up to 5 days. For best quality, cooked meat and poultry leftovers in sealed containers may be stored in the freezer at 0ᵒ F or below for 2 to 6 months.
- When reheating in the microwave, place foods on a microwave safe plate. Food items should be spread evenly and stirred halfway through heating to avoid cold spots. If you reheat all of your leftovers but don’t finish the entire portion, refrigerate what’s left immediately so it can be safely reheated again.
- Warning — reheating in slow cookers isn’t recommended because foods may be sitting too long in the “Danger Zone” (40ᵒ F – 140ᵒ F).
- When reheating meat and poultry in the oven, the temperature should be no lower than 325ᵒ F.
- When reheating leftovers, use a food thermometer to check the food’s internal temperature. The food is safe to eat once it reaches 165ᵒ F.
- Soups, sauces, gravies, etc., should be reheated to a boil.
- Do not use the Styrofoam carry-out containers to reheat food. Foods show be placed in an appropriate dish to withstand the temperatures needed to assure safety.
And a word of caution—never taste food to determine its safety. You can’t see or taste harmful bacteria. When in doubt, throw it out!
Healthy Texas Youth Ambassador
Congratulations to Rylie Carroll, Hopkins County’s Healthy Texas Youth Ambassador (HYTA). She recently assisted with a training in Tyler for the East Region HYTA on a new Extension program called DanceFit.
The program consists of 6 lessons, along with recipes to encourage heart health and physical activity.
The curriculum also comes with dance steps to fit popular songs such as “Eye of the Tiger,” “YMCA,” “Despicable Me,” “Waca Waca,” and “Celebration,” along with many more.
Rylie led the other youth ambassadors in the dance steps. By the smiles on their faces, it appeared that everyone had a great time.
As school gets underway soon, teachers may contact the Extension office to find out more about this program. I will be glad to assist!
Closing Thought
Rest when you’re tired. Take a drink of cold water when you’re thirsty. Call a friend when you’re lonely. Ask God to help when you feel overwhelmed
Melodie Beattie
Contact Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B W. Houston St, Sulphur Springs, TX, 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected]
Chamber Connection – July 28
By Butch Burney
The public is invited to visit a gathering of our local vendors and businesses next Thursday, Aug. 5, at the Chamber at the Sulphur Springs Country Club. There will be between 25 and 30 businesses there, with samples and information about them and their services. Additionally, each business will have a gift or gift card to give away, so that’s up to 30 gift cards going to 30 lucky individuals who attend the come-and-go event.
Adult Leadership
The Adult Leadership program is currently accepting applications for the 2021-22 Adult Leadership class. Registration is on our website, HopkinsChamber.org or I can email you the documents if you contact me at [email protected] or by calling 903-885-6515.
Adult Leadership takes you through all of the services of the city and county in an in-depth program that will enrich your life, both occupationally and individually.
If you applied last year, please re-apply this year. The class needs 20-25 members, and the deadline is Aug. 13.
Photography Contest
It’s time for the 6th Annual Chamber of Commerce Photography Contest! Anyone of any age can
enter as we have a children’s category. The picture must be newer than January 1, 2019 and must have been taken in Hopkins County. The contest will be open from August 2 to August 31. There are seven categories you may enter: Natural World, Travel, People, The Hopkins County Experience, Altered Images, Mobile, and Children’s Category. Only digital images are accepted (no prints). To submit your photograph, email the picture to [email protected]. Rules and releases will be available on the Chamber of Commerce website.
Stew Fest Market Vendor Call
The Chamber is excited to announce our vendor call for the Stew Fest Market! The Chamber is currently accepting vendors for the Stew Fest Market, which will be located on the south side of Buford Park during Friday night and Saturday Stew Contest activities. This is a great opportunity to sell goods or to promote your business to 7,000 people who attend the Stew Contest annually. Vendors may rent booth space to sell goods or distribute information about their business. Booths will be assigned on a first-paid basis. Access to electricity is not guaranteed. Generators are permitted. Vendors who are interested in purchasing booth space, call the Chamber of Commerce at 903-885-6515 email us at [email protected]
Stew Contest Drink Sales
Every year, the Chamber allows a non-profit organization to sell drinks at the Stew Contest. There are several rules and regulations to follow, but if you are interested in placing your organization’s name in the hat, please call the Chamber. You will be asked to come in and sign an understanding agreement in regard to rules and expectations. Deadline for volunteers is August 31. Once we have all our volunteers in place, we will literally pick one out of a hat and award drink sales to that organization. Please call if you have any questions.
CanHelp Back to School
CanHelp is hosting a Back to School fair from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, July 30, at the Civic Center. There will be free backpacks and school supplies for low-to-moderate income students (must apply online at canhelponline.org), plus dental screenings, school physicals, health screenings, immunizations and vaccinations, haircuts and food and drinks.
Lunch and Learn
State Sen. Bob Hall and State Rep. Bryan Slaton will be in town for a Lunch and Learn from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15. Registration forms are on our website, so sign up to learn how laws passed (and not passed) by the Texas Legislature will affect your business. Lunch will be provided at the Sulphur Springs Country Club. Tickets are $15 for Chamber members and $20 for nonmembers. Thanks for Atmos Energy and Oncor for sponsoring this important luncheon.
Business Highlight
The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is highlighting a member of the Chamber each week. Please join me in congratulating our Business of the Week for July 14, the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram. You can read biographical stories at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page and Instagram page.
Ribbon Cuttings
- Seamless Gutter Experts hosted a ribbon cutting at the Chamber office, 110 Main St., at noon on Wednesday, July 21. They offer sale and installation of gutters for home and businesses.
- The Plant Niche, 222 Tomlinson St., will host a ribbon cutting at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 4. Join us for that celebration.
Texas’ First Case Of West Nile Virus This Year Reported in Dallas County
Public health officials have confirmed the state’s first case of illness caused by West Nile virus in 2021. The disease case, reported by Dallas County Health and Human Services, occurred in a resident of Dallas County.
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Most people exposed to the virus don’t get sick, but about 20 percent develop symptoms like headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue. In a very small proportion, less than one percent, the virus affects the nervous system, leading to a more serious illness that can cause neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis and even death.
The Texas Department of State Health Services urges people to declare WAR on mosquitoes to protect themselves and their families from West Nile and other diseases spread by mosquitoes.
- WEAR long sleeves and pants. Create a barrier to mosquito bites by covering up.
- APPLY insect repellent. Use EPA-registered repellent such as those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone.
- REMOVE standing water. Emptying water that accumulates in toys, tires, trash cans, buckets, clogged rain gutters and plant pots will deny mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs and reproduce.
People should also keep mosquitoes out of their homes by using air conditioning and making sure window and door screens are in good repair. DSHS urges people with West Nile symptoms to contact their health care provider and mention any exposure to mosquitoes.
There were 122 cases of West Nile disease in Texas last year and 24 deaths. (Cases and attributed deaths data for 2020 are provisional.) Over the last five years, Texas has had 805 cases and 63 deaths. Mosquitoes remain active in much of Texas into November and December.
Hopkins County Constables’ Fees To Increase in 2022
Those individuals required to pay fees in 2022 to the two Hopkins County constables’ offices will be paying a little bit more moving forward. The Hopkins County Commissioners Court Monday approved increases to constables fees.
Precinct 1 Constable Norman Colyer asked the Commissioners Court Monday to approve increases in their fees, which have not changed much in several years. Citations went up about four years ago, but not by much.
“I looked at all the surrounding counties out for a ways comparable size to us, smaller, bigger, and we are still probably a little bit cheaper on a lot of stuff than they are. That would put us more in line with other counties around us as far as the fees,” Colyer said.
Colyer recommended increasing the fee charged on citations, which both constables offices do the most of, by $10, raising it to $75. He also recommended increasing the fee charged for writs of possessions so that the fees are more in line with those charged by other agencies around the region.
As a comparison, Precinct 2 Constable John Beadle noted that Dallas charges about $170 , Rains County $200, and the other area counties charge between $150-$175 for writs of possession. Hopkins County is at $75. Thus, the constables recommended increasing the writ fee to $100.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley and Precinct 2 Commission Greg Anglin proposed approving the constables’ fees and sheriff’s fees as requested by Colyer and Beadle; the motion receive unanimous approval of the court.
9 SSHS Students On Their Way To Earning Firefighter Certification
Nine students are on their way to earning their firefighter certification. The students have completed the first year of firefighter classes offered at Sulphur Springs High School for the first time during the 2020-21 school year through Career & Technical Education, as part of the emergency services program of study taught by Fire in Texas.
Overall, nine SSHS students successfully completed the Firefighter I course and attempted the the state examinations for Hazardous Materials Awareness, Firefighter I, HazMat Operations, and Firefighter II in June. Students may complete their fire certification by taking EMT-Basic their senior year and will be fully certified upon completion of that training,
Live training at the drill field in Sulphur Springs included hands-on practice with burns in a “burn house,” with a vehicle fire and a few other controlled burn scenarios to test their abilities. From learning the basics of rope to navigating their way through a burning building, Fire in Texas teaches fire recruits the basic skills they will need to become a certified firefighter.
“We are very pleased with the outcome. These students are pioneers in the program and vocation,” said SSHS coordinating teacher Todd McCoy.
“We had three students to pass all 4 tests. Those students were Chad Maynard, Benjamin Hatcher, and Jake Armstrong. Four students passed three of the four tests, and two students passed two of the four tests. Students will have the opportunity to test again to complete any sections not passed,” said Jenny Arledge, director of College & Career Readiness/Career & Technical Education.
Arledge expressed appreciation to Fire in Texas “for taking a chance on being a part of this new program of study at Sulphur Springs High School.”
“They worked with our students tirelessly to help them be successful in the coursework they completed throughout the year and in the live fire training they completed at the end of the course to prepare them for the state examinations. We appreciate their commitment in helping us get this program of study up and running,” Arledge said.
