HCSO: Man Caught On Video Stealing An Antique Rooster From Main Street Business
A 48-year-old Sulphur Springs man was caught on video stealing an antique rooster and other items from a Main Street business Saturday morning, sheriff’s officers alleged in arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Dennis Findley reported seeing a man on camera stealing items from a business in the 1200 block of Main Street around 9:45 a.m. March 27. Findley notified dispatchers over radio about the theft in progress and provided responding officers with a description of the suspect.
Upon arrival in the area, officers reported seeing a male matching the description given by Findley. The man was walking east on the railroad tracks behind a Main Street milk business. Findley and HCSO Sgt. Richard Greer contacted the man. Findley identified as the male as the man he observed on camera taking property from the business. The man identified himself as Meo Medina, Greer alleged in arrest reports.
The man admitted to taking a rooster from the business with the intent to take it home, but ended up leaving it by a fence because it was too heavy. Findley told the man he had seen him take other property in addition to stealing an antique rooster. The man was taken into custody for theft and escorted down the train tracks to a patrol vehicle, which Deputy Dan Turrentine used to transport the 48-year-old to jail.
Meanwhile, Findley and Greer continued to search the area in an attempt to locate and recover the stolen property. Officers reported finding not only an antique rooster but an antique flower cart and a large stew pot reported to have been stolen as well. The value of the items was estimated to be $2,500, resulting in the man, identified in arrest reports as Meo Medina-Tuirubiates, being charged with theft of property valued at $2,500-$30,000, a state jail felony offense.
Medina-Tuirubiates remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, March 29. Bond on the felony theft charge was set at $100,000.
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.
Research Library Reopens for Genealogists and Historians
The Hopkins County Genealogy Research Library, located inside the Sulphur Springs Public Library has reopened for walk-in visitors and researchers following a lengthy closure due to COVID-19 cautions. The Research Library will open at 9:30am weekdays, staffed by volunteer members of the Hopkins County Genealogy Society, who will assist you with your genealogy research within the extensive library. Find out more at hcgstx.org or by phone at 903-885-8523 or stop in at 611 North Davis Street.
Dinner Bell Menu For March 31, 2021
Come help us Celebrate EASTER with a colorful and tasty holiday menu!
Clayton Homes is our Community Partner.
Balsamic Glazed Ham
Wild Rice with Sauteed Mushrooms, Celery and Green Onions
Decorated Broccoli Salad
Yeast Rolls
Cherry Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake
We at Dinner Bell wish everyone a holy and joyous Easter. PLEASE continue to WEAR your mask, WASH your hands often and KEEP your distance from others.
Secure your meal under the covered driveway on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus. Meal service begins at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
PLEASE PLEASE continue to WEAR MASK. Get your SHOTS when you can. STAY SAFELY from OTHERS. WASH YOUR HANDS. OFTEN. DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.
THANK YOU 1ST CHOICE HOME HEALTH, Stephanie and Warren Mitchell, for the GENEROUS DONATION of 350 pounds of ground beef to Dinner Bell. This has been their practice for several years. A freezer is FULL!!!
Dinner Bell remains a Grab and Go distribution system for meals. Meals may be secured by driving under the covered driveway on the Northeast Corner of The First United Methodist Church Campus after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
Hopkins County Commissioners Court March 29 Work Session Agenda
Hopkins County Commissioners Court March 29 Work Session Agenda
- DATE: Monday, March 29, 2021
- TIME: 9 A.M.
- PLACE: Meeting Room Located On The Third Floor Of The Hopkins County Courthouse Located At 118 Church St., Sulphur Springs, Texas
ORDER OF BUSINESS
- The Court To Meet With Chief Endsley To Discuss The County Fire Department Operations, Review Of Revenue & Expenditures, Proposed Improvements And Repairs.
- The Court To Meet With Sheriff Lewis Tatum To Discuss The Sheriff Operations, Review Of Revenue & Expenditures, Proposed Improvements And Repairs.
- The Court To Meet With Tom Glosup To Discuss Maintenance Of County Buildings.
- The Court To Discuss Vegetation Maintenance On Railroad.
- The Court To Discuss County Road Inventory.
- Budget Work Session(s).
PJC, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Among 8 Recipients Of TWC Grants For Camp Code
AUSTIN – The Texas Workforce Commission awarded eight grants totaling $399,586 for Camp Code to focus on increasing the interest of middle school students in coding and computer science; Paris Junior College and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas were among the eight grant recipients. At summer camps throughout the state, students will get hands-on experiences that allow them to learn problem solving and analytical skills while fostering an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related careers with a focus on computer science.
“The growing demand for high-skilled technical workers means Texas must continue to attract more students into STEM fields,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “Through programs like Camp Code, TWC remains committed to building a diverse workforce with the foundation in STEM necessary to keep our world class economy growing.”
The grants awarded to independent school districts, universities and higher education institutions are designed to spark interests in careers in computer programming from an early age and encourage them to consider careers in these highly sought-after fields.
“Camp Code fosters interest in STEM fields and gives students a head-start towards rewarding careers with competitive salaries,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “By giving young Texans a glimpse into the world of computer programming we can inspire them to continue their studies in science and engineering fields.”
Creating summer camps that offer computer science projects that incorporate art and storytelling with robotics, video games, websites and applications can also further interest in the coding field. The coding education includes the most in-demand and popular computer science languages, such as Java, SQL, C++, Net, Perl, Ruby and JavaScript.
“Texas employers continue to call Texas home because of our world-class workforce and out-of-state businesses continue to move here in order to access this workforce,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “Camp Code is a prime example of preparing our future workforce and introducing them to STEM occupations at an earlier age, which increases the recruitment and retention rate of high tech and other businesses in our state.”
The eight recipients of the Camp Code scholarships are:
- Paris Junior College, $49,567 – The curriculum provided during Camp Code will bring computer science to life and teach real industry competency. 90 Students will become familiar with the basics of Arduino, Blockly, C++ and Python coding, Cyber Security, Raspberry Pi, drone systems, robotics, mechanical and electrical engineering and programming in a team-based environment.
- Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, $34,383 – Camp Code: Think Like a Programmer will serve 50 students in grades 6-8. The camps will take place at the STEM Center of Excellence and will allow students to participate in interactive computational-thinking activities to learn how programmers solve problems. The STEM Center of Excellence is a 92-acre living laboratory where students experience STEM and Outdoors in a unique Scout environment. GSA of Northeast Texas serves Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Navarro, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood Counties.
- Texas Tech University, $64,390 – Raiders Who Code will provide 80 students with a diverse curriculum that covers programming and coding activities across a broad spectrum of applications. Hands-on, practical activities will not only provide campers with experience with industry-standard coding and programing languages and environments, but also with practical applications of those programs such as mobile and web applications, robotics, and 3D printers.
- Angelo State University, $36,256 – These camps will provide 68 students with direct instruction in programming, along with additional sessions on team building, information on opportunities to join groups or organizations focused on learning and implementing coding activities, and careers in coding, robotics, and technology.
- Urban STEM Corporation (USTEM), $99,995 – D-Code Camp 2021 is projected to serve 200 middle school students. To address the underrepresentation of minority and female students in STEM fields USTEM seeks to provide preparation, exposure and access to coding and its applications to middle school students.
- University of the Incarnate Word, $99,465 – The purpose of the summer computer programming camp (miniGEMS) is to increase the number of female students in STEM, especially from low income communities. Various hands-on coding exercises and robotic challenge courses will be held throughout the two-week session to reinforce coding/programming concepts for the 150 middle school students who will participate.
- North East Independent School District, $5,030 – 50 students will participate in the camp that is designed to prepare middle school students for future studies in computer science, robotics and cybersecurity. Successful completion of the camp will create a prepared pool of students from which to populate the new Cybersecurity Magnet Program scheduled to open in August 2021.
- Del Mar College, $10,500 – The camp will serve 15 student campers designed to encourage a team building experience where activities require campers to work together through various activities with understanding of design logic, computational thinking, and scripting languages. This camp will offer hands-on experiences that will provide challenging and innovative concepts in learning, problem solving, and analytical skills while fostering an interest in computer coding/programming using robots and drones.
Meal A Day Menu For March 29-April 2, 2021
Although the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center will remain closed through April 4 due to COVID-19, volunteers continue to work weekdays preparing and delivering meals to shut-in elderly and senior adults in the community. The Meal A Day Menu for March 29-April 2, 2021, includes:
- Monday – Chicken Chow Mein On a Bed of Rice, Egg Roll and Oriental Vegetables
- Tuesday – Beef Spaghetti, Italian Vegetables and Garlic Sticks
- Wednesday – Chicken Pot Pie, Pickled Beets and Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
- Thursday – Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and a Roll
- Friday – Cheese Burgers, Lettuce Tomato Onion, Pickle Spears, Baked Beans, Potato Chips
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
April 1 Is Deadline For Eligible Voters To Register To Vote In May 1 Elections
April 1 is the deadline for eligible voters to register to vote in May 1 elections.
“Exercising your right to vote and making your voice heard is a fundamental part of our democracy,” said Texas Secretary of State Ruth R. Hughs. “I encourage all eligible Texans who have not already done so to register to vote by April 1st so that they can actively participate in shaping the future of Texas.”
Texans who aren’t sure if they are registered to vote or not can check their registration status on the Texas Secretary of State’s website on the “Am I Registered?” page.
Poeple who have moved to a new address within the same county or have changed their name, you can also update their information online.
Eligible Texans who are not already registered to vote may complete and print a voter registration application here, or request an application from their county elections administrator. In Hopkins County, Tax Collector/Assessor Debbie Pogue Mitchell at (903) 438-4063 or check out the Voter Information page on the county website for more voter and election information: http://www.hopkinscountytx.org/page/hopkins.
Once completed, eligible Texas voters should submit the application to the county voter registrar in their county of residence. Completed voter registration applications must be postmarked by April 1st in order to be accepted.
Voters with questions about how to cast a ballot in the upcoming May 2021 uniform election can call 1-800-252-VOTE or visit VoteTexas.gov for more information.
2,970 First-Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines Allocated To Hopkins County Providers This Coming Week
The state is ramping up COVID-19 vaccine distributions next week as eligibility to receive the vaccination expands to everyone age 16 or older. A total of 2,970 of the more than 1 million first-doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be shipped out to providers across the state have been allocated to two Hopkins County providers in Week 16 of vaccine allocations (March 29).
Christus Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has been allocated a total of 1,800 first-doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 1,000 first-doses of the Moderna vaccine and 800 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Walgreens Pharmacy was also allocated 1,170 first-doses of the Pfizer vaccine. These are among 818,410 doses Texas Department of State Health Services has allocated to 779 providers in 202 counties in Texas. More than 200 additional first doses are expected to be available to pharmacy locations and federally qualified health centers directly from the federal government, according to DSHS.`
More than 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Texas, an increase of 1.2 million in the last week, DSHS reported Saturday afternoon. More than 6.8 million people have received at least one dose, and almost 3.5 million are fully vaccinated. A total of 9,057 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Hopkins County as of 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 26, including 3,245 people who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Those numbers should increase with the state offered COVID-19 vaccine clinic hosted Monday.
In addition to the first doses allocated, the state is ordering 587,950 doses intended as the second dose for people who received the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine 3-6 few weeks ago. DSHS automatically orders second doses to arrive at providers in the week they can begin to be administered, so they will be available when needed. People should be able to return to the same provider to receive their second dose within six weeks of getting the first. In Hopkins County, 6,005 people have received the first dose of the vaccine and are waiting the prescribed time to return for the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Among Texas seniors, more than six in 10 have received at least one dose, and four in 10 are now fully vaccinated. More than 30 percent of all Texans at least 16 years old have gotten at least one dose.
In Hopkins County, 1,408 people age 65-79 have been fully vaccinated, as have 542 people age 80 and older, 744 people age 50-64 and 551 people ages 16-49. Another 2,434 people age 65-79 in Hopkins County have received the first-dose of the vaccine, as have 1,577 people age 50-64 years, 1,083 people ages 16-49 years and 904 people age 80 years or older.
Monday, all Texans ages 16 and older will be eligible to receive a vaccine. Vaccination has helped drive down the number of new cases and people hospitalized with COVID-19 to their lowest level since October. There were 2,292 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texas, 1,737 new probable cases and 107 reported fatalities.
Hopkins County has had a total of 1,562 confirmed COVID-19 cases since March 27, 2020, the day the first confirmed COVID-19 case was confirmed for the county. Only 53 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been reported for Hopkins County during the first 27 days of the month, including 13 new cases from March 1-7, 15 from March 8-14, 14 March 15-21 and 11 new confirmed cases from March 22-27.
From Feb. 1-27, DSHS reported 131 Hopkins County residents had received lab-confirmed molecular or viral results, and 135 for the month. There were 228 new confirmed COVID-19 cases reported for Hopkins County from Jan. 1-27 and 247 for the month, 237 from Dec. 1-27 and 290 total confirmed cases in December, 133 confirmed cases from Nov. 1-27 and 138 for the month, 247 from Oct. 1-27 and 323 for the month of October, 97 from Sept. 1-27 and 118 for the month of September, 86 from Aug. 1-27 and 91 for the month, 82 confirmed cases from July 1-27 and 89 for the month. From March 27 to July 2 there had only been a total of 50 confirmed cases and 20 recoveries in Hopkins County.
Since Nov. 1, 2020, when the state first began tracking probable cases (although DSHS didn’t begin reporting them daily until Dec. 11, 2020) a total of 1.451 probable COVID-19 cases have also been reported for Hopkins County. These are cases in which an individual has either tested positive through an antigen test or has a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis. So far this month, there have been 39 probable cases reported for Hopkins County, down from 132 from Feb. 1-27, 137 from Jan. 1-27, and 180 from Dec. 11-27. A total of 943 probable cases had been recorded by DSHS from Nov. 1-Dec. 10.
Overall, there have been a combined total of 91 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hopkins County in March 2021 and 3,013 cumulatively since the state began tracking cases, with 107 confirmed COVID-19 fatalities since July (when the first Hopkins County resident was reported to have died from COVID-19). The fatalities include 57 residents of Sulphur Springs nursing facilities as of March 12, 2021.
A total of 3,308 of the 67,146 staffed hospital beds across the state were occupied by 3,308 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients. The patient count in the COVID Unit at CMFH-SS this week had dwindled to two, as of the last COVID-19 update from Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management. Only 18 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Trauma Service Area F, which includes all hospitals in Northeast Texas on Friday, March 26, according to DSHS.
However, according to DSHS, “with hundreds of variant cases identified in Texas that have the potential to spread more quickly and cause more serious disease, vaccination remains critically important. The available vaccines have proven effective against the variant strains, so the more people vaccinated, the easier it will be to keep the variants under control and prevent new ones from emerging.”
10 Arrested On Controlled Substance And Related Charges
Ten people were jailed on controlled substance and related charges on Friday and early Saturday – two for having methamphetamine and marijuana in their room, five on drug paraphernalia charges, and three on warrants, according to arrest reports.
South Broadway Street Arrests
Officers went to a South Broadway Street address to serve a felony warrant, found 2.6 grams of suspected methamphetamine, about 5 ounces of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia, and ended up taking both residents into custody.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Sean Hoffman responded as a cover unit at 12:45 p.m. March 26, in the 1200 block of South Broadway, where other officers had reported a felon could be located. Other officers advised Hoffman 34-year-old Gary Lee Childers, who answered the door, knew the woman was in the room, but told officers no one else was inside, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports.
While searching for 53-year-old Angela Knous Weaver, officials reported observed drug paraphernalia strewn throughout the room. Two bags located in the room allegedly contained a crystal like substance officers believed to be 2.6 grams of methamphetamine, including packaging, and suspected marijuana found in multiple bags weighed about 5 ounces, Hoffman and Detective Sgt. Jason Reneau alleged in arrest reports.
Weaver and Childers were both arrested just before 1 p.m. March 26, 2021, at on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge and a possession of 4 ounces or more but less than 5 pounds of marijuana charge. Childers was also charged with the third-degree felony charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution of a known felon, for not being truthful about Weaver’s location in the room. Weaver was served with Rains County warrants for obstruction or retaliation and theft of property greater than $300,000.
Warrant Arrests At Sheriff’s Off
A man turned himself in March 26 at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office on March 26.
Richard Allen Kinnard arrived at the sheriff’s office at 1:20 p.m. Friday. Sgt. Richard Greer escorted the 51-year-old Paris man into Hopkins County jail, where he was booked on a warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for a possession of less than 1gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge. The offense, according to arrest reports, occurred on March 9.
Kinnard was arrested on the controlled substance charge on June 13, 2015, and was released on June 15, 2015, on a $5,000 bond, according to jail reports. He has been booked into Hopkins County jail four times since then, three times in 2019 on traffic warrants and again on March 26, 2021. He was held in Hopkins County jail Saturday morning on the violation of probation charge, according to jail reports.
Waco Street Traffic Stop
An early morning traffic stop on Waco Street at Industrial Drive just after 3:30 a.m. Friday, March 26, 2021 resulted in five arrests, according to sheriff’s reports.
A Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office deputy reported the driver of the Nissan Titan he stopped for having a defective tail light appeared nervous when spoken to was shaking while talking to deputies. After obtaining the driver’s consent, he had the driver and occupants were told to step out of the vehicle to wait while deputies search the truck, according to arrest reports.
Officials then found a box containing suspected marijuana near the location where the individuals were standing. All occupants denied ownership of the box, but admitted to smoking marijuana prior to the traffic stop, Fite alleged in arrest reports. One occupants from the pickup admitted to putting the box on the ground, but denied owning it, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
A canine handler was contacted. Sulphur Springs Police Officer responded with his canine partner. The police dog gave a positive alert during a free air sniff around the truck. Officers arrested five people around 4:15 a.m. Saturday on possession of drug paraphernalia charges: two 19-year-old Dallas men, an 18-year-old Fort Worth man, a 19-year-old Austin woman, and an 18-year-old Dallas woman, Fite noted in arrest reports. All five were released from Hopkins County jail later Friday, March 26, 2021, according to jail reports.
Interstate Traffic Stop
A Sulphur Springs Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a 2021 Ford Mustang at 10:15 p.m. Friday, March 26, 2021, on Interstate 30 east at mile marker 138. A records check showed the driver to be wanted on misdemeanor warrants for possession of possession of drug paraphernalia, two for speeding, a third offense no driver’s license charge and a driving while license invalid charge, according to arrest reports.
The 39-year-old Dallas man was arrested on all five warrants; the car was released to the man’s fiancé at is request, police alleged in arrest reports.
KSST does not publish the names or photos of people charged with misdemeanor crimes in staff-generated reports, only those accused of felony offenses.
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.
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.
Hopkins County Continues To Have Lowest Unemployment Rate In Workforce Area
Although Hopkins County continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in the Northeast Texas/Texarkana Workforce Development Area, February 2021 marked at least the fifth consecutive month the unemployment rate has risen in the county as has been the case for the state and 9-county WDA to which Hopkins belongs.
Texas Workforce Commission and Texas Labor Market Information reports show fluctuations in Texas’ labor force over the past three months, decreasing from 14,139,874 in December 2020 to 14,025,650 in January 2021, then rising to 14,049,170 in February 2021, all of which are less than the 14,262,779 people who made up the state’s labor force in February 2020. The number of employed individuals in Texas declined from 13,191,324 in December 2020 to 13,000,673 in January 2021, then 12,989,548 in February 2021, which is still less than the 13,761,203 people were employed across the state in February 2020. These changes caused the state’s unemployment rate to rise from 6.7 percent in December 2020 to 7.3 percent in January 2021, then 7.5 percent in February 2021 (seasonably adjusted to 6.9 percent), which is twice the 3.5 percent unemployment rate recorded across the state in February 2020.
In North East Texas WDA, the labor force was reported to be 124,479 in February 2021, which is more than the labor force of 124,228 reported in February 2020. However, only 4,811 people in the North East Texas WDA were reported to be unemployed in February 2020 (3.9 percent) whereas 9,264 were unemployed (7.4 percent) in February 2021. In January, 8,771 people in NET were unemployed, accounting for 7.1 percent of the overall 123,668 labor force.
Hopkins County’s workforce dropped from 17,744 in December 2020 to increased from 17,716 in January 2021 to 17,744 in February, which is one more than in February 2020. Overall 1,000 people were unemployed in February 2021; that’s 50 more people without jobs last month than in January and 46 more unemployed people in Hopkins County last month than in February of 2020. The unemployment rate in Hopkins County increased from 4.8 percent in December 2020 to 5.4 percent in January 2020 and 5.6 percent in February 2021, which are all up from the 3.1 percent unemployment rate posted in February 2020 – just before COVID-19 shutdowns caused unemployment rates to skyrocket.
Neighboring Franklin County’s unemployment rate of 5.9 percent was unchanged from January to February 2021, despite gains in both the labor force and unemployment rate. The labor force rose from 4,950 in January to 5,034 in February, which is higher than in February 2020 when the labor force consisted of 4,838 people. Of those, only eight more people were unemployed in February than the 290 reported in January 2021, which is still considerably higher than the 158 in Franklin County who were unemployed in February 2020 when the unemployment rate was 3.3 percent.
Morris County was the only county in the WDA with an increase in unemployment. Morris County’s 13.4 percent unemployment rate continued to be the highest in the NETWDA. Even with the labor force increasing from 4,739 to 4,783, Morris County’s unemployment rate declined from 13.7 in January 2021 to 13.4 percent in February 2021. The county still has a long way to go to match last February’s numbers, however; the labor force consisted of 4,877 people, 261 of whom were unemployed (5.4 percent).
The unemployment rate in the six other counties in the NETWDA were all above 6 percent, and all showed labor force and unemployment gains.
Delta County’s labor force increased from 2,437 in January 2021 to 2,455 in February 2021, which is still nine less than in February of 2020. Unemployment in Delta County rose from139 (5.7 percent) in January to 150 (6.1 percent) in February 2021, up from 88 unemployed (3.6 percent) in February 2020.
Titus County’s labor force grew by 200 from January 2021 to 13,711 in February 2021, which was 169 more than in February of 2020 when 531 people were unemployed (3.9 percent). From January to February 2021, unemployment rose slightly as well from 893 (6.6 percent) without jobs to 925 (6.7 percent) without jobs.
The job pool in Bowie County (which includes Texarkana) grew by 159 people from January to February, giving the county on the far northeastern corner of Texas a labor force of 39,035 in February 2021, which is still down from the labor force of 39,530 of February 2020 when the unemployment rate was 4.2 (1,664 unemployed). The unemployment from 7 percent in January 2021 to 7.5 percent in February 2021, with 2,911 without jobs last month compared to the 2,737 unemployed in Bowie County the month before. The city of Texarkana’s unemployment rate increased 0.02 percent over the past 2 months to 8 percent, up from 4.2 percent one year before.
The unemployment rate in Lamar County, which includes Paris, rose from 7 percent in January to 7.6 percent in February 2021, which is still more than twice the 3.3 percent unemployment rate recorded in February 2020. The overall labor force in Lamar County last month was 24,004, up from 23, 828 in January 2021 and 23,834 in February 2020. A total of 1,815 people were reported to be unemployed in Lamar County in February 2021, up from 780 one year before and 1,658 just one month before. Unemployment in the City of Paris rose from 3.4 percent in February 2020 to 8.3 percent last month, which was 1 percent higher than in January 2021.
