Preventive Maintenance Program Implemented For County AC/Heating Units
Order Closing West End Of CR 3602 Approved
Hopkins County officials plan to get ahead of heating and air conditioning repair needs in the future with a preventive maintenance program.
After having issues with air conditioning units in more than one county office, Hopkins County Commissioners Court asked a business to go through county buildings to make recommendations for air conditioning maintenance issues. A preventive maintenance plan was recommended.
The matter was discussed by the court during a work session Monday morning, Dec. 14. At the regular Dec. 21 meeting, the Commissioners Court approved a preventive agreement with Williams Air Conditioning and Heating to check and maintain HVAC units in County building throughout Hopkins County and to recommend repairs if needed.
“The amount for the entire county would be $9,728 the first year, plus $26,088 for the rest of the years, for a total of approximately $35-$36,000 to maintain this. Through our studies, we actually believe this is going to pay us back because the machinery will wear out less. We will maintain it better,” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tanner Crump said a quote for another company offering a similar product for the jail that was $10,000. Williams’ quote was substantially less than that of his competitors, who have been used. The jail’s portion of the quote from Williams would be $2,500.
“It’s not just on repairs and maintenance but its on efficiency of the machine that’s operating,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley pointed out.
“We’ve never taken this step before of having a plan to maintain AC and heating. We think it will save money in the long run. This will be watched much more carefully than we’ve done in the past. Generally, we’ve waited until there was a problem, then reacted to it. The idea is to maintain what we have and try to make the equipment last longer,” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said following the Dec. 14 work session.
Newsom on Nov. 21 reported that historically, each county department has “kind of been on their own.” With no preventive maintenance plan in place, some equipment was serviced or routine maintenance attended. He named the many AC repairs required for the sheriff’s office, where new units were installed when the new jail facility was constructed as an example. He said in one instance, it was discovered that a filter on a unit had not been changes in four years. Luckily, the issue was discovered and the filter replaced, with no additional damage to the AC unit, the judge noted.
“The expertise to maintain this commercial air conditioning and heating equipment has been lacking. So we are considering a maintenance agreement for every county building and every county air conditioner in the County [buildings].
The program is anticipated to save Hopkins County 18-22 percent on AC/heating repairs overall annually, and after five years will have paid for itself in saved maintenance costs, Newsom said.
Road Closure
Also during the Dec. 21 meeting, the Commissioners Court approved closure of a section of County Road 3602. The matter was raised at the Nov. 23 Commissioner Court meeting but tabled until Dec. 21 as all steps required to consider a road closure had not been fully completed.
Those steps include getting a petition signed by a certain number of property owners in the same precinct and identifying using Appraisal District records “abutting landowners.” Letters must be also be obtained from any emergency district, school district, utility district and the county fire department that would indicate no objections to the road closure. Once all other terms are met the proposal may then be submitted to Hopkins County Commissioners Court for consideration. A notarized affidavit of certificate of posting must be displayed at the courthouse and two other places in the vicinity of the affected route.
Bartley at the November meeting told the other members of the court that he had discovered when reviewing the paperwork that the notice had not been posted for 20 days on site. He said he’d have the document notarized and posted for 20 days before its brought back to the court for consideration to approve the order closing a portion of CR 3602.
The Precinct 3 Commissioner reported the request was to close the last 400 or so feet at the west end of the dead end road, where the land owner now owns the property on both sides of CR 3602 and wanted to close it.
The request received unanimous approval from the Commissioners Court.
Additional items
Hopkins County Tax Assessor/Collector Debbie Mitchell was recognized for successfully completing 14 hours of educational training during the VG Young School to Tax-Assessor Collectors hosted by the VG Young Institute of County Government in Waco Nov. 10-12.
The Commissioners Court also approved a request from Farmers Electric Cooperative for utility easements to construct electrical power distribution facilities across Cou8nty Road 1130, half a mile northeast of CR 3218 in Precinct 1.
Former Lady Cats Basketball Coach Passes Away After Cancer Battle
A successful former Lady Cats Basketball Coach passed away last week. Reportedly Coach Jeff Chapman passed away in a Tyler hospital after a battle with cancer.
Coach Chapman was Girls Athletic Director and Head Girls Basketball Coach in Paris for the past three seasons. He came to Sulphur Springs beginning in the 2010-2011 from Idabel, Oklahoma.
He had a 179-77 record over 8 seasons as Lady Cats Coach. Coach Chapman had winning seasons every year in Sulphur Springs, except his first one. That year, the Lady Cats ended up 16-17, but won a bi-district game, making it into the Area round. His Lady Cats made the playoffs every season he was here. The high water mark was set by the 2013-2014 Lady Cats that finished 25-6 and won three playoff games making it to the Regional Tournament. Coach Chapman’s last three Lady Cats teams won 26 games each season and they either tied for or won the district championship.
Chapman is gone but not forgotten.
DWI Crash Reported Saturday Was Third Worked By Local Officers In 3 Days
A DWI crash reported Saturday was the third worked by local law enforcement in three days, according to arrest reports.
The latest crash reported occurred Saturday afternoon, on J.D. Franklin Drive at Randolph Street. Sulphur Springs Police responded at 2:19 p.m. Dec. 26 to the crash. Upon arrival, they learned the driver had exited the silver Mercury Grand Marquis and left the crash site. Police reported the car appeared to have struck a concrete curb, which caused it to overturn. Near the open driver’s side front door an open container was located.
A records check using the vehicle’s license plate showed it to be registered to an Ardis Street resident. Officers went to the location and contacted a 42-year-old Sulphur Springs man, who they reported appeared to have a busted lip but no other visible injuries.
The 42-year-old reportedly admitted he crashed his car and walked to his residence. He refused medical attention. His speech was reported to be slurred and he spoke with a thick tongue, had unsteady balance and heavy footsteps, police alleged in arrest reports. Horizontal gaze nystagmus tests were conducted, but the 42-year-old was not able to complete any further field sobriety tests.
The man agreed to provide a blood sample for analysis; the sample was taken at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, then the man was transported to the county jail on a driving while intoxicated charge. He was released from jail Dec. 27 on a $2,000 bond on a second offense DWI charge, according to jail reports.
Jail reports show Dec. 26 to be the second time the 42-year-old has been jailed this month on a DWI charge. He was also arrested Dec. 12, after being stopped in the 100 block of Connally Street for suspicion of DWI.
Two crashes on Dec. 24 also resulted in two men being jailed for DWI as well.
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.
Enjoy Red Steagall’s ‘Cowboy Corner’ Radio Program? Here’s More About the Texan
Red Steagall’s long-running radio show “Cowboy Corner” is a Saturday morning feature on KSST Sulphur Springs. His stories, poems and songs have entertained listeners and made him ‘like a member of the family” to many local households. During December 2020, 80-year-old Red fell victim to COVID-19, and especially during Christmas week was struggling to recover. Through Facebook, we discovered his plight, and as prayers went out, we felt that the KSST family of listeners world-wide might like to know more about this native Texan and his rise to popularity in the Western genre. If you are already a friend of Red’s, you know he has been disappointed but never defeated. Please read more here about the personal journey of this extraordinary entertainer.
The entertainment career of Red Steagall has covered a period of over 45 years and has spanned the globe from Australia to the Middle East, to South America and to the Far East. He has performed for heads of state including a special party for President Reagan at the White House in l983, plus three overseas tours to the Middle East, the Far East, Europe, Australia, and South America. As a native Texan, Red Steagall enjoyed a career in Agricultural Chemistry after graduating from West Texas A&M University with a degree in Animal Science and Agronomy. He then spent eight years as a music industry executive in Hollywood, California and has spent the last thirty-seven years as a recording artist, songwriter, and television and motion picture personality. He currently ranches outside of Fort Worth, Texas where in addition to his entertainment activities; he is involved in numerous horse related activities.
Born in 1938 in Gainesville, Texas, which today is rich horse country, Russell Don Steagall sought the cowboy lifestyle and took up riding bulls as a young teen. Plans for his immediate future were derailed when in September 1964, at age 15. he was stricken with the polio virus. On the day of the first football game of his junior year at Phillips High School, Red wasn’t on the field. He was in the hospital. His parents had divorced earlier that summer, leaving Red’s mother Ruth with five children and one on the way. One night, Red had fever, chills and excruciating pain in his head. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with polio. Almost immediately the virus drastically affected the muscles in his left arm and he was told that the disease would spread to his left leg. Four days after the diagnosis, Ruth gave birth to Red’s youngest brother, and without his mother near, he felt particularly alone. Because no private bed was available for Red in the hospital, he was placed on a bed in a large ward where iron lungs lined the walls. These machines were pumping breath into polio victims with paralyzed chest muscles. Like embryos in metal wombs, they struggled to breathe, and the haunting sound of their breathing and the pumping sound of the iron cylinders have stayed with Red to this day. That night in the hospital ward, Red made a promise to God. “If you let me live through this,” he said, “I’ll never complain about anything for the rest of my life.”
When Red got home with his limp arm, two things happened. The coaches put him in the whirlpool at the field house every day and his mother bought him a $10 used mandolin. After his daily whirlpool treatments, Red would ride his bicycle four miles to take mandolin lessons, concentrating on one finger at a time to rebuild strength in his hand. When he could play a two- or three-finger chord, his mother helped him buy a guitar as a graduation present. That year, the Phillips High School Blackhawks went on to win the state championship without Red on the team. Since he couldn’t play football anymore, he also had to give up his college scholarship to Texas A and M, and thus, he was not on the team when “The Junction Boys” under coach Bear Bryant won the Southwest Conference and produced a Heisman Trophy winner during the years when Red would have been a Texas Aggie. Yet, living with his polio diagnosis, he may have been disappointed but never hopeless. He realized his dreams had to change but doesn’t remember ever thinking, “Why did that thing happen to me?” Instead, he remembers thinking, “Well, that happened to me. Now I’ve gotta do somethin’ about it.” Red saw that he was no longer like everybody else. He couldn’t play football. He couldn’t pole vault. He couldn’t do the things he had most enjoyed, but he could still have a good life. And he could still ride bulls if he tied his left arm to his body to keep from being disqualified for touching the bull!
Thankfully, the debilitating disease never spread to his leg. Maybe it was all the hours in the whirlpool and all the hours riding his bicycle to mandolin lessons. Like many, Russell Don Steagall didn’t get to choose his circumstances. During the defining years of his life, he could only choose his response. What he did was make a career out of throwing his limp left arm onto the neck of his guitar and grasping the strings with his fingers. Today the original second-hand mandolin that helped make all this possible is on exhibit at the High Plains Western Heritage Center in Spearfish, S.D. Red loaned it to the museum when they honored him as Cowboy Poet of the Year. And that is only one of the many honors, accolades and opportunities which has blessed Red’s life as an entertainer in the Western genre.
“My mother made me believe. I learned to adapt, and I think that’s the greatest lesson I got from polio,” Red said. “Nothing really scares me because I know there’s a way around it. Mother wanted me to do whatever I wanted to do, and she made me believe I could. She made me believe that I was exceptional and that I had certain talents that nobody else had. She taught all of us that all of our lives…. There’s one thing I still do to this day. If I’m going to make a decision, I think, ‘What would Mother think about that?’” During his second year at what was then West Texas State University in Canyon, Red realized that being a large-animal vet with only one arm would probably mean getting himself hurt or somebody killed, and earned a degree in animal science. To finance college studies, he played local dances and clubs with the guitar his mother helped him buy for graduation. His first hit song was written when his roomate and songwriting partner Don Lanier picked out a new melody for Red on guitar, as he often did. Within minutes the two roommates had the words to that melody in Donnie’s head and “Here We Go Again” was born. That song ‘Here We Go Again’ was Red’s biggest commercial success as a songwriter. After the Ray Charles hit record in 1967, Nancy Sinatra recorded a single of the song and made the Top 40. Dean Martin made a single the next year and got in the Top 10. Then Glen Campbell released it in an album, and the song snowballed, taking on a life of its own. “Here We Go Again” has been recorded 63 times.
Steagall was signed to Dot Records in 1968, but moved over to Capitol, where he had his first country hit, “Party Dolls and Wine”. Soon after, he had a Top 20 country hit with “Somewhere My Love.” He moved to Nashville in 1973 and followed up with two more hits, “True Love” and “If You’ve Got the Time.” Steagall became a regular guest at rodeos, and while he was performing at the National Rodeo Finals in Oklahoma City in 1974, he spotted a young singer named Reba McEntire who was appearing with her family. He got her to record a demo and made sure that it was heard by anyone who could do McEntire some good. That resulted in her being signed to a recording contract while still in her teens.“I thought she had the purest voice I’d ever heard,” Red said. “She had total control and emotion that was raw. She was 19 years old and hadn’t been influenced by anything except herself.”
Steagall ‘s recording career continued, including a Top 15 single with “Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music” in 1976. His recording of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” made the charts and in the late ’70s, he began moving toward Western music as much as country. In 1979, and in 1980, he decided to leave Nashville and along with his wife Gail, took up residence at his ranch near Fort Worth. Steagall had made numerous appearances on syndicated television shows such as Hee Haw and Nashville on the Road, spent four years as host of the nationally televised National Finals Rodeo, was host of the Winston Pro Tour on ESPN for the 1985 season, and co-hosted the College National Finals Rodeo for the Freedom Sports Network from 1988 through 1991. He was also the host of Western Theater on America One Television. Steagall had a major role in the motion picture Benji the Hunted, which was released in the summer of 1987. He also appeared in the motion pictures Dark Before Dawn and Abilene. He produced the motion picture Big Bad John, starring Jimmy Dean, Jack Elam, Ned Beatty, and Bo Hopkins, and directed by Burt Kennedy. Steagall is a trustee of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Champions, honorary member of the Cowboy Artists of America, and former board chairman of the Academy of Country Music. Today, his most recognizable role is as America’s premiere Western historian. Steagall currently hosts a one-hour syndicated radio show, Cowboy Corner, on 170 stations in 43 states. Cowboy Corner celebrates the lifestyle of the American West through the poems, songs, and stories of the American cowboy. In 2010, In the Bunkhouse with Red Steagall began airing on the RFD-TV network; as of 2017, Steagall now hosts Red Steagall is Somewhere West of Wall Street for the same channel. His down-home, friendly manner and considerable musical talents make him a favorite of rural America.
Red’s accomplishments in Western literature are perhaps his most beloved legacy. 1991, the Texas legislature voted Steagall the Official Cowboy Poet of Texas. Soon after, he began recording for the Warner Western imprint, issuing Born to This Land in 1993. Steagall released Faith and Values in 1995, Dear Mama, I’m a Cowboy in 1997, and Love of the West in 1999. Wagon Tracks appeared in 2002 from Shanachie Records, followed by The Wind the Wire and the Rail from Wildcatter Records in 2006.
Lady Cats Basketball, Wildcats And Lady Cats Soccer On Game Day Monday
The Lady Cats Basketball Team has a non-district game at Nevada Community on this game day Monday, December 28. The schedule calls for a JV game at noon with the Varsity game to follow, probably at around 1:30 p.m. The Lady Cats are 5-5 so far this season. Last Tuesday the Lady Cats picked up a district road win at Pine Tree.
The Wildcats and Lady Cats Soccer Teams are playing scrimmage matches on this game day Monday.
The Wildcats will be traveling to Pittsburg. The schedule calls for a JV 2 scrimmage at 4 p.m., a JV 1 scrimmage at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity scrimmage at 7:15 p.m. Pittsburg’s varsity is preseason ranked #6 in Region II in Class 4A, according to the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches.
Meanwhile, the Lady Cats will be scrimmaging at North Forney. The Lady Falcons are preseason ranked #10 in Region II in Class 5A. There will be a JV scrimmage at 5:30 p.m. with the varsity scrimmage set to start at 7:15 p.m. Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats last scrimmaged Tuesday of last 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.
Final Plat Of Dority Addition Is Being Recommended To Sulphur Springs City Council
The final plat request from Kenneth Dority for Dority Addition is being recommended to Sulphur Springs City Council for approval at the next regular council meeting. The plat would allow 10.84 acres at the corner of Fisher and Spence Street to be divided into 35 lots on which a residential duplex type property would be located.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the request at a meeting conducted last week via Zoom videoconferencing, provided special considerations are addressed as stipulated. The project in October was rezoned from heavy commercial to single family attached zoning, on which duplexes can be placed.
The engineered plans have been reviewed by the city engineer and are substantially acceptable with some additional details needed for easements and storm drainage, according to Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski.
Included will be a stipulation that whoever is responsible for lot 35 will take care of mowing and debris removal to prevent anything from obstructing water through drainage into a retention pond.
A new street through the duplex complex will provide more than one entry/exit point to the complex. The new street, Twin Oaks Street as proposed, would exit Fisher, span the length of the complex then turn to connect to Village Drive.
There will be no on-street parking for Twin Oaks Street. Each unit will have four parking spaces, without obstructing the sidewalk, on the property because of the narrow width of Twin Oaks Street. Setbacks have been increased to accommodate two vehicles back to back and two to side per unit. From street edge, there will be a 3 foot grass strip, 6 foot sidewalk, and 4 foot grass strip to conclude the right-of-way.
Per city staff’s recommendations, Dority’s application for final plat for the Dority Addition was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and is being recommended to Sulphur Springs City Council, provided it includes: drainage easements for lots 12-25 and 27-35 (along Twin Oaks Street); adds maintenance responsibility for the detention pond area to Lot 35; increases the front building setback line from 25 feet to 36 feet for lots 12-35 for the off-street parking; and on-street parking is prohibited on Twin Oaks Street.
Sulphur Springs City Council meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. The next meeting, according to the normal schedule, will be held on Jan. 5, 2021. The meeting agenda had not yet been posted, but is typically available on Friday evening before the Tuesday meeting.
Texas State Parks: Cheers to a Happy and Healthy 2021!
Hopes are high for a happier and healthier new year, and your state parks are here to help! Spending time outside is a great way to get and stay healthy. Whether exercising your body, relaxing your mind, or enjoying some social time, your parks offer safe and healthy outdoor fun for everyone! You can make reservations for most Texas state parks up to 5 months in advance for overnight visits and up to 30 days in advance for day passes. Capacity limits are in place to ensure the health and safety of our visitors. Before you set out to enjoy the fresh air, make sure to check availability and book your reservation in advance. We highly encourage reservations for day use or for camping. Day pass and camping reservations are highly recommended – make reservations online at tpwd.org or by calling (512) 389-8900. WALK Taking a stroll in the park is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the parks and get some exercise at the same time. Many parks are continuing the New Year’s Day tradition of First Day Hikes with self-guided hikes and activities on Jan. 1.Hikes and nature walks are offered throughout the year and are a great option for visitors who want to see a park for the first time, or for returning visitors who want to see it from a whole new perspective! PADDLE See the parks from a new point of view — on the water! Canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding are great ways to improve your aerobic fitness, strength and endurance. Grab your gear and your life jacket and head out to a park to enjoy paddling on lakes, rivers, bays, bayous, ponds and oceans. Before heading to the park to hit the water, be sure to check park alerts for availability of boat rentals! RIDE Biking can help build cardiovascular fitness, add muscle strength and decrease stress. These are all great reasons to find a trail near you that matches your interests! CLIMB Several state parks offer rock climbing and rappelling. Check with park staff before heading to a park to climb, as restrictions may apply. Rock climbing is a great workout for your whole body and promotes heart health and muscle strength. VOLUNTEER Few things feel better than helping others, and your state parks offer plenty of ways for you to lend a hand. Opportunities to volunteer are available at almost every state park and offer a great way to give back. Volunteering can also help improve mental and physical health. RELAX Kick back, clear your mind and take in all that nature has to offer. Enjoy the beauty of a sunset, sunrise or the night sky. Whether you are going birding, wildlife watching, fishing or picnicking, state parks are the place to get away from the day-to-day and take a break! |
Dec. 28-Jan. 1 Meal A Day Menu
Although the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center remains closed due to COVID-19, volunteers continue to work five days a week preparing and delivering meals to shut-in elderly in the community.
The Dec. 28-Jan. 1 Meal A Day Menu includes:
Monday – Beef Lasagna, Italian Vegetables, Garlic Bread and Sticks
Tuesday – Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, Pinto Beans and Pickled Beets
Wednesday – Chicken Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Pepper Gravy, Green Beans and Roll
Thursday – Rope Sausage, Sauerkraut, Black-Eyed Peas, Corn Bread and Green Tomato Relish
Friday – Closed for New Year’s Day
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.
Two Men Arrested Christmas Eve Following Crashes
Two men were arrested Christmas Eve following crashes, according to arrest reports.
Tate Street Crash
Sulphur Springs Police officers responded at 7:21 p.m. Dec. 24, 2020, in the 500 block of Tate Street, to what was reported as a major vehicle crash. Upon arrival, officers contacted a 40-year-old Sulphur Springs man reported to have been involved in the crash.
The arresting officer reported smelling an alcohol odor on the man immediately. The man also spoke with slurred speech, had glossy eyes, swayed while standing, and was heavy-footed and appeared to have a lack of balance while walking, police alleged in arrest reports.
The man showed six of six clues of intoxication on horizontal gaze nystagmus tests, and was unable to perform at least two standard field sobriety tests “due to injuries he had.” When the 40-year-old refused to provide a blood sample for analysis, police obtained a search warrant requiring the blood draw, according to arrest reports.
The man was arrested Christmas Eve on a Class B misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge, according to arrest reports. He was released from jail on a $1,000 bond on Christmas Day, according to jail reports.
Crash on I-30 at Mile Marker 116
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper responded to a vehicle crash on Interstate 30 at mile marker 116 at 9:46 a.m. Dec. 24. Upon arrival a 33-year-old Laredo man was identified as the driver of a white Cadillac CTS at the crash site.
An alcohol odor could be smelled on the man, who admitted to drinking two beers before driving the vehicle, the highway patrol noted in arrest reports. The Laredo man showed signs of slurred speech, had trouble balancing on his own and had red eyes with dilated pupils. He reportedly complained of back and neck pain and was attached to as stretcher and taken to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the Laredo man reportedly refused treatment by hospital staff, started acting erratic by ramming his head into a wall. He was transported by a trooper to the county jail, where he reportedly tried ramming his head into a wall, the trooper alleged in arrest reports.
The 33-year-ol Laredo man was jailed for driving while intoxicated, second offense. He was released from Hopkins County jail on Christmas Day on the Class A misdemeanor DWI-second offense charge, according to jail 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.
Dec. 25 COVID-19 Update: 1 Fatality, 52 New Cases, 32 Receive First Dose Of Vaccine
While many were home enjoying Dec. 24-25 with friends, others were receiving notifications of positive COVID-19 results; altogether 52 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from Wednesday afternoon through 3:40 p.m. Christmas Day. One additional fatality was also confirmed by death certificate, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services Dec. 25 COVID-19 reports.
Case Counts
The DSHS Dec. 25 COVID-19 Texas Case Counts dashboard showed Hopkins County has had a total of 2,161 reported COVID-19 cases since March, including 1,074 molecular or confirmed cases and 1,087 probable cases.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases spiked, with 24 Hopkins County residents receiving lab-confirmed COVID-19 results on Christmas Eve and five additional county residents receiving positive molecular COVID-19 test results on Christmas Day. That makes 34 new confirmed cases since Sunday and 242 new confirmed cases so far in December. That’s more new cases reported so far this month than any other month except October and December is on pace to match or exceed October’s numbers. From Oct. 1-25, 239 Hopkins County residents had received positive COVID-19 results, according to data reported by DSHS and Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials.
In order for a case to be a confirmed case, the individual must have tested positive through a molecular test that looks for the virus’s genetic material. Texas uses the confirmed case definition adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The confirmed cases are in addition to the 23 probable cases also reported over the past 2 days, six on Dec. 24 and 17 on Dec. 25. That makes 46 new probable COVID-29 cases reported this week and 160 since the state began reporting probable case counts daily on Dec. 11.
Probable cases are those in which the person 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. Texas uses the probable case definition adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During that time, six additional residents also were reported to have recovered from COVID-19, increasing the number of Hopkins County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 this week to 80 and this month to 1,245. However, it should ben noted that 810 of those cases were previously unreported probable recoveries which doubled the number of recoveries for Hopkins County residents, according to the DSHS reports.
The estimate is based on average recovery times from when cases were reported to DSHS. The average time it takes a COVID-19 patient to recover from their illness is about 32 days for a hospitalized patient and 14 days for a non-hospitalized patient. Because about 20 percent of cases require hospitalization, the estimate is created by taking the total number of confirmed and probable cases, subtracting fatalities, and consider 80 percent of remaining patients to be recovered after 14 days and the other 20 percent after 32 days, according to DSHS data.
With so many new cases reported over the last two days, the active case count rose as well, from 1930 on Dec. 23 to 1936 on Dec. 25.
Active cases are an estimate of the number of people with confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases who may still be sick. The estimate is calculated by taking the total number of confirmed and probable cases and subtracting fatalities and estimated recoveries. Because both active and recovered cases are estimates, they can vary from what is reported locally, DSHS notes.
COVID-19 Testing in Hopkins County
Although the free testing site was reported to be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A total of 50 new COVID-19 tests were performed in Hopkins County on Dec. 24 and 110 on Christmas Day, for a cumulative total of 13,208 COVID-19 tests conducted in the county since testing began, according to the DSHS Dec. 25 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard and Cumulative Tests by County reports. Overall, that makes 10,976 molecular or viral tests, 1,092 antigen tests (rapid testing) and 1,140 antibody tests.
Molecular tests diagnose current infections by looking for a germ’s genetic material. For COVID-19, molecular tests include nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests and loop mediated isothermic amplification (LAMP) tests. These do not include antigen tests. A positive molecular test is required to meet state criteria as a confirmed case, according to the DSHS Texas COVID-19 Data Definitions page.
Antigen tests are nasal swab tests that can show a current infection by looking for proteins on the outside of a germ. They can be performed rapidly where the test is collected. Under the national case definitions, positive antigen tests indicate probable cases, not confirmed cases, DSHS reports.
Antibody tests are blood tests that can show whether a person had a past infection by looking for proteins the body creates to fight an infection. Also called serology tests, an antibody test can’t always determine how long ago someone had COVID-19, according to DSHS.
COVID-19 Vaccine
As 11:59 p.m. Christmas Eve, 32 had received the first dose of the vaccine in Hopkins County, up from eight earlier in the week.
While DSHS had earlier reported CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs was one of three locations that had been allocated 300 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to distribute to front line workers on the second week of vaccine distribution, on Thursday only two Sulphur Springs locations were listed: Brookshire’s Pharmacy and Christus Trinity Clinic – Sulphur Springs. Brookshire’s was allocated 100 doses of the vaccine and the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic 200 doses of Moderna vaccine.
COVID-19 Fatalities
The DSHS dashboard showed 69 COVID-19 fatalities for Hopkins “County on Dec. 25. That’s one more Hopkins County resident confirmed to have died from COVID-19 . The death was reported to have occurred on Dec. 11, marking the second COVID-19 death on that date.
DSHS defines COVID-19 fatalities as deaths for which COVID-19 is listed as a direct cause of death on the death certificate. A medical certifier, usually a doctor, determines the cause(s) of death. DSHS does not include deaths of people who had COVID-19 but died of an unrelated cause. Fatalities are reported by where the person lived as listed on the death certificate.
Death certificates, the official record of a person’s death, are filed with state and local officials. It includes the cause, location and time of death and other personal information. DSHS uses information on the death certificate to report COVID-19 when COVID-19 is listed as a direct cause of death.
Because of the time period allowed after death for filing and processing of death certificates, fatalities often aren’t confirmed for 1-3 weeks after a person dies.
So far this month, 11 Hopkins County residents have died from COVID-19: two each on Dec. 3 and Dec. 11; and one each on Dec. 1, Dec. 2, Dec. 5, Dec. 6, Dec.7, Dec. 8, Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.
Hospital Update
While HC/SSEM does not report COVID-19 data on weekends or holidays, DSHS does post data daily. Dec. 25 was the third consecutive day in a row that COVID-19 hospitalizations accounted for more than 15 percent of the total hospital capacity in Trauma Service Area F, which includes Sulphur Springs and most of Northeast Texas.
Trauma Service Areas are the areas that coordinate emergency medical services and hospital emergency response in Texas. Hospital capacity data is usually reported by TSA because the hospital trauma system operates regionally to care for patients, DSHS reports.
On Friday, there were 171 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients in TSA F hospitals, the same as on Christmas Eve, but up from 166 on Dec. 23 and the 138 reported just one week ago. The least number of COVID-19 hospitalizations reported so far this month was 124 on Dec. 11. On only two days this month have there been more COVID-19 patients in TSA F hospitals, 173 on Dec. 1 and 172 no Dec. 2. According to the Combined Hospital Data over Time by TSA Region report, 125 of the COVID-19 patients in TSA hospital were in regular beds and 46 were in the ICU.
At least 25 of the COVID-19 patients in the hospital in TSA F on Christmas Eve received treatment in the COVID Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs, the same as on Dec. 21 but three less than Dec. 22-23.
On Dec. 25, COVID-19 patients accounted for 16.04 percent of the total hospital capacity in TSA F, up from 15.47 percent on Dec. 23 and 15.94 percent on Christmas Eve.
Total hospital capacity is the number of staffed available and occupied beds. This includes pediatric and adult, general and ICU beds, inpatient and outpatient beds, emergency department beds, and telemetry and psychiatric beds.
The total number of staffed hospital beds in TSA F was 1,066 on Christmas Day, the same number reported on Dec. 23, but seven less than on Dec. 24, eight more than on Dec. 20, two less than on Dec. 21 and six less than on Dec. 22. The most reported recently was 1,120 total staffed hospital beds on Dec. 12.
There were 607 total hospitalizations on Dec. 25 in TSA F, the same as on Dec. 20, but 20 less than on Dec. 23 and 13 less than on Dec. 22 and Dec. 24.
Overall, there were 974 total staffed inpatient beds in use in TSA F on Dec. 25, the same as on Dec. 23, six less than on Dec. 22, and 12 less than on Dec. 21.
Only six ICU beds were available in hospitals throughout TSA F, the same as on Dec. 20, but one less than Dec. 21, two less than Dec. 22, four less than Dec. 24 and six less than Dec. 23. The least number of ICU beds available recently was three on Dec. 8, and the 12 reported on Dec. 23 was the most. This category includes adult and pediatric beds, but does not include neonatal ICU beds.
Seventy-eight ventilators were available in hospitals across Trauma Service Area F, one less than on Dec. 23, but one more than on Dec. 21-22.
| Counts for Trauma Service Area F | 12/20 | 12/21 | 12/22 | 12/23 | 12/24 | 12/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Staffed Hospital Beds | 1058 | 1068 | 1072 | 1066 | 1073 | 1066 |
| Available Hospital Beds | 359 | 362 | 360 | 347 | 367 | 367 |
| Available ICU Beds | 6 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 6 |
| Available Ventilators | 78 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 78 | |
| Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Patients in Hospital | 148 | 154 | 159 | 166 | 171 | 171 |
| Total Hospitalizations | 607 | 614 | 620 | 627 | 620 | 607 |
| Total Staffed Inpatient Beds | 966 | 976 | 980 | 974 | 981 | 974 |
| Percent Capacity | 13.99 | 14.42 | 14.83 | 15.57 | 15.94 | 16.04 |
