Lady Cats Basketball Team Opens New Year With Huge Challenge Against Gilmer on Friday at Home
The Lady Cats Basketball Team had a roller coaster 2020 winning six games and losing six. I am sure they have a New Year’s resolution for a much improved 2021. They have their first opportunity on this New Year’s Day and game day Friday (January 1). The Lady Cats will welcome the Lady Buckeyes of Gilmer to the Main Gym at Sulphur Springs High School. The schedule calls for a JV game beginning at noon with a Varsity game to follow at around 1:15 p.m. The Lady Cats will certainly have their hands full with the Lady Buckeyes. Gilmer is a perfect 12-0 so far this season according to Max Preps. Most of their wins have been very lopsided. Gilmer last won Tuesday at West Rusk, 68-9. KSST Radio will bring you the Lady Cats and Lady Buckeyes game Friday at around 1:15 p.m. with live streaming video and audio. The game will also be videotaped for replay at a later date on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable.
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.
Dec. 31 COVID-19 Update: 1 Fatality, 1 New Case, 6 Recoveries, 26 In COVID Unit
Texas Department of State Health Service and Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management’s Dec. 31 COVID-19 updates showed one new probable COVID-19 cases, six additional recoveries and one additional COVID-19 fatality for Hopkins County. While there were fewer patients in the local COVID unit Thursday the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Trauma Service area F hospitals was the highest reported to date. More women than men were reported to have received the vaccine as of Dec. 30, according to the Dec. 31 COVID-19 Vaccinations dashboard.
Dec. 31 COVID-19 Case Counts
Only one new probable COVID-19 case was reported for Hopkins County on Thursday. That makes 17 new probable cases so far this week, 193 new probable COVID-19 cases from Dec. 11-Dec. 31, and a total of 1,117 probable COVID-19 cases reported for Hopkins County since the state began tracking the data.
A probable COVID-19 case is determined when a person either tests 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.
The DSHS Dec. 31 COVID-19 Texas Case Counts dashboard also showed 1,122 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Dec. 31, four less cases than were reported on Dec. 30. DSHS did not indicate the reason for the correction. In the past, when cases have been removed from the case counts it has been due to duplications. That reduces the total number of new confirmed cases to 48 this week and 290 confirmed cases this month.
A confirmed COVID-19 case is one in which an individual receives a positive results through a molecular test that looks for the virus’s genetic material.
Combined, that’s 2,239 total COVID-19 cases reported for Hopkins County since March, including 2,053 people who have recovered from the virus. Six of those recoveries were reported on New Year’s Eve, and 1,359 from Dec. 11 to Dec. 31, although 810 were probable case recoveries added to the total on Dec. 11, when confirmed and probable case recoveries were combined. That’s 6.04 percent of the overall population in Hopkins County who have had COVID-19 cases so far this year.
The DSHS Dec. 31 COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard also showed 71 COVID-19 fatalities for Hopkins County, which means another Hopkins County resident was confirmed to have died from COVID-19. That’s 0.19 percent of the total population who have died from the virus, and a fatality rate of 3.17 percent among all Hopkins County COVID-19 cases this year.
Overall, that leaves 115 active COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County on Dec. 31, 10 less than were reported Wednesday.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
The DSHS Dec. 31 COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard showed 134 had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of 11:59 p.m. Dec. 30, that 29 more vaccinations reported for Hopkins County on Wednesday. Three vaccines were administered Dec. 13-19, 48 Dec. 20-26, and the rest were administered over the past four days.
According to the DSHS, 282,515 people in Texas have received the first dose of the vaccine. Of those, more women then men have taken the first dose of the vaccine, and more people ages 16-49 years have been vaccinated than all of the other age categories combined. In fact, almost as many women ages 16-49 have received the vaccine as all people ages 50 and older.
In Hopkins County, 61 people ages 16-49 have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine: 40 women and 21 men. As of 11:59 p.m. Dec. 30, only 31 people ages 50-64 received the first dose of the vaccine, 25 women and 6 men; 33 people ages 65-79, 19 women and 14 men; and nine people age 80 or older, seven women and two men.
According to the dashboard, 400 doses of Moderna have been received by Hopkins County providers, 100 by the hospital, 200 by medical clinic and 100 a pharmacy.
Hospital Reports
According to HC/SSEM’s Dec. 31 COVID-19 update, the patient count in the COVID Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs shrunk from 30 patients on Wednesday to 26 patients on Thursday, which is still higher than the 23 COVID-19 positive patients in the COVID unit on Monday and 24 on Tuesday.
COVID-19 hospitalizations across Trauma Service Area F, which encompasses most of Northeast Texas, including Sulphur Springs and CMFH-SS, peaked Dec. 31 at 191 patients. That’s 24 more COVID-19 hospitalizations than were reported Wednesday. In fact, Thursday’s total is the most patients in TSA-F hospitals in one day since the state began tracking the data.
Not surprisingly, as the COVID-19 cases rose so did the overall patients counts across TSA-F, which also reduces the number specialized equipment available at hospitals across the area.
There were 1,120 total staffed hospital beds in TSA-F on Dec. 31, three more than were reported on Wednesday. The number of staffed inpatient beds in TSA-F rose from 1,021 on Wednesday to 1,028 on Thursday. A total of 696 hospitalizations were reported on New Year’s Eve, an increase of 47 patients from the day before.
The number of available hospital beds across TSA-F surprisingly increased from 327 on Dec. 30 to 332 on Dec. 31. The number of ICU beds available got even smaller, reduced from just seven across TSA-F on Wednesday to only four on Thursday. DSHS’ Dec. 31 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard also showed 72 ventilators available across TSA-F, three less than on Wednesday.
The rise in overall hospital numbers weren’t enough to offset the rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations, which Dec. 31 accounted for 17.05 percent of the total hospital capacity for TSA-F. In fact, TSA-F’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have been at or above the 15 percent threshold established in GA-32 as high hospital capacity for eight of the last nine days, and the last five consecutively. The capacity dipped to 14.95 percent on Dec. 26, after three consecutive days above the 15 percent high capacity threshold, then rose to 15.47 percent Sunday, 17.23 percent on Monday, 15,96 percent Tuesday, 15 Wednesday and was back up to 17.05 percent on Thursday.
COVID-19 Testing
HC/SSEM’s Dec. 31 COVID-19 update showed a total of 6,968 molecular COVID-19 tests have been conducted at hte free testing site in Sulphur Springs since it opened on Sept. 25. That means 94 additional tests were performed at the free testing site on Dec. 30, increasing the number conducted in the last three days at 128-A Jefferson Street to 355 and Dec. 1-30 to 2,437.
DSHS reported a total of 14,072 COVID-19 tests conducted for Hopkins County this year, including 11,340 molecular or viral tests, 1,152 antigen tests and 1,580 antibody tests. That’s 476 additional tests reported for Hopkins County from Dec. 29 to Dec. 30.
The free center in Sulphur Springs will be closed New Year’s Day, but will resume weekdays in January from 9 a.m.to 6 p.m. and Saturdays until 5 p.m. at 128-A Jefferson Street.
Online registration is required at www.GoGetTested.com in order to be tested at the free testing center. Testing is open to anyone regardless of address. Even children ages 3 and up can be tested, provided an adults registers and accompanies them to have the oral swab test performed. The Sulphur Springs free testing site is not a drive through location. Testing is conducted inside the building.
Individuals should refrain from eating, drinking or using tobacco products a minimum of 15-20 minutes before or testing will be delayed. Those testing will need to bring a photo ID and the number provided upon registration with them to the test location. Masks must be worn into the testing center. Testing typically takes about 5 minutes.
Nursing Home Reports
Two additional resident fatalities were reported at Sulphur Springs nursing facilities, for a total of 47 nursing home residents who have died from COVID-19 from March through Dec. 17, the most recent data available from Texas Health and Human Services.
Carriage House reported one additional resident fatality on Dec. 17, for a total of 28 resident deaths from the 78 who have tested positive for COVID-19. Five employees of Carriage House were reported to still have COVID-19. One additional resident at Carriage House also reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, giving the facility nine active resident cases on Dec. 17, according to the HHS Dec. 31 COVID-19 nursing homes report.
Rock Creek Health and Rehabilitation LLC also reported one additional COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 5 fatalities from the 51 residents who have tested positive for the virus since March. One additional resident also tested positive for COVID-19 at Rock Creek, giving the facility at total of 37 active resident cases and 18 active employee cases of COVID-19 on Dec. 17.
Sulphur Springs Health and Rehabilitation reported one additional employee had tested positive for COVID-19, giving the facility at total of three active employee cases on Dec. 17.
Sunny Springs Nursing and Rehab on Dec. 17 reported no active cases in either residents or employees.
Lady Cats and Wildcats Soccer Teams Have Fun Alumni Scrimmages Planned for Saturday
Some high school soccer programs like to supplement their preseason scrimmage schedule with Alumni Scrimmages. Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats Soccer Teams have done these in the past and plan to do so again this season. On Saturday (January 2), the Lady Cats and Wildcats JV and Varsity Teams will be taking on former players. For the Lady Cats, they get things started Saturday at Gerald Prim Stadium with their JV players against the alums at 2 p.m. The Lady Cats Varsity versus the former players will be taking place at 3:30 p.m. Later the Wildcats will take the field. Their JV 1 Team will play ex-players at 5:30 p.m. Then the Wildcats Varsity meets the alumni for a 7:15 p.m. game. The games are always fun and it’s interesting to see who may show up. Former Wildcats Soccer Coach Andy Holt, now at Frisco Wakeland, used to refer to some of the older players returning for the special scrimmage as the old dogs. Current Wildcats Coach Alexi Upton played high school soccer at Mesquite Poteet and will tell you about the night Poteet faced the Wildcats in the playoffs. Poteet got the win. That game was the famous brother in law game between Coach Holt and his former assistant Colby Peak. Both coaches married daughters of former Wildcats Football Coach Dwayne McMeans and his wife Kay. They were in a quandary as to who to cheer for so they had special shirts made supporting both teams and their grandchildren. All that to say that Coach Upton recently attended Poteet’s Alumni Scrimmage. A fun day is planned for this Saturday involving the Wildcats and Lady Cats Soccer Teams and their alumni.
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.
Tira News: Enjoying Family On Christmas, Wishing All A Happy New Year
By Jan Vaughn
Joyce Dodd reports that the Tira Methodist Church had a candlelight service on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
Yvonne Weir reports, “All of our kids and grandkids were here on Christmas Eve. We rented a bounce house and they had so much fun! Everyone left early, except Dacy’s family. Mike and Eli were hunting.” She adds, “Dustin and Natalie and their family stopped in on their way from Missouri on the 29th. Destri, Eben, and family arrived on the 30th. Lots of good family time.”
Our daughter and granddaughter, Tiffany and Jaidyn, came in from Malvern, Arkansas on Christmas Eve. Tiffany’s husband, Perry Gilbert, had to work. We went to the candlelight service at First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs that evening. Our son, Delayne, and his friend, Edwin, from Waco, came on Christmas Day. Landon, Laiken, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden Joslin, and Kenden Joslin and Emma Hall were here to open gifts and enjoy Christmas lunch with us.
Morgan Joslin stayed in Tulsa. He was preparing for his commercial pilot exam on Sunday (which he passed!). He visited his dad, Malcolm, and his family on Tuesday, Dec. 29, and came to see us on Wednesday, the 30th.
Grace Vaughn had several visits from family members during Christmas week. Jim and Sandra Vaughn, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, came on Sunday and had lunch with us.
I’m sure many families had some kind of Christmas activity, even if smaller than usual. I hope to have more to report next week. Happy New Year!
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
Recently Elected, Appointed Hopkins County Officials To Be Sworn In Jan. 1
Recently elected and appointed Hopkins County officials are to be sworn in Jan. 1 during a special meeting of Hopkins County Commissioners Court.
Once the oath of office is administered to the elected and appointed officials the Commissioners Court will then be asked to consider approving the bonds for those individuals.
Taking the oath for the first time will be John Brian Beadle as Constable for Precinct 2. After Precinct 2 Constable Bill Allan announced he would not be seeking another term in office, both Beadle and Charles Humphries sought the Republican Party nomination for the office in the March Primary Election. Beadle edged ahead of Charles Humphries with 51.45 percent of the Republican ballots. There was no Democratic candidate for Precinct 2 Constable for Beadle to face in the Nov. 3, 2020, General Election.
Among the list of local and district officials reelected to office on Nov. 3 were:
- 8th Judicial District Judge Eddie Northcutt
- Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker
- Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley
- Sheriff Lewis Tatum
- Precinct 1Constable Norman Colyer
- County Attorney Dustanna Hyde Rabe
- Tax Assessor-Collector Debbie Pogue Mitchell
- 8th Judicial District Attorney William Ramsay
- Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook
Mitchell is scheduled to be sworn in for both the county and state. Ramsay and Aulsbrook are slated to be sworn in elsewhere, according to the County Judge’s Office.
The swearing in and Commissioners Court meeting are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 in the District Courtroom on the second floor of Hopkins County Courthouse, located at 118 Church Street in, Sulphur Springs.
Crime Stoppers Tip Results In 2 Arrests, Location Of Guns, Clears Burglaries
A Crime Stoppers tip resulted in two arrests, location of a four firearms and cleared multiple recent burglary cases, according to arrest and sheriff’s reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office investigators and patrol deputies Wednesday morning, Dec. 30, received a Crime Stoppers tip stating a potential person of interest in multiple recent theft/burglary cases was Justin Carty. The officers reportedly located Carty at a Helm Lane apartment.
While speaking with the 24-year-old Commerce man, they received information that he had hid a pistol in a refrigerator prior to answering the door. Consent to search the residence was given and a stolen pistol was located in the bottom drawer in a case in the refrigerator.
Two other guns were allegedly stolen from the same residence where the recovered gun was taken.
“Investigators learned the other two firearms were traded for marijuana to Cordryc Shropshire. Contact was made with Cordryc at the Asturias Apartments. Cordryc stated Justin did trade him guns for marijuana and stated the guns were in the bedroom,” sheriff’s officers alleged in a news release.
Investigators reported finding a gun case containing a 300 blackout, a Taurus Judge and a Sig Sauer P238 on the top shelf of the bedroom closet. The 300 blackout and Taurus Judge were reported stolen on Dec. 27.
Shropshire allegedly claimed he’d had the third gun for over a year. A records check showed the The Sig Sauer P238 had been reported in 2011 to Hopkins County authorities as stolen. The 26-year-old Sulphur Springs man was taken into custody at 2:51 p.m. for theft of a firearm, Deputy Richard Brantley alleged in arrest reports.
During the investigation, Carty also allegedly admitted he broke into multiple cars on Jill Lane as well, according to the HCSO news release.
A records check showed Carty to be a convicted felon. Thus, Carty was booked Wednesday and remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning, Dec. 31, 2020, on three theft of firearm charges and one unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon charge.
Shropshire remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning, Dec. 31, 2020, on the theft of a firearm charge. Wednesday was the second time Shropshire has been arrested in Hopkins County on a weapon charge; he was also taken into custody Jan. 23, 2018 for unlawful carrying of a weapon and a possession of marijuana charge.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Hopkins County COVID-19 Hospitalizations Pass 30% As Year Comes To End
In a grim reminder of how awful 2020 has been, the latest report from the Hopkins County Emergency Management Team showed 30 Covid-19 patients are currently in the Covid Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs. With 96 staffed hospital beds at the local campus, that pushes the Covid Hospitalization Rate locally up to 31.25%.
The Texas Department of State Health Services tracks this hospitalization rate but as a region, and our region is Trauma Service Area F. Our region consists of the counties of Hopkins, Delta, Lamar, Red River, Titus, Morris, Bowie, and Cass. With a population of over 273,000 and roughly 1,100 staffed hospital beds, the average hospitalization rate has exceeded 15% for the past few days with more than 165 patients in the hospital with Covid-19. If this rate continues for seven consecutive days, more restrictions could be enforced on local businesses by the Governor of Texas.
Annual SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training Class To Be Conducted Virtually
The annual SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training Class will be conducted virtually this year, according to the National Weather Service and Sulphur Springs Police Department.
The class is offered free for Delta, Fannin, Hopkins and Lamar Counties at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26.
SKYWARN® is a citizen volunteer program with 350,000-400,000 trained severe weather spotters, citizens volunteers who help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service. The main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms.
In an average year, the the United States experiences more than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes. Alert storm spotters can provide information to the NWS and local emergency officials about things they are seeing that may not be detected on radar and other technologies, which allows the NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe storms and flash floods.
The training sessions are typically about two hours long and cover fundamental information that every spotter needs to know, with a focus on safety, identification of key weather features, and proper reporting procedures.
Anyone interested in becoming a storm spotter or learning more about weather patters in order to better prepare for storms and weather situations may attend the SKYWARN® Storm Spotter Training Class.
However, online registration is required to attend the webinar. Click this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/regi…/6667027705278769931. The ink and additional information can also be found on the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/fwd/skywarn.
Dec. 30 COVID-19 Update: 1 Fatality, 8 New Cases, 30 In COVID Unit
Texas Department of State Health Services and Hopkins/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management’s Dec. 30 COVID-19 updates showed 8 new COVID-19 cases, 11 recoveries, 1 fatality, 39 additional vaccines for Hopkins County on Wednesday. A patient count in the hospital COVID unit reached a new high, and while fewer COVID-19 patients were in Trauma Area F hospitals, the overall patient counts rose.
Dec. 30 COVID-19 Case Counts
DSHS; Dec. 30 COVID-19 Texas Case Counts dashboard showed a total 1,126 Hopkins County residents have received positive lab-confirmed molecular test results. That means three additional residents had confirmed cases of COVID-19 at 5:20 p.m. Dec. 30. That makes 42 new confirmed COVID-19 cases this week and 294 confirmed cases during the first 30 days of December.
DSHS also reported 1,115 probable cases of COVID-19 for Hopkins County, five more than was reported on Tuesday. That makes 16 new probable cases reported so far this week and 192 probable cases reported Dec. 11-30. (The state only began reporting probable cases daily on Dec. 11). The Dec. 30 COVID-19 County Trends report, however, shows 5 probable cases were removed from the overall probable case count on Dec. 29. A probable COVID-19 case is determined when a person either tests 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.
Eleven Hopkins County residents had also recovered from COVID-19 on Dec. 30, that makes 111 recoveries so far this week and 1,353 recoveries since Dec. 11. This number includes both confirmed and probable case recoveries as of Dec. 11, when 810 probable case recoveries that had not been previously been accounted for were added to the overall recovery total. That makes 543 new recoveries from Dec. 12-Dec. 30. Cumulatively, 2,047 Hopkins County residents have recovered from COVID-19 since March, according to the DSHS Dec. 30 COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard.
As of 5:20 p.m. Dec. 30, Hopkins County still had 125 active COVID-19 cases, three less than on Tuesday, but 24 more than on Monday.
COVID-19 Fatalities
DSHS also Dec. 30 reported 70 Hopkins County residents have died from COVID-19, which means one additional Hopkins County resident has been confirmed by death certificate to have died from COVID-19. That makes 12 COVID-19 deaths confirmed for December.
The latest death was reported on the DSHS County Trends report occurred on Dec. 14, making the individual the second Hopkins County resident confirmed to have died of COVID-19 on Dec. 14. Two COVID-19 deaths were also reported on Dec. 3 and on Dec. 12, and one death each on Dec. 1, Dec. 2, Dec. 6, Dec. 7, Dec. 8 and Dec. 13.
At least 45 COVID-19 deaths were among residents of Sulphur Springs nursing facilities, according to the Health and Human Services’ Dec. 30 COVID-19 report.
In the 8-counties surrounding Hopkins, only two counties, both with larger populations, have reported more COVID-19 deaths. Hunt County has had 84 fatalities and Lamar 91. Wood County, which also has a larger population than Hopkins County, has reported 65 fatalities. Also around the region, Titus has had 44 COVID-19 deaths, Red River County 25, Rains County 18, Franklin County 12 and Delta County 3.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
According to the DSHS Dec. 30 COVID-19 Vaccine dashboard 105 vaccinations have been issued for Hopkins County. That means 39 additional people received the first dose of the vaccine on Dec. 29. A total of 32 vaccines had been administered on Christmas Eve, the remaining 73 vaccines were administered for Hopkins County over the last 7 days.
Currently, only two locations in Sulphur Springs have been allocated vaccines, 100 to Brookshire’s Pharmacy and 200 to CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, according to the DSHS reports.
COVID-19 Testing
HC/SSEM officials in the Dec. 30 COVID-19 update reported 6,874 COVID-19 tests have been performed from Sept. 25-Dec. 29 at the free testing center in Sulphur Springs. That means 115 additional tests were conducted at 128-A Jefferson Street on Dec. 29 for a total of 416 oral swab tests performed since Christmas and 2,343 tests from Dec. 1-29.
DSHS’ Dec. 30 COVId-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard showed a total of 13,596 COVID-19 tests had been conducted in Hopkins County as of Dec. 29, that’s 139 more tests reported on Dec. 29.
Cumulatively, 11,236 viral or molecular tests, 1,147 antigen and 1,213 antibody tests have been conducted in Hopkins County.
Free COVID-19 testing will continue form 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, in the Red Cross (Old Fidelity Express) building at 128-A Jefferson St The free center in Sulphur Springs will be closed New Year’s Day, then resume weekdays in January from 9 a.m.to 6 p.m. and Saturdays until 5 p.m. at 128-A Jefferson Street.
Online registration is required at www.GoGetTested.com in order to be tested. Testing is open to anyone regardless of address. Even children ages 3 and up can be tested, provided an adults registers and accompanies them to have the oral swab test performed. The Sulphur Springs free testing site is not a drive through location. Testing is conducted inside the building.
Individuals should refrain from eating, drinking or using tobacco products a minimum of 15-20 minutes before or testing will be delayed. Those testing will need to bring a photo ID and the number provided upon registration with them to the test location. Masks must be worn into the testing center. Testing typically takes about 5 minutes.
Hospital Reports
The patient count in the CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs COVID Unit rose from 24 on Tuesday to 30 on Wednesday, the most the unit has been reported to hold thus far. The most patients reported in the unit previously was 28 on Dec. 23. The COVID unit is equipped to hold up to 35 patients.
While the patient at the Sulphur Springs hospital rose on Wednesday, the number of overall COVID-19 hospitalizations in Trauma Service Area F, which encompasses nearly all of Northeast Texas including Hopkins County, declined for the second day in a row, dropping from 178 on Dec. 28 to 170 Dec. 29 and 167 Dec. 30.
More hospital beds were staffed in TSA F, up 48 beds from 1,065. There were 649 total hospitalizations in TSA F on Wednesday, 47 more than on Tuesday. There were also 1,021 total staffed impatient beds in TSA F on Dec. 30, up from 973 on Dec. 29.
Consequently, COVID-19 hospitalizations accounted for only 15 percent of the total hospital capacity in TSA F on Dec. 30, nearly 1 percent less than on Dec. 29.
The increased patient counts in TSA F on Wednesday meant that there were only 327 hospital beds available, 44 less than on Dec. 29; seven available ICU beds, two less; and 75 available ventilators, four less than on Tuesday.
| Trauma Service Area F Hospital Counts | 12/25 | 12/26 | 12/27 | 12/28 | 12/29 | 12/30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Staffed Hospital Beds | 1066 | 1077 | 1060 | 1,033 | 1065 | 1113 |
| Available Hospital Beds | 367 | 421 | 428 | 354 | 371 | 327 |
| Available ICU Beds | 6 | 27 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 7 |
| Available Ventilators | 78 | 74 | 75 | 79 | 75 | |
| Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Patients in Hospital | 171 | 161 | 164 | 178 | 170 | 167 |
| Total Hospitalizations | 607 | 564 | 540 | 587 | 602 | 649 |
| Total Staffed Inpatient Beds | 974 | 985 | 968 | 941 | 973 | 1021 |
| Percent Capacity | 16.04 | 14.95 | 15.47 | 17.23 | 15.96 | 15 |
HHS Reports
The number of COVID-19 cases reported at two local nursing homes continued to increase on Dec. 16, according to Texas Health and Human Services Dec. 30 COVID-19 nursing facilities report.
Three additional employees and one additional resident of Carriage House Manor had tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 16, increasing the active case counts for the facility to five employee and eight resident cases. Cumulatively, the facility has reported 54 employee COVID-19 cases and 77 resident cases, including 40 resident recoveries and 27 fatalities, since March.
Five additional employees and two additional residents of Rock Creek Health and Rehab had tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 16. Two residents at Rock Creek were reported to have recovered from the virus on Dec. 16. Cumulatively, 25 employees and 42 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, including the two recoveries and four fatalities. On Dec. 16, Rock Creek reported 18 active employee and 36 active resident COVID-19 cases.
Sulphur Springs Health and Rehab reported the facility still had only two active employee COVID-19 cases on Dec. 16. Cumulatively, the facility had had 35 employee and 68 resident cases of COVID-19, including seven seven fatalities, according to the HHS Dec. 30 COVID-19 nursing facility report.
Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab report no active COVID-19 cases on Dec. 16. Cumulatively, the facility has had 40 employee and 54 resident cases of the novel coronavirus 2019, including seven fatalities and 47 resident recoveries.
Wesley House also had one active employee COVID-19 case on Dec. 16. Cumulatively, Wesley House reported 11 employee cases and 16 resident cases of COVID-19 since March, according to the HHS Dec. 30 COVID-19 assisted living facility report.
There were no active COVID-19 cases reported Dec. 29 at any of the licensed child care centers, school-age programs, and before- or after-school programs, according to the Dec. 30 report.
2nd Round of Economic Impact Payments Already Being Distributed
Some US residents will begin 2021 with money in the bank. The Internal Revenue Service Tuesday night reported a second round of Economic Impact Payments are already going out to taxpayers across the country.
Authorized by the newly enacted Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the second round of payments or “EIP 2,” is generally $600 for singles and $1,200 for married couples filing a joint return. Those with qualifying children will also receive $600 for each qualifying child. Dependents who are 17 and older are not eligible for the child payment.
“This bipartisan legislation will provide another round of Economic Impact Payments to eligible individuals and families, renew the Paycheck Protection Program to support small businesses and their employees, ensure needed access to unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, and provide additional funding for schools, vaccine distribution, and other important sectors of the economy,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, US Department of the Treasury.
“We are fully committed to ensuring that hardworking Americans get this vital support as quickly as possible and to further strengthening our economic recovery”
US Department of the Treasury
“Throughout this challenging year, the IRS has worked around the clock to provide Economic Impact Payments and critical taxpayer services to the American people,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “We are working swiftly to distribute this second round of payments as quickly as possible. This work continues throughout the holidays and into the new year as we prepare for the upcoming filing season. We urge everyone to visit IRS.gov in the coming days for the latest information on these payments and for important information and assistance with filing their 2021 taxes.”
Some may have received notification as early as Dec. 29 that the initial direct deposit payments, part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. The direct deposit payments will continue to be issued this week and the first paper checks were slated to go in the mail today, Dec. 30.
Some Americans may see the direct deposit payments as pending or as provisional payments in their accounts before the official payment date of January 4, 2021.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig (Photo: www.irs.gov)As with the first round of payments under the CARES Act, most recipients will receive these payments by direct deposit. For Social Security and other beneficiaries who received the first round of payments via Direct Express, they will receive this second payment the same way.
Those who received the first round of payments earlier this year but didn’t receive a payment via direct deposit will receive a check or, in some instances, a debit card. These payments will conclude in January.
Under the earlier CARES Act, joint returns of couples where only one member of the couple had a Social Security number were generally ineligible for a payment – unless they were a member of the military. But this month’s new law changes and expands that provision, and more people are now eligible. These families will now be eligible to receive payments for the taxpayers and qualifying children of the family who have work-eligible SSNs.
Eligible individuals who did not receive an Economic Impact Payment earlier this year will be able to claim it when they file their 2020 taxes in 2021. Taxpayers who didn’t receive a payment this year should review the eligibility criteria when they file their 2020 taxes; many people, including recent college graduates, may be eligible to claim it.
The Economic Impact Payments are advance payments of what will be called the Recovery Rebate Credit on the 2020 Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. According to the IRS, the Economic Impact Payment is not taxable for federal income tax purposes, but will reduce any Recovery Rebate Credit that can be claimed on 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR.
People can check the status of both their first and second payments by using the Get My Payment tool, available in English and Spanish a IRS.gov/GetMyPayment in a few days.
Recipients will receive an IRS notice, or letter, after they receive a payment telling them the amount of their payment. They should keep this for their tax records.
For more information about Economic Impact Payments and the 2020 Recovery Rebate, visit IRS.gov/eip.
