Strides For Blue 122 On Their Walk To Dallas
The Strides For Blue 122 organization is making it’s way through Hopkins County on their journey from Mt. Pleasant to Dallas. The walking trip, a distance of 122 miles, is to educate, train and advocate for the prevention of PTSD and suicide for all First Responders, Veterans and their families. Their journey started on September 28th in Mount Pleasant and should take five days to reach Dallas. Supporters from all of the country have come in to join in this walk and to support their cause. If you are in the Sulphur Springs vicinity between 3pm and 4pm today (September 29th) you will find them on the service road headed west.
The “Strides For Blue 122” is part of Code 9 Project, a national organization. You can find out more about their services at: https://thecode9project.org/strides-for-blue-122.html
3 Jailed On Controlled Substance Charges Monday
Three people were jailed on controlled substance charges Monday, Sept. 28, and 3 others on controlled substance or related charges from Sept. 25-28, according to arrest reports.
Houston Street Traffic Stop
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chris Baumann and Sgt. Tanner Steward arrested 2 Sulphur Springs women around 7:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 on controlled substance charge.
(HCSO jail photo)
The deputies reported stopping 48-year-old Carrie Elizabeth Vaughan at 7:38 p.m. on Houston Street at South Davis Street for failing to signal 100 feet prior to a turn. She agreed to an officer search the Pontiac Solstice.
When asked to step out of the car to wait, she attempted to take a purse with her; she was asked to leave it in the car, according to arrest reports. The passenger in the car, 24-year-old Rebekah Liann Feagan, also was asked to exit the vehicle.
Officers allegedly found a glass pipe with suspected methamphetamine inside of a make-up bag on the passenger floorboard and a small bag with a crystal-like substance the deputy believed to be methamphetamine in the black purse left on the driver’s seat. Both women reportedly claimed the make-up bag. Vaughan claimed the purse but denied ownership of the substance, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
Deputies reported Feagan began making furtive movements and digging in her waistband while they finished their search of the vehicle. A scan of the area in which the woman had been detained allegedly revealed under the bumper a bag containing a scale, 3 syringes and cigarette case containing a bag with a crystal-like substance the sheriff’s office believed to be methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia.
The crystal-like substance found in the purse field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 1.221 grams, including packaging. Consequently, Vaughan was arrested for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
While Feagan was being booked into the county jail, corrections officers reported finding additional drug paraphernalia and a brown substance suspected to be heroin in a black face mask Fegan had on her. The crystal-like substance field-tested positive for meth while the brown substance field-tested positive for heroin; both weighed 0.984 grams, including packaging, deputies alleged in arrest reports.
Consequently, Feagan was booked on two possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, one each for the suspect meth and heroin, as well as for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, according to arrest reports.
Vaughan, who is also known by Elizabeth Saffel, Kerry Saffel and Carrie Vaughn, remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning. Bond on the controlled substance charge was set at $10,000, according to jail reports.
Feagan also later had a city failure to maintain financial responsibility warrant added to her list of charges. She remained in the county jail Tuesday morning in lieu of $10,000 on the tampering with evidence charge, $5,000 each on the two controlled substance charges, according to jail reports.
Mockingbird Lane Traffic Stop
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Nick Floyd stopped a Saturn VUE just after 4 p.m. Sept. 28 in the 1400 block of Mockingbird Lane for a traffic stop.
(HCSO jail photo)
A records check showed the driver, 45-year-old Christopher Lee Whitaker of Sulphur Springs, to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Whitaker was taken into custody and jailed for bond forfeiture on a manufacture or delivery of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Whitaker was originally arrested on June 27, 2019 on a manufacture or delivery warrant. He was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on State Highway 19 north. A records check revealed the warrant; he remained in Hopkins County jail until Aug. 10, 2019 on that charge, sheriff’s deputies noted in the 2019 arrest reports.
The 45-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, Sept. 45, for bond forfeiture on the charge. Whitaker’s new bond was set at $60,000, which is twice his original bond, according to jail reports.
SH 154 South Vehicle Check
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Lavender stopped to check on what appeared to him to be a running vehicle parked on the shoulder of State Highway 154 south near County Road 1174 just before 9 a.m. Sept. 25. However, upon approach, Lavender reported seeing a white male who appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat.
(HCSO jail photo)
When awakened, Lavender said he asked Russell James Whited to step out of the pickup without reaching for anything to speak to the deputy. The 48-year-old Quitman man allegedly grabbed at something on his right side multiple times. As Whited stepped out, Lavender reported seeing a glass pipe of the type used to smoke methamphetamine on the driver’s seat.
Lavender then located a zipper pouch containing a white, crystal-like substance which field-tested positive for meth and weighed 1.22 grams, including packing, on the floor behind the console during a probable cause search of the vehicle, the deputy alleged in arrest reports.
Consequently, Whited was charged with possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance. He was released from Hopkins County jail on Sept. 27, 2020. Bond was set at $10,000, according to jail reports.
The arrest marked the second time in just over a month Whited has spent time in Hopkins County jail on a controlled substance charge. He was arrested Aug. 20, 2020 for possession of less than 1 gram of a controlled substance after being stopped for nearly striking a sheriff’s patrol vehicle on FM 1567. He was found to be in possession of a substance that field-tested positive for meth on Aug. 20 as well, according to sheriff’s reports. He was released from Hopkins County jail Aug. 21, on a $5,000 bond on that charge, according to jail reports.
Whitworth Street Warrant Arrest
HCSO Cpl. Todd Evans and Chief Deputy Tanner Crump went to a Whitworth Street residence, where a wanted 55-year-old woman was located.
(HCSO jail photo)
The sheriff’s officer took Leanna Kay Lane Stroup into custody at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 25 and transported her to jail, where she was booked on the warrant for violation of probation, which she was on for a possession of controlled substance charge.
Stroup remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday, Sept. 29, on the charge. Sept. 25 marked the second time in 2020 that she’s spent time in the county jail. She was also arrested Jan. 11 for criminal trespass, a warrant for criminal trespass and a warrant for theft of property by check. She was released from jail Feb. 5 on $1,000 bond per charge for those offense, according to jail reports.
Carter Street Warrant Arrest
Sulphur Springs Police Officers received a tip that a wanted Sulphur Springs man could be located at a Carter Street residence. Police located Jackson Blaze Gilreath and took him into custody at 7:37 p.m. Sept. 26 on four warrants, SSPD Officer Silas Whaley noted in arrest reports.
(HCSO jail photo)
Gilreath, 24, was booked into Hopkins County jail, for surety off bond on a tampering with or fabricating physical evidence charge, a manufacture or delivery of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3/4 controlled substance charge, manufacture or delivery of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
The possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence charge were alleged to have occurred and resulted in his arrest on July 8. He also was jailed in July 2020 on the two manufacture or delivery charges. He remained in the county jail until Aug. 5, according to jail reports.
Gilreath remained in Hopkins County jail Sept. 29 on the surety off bond charges. He will need to secure $60,000 in bonds in order to be released from the county jail, according to jail reports.
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.
Hicks: Plenty in Store For the Rest of 2020
By Johanna Hicks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Family & Community Health Agent, Hopkins County
Folks who visit our office never ask if anything is going on – they ask what is going on! We always have something of interest planned for all ages. The 4-H program is off to a good start, and enrollment for the 2020/2021 year is now taking place. We have five clubs in the county. Enrollment is open to all youth grades 3 thru 12. Contact our office for information on joining.
4-H Foods & Nutrition is one of the most popular projects in Hopkins County. Recently, our 4-H Foods Project kids were given kits in leu of a face-to-face workshop. Each participant received 5 kits to take home and complete at their own pace.
Topics included:
- Set the Table/Read the Label
- Mix and Measure
- Gadgets and Gizmos
- Experimenting with Herbs and Spices
- Crockin’ Kids
Each kit provided challenges to complete at their own pace. All utensils and equipment were provided – even some spices and herbs. Through a grant, I was able to purchase a spiralizer for each participant. (If you are not familiar with that, it’s a gadget that can make noodles from spaghetti, apples, and other fruits and vegetables.) Master Wellness Volunteers assisted in preparing the kits. A survey and a check sheet for completed projects rounded out the project. From feedback received so far, the kits were a huge hit!
National 4-H Week Quickly Approaching
National 4-H Week, October 4-10, is just around the corner. Hopkins County 4-H members, parents, leaders, and supporters will celebrate with a kick-off at the Extension office on Monday, October 5. Judge Robert Newsom will be on hand to read the 4-H proclamation at 4:15, followed by refreshments and County 4-H Council and leaders/parents meeting. The new 4-H Food Show guidelines will be introduced via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. for interested 4-H’ers and leaders.
Also taking place during national 4-H Week is the Project Show. This event gives 4-H members the opportunity to showcase their talents in photography, art, woodworking, crafts, handiwork, and others. Items may be brought to the Extension office Monday thru Friday, October 5-8. Items will be judged on October 9 and on display to the public the week of October 12. Be sure to drop by and view the exhibits!
Walk & Talk
Also kicking off in October is the annual Walk & Talk event. This is an 8-week series focusing on regular physical activity and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables. Fresh Start to A Healthier You is another program that will be held on-line for viewing from the comfort of your own home. Contact my office at 903-885-3443 for more information on both of these.
Hopkins County Fall Festival
Of course, the Hopkins County Fall Festival is a popular annual event. As coordinator of the Arts & Crafts Show and the Creative Arts Contest, I encourage you to take advantage of the festivities on October 23 and 24. Other events will include a petting zoo, hay bale contest, parade, and more.
Annual Extension Christmas Joys Holiday Program
Looking to November, the ever-popular Extension Christmas Joys holiday program will be held on Monday, November 9, at the ROC (please note the change in location.) A third session has been added to accommodate physical distancing. It is shaping up to be a great program – decorating, recipes, gift-giving ideas and more! Call 903-885-3443 to reserve a seat. We must have a name and phone number for each seat reserved.
So, what’s happening with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension? Now you know!
Closing Thought
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people. – Abraham Heschel
Contact Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B W. Houston St, Sulphur Springs, TX, 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected]
Sulphur Springs Time Capsule Extraction to Take Place Oct. 3 in Heritage Park
Lyndsey Palmer, a member of the SSHS Class of 2000, tells KSST that an intermediate-age school project is about to come to completion, when a Time Capsule is unearthed in Sulphur Springs Heritage Park.
From a press release, we learned that “at 10AM on Saturday October 3, 2020, the Sulphur Springs class of 2000 plans to unearth a time capsule placed in Heritage Park in 1993. During our fifth grade year, we were at Douglas Intermediate School, and several teachers helped us students place pictures, relics, and even a VCR tape recording into the time capsule to be buried in Heritage Park. Honestly, no one really seems to remember what all is inside!” Lyndsey and fellow students are anxious to find out, and share some memories about the time capsule and the ways in which the world has changed since they graduated in 2000.
Back in their fifth grade classroom, the students voted to exhume the capsule in the year of their 20th Class Reunion. That year has arrived! But, due to Covid-19, the reunion has been postponed. However, the contents of the time capsule will be displayed at Heritage Park over the next few months where students and the public may come and view the items.
“After this, we will still take the capsule to our reunion once it’s rescheduled, but we thought that displaying at the museum during on October 3 on Indian Summer Day 2020 would allow others to see the contents as well,” Palmer said. She also hopes that one or more of the Douglas teachers will attend the unearthing event, so they can explain a bit more about how and why this happened back in 1993.
The late Bill Bradford of KSST attended the burial of the Time Capsule and even placed something inside it, to be re-discovered by a future generation. Bradford, a radio pioneer, was manager/owner of KSST for 68 years, and embraced new technology and the coming of the “Information Highway” or Internet, which changed the world for most of it’s inhabitants.
Grant Application To Pave Road Into Mine Received No Opposition At Meeting
The public meeting, conducted by the City of Sulphur Springs regarding a proposed grant application to help pave the road into the city-owned former Thermo/Luminant mine property, received no opposition.
The city posted a public notice regarding the city’s intent to apply for $2,976,960 from the Economic Development Administration Program Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, including CARES Act funding, to engineer and construct roadway into the property to provide heavy truck access as an intended Industrial Economic Development Property that is located at FM 1870 Southeast of downtown Sulphur Springs approximately 3-miles from I-30.”
A public meeting was announced and notice posted for Sept. 28 to allow anyone who might be affected by the activities in the area to express concerns and to provide information about the planned project. Mailing and email addresses were also provided for those who preferred to submit written comments as well.
While the proposal to rezone the mine property as heavy industrial was met with opposition and even an online petition, the proposal for grant funding to concrete the road into the mine did not. Sulphur Springs Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski and Finance Director Lesa Smith were present, along with Ark-Tex Council of Governments Executive Director Chris Brown and Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County EDC Executive Director Roger Feagley were present at Monday’s public meeting; no community members opted to attend the meeting.
The application for grant funding to construct the concrete road received approval of the Sulphur Springs City Council during a special meeting Sept. 22. A resolution which received full council approval authorizes the city manager, or his designee, to act on behalf of the City of Sulphur Springs to prepare and submit the $2,976,960 application for funding from the Economic Development Administration Program Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, including CARES Act funding.
Smith, on Sept. 22, explained that the city has the opportunity to apply for the EDA Public Works grants throughout the year.
“This has CARES Act funding with it. I did speak to an EDA grant representative last week and he did say wee would qualify based on the things that have happened in the economy in regards to the pandemic,” Smith told the council during the meeting, conducted via Zoom and streamed on YouTube.
“The CARES Act funding allows an 80/20 match, which gives us up to a $3 million grant amount whereas if we only did a Public Works grant we would only be eligible for $1 1/2 million. The CARES Act, given the amount of funds available, time is of essence to from what we are hearing from EDA and our ArkTex as far as trying to get this going,” Niewiadomski said at the Sept. 22 City Council meeting.
The project we would help pave 2 miles of concrete road going into the mine, off FM 1870 and going into mine. Funding is tied to economic development of some sort. This would provide opportunities for industrial development in the mine. Without the road, it will be harder to attract economic development, according to Smith.
City Manager Marc Maxwell at last week’s meeting explained there are two haul roads, one that spans east to west and the other that spans north to south. The intended road would be on top of the existing north-south road, across the railroad tracks then go on to FM 1870
“So there would be a new entrance out on 1870,” Niewiadomski said. “Rather than follow the curve parallel to the railroad track, once it crossed the railroad track it would go straight to 1870. So, it would be a shorter distance.”
Fort Worth Woman In Custody On Felony Warrant
A 22-year-old Fort Worth woman was in custody in Hopkins County Tuesday morning on a felony warrant, according to arrest reports.
Janie Louise Broglin was taken into custody in Tarrant County on the Hopkins County warrant. Tarrant County officials alerted Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Elijah Fite traveled to Tarrant County jail Sept. 28 and took custody of the 22-year-old woman. Broglin was transported to Hopkins County jail, where she was booked on the violation of probation warrant.
She was on probation for unauthorized use of a vehicle, a charge on which she was indicted in September of 2019.
She was arrested July 18, 2019 and remained in Hopkins County jail until Sept. 30, 2019. In July 2019, officers reported finding her in a Nissan Altima partially blocking the westbound of the south service road between the eastbound lanes of Interstate 30 near the 114 mile marker and the south service road. Broglin allegedly claimed to be traveling from Fort Worth and had run out of gas. A records check of the car’s license plate number revealed the car had been reported to Mesquite Police Department as stolen, resulting in Broglin’s arrest, deputies alleged in reports immediately following her arrest on July 18, 2019.
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.
CMFH-SS Business News: Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinics Available For CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Patients
By Holly Ragan, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
Sulphur Springs, Texas – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Health Ministry of Jesus Christ.
Flu Shots: Drive-Thru Clinics Available For CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Patients
Are you an existing patient of CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic? Take advantage of our drive-thru flu clinic on Friday, October 2, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. You do not need to call ahead, but should be an existing patient, and bring your insurance card with you. The location of the drive-thru is the circle drive under the awning, directly in front of the hospital by the main entrance.
Hospital Visitation
For the safety and health of the community and our ministry, CHRISTUS Health is screening all associates and visitors to our hospitals to help lessen the risk of infectious disease transmission among our patients, associates, and guests.
- (1) Entrance to hospital through Emergency Department 24/7
- (1) Visitor per patient
- Visitors must be between the ages of 16 years-old and 65-years old
- All visitors are screened at the door, including a temperature taken
- All associates are screened at each shift, including a temperature taken
- Visiting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (subject to change)
- ALL hospital visitors are required to wear a mask. Visitors should bring their own mask; homemade cloth masks are acceptable.
Local Services
Wound Care
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was first used in the military to treat divers and flyers with ‘the bends’ and altitude sickness. Scientific study has shown benefits of hyperbaric oxygen for many common medical conditions. Diabetic wounds, chronic infections in the bone and failed amputation flaps are common approved indications for hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
Dr. Scott McDearmont is a board certified surgeon with training at UT Southwestern in Dallas and 25-years’ experience. He has recently joined the team at the comprehensive wound healing center at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs.
“It is extremely gratifying for our team to see the profound results from hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Our patients and their families have sometimes been dealing with these wounds for weeks, months or even years,” said Dr. Scott McDearmont.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy functions to deliver a higher concentration of oxygen to tissues. The patient is in a chamber under 2x atmospheric pressure breathing 100% oxygen. This therapy also helps activate substances and proteins in the blood that assist with wound healing.
“We are expanding the ability for our team to offer hyperbaric oxygen treatments here in Sulphur Springs. It is a very exciting time for our patients,” said Dr. McDearmont.
Dr. McDearmont and the team at CHRISTUS are accepting new patients at 115 Airport Road in Sulphur Springs. Ask your health care provider or home health nurse to provide a referral or call 903-438-4670 for an appointment.
Dermatology
Dermatology & Skin Cancer Surgery Center will be opening an office in Sulphur Springs and accepting patients under the care of Roxanne Swafford, FNP. She will begin seeing patients on October 10, at 1228 Church St. Suite D. To schedule your appointment, call 972.390.9002 and select “Option 1”. You may also schedule online at www.mdbarrows.com.
The CARE Unit: Inpatient Rehabilitation
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs Inpatient Rehabilitation provides a comprehensive rehabilitation program of the highest quality in order to improve the functional independence of those we serve. Some of the conditions we treat include amputations, brain injuries, knee and hip replacements, hip fractures, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and stroke. Opened 24/7, we provide around the clock nursing care, three hours of therapy per day, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and social work/discharge planning to return home. If you believe you or a family member may benefit from an inpatient rehab stay, please contact us at 903.438.4570 for more information.
COVID-19
Experiencing Symptoms?
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, cough, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, chills, muscle pain or headache, or diarrhea, please call your provider for either a face-to-face appointment or a telemedicine consultation. If your provider determines you need to have a COVID-19 test, they will send you to the appropriate outpatient location for testing.
If you are experiencing an emergency, please present to the Emergency Room. At this time, we are preserving our Emergency Room COVID-19 tests for those who are experiencing an emergency. Otherwise, we would ask that you follow the steps above.
If you do not have a healthcare provider, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic welcomes new patients. Please call 903.885.3181 to talk to one of our associates about setting up an appointment.
Don’t Delay Care
We want to be perfectly clear – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances remains a safe place for all to receive quality care. Go to the Emergency Department or call 9-1-1 if you are urgently ill. While COVID-19 is new, our processes and procedures in place for infection prevention and preventing the spread of illness are not. To learn more about COVID-19, go to ChristusTMF.org or www.cdc.gov.
# # #
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals – Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
- Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
- Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
- Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
- Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
All Como-Pickton CISD Students To Return Oct. 12 To On-Campus Learning
All Como-Pickton CISD students will return to all on-campus learning, unless in quarantine, next month, CPCISD Superintendent Greg Bower announced Monday afternoon.
Dr. Bower, in a letter to Eagle Parents, reports that “online learning for our students has not been successful.”
“While a handful of students have shown to be successful working from home, the vast majority have not been. Many are at risk of either failing as a result of their neglect to attend school online in regards to the state’s mandated 90 percent attendance policy, or they are at risk of failing as a result of their neglect to do required assignments or tests. Aside from our students’ lack of successful attempting online learning, the overwhelming additional workload that it has created for our teachers is not sustainable for such poor results,” Bower wrote in the letter.
Bower said current online students will be transitioning back to face-to-face instruction next week. The decision was made after reviewing first 6 weeks data. The last day or remote learning will be Oct. 9; those students will return to campus on Oct. 12.
The only exceptions will be students who have been quarantined because of COVID-19. Once the quarantine ends, however, those students too, will return to on-campus face-to-face instruction.
Bower said parents who do not agree with the decision are welcome to seek alternate options for their students’ education, including transferring to another public school or TEA accredited charter school that accepts online transfer students; homeschool their children on their own, or enrolling their students in an online school such as K-12 online which is free for grades 3-12 but requires a tuition for kindergarten-grade 2, or TTU K-12 which require a tuition.
10 New COVID-19 Cases, 11 Recoveries reported Sept. 28 In Hopkins County
Ten new positive COVID-19 cases were reported over the weekend, but there were also 11 recoveries reported Sept. 28 in Hopkins County, which reduced the overall number of coronavirus cases to 91, according to
That’s 39 Hopkins County residents who have received new positive novel coronavirus 2019 results in the last week and 107 so far this month; that’s the most new cases reported for Hopkins County during a single month. That brings the cumulative total since March to 350 Hopkins County COVID-19 cases.
Monday was the first time in a week that Hopkins County residents were reported to have recovered from COVID-19. Overall, that’s 63 recoveries reported this week and 259 recoveries overall since March.
The number of patients in the COVID-19 unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital– Sulphur Springs also increased over the last days, rising from 10 in the COVID unit on Friday to a whopping 17 cases in the Covid Unit on Sept. 28. That’s the most patients reported in the COVID-19 unit at one time since local officials began reporting that information in the last few months. Previously, it was 16 patients on Sept. 23.
Sulphur Springs ISD also on Sept. 28 notified families, students and staff that another Sulphur Springs High School staff member has been lab-confirmed to have COVID-19. That’s at least 9 district employees and 10 district students.
Cumby ISD also has reported additional high school student cases on Sept. 24, 25 and 27. Those students are expected to return to school on Oct. 7 and 5, respectively. Overall, that’s 8 high school students and three staff members who have received positive COVID-19 results since Aug. 7.
Free COVID-19 testing resumed in Hopkins County Friday afternoon, with 52 tests performed through 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. COVID-19 testing will continue to be offered Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hopkins County Annex Building, located at 128-A Jefferson St. That’s the small building located behind the County tax office and Justices of the Peace offices.
Those testing are asked to register at GoGetTested.com. There are no requirements such as symptoms or exposure for testing. However, those who plan to test should not eat or drink anything for 15 minutes prior to being swabbed. Results are typically available in 48-96 hours. Walk-ins are welcome.
No new COVID-19 deaths have been assigned by Texas Department of State Health Services to Hopkins County, although there have been 8 reported so far by the state.
Texas Health and Human Services reported there were 11 active employee cases and 12 active resident cases of COVID-19 at Carriage House Manor on Sept. 14, the most recent data available in the Sept. 28 state nursing homes report.
No active cases were reported at Sulphur Springs assisted living facilities as of Sept. 14 nor were any cases reported at Hopkins County child care centers on Sept. 27, according to the HHS reports.
Football Coach Greg Owens Discusses Wakeland Loss On Saturday Morning Coach’s Show
After the Friday night, Sept. 25 season opening loss to Frisco Wakeland, 38-10 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens discussed the game on KSST Radio and Cable Channel 18’s Saturday Morning Coach’s Show.
Coach Owens said the players have just got to get better, calm down and get their heads’ up. He said they have to take things one day at a time and one play at a time. Coach Owens said each player has to work to get better at their position. He said they need to correct a lot of little things to improve.
He said a lot of the team were experiencing Friday Night Lights for the first time. He said they have to learn how to push through when they get tired. Coach Owens said they have to get better at the details and he said they would. He said it would be mentioned Monday that some cried after the game Friday, but he asked how passionate would they be Monday at practice to get better. Coach Owens said he was proud of the players’ effort on Friday night.
He mentioned the ticket situation for this Friday’s first home game against Lucas Lovejoy. He said varsity participants and their parents get first crack at tickets on line at www.ssisd.net. Tickets go on sale online for the general public beginning Wednesday at 6 p.m. All tickets are reserved for varsity home games.
Lovejoy has a new coach, Chris Ross, who came from Red Oak. Lovejoy won their game Friday night, 52-22 over John Paul II.
Coach Owens noted that the Wildcats were very competitive with Lovejoy last year on the road.
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.
