Dermatology & Skin Cancer Surgery Center Opening Sulphur Springs Office Soon
By Holly Ragan, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs, Texas, August 25, 2020 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Health Ministry of Jesus Christ.
New Staff
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital- Sulphur Springs is excited to welcome Dr. Chris Meltsakos, our new Orthopedic Surgeon with fellowship training in Sports Medicine. Dr. Meltsakos will be accepting new patients at 103B Medical Circle, beginning on Monday, Sept.7.
Sports Medicine
FREE Saturday Walk-In Clinic for school athletes is just around the corner. The Saturday sports clinic will be held every Saturday from 9am to 11 a.m. on Aug. 22 through Nov. 14. Athletes will get an exam and free x-ray to determine a plan of care to treat their injury. The location will be the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Orthopedic Office at 103B Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs.
For more information about our Sports Medicine program, or Orthopedic services, please call our office at 903.885.6688.
New Services
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 Oct. 1, 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.
Our hearts are here for yours
Advanced Heart Care and CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital Health System have delivered heart care in Northeast Texas for over 40 years. Together, we will continue providing leading- edge heart care to the communities in which we serve. Available right here in Sulphur Springs
hospital is our team of heart specialists at Advanced Heart Care made up of Cardiologists and Electrophysiologists, our state-of-the-art Cath lab, Pulmonary Medicine, Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and Heart Attack Care 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. We look forward to helping you take an active role in your heart health with our team approach for your care. For more information on the Cardiology group, and their capabilities to see patients in person or via telemedicine, go to www.advancedheartcare.com.
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.
COVID-19 Testing
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.
Hopkins County Aug. 25 COVID-19 Counts: 5 Deaths, 2 New Cases, 42 Active Cases
HHS Aug. 25 Reports 1 Assisted Living Facility Resident Recovery
Hopkins County Emergency Management officials at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, announced they’d received notification of 2 new positive COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County, which increases the total of active cases to 42. There were no recoveries reported Aug. 25.
That brings the total so far in August to 83 new positive COVID-19 cases and 94 recoveries. The cumulative totals since midMarch for Hopkins County are 235 positive cases and 193 recoveries.
Officials reported only one patient in the COVID-19 unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs on Aug. 25, the same as was reported on Aug. 6. That’s one less patient in the COVID-19 unit than officials reported on Aug. 24; local officials did not have information as to whether or not the patient was discharged or transferred to another floor or another facility.
COVID-19 Death Reports
Texas Department of State Health Services’s COVID-19 dashboard Tuesday, Aug. 25, reported another death for Hopkins County, bringing the total to 5 COVID-19 fatalities. Previously, DSHS/Health and Human Services reported Hopkins County residents died on July 17, Aug. 23, Aug. 2 and Aug. 4. The latest Hopkins County resident to die as a result of COVID-19 reportedly died on Aug. 17.
Deaths are added to the DSHS COVID-19 dashboard based on death certificates sent to the state Vital Statistics office which list COVID-19 as cause of death.
Nursing and Assisted Living Facilities
Texas Health and Human Services Commission reported no active cases in the nursing facilities in Sulphur Springs as of Aug. 11. One of the four facility has, in the past, had three employees who tested positive for COVID-19, but those cases were no longer active on Aug. 11. There have been no nursing home residents in Sulphur Springs who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the state data.
One assisted living facility in Sulphur Springs on Aug. 11 continued to have three active cases among employees. One additional resident recovered from COVID-19, increasing the number of resident recovering to two and reducing the number of active COVID-19 cases among residents to six, according to the Aug. 25, HHSC report.
Data for nursing and assisted living facilities is typically 2 weeks behind. It is self-reported by facility staff to HHSC, and is then reviewed for data entry and transcription errors. HHSC investigates every assisted living facility that reports a COVID-positive case for compliance with health and safety regulations. Data on any resident after discharge from a facility would not be reflected in the state report, according to HHSC.
Child Care Centers
Texas health and Human Services reported no changes in COVID-19 cases among licensed child care centers in Hopkins County since the state first started making the data available on Aug. 19. There were no active cases among the four child care facilities in Hopkins County as of Aug. 24. Two of the facilities have reported one employee who has tested positive for COVID-19 since March. One of the facilities has had two employees test positive since March. The fourth facility has had one enrolled student and one employee test positive for COIVD-19 since March, according to the HHSC report.
This state report includes only data licensed child care centers, school-age programs, and before or after-school programs had self-reported to Texas Health and Human Services Commission as of Aug. 24.
Free Testing Offered At Civic Center
Free oral COVID-19 testing will continue to be offered at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center to anyone. Symptoms are not required in order to be tested. Children can be tested, provided they are accompanied by an adult.
Those testing are asked to register online at GoGetTested.com prior to arrival.
Testing began Thursday afternoon, continued Friday and Saturday, and is expected to continue to be offered at the Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Sunday for another week. At 5 p.m. Monday, officials reported 139 tests had been given out at the Civic Center.
With Some Key Players Returning, Lady Cats Volleyball Team is Expected to Feature Mix of Experience and Youth
The Lady Cats Volleyball Team continues with skills, conditioning and strength work preparing for this season. Their first official practice will be on Labor Day, September 7. Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner has scheduled some scrimmage matches on September 12, The Lady Cats open the regular season on the road at Greenville on September 15. Coach Dorner says she has some key players returning who played club volleyball last spring before the pandemic interruption. She says senior Sadie Washburn is one of those. Washburn will be one of only five seniors this year. Some of them will be new to the varsity. Coach Dorner says junior Brooklyn Burnside has been a beast this summer and she too played club ball last spring. Junior setter Peyton Hammack also is a club ball player. Coach Dorner says she also expects some contributions this year from several members of a talented freshman team last season. Coach Dorner is looking forward to this season but she also has fond memories of last year’s Lady Cats’ team, her first as head coach. She says they had bumps and bruises along the way last year, especially in some tournament game losses. But she says at the end, during the playoffs, her team was playing perhaps their best volleyball of the season. The Lady Cats shocked a highly favored Hallsville team in bi-district and then played toe to toe with a talented Forney team in a close Area round loss.
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.
Exterior Design For New Senior Citizens Activity Center Revealed
After several consults with Adam Panter of Rees Architecture Planning and Interior Design, a design plan for the new senior citizens activity center has finally been drafted.
Senior Citizens Center Director Karon Weatherman Tuesday afternoon released some of the drawings for the center to give community members a glimpse at the planned facility. The draft is for 8,331 square feet to better accommodate the myriad of activities hosted by the Senior Citizens Center.
“I’m excited this is finally coming to fruition. It’s going to be so pretty. There’s going to be lots of windows and a skylight,” said Weatherman.
The only windows in the current facility on Martin Luther King Drive are in the front doors. The facility is also maxed, hard pressed to find places to store everything, much less host more than one activity at the center at the same time. And, any large event has to be moved to another facility.
Initially, the plan was for the facility to be 10,000 square feet, but due to reduced available funding, the plan has been scaled back. Some of the funding earmarked for the project had to be used to abate asbestos from an old nursing home on the property that had to be torn down. Also, the city purchased a section of property behind the intended site from the adjoining property owner, according to Weatherman. so the new building could be moved a bit to better position it to reduce potential for flooding, an issue for the former nursing home that sat on the property. The site had to be raise a little as well to prevent flooding.
A fund established to raise funds for interior furnishings for the new facility currently has $107,610.71. Now, a Building Committee is being formed to fund raise, with the goal of raising an additional $350,000-$400,000 to expand the current design to provide a larger meeting space and potentially expand the Meal A Day area. If funding allowed, an addition could be added during the main construction or at a later time.
So what will the new facility include? The central portion of the building will be meeting areas. Weatherman has asked that this be similar in construction to the Civic Center Exhibit Hall, in that it can be split up into three smaller halls to allow more than one activity to be held at the same time at center or it can be opened up as one big meeting hall for larger gatherings. Even at full capacity, however, the meeting area will only house about 160 people, Weatherman noted.
Events such as the annual dinner for residents age 90 and older and the Senior Olympics generally have a larger attendance and would likely still have to be moved to another venue, according to Weatherman.
Thus, the push of a Building Committee to raise additional funds to expand the facility.
Weatherman said it is her understanding that an area designated for additional parking at one end of the property as well as the grassy area between the building and parking lot could be used to expand the meeting hall and potentially the Meal A Day area.
The Meal A Day program will be enclosed on one side of the building with a drive up to an awning with three parking spaces in front of a door where volunteer drivers could load coolers of prepared food to be distributed to program recipients. The Meal A Day would be self-contained with its own storage, freezers, and restroom, but closed to the rest of the facility.
The new center is to include a craft room, media room, arts and crafts area with its own sink, library and a kitchenette area with a microwave, refrigerator and sink that could be utilized by clubs who use the facility in the evenings for meetings. There would be one centrally located restroom area in the building, Weatherman reported.There’s also an area in the back where water will flow to prevent flooding at the site as well as on neighboring properties. There will even be an outdoor area where visitors can sit and enjoy the outdoors, Weatherman noted.
Sulphur Springs Man Back In Jail 3 Weeks After Release From Custody
A 63-year-old Sulphur Springs man is back in jail 3 weeks after his release after having bond revoked on three felony charges, according to arrest reports.
Randall Keith Reynolds was arrested June 1, outside the hospital in Sulphur Springs on three warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to arrest reports. The 63-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail until Aug. 3 on the charges. His bond was set at $50,0000 per charge, according to jail reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Greer was made aware of the three orders revoking bond on all three aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges. He contacted Reynolds at a West Spence Street residence and took him into custody at 2:08 p.m. Aug. 24, according to arrest reports.
Reynolds was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he remains on the charges, 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.
Two Alba Women Arrested Following State Highway 19 Traffic Stop
Two Alba women were arrested early Tuesday morning following a State Highway 19 traffic stop, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Chaney reported initiating a traffic stop at 1:43 a.m. Tuesday, August 25, on State Highway 19 south at County Road 1174 on a southbound Honda Civic that had a defective tail light. Upon contact with the three occupants, a records check was conducted using the women’s information.
The driver, a 36-year-old Alba woman, was found to be wanted in Kaufman County on a motion to revoke on a driving while intoxicated charge. All three were detained until dispatchers could confirm the warrant as active.
While speaking with the occupants, Chaney reported asking if any had been previously arrested. One occupant allegedly admitted to being arrested for family violence and the front seat passenger admitted she had been arrested for methamphetamine possession. When asked if there was anything illegal in the car, all three advised there wasn’t. The driver agreed to let officers search the car.
HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis arrived to assist as Chaney was searching the car, so Davis waited with the three women. Dispatchers confirmed the warrant, and the woman was placed into custody. A bag containing a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine was allegedly found in the passenger’s side front seat next to the passenger’s belongings. Davis detained the front seat passenger while the vehicle search continued. The woman, identified in arrest reports as 57-year-old Tamela Perkins Owens of Alba, allegedly claimed the contraband and was arrested at 2:01 a.m. August 25 for possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
Both Owen and the driver were taken to jail. The car was released to the third woman. Owen remained in the county jail late Tuesday morning on the felony controlled substance charge. The driver remained in jail on the Kaufman County warrant, 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.
Man Accused Of Trespassing Inside Tenant’s Residence
Deputies arrested a 76-year-old Sulphur Springs man accused of trespassing inside a tenant’s residence, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Communications Operators dispatched Sgt. Richard Greer at 10:25 a.m. to a County Road 1190 residence for a dispute regarding a landlord reportedly entering a tenant’s house.
The property was one of the man’s rental properties. The man allegedly walked into the house for no reason, Greer and Deputy Dan Turrentine noted in arrest reports.
Legally, renters have the same rights to expect privacy in their residence as homeowners would in their residence, according to Hopkins County Chief Investigator Corley Weatherford. The landlord had reportedly entered the residence previously and was asked by the tenant at that time not to reenter the house without permission. Officials reported the property owners previously warned by officials not to enter a rented property without the permission of the tenant unless there is an emergency situation.
The landlord allegedly reentered the residence Monday without the tenant’s permission and without an emergency. Thus, he was arrested August 24 on a criminal trespassing of a habitation, according to arrest reports.
The 76-year-old rural Sulphur Springs resident remained in Hopkins County jail Tuesday morning, August 25, on the Class A misdemeanor trespassing charge, 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.
Learn the Pioneer Skill of Dutch Oven Cooking! Sign Up Now for Sept. 12 Class
The annual class for Dutch Oven cooks is on target for Autumn 2020. Organizer Rick Wilson announces that the class will be held on Saturday September 12, 2020 from 8am til 12 noon at it’s traditional location inside Heritage Park at 416 Jackson Street in Sulphur Springs. Masks will be worn and cooking sites will be set up on social distance guidelines.
Cost to sign up for the John Chester Dutch Oven Cooking Class is $15 person. The class will be taught by Wilson and by veteran outdoor cook Carlie Penson. You can attend the class individually or bring along a cooking partner. You will learn how to use the various dutch oven utensils and will learn how to manage the fire and cooking area, as well as fire safety measures. You will learn about the types of foods which can be prepared in Dutch Ovens, from breads to meats and vegetables to desserts. You will also learn how to regulate the heat on these ovens for the best cooking results. Although you can bring your own Dutch Oven cooking ware, there will be utensils available for you to use while you learn. Students will not need to bring any food items, as everything for the class will be provided. All the sites will prepare a few basic recipes, and a lunch will be spread from the foods which have been prepared during the class. Cost to enjoy the lunch is included in the $15 registration fee. Dress causal, as you will be cooking in an outdoor campsite environment. There will also be door prizes.
According to Wilson, if you have questions about Dutch Oven equipment which you own, you can ask him about this or bring photos to show him. The annual class was begun a number of years ago and has started many individuals off with this fascinating hobby. And, no one is ever too expert that they can’t learn something new or brush up on their cooking skills. During his lifetime, award-winning cook John Chester was a major influence on keeping the art of Dutch Oven cooking strong locally, because he practiced it year-round. He invited people from far and near to enjoy the cooking at his campsite, wherever he was set up, in Hopkins or in surrounding counties. Wilson began the John Chester Cooking Class after John passed away, and teaches this valuable ‘pioneer’ skill to all ages. To sign up or with questions, contact Rick Wilson at 903-335-2752 or Carlie Penson at 903-383-2648. Or you can mail your entry to Wilson at 140 Clayton Road, Sulphur Springs, Tx 75482.
Trees, Lawns Beginning To Feel Impact Of Hot, Dry Summer
By Mario Villarino, DVM, Ph.D. Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
It has been a hot and dry summer. It only takes a short trip to the countryside to see the impact of the lack of water in crops and pastures. Urban settings show the impact although because of irrigation, the severity is less evident.
According to Dr. Calvin Finch, former Texas A&M Urban Water Program Director for the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, summer is common for shade trees to drop leaves. Prepare to see even more as trees that put on heavy leaf loads in response to the generous rains received during winter and spring, adjust their foliar load to a level that can be supported in the current dry spell.
Adjusting leaf load to match available soil moisture is a survival mechanism practiced by well adapted trees. Some of the leaves that drop will have leaf spots, galls and be discolored, but that is just all part of the process.
Sometime before the leaves actually drop, the tree cuts off nutrients and discontinues its defense efforts for the leaves that are being dropped. The pests take advantage. A special irrigation application won’t hurt the trees dropping leaves but it probably won’t be enough to prevent the leaf drop. Applying fertilizer will not help, so save it for next spring. The affected trees will recover.
Lawns also suffer the impact of the heat. Sadly enough, even with proper irrigation, the impact of high temperatures causes stress in lawns making them more susceptible to disease.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topics please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Como-Pickton, Sulphur Bluff Schools Report 1 Student COVID-19 Case
Second Coronavirus Case Reported At Cumby ISD
At least five school districts in Hopkins County have report a confirmed COVID-19 case among either a student or staff member. Como-Pickton CISD and Sulphur Bluff ISD Monday were the latest to join that list, and Cumby ISD has reported a second student case of COVID-19.
Sulphur Bluff ISD
On Aug. 24, Sulphur Bluff ISD Superintendent Dustin Carr posted a letter notifying the “Sulphur Bluff Bear Family” that one student who had been on campus had tested positive for COVID-19. The district was notified Monday afternoon. The student was last reported to have been on campus on Friday, Aug. 21.
According to Carr, “the local health department has begun a case investigation and along with our Principals will contact any individuals determined to be in close contact with the positive tested student. Those that were in close contact will remain off campus for up to 14 days to ensure they do not have the virus and reduce the chance of spread.”
Carr reports that the SBISD “custodial staff are conducting additional cleaning and sanitizing this evening to ensure all areas of instruction are safe for return of students.”
Families are asked to continue to watch for potential COVID-19 symptoms and self-screen daily before returning to school. Anyone exhibiting symptoms is encouraged to let the school know and contact their physician.
Questions or concerns may be addressed by calling 903-945-2560.
Como-Pickton CISD
CPCISD Superintendent Greg Bower Monday afternoon, Aug. 24, reported the district was notified Sunday night that one high school student has tested positive for COVID-19.
“Though the student has not been in attendance at school since August 18th, we began contacting parents of students who we believe to have been in ‘close contact’ with the student within the last several days of his attendance. We have already contacted those parents and sent them home for self-quarantine. We believe that the exposure was limited and that the rest of our students are safe to remain at school,” Dr. Bower wrote in a letter written to the “Como-Pickton CISD Family.”
The school maintenance and custodial staff “are doing extensive cleaning and sanitizing of all areas of the campus to make sure that we are providing a safe place for our students to learn,” the letter posted around 3 p.m. Aug. 24 stated.
CPCISD parents are asked to continue daily self-screening of their children before sending them to school. If they are displaying any of the COVID-19 symptoms, parents are asked not to send the child to school but to consult a physician.
Any who feels they may have been exposed to COVID-19 visit are encouraged to go online to GoGetTested.com to register for a free oral COVID-19 test. Tests are being conducted at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the next week.
School related questions may be directed to the child’s campus principal at 903-488-3671.
Cumby ISD
Cumby ISD was the first district to official announce a confirmed case for the district.
Students were told Aug. 10 that athletic practices and activities had been canceled until Aug. 24 due to reports of symptoms among players at practice. On Aug. 11, Superintendent Shelly Slaughter reported one Cumby ISD student who was on campus on Aug. 7 had received a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 result. Notification about the positive test was posted on the district website and sent to CISD families. That high school student is expected to return to campus on Aug. 24, provided the youth recovers on schedule.
The district is now reporting that another high school student has tested positive for COVID-19. The student tested positive on Aug. 20 and expected to return to campus Sept. 2, provide the students recovers on schedule.
Slaughter reports school officials are closely monitoring cases of COVID-19 and all recommendations to keep our students and staff safe are being followed.
Concerns or questions regarding Cumby ISD health protocols may be directed to school Nurse Juliana Osornio, [email protected] or 903243-7077.
Sulphur Springs ISD
Sulphur Springs ISD Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams Friday, Aug. 14, confirmed five district staff have tested positive for coronavirus since March. One staff member was on campus before finding out the individual had it earlier that week.
SSISD implemented the COVID-10 mitigation plan protocols upon notification, including cleaning areas where the infected staff member was at. SSISD is also working closely with the LHA to track, trace and appropriately respond to the situation per recommended guidelines and school policy.
For four of the five individuals who have been exposed to or had COVID-19, the virus is “in the their rear view mirror.”
Williams said all recommended and potential steps are taken to minimize potential spread of COVID-19 at SSISD schools, including frequent sanitizing, cleaning, hand-washing, masks and social distancing.
SSISD’s 10-page COVID-19 mitigation plan, accessible from the main page of the district website (www.ssisd.net), outlines procedures if someone is exposed to, tests positive for or exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, as well as the procedures for notification and criteria which must be met in order to be allowed to return to school.
Saltillo ISD
Saltillo ISD administrators, on Thursday, Aug. 13, on the district website reported they’d received notified on Aug. 12, that a district employee had tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Saltillo ISD release, the employee who tested positive last worked on the Saltillo ISD campus on Aug. 6. The employee did not have contact with students or non-district employees while on campus.
The area in which the employee worked was deeply sanitized.
“The District continues to monitor this situation and will provide additional information as needed. We hope for a successful recovery for our Saltillo I.S.D. staff member,” Saltillo ISD administrators noted in the post.
