Hopkins County Oct. 21 COVID-19 Update: 42 New Cases, 169 Active Cases
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials, in the Oct. 21 COVID-19 update, reported 42 new positive COVID-19 cases and 169 active cases — the most active case Hopkins County has had at one time.
Hopkins County Reports
This marks the second time this week a high new case count was reported following a day with no cases. On Monday, 77 new cases were reported. This followed Friday’s report of no new COVID-19 cases and no new recoveries. Unlike Monday, when 61 recoveries were also reported, there were no recoveries reported in the Oct. 21 COVID-19 update from HC/SSEM.
That’s 222 Hopkins County residents who have received positive COVID-19 results so far this month, more than 100 more cases than last month. There have been 131 recoveries reported so far in October. Of the 583 Hopkins County residents who have tested positive for novel coronavirus 2019 since March, 414 have recovered from the virus, according to the Oct. 21 COVID-19 update.
Ten patients were reported to be in the COVID Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs on Oct. 21, the same as on Oct. 16 and Oct. 19, and one less than on Oct. 20.
Sulphur Springs ISD administrators this week reported 4 staff members and 5 students who have been on their school campus in the last week have tested positive for COVID-19.
Three staff members at Barbara Bush Primary were reported Oct. 19 to have tested positive. On Oct. 21, 1 staff member at Bowie Primary, 3 middle school students and 2 high school students were reported to have tested positive for the virus, according to the notifications sent to staff, students, family and teachers.
An additional 70 COVID-19 tests were performed on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the free testing center at 128-A Jefferson St. So far this month, there have been 1,392 tests performed at the site, including 327 tests in the last 7 days, 547 the previous 7 days and 518 the first week of the month. A total of 1,676 tests have been conducted since the Jefferson Street testing site opened on Sept. 25, according to the HC/SSEM reported in the Oct. 21 COVID-19 update.
Free testing at the site has been extended until Oct. 31. Testing is offered from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Symptoms and high-risk exposure are not required for molecular testing. Anyone can be tested, including children provided they are accompanied by a parents or guardian. To register for the oral swab test, go online to GoGetTested.com.
State Reports
Texas Health and Human Services on Oct. 21 reported 7 residents of Carriage House Manor had recovered from COVID-19 as of Oct. 7, increasing the number of resident recoveries to 27 and reducing the active resident case count to 15 residents. Seven employees of Carriage House Manor were reported to still have COVID-19. Cumulatively, the facility has had 39 employees and 57 residents test positive for COVID-19, with 15 resident deaths reported as of Oct. 7.
Sulphur Springs Health and Rehabilitation was reported to still have 2 active employee COVID-19 cases on Oct. 7. Cumulatively, the facility has reported 2 employee cases and 20 resident cases, including 9 residents who have recovered and 2 who died as a result of COVID-19, according to the Oct. 21 HHS nursing facility report.
Four additional staff members and 15 residents of Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab had tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 7, increasing the active active employee case count to 9 and the active resident case count to 17. The facility also reported two residents had recovered from COVID-19 as of Oct. 7. Since March, 23 residents and 12 employees of Sunny Springs have tested positive for the virus and 2 have recovered, according to the Oct. 21 HHS nursing homes report.
According to the Oct. 21 HHS assisted living facility report, Wesley House reported an employee who had tested positive on Sept. 30 continued to have COVID-19 on Oct. 7. Cumulatively, the facility has reported 5 staff cases and 7 residents who have recovered from COVID-19 since March.
HHS reported no active COVID-19 cases had been reported on Oct. 20 at the 6 licensed child care centers, school-age and before/after school programs in Hopkins County. Cumulatively, there have been 7 employee and 1 student case reported at the local facilities, according to the Oct. 21 HHS report. Sulphur Springs Christian Preschool, His Kids Learning Center, Annekes Preschool, Water Oak Preschool and Little Acorn Preschool have all reported one employee case since March. Little Texans Learning Center reported two employee cases since March. His Kids Learning Center was also reported to have had 1 student case since March.
The COVID-19 fatality count for Hopkins County remained 23 on Oct. 21, according to Texas Department of State Health Services.
Sulphur Springs Middle School Football Coach Eddie Flores Reports 2 Wins Tuesday Night
Sulphur Springs Middle School Football Coach Eddie Flores reported the results of two wins Tuesday night.
8th Grade B Team
Flores reports the 8th Grade B Team Wildcats beat Pine Tree 16-14. The Wildcat B-Team is 1-2 for the season.
Offense
QB- Wyatt Watson threw for 2TD, and rushed for 20 yards for the night
WR-Max Williamson had a 35-yard receiving TD and had 3 catches for the night
WR-Alex Macias had a 40-yard receiving TD
RB- Eduardo Yanez ran the ball hard all night and rushed for 50 yards
Defense
“Great effort by the Wildcats Defense. They play hard and had some critical stops towards the end of the game,” Flores said.
8th Grade A Team
Flores reports the 8th Grade A Team Wildcats beat Pine Tree 16-8. The Wildcat A-Team is 3-0 for the season.
Offense
RB- Larren Vaughn rushed for 70 yards and had 10 yard TD
RB- Billy Boughton rushed for 40 yards and had a 5 yard TD
QB- Kaden Mitchell played well and threw for 50 yards
WR-Jackson Haire had 2 catches for 30 yards
Offensive Line- Luke Womack, Andres Cerda, Ty Holt, Payton Tuner and Tucker Welch, Blocked well all night.
Defense
Flores reports a “Great effort by the Wildcats defensively; they created 2 turnovers, and tackled well all night.”
FS-Carter Arrington 1 INT
Defensive End- Nathan Andrews forced fumble
Upcoming Games
The Wildcats will host the Hallsville Bobcats Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Gerald Prim Stadium. The B-Team will play at 5:30 p.m. and the A-Team will start at 6:30 p.m.
Early Voting In Hopkins County Slows, But Still On Track To Set New Records
Early voting in Hopkins County has slowed this week, but is still on track to set new records.
At the close of the voting center on Tuesday, 6,725 voters had cast Nov. 3 General Election ballots either by personal appearance or mail. There have been 5,844 in-person voters (24.4 percent) and 881 mail voters. That’s a total of 28.07 percent of the 23,954 registered voters in Hopkins County voting during the first 6 days of the early voting period, according to early voting totals reported to Texas Secretary of State’s Office through Oct. 20.
Last Tuesday, on the first day of early voting, 1,274 Hopkins County residents voted: 1,020 in person and 254 by mail. In-person voting continued to increase with 1,028 voting in person and 319 by mail. Day 3 of early voting, 1,026 voted in person and 103 by mail. The heaviest in-person voting day so far was Friday, Oct. 16: 1,134 voters cast ballots in person; only 1 mail ballot was received that day, however.
Although the voting center was closed Saturday and Sunday, election officials reported 76 ballots arrived by mail on Saturday.
Voting slowed this week, with 862 in person votes on Monday, Oct. 19 and 771 in-person votes on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Another 88 mail ballots were reported Monday and 40 no Tuesday.
That’s 44 more voters casting early ballots so far this year than during the entire early voting period in 2018, when 6,681 of the 22,842 registered voters in Hopkins County cast ballots.
In fact, the 6-day 2020 total exceeds the totals for the entire early voting period for all except 3 prior elections in the last 32 years (the data available from Texas Secretary of State’s Office), and all 3 were during presidential elections.
In 2016, 8,696 of the 22,495 registered voters in Hopkins County voted by early ballot, representing 38.66 percent of voters. In 2012, a total of 7,378 of Hopkins County’s 21,234 registered voters (34.75 percent) cast ballots during the early voting period. During the 2008 early voting period, 7,199 Hopkins County voters (32.84 percent of the 21,920 registered voters) cast ballots.
Prior to that the most total early voters in Hopkins County was 5,074 in 2004, representing 42.07 of the 20,024 registered voters in the county.
How To Vote Early
Early voting continues in Hopkins County from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Friday, Oct. 30, in the Game Room at The ROC, First Baptist Church’s Recreational Outreach Building, located on 115 Putman St. in Sulphur Springs. Extended voting will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24; from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday, Oct. 29.
The last day an application for a ballot by mail will be accepted is Friday, Oct. 23; that means the application must be received by Oct. 23, not just postmarked. The last day to receive a ballot by mail will be Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
To qualify for an absentee ballot, the registered voter must be:
- Absent from the county of residence on Election Day and during the early voting period
- Sick or have a disability that prevents the voter from voting in person without assistance
- 65 or older
- Confined to jail serving a misdemeanor sentence; or confined to jail without bail pending trial for a felony or appeal of a felony conviction
The early voting clerk’s address is: Tracy Smith, Hopkins County Clerk, 128 Jefferson St., Suite C, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. She may be contacted at phone weekdays at 903-438-4074, by fax at 903-438-4110 or email at [email protected].
There are 38 different ballots this go round, which the County Clerk has condensed to 12 sample ballots so voters will have an idea what to expect.
Click here for more a compilation of Elections on Hopkins County ballots. KSST has also compiled candidate profiles for 3 local elections:
- Sulphur Springs City Council
- See KSST Radio’s YouTube channel to view video interviews with Sulphur Springs City Council candidates who scheduled them
- Cumby City Council
- Yantis ISD Trustees Election
Progress In the Pacific Park: Grays Building Foundation Is Being Poured
Crews continue to make progress in Pacific Park on the new Grays Building. The project reached another construction landmark, pouring of the concrete for the foundation.
Starting at 7 a.m. Oct. 21, 2020, Bell concrete began arriving with product which a Potts Concrete Construction crew placed on the construction site. By 9 a.m., a good section of the foundation for the building had been poured and leveled. The main building foundation was expected to be complete by midday, according to City Manager Marc Maxwell.
The foundation for the patio on the back side of the building is expected to be poured on Friday. Steel from Sulta Manufacturing will then be placed.
All dirt work, construction of all sidewalks, on-street parking, all plumbing and electrical work will be performed by city staff.
City staff began preparing the pad in July 2020, building it up with dirt taken from along the spring on Davis Street. The soil for the site came from the drainage-way just south of Spring Street, behind the pawn shop. This should give increased storm water retention which will further reduce the threat of flooding on Oak Avenue. This initial part of the project was completed by early September.
The piers for the building had been poured to a depth of 18 feet by the first week in October. Below grade plumbing was installed by the city’s capital construction division. The city’s master electrician, John Smith, installed the below grade conduit for electrical circuits after the plumbing was roughed in.
Maxwell said the city is very fortunate to have talented, skilled individuals such as Smith and Public Works Director and Master Plumber Russ Nuss.
The building is expected to be complete in the spring of 2020. The new building will be twice the size of the current structure and will include a patio. The new Grays Building will be constructed with roll-up bay doors to allow the side of the building facing the park to be opened into the park to allow for big indoor-outdoor events.
The building is also being prepared for solar panels. They will not initially be installed, but the Grays Building will be equipped with conduits in place so that they can be added at a later time, according to the city manager.
The new Grays Building will also include a generator so that the appliances can be used by the community in the event of a big power outage as well.
The Grays Building and improvements at Pacific Park are being funded with a portion of the $3 million received in bond proceeds. $1.5 million has been designated to Pacific Park and the remainder toward construction of a new activity building for senior citizens. Sulphur Springs residents in November 2019 voted to allow the city to use up to $200,000 of EDC money for up to 20 years for a 4B purpose. The project has to be finished within 3 years of issuing the bonds.
City officials applied for a $750,000 Parks and Wildlife Department grant, part of the city’s plan to be able to fund the Pacific Park improvement project as planned. The city receive notification Thursday, Aug. 27, that the grant application had been approved. The TPWD grant is a matching grant, which means the city will also have to contribute their share toward the project – a portion of the bond funding.
A large covered sports pavilion will be located on the other end of the park. There will be new playgrounds, a lighted walking path, improvements to the splash pad, an outdoor basketball court and new restrooms — all items identified during a community design charrette which provide the basic layout for the improvements.
The city manager is in negotiations with Mark Spencer to begin working on an official plan for the rest of the park.
Hopkins/Rains County Hay Show 2020 Winners, Buyers
To continue a long-standing agricultural tradition, the Hay Show took place on October 20, 2020, sponsored by the Hopkins/Rains County Soil and Water Conservation District. One of the goals of the Hay Show is to provide agricultural producers an opportunity to test their forages. And, in support of the students of Hopkins and Rains counties, the SWCD extends scholarships to qualifying high school students studying agriculture sciences. One such student, Kyler Moore, recently received the 2019 Scholarship of $1500. Kyler’s hay entries also placed well in the Hay Show both in 2019 and 2020. Any high school senior in Hopkins or Rains County can apply, and entry in the Hay Show is not a requirement. Contact your County Agent or phone the HRCSWCD office at 903-885-4433 ext. 3 for more details or a Scholarship application.
There were 31 hay entries in the 2020 show. Hay varieties ranged from types of Coastal Bermudagrass including Common, Jiggs and Tifton 85 to a seeded variety called “World Feeder”. Protein ratings ranged from 17.26 % to 12.49%. During early October, hay producers submitted their forage samples to the County Extension office, and these went to the testing facility at NE Texas Farmer’s Co-op in Sulphur Springs. Irene Hansen, a lab employee of the Co-op, tested each of the samples for protein and other quality features, creating a useful and free report for hay producers. Hansen ‘s testing also created a list of the top ten forages based on protein content, which was submitted it to the HRCSWCD office. Then, the top qualifiers along with county hay producers, sponsors and buyers were invited to attend the Hay Show on October 20, where a brisket and sausage lunch was served by Andy and Mary Lou Wright. Andy also served as emcee of the Show and was assisted by Faith Wheeler. Wade Bartley served as Auctioneer for the top ten hay samples. Buyers represented local banks and businesses catering to agriculture producers.
Here’s how the Auction went:
Grand Champ Tommy Long, 17.26%, buyer Alliance Bank $1000
Reserve Champ Ricky Glossup 15.96%, buyer H/RCounty Farm Bureau $750
3rd Kyler Moore 14.04%, buyer CNB Emory $600
4th Randy Koon 13.86%, buyer $600 Potts Feed Store Emory
5th Tim Loper 13.82%, buyer H/R County Farm Bureau $500
6th Henry Potts 13.63%, buyer CNB Sulphur Springs $600
7th Ricky Glossup 13.15%, buyers NETxF Co-op/HRC Farm Bureau $$650
8th Tommy Long 12.86%, buyers H/RC Farm Bureau, Farmers Co-op $675
9th Leon Gunn 12.58%, buyer H/RCounty Farm Bureau, $800
10th Kyler Moore 12.49%, buyers Tx Heritage Ntl Bank and Longhorn Tire, Service of Mt. Vernon, $800.
Hay producer Don Smith reminisced that decades ago, before there were round bales in Hopkins County, producers would bring a square bale to the show for judging. Forage samples were sent off to Texas A&M in College Station for analysis. The Hopkins County Hay Show was held in various places, such as on the Sulphur Springs downtown square and under the covered walk at the Spring Village Shopping Center. Don’s wife Marilyn was County Extension agent back then, and she would sometimes put on a Pet Show during the Hay Show to get the kids involved. 4H was quite popular then with both town and farm families, giving youngsters a chance at many different types of hands-on learning and practical knowledge.
Today, the Hopkins Rains County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors upholds the same values, with another of their goals to support area 4H and FFA Chapters with natural resources education. The HRCSWCD became the sponsor of the Hay Show in 2019, and renamed it the Hopkins/Rains County Hay Show. It’s 5-member Board of Directors is made up of one representative from Rains County and one from each of the four Precincts in Hopkins County. Moneys raised from Hay Show buyers goes into the Scholarship Fund.
KSST Video Interns: Abandoned Store Fronts
KSST is proud to support local students by offering intern opportunities throughout the school year. It’s a tradition that reaches back to the early days of KSST radio in Hopkins County. This semester we have a total of 6 interns working with our stations.
Interns are encouraged to work together to create projects that have a positive impact on our community. On the whole they are allowed to pursue topics they choose. We do give them a nudge every now and then.
They would love to hear feedback on all their work. Feel free to email feedback and/or story ideas to [email protected].
Hopkins County Stew Drive-Thru Is This Saturday, Oct. 24
By Lezley Brown, President/CEO, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
The time has come to get your stew in this year’s Stew Drive-thru! On Saturday, October 24, you can drive through to choose chicken or beef stew. All quarts are $10 and will include cheese and crackers. No tickets for park admission will be sold, but the drive-through will be available while supplies last. See you soon on Saturday, October 24 … 2020 Stew, We’re Driving Through!
The Chamber of Commerce is currently selling our 2020 Hopkins County Christmas ornament. This ornament is the third of our series and features our beautiful Dairy Museum. It is dated with the year, made with 24 karat gold, shatterproof, and VERY limited in number. They are quite beautiful and the perfect addition to a rare collection. They are $40 each and literally flying out the door. If you would like to purchase one, please call the Chamber at (903) 885-6515, or come by soon.
Business Highlight
During the year 2020, The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is highlighting a business each week. Please join me in congratulating our Business of the Week for Oct. 15, Help-A-Child. You can read biographical stories at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page and Instagram page.
Short-Handed Wildcats Pull Out Dramatic, Come-From-Behind Victory Tuesday in 3-2 District Win
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Lady Cats Volleyball team traveled out to Longview to play the Lady Lobos.
The Lady Cats left Sulphur Springs short-handed as Sadie Washburn and Caroline Hurley were unavailable for today’s game against Longview.
The absence of the two varsity squad members was felt early by the Lady Cats, with the Lady Lobos at one point taking a 21-9 lead. It did not stop there, as the home squad blitzed through set one, 25-13.
The Sulphur Springs varsity squad had another hand tied behind their back in the form of a phantom scoreboard, as two or three points that should have been rewarded to the Lady Cats, ended up going to the Lady Lobos. Add in some errors, and it was not a pretty set for the visiting Lady Cats.
Set two was the opposite, however, for it started hot for the Lady Cats, as they began the set taking a 0-3 lead. But the Lady Lobos fought back, tying set two twice at 7-7 and 9-9. The Lady Cats never quit, though, taking the slugfest second set by a score of 21-25.
Set three was more of the same at the start, as the teams traded the lead multiple times; 4-4, 13-13, and 16-16. After the Lady Cats tied to make it 16-all, the Sulphur Springs varsity squad could not match the tenacity of Longview as the Lady Lobos let their momentum carry them to a 25-19 set three win.
The Lady Cats dominated set four, beating the Lady Lobos by a score of 16-25, making the match dead even going in to set five.
Set five was another back-and-forth affair, as the teams tied at 8-8 and 9-9. From there, though, it was all Lady Cats, all the time as Sulphur Springs scored six straight to pull-out the dramatic, come-from behind win at Longview, 2-3.
Coach Dorner said her squad was kind of “Helter-skelter, all over the place,” with starters Hurley and Washburn not-available for today’s game, but was proud of the way her team found strength through adversity.
“They rose to the occasion,” Coach Dorner said about her short-handed squad versus Longview, but added that the team played for Hurley and Washburn, wishing them a speedy recovery.
“They really stepped up,” Varsity volleyball coach Bailey Dorner said about her squad’s performance, and added that she was really glad to see her team step up tonight as their match went to 5-sets as well.
The Lady Cats Volleyball team now has two 5-set wins in as many weeks. Prior to their Oct. 6 win versus Marshall, the Sulphur Springs varsity squad had not won a match that had gone to five sets since August, during the preseason — of 2019.
On top of that, the Lady Cats have now won five straight games, all of which have been district match-ups.
“It was just a great win tonight,” Coach Dorner said about the victory over Longview, and “to see them step up [like that]… I’m really, really proud of them.”
Next up, the Sulphur Springs Lady Cats (5-1 district, 8-6 overall) will travel to Mt. Pleasant on Friday to take on the Tigers.
Wildcats Team Tennis Wraps Up District Play With 18-1 Win at Marshall, Playoffs Next
Wildcats Team Tennis tuned up for the playoffs with a workmanlike 18-1 district win over an undermanned Marshall team on the road Tuesday (October 20). Reportedly the Mavericks had only three boys and three girls available to play. The victory improved the Wildcats to 3-3 in district play and 4-3 for the season. Next for the Wildcats will be a bi-district match against the District 16-5A champion. The Wildcats will face the winner of a Tyler and Whitehouse match played Tuesday evening. Both teams come in undefeated in district play. The bi-district match is expected to be played next Tuesday, October 27 at a site and time to be determined. Last season, the Wildcats lost to Whitehouse in a bi-district match that was played on indoor courts at Texas High due to rainy weather. Early weather reports for next week call for much colder weather.
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.
Hopkins County Oct. 20 COVID-19 Update: 2 Additional Nursing Home Deaths Reported
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials in the Hopkins County Oct. 20 COVID-19 update reported no new positive COVID-19 results were reported, great news following a report of 77 new cases on Monday. However, Texas Health and Human Services reported 2 deaths as of Oct. 6 were residents of a local nursing home.
HC/SSEM Reports
No new patient recoveries were reported on Oct. 20 either, so the active case count continues to be 127, according to the Hopkins County Oct. 20 COVID-19 update. The cumulative case count of Hopkins County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 since March remains 541, with 414 of those Hopkins County residents recovering from the virus.
The number of patients in the COVID-19 unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs increased to 11 on Tuesday, one more than HC/SSEM officials reported was in the COVID-19 unit on both Monday and Friday. That’s the most patients the unit has housed this month, HC/SSEM noted in the Oct. 20 COVID-19 update.
An additional 127 COVID-19 tests were performed at the free COVID-19 testing site at 128-A Jefferson St. That makes 1,322 COVID-19 tests conducted at the site so far this month. Since the site first opened on Sept. 25, a total of 1,606 tests have been performed, the HC/SSEM officials reported.
Free testing is offered at the site starting at 9 a.m. and continuing until around 6 p.m. Mondays-Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 31. Anyone can be tested. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Register online at GoGetTested.com. The Sulphur Springs location can be found by scrolling down. Register by clicking the green BOOK Now button and follow the links.
State Reports
Texas Health and Human Services’ Oct. 20 nursing facility report showed 2 additional residents of Carriage House Manor had died as a result of COVID-as of Oct. 6. That makes 15 residents who died from COVID-19 at the facility.
Carriage House Manor on Oct. 6 was reported to have 7 active employee cases and 22 active resident cases. Overall, 39 employees and 57 residents of CHM have tested positive for COVID-19 since March.
One resident of Sulphur Springs Health and Rehabilitation was reported to have recovered from the virus on Oct. 6. Two active employee cases were also reported for the facility. Cumulatively, SSH&R has had 2 employees cases and 12 resident cases, including 2 residents who died as a result of COVID-19, according to the Oct. 20 HHS report.
Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab continued to have 5 active staff and 4 active resident cases on Oct. 6. Cumulatively, the facility has had 8 staff cases and 8 resident cases since March, according to the Oct. 20 HHS nursing facility report.
According to the Oct. 20 HHS assisted living facility report, Wesley House reported an employee who had tested positive on Sept. 30 continued to have COVID-19 on Oct. 6. That increases the facility’s total to 5 staff cases and 7 residents who have recovered from COVID-19 since March.
Three were no active cases among students or staff reported by the Hopkins County licensed child care, school-age or before/after school programs on Oct. 19.
Texas Department of State Health Services reports showed no additional deaths were assigned to Hopkins County on Oct. 20, so the overall fatality total for Hopkins County remains 23.
