COVID-19 Testing Update: 924 Tests, 648 Negative, 249 Pending Tests In Hopkins County
Fewest Number Of COVID-19 Patients In Texas Hospitals In 6 Weeks
May 27-June 3 marks the testing report period in a row in which 6 or more confirmed new COVID-19 cases were reported in Hopkins County. Conversely, the total number of screenings conducted slowed, with only 31 new tests conducted over the last week. Only 19 tests results came back over the last week, leaving a dozen more test results pending this week than on May 27, according to the weekly Hopkins County COVID-19 testing update provided June 3 by Hopkins County Hospital District COO/EMS Director Brent Smith.
Hopkins County COVID-19 Testing
While Hopkins County had 6 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases over the last week, the most cases of any day last week was 3. That’s still fewer than the one-day high of 4 new cases reported on Tuesday, May 26. Overall, Hopkins county had four cases in April, with all recovered by the end of the month. In May, there were 22 new cases, and one so far in June, bringing Hopkins County’s 80-day COVID-19 total to 27 cases.
The first new confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Hopkins County since April 4 were reported the afternoon of May 1. Hopkins County officials reported 2 new cases on May 1, May 20, May 21 and May 25; 1 new case each on May 7, May 10, June 2; 3 new cases on May 19, 26 and 29; and 4 cases on May 26.
An increase in cases was anticipated along with the significant increase in tests available and being conducted over the last month. Testing was conducted during a second mobile test collection event at the Civic Center May 15, at local nursing homes and reportedly offered by least one private business between May 22 and May 27, accounting for the large increases in testing over the previous 2 test reporting periods.
“Some private businesses and health facilities have used private organizations to screen their workers, those numbers are not represented in this press release as they are not required to report the information to the Hospital District. Their information is only reported to Texas Department of State Health Services (TX-DSHS),” Smith noted in the June 3 Covid-19 testing update.
Testing increased from 181 total screenings sent for testing as of April 28, to 301 tests as of May 5, 346 tests as of May 12, 509 tests as of May 22, 893 tests sent for testing as of May 27. With the 31 new screenings sent for testing over the last week, the total number of COVID-19 tests for Hopkins County as of 11 a.m. June 3, 2020 was 924.
The number of COVID-19 patients who have been confirmed as recovered from the virus is still 6. The first four patients battling COVID-19 were reported April 22 to have recovered, giving Hopkins County 8 days without any active COVID-19 cases, according to officials. Two additional patients recovered from COVID-19 between May 12 and May 22. No additional recoveries have been confirmed and reported to Hopkins County officials since then, although DSHS’s COVID-19 dashboard for the last week has shown Hopkins County to have 7 patients who have recovered from COVID-19.
As of the June 3 reporting, Hopkins County had no confirmed coronavirus related deaths, according to the report and Hopkins County emergency management officials.
Since the May 27 update provided by Smith, 13 additional tests have come back negative for COVID-19, for a total of 635 lab-confirmed negative tests for Hopkins County residents as of the June 3 HCHD/EMS testing report.
As of 11 a.m. June 3, 249 test results were still pending, 12 more than on May 27 report and the most pending results at one time since HCHD/EMS began providing testing updates. Overall, 924 individual tests of individuals who reside in Hopkins County who met criteria put in place by DSHS and the Centers for Disease Control for screening, according to the June 3 Hopkins County COVID-19 Testing Update provided by Smith.
Northeast Texas County Testing
While the numbers in Hopkins County more were more than 5 times higher in May than March and April combined, the overall total of 27 COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County as of June 3 is still significantly lower than those of several other counties in the area. Depending on the type of health authority or district in each county, the numbers from local and regional sources may vary from those state reports.
Only 4 counties in Northeast Texas had fewer cases of COVID-19 than Hopkins County.
Delta County has had only 2 cases, with at least one 1 recovery and no fatalities since March, according to the DSHS June 3 report.
Rains County, according to DSHS, has only had four total cases, two of which have recovered and two that are in isolation. NETHD also shows four cases and no fatalities in Rains County.
Both Franklin and Marion County had only 17 cases of COVID-19, including 15 recoveries and 1 death, as of the June 3 DSHS report.
Of the 481 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Titus County, 106 people had recovered and two others diagnosed with coronavirus had died as of the 3:25 p.m. June 3 DSHS/HHS report. Daily estimates on this report reflect totals as of evening before, so in this case June 2. Titus County Judge Brian Lee Tuesday reported 541 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 30 additional cases confirmed Tuesday evening, including three deaths.
Wood County has surpassed Hopkins County with a total of 40 cases of COVID-19 since March, including 5 new cases reported on June 1 and two new cases reported around 6:15 p.m. June 3 by Wood County Judge Lucy Hebron. Wood County has also had 4 deaths, including one on June 3; at least 3 of the fatalities were individuals over the age of 70, according to Hebron. DSHS data shows 19 recoveries for Wood County.
Additional COVID-19 totals from other nearby counties in the Northeast Texas area, as reported by DSHS, are include:
- Uphur County — 28 cases, 0 fatalities, 17 recoveries;
- Fannin County — 40 cases, 2 fatalities, 24 recoveries;
- Red River County — 74 cases, 8 fatalities, 29 recoveries;
- Camp County — 84 cases, 0 fatalities, 22 recoveries;
- Hunt County — 91 cases, 4 fatalities, 47 recoveries;
- Lamar County — 151 cases, 11 fatalities, 98 recoveries; and
- Rockwall County — 171 cases, 14 fatalities, 120 recoveries.
Texas Testing
Across the state, three additional counties reported cases of COVID-19, for a total of 232 of the 254 counties across the state reporting confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, according to Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Health and Human Services COVID-19.
Overall,1,150,868 total tests had been conducted in Texas as of June 3, with 110,506 antibody tests as of June 2, according to the state report. Texas as a whole has had 56,560 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 11,711 cases over the last week.
Of those patients, 10,517 additional Texans have recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total to 45,858. Unfortunately, an additional 198 Texans with COVID-19 died between May 27 and June 2, for a total of 1,734 deaths, according to DSHS.
Texas Hospitals
Of the total 20,679 active COVID-19 cases across the state, 1,487 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients were in Texas hospitals, 158 less than on May 27, according to the DSHS/HHS data. In fact, that’s the fewest number of patients in Texas hospitals since April 21, when 1,419 COVID-19 patients were being treated in Texas hospitals.
In Trauma Service Area F, which includes Hopkins County, 18 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients were in the hospital, four fewer than on May 27, according to the DSHS/HHS reports. That leaves 781 hospital beds, 91 IU beds and 90 ventilators available for use in Region F should the area experience a significant spike in COVID-19 or other cases. Across the state, that leaves 14,948 regular hospital beds, 1,621 ICU beds and 5,779 ventilators available for use, according to the DSHS data.
Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities
Across the state, 4,113 nursing home residents have been confirmed to have COVID-19. There have been 692 patient fatalities and 1,284 recoveries from among nursing home residents in 441 nursing homes with confirmed patient or staff COVID-19 cases, according to DSHS.
DSHS reports COVID-19 nursing home data by region. Hopkins County is located within Texas Public Health Region 4/5N which spans west from Bowie County and Newton Counties to Lamar County and San Jacinto Counties.
Overall, in Region 4/5N, 50 nursing homes have had residents or staff who tested positive for COVID-19. Of the 433 residents confirmed to have COVID-19 in those nursing homes, 137 have recovered and there have been 81 fatalities, according to DSHS “COVID-19 Outbreaks in Long-term Care Facilities” report.
Across Texas, 135 assisted living facilities have confirmed staff or resident cases of COVID-19. Of the 491 residents of assisted living facilities who were confirmed to have COVID-19, 215 residents have recovered and 112 have died.
In Public Health Region 4/5N, seven assisted living facilities have had patients or staff confirmed to have COVID-19. Of the 17 patients who were confirmed to have COVID-19, 11 have recovered. There have also been five fatalities in assisted living facilities, according to the DSHS data.
Missing Arkansas Man Found In Lake Cypress Springs
Franklin County Sheriff Ricky Jones Wednesday, June 3, reported an Arkansas man that had been unaccounted for Tuesday was found deceased Wednesday afternoon in Lake Cypress Springs. Below is Jones’ press release about it.
Governor Outlines Phase III Of Plan To Reopen Texas
All Businesses May Reopen at 50 Percent Capacity Immediately; Restaurants May Reopen at 75 Precent June 12
On Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Phase III of the plan to reopen the Texas economy, which is outlined in Executive Order GA-26, with additional details available online at https://open.texas.gov/
“As anticipated, the new positive cases that we are seeing are largely the result of isolated hot spots in nursing homes, jails, and meat packing plants,” Governor Abbott during the Wednesday afternoon announcement. “Thanks to the effectiveness of our Surge Response Teams, we have the ability to contain those hot spots while opening up Texas for business. As we begin Phase III, I ask all Texans and Texas businesses to continue following the standard health protocols and to heed the guidance of our state and federal officials who continue to closely monitor COVID-19. If we remain vigilant, we will continue to mitigate the spread of this virus, protect public health, and get more Texans back to work and their daily activities.”
Between May 26 and June 2, over 4 percent of new cases came from jails or prisons, meat packing plants and nursing homes. Currently, there are 1,487 Texans hospitalized due to COVID-19, 20,679 active cases in the state and 45,858 Texans are estimated to have recovered, the governor reported.
Effective Immediately
“This executive order no longer singles out types of businesses that may operate, and instead generally authorizes all businesses to operate at a 50% indoor occupancy level. Some entities are excluded from the 50% limitation and one has a delayed start date,” notes David Erinakes, chief of staff for Representative Dan Flynn.
Capacity Exceptions
Under Phase 3, effective immediately, all businesses in Texas will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity, with two exceptions:
- Businesses, organizations and facilities that could previously operate at 100 percent can continue to do so. They include:
- Businesses providing CISA services;
- Religious services, such as a church or house of worship
- Operations performed by a local government;
- Child care services;
- Youth camps; and
- Recreational sports programs for youth and adults
- Amusement parks can operate at 50 percent capacity, but in counties with more than 1,000 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases may open beginning June 19.
Outdoor Capacity
Special provisions have been made for outdoor gatherings, such as Fourth of July celebrations, but the Governor stipulates as imperative is that local and public health officials collaborate on safe standards.
The executive order generally authorizes unlimited outdoor capacity limits, subject to appropriate social distancing. The following, however, are still subject to an outdoor limit of 50 percent of the normal operating limits in Texas:
- Professional, collegiate and similar sporting events
- Swimming pools
- Waterparks
- Museums and libraries
- Zoos, aquariums and natural caverns
- Rodeos and equestrian events
Outdoor gatherings estimated to exceed 500 people that are not outlined in the Executive Order may be further restricted by a local county judge or mayor.
Bars, and similar establishments, may operate at 50 percent, but patrons must remain seated.
Effective June 12
Two additional changes take place:
- Restaurants may go to 75 percent indoor occupancy
- Counties that have less than 10 active cases of COVID-19 and have filed an attestation with the DSHS may increase the indoor and outdoor occupancies for other businesses (as applicable) from 50 percent to 75 percent.
Effective June 19
Amusement parks and carnivals in counties with more than 1,000 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 may open at 50 percent capacity on June 19.
Additional Provisions
- All businesses should continue to follow the minimum standard health protocols from DSHS. Details and a full list of guidelines, openings, and relevant dates may be found online at http://open.texas.gov.
- Individuals are encouraged to wear appropriate face coverings.
- People should not be in groups greater than ten when possible
- People over the age of 65 are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible
- People are still asked to avoid visiting nursing homes, state supported living centers, assisted living facilities, or long-term care facilities
Guidance and protocols found on the Open Texas website are frequently updated; state officials recommend checking weekly for changes.
Cattle Prices Continue To Fall While Grocery Store Prices On The Rise
Local cattle ranchers and those across the country are seeing prices fall for their cattle at sale barns everywhere. Meanwhile beef prices at the grocery store are skyrocketing. Beef continues to be in short supply for the consumer as feed lots are overflowing as demand from the processing plants has fallen. We can blame all of this on the COVID-19 pandemic, as processors cannot work at full capacity at the moment.
Cattle numbers at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Auction seem to be holding steady with only a slight drop in the quantity sold at each auction over the past few months. But overall, prices paid for the cattle are on the decline as well. This is a trend seen through the entire cattle industry, and cattle futures as far out as August are showing some of their lowest numbers yet.
In contrast, numbers on NETBIO pre-conditioned cattle have shown an increase from the March to the May sales. Not only were the quantities sold up, but the prices paid per head were up as well. The next sale will be held at the Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission on Wednesday, July 17th. The last weaning date for these calves is June 2, and the deadline for booster shots is June 17. To consign cattle and obtain ear tags for the July sale or future sales, just call 903-885-2455. You can also visit their website at SS Livestock Auction
Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report, June 2020
The Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report for June 2020 was presented by Marc Maxwell to Sulphur Springs City Council at the Tuesday, June 2, council meeting.
COVID-19 RESPONSE
• Most City Offices have reopened. Police Department, Fire Department, Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant remain closed. The Municipal Library has partially reopened.
• Police and Fire continue to implement new procedures for dealing with persons suspected of COVID-19.
• Police and Fire employees still have their temperature taken when arriving at work.
• Department Heads, the City Manager and the Mayor meet each week (virtually) to coordinate our efforts.
• Mayor, City Manager, Police Chief and Fire Chief attend weekly EOC briefings.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
The Wastewater Treatment Plant is finally completed. It is a few months late, but it is $256,000 under budget. We had several change orders during construction, but most reduced the cost of the project rather than increase it. Congratulations to Utilities Director James Jordan for a job well done!
GRAYS BUILDING
Staff is still fine tuning the specifications for this project in an effort to keep costs down and quality up. We are leaning toward utilizing the construction
manager method of construction.
BELLVIEW STREET
Atmos is still replacing their gas line on this project. I don’t expect Atmos to be finished for 60 days.
MCCANN STREET – HOLIDAY DRIVE
We still haven’t done much on these two streets since we are still trying to understand the extent of the economic impact of COVID.
CONNALLY STREET
Construction continues on the sidewalk on the south side of Connally Street. The Capital Construction Division poured 102 cubic yards of concrete on Connally Street in May.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
The Street Improvement Program (SIP) is in full swing. Below is a list of the streets to be paved this year. The streets that were completed in May have been struck through. I expect the remainder to be completed in June. The SIP is funded by a combination of General Fund revenues and the Street
Maintenance Fee on the water bill. Streets funded by the Street Maintenance fee are highlighted in yellow.
CLAIMS
We had 2 minor worker’s compensation claims in May. Both claims were minor. One was in the Police Department, and the other was in the Fire Department.
We received 2 liability claims in May. One person injured her knee in Buford Park. That claim was denied by TML. Another person is claiming the vibrations from a house demolition performed by the city caused their floor to buckle. That claim has also been submitted to TML.
Another citizen reported damages from a sewer overflow, and they were paid $1,670 for damages by TML.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
Finance Director Lesa Smith will give a year-to-date report of revenues and expenditures.
MISCELLANEOUS
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
• Prepared downtown for another summer season.
• Fertilized all athletic fields.
• Removed all weeds from Kids Kingdom.
• Burned the brush pile at Coleman Park, actually an arsonist beat us to it.
• Trimmed up trees at Buford Park to a minimum 10’ clearance.
• Trimmed shrubs at the library and the senior citizens center.
• Made major street repairs following 7 utility repairs.
• Repaired 247 potholes.
• Cleaned storm drains 3 times.
• Replaced a downtown streetlight and a seat wall after a wreck.
• Replaced a stop sign that had been run over.
• Hauled 7,600 tons of broken concrete from Thermo to Hilltop.
• Replaced one washed-out culvert on CR 2307.
• Removed concrete at the site of the proposed senior citizen center.
• Conducted 24 building inspections, 29 electrical inspections, 15 plumbing
inspections, 7 mechanical inspections and issued 24 building permits.
• Responded to 182 fire/rescue calls including 4 structure fires, 2 vehicle fires and 6 grass fires.
• Sent out 42 notices for weed violations.
• Performed preventative maintenance on 80 fire hydrants.
• Sold 1,360 gallons of AvGas and 4,480 gallons of JetA fuel.
• Checked out 2,236 books from the library.
• Replaced the lamps on the Peavine Pinion boardwalk.
• Treated Wastewater to a daily average total suspended solids reading of .21 mg/L. our limit this time of year is 12 mg/L. This is a new record for the plant. Once the new plant has been in service for a year, we should have it re-rated for a flow greater than 5.4 MGD.
• Repaired 10 water main ruptures. Replaced 10 water meters.
• Unstopped 17 sewer mains.
• Repaired 4 sewer mains.
• Washed 75,000 feet of sewer mains.
• Treated 143 million gallons of potable water.
• Flushed 36 dead-end water mains.
• Responded to 26 accidents including 2 deaths, wrote 469 citations, recorded 78 offenses, made 55 arrests, and responded to 2,221 calls for police service.
• Made 8 felony arrests on the special crimes unit.
• Responded to 192 animal control calls and achieved an 84% adoption rate.
Architect, Land Purchase For New Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center Approved
The construction of a new senior citizens center advanced two steps Tuesday night with Sulphur Springs City Council‘s potential arc approval of a potential architect and lot purchase. The final design for the new Grays Building at Pacific Park also is nearing completion as well, according to Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell.
Voters in November 2019 approved use of up to $200,000 per year in Economic Development funds to be used to cover costs of improvements at Pacific Park and to build a new activity center for senior citizens. Prep work has continued over the last few months in readiness for the projects.
Senior Citizens Center
The prep work for the new Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center really got rolling in March, when the old nursing home at 301 Oak Avenue had asbestos removed from it. By March 28 the old building had been torn down. The remaining portion of the foundation slab the nursing home sat on will be used as a parking lot for the new senior center. Four large trees were also removed from the from the site recently. Damaged concrete foundation was designated for removal to be used in city street repairs.
Dirt work is also needed to build up the Oak Avenue site where the new senior citizens building will be constructed, at the opposite end of the property from the old pad.
That project moved an additional two steps forward June 2, when the City Council approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to purchase on behalf of the city a lot at 331 Oak Avenue from Dixon & Dixon Insurance Agency LLC.
“This lot lies south of what the city already owns and Martindale Feed has a warehouse that would be bordered on the south to this lot. so it would just kinda complete that area that we have and add about another quarter of an acre,” Sulphur Springs Mayor John Sellers said. “It would give us some flexibility with building, the parking and all those things.”
The City Council also approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to negotiate a contract with an architect for design of the new senior center.
The city sent out a request for qualifications for the project and got 9 responses. From those, a Committee consisting of the city manager, mayor, city secretary, finance director, community development director, director of parks and recreation, and the senior citizens program director reviewed all of the statements, narrowing do the list to two.
The preferred architectural firm from the list is Rees Architects, of which Adam Panter is a principal architect. Panter is local. The city has had experience with him.
“We’ve worked with him. We know what it’s like to work with him,” Maxwell said, noting that Panter is now a principal architect. “One his team, something that none of the other teams had, and that is just deal with the design of senior programs. That was a big plus.”
Rees was recommended based on that experience designing senior citizens centers and their use of local engineers and talent on projects.
Maxwell asked for permission to approve both Rees Architects as well as McGee Architects, while authorizing him to negotiate a contract with Rees. If an acceptable fees cannot be reached with Rees, Maxwell is then authorized to offer the project to McGee Architects, if they meet terms.
Pacific Park
Prep work has continued over the last few months in readiness for improvements at Pacific Park as well.
At the beginning of March city staff had begun removing outfield fence at Pacific Park, Maxwell reported. An estimate for the new Grays Building as designed was projected to be about $1,000,000. City Manager Marc Maxwell said after some figuring, officials estimate the cost could be cut if city crews do the site work and making a few minor design changes. City crews will end up building sidewalks and on-street parking, Maxwell said at a previous council meeting.
During the month of May, the covered awning for the existing Grays building was removed. A photo of the planned Grays Building was posted on a sign near the new site in Pacific Park. The pad the new Grays Building is to sit on is scheduled to be built up with dirt as well as well.
Maxwell on June 2 told the County Council the specifications for this project ares still being fine tuned by city staff in an effort to keep costs down and quality up. The city is are leaning toward utilizing the construction manager method of construction, he reported.
“We want to hire somebody as our representative to be the building not the contractor. They bring in the subs, some of the subs being us,” said Maxwell, explaining that the city may be able to do some of the electrical and anticipates doing the site work. “We are trying to get as much building for $900,000 as we can get.”
Woman Accused Of Stalking A Former Sulphur Springs Police Officer
Tuesday afternoon, a Texas Ranger arrested a 45-year-old Sulphur Springs woman accused of stalking a former Sulphur Springs Police officer, according to arrest reports.
A Sulphur Springs police officer alleged being stalked approximately 8 years ago. A device or cellular phone app was believed to have been used to distort or mask the user’s cellular phone number. This kept the phone number used to send the harassing messages unavailable. The identity of the individual was not known at that time, according to law enforcement reports.
The contact reportedly ceased only after the officer moved to another town. Following a brief visit by the man to Sulphur Springs recently, the phone messages reportedly resumed. Through investigation officials allegedly obtaining information implicating Kathleen Rose Ramshur as the suspect in the stalking, officials reported.
Ramshur was contacted at her rural residence and interviewed by Texas Ranger John Vance Tuesday, according to arrest reports.
While being interviewing as part of the stalking investigation, Ramshur was asked to release her cell phone to Vance, so items on the phone could be downloaded as part of the stalking investigation. Ramshur allegedly said it was in the process of downloading and eventually turned the phone over to Vance, arrest reports alleged.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Detective Corley Weatherford reportedly worked using his training and equipment to download the contents of the phone while Vance continued the interview.
Weatherford learned Ramshur had reset her cell phone in an attempt to destroy evidence of the crime, according to arrest reports. When Vance questioned Ramshur about her attempt to destroy evidence, Ramshur allegedly admitted she was attempting to destroy all evidence of the stalking crime, the arrest report alleged.
Ramshur was booked into Hopkins County jail June 2 for stalking and tampering with evidence. She remained in Hopkins County jail June 3 on both charges. Bond was set at $15,000 per third-degree felony charge. An emergency protective order was also requested, according to jail and arrest reports.
Free Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing Offered June 3-5 In Mount Pleasant
As numbers continue to spike in Titus County, free drive-thru COVID-19 testing for people with or without symptoms is being offered 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June 3-4-5, at the Mount Pleasant Civic Center.
Those testing can only register for a specific day approximately 24 hours in advance. The state will not show dates available any further out than the next 24 hours.
To register go online to TXCOVIDTEST.ORG or call 512-883-2400. Titus County officials recommend those who do not have symptoms register by phone to avoid being rejected by the online screening process.
This free drive-thru COVID-19 testing is provided by the state, and the amount of time to receive results is not known locally, though efforts to decrease the turn around time are being made, according to news release about the event.
Chamber Connection — June 4, 2020
Fireworks Planned On July 4, Symphony League Concert Scheduled Labor Day Weekend
By Lezley Brown, CEO/President Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
Every year, the Sulphur Springs Symphony League hosts our Independence Day celebration on our CelebrationPlaza. The night is filled with beautiful music, wonderful fellowship between family and friends, and amazing fireworks that light the night sky. The year 2020 has brought several changes that no one anticipated, and so the Symphony League has adjusted their concert and fireworks to Labor Day weekend. We are beyond excited and relieved that this favorite downtown event is still happening. Make sure to mark your calendars for Labor Day weekend!
Judge Newsom reached out to some businesses in town in hopes to offer fireworks of some kind for July 4. As a result, fireworks will be held on Saturday, July 4. There will be a band downtown who will play until about 8 p.m. Fireworks will begin at nightfall.
Let’s talk about some ways to keep everyone safe and healthy.
First, you are welcome to bring your lawn chairs and sit on the Plaza to listen to the band and watch fireworks. Please make sure to put six feet in between your family and the family next to you.
Second, you are also welcomed to find a place near the square to park and watch the show from your vehicle. Grab a snack from your favorite local business, take your lawn chairs, and hop in the back of your pickup! This will be a great way to watch the show and remain perfectly socially distanced.
Third, keep in mind the COVID is still a part of our lives right now. Be respectful of peoples’ wishes. They may not want to shake hands or hug, and that’s perfectly okay. Everyone has a varied opinion about the virus, so we need to be understanding of all of them. Attendance is a personal decision, so do whatever it is that you are comfortable with, personally.
Finally, let’s all keep in mind that this holiday celebration is our favorite each year because of the outstanding talent and hard work of the Symphony League. They will host their concert and fireworks as usual in 2021; this is the only year things will look a little different.
The Chamber is getting close to our annual Golf Tournament! Our reschedule date is Friday, June 19, at Sulphur Springs Country Club. As usual, we will have morning and afternoon flights, and we have availability
for teams right now.
This tournament will look different in a few ways. … We will spend the day completely outside, we will wash our hands often and well, lunch will be picked up in a box instead of being on a buffet, and all team members and volunteers will “Spend the Day a Club’s Length Away!” That will be our social distancing motto to keep everyone safe and healthy! We are looking forward to beautiful weather and a great time! Give us a call at (903) 885-6515 to register your team!
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 June 4, Four Seasons Landscaping and Irrigation. You can read biographical stories at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page and
Instagram page.
Nine Health Checks you Need For Diabetes
By Johanna Hicks,Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Family & Community Health Agent
Numbers are a fact of life for people with diabetes – blood glucose levels, grams of carbs, units of insulin. Those are important, but so are the target numbers for screenings. Whether type 1 or type 2 diabetes, there is in increased risk of developing a slew of other serious health conditions, including heart, kidney, and eye disease.
The American Diabetes Association provides a list of necessary medical screenings and how to make sure you’re in the target zone based on the ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes:
- A1C: this is the test that measures your average blood glucose level over the past tow to three months. An A1C of less than 5.7% is considered normal; 5.7 to 6.4 is considered prediabetes; and 6.5 or higher on two tests indicates diabetes. A high A1C is a sign of frequent high blood glucose and puts you at risk for complications (nerve damage, kidney disease, vision impairment). A more relaxed goal may be necessary for kids or adults who experience frequent low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). Frequency of testing depends on your treatment goals – every six months if you last A1C was in goal range, every three months if medication changes or your last A1C is not in target range.
- Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (ACR): this is a urine test that check how much albumin (a type of protein) is in your urine. Too much is a sign of kidney damage. More than 35% of people with diabetes ages 20 and older have chronic kidney disease. Early treatment can prevent of slow the disease’s progression. The target number is 30 mg/g of urine creatinine. The test should be done annually.
- Ankle-brachial Index: this is a blood pressure reading at your ankle compared to reading from your arm to screen for peripheral artery disease (PAD). This disease can cause leg pain, weakness, and numbness when walking and can make it more difficult for foot sores to heal. The target is 0.9 to 1.3. This test is only needed if you have symptoms of PAD.
- Bone Mineral Density: measures density of bones. People with diabetes are at a higher risk for hip fractures and osteoporosis. A T-score of -1.o or above is desired. A T-score between -1.0 and -2.5 indicates low bone density. If below -2.5, medication for osteoporosis is needed.
- Blood Pressure: measures force of blood flow in your blood vessels. Diabetes raises the risk for high blood pressure which increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, vision loss, and kidney disease. The target is 130/80mmHg if you have heart disease or high risk for it. Get this checked with every doctor visit.
- Body Mass Index: measure body fat based on your height and weight. Added weight increases chances of complications from diabetes. The target is 18.5 to 24.9. If you know your height and weight, you can determine your BMI with the calculator found at http://www.cdc.gov.bmi.
- Dilated Eye Exam: The eye doctor examines your eyes for signs of diabetic eye disease or diabetic retinopathy and other problems, such as glaucoma or cataracts. Getting this done annually is a good practice.
- Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate: Estimates how well your kidneys function. The target for the eGFR is higher than 60 ml/min/173m² (normal is 100 to 120 ml/min/173m². This test is recommended annually for type 2 diabetes or type 1 for at least five years, and twice per year if previous tests showed signs of kidney disease.
- Cholesterol & Triglycerides: this test measures the waxy substance in your blood and the blood fats in your bloodstream. High LDL (“lousy” cholesterol) and triglycerides raise chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Target for cholesterol is less than 100 mg/dl (or under 70 mg/dl if you have heart disease). HDL (“happy” cholesterol) should be higher that 4o mg/dl for men and 50mg/dl for women. Triglycerides should be under 150 mg/dl. Age 40 and under with diabetes should be checked at diagnosis and at least every five years. If abnormal results, more frequent screenings may be needed. If taking statin medications, you’ll need testing 4 to 12 weeks after beginning medication. If numbers look good, repeat annually.
Hopefully, this information from the American Diabetes Association helps clear up confusion about different testing.
Closing Thought
The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook. – William James
