Saving Okra Seeds From Master Gardener David Wall
August 18, 2024 – It’s easy to order seeds from seed companies, although the cost seems high, and shipping costs seem outrageous. In reality, the prices are pretty reasonable. It’s easy however to lower the costs. First, there’s probably a local nursery or hardware store containing hundreds of seed packets. The ultimate price reduction is to save the seeds from your own garden.
For several garden vegetables, you can simply put the biggest and best vegetables aside for gathering seeds. This works very well for tomatoes, although the separation process can be very messy. I just buy seeds! Peppers are perhaps the easiest vegetable from which to gather seeds. Simply cut the ripe pepper lengthwise, separate the seeds with a spoon, knife or your finger over a paper towel. Let them dry 2-3 days and then put them in a porous container (I use envelopes), seal, label, and place in a bottom refrigerator drawer.
Okra seed saving is a somewhat different process. The first time I saved a large oversized pod that had escaped notice I decided to use it for seeds. So, the pod was brought in, placed on a paper towel and split open. The seeds, unfortunately, were white and soft. So, when all else had failed, I decided to read the directions!
Today, I have several giant green pods still growing that were missed when picking. Rather than throw them away, they’ll will stay on the stalk until they die. The key here is color. When a pod is gray, white and brittle, it’s ready for picking. Simply Bring it inside and over a paper towel, open the pod with your fingers and pull the seeds which are now hard, dry, and dark gray. Again, place the seeds in a porous container, seal, label, and place in a refrigerator bottom drawer.
Paris District Road Report for Week of August 19, 2024
Paris — Here’s a look at work planned in the district for the week starting Aug. 19, 2024. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Motorists are advised to remain alert and pay special attention to all signs, barricades and traffic controls, and reduce their speed as they approach and travel through work zones. They should also avoid distractions such as cell phones, eating, drinking, or car audio or navigation systems.
Safety Message: Back to School
As Texas children head back to school, TxDOT is calling on everyone to be extra cautious in school zones and around school buses to help keep kids safe.
School zones can be chaotic with children walking or biking to school, sometimes dashing between cars and hopping in and out of buses. Unfortunately, traffic crashes can and do happen. In 2023, there were 748 traffic crashes in Texas school zones, resulting in one death and 14 serious injuries. The most common crash causes were speeding, distracted driving and failure to yield the right of way.
There were also 11 people killed and 63 seriously injured last year in the 2,523 crashes involving Texas school buses. Driver inattention and speed were also the top contributing factors in those crashes.
TxDOT urges drivers to be on the lookout for young pedestrians and cyclists as the school year begins and to slow down, stay alert and follow all traffic laws to keep children safe and avoid costly fines and tickets. TxDOT also encourages parents to start sharing pedestrian and school zone safety tips while their kids are at a young age.
Tips for driving in school zones
- Be aware that traffic patterns around school zones may have changed since the last school year.
- Stay alert and put your phone away. Using a handheld electronic device while driving in an active school zone is against the law.
- Stop and yield to people in crosswalks.
- Always obey school zone speed limit signs. Remember, traffic fines increase in school zones.
- Drop off and pick up your children in your school’s designated areas, not the middle of the street.
- Keep an eye on children gathered at bus stops.
- Watch for children who might dart across the street or between vehicles.
Tips for children walking or biking to school
- Use sidewalks. If there’s not one, it’s best to walk on the left side of the street facing traffic.
- Cross the street only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Look left, right and left again before proceeding.
- Always obey crossing guards.
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street. Never assume a driver sees you.
- Look for traffic when stepping off a bus or from behind parked vehicles.
- Always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or scooter.
- Don’t be distracted by electronic devices that take your eyes and ears off the road.
- Follow all traffic rules, signs and signals.
Sherman Area (Fannin, Grayson Counties)
Contacts: Sherman Area Office (903) 892-6529; Grayson Co. Maintenance (903) 893-8831; Fannin Co. Maintenance (903) 583-7566.
Grayson County:
US 75, from US 82 to North Loy Lake Road. This project will rebuild and widen the US 75 mainlanes from four lanes to six lanes as well as reconstruct the entrance and exit ramps on US 75. The project will also reconstruct bridges at FM 691, Iron Ore Creek and Spur 503, and add U-turn bridges at Loy Lake Road in Sherman and Spur 503 in Denison. A reduced speed limit of 65 mph on the US 75 mainlanes has been set for this construction project. Watch for shoulder closures and lane shifts on the mainlanes of US 75 as well as frontage road lane closures within the project.
The U-turn lanes for the US 75 frontage roads at FM 691 are closed to traffic to allow crews to work on constructing the middle portion of the new US 75 bridge over FM 691. During this closure traffic wishing to make a U-turn at the intersection is asked to turn left onto FM 691 and make another left at the next signal light.
The exit ramp from northbound US 75 to North Loy Lake Road in Denison is closed permanently. Travelers who wish to access North Loy Lake Road from northbound US 75 will detour up to Crawford Street, make a U-turn at the Crawford Street intersection, and head south on the frontage road to reach North Loy Lake Road.
The entrance ramp on the southbound frontage road onto US 75, north of Spur 503 and south of Loy Lake Road, is permanently closed. This closure is part of the reconstruction of US 75 from US 82 to Loy Lake Road in Denison. Motorists who wish to travel south on US 75 from its intersection with Loy Lake Road are advised to note this change. A detour is in place requiring traffic to continue on the southbound frontage road, around Spur 503, to the entrance ramp for US 75 southbound located north of the FM 691 intersection. Signs will alert travelers and guide them along this detour route.
The northbound US 75 frontage road is closed to thru traffic north of FM 691 in order to replace the frontage road bridge over Iron Ore Creek. Work for the construction of the new US 75 northbound frontage road Iron Ore Creek bridge and northbound frontage road pavement is currently in progress. This work has an anticipated completion date of early August 2024. Motorists traveling along the northbound frontage road will take the northbound entrance ramp north of FM 691 and take exit 66 to access eastbound Spur 503. Local traffic wishing to return to FM 691 is asked to use Pool Road.
The westbound Spur 503 ramp to northbound US 75 is closed to traffic. A temporary detour is in place to divert this traffic onto the frontage road. Traffic will exit Spur 503 onto the frontage road using the new detour, continue along the Spur 503 frontage road which runs into the US 75 frontage road to the Loy Lake Road intersection. Traffic can continue along the frontage road through Loy Lake Road and then take the next entrance ramp to northbound US 75.
US 75, from FM 1417 to SH 91 (Texoma Parkway). A reduced speed limit of 60 mph on the US 75 mainlanes has been set on the mainlanes for this construction project. Watch for shoulder closures and lane shifts on the northbound and southbound US 75 main lanes between SH 91 and FM 1417 as crews work on building new main lanes, bridges, and retaining walls. Watch for lane closures on the frontage roads between FM 1417 and SH 91.
As the US 75 project continues to move into the final stages there will be nightly lane closures on both north- and southbound lanes as construction crews perform pavement marking, barrier removal and sign installation. Drivers should expect delays.
The southbound US 75 exit ramp (Exit 57) for Park Avenue is closed to allow crews to complete the final pavement surfacing at this ramp. Motorists traveling southbound are asked to use the southbound exit for State Highway 91 and North Travis Street, and continue along the southbound frontage road to Park Avenue. They may also use the southbound exit for South Travis Street/FM 1417.
US 75, at the US 82 intersection. Watch for lane closures and lane shifts for the frontage roads on the northbound and southbound US 75 frontage road lanes between South Loy Lake Road and Lamberth Street, as well as on the eastbound and westbound US 82 frontage road lanes between FM 131 and Loy Lake Road while crews work on construction of the new frontage road lanes and bridges. The left lane of westbound US 82 will be closed between Loy Lake Road and US 75 in order for crews to complete drainage work at the intersection.
US 377, from US 82 to the Oklahoma State line. Watch for daytime lane closures on US 377 as crews work to perform pavement repairs, milling, and an overlay on the surface. Motorists should expect delays during the daytime work hours as pilot cars and flaggers direct traffic through the work zone.
US 82, from the Cooke County line to FM 901. Watch for daytime lane closures on the US 82 eastbound and westbound main lanes as crews work to backfill the overlay and place striping on the surface. Motorists should expect delays during the daytime work hours.
Enterprise Road at Tributary to Harris Creek. Enterprise Road at the Tributary to Harris Creek is closed to through traffic as crews remove and replace the bridge structure and roadway approaches. During the closure, traffic is asked to use Wright Road, SH 289 and Plainview Road as the detour route.
FM 1417, from US 82 to SH 56. Travelers are advised that intermittent temporary daily lane closures will be required for both northbound and southbound FM 1417 while the contractor completes the remaining work.
US 82, from SH 91 to FM 1417 in Sherman. Watch for a lane closure on westbound US 82 between Texoma Parkway and Loy Lake Road as workers install a center median concrete barrier to help prevent crossover head-on collisions.
FM 121, from Main Street in Van Alstyne to SH 160. Watch for daytime lane closures as crews work to rehabilitate and widen the roadway to an overall width of 26 feet. Motorists should expect delays as signals and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone.
US 82, from the Cooke County line to FM 131 in Sherman. Watch for lane closures as workers replace the bridge railing and guardrail approaches at each bridge structure and install median barrier. During construction, bridge travel will be reduced to one lane while crews replace the bridge railing. Currently, the contractor is working on the eastbound US 82 lanes at Harris Creek, the westbound US 82 lanes at Post Oak Creek, and on the eastbound and westbound US 82 lanes at FM 1417. Motorists should expect daytime lane closures on FM 1417 at the US 82 underpass, while crews are replacing the bridge rail at this location. On this project, the contractor is also installing a center median concrete traffic barrier between FM 1417 and FM 131. Motorists should expect daytime lane closures while this work is underway.
US 75 full depth concrete repair, from the Collin County line to the Oklahoma State line. Crews will be working on US 75 each week from Sunday night through Friday morning during the overnight period. Lane closures will be present at night for crews to replace failed concrete sections. Lane closures will begin at 7:30 p.m. each night and should be reopened to traffic by 6 a.m. This work will extend from the Collin-Grayson County line to the Oklahoma State line.
US 75 debris pickup, from Collin County line to Oklahoma State line. Watch for mobile lane closures as workers pick up debris from the roadway every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday during the nighttime.
FM 901, from US 377 to Mount Zion Rd. Watch for daytime lane closures as maintenance crews perform edge repairs on the roadway. Motorists should expect delays as flaggers and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone.
FM 901, from SH 56 to US 82. Watch for daytime lane closures as maintenance crews blade level the roadway with hotmix. Motorists should expect delays as flaggers and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone.
Fannin County:
FM 1753, at the Brushy Creek bridge. FM 1753 at the Brushy Creek bridge is closed to through traffic as crews remove and replace the bridge structure and roadway approaches. During the closure, traffic is asked to use FM 2645, FM 898, US 82, and FM 1752 as the detour route.
FM 274, from SH 78 to FM 1753. Watch for daytime lane closures as crews work to rehabilitate and widen the roadway to an overall width of 26 feet. Motorists should expect delays as signals and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone. FM 274 at Sandy Creek bridge is closed to thru traffic while the contractor replaces the existing bridge. During the closure traffic is asked to use FM 1753 and SH 78 as the detour.
SH 56 at Bois d’Arc Creek. SH 56 at Bois d’Arc creek is reduced to one lane with a signal in place to control traffic as crews work to remove and replace the bridge railing. Motorists should expect delays as signals control traffic through the construction zone.
SH 56 at Hutchins Creek and Caney Creek. SH 56 at Hutchins creek and Caney creek will be reduced to one lane with a signal in place to control traffic beginning the week of Aug. 26, as crews work to remove and replace the bridge railing as well as perform bridge repairs. Motorists should expect delays as signals control traffic through the construction zone.
CR 4020 at Caney Creek. CR 4020 at Caney Creek is closed to through traffic to allow for replacement of the bridge. During the closure traffic is asked to use CR 4025 as a detour.
FM 68, from SH 78 to FM 271. Watch for daytime lane closures as crews work to rehabilitate and widen the roadway to an overall width of 28 feet. Motorists should expect delays as signals and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone.
SH 78, from US 82 to the Oklahoma State line. Watch for daytime shoulder closures and occasional lane closures as workers install sloped-end treatments on drainage structures and replace bridge rail and guardrail.
FM 100, from SH 56 to FM 2216. Watch for daytime lane closures as crews work to rehabilitate and widen the roadway. Motorists should expect delays as signals and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone.
FM 271, from SH 78 to FM 68. Watch for daytime lane closures as crews work to rehabilitate and widen the roadway. Motorists should expect delays as signals and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone.
US 82, from FM 1752 to SH 121. Watch for daytime lane closures as maintenance crews perform milling and paving on the roadway. Motorists should expect delays.
FM 2645, from FM 1753 to FM 898. Watch for daytime lane closures as maintenance crews perform base repairs on the roadway. Motorists should expect delays as flaggers and pilot cars direct traffic through the work zone.
Sulphur Springs Area (Hopkins, Franklin Counties):
Contacts: Sulphur Springs Area Office (903) 885-9514; Franklin Co. Maintenance (903) 537-4976; Hopkins Co. Maintenance (903) 885-4031.
Franklin County: SH 37, from US 67 to FM 71. Watch for shoulder closures and construction vehicles entering the roadway as crews perform paving operations.
Hopkins County: SH 19, from I-30 to Rains County Line. Watch for crews performing road rehabilitation operations and traffic shifts in the work areas.
Hopkins County: I-30, at FM 269. Crews will be performing tree trimming and tree removal operations on the eastbound side.
Paris Area (Delta, Lamar, Red River Counties)
Contacts: Paris Area Office (903) 784-1357; Delta Co. Maintenance (903) 395-2139; Lamar Co. Maintenance (903) 785-4468; Red River Co. Maintenance (903) 427-3561.
Lamar County:
Loop 286, from FM 1497 around the north loop to FM 1507. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures and traffic merges while crews improve guardrail and drainage structures and perform bridge maintenance.
Loop 286, from US 271 North going west to FM 79. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures, lane shifts, crossing closures and merging traffic while crews place a bonded concrete surface and perform asphalt paving operations.
US 271, from LP 286 to Oklahoma State Line. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures and traffic merges while crews resurface the pavement and perform bridge maintenance.
CR 26320 at Morrison Creek. Watch for temporary roadway closure and detour while crews replace existing bridge structure.
FM 1497, from FM 1184 to FM 3426. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures while crews rehabilitate the existing pavement and improve drainage structures
CR 16300 at Little Sandy Creek. Watch for temporary roadway closure and detour while crews replace existing bridge structure.
US 82 / Lamar Avenue, from 33rd street to 42nd street in Paris. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures in the nighttime hours while crews improve signals, install a raised center median, and resurface the roadway.
FM 38 at West Fork of Sanders Creek. Watch for temporary roadway closure and detour while crews replace existing bridge structure.
SH 24, Lamar & Delta Counties: from the FM 64 intersection to 1,540 feet east of FM 198. Watch for temporary lane closures and lane shifts while crews resurface the roadway and perform bridge rail upgrades.
SH 19/24, Lamar & Delta Counties: from LP 286 intersection to SH 19 . Watch for temporary lane closures and lane shifts while crews resurface the roadway, perform bridge rail upgrades, and bridge maintenance.
US 271, Lamar & Red River Counties: from FM 196 North to SH 37. Watch for temporary shoulder closures and trucks entering and exiting the highway as crews remove tree and brush from within right of way.
US 82, Lamar & Red River Counties: from State Loop 286 in Paris to Bowie County Line in Red River County. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures while crews improve drainage structures.
Delta County:
FM 2068 at East Fork of Jernigan Creek. Watch for temporary roadway closure and detour while crews replace existing bridge structure.
FM 2675, from Lamar County line to FM 128. Watch for temporary lane closures while crews rehabilitate the existing pavement and improve drainage structures.
SH 19 at South Sulphur and South Sulphur Relief. Watch for temporary shoulder closures while crews perform bridge maintenance.
Red River County:
CR 2127 at Scatter Creek. Watch for temporary roadway closure and a detour while crews replace existing bridge structure.
FM 2120, from FM 2573 to SH 37. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures while crews rehabilitate the existing pavement and improve drainage structures.
FM 1487, from FM 910 to FM 412. Watch for temporary lane and shoulder closures while crews rehabilitate the existing pavement and improve drainage structures.
Northeast Texas Trail, Clarksville, Texas. Watch for trucks and equipment entering and exiting streets and highways while crews construct the off-system trail.
Northeast Texas Trail, from BU 82J to Annona East City Limits. Watch for trucks and equipment entering and exiting streets and highways while crews construct the off-system trail.
Greenville Area (Hunt, Rains Counties)
Contacts: Greenville Area Office (903) 455-2363; Hunt Co. Maintenance (903) 455-2303; Rains Co. Maintenance (903) 473-2682.
Hunt County:
SH 34, from FM 1570 to FM 2101. The contractor has set barricades and work zone signs. The contractor has completed the flexible pavement repair on the main lanes and shoulders. The contractor has finished the placement of HMA overlay on the northbound and southbound lanes. The contractor has finished placing final striping and has completed backfilling pavement edges throughout the project. Seeding and mulch has been placed and watering has started. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
SH 11, from FM 2655 to SH 24. This project will add shoulders and replace drainage structures. The contractor has set barricades and has begun some prep right of way work and has begun road widening and ditch grading in the area. SW3P devices will be installed soon. The contractor has placed SW3P devices and prepped the right of way. Culvert work on the project and excavation and road widening is in progress. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
SH 11, from Culver Street to Live Oak. The contractor has placed work zone signs and barricades. Fencing installation and grate work is ongoing. Final signal work is underway, barrels and barricades have been removed to open lanes. Final punch list items are underway. Oncor is working to supply power to the signal lights. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
FM 1563, from SH 50 to SH 2655: This is a 2.7-mile rehabilitation project that will widen the existing roadway. The contractor has set work zone signs and barricades. The contractor has completed cross culverts and culvert extensions and will be placing riprap soon. The contractor has sealed and shouldered up the first mile of the project and has placed flex base and placing geogrid at various locations. Driveways are ongoing and are being completed by section of work. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
FM 2642, from FM 35 to SH 66: The contractor has set work zone signs and barricades. Excavation work for the detour is ongoing. The contractor has been working on the placement of storm sewer and culverts will continue along FM 2642 north of I-30 towards SH 66 with embankment and excavation work. Nighttime operations are currently being used for several cross-culvert locations. The contractor is placing geogrid and flex base on FM 2642 near Royse City high school moving north. The contractor placed barrier and crash cushions on FM35. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
FM 2649, from I-30 to FM 1567. The contractor has set barricades and work zone traffic signs. Cross culvert work is complete. The contractor has begun work on the final section of roadway, this work will begin with subgrade widening and treating the subgrade and vegetation establishment. Driveway pipes were being installed along with striping for the completed section. Grading and seeding will be completed soon. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
I-30 intersection improvements from Monte Stratton to FM 1903. The contractor has set barricades and advance warning signs. The westbound I-30 main lanes have been realigned to detour paving around the existing westbound I-30 main lane bridge over FM 1570. This detour will remain in place until the new FM 1570 overpass is constructed. Detours are in place for NB and SB FM 1570 traffic around the closure. The westbound frontage road at FM 1903 is one-way only along with the frontage roads along the project corridor. Traffic on FM 1903 from north of I-30 will have to turn right on the westbound frontage road and travel to State Highway 36 in order access I-30 east. The contractor plans to place more barriers and perform main lane widening and drainage work in the area. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
I-30 Improvements from CR2511 to FM 36: The contractor has switched the two-way frontage roads to one way traffic configuration and installed barrier throughout the corridor. Dirt work is ongoing to construct temp widenings along with installation of drainage structures. Please be aware of workers and watch for work zones when traveling in this area.
Hunt and Rains Counties Hunt County and Rains maintenance crews will be performing pothole repair work throughout Hunt and Rains County. Both crews are working on various roads in Hunt and Rains Counties placing fog seal on inhouse seal coat roads.
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The Meet the Wildcats Gave the Sulphur Springs Community the Chance to see the Athletes, Coaches, and Staff for the Upcoming Season
August 16, 2024 – The Annual “Meet the Wildcats” event was held at Gerald Prim Stadium August 15th, giving the Sulphur Springs community the chance to see the athletes, coaches, and staff for the 2024/2025 Wildcats and Lady Cats Sports season. KSST will continue the tradition of carrying Wildcats and Lady Cats Sports this season, and a lot of the games will be broadcast on Cable Channel 18, and will be available to view on our YouTube Channel. If you missed this exciting event, be sure to check out the fun and fandom that took place at the Meet the Wildcats down below!
Hopkins County Health Care Foundation’s First Men’s Health Initiative Exceeds Goals
August 16, 2024 – Sulphur Springs, TX –
The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation held two firsts this year. One was Man Bingo, also known as Mingo, which was bingo with prizes men (or anyone) would enjoy. This was held on April 18 for 198 players with a net income of approximately $12,000. Since it was the first year to offer Man Bingo, proceeds were expected to be less.
With the income from Man Bingo, the Foundation offered its second first, a health initiative targeting Hopkins County men. Sixty free heart calcium scans were offered at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs during July. 56 men took the Foundation’s offer for scans.
The Foundation will more than likely hold a second Mingo in April 2025 with proceeds once again going to a men’s health initiative,
For several years, the Foundation has offered a free mammography clinic for uninsured Hopkins County women over the age of 40. The next one will be held in October. The Foundation’s Board of Directors was eager to add a program to benefit local men.
The Foundation extends its appreciation to community members for sponsoring and participating in Mingo. Additionally, the Foundation was pleased that so many local men recognized the need for a heart calcium scan.
The Foundation is an IRS 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization focusing on Hopkins County healthcare.
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Texas Election Officials are Dealing with a Flood of Challenges to Voter Registrations
By Natalia Contreras, The Texas Tribune
Aug. 16, 2024 – County election departments across Texas are trying to reassure voters amid a flood of formal challenges questioning whether their registrations are valid.
The challenges, filed by conservative groups and individual activists, seek to remove tens of thousands of voters from the rolls on the grounds that they don’t live in the county, are not citizens or have died.
Election officials say the challenges are complicating the work they’re already doing to keep their voter rolls updated. They want voters to know that they’re following state and federal laws that protect voters from being improperly removed from the rolls if someone questions their eligibility.
Multiple election officials told Votebeat that the majority of the challenges they’ve received are against voters whose status their offices had already flagged through their daily voter list maintenance. In a few cases, the challenges start a process that could lead to careful removal of voters after the November election.
“Even though a challenge is filed, doesn’t mean that you will be automatically dropped,” said Trudy Hancock, the Brazos County elections administrator. “There is a process in place to protect the voter who’s been challenged.”
At this point in the election cycle, voters aren’t at risk of being dropped from the rolls because of a challenge. Under federal law, election officials can’t cancel a voter’s registration in the period 90 days ahead of Election Day, except for voters who voluntarily cancel their registration or who are convicted of a felony.
Still, election officials are required to process the voter eligibility challenges they receive, and act on valid ones. Election administrators in Collin, Travis, Hays, Brazos, Tarrant, and Denton counties and others have been sifting through large volumes of these, which they began receiving in June, targeting thousands of voters.
The large-scale challenge effort is being led by Houston-based right-wing group True the Vote, which has been working for years to purge the rolls of voters it perceives as ineligible ahead of the November presidential election. It’s part of a wave of challenges aimed at voters in several states, including such battlegrounds as Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
The group is using an online tool called IV3 that matches voter data with change-of-address records from the U.S. Postal Service. Activists relying on that tool have been delivering stacks of challenges to election offices, or emailing election administrators with spreadsheets listing voters’ names. True the Vote founder Catherine Engelbrecht did not respond to Votebeat’s request for comment.
The effort has drawn criticism from election officials, courts and voting-rights advocates. For one thing, they say, the postal database that True the Vote relies on is outdated and not a reliable source for determining voter eligibility. For another, they say, the effort gives credence to false claims that large numbers of people are voting illegally by exploiting deficiencies in registration records.
A federal judge in Georgia found this year that True the Vote’s 2020 list of voters to challenge “utterly lacked reliability” and “verges on recklessness.”
“The Court has heard no testimony and seen no evidence of any significant quality control efforts, or any expertise guiding the data process,” he wrote.
Such efforts to challenge voters’ eligibility en masse are “inadequate to address voter eligibility by themselves and also redundant to the work already done by election officials,” according to research on the rise of mass voter challenges by Protect Democracy, a national nonpartisan group promoting fair elections and anti-authoritarian policies.
The report added: “These efforts are based on unsubstantiated and false claims that the rolls are replete with dead voters, voters registered in other locations, and, most recently, noncitizens. Furthermore, they falsely imply that any inaccuracy in the voter rolls equates to or otherwise enables voter fraud. In reality, voter registration rolls are being continuously updated by election officials.”
Most challenges are over residency questions
The numbers are significant. In Travis County, one person has challenged the registrations of 12,000 people. In Brazos, a group of activists has challenged more than 1,000. Collin, Hays, and Tarrant counties each have seen challenges to the eligibility of more than 10,000 voters, officials told Votebeat.
“The vast majority of them are challenging the residence of a registered voter,” said Bruce Sherbet, Collin County elections administrator. He added other challenges included voters who may have listed a commercial address as their residence and voters who may have died.
But Sherbet said his office has already taken action on most of the residency-based challenges through routine voter list maintenance, with some voters being placed on a “suspense” list until they confirm their address.
A voter is placed on the suspense list when the county registrar’s office receives information that the voter no longer lives at that location. Election officials will send a notice to the voter asking them to update their registration information. If a voter stays on the suspense list for two federal general election cycles without casting a ballot or taking action to confirm their address, their registration is canceled.
A voter who is on the suspense list can still vote. They can update their voter registration information before the voter registration deadline, which this year is Oct. 7. Or even at the polls, voters on the list can cast a ballot after filling out a Statement of Residence form.
Until last year, Texas election officials had another resource to help them keep their voter rolls clean. The Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, served as a national clearinghouse for data about Texas voters who had moved or died, and helped state officials flag names for counties to investigate. ERIC data from June 2022 helped Texas identify 100,000 voters registered in multiple counties and another 100,000 voters registered in other states.
But Texas ended its participation in ERIC, following a push by state Republican leaders responding to election conspiracy theories. Other GOP-led states also dropped out of ERIC in the period between 2022 and 2023.
Officials with the Texas Secretary of State’s office last year said that instead of ERIC, they would try to obtain the data directly from state and federal agencies, and from other states.
Texas Secretary of State officials declined to comment on whether the withdrawal from ERIC has had an effect on the volume of eligibility challenges counties are receiving.
Checking each challenge has taken a lot of time and resources for some election officials in the midst of planning for the presidential election. In Brazos County, for instance, Hancock has spent weeks responding to a conservative group that has demanded that voters listed in its challenges be removed from the rolls.
Hancock says it’s not as simple as that. Some registrations that may seem suspicious based on a limited data set may be perfectly legitimate. Many voters have the same name and even the same date of birth; some voters who don’t have a permanent address, such as someone who is homeless, can list an alternative address on their registration. In other cases, Hancock says, the group is also questioning voters on the rolls who haven’t voted in some time.
“I can’t just take them off because they don’t vote,” Hancock said, adding she has no legal authority to do so.
She also put together a presentation in July for county commissioners and the public to clarify how her office is handling the challenges she’s received
What Texas laws say about voter registration challenges
Texas doesn’t make it easy to get a voter disqualified through a challenge. Under state law, a voter can challenge another voter’s registration from their own county by submitting a sworn and notarized statement that identifies the targeted voter and the basis for challenging their eligibility. The sworn statement has to be based on the challenger’s “personal knowledge.” According to the Texas Secretary of State, a sworn statement can be used to challenge multiple voters.
Some election officials said most challenges they receive don’t meet the basic requirements to be valid. John Oldham, the Fort Bend County elections administrator, told Votebeat he received nearly 400 challenges. Most lacked a sworn statement.
And if the list of voters being challenged is derived from the USPS change-of-address database, Oldham said, “then to me that does not constitute ‘personal knowledge.’”
According to a Texas Secretary of State advisory to county officials, if a voter registrar receives a valid challenge based on residence — for example, if the voter is registered at 100 Main Street, and the challenge alleges that the voter doesn’t live there — then the registrar will send the challenged voter a notice of address confirmation.
The law says that the registrar can’t send an address confirmation notice for a challenge filed within 75 days before the November election, so this year, the deadline is Aug. 22.
For challenges based on something other than residence, such as citizenship, the registrar has to hold a hearing and give notice to both the challenger and the challenged voter. Based on evidence presented at the hearing, the registrar decides whether to uphold or cancel the voter’s registration, the advisory says.
Some election officials say they’re concerned about the potentially intimidating effect that an address confirmation or hearing notice can have, and the added burdens it can place on voters who are otherwise eligible.
“No question it can be scary for a voter to receive any type of notice, even if it’s a notice of change of address,” said Chris Davis, the voter registration director in Travis County. “If we send a change of address notice, and we don’t hear back, the voter is put on suspense, but what if that notice got lost in the mail? That’s why we’re being really careful. A voter getting a confirmation notice that they need to fill out and send back is still a burden on them.”
Some election officials are now taking additional steps to help voters make sure their registration is up to date ahead of November. In Hays County, election administrator Jennifer Doinoff is working with her staff to create a video that can direct voters on how they can check the status of their voter registration and more.
“We also want voters to know what they can do to help us clean our voter rolls,” Doinoff said. “If they move, we want to show them how they can update their information. If someone in their family has died, we want to show them the forms they can fill out, and also what they can do when they receive their voter registration card in the mail.”
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. Texas voters can check their voter registration status at votetexas.gov or by calling their local voter registrar. You can find a list of county voter registrars here.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/16/voter-registration-challenges-texas/.
Dawna Talks About the Upcoming Olympics in Sulphur Springs on This Episode of A Second Cup Of Coffee
John Mark sat down, again, with Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Activity Center Coordinator Dawna Pryor on this episode of KSST’s A Second Cup Of Coffee With John Mark Dempsey. The conversations covers such topics as the fan give-a-way at the Senior Activity Center, the upcoming Senior Olympics in September, the upcoming tailgate event, and much more. Be sure to check it out below!
Dinner Bell for August 21, 2024
Alliance Bank was chartered as “Sulphur Springs State Bank” (the “Bank”) on June 13, 2027. The Bank turned a profit in 1927and has accomplished this every year since that date; ninety-six contin ual years! The bank building at Main and Gilmer was ruined by a fire in 1934 causing the Bank to move to its present location on the North side of the Square.
In 1937 the Carnation Milk Plant opened and began buying Grade A milk. The Bank encouraged cotton farmers to convert land to pasture by making attractive loans on dairy cows to anyone con tracted to sell to Carnation. This started a very strong relationship between the Bank and the Dairy Industry that remains to the present time.
Sulphur Springs State Bank began serving Greenville and Hunt County in July 1990. It expanded to Wolfe City and Commerce in August, 1993. In February, 1996, the Bank purchased Colonial Bank of Greenville. With moving East, West and into the Metroplex, the Bank, in October of 1996, officially changed its name to Alliance Bank as its footprint extended outside of Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County. Additionally, the Bank owns and operates Galyean Insurance Agency and a brokerage com
pany—Alliance Financial Services. Innovative banking products that meet the varied needs of the communities it serves has kept its customers coming to bank with local people they can trust.
The Dinner Bell Feeding Ministry began its partnership with Alliance Bank on March 1, 2017, which continues today with four appearances each year. The realization of the Bank of food insufficiency in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County and being a Partner four times yearly greatly pleases the Dinner Bell. A Big “Thank You” is extended to Alliance Bank, its officers, staff and clients of its many locations.
Grab and Go with a meal from the distribution area under the covered driveway (porte cochere) on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus starting around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
MENU
Mexican Lasagna
Seasoned Pinto Beans
Garden Salad with Guacamole Ranch Dressing
Sopapilla Cheesecake
Take care of YOURSELF by following safe health practices as flu and COVID are lurking in our midst! Wear masks where required! Wash your hands often! Get inoculated and boosted
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH !!!
Texas A&M University-Commerce Secures $2.2 Million Grant to Enhance Student Success Programs
August 15, 2024 – The Department of Education grant aims to improve retention and graduation rates for first-time, full-time students at A&M-Commerce.
COMMERCE, TX, August 15, 2024— Texas A&M University-Commerce is set to boost student success with a transformative $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Known as Title III Part A – Strengthening Institutions Program, the grant aims to help colleges and universities increase their capacity to serve low-income students. A&M-Commerce was one out of only six institutions in Texas, 107 nationwide, chosen to receive the grant in October 2023. Funds will be disbursed to the university over five years.
Dr. Sherece Shavel, director of the Title III program at A&M-Commerce, predicts that Title III funding will significantly impact student success.
“A&M-Commerce now has a new layer of capacity to reach, impact and support the needs of students who may have previously fallen through the cracks,” she said.
Four strategies to bolster student success
A&M-Commerce is using the grant money to implement four student support initiatives aimed at helping first-time, full-time students succeed in college:
1. Centralized Success Center: A success center in the university’s Waters Library will enable students to access several supportive services in one centralized location. They include the Office of Student Career Preparedness, Blue to Gold Money Management Center, Student Transition and Support, Academic Advising, and Undergraduate Tutoring Services.
2. Academic Advising: The university will also enhance its Academic Advising services. Advisors from all academic areas will relocate to Waters Library so students can more easily access support. In addition, the advising model is being refreshed. Advisors will become more proactive in reaching out to students at several points during their college careers to help ensure they are on track for graduation and career success.
3. Student Career Preparedness: The Office of Student Career Preparedness is expanding its ability to deliver a broad menu of career services. Services include helping students:
- write effective resumes
- acquire strong interviewing skills
- understand the career implications of changing majors
- find internships, externships and apprenticeships
- understand what they can do with their chosen major and how it translates into a career
“As soon as students are admitted to the university, the Office of Student Career Preparedness will talk to them and help them perceive their entire academic experience with the value of their careers in mind,” Shavel said.
4. Blue to Gold Money Management Center: A team of dedicated money coaches was hired to serve the new Blue to Gold Money Management Center. The coaches help students with various financial issues related to college life and beyond, including:
- understanding the financial implications of switching majors
- deciphering tuition and fees
- managing financial aid money
- ensuring students have sufficient financial resources to persist through graduation
- budgeting and saving money
- establishing healthy relationships with money
Wrap-around services for student success
The four initiatives discussed above are meant to converge in a wrap-around model of student care designed to envelop students in supportive resources even before they request them. Staff will reach out to students earlier and more often to help them acquire the tools they need to succeed.
“We’re creating that structure around helping students, and that’s why they’re called wrap-around services,” Shavel said. “Particularly with first-year, first-time students, there is a need for that extra level of support. Transitioning from high school into the university setting can be challenging,” she said.
The big goal: retention through to graduation
The overarching goal for the university’s Title III program is to boost the four-year retention rate by 9% over the next five years. In higher education, “retention rate” refers to the number of first-time undergraduate students who return to the same institution the following fall.
Student retention is a concern at universities statewide. Based on 2019 data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, only 41.5% of first-time, full-time university students in Texas who remain at the same institution graduate within four years. A&M-Commerce sits slightly below the state average at around 31%.
Drs. Ricky Dobbs, senior vice provost, and Brent Donham, vice president for Research and Academic Development, who were instrumental in helping secure the grant for A&M-Commerce, are confident that the funds will positively affect student retention.
“This grant is aimed at addressing longstanding gaps in student support,” Dobbs said. “These are known areas of challenge where the right types of support could help with retention and, ultimately, graduation.”
“The Title III grant will go a long way in our mission to transform lives,” Donham added.
Chamber Connection – August 14, 2024
By Butch Burney
Wind energy will be the topic for the Chamber’s Lunch and Learn on Sept. 11, featuring Apex Clean Energy. The energy company is anticipating investing in wind turbines in the western part of Hopkins County.
The Lunch and Learn will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at The Grays Building in Pacific Park. Those in attendance will get a meal and information on the project, as well as the opportunity to ask questions.
To RSVP for the free event, message [email protected] or call 903-885-6515.
Stew Time!
We are looking forward to a fantastic 55th Annual Hopkins County Stew Contest on Oct. 26, and it’s time for stew cooks to start registering.
Registration for last year’s cooks have been sent, and new and returning cooks can also register online at HopkinsChamber.org/stewcooks.
We are keeping the registration fee the same as in past years at $100 per stew site, with the sponsor asked to provide $150 to each cooking team for ingredients.
If you have been a Stew Cook in the past, we look forward to seeing you again and tasting your delicious stew. If you have won the contest in the past, you are eligible to enter the Super Stew competition.
Each returning stew team will have the option of keeping their 2023 site. These sites will be reserved until Monday, September 30, and then on Tuesday, October 1, the “unclaimed” stew sites will be open to “new cooks” and to returning cooks who would like a new site location. After Sept. 30, all sites will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. As in 2023, we will have sites open on both the north and the south side of Connally Street, where we will have a serving tent and market vendors.
New Cooks
We will have a Stewcomers meeting at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15 for any new cooks or those who are thinking about entering. You can get all the information you need to start planning for the largest annual single-day event in Hopkins County.
If you need more information, call the Chamber at 903-885-6515 or email [email protected].
The theme for this year’s stew contest is Stewper Heroes, and we would love for you to participate and be a Stewper Hero!
Cocktails and Conversation
Join us for our main networking monthly event when Beauty Grace Lifestyle Shop hosts our Cocktails and Conversation on Thursday, Sept. 5, at the store on Connally Street.
You don’t have to be a Chamber member to attend. It is free to everyone, and a prime time to make friends and contacts.
Please make plans to attend to enjoy some cocktails, snacks and great conversation.
New Team
Sulphur Springs Health and Rehabilitation will host a family-friendly meet and greet to meet their new team and tour the facility, from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29.
Enjoy pulled pork sliders, cocktail sausages and fruit while you visit with the staff.
SS Health and Rehab is located at 411 Airport Road. Call 903-885-7668 for more information.
Main Street Theatre
Main Street Theatre presents Hallelujah Girls, a southern comedy about a group of feisty females who decide to shake up their lives.
Show times are Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16-17 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 18 at 2 p.m., as well as Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 25, at 2 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at onthestage.tickets.
Quilt Show
The Lone Star Heritage Quilt Show is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20-21 at the ROC on Putman Street. Numerous projects will be on display, and one special quilt will be up for raffle during the event.
If you’re interested in entering your own quilt project, those arrangements must be made by July 31. To request entry, email [email protected].
Ribbon Cuttings
Fastenal will host a ribbon cutting at noon on Monday, Aug. 26, at their facility at 1180 Highway 19 South. Everyone is invited to this event.
Designated Emergency Infant Care Provider – Baby Moses Law
What is the “Baby Moses Law?”
The “Baby Moses Law” is the common name of a law authorizing a designated emergency infant care provider to take possession of a child appearing to be 60-days-old or younger from the child’s parent, if the parent does not express intent to return for the child. You can find this law in the Texas Family Code, Chapter 262, Subchapter D. Emergency Possession of Certain Abandoned Children.
This law encourages parents who abandon their children to do so with a designated emergency infant care provider rather than at a dangerous location. The law also protects parents from criminal prosecution when they deliver an unharmed child to a designated emergency infant care provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the law work?
Any parent may voluntarily deliver a child 60 days old or younger to a designated emergency infant care provider when the parent does not express intent to return for the child.
What is a designated emergency infant care provider?
A child-placing agency licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission can be a designated emergency infant care provider if the CPA:
- Agrees to act as a designated emergency infant care provider; and
- Has on staff a person who is licensed as a registered nurse under Chapter 301, Occupations Code, or who provides emergency medical services under Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, and who will examine and provide emergency medical services to a child taken into possession by the agency.
What are the responsibilities of a designated CPA emergency infant care provider?
A designated CPA emergency infant care provider must:
- Post a notice in a prominent location that:
- The CPA is a designated emergency infant care provider; and
- It will accept children 60-days-old or younger who are voluntarily delivered by the child’s parent, if the parent does not express an intent to return for the child.
- Use prudent judgment to protect the physical health and safety of the child until DFPS takes possession of the child.
- Assess the child for injury or illness.
- Immediately contact your registered nurse or person who provides emergency medical services to evaluate the medical needs of the child.
- Follow through with recommendations for medical treatment.
- Notify DFPS of the possession of the child no later than the close of the first business day after the date the provider takes possession of the child.
- Provide the child’s medical history or any other pertinent information to DFPS.
What do the responsibilities of a designated CPA emergency infant care provider not include?
A designated CPA emergency infant care provider has no legal duty to:
- Detain or pursue the parent and may not do so unless the child appears to have been abused or neglected.
- Determine the parent’s identity. However, the provider may give the parent a form for voluntary disclosure of the child’s medical facts and history.
