Tax Rate Process, Federal Funding Discussed At June 22 SSISD Board Of Trustees Meeting
School finance is complicated on a good day. Add in changes in legislation, “golden pennies” and a pandemic and the budget process becomes even challenging. That’s exactly what school officials are up against this year. A school financial advisor and assistant superintendent discussed with Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees the complexities of shaping the tax rate this year as federal funding available to help offset funds lost when in-person classes were canceled from Mid-march through the end of the regular 2019-2020 school year.
Tax Rate Process
Lucas Janda with Live Oak Public Finance, financial advisor for Sulphur Springs Independent School district presented information about the 2020-2021 tax rate process to SSISD Board of Trustees during a special board meeting Monday evening.
He noted that House Bill 3 will impact school district’s maintenance and operations tax rates.
Janda said if the property value growth is less than 4 percent for the year, their compression rate will be known. If the property value growth is over 4 percent, the state will determine how much more the district’s tax rate will be compressed.
Senate Bill 2 will also have an impact during the 2020-21 school year, according to Janda.
No district will be allowed to increase funding by more than 2.5 percent over the prior year without a tax ratification election.
Then there’s the whole “golden penny” to be factored in. These are additional funds that districts can seek. The number of golden pennies has increased from 6 to 8 pennies. SSISD accessed 4 “golden pennies” in the 2019-2020 school year.
So what does that mean for school districts as officials work over the summer to develop budgets and tax rates?
Janda says House Bill 3 will require the M&O tax rate to be reduced from $0.97 to $0.9564 if the property value growth within the school district is below 4 percent or to $0.9664 if the 5th golden is desired.
However, if property value growth exceeds 4 percent, the compression rate will be set by TEA, although the district will be allowed to still pursue the 5th golden penny.
Janda said the question then becomes tax management. Schools will have to decide whether to focus on a steady total tax rate. If the district does, then the I&S (debt service) tax rate will increase and excess collections can be used to pay off some bonds early. It could smooth out any I&S increase, if any, needed to fund a bond election, if needed in the future.
The finance official said the value of the “5th golden penny” is estimated at $132,281, but requires unanimous approval of the school board during the 2020-21 school year. A majority vote of the school board would then be needed to seek the 5th golden penny in successive years, as currently outlines.
SSISD officials works through the summer to develop the budget and propose a tax rate to support it. A budget work session was held June 8 to update trustees on progress so far and to receive any additional direction provided by trustees. Another budget work session is slated during the regular July 13 school board meeting.
SSISD Business Manager Sherry McGraw on June 8 presented the first draft of the 2020-21 budget, which she noted are “very preliminary” based on 2019-2020 student counts, estimated 99 percent tax collections and 2020 estimated property tax values. She noted a lot had yet to be figured, including adjustments for new hires, new positions and retirements; changes in tax values; and other funding sources.
With those figures, the overall budget is expected to be pretty tight for the 2020-2021 school year. The June 8 preliminary draft projected revenues at $42,013,770 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, including $23.9 million in state funding, $14.34 million in local funding and $3.7 million in miscellaneous revenue – TRS on behalf, tax penalties, federal funding, athletics revenue, etc., according to the information provided by McGraw.
SSISD expenses for FY 2020-21 based on the preliminary figures on june 8 were projected to be $42,217,637, including $33,834,948 allocated to payroll.
McGraw assured trustees that school officials would buckle down to tighten up finances in an effort to meet the difference.
Certified tax values won’t be reported until July 25 and the state won’t notify districts what tax rate will be until Aug. 5, according to Janda.
Schools officials, including those at SSISD, will then have the challenge of adjust budgets and present them and tax rates for approval within the allocated dates. Typically, SSISD tries approves the general operating budget and tax rate around Aug. 26 or earlier, ahead of the Sept. 1 start of the new fiscal year.
In short, increased tax values will force the tax rate to go down. The state has a formula that changes frequently, according to Janda, including updating and inputting district information into the lates template provided by the state to school districts.
CARES Funding
Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams also Monday evening informed trustees that an application has been completed for CARES Act funding.
SSISD is eligible for $891,836 in federal funding, which will be presented to the SSISD Advisory Council for review before being submitted.
This will help make up the difference in funding SSISD was expected to have received for average daily attendance by students. After in-person classes were canceled after spring break, SSISD applied for a waiver to be held “harmless” so they will continue to receive funding. The last two years’ numbers are used to figure funding to determine funding to “make us whole.
While there are many different options the funding can be applied toward, SSISD officials intend to use the CARES Act funding for utility expenses – water, sewer, electricity, etc.. That benefits the most students, are necessities for schools and are easily documented for federal reporting purposes.
Williams also reported the district also anticipates filing for additional reimbursement funding available, for March 1-May 30, due to COVID-19. That application process is expected to open in late July. He said the amount the district could potentially receive will vary depending on how many districts apply and for how much.
McGraw said with the reduction in state funding, these additional federal funding should help make up the difference.
Trustees Approved 24 Personnel Changes For SSISD
Trustees approved 24 personnel changes for SSISD during a special board meeting/work session Monday evening. Overall, 5 resignations were accepted, 14 new employees hired and five job changes approved by the Sulphur Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees. Of those, 15 personnel changes directly impact the middle school campus.
Adriana Barrientos resigned as an English as a second language aide, Jennifer Morales as special education aide and Kristen Waldon as a 6th grade world history teacher at Sulphur Springs Middle School.
Approved to join the staff at SSMS were:
- Jessica Arnold as a special education aide,
- Kelcie Adams as a ESL aide,
- Jane Claypool as an at-risk aide,
- Jill Crump as a 6th grade English language arts arts and reading teacher,
- Karen Jolly as a special education ELAR teacher,
- Brynn Offutt as a special education aide,
- Alysia White as a 6th grade math teacher and
- Jennifer White as a 7th grade ELAR teacher.
Ashanti Ivery, a special education aide at SSMS, will be be switching to become a physical education and girls coach on that campus.
Ashlee Wells will continue teaching 6th grade at SSMS but, this year, instead of teaching ELAR, will teach history. Karina Perez will be transferring from Travis Primary, where she was an academic secretary, to SSMS to teach 6th grade ELAR.
Kristov Martinez and Katelyn Webster each resigned for posts as math teacher and coach. Elmer Moreno, a 6th grade math teacher, has been approved to move from SSMS to Sulphur Springs High School, to not only teach math but coach as well.
Also approved to join the SSHS faculty as a Spanish teacher and coach was Jacob Sexton.
Alexa Roush was approved to join the Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center faculty as a pre-kindergarten teacher.
Angela France was approved to join the Bowie Primary faculty as a kindergarten ELAR teacher.
Tiffany Spigner will transfer from Austin Academic Center to Sulphur Springs Elementary, where she will continue to serve as an instructional aide.
Approved to join the Special Services Department was Jennifer Spencer as a Speech Language Pathologist.
New administrative staff include Christi Hartsell as an innovative learning design specialist and Pamela Voss as a secondary ELAR/social studies coordinator.
The Edge for Boys Soccer Opens at The Prim
Wildcats Soccer Coach Alexi Upton welcomed about 40 players to the first session of Wildcats Soccer Edge for Boys early Tuesday morning (June 23) at Gerald Prim Stadium. A planned session for girls was canceled Tuesday morning. Coach Upton said the boys were able to get some touches on the soccer ball while also doing skill work, and conditioning. He said he was just trying to get the guys back and moving. He noted they have been on hiatus since March due to coronavirus concerns. Coach Upton said some players looked like they did a lot of chilling and not much of anything else while he added some took care of themselves a little better during the time off. He said guidelines for reopening have loosened some so he was able to have more guys on the field at one time. Of the 40 players, Coach Upton said he was pleased that there was a group of ten players of middle school age. He said he would have liked to see a larger number of players attend and he said he hoped to see increases. Coach Upton said the Wildcats had their season ripped from them last season due to the coronavirus. However he added it was good for the players to be back, playing some soccer and having fun.
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.
Community Players ‘Parking Lot Sale’ a Good Start for Main St. Theater Repairs
Members of the Sulphur Springs Community Players invited the community to pitch in for a fundraising Parking Lot sale held to benefit Main Street Theater. The sale was held on Friday and Saturday June 19 and 20, 2020 at 1421 N. Hillcrest. Local residents brought lots of household furnishings, furniture and home decor items for the sale, and it was priced and arranged by volunteers and members. Over $2,000 was raised, but according to David Woody who spoke for Main Street Theater, it’s a good start but not enough to fund some needed repairs on the theater building.
“We have some major repairs to make to both the front and back facades of Main Street Theater which we must undertake right away. We’ll need to get creative with other fundraisers to assist toward our goal of finishing the projects, which will take a few thousand dollars, at least. We had really great support at this fundraiser, and we know by the support shown at the Parking Lot Sale that the public is behind our efforts to keep live community theater in place in downtown Sulphur Springs.” Woody commended the troupe of generous volunteers Lindy, Jessica, Grace, Cierra, Jeannie, Elizabeth, Cecilia, April, David, Barbara, Cindy, Sharon, Vincent, Corenna, Nicole, Lindsey, Doug, Matt, Will and the others who provided labor for the fundraiser.
4 County Vehicle Pursuit Ends In Camp County With Crash, 2 Arrests
A 4 county vehicle pursuit concluded with a crash in Camp County and 2 arrests. One of the women in the vehicle was found to be wanted in Tarrant County on a robbery warrant, according to arrest reports.
The pursuit started in Hunt County according to Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office reports. At 8:26 p.m. Hunt County Sheriff’s Investigator Kenneth Peters reportedly notified Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office communications operators that a stolen vehicle was traveling on Interstate 30 east. The black BMW, with a Hunt County unit pursuing, was located near mile marker 102.
Hopkins County sheriff’s deputies were alerted. Sgt. Tanner Steward and Deputies Drew Fisher, Chris Baumann and Kevin Lester responded to I-30 to attempt to assist. The deputies advised the car entered Hopkins County at a high rate of speed, and Hopkins County officers joined in the pursuit.
Steward entered the pursuit at mile marker 125 on I-30, taking the lead as the primary pursuing vehicle. The BMW exited I-30 and turned south onto FM 69. The car continued traveling south to State Highway 11 east., then turned east onto SH 11 east. The vehicle continued on Highway 11 east through Hopkins County and Winnsboro, then Wood County and Camp County, Steward alleged in arrest reports.
In Camp County, the BMW exited Highway 271 onto Loop 255. The car continued until just south of the Camp-Titus county line, eventually turning east on Loop 255 to a dead end. The BMW allegedly crashed into a fence.
Steward, Fisher and deputies from Camp County Sheriff’s Office reportedly performed a felony take-down. Both women were taken into custody at 9:14 p.m. June 22, 2020 and transported to Camp County Sheriff’s Office, where they were arraigned by a Camp County Justice of the Peace.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputies transported both women to Hopkins County jail, where they remained Tuesday morning on one charge each for unauthorized use of a vehicle, according to arrest reports.
The 22-year-old driver, Cateria Mitchell of Fort Worth, also was charged with evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. A records check showed Mitchell also was wanted by Tarrant County authorities on a second-degree felony robbery charge, according to arrest reports.
In addition to the UUV charge, 30-year-old Julie May Cooper of Arlington, was also charged with fraudulent use or possession of more than 5 items of identifying information, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Heatwaves and Trees by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas
Recently, several homeowners located in Hopkins County have called the Hopkins County Extension Office commenting their concerns related to their trees. Trees have an interest effect in people: from some people are a top priority for their landscape while for others are not that significant. While an important asset to our landscape, trees have an important requirement difficult to substitute: it takes time to grow a tree and because of that, trees command an important economic decision to make.
As I did some research in the subject, I found a small amount of published data related to the impact of heatwaves on trees. Because we are going thru a series of heatwaves typical of the summer season, heat impact is one of those causes of stress during this time of the year. According to Teskey et. Al. 2014 “the number and intensity of heat waves has increased, and this trend is likely to continue throughout the 21st century. Often, heat waves are accompanied by drought conditions. It is projected that the global land area experiencing heat waves will double by 2020, and quadruple by 2040. Extreme heat events can impact a wide variety of tree functions. At the leaf level, photosynthesis is reduced, photooxidative stress increases, leaves abscise and the growth rate of remaining leaves decreases. In some species, stomatal conductance increases at high temperatures, which may be a mechanism for leaf cooling. At the whole plant level, heat stress can decrease growth and shift biomass allocation.
When drought stress accompanies heat waves, the negative effects of heat stress are exacerbated and can lead to tree mortality. However, some species exhibit remarkable tolerance to thermal stress. Responses include changes that minimize stress on photosynthesis and reductions in dark respiration. Although there have been few studies to date, there is evidence of within-species genetic variation in thermal tolerance, which could be important to exploit in production forestry systems. Understanding the mechanisms of differing tree responses to extreme temperature events may be critically important for understanding how tree species will be affected by climate change”. For the homeowner, the effect of heatwaves might impact the tree population in different ways IF the trees have a different genetic background (unrelated) since their capacity to coupe with heat might be different. If those trees are related (as often happens with wildtypes trees) the heatwaves effect might cause similar damage to the trees. Homeowners should expect change in color (photosynthesis impact), loosing of limbs and leaves (biomass shifting) and potentially death due to heatwaves. Because of the genetic difference of the trees (or lack off) the heatwave impact might be similar to some trees (those closely related) or very different in unrelated trees.
It is important to homeowner to evaluate the potential consequences of the effect of loosing a tree in the landscape: the biomass of a dead tree is very significant and the impact in existing structures and people or animals living in the location most be considered when big trees fall down because of the potential damage that this can cause. It is always recommended to be extremely cautious when making the decision to take down a tree and err on the safety side if needed. For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443.
Will We Ever Cruise Again?
Most of us here at KSST love to travel by cruise ship. Whether Alaska, Caribbean, or even traversing the Panama Canal, traveling by cruise ship has wonderful qualities. But a worldwide pandemic has but the entire cruise industry on hold. The dates that cruise companies will resume cruising keep getting pushed back. The much anticipated Virgin Cruises first ship, Scarlet Lady, was supposed to debut at the end of March, then July, and then August, and finally will debut October 16th. Or will it? No one really knows when cruise ships will be allowed to resume, or when the cruise companies themselves will think it is safe to sail. Currently, the ships of all of the major cruise lines are scattered across the globe. Some floating near the Bahamas near their own private islands, and nearly three dozen ships in the Port of Manila (Philippines). One cruise company, Pullmantur, has filed for reorganization. It is a small line with only three ships based in Spain, but Royal Caribbean owns 49% of the cruise company. Royal Caribbean along with Norwegian Cruise line and Carnival (which also owns Holland America and Princess) are all waiting until October to resume cruises. But even then each line will not resume all of their ships right away, and then there is the worry of which ports of call will accept cruise ships.
Even with all of these concerns, the cruise companies are counting on demand to return quickly when the ships start sailing. With all of this confusion and uncertainty, when do you think YOU will cruise again? Vote in our poll:
[poll id=”140″]
Equipment Lease, Fireworks Contract Approved by Commissioners Court
Hopkins County Commissioners Court considered a number of items during their regular meeting Monday morning, June 22. The Commissioners Court approved a lease agreement for a backhoe, reappointment of officers and reorganization of some duties at the fire department and related budgetary amendments, security agreements for four county facilities, agreement for fireworks on the 4th of July, and inter-local agreements with 2 neighboring counties.
Equipment Lease
Hopkins County Precinct 1 Commissioner Mickey Barker asked the other members of the court to consider approving a 3-year lease agreement for a $112,750 backhoe. He said he plans to trade in one piece of equipment which would cost more to repair that it’s worth to apply toward equipment lease agreement. At the end of the 3 years, he’d have the option to purchase the backhoe.
The item will be leased from Asco Equipment through BuyBoard purchasing cooperative at a 7.10 percent interest rate. The equipment would be warrantied for the full 3 years, for up to 650 work hours per year. if there are any mechanical issues, the company will fix the problem and bring another loaner unit while it’s being repaired, Barker reported.
Barker said he anticipates by leasing the backhoe instead of purchasing it saving money on cost of repairs.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley pointed out that new equipment purchases are typically warrantied.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Price also noted that when purchased new apparatus normally comes with a warranty from the factory.
Auditor Shannah Aulsbrook said she is concerned the high interest rate will outweigh any amount he might save in repairs costs.
Bartley asked who would be responsible for routine maintenance for the leased equipment. Barker said the company would pay for the first time for sure, but the county would be responsible for costs of routine maintenance, otherwise.
Barker said in his experience Asco is a good company to do business with.
The Commissioners Court approved the lease agreement and financing of the backhoe for Precinct 1, as well as trading an old piece of equipment from Precinct 1.
Fireworks
Also approved by Hopkins County Commissioners Court was an agreement with Pyrotecnico Fireworks Inc. to provide a fireworks show on the 4th of July.
While the county is sponsoring Independence Day celebration with fireworks to be launched from just off the square, it won’t cost the county any money, thanks to contributions from private businesses. Grocery Supply Company and Alliance Bank will each be contributing $5,000 to pay Pyrotecnic to provide the fireworks display, according to the county judge.
“We appreciate these two businesses and others who will be involved in the night,” Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom said.
County Treasurer Danny Davis said while the night is offered as a free family-friendly community event, the public will be asked to follow established health standards as recommended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jettribe Racing will be providing over 2,000 masks throughout the night in keeping and those attending are encouraged to follow the minimum standard protocols issued by Governor Greg Abbott regarding social distancing. Bulkley Trucking will be sponsoring the band Calvin and Calvin and One Republic will be providing cold water, according to Davis.
Newsom noted the Hopkins County Freedom Ball too has stepped up to assist with the Independence Day Celebration.
Security Systems
Hopkins County Commissioners Court also approved security proposals from Firetrol Protection Systems for four county facilities.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tanner Crump explained this will extend the security monitoring systems already in place at the 3 new District buildings and recently at the Justices of the Peace building.
The security systems would be installed at Hopkins County Clerk’s Office/Records Building and Hopkins County Courthouse first, with funding to be paid out of the current budget. The security systems for the Civic Center and county fire station would be installed later, billed for payment during the 2020-2021 budget which beings in October. Approving the agreements today locks the cost at the June 22 price, the county officials reported.
The cost will be more expensive for at least one county facility, where access controls will also be added to allow county employees to swipe a card or badge to gain entry to the building The commissioners approved the agreements. The cost for the systems was not given during the meeting.
The equipment is installed by Firetrol but is monitored at the sheriff’s office. This should provide for a much quicker response system, according to Newsom and Crump.
Previously, any alarm system in place would go to a monitoring company, where a representative would then determine who to contact and call that agency, where a dispatchers could then send an officer as needed. Crump said could delay response by 10 minutes.
If an alarm is sounded via the Firetrol system, the alert goes directly to Hopkins County Sheriff’s dispatchers so that the closest officer, whether city or county, can be sent to the location immediately to check out the situation.
For instance, an alarm is sounded at one of the county buildings. The alarm goes directly to the sheriff’s office for dispatch of an officer from the closest available agency.
“I really think this is a big step. The fire station has no system that’s workable,” said Newsom. “I’m excited for more security for Hopkins County buildings.”
Fire Department
Andy Endsley was reappointed as Hopkins County fire chief and emergency management coordinator. Mike Matthews was reappointed as county fire marshal and appointed as assistant emergency management coordinator. Kristy Springfield was officially appointed as deputy emergency management coordinator as well as designated representative/inspector for Hopkins County.
The county officials explained that the appointments are for 2 years, and it is time for reappointment of both Endsley and Matthews. Springfield was officially designated.
Endsley noted that Matthews also will be taking over environmental duties for the county, replacing an employee that was dismissed. Eventually, Endsley said, the fire department is looking to move the county fire marshal, emergency management and environmental offices under a Homeland Security umbrella, while still being part of the fire department. This should not only help streamline these departments and make them more efficient, but should also qualify the department for additional grant funding as well.
Matthews will receive training for additional duties as soon as a 3-day inspector class is available; currently the course isn’t offered until August. Springfield has picked up inspection of aerobic septic systems.
Bartley expressed concern regarding appointment of both Matthews and Springfield’s to two-year positions, as county officials are not expected to begin working on the county’s 2020-21 budget for a few weeks. He questioned whether the county is “jumping the gun” by appointing them now instead of waiting until funding for those offices has been approved in the budget.
“What I understand is funds budgeted for the previous employee are still available,” Barker said.
“We’ll have to do a budget amendment to change the positions within the budget and name the position that he’s going to be paid under, but it’s not going to be affecting money,” Aulsbrook said.
“We have to be able to designate where that money is going to so there has to be an approval for that,” Davis added.
Matthews’ pay as fire marshal has been paid for out of the fire department’s part-time budget. The funding for a litter abatement officer and an inspector will now be redirected to the fire marshal and environmental officer/enforcement.
Barker said like Bartley, he wondered if the matter shouldn’t be discussed more in budget planning before the new appointments are approved.
Aulsbrook said for the officer to be paid now for the job being done using those funds, a budget amendment is required to designate the funding appropriately.
“The COVID CARES Act has helped the county. I know there are counties not even taking advantage of it. But it has helped the county in that, as you came in this morning, you’ll notice your temperature was taken by an officer there at the door. That’s in all of our courtrooms. Those people are actually being paid for by the CARES Act. I think Kristy, and perhaps Mike, also have been paid for through the CARES Act. Much of their salary has been since the middle of March,” Newsom said, offering credit to the auditor’s office and human resources departments for making the most of the federal money that has been allotted to Hopkins County.
The county judge also noted having Matthews and Springfield perform multiple duties fits with the direction the county is currently striving for.
“I like the idea of cross training. We’re trying to do that in every department in the county. We’re cross training so we don’t ever lapse if somebody gets sick or something happens, someone else can step right up,” Newsom said. “There is so much happening in Hopkins County. We need to be on top of this.”
Having both Springfield and Matthews trained will allow things to run smoothly. Designating Springfield as the county representative would allow her to conduct emergency management and certain other businesses should Endsley or Matthews either require to be out of town or unavailable.
For instance, when the state calls to report additional positive COVID-19 cases to the county, they will not release that information to just anyone. If Endsley and Judge Robert Newsom, the emergency management director, are out of town or unavailable to take the call, Matthews and/or Springfield would be available to take the call and make the appropriate notifications at the local level, Endsley explained.
The Commissioners Court agreed to change the budget to reflect the change in duties so that Springfield and Matthews can be paid for their work.
Inter-local Agreements
Endsley asked the Commissioners Court to consider approving inter-local agreements with Franklin and Hunt Counties. This would be similar to agreements with neighboring counties for mutual aid for fire protection.
In the event HCFD needs assistance, Hunt and Franklin County officials can provide advice and lend a hand if needed with environmental matters. And, HCFD would be available to assist in the two other counties if needed as well. If something were to happen to an employee during that mutual aid, the neighbor county would not be held accountable, according to Endsley.
When asked, the county officials assured Barker that the assistance would be on an “as needed” basis.
Endsley said he anticipates likely seeking similar agreements with other neighboring counties as well.
The court approved the inter-local agreements with Franklin and Hunt counties.
Consent Agenda
Also approved at the 9 a.m. meetings Monday, June 22, was the consent agenda, which included minutes from May 26 and June 8 regular meetings and work sessions, and multiple utility distribution requests.
Farmers Electric received county approval to construct electrical power distribution facilities which will cross County Road 2322, north of Spring Creek Circle in Precinct 2; County Road 3338, east of County Road 3341 in Precinct 3; County Road 1159, north of FM 1567 in Precinct 1; and 2310, at the intersection of County Road 2448 in Precinct 2.
North Hopkins Water Supply Corporation received permission to place an extension of approximately 2,600 feet of 2-inch water line on the west side of County Road 3504, west of County Road 3511, including three creek bores.
“This is one of the longest lists for this type of things we’ve had. Thing are starting to happen here again … that have to go either over or under our roads. Actually,” Newsom pointed out, “there are many more coming that are new hookups. So there’s a lot of things happening in Hopkins County and I am pretty excited for the future. People are starting construction and going forward.”
June 22nd: Hopkins County Updates On Latest COVID-19 Cases
The Hopkins County Emergency Management Team gave a quick update on the status of COVID-19 cases Monday afternoon (June 22nd). Two new positive cases were confirmed in Hopkins County and no new recoveries were reported at this time. The Emergency Managment Team did not have any updates on the status of the the two deaths being reported by the state. One of those cases is being challenged in it’s determination by the local health authority as it is known that the patient had underlying health conditions, and although the patient tested positive for COVID-19, it is unclear if the virus was a contributing factor in his or her death. The second death case reported by the state has not been confirmed by the local authorities nor have our local authorities been contacted from the state at this time. It is not known at this time if this is a reporting error by the state (a duplicate of the first report) or if it involves someone from outside the county or state that has listed a home address inside Hopkins County.
This brings the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County to 50 and recoveries at 20, leaving 30 active cases.
