4 Sentenced On Felony Charges In District Court
In Zoom streamed court hearings, 4 were sentenced on felony charges Thursday afternoon in the 8th Judicial District Court. Three men were assessed jail time and a woman’s probation was modified, as a result of plea agreements.
For each, the judge was located in the district court building on Rosemont Street, which is now open with COVID-19 measures in place for visitors to view proceedings in accordance with guidelines established for court systems.
The defendants were in custody at the location jail, where they were located during the Zoom proceedings. In some instance, defense attorneys joined their clients and in others they streamed in live from other locations. Prosecutors also streamed in from other locations as well. The district court reporter also was logged into the Zoom meeting. Proceedings were also streamed live on the 8th Judicial District Court YouTube feed.
David Glenn Self pled guilty to a May 2019 possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, and accepted a sentence of 5 years in the Institutional Division of Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Also as part of the plea agreement, another May 2019 controlled substance charge was dismissed, pursuant to 12.45 of the Texas Penal Code.
Hopkins County jail reports show the 39-year-old Longview man was booked into and has remained in Hopkins County jail since May 30, 2019 on both controlled substance charges, and also had a violation of parole warrant.
While serving the Self with the warrant, Hopkins County Sheriff‘s deputies alleged finding multiple clear plastic bags containing suspected methamphetamine, mirrors with what was believed to be meth residue on them, THC oil vials with a cigarette and other drug paraphernalia in the Broadway Street motel room where he was found. Self claimed the substances and was arrested May 30 on both the warrant and two controlled substance charges, HCSO deputies noted in Self’s 2019 arrest report.
Steven Lamar Johnson pled guilt to violation of probation, which he was on community supervision for a burglary of habitation charge. The 30-year-old was sentenced to 7 years, with credit for back time served in jail from the time of his arrest in January 2019 through April 20, as well as any other time he was jailed on these charges.
He will be assessed court costs, fees and attorney fees. This sentence is to be served concurrently with a sentence for a conviction in another county. A misdemeanor theft charge will be dismissed as part of the deal.
Johnson was first arrested on Aug. 21, 2013 on a warrant for a burglary of a habitation charge. He was released from the county jail on Sept. 25, 2013, and had been serving time on probation on the charge. He was booked into Hopkins County jail on Jan. 22, 2020 on a warrant for violation of probation on the burglary charge as well as bond forfeiture on a misdemeanor theft charge, according to jail reports. The latter charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement
Rodney Edward Petrea, Jr. plead guilty to the minimum sentence on a possession of a controlled substance charge, which had previously been enhanced to make it a drug-free zone violation. As part of the plea agreement, a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge will be dismissed, but the 28-year-old Sulphur Springs man will be required to pay $1,264.45 restitution. He also owes $180 for lab tests, a fine and court fees.
By pleading guilty agreement, Petrea is to serve the state minimum of 2 years in prison, with credit for any time served on the charge. Because the charge has the added drug-free zone enhancement, Petrea will be required to serve the entire two-year sentence, day-for-day, with no possibility of parole.
Petrea has remained in Hopkins County jail since his arrest on New Year’s Day for possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance and criminal mischief.
The 28-year-old and another man were arrested Jan. 1, 2020, at a Calvert Street residence. Officers had gone to the location to serve a warrant and found the pair. Petrea was allegedly sitting in a chair beside a dresser, holding narcotics paraphernalia in his hand. Suspected narcotics were allegedly observed by police to be in plain view on a dresser, police alleged in arrest reports.
Shawna Jean Clay’s probation was modified, requiring her go to a commitment in a long-term residential drug rehabilitation facility.
The 34-year-old Winnsboro woman, as part of the deal, waived indictment and allowed officials to file a new case against her by information, for a Jan. 18 engaging in organized criminal activity, for her involvement in a residential burglary. In that case, she received 10 years of deferred adjudication probation and must also complete the drug rehabilitation program as a condition of her probation. She will also be required to testify if the criminal activity case involving codefendants goes to trail.
Another condition of her probation stipulates that she pay full restitution to the victim of the burglary. If Clay fails to successfully complete these requirements or any other probation conditions, she faces a term of 5-99 years, or life, in the penitentiary with aggravated parole rules, according to Assistant District Attorney Matt Harris.
Clay was among five arrested following a Jan. 17 burglary investigation conduct which lead HCSO officers and investigators to a County Road 2390 address. Overall, the arrests cleared cases in two counties; resulted in recovery of 10 stolen weapons, two stolen vehicles and multiple tools; and discovery of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to the January sheriff’s and arrest reports.
The Winnsboro woman has remained in Hopkins County jail since her arrest in January.
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.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
COVID-19 Mobile Test Collection Sites In Texas
COVID-19 mobile test collection was conducted free Thursday at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center as well as at Cooper Elementary School.
Anyone who registered either online or by phone could drive up to have a sample taken by swab. Thursday at 12:30 p.m. the mobile test collection site had 42 specimens for those registered, and 42 in queue ready for the afternoon, according to Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief of Media and Communications Chief Seth Christensen.
The samples, once collected, are then sent to designated public health and university health labs. The person tested receive notification of the results, which currently have an expected turnaround time of 72 hours, although that time frame varies depending on labs and turn around time. Any tests not used at one site that are still viable will be used at another location, to ensure tests aren’t wasted, according to Christensen.
The mobile test collection is a collaborative effort of multiple agencies, including onsite testing coordinated by local doctors and Texas Department of State Health Services, in conjunction with local officials, and conducted on-site by the National Guard.
TDEM partners with the military, DSHS and Texas AgriLife to offer the free mobile clinics in areas where people may not have had an opportunity to be tested yet and areas with vulnerable populations. Regional TDEM officials are in direct contact with county and other local officials to determine needs for their area.
Data from the testing sites will be used “to help provide surveillance around the state so that our officials can make informed decisions in reference to getting our communities and economy open again.”
Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks and Wildlife in some instances support the effort as well, by helping get the specimen collected at the mobile collection sites to the lab quickly. This can include using helicopters to expediently transport specimens.
Information about known testing sites, mobile, drive-thru and others in Texas is available online or the link on @TDEM on Twitter. Mobile test collection does not require the person tested to reside in the city or county where the mobile test collection is being conducted. For instance, if a Hopkins County or Delta County resident was not tested at the mobile test collection in Sulphur Springs Thursday, the individual could go online to covidtest.tedem.texas.gov, check the online map for the next nearest site, then click for additional information (including times, address and directions).
Only registered individuals will be tested. Register by calling the number provided for the site or register online for an appointment.
Callers will be asked will be asked some questions about any COVID symptoms they may have. Those who work in the fields of healthcare, public safety or critical infrastructure were automatically accepted for the testing, even if they had no symptoms.
The designated light green mobile test collection icon is for currently active sites. Sulphur Springs and Cooper were green on the testing map Thursday. The orange “scheduled” icon denotes sites to be operational very soon. Hunt County and Mineola each have mobile test collection scheduled May 1.
Mobile test collection sites are free. Lists for drive-thru and walk-in testing at labs and public facilities are also listed on the state testing map. Individuals would need to check with each for their cost and availability.
What’s In A Name: Heirloom, Hybrids And GMOs?
By Phyllis Kitten, Hopkins County Master Gardener
When it comes to understanding and distinguishing the difference between heirloom plants, the lines may be a bit blurry to the home gardener.
Heirloom Plants
If you’re part of the baby boomer generation, your grandparents, and probably your parents grew heirloom vegetables almost exclusively. Most heirloom seeds have been handed down from generation to generation — most regions of the country. They were hand-picked by gardeners for a special trait — perhaps the specific taste of a tomato, or the hardiness of a squash plant. Some may have been developed by a university when commercial breeding of vegetables was just beginning — at least a half century ago. Some heirloom varieties are centuries old.
The most descriptive aspect of heirloom plants is that they are all open pollinated, which means they are pollinated by wind or insects and no human intervention is needed. Also, the characteristics of heirlooms tend to remain stable from one year to the next.
There seems to be general agreement among gardeners that heirloom varieties taste better than hybrids or GMOs. However, heirlooms are known for certain inconsistencies. The harvest time may be unpredictable, and the size of the fruit can vary widely.
Some heirloom fruits and vegetables include lemon cucumbers, Mexican Sour gherkin cucumber, Pink Accordion tomato, Lebanese Bunching eggplant, green nutmeg melon, Romanesco broccoli and Chiogga beet.
Hybrids
Since heirlooms were generally used for home consumption, gardeners grew them for flavor. However, with increasing U.S. population after World War II, commercial growers began looking for consistencies in harvest time, size, amount of production, ship ability and color of vegetables and other plants.
(Park Seed Photo)
Plant breeders create hybrids when they intentionally cross-pollinate two different varieties of a plant, hoping to create a new hybrid variety that contains the best traits of both parent varieties. Although hybrids are often confused with genetically modified organisms, there is a significant difference.
Of course, cross-pollination takes place naturally as well but when hybridizing, growers carefully control the pollination to make sure that the traits they are looking for occur with the offspring. Traits they may be looking for are resistance to disease, insect or fungal infections, and bigger or more uniform size. Creating the right hybrid takes many long years of experimentation and recording of traits.
The Juliet (Roma) tomato is an example of a hybrid tomato. So is Sun Gold, a yellow cherry tomato.
Some of the good traits of hybrids are: dependability in size and color, uniformity in color and flavor, better disease resistance, higher yield and less care required.
Hybrids include carrots, cucumbers, melons, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and squash.
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
These are plants (or animals) whose genes have been changed using genetic engineering processes. Scientists use genetically modified organisms to produce medicines and foods.
In plants, scientists have been transferring genes for years now. Genes have been transferred within the same species, a cross species and even across kingdoms. GMOs are also being used in the research and production of pharmaceutical drugs, experimental medicine and, of course, in plants.
There are many GMO crops and many GMO seeds available. Some of the commercial vegetables and food we eat have been genetically modified. The idea behind GMO engineering is to produce a trait in a plant that does not occur naturally in the species.
In plants, GMO species are bred to create resistance to pests, diseases, environmental conditions. It can also help in reducing the amount of large amounts of the food product spoiling that occurs during long transportation. Genetic engineering of plants can also make them resistant to herbicides.
GMOs are not restricted to plant species. Many foodstuffs contain GMOs: baking powder, citric acid, condensed milk, glucose, glycerin, lecithin, maltodextrin, protein isolate starch, sugar, vegetable fat, and vitamins B12 and E. If you object to consuming GMOs, buy certified organic and look for the non-GMO label.
Some already common GMO crops include some rice varieties, vaccine-producing bananas and blue roses. Most cotton and soybeans crops are also genetically modified. Other examples of genetically modified commercial crops include canola, alfalfa, sugar beets and corn, to name a few.
Heirloom plants are not hybrids and hybrids are not genetically modified organisms. Hybrids and heirlooms are not genetically manipulated in labs. They don’t contain foreign DNA from a species that is very different.
GMOs however, cannot exist without laboratory manipulation. When choosing what types of plants to use in your garden, it might be best to stick with the tried and true — the heirlooms and hybrids. Although there has been a big push by large agricultural corporations such as Monsanto to advance the science of GMOs, there has been a strong resistance from independent farmers to use GMO seed, with many questioning the efficacy of genetic manipulation.
SSHS Seniors, Parents Receive Graduation Update
Sulphur Springs High School Principal Derek Driver and sponsor Mylissa Bailey Wednesday night held a Facebook live event on the SSHS Student Council Facebook Page to provide additional information for seniors and parents regarding graduation and end of the year information. While an honors breakfast and awards program are not possible this year, SSHS seniors will receive scholarship and honors recognition at graduation.
Each of the 292 seniors will have the opportunity walk the stage at a different designated arrival time, to be filmed, with the entirety to be compiled for one full “graduation ceremony” to be played on the school website, the videographer’s site, KSST’s Channel 18 and potentially other media outlets, at 8 pm. May 22.
Students are to arrive 15 minutes ahead of their designated time, with family members or others who will attend the graduation. Due to recent orders from the governor, seniors will be allowed to have up to 15 people with them. All should arrive together. They will park in the student parking lot and check in with the SSISD Police officer on site. They will direct the graduation party to the Civic Center.
The graduates, if they choose to purchase graduation photos, will bring the envelope they received with their camp and gown, with exact change in it for their package and their name on the outside of the envelope, to hand over at the designated spot prior to taking the stage. The school will provide for each senior free of charge, one 8×10 photo, as well as a DVD if desired.
If the student is an honor student, a blood donor or other distinction that would be denoted with a cord or stole, such as Student Council officer, the student will receive it at that time. Instead of an honors breakfast, the student will receive the honors designation, then receive a small gift following their graduation.
Also, students who have received scholarships or are military-bound are encouraged to get that information to the principal at [email protected]; that information, if possible, will scroll at the bottom of the video, as the student takes his/her walk on the stage to received a diploma certificate.
The teacher each honors graduate would have recognized at the honors breakfast is also invited to attend the graduation ceremony with that honor student’s family; the teacher does not count in the student’s 15 people. The student is responsible for contacting and making sure that teacher is ready with their family.
The family will go to a designated area to cheer their graduate as their name is called and witness them walk the stage. They will have about 10 minutes afterward in the ballroom at the Civic Center to take photos against a backdrop. Overall, each graduate has been allotted a total of 15 minutes for graduation.
In families with more than one student graduating, arrangements will be made on a case by case basis to allow each graduate to attend the other sibling’s ceremony, according to Bailey.
Any SSHS seniors who have yet picked up the caps and gowns may do from 9-11 a.m. during the week. Any senior who does not have a cap and gown should contact Principal Driver by email, [email protected], to make sure you get one.
Diplomas won’t be in until about May 26, depending on regulations and other factors related to state and COVID-19 regulations.
Families should have received information via their Skyward account regarding purchasing professional photos.
Any additional questions seniors and their families may have should be directed to Driver at SSHS at 903-885-2158 or [email protected].
Sulphur Springs Man Jailed On Child Sex Charge
A 21-year-old Sulphur Springs man was jailed on a child sex charge early Thursday morning.
Hopkins County Sheriff‘s Deputy Thomas Patterson took Shalik Dayron Reed into custody at 12:50 a.m. April 30 in the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office lobby and escorted him into Hopkins County jail. Reed was booked on a warrant for aggravated sexual assault of a child. The offense, investigated by Sulphur Springs Police, was alleged to have occurred on March 26, according to arrest reports.
The 21-year-old Sulphur Springs man remained in Hopkins County jail late Thursday morning. Bond on the first degree felony charge was set at $100,000, 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.
Kindness Matters: Vender Wright Sings to Residents of Carriage House Manor
Vender is not only the talented Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic 2019, she is a loving and gifted singer who volunteers regularly at Carriage House Manor Nursing Home in Sulphur Springs. “Though she doesn’t have a family member in residence here, she likes to come out to cheer people up and lift their spirits, and the residents love her!” stated Melissa Harris, Activities Director at Carriage House. During March and April, COVID-19 restrictions had put a hold on Vender’s indoor appearances, but on Thursday April 30, 2020, she could stand it no longer. Vender let us know at KSST that she had been given permission to sing outside the breezeway at 10:30am, and that the residents were going to be brought out to hear her. Wearing their protective masks and a light covering or shawl, twenty or so residents relaxed in wheelchairs while listening to the acapella gospel program. Some clapped along to give rhythm to songs like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Jesus Loves Me” and many reacted to the verses of “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Say Amen”. It was a happy half-hour on a beautiful Spring morning, and an uplifting time in the day of the residents of Carriage House.
Activities Director Harris shared, “Teamwork has been what’s most impressive about the last month or two at Carriage House. For the safety of our patients, our team has grown really close during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that closeness has become a source of joy, and has even crossed over to the families as well! Our residents are happy here!” Frequent activities that Harris includes is Facetime on the phone for residents who have family whom they hadn’t been able to see during the rainy early weeks of the pandemic. And now she helps them with Window Visits too. “Window Visits are a social-distancing activity we can hold during a 15 or 20 minute period, where they can see their family members in person. The resident is wheeled to the Sunroom, a large room facing the front parking lot where roses bloom among plantings under the windows. Seated inside near a window with the windows kept closed, the resident can talk by phone to their family seated outside. Regular visits like this from their family and friends is a big boost for our residents. The grandkids have even visited outside the window to show artwork or how much they’ve grown. The Window Visits are bringing joy through this time of seclusion, and are so much looked forward to. The visits may be brief, but for some residents, 15 minutes is about all they can handle, and almost always, they leave the Sunroom with a smile. I have worked here for about 7 years total, and this COVID-19 pandemic has been a most challenging time for care facilities, but out of it has come some of the most rewarding moments of my career here at Carriage House Manor”.
Handgun Complaint Resulted In Two Arrests
A handgun complaint resulted in two arrests at Century Lake Wednesday evening.
Officers responded to a complaint of a person in a red car “pulling a handgun” on another motorist near Hillcrest Drive and West Houston Street. The red car then allegedly turned onto County Road 4703, which leads to Century Lake. The person to whom the gun was shown reportedly followed the suspect vehicle onto CR 4703 at the lake, officials noted in arrest reports.
While talking to the alleged victim, a Hopkins County Sheriff‘s deputy reported hearing what sounded like guns being fired in the area. Sulphur Springs Police officers reportedly arrived and conducted felony takedown on the suspect vehicle. Occupants appeared to police to be attempting to leave, moving away toward the lake when they observed law enforcement at the location, police alleged in arrest reports.
The maroon Cadillac DTS had two 25-year-old Sulphur Springs men inside of it. Both were detained. One of the men claimed to have been shooting at snakes near the water, officers alleged in arrest reports.
A records check showed both men, one with an in-town address and the other with a rural Sulphur Springs address, had misdemeanor warrants for their arrest. The 25-year-old with a rural address had an outstanding warrant for charges on a failure to appear. The city resident had outstanding warrants for failure to maintain financial responsibility and expired registration. Consequently, both were arrested at 6:45 p.m. April 29 on the charges.
An inventory of their vehicle revealed two handguns and a useable amount of marijuana in the common area of the vehicle, according to arrest reports. Consequently, both Sulphur Springs men were also charged with possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Both 25-year-old Sulphur Springs men remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning. Bond for each was set at $2,000 on the Class A misdemeanor weapon charge, $1,000 on the Class A misdemeanor marijuana charge, according to jail reports. The county resident also owed a $379 fee on the FTA charge. The city resident owed a $819 fee on the misdemeanor city warrants, according to arrest reports.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
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.
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.
Free COVID-19 Testing In Sulphur Springs Today – Slots Still Available
Free mobile COVID-19 testing in Sulphur Springs is offered today (Thursday, April 30,) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hopkins County Civic Center, 1200 Houston Street. You must first register and be screened for symptoms of COVID-19. Appointments are still available.
This testing is by APPOINTMENT ONLY. You will not be able to register until late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning.
For screening information and registration, go to www.txcovidtest.org or call 512-883-2400.
What To Expect When The Library Reopens May 1
Readers will be thrilled to know Sulphur Springs Public Library will be one of the entities reopening for in-person visits beginning Friday. There will be a few changes, in accordance with state guidelines, for the safety of visitors and staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So that visitors know what to expect the library reopens, SSPL has shared the following information regarding reopening.
The library will reopen for in-person visits in a limited capacity starting May 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Staff will sanitize and shelve items from 9-10 a.m. Monday-Friday only.
Magazines will not be available at this time. Visitors may check out up to 10 books per card or 20 books per family, with all books returned in the book drop on the side of the building. Computers will be available for one hour per person per day, with a limited number of work stations available at any given time; users are asked to check in at the front desk before using a computer.
Curbside service will be extended through May. Books can be placed on hold by going to SSPL’s online catalog. Use the library card number to sign in; the pin will be the last 4 numbers of the card. Then, reserving items. An email or text notification will be sent when the books are ready to be picked up. Drive to the library. Park in front of our main entrance. Call 903-885-4926. Give the Library Card # so that the books can be checked out. The books will be brought to the car.
Anyone who feels sick, is sneezing or coughing is asked to please stay at home.
The library anticipates returning to regular hours (9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and on Fridays) in June.
Questions may be directed to 903-885-4926.
TAMUC Department Produces Face Shields For Area Medical Centers
Commerce — The Texas A&M University-Commerce Department of Engineering and Technology used 3D printers to manufacture 200 face shields for Paris Regional Medical Center as part of an effort to equip healthcare workers with necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The face shields were delivered to the hospital on April 23.
The department delivered an additional 200 face shields to Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville on April 28.
Face shields are designed to offer protection from fluids that may contain the coronavirus. They are commonly worn by healthcare professionals in addition to masks, glasses and other protective gear.
The project started when an administrator at Paris Regional Medical Center reached out to Dr. Brent Donham, dean of the College of Science and Engineering, to request help producing at least 200 face shields for their healthcare workers.
According to Donham, the pandemic created a severe shortage of PPE across the country, and smaller hospitals, like Paris Regional, find it especially difficult to source critical gear to protect their staff.
Faculty from the Department of Engineering and Technology immediately began working to meet the need at Paris Regional. The college has four 3D printers, which they set up to manufacture the face shields. To meet the demand, they ordered ten additional Dremel 3D printers which went into production on April 20.
Dr. Perry Moler, assistant professor of engineering and technology, is leading the project with help from Patrick Carter, distinguished lecturer of electrical engineering, and two student workers. Together, the team is able to keep 12 printers in production almost 24 hours per day.
The initial goal is to produce about 1,000 face shields, but that number may increase depending on demand. According to Moler, each face shield takes about three hours to produce, and at full production, the team is able to produce about 100 masks in 24 hours.
The 3D printing process creates the face shields from a computer-aided design model. Moler explained that a spool of plastic is loaded into the machine and then extruded through a heating element at 230 degrees centigrade. The machine successively builds up layers of the plastic in a process called additive manufacturing.
Moler sourced the face shield design from the National Institutes of Health. The face shield consists of a visor with a top vent to prevent fogging and a large plastic shield that extends down over the face. The durable plastic shields can be reused after sanitization.
According to Donham, A&M-Commerce will continue to produce face shields for Paris Regional Medical Center and other local and regional healthcare organizations as the need arises.
Moler emphasized that his team can manufacture other types of personal protective equipment as well. “Rapid prototyping and 3D printing these devices allow us to be flexible and to adapt,” he said.
