City Manager’s Report – Feb. 1, 2022
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell presented the following report to the City Council during the regular monthly council meeting on Feb. 1, 2022. COVID-19 RESPONSE We really don’t know the number of active COVID cases in Hopkins County. The state has once again changed its system for tracking COVID, and staff has lost confidence in the state’s numbers. Our most reliable indicator is the number of covid patients in the hospital....
New Vice President Elected, Candidate Filing For 2 Seats On Hospital District Board Opens
Bylaws, Tax Abatement Policy Being Reviewed; EMS Positions Available Hopkins County Hospital District Board of Directors elected a new vice president, reviewed bylaws and the district tax abatement policy, received an update on EMS operations and construction progress Tuesday evening. Board Positions Chris Brown HCHD Board member Chris Brown was elected by his fellow board members to serve as vice president. He replaces Dr. William...
COVID-19 Continues To Rise, With 578 Active Cases In Hopkins County On Jan. 14
As has been the case across the country, state and world, COVID-19 cases have continued to surge in Hopkins County this week. Over the past four days alone, new cases have far outpaced recoveries with only 24 recoveries and 157 new COVID cases, which coupled with the 174 new cases reported Jan. 1-7, 2022, leaves 578 Hopkins County resident who still actively had COVID-19 on Thursday, Jan. 13, according to Texas Department of State...
COVID Transmission Rates Across The US, Texas, Hopkins County Continue To Be High
COVID transmission rates across the Country, state and county continue to be high this week, increasing 2.7 percent across the United States over the past 7 days compared to the previous 7, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A total of 627,752 active cases were reported in Texas, including 483 Hopkins County residents who actively had COVID-19 at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, according to Texas Department of State...
Jan. 12 Deadline For Rural Hospitals, Nursing Facilities To Apply For ARPA COVID-19 Funding
AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is reminding rural hospitals and nursing facilities in Texas to apply for $128 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to help pay for critical staffing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Jan. 12. “We’re encouraging health care providers who have worked so hard in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of this...
FDA Shortens Interval For Booster Dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to 5 Months
FDA News Release – Jan. 7, 2022 Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to shorten the time between the completion of a primary series of the vaccine and a booster dose to at least 5 months for individuals 18 years of age and older. “The country is in the middle of a wave of the highly contagious omicron variant, which spreads more rapidly than...
City Applying For $3 Million Community Development Block Grant To Help Build New Senior Citizens Center
Hearing Slated Jan. 11 For Public Comments To Discuss Submission Of Grant Application The City of Sulphur Springs plans to ask for a $3 million Community Development Block Grant to help build a new senior citizens center, which is expected to cost considerably more than originally budgeted due to continued increases in construction materials. In December 2021, Sulphur Springs City Council approved KSBR to work with city officials to...
Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report – Jan. 4, 2022
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell presented the following report to the City Council during the regular monthly council meeting on Jan. 4, 2022. COVID-19 Response The Omicron variant of the COVID virus seems to be spreading like wildfire across the nation. Unfortunately, I cannot give you any accurate numbers regarding the number of local cases. The State of Texas is having difficulty updating the numbers. This has been a...
FDA Acts To Expand Use Of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
FDA Jan. 3, 2022 News Release Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to: Expand the use of a single booster dose to include use in individuals 12 through 15 years of age.Shorten the time between the completion of primary vaccination of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and a booster dose to at least five months.Allow for a third primary...
Park And Senior Center, Potential Economic Development Projects On Jan. 4 Agenda
Pacific Park and senior center projects as well as potential economic development projects are among the topics on the Sulphur Springs City Council Jan. 4 agenda. The City Council will first meet at 6:30 p.m. in executive session to consult with an attorney, discuss real property matters, specifically potential acquisition of property for storm drainage purposes, and to consider two economic development projects: one for D6 Inc. and...