Attorney General Ken Paxton Launches Wide-Sweeping Investigation into Unlawful Financial Incentives Related to Childhood Vaccine Recommendations
January 22, 2026 – Attorney General Ken Paxton opened a landmark investigation into the multi-level, multi-industry scheme that has illegally incentivized medical providers to recommend childhood vaccines that are not proven to be safe or necessary. The wide-sweeping investigation will analyze an incentivization framework that has historically forced Texas kids to receive over 70 shots from birth to age 18 in order to continue...
20th Anniversary Gala Postponed Due to Weather
January 20, 2026 – Sulphur Springs, TX – The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation has made the decision to postpone their 20th anniversary Gala scheduled for January 24. The Foundation has been asked by local officials to postpone the fundraiser since the Civic Center serves as a warming location for our community when needed. With that in mind as well as the Foundation’s concern for the health and safety of...
Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Over Two Million Free Eggs for Texans as Part of Historic Settlement with Cal-Maine Foods for Price Gouging
January 15, 2026 – Attorney General Ken Paxton has finalized a major settlement with Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (“Cal-Maine”), which includes Cal-Maine donating around 2,160,000 eggs to food banks across Texas. Attorney General Paxton previously sued Cal-Maine, one of the largest egg suppliers in the state, in April 2020 for price gouging and illegally raising the cost of eggs by around 300 percent. “My office will crack down on any...
Texas Restaurant & Hospitality Sector Feels Strain Amid Economic Cooling
October 30, 2025 – Across Texas, restaurant and hospitality businesses are showing signs of economic stress, with lower foot traffic, shrinking margins and labor shortages increasingly squeezing operators. According to the Texas Restaurant Association, 85 percent of restaurant owners say their profit margins are now lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the challenge stems from rising costs—ingredients, utilities,...
Attorney General Paxton Sues Big Pharma Manufacturers for Deceptively Marketing Tylenol to Pregnant Mothers Despite Known Dangers to Unborn Children
October 28, 2025 – Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue for deceptively marketing Tylenol to pregnant mothers despite knowing that early exposure to acetaminophen, Tylenol’s only active ingredient, leads to a significantly increased risk of autism and other disorders. “Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks. These corporations lied for decades,...
17 Propositions On The Ballot November 4, 2025
October 17, 2025 – On November 4, Texas voters will head to the polls to decide the fate of 17 constitutional amendments, appearing as statewide propositions at the top of the ballot. Among the most closely watched measures are proposals tied to billions of dollars in property tax cuts for both homeowners and businesses. Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature approved the package with a two-thirds majority, authorizing the...
Dinner Bell Menu for August 20, 2025
August 17, 2025 – The doors to Fellowship Hall at First United Methodist Church will open at 11:00 a.m. Meal service begins at 11:30 a.m. and doors will close at 12:45 p.m. Please come join us to share fellowship and a meal. The City National, the oldest bank in continual service in Sulphur Springs, was chartered in 1889 and has locations in Hopkins, Wood, Rains, Van Zant, Gregg, Upshur, Cass, Morris and surrounding counties. It...
Texas Budget Surpluses May Be Coming to an End
June 30, 2025 – After several years of record-breaking surpluses, Texas lawmakers may soon face tighter fiscal conditions. According to budget analysts, the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds and a slowdown in sales tax revenue growth could constrain the Texas Legislature’s ability to fund major initiatives in the coming years. Texas benefited from massive federal aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with surging...
Dinner Bell for June 18, 2025
DINNER BELL, First United Methodist Church SPONSOR: Alliance Bank & Payne Electric Co. We plan to continue inside dining every Wednesday with the exception of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Alliance Bank was chartered as Sulphur Springs State Bank on June 13, 1927, by the two largest shareholders of First State Bank that had failed. First located on Main at Gilmer, a fire...
HB 6 Passes; Increases Punishment Options For Teachers
June 1, 2025 – Texas schools will soon be able to impose harsher disciplinary measures on students after the Legislature passed House Bill 6, a broad package aimed at curbing campus violence and disruptions. The bill, passed Wednesday, is part of a post-pandemic effort by lawmakers to address growing concerns about student behavior and safety in schools. “Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the...
