Hopkins County Unemployment Goes Up But Still Below Texas Average
October 5, 2023 – In the latest report from August 2023, Hopkins County posted an unemployment rate of 3.8%, compared to a rate of 3.7% in July 2023. The new August number is and increase as well over one year ago as the August 2022 rate came in at 3.3%. Hopkins County continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in our nine-county region which includes the counties of Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Lamar, Morris, Red River and...
Biden Administration Approves $9 Billion in Student Loan Forgiveness
October 5, 2023 – President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he approved $9 billion in student loan forgiveness that will affect 125,000 student loan borrowers. That amount equals approximately $72,000 per borrower and is a result of the administration’s changes to several programs including the income-driven repayment plans and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The breakdown of the total $9 billion dollars...
SSHS Wildcat Tennis Takes Second in District
Congratulations are in order for the Wildcat Tennis team! The SSHS Wildcat tennis team took 2nd place in district this week and will now advance the playoffs next week! Malachi Negrete and Ian Westlund, both juniors, won in doubles for the boys. Stori Shropshire, sophomore, and Anna-Claire Newsom, freshman, won in singles for the girls. They play Kilgore at Lindale High School tennis courts on Monday, October 9 at 9:30...
Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Report – October 2, 2023
October 2, 2023 – Hopkins County Chamber Connection submitted by Butch BurneyStew Goody BagsBusinesses who want to get their message out to 400 stew cooks and judges have until noon Friday, Oct. 6, to bring their promotional items to the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce at 110 Main St. Our goody bags will go out to about 350 cooks and almost 50 judges for stew, appetizer and campsite contests. There is one catch – you must be...
Texas Legislative Special Session To Begin October 9th
October 2, 2023 – Governor Greg Abbott made good on his promise to keep ordering special sessions of the Texas Legislature until an agreement could be reached on some sort of “school vouchers” program. A September 26th letter signed by Governor Abbott and addressed to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, did not indicate the focus of this special session. But the governor has said repeatedly the...
Twig Girdler Beetles are Back From Master Gardener David Wall
Twelve or so years ago, a local rancher brought in a small twig and had a question. He couldn’t figure out how the twig, had a girdling circle cut nearly all the way through it. Further examination confirmed the perfect girdling circle. Finally, someone with more experience recognized the damage being caused by a twig girdler beetle. They haven’t been a real problem since then until now. I’m currently losing 4-6 twigs a week, A twig...
Wood Mulch in Your Garden From Master Gardener David Wall
September 18, 2023 – There are all sorts of mulches available for your garden, but wood mulch is often called a gardener’s best friend. The object is to cover the soil and protect the vegetable plants by keeping sunlight off the soil, thus lowering soil temperature, while helping to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and slowly increase available nutrients. Newspapers and cardboard are often used and work very well, but they tend...
FDA Says Popular Decongestant is Not Effective
September 13, 2023 – The Food and Drug Administration’s independent Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee Sept. 12 by unanimous vote declared oral phenylephrine ineffective as a decongestant. Phenylephrine is a common active ingredient in over-the-counter medications sold under the Nyquil, Tylenol, Advil, Robitussin, Sudafed and Benadryl brands, to name a few. FDA is not bound to the committee’s recommendations, but the...
Former Sulphur Springs DPS Officer Named First Female Ranger Major in 200 Year History
September 12, 2023 – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announces the promotion of Texas Ranger Captain Wende O. Wakeman to the rank of major, making her the first female Ranger major in the organization’s storied two-hundred-year history. “Major Wende Wakeman’s years of hard work, her tremendous strength of character and her unwavering determination have all led her to this moment,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “I...
TAMUC Science and Engineering Dean Builds Bridges for STEM Success
COMMERCE, TX—As a young girl growing up in rural Lee County, South Carolina, Dr. Andrea Toney Graham had “big dreams of doing big things.” Since then, she has blazed a pioneering trail through the STEM field, making a lasting impact through her scholarship and leadership. Graham was the first engineer from her household and the first African American to earn a doctorate in industrial engineering from The University of Texas at...
