Governor Abbott Announces Over $6.5 Million In Workforce Grants
Governor Greg Abbott today announced over $6.5 million in Texas Talent Connection grants awarded to 21 workforce skills training and job placement programs in communities across the state. “Thanks to our young, skilled, diverse, and growing workforce, Texas is the best state for business,” said Governor Abbott. “Meeting the needs of Texas employers by providing a continuing pipeline of workers with in-demand skills is...
New Federal Food Stamp Limits Approaching
July 7, 2023- Tens of thousands of Texans will face new issues when accessing food stamps under this spring’s deal to raise the federal debt limit, but fresh efforts are underway to help more Texans avoid hunger. Food advocates and lawmakers are working to inform lower-income residents about new rules that could cut their access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. Under legislation...
Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Struck Down By Supreme Court
June 30, 2023- The Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Joe Biden’s federal student loan forgiveness plan, denying tens of millions of Americans the chance to get up to $20,000 of their debt erased. The ruling, is a massive blow to those who have received loans after being promised loan forgiveness by the Biden administration last summer. The 6-3 majority ruled that at least one of the six states that challenged the...
Texas Electricity Price Rise During Record Heat And Demand
Amid the record heat, Businesses and Utilities will be in danger of running short on electricity. When demand for electricity begins to spike, at roughly 4 pm hit roughly 50 times it regular price on Sunday, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). ERCOT expected demand to peak Monday afternoon at just shy of 83,000 megawatts — about 3 percent higher than the record that was set last year. The grid has just less...
Firefighter Budget Adjustment And Previous Year Emergency Call Volume
Hopkins County Commissioners met with members of the Hopkins County Firefighters on Wednesday to discuss firefighter budgets and other items. During this meeting Fire Chief Andy Endsley showed the proposed personnel budget, this budget from the 2023 year currently sits at just over $800,000, stating the cost of salaries, overtime, holiday and other items. However, with the growing need for more personnel, equipment and other items...
Better Business Bureau How To Spot A Credit Check Scam When Apartment Shopping
Moving this summer? Watch out for a new twist on fake rental ads. According to multiple BBB Scam Tracker reports, scammers use fake tenant credit checks to trick potential renters into compromising sensitive personal information. How The Scam Works You find a good deal on an apartment while browsing rental listings online. When you call the number to inquire, the owner asks you to complete a credit check before you can...
Texas Comptroller Certifies New $321.3 Billion State Spending Plan, Sends To Abbott’s Desk
June 8, 2023- The $321.3 Billion spending plan that Texas lawmakers have approved for the next two years is balanced and on its way to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk after it was certified Wednesday by the state’s chief financial officer, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. Before Abbott can review the budget that will direct the state’s spending for the next two years, the comptroller had to certify that the 1,115-page plan doesn’t spend more...
Texas Lawmakers Fail To Reach Last-minute Deal To Cut Property Taxes
May 30, 2023- After weeks of public bickering, chaos and a stalemate, Republicans in the Texas House and Senate ran the clock out Monday without coming to terms on a key GOP priority: using a large part of the state’s historic surplus to lower property taxes for Texas homeowners and business owners. And then Gov. Greg Abbott immediately called lawmakers to a special session to make a deal on property taxes. The final hours of this...
Egg prices plummet as supplies outpace demand
Egg prices appear to be taking a supply and demand market-driven tumble, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Recent market trends are pushing prices back down from when egg prices hit historic highs in January. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Michael Miller) Consumers might have noticed lower egg prices over recent weeks, and David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist, Bryan-College...
Sulphur Springs Emergency Sirens Will Be Tested May 22
May 22, 2023 – Emergency sirens will be tested in Sulphur Springs at noon today by the Sulphur Springs Emergency Management Office. The test is to gauge the reliability of the emergency warning system and is conducted to find any potential flaws in the system so they can be corrected prior to a real emergency situation. The sirens could be sounded not only for weather warnings such as tornadoes, which are the most common in the area,...
