Fire Ants are a Significant Pest in Texas by Mario Villarino
July 5, 2024 – Fire ants, particularly the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), are a significant pest in Texas, causing damage to property, livestock, wildlife, and human health. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides comprehensive guidelines for managing and controlling fire ant populations to mitigate their impact effectively. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy for controlling fire ants. This approach combines multiple methods to achieve long-term suppression while minimizing environmental impact. The IPM strategy includes the following steps:
Monitoring and Identification: Regular monitoring helps identify infested areas and assess the severity of the problem. Accurate identification of fire ant species is crucial for effective management, as different species may require different control methods. Cultural Practices: These practices involve modifying the environment to make it less favorable for fire ants. This can include maintaining healthy turf and vegetation, reducing moisture levels, and eliminating food sources. Proper landscape management can reduce the attractiveness of an area to fire ants. Biological Control: This method employs natural predators, pathogens, or competitors to reduce fire ant populations. Biological control agents, such as phorid flies (Pseudacteon spp.) and certain nematodes, target fire ants specifically and can help suppress their numbers over time. Chemical Control: Chemical treatments are a vital component of fire ant management. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension outlines several chemical control options: Baits: Baits are slow-acting insecticides that worker ants carry back to the colony, eventually killing the queen and other members. Baits are effective for large areas and provide long-term control. Individual Mound Treatments: These treatments involve applying insecticides directly to fire ant mounds. While effective for immediate results, they may not provide long-term control as new mounds can emerge. Broadcast Treatments: This method involves spreading granular insecticides over a large area. It provides broad coverage and can reduce the overall fire ant population. Regulatory Measures**: Implementing regulatory measures can help prevent the spread of fire ants to un-infested areas. This includes quarantines and restrictions on the movement of soil, plants, and other materials that may harbor fire ants.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension emphasizes the importance of community involvement and education in fire ant management. Public awareness campaigns, workshops, and educational materials are essential to inform residents about fire ant biology, behavior, and control methods. By engaging the community, the extension service aims to promote coordinated efforts for more effective fire ant suppression. Fire ants pose a significant challenge in Texas, but the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides a robust framework for their management. By employing an Integrated Pest Management approach, emphasizing community involvement, and supporting ongoing research, Texas can achieve more effective and sustainable fire ant control. For more information on these or any other agricultural topic, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Killeen ISD Going ‘Cell Phone Free’
Erin Anderson | July 3, 2024
Students in a Central Texas school district will no longer be able to use cell phones in their classrooms.
Trustees in Killeen Independent School District voted to restrict cell phone usage for students starting this fall.
“Phone-free schools will allow our students to better concentrate on schoolwork,” said Susan Buckley, the district’s assistant superintendent for administrative services. “It will encourage face-to-face interactions and the development of interpersonal skills that directly impact student success, which is our ultimate goal.”
Killeen ISD trustees approved a plan to make all secondary campuses phone-free during a June 11 board meeting.
Under the plan, each student will be issued a phone pouch with a security lock to store their cell phones during the school day.
Students will keep possession of their phones in the pouches. If students need to use their phones, they must get permission and go to a “phone zone” where they can tap their pouch on an unlocking base.
The pouches and unlocking bases will cost $523,000 for all Killeen ISD middle and high school campuses.
Buckley cited other school districts that have moved to phone-free schools, including La Vega ISD in Waco and Richardson ISD in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Both districts report recaptured classroom time for academic instruction, improved grades, and a drop in discipline issues related to cell phones.
While some Texas parents oppose school officials restricting their children’s phone access during class time, others approve of the policy.
North Texas mom and private school teacher Joy Roberts told Texas Scorecard that cell phone usage is not allowed in her school’s classrooms, but students have them turned off in their backpacks.
“What I don’t have to deal with is telling kids to get off their phones during class,” she said. “And I see kids interacting with each other instead of sitting on their phones, while still having access during an emergency.”
One Texas lawmaker is proposing statewide limits on phones in schools.
“It’s time that we step up as parents, as lawmakers, as administrators, and teachers, and say kids should not have access to cell phones while they are in classrooms,” explained State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R–Lakeway).
Troxclair, a mother of three young children, said she’ll propose legislation next year to restrict cell phone use in all Texas schools.
“Constant cellphone use has exacerbated a mental health crisis among our youth, who have been relentlessly exposed to online content during critical years of formation and growth, including during school hours,” Troxclair wrote in a commentary for The Daily Signal.
Parents note that students’ use of school-issued iPads and Chromebooks during class adds to kids’ excessive “screen time.”
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt wrote in his book The Anxious Generation that too much online exposure, especially on social media, has caused a “great rewiring of childhood” that’s resulted in an “epidemic of mental illness.”
Additionally, many Texas teachers charged with sex crimes used cell phones and social media apps to initiate sexual contact with students.
Haidt’s prescription: no smartphones before age 14, no social media until age 16, phone-free classrooms, and more free play time.
As Killeen and other Texas school districts implement phone-free policies, parents and teachers can assess the results and decide if the limits are beneficial for the children.
This article originally appeared here.
DPS Arrests Several Criminal Illegal Immigrants of Interest
AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is announcing the capture of a dozen wanted criminal illegal immigrants of interest across the state – just some of the thousands of identified fugitives who have entered the United States illegally and committed crimes in Texas.
These individuals are a part of the larger list used by DPS Special Agents in selecting fugitives to appear on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List.
CAPTURED CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS OF INTEREST:
- Samuel Alexander Castro-Canas, a criminal illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested on June 25, 2024, in Huntsville. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents located and arrested Castro-Canas, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for smuggling of persons and alien removal. He had been wanted since Nov. 2023 out of Kinney County for three counts of smuggling of persons.
- Raysel Carrion-Tamayo, a criminal illegal immigrant from Cuba, was arrested on June 20, 2024, in Del Valle. DPS Special Agents served an active arrest warrant to Carrion-Tamayo at the Travis County Correctional Complex. His criminal history includes prior arrests for commercial sex trafficking, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated promotion of prostitution, trafficking of persons: continuous sexual assault and alien inadmissibility. Carrion-Tamayo had been wanted since Aug. 2023 out of Travis County for sexual assault. Carrion-Tamayo remains at the Travis County Correctional Complex.
- Juan Herrera-Lizama, a criminal illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested on June 13, 2024, in Garland. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents and the Garland Police Department located and arrested Herrera-Lizama, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for driving while intoxicated, prostitution and evading arrest/detention with a vehicle. Herrera-Lizama was last removed from the United States in May 2022. Additionally, he had been wanted since Sept. 2022 out of Dallas County for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
- Charli Cordova Perez, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested on June 13, 2024, in Kyle. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents located and arrested Cordova Perez, whose criminal history includes a prior arrest for indecency with a child by sexual contact. Cordova Perez had been wanted since June 2023 out of Hidalgo County for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
- Alex Adriel Rios-Guzman, a criminal illegal immigrant from Honduras, was arrested on June 11, 2024, in Wichita Falls. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents located and arrested Rios-Guzman, whose criminal history includes past arrests for driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, alien inadmissibility and alien present without admission or parole. Rios-Guzman had been wanted out of Dallas County for sexual assault and out of Wichita County for driving while intoxicated since Jan. 2024 and Feb. 2024, respectively.
- Rigoberto Arman Arevalo-Zavala, a criminal illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested on June 10, 2024, in Houston. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office located and arrested Arevalo-Zavala, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for alien removal and driving while intoxicated. Arevalo-Zavala had been wanted since March 2024 out of Harris County for sexual assault.
- Alvina Sanchez-Castaneda, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested on June 10, 2024, in Austin. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents located and arrested Sanchez-Castaneda, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for smuggling of persons and alien present without admission or parole. Sanchez-Castaneda had been wanted since Feb. 2024 out of Kinney County for smuggling of persons under 18 years of age.
- Juan Francisco Molina-Garcia, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested on June 5, 2024, in Pilot Point. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents, along with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, located and arrested Molina-Garcia, whose criminal history includes a prior arrest for driving while intoxicated. Molina-Garcia had been wanted since Dec. 2023 out of Denton County for sexual assault and failure to appear—driving while intoxicated.
- Jesus Medina, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested on June 5, 2024, in Houston. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents and the Houston Police Department located and arrested Medina, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for driving while intoxicated, possession of a controlled substance, and alien inadmissibility. Medina was last removed from the United States in Jan. 2024. He had been wanted since March 2024 out of Harris County for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
- Israel Armando Salazar-Tovar, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested on May 29, 2024, in Waco. Following up on lead information, members of the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, including DPS Special Agents, located and arrested Salazar-Tovar, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for smuggling of persons, assault causing bodily injury to a family member, alien inadmissibility, possession of marijuana and criminal trespass. Salazar-Tovar was last removed from the United States in Jan. 2022 and had been wanted since Feb. 2022 out of Kinney County for smuggling of persons and smuggling of persons for pecuniary benefit.
- Mario Samuel Asencio, a criminal illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was arrested on May 28, 2024, in Dallas. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents located and arrested Asencio, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for deadly conduct-discharging of a firearm at individual(s), driving while intoxicated and alien present without admission or parole. Asencio had been wanted since Jan. 2023 out of Dallas County for a probation violation relating to deadly conduct-discharge of a firearm.
- Pedro Constanza-Lopez, a criminal illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was arrested on May 22, 2024, in Houston. Following up on lead information, DPS Special Agents located and arrested Constanza-Lopez, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for indecency with a child by sexual contact, driving while intoxicated and alien present without admission or parole. Constanza-Lopez had been wanted since March 2022 out of Harris County for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
These arrests are in addition to the two fugitives arrested in June from Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List:
- Servando Trejo Duran Jr., a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested on June 6, 2024, in Baytown. DPS Special Agents and Troopers assigned to the Texas Anti-Gang (TAG) Center in Houston arrested Duran, whose criminal history includes prior arrests and convictions for burglary of a residence and homicide. In 2009, Duran was released on parole and was removed from the United States. In Feb. 2023, Duran was arrested for tampering with a government record and was released on bond. In March 2023, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for his arrest for a parole violation (original offense: murder with a deadly weapon). For more information, view Duran’s captured bulletin here.
- Victor Hugo Chox Gonzalez, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested in Fort Worth on June 13, 2024. DPS Special Agents arrested Chox Gonzalez, whose criminal history includes prior arrests for driving while intoxicated with a child under the age of 15, assault causing bodily injury to a family member and removal from the United States. In 2021, he was arrested for assault and failure to identify/giving false/fictitious information and bonded out of jail. Later that year, warrants were issued for his arrest for failure to identify/give false/fictitious information and failure to identify as a fugitive. In 2023, the Arlington Police Department issued warrants for his arrest for aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact. For more information, view Chox Gonzalez’s captured bulletin here.
DPS Special Agents continue working with local and federal law enforcement agencies to apprehend more criminal illegal immigrant fugitives that have been identified across the state of Texas.
Texas Gators Moved Inland Ahead of Beryl
July 4, 2024 – This week at the South Padre Island Birding Nature and Alligator sanctuary, a roundup of all the gators took place ahead of the potential landfall of Hurricane Beryl.
One of the large adults here, a female named Laguna, came out without much resistance. “She’s protecting a nest egg. She just laid here.”
A team of experts spent all day removing all alligators from the facility.
The two weeks ago tropical storm Alberto caused storm surge and flooding here at the island causing pond levels to rise here.
All the gators are headed to their sister organization called Gator Country in Beaumont.
The volunteers pulled out ‘Big Padre’ who is more than 50 years old, #800 and 12 feet long. They pull out Padre with the help of an ATV and towing straps around his tail, but they have to get his mouth secured. They used a snare to hold his mouth down while a volunteer wraps electrical tape around his muddy snout. They attempt to capture him with the least amount of stress possible. But obviously when you’re moving an animal like this, he’s gonna stress out a little bit. He was on his best behavior that day.
These are not wild gators. They were recovered in the wild as a nuisance because they started associating people with food. All of the elders that are here in the first place are here because they couldn’t be in the wild anymore. Usually because they’ve been fed, but they’ve been habituated, habituated to being around humans, associating humans with food. This organization is giving a home to those gators that can’t be in the wild anymore and moving them away from the storm should flooding come to the island.
Another Chat with Senior Citizen Center Coordinator Dawna Pryor on Second Cup of Coffee
On this episode of KSST’s A Second Cup of Coffee with John Mark Dempsey, John Mark had another chat with Sulphur Springs Senior Citizen Center Coordinator Dawna Pryor. The two have an interesting conversation about the new Senior Activity Center, Chair Yoga, the upcoming Ice Cream Freeze Off, and more. Be sure to check it out below!
Chamber Connection – July 2, 2024
By Butch Burney
Every year, our family looks forward to the Saturday before Thanksgiving, when we gather for dinner, turn on KSST and get our phones ready for the annual Sulphur Springs Symphony League auction.
It is a hoot and a can’t-miss event! They always have a great range of items, from tens of dollars to thousands of dollars in value, and that doesn’t include the entertainment from the moderators like Bill Owens and Chad Young.
Donations are used as a fundraiser for the Symphony League and all they do for this city and county – which includes the annual Independence Day concert and fireworks display, but is certainly not limited to that.
The great thing about our community is the way we rally around people and organizations that need and deserve our support. The Symphony League deserves our support now more than ever.
They have planned and orchestrated the concert and fireworks for decades, to the delight of generations of our residents and visitors.
So, let’s rally for the Symphony League, not just with donations at the auction, but with support for what they mean in bringing the arts to our community and especially our youth.
You won’t be disappointed by being a part of the solution. Mark your calendars for the auction.
Cocktails and Conversation
Join us for our main networking monthly event when Nations Lending hosts our Cocktails and Conversation on Thursday, June 18.
You don’t have to be a Chamber member to attend. It is free to everyone, and a prime time to make friends and contacts.
The event will also mark the grand opening for Bethany Ashby’s new Nations Lending office, located at 425 Main St.
Stew is in the Air
It’s too hot for stew in June, but it’s not too early to begin thinking about the stew contest.
Stew cooks and sponsors, be looking for registration and sponsorship forms to be distributed in the next couple of weeks. This year’s theme for the 55th Annual Hopkins County Stew Contest on Oct. 26 is Stewper Heroes.
The registration cost will remain at $100 per stew site.
Back to School Fair
CANHelp in Sulphur Springs is gearing up to host their annual Back-to-School Fair, which assists children in low-to-moderate income families prepare for the new school year, by providing school supplies, haircuts and other needs. The fair is on August 1, but pre-registration is required for students to receive school supplies.
You can pick up an application at CANHelp (613 Gilmer Street).
Businesses may also register to participate as a vendor.
Designer Handbag Bingo
The Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation’s extremely popular Designer Handbag Bingo event is coming Aug. 8, and tickets will go quickly.
Tables of eight for the event are currently on sale, and individual tickets will be up for grabs on July 13.
The link to access sponsorship and ticket information is handbagbingo24.givesmart.com
Quilt Show
The Lone Star Heritage Quilt Show is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22 at the ROC on Putman Street. Numerous projects will be on display, and one special quilt will be up for raffle during the event.
If you’re interested in entering your own quilt project, those arrangements must be made by July 31. To request entry, email [email protected].
What Does A Scammer Call Sound Like?
July 3, 2024 – Scammers contacting seniors is a constant threat. Millions of dollar are lost to these individuals each year.
But what do they sound like over the phone?
We have recorded a conversation with a scammer, and have provided the audio. Please take a moment to listen to this call with anyone who might fall victim to this type of theft.
The first portion is the ‘cold caller’ setting up the victim for the more experienced ‘Steve the floor supervisor’. There are several red flags that confirm this is a scam call.
- The phone number they called is on the do-not-call list.
- Criminals don’t bother following the rules.
- They refer to me using one of many fake names I have given to other scammers.
- Scammers share information, and run multiple scams from the same site.
- The caller ID says their phone number is from Sulphur Springs, TX.
- When questioned about the product or service they lie, give ambiguous information or no information at all. All they care about is your bank or credit card information.
- No legitimate company information was provided.
Pyrotecnico Takes Blame For Sulphur Springs Fireworks Failure
July 2, 2024 – In a letter dated July 2, 2024 Regional Director Justin Pruett for Pyrotecnico, the fireworks provider for the Independence Day Concert on June 29th, took responsibility for the failure experienced by those in attendance for the sub-standard show. The letter further stated that the fireworks show that they delivered was not in accordance with the expectations fo the Sulphur Springs Symphony League, who has worked with this particular fireworks company since 2016. Justin Pruett indicated that he and his company have offered a “replacement show” at no charge as well as crediting the charge for last week’s show.
Hopkins County Records – May/June 2024
Daily Instrument Register For 6/3/24 Thru 6/5/24
- LJ Martin Ranch LLC to Launie Lewandowski and Mariusz Lewandowski; Tract in the AC David Smith Survey
- Aaron A Woodruff and Magan L Woodruff to Awbree Summers and Rich Summers; Tract in the AC J Lee Survey
- Misty Lynn Blair, Ann McFarlin Block, Danny Lafay Cline, James Albert Cline, Jessie Cline, Joanna Cline, Johnny R Cline, Michael Cline, Gary Don McFarlin, James McFarlin, and Leeroy McFarlin to Ralph McFarlin; Tract in the AC J W Mead Survey
- Mary Starrett and Stephen Wayne Starrett to Frances Nicole Starrett; Tract in the AC Barry West Survey
- Rogelio Garcia to Fino GHM Holdings LLC; Tract in the J Ybarbo Survey
- Fino GHM Holdings LLC to Phu Dolma Sherpa, Sondiki Sherpa, and Sonam Tamang; Tract in the J Ybarbo Survey
- Matthew Grant White to Cindy Dodd and Darrell Dodd; Tract in the AC Levi Landers Survey
- State of Texas Veterans Land Board to Cecil Roe Williams; Tract in the AC Alex O Wetmore Survey
- Luis Martin Domingeuz Chairez, Also Knon As Luis Dominguez to Gabriel Garcia Sanchez and Miguel Angel Garcia Sanchez; Tract in the AC Antonio Lazarine Survey
- Great American Insurance Company to Fullstack Solutions LLC; Tract in the AC William Ewing Survey
- Jacqueline Sue Williams and Thomas Craig Williams to Jean Marie Williams and Michael Wayne Williams; Tract in the AC Newman McGee Survey
- Jacqueline Sue Williams and Thomas Craig Williams to Reggie Layne Williams; Tract in the AC Newman McGee Survey
- Ashley Thompson, Also Known As Ashley Marie Thompson, and Jeremy Thompson, Also Known As Jeremy Wayne Thompson to Traci K Lawler-Shortt; Tract in the Nacogdoches Univ Survey
- Jeremy Thompson, Also Known As Jeremy Wayne Thompson to Ashley Thompson, Also Known As Ahley Marie Thompson; Tract in the Nacogdoches Univ Survey
- Northeaset Texas Heart of Hope to Signature Solar LLC; Tract in the AC Mary Ann Bowlin Survey
- J & K Wagoner Group LLC Series H to Sydney Lin Petrea and Zachary Adam Petrea; Tract in the Lot 13R Harris-Hamby Addityion Survey
- Carol Overstreet and Don Carson Overstreet to Charles Sickles and Tracie Sickles; Tract in the AC J Ybarbo Survey
- Kenneth Andrews to David Ray; Tract in the AC Ocela Barb Survey
- Michael Allen Cloutier and Stacey Lynn Sharp to Mary Ann Parrish; Trqact in the M A Bowlin Survey
Report of Marriage Documents for Hopkins County 5/10/24 Thru 5/16/24
- Brady Coyt Crouse and Chandler Bryton Bain
- Roberto Lira and Brenda G Castro
- Michael Lane Goldsmith and Jessica Cheyenne Smithers
- Carl Featherston and Sarah Renee Grubbs
- Tommy Wayne Blackston and Leigh Anne Mills
- Collin Baylor Sewell and Savanna Jo Stanley
Report of Marriage Documents for Hopkins County 5/17/24 Thru 6/12/24
- Barriga Efrain Corral and Tovar Leslie Munoz
- Teotino Zapata and Lizbeth Rojas
- Timothy Edward Morton and Laura Denise Owens
- Cameron Riley Kaufert and Madilynn Gail Rupe
- Gregory Alan Ponder and Kimberly Ann Mims
- Colten Lane Burnett and Stephanie Michelle Floyd
- Jose Armando Contreras and Maria Elena Gasca
- Danny Wayne Barrett Jr and Samantha Edna Lyn Rhoades
- Joshua Paul Sutton and Jillian Grace Younts
- Ayala Jesus Alejan Robles and Melba Gutierrez
- Levi Nathaniel Noble and Madison Nicole McKinney
- Walter Jeffrey Stokes and Katlyn Brook Ball
- Michael Dakota McPherson and Jaycie Blair Jordan
- Jaimes Martin Perez and Erica Hernandez Grimaldi
- Christopher ER McLaughlin and Alyssa Marie Robles
- Kaden Michael Argenbright and Hannah Grace Dixon
- Cody Daniel Price and Marly Johanna Murphy
- David Stephen-Mich Ramsey and Danielle Annamari Brunett
- Thomas Clinton Glosup and Claire Bass
- Don Jose Erasmo Torres and Torres Ana Cecilia Zamora
- Easton Bartley Silman and Allison Breanne Burns
- William Barrett Snyder and Brinklee Kate Driver
- Jacob Duke Fitts and Taryn Myers
- Dakota Darrell House and Savannah Kari Nugent
- Charles Eric Richey and Vickie Lynn Lucas
- Logan Aaron Williams and Taylor Rae Crookham
- Alberto Gutierrez and Maddison Lauren Hardin
Texas A&M-Commerce: Chancellor John Sharp Announces His Retirement
The Texas A&M University System chancellor will retire in 2025.
July 2, 2024 – COMMERCE, TX, July 2, 2024—John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, announced that he will retire effective June 30, 2025. He has served as chancellor of the Texas A&M System since September 2011.
Dr. Mark Rudin, president of Texas A&M University-Commerce, emphasized that Sharp has significantly impacted the university during his tenure.
“Chancellor Sharp’s continuing support for A&M-Commerce, including the construction of the Agricultural Multipurpose Education & Training Center and the Welcome and Student Success Center, as well as our expansion into Dallas at 8750 North Park Central, reflect his dedication to advancing our university’s infrastructure and outreach.”
Rudin’s praise highlights Sharp’s role in the growth of A&M-Commerce, recognized as the fastest-growing four-year public institution in Texas.
“The chancellor’s retirement marks the end of an era, but his contributions will leave a lasting legacy at our university, and for that, we thank him!” Rudin concluded.
Review the official announcement from The Texas A&M University System.
