DSHS Orders Recall For Oysters Harvested Nov. 17-Dec. 7 In Southeastern Galveston Bay Area From
The Texas Department of State Health Services has ordered a recall of all oysters harvested in the TX 1 area of Southeastern Galveston Bay after reports of a few dozen cases of gastrointestinal illness among people who ate oysters from those waters. The recall includes oysters in the shell and shucked oysters harvested in the area from Nov. 17 through Dec. 7.
(A map of Galveston Bay oyster areas is available at by clicking here.)
Consumers who purchased Texas oysters since Nov. 17 should check the packaging to see if they were harvested in TX 1. If the oysters were unpackaged, they should contact the seller to find the source. Restaurants should contact their distributor for information on the source of their oysters. Any oysters from TX 1 should be discarded.
DSHS closed the TX 1 area to harvesting on Dec. 8 after receiving reports from health departments in Southeast Texas and Florida that people who had consumed oysters from the area had gotten sick. Reported symptoms include fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, chills and headache. People experiencing any of these symptoms after eating oysters should contact their health care provider and tell them about the exposure to oysters. No hospitalizations have been reported at this time.
DSHS epidemiologists are working with local health departments to investigate cases of illness, and DSHS will test water samples collected in the recall area to determine when it may safely reopen to oyster harvesting. No other species of seafood is affected.
Illinois Man Receives Maximum Sentence On FTA/Bail Jumping Charge
ADA: Defendant’s 3 Ex-Girlfriends From Other States Testified, Alleged Offenses From 5 Other States Presented During Sentencing Hearing
A 54-year-old Illinois man, described by prosecutors as “a guy comparable to the one depicted in Netflix’s special ‘The Tinder Swindler,”’ received the maximum sentence for failure to appear in court on a May 2020 stolen vehicle charge during a hearing held this week in the 8th Judicial District Court.
While the charge may seem like a simple one — the defendant didn’t make a June 9, 2021, court appearance as scheduled — Assistant District Attorney Zach Blackmon said the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office learned soon after they received the initial May 2, 2020 case that factors involving Matthew Roy Person tend to be complicated. The Illinois man has been accused of crimes in six states, including Texas and Illinois.
“Much like something out of a movie or novel, the case involved a guy comparable to the one depicted in Netflix’s special ‘The Tinder Swindler,’” Blackmon noted, adding, “in short, Matthew Person has been conning various corporations and people, mainly women, for decades. His motive is largely unknown and one can only speculate why this man did the things that he did. His actions span across the country, including crimes committed in Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas.”
Person was arrested May 2, 2020, by a state trooper on Interstate 30 for driving a Jeep that Hertz Rental Car had reported stolen out of Dallas Love Field airport. He was indicted in November 2020 for the offense of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, a state jail felony offense.
While Person appeared in court several times asking for new court dates in order to hire an attorney, Person missed his June 9, 2021 court date. Thus, he was indicted for bail jumping and failure to appear (FTA).
“In Texas, an FTA is a third degree felony, and unlike the state jail felony UUMV, the FTA could be enhanced to be punished as a second degree felony because Mr. Person had been to prison in Illinois. He ultimately pled guilty to the FTA and the UUMV was dismissed pursuant to Section 12.45 of the Texas Penal Code. Sentencing was set for December 5, 2022,” Blackmon noted.
While that all seems pretty routine, the ADA said the case was anything but. From the outset of this case in 2020, the DA’s Office began to receive numerous communications from many people who had been involved with Matthew Person.
“This included family members, ex-girlfriends, the husband of Mr. Person’s ex-wife and mother of Mr. Person’s children, a real estate agent of Mr. Person’s, and law enforcement agencies across the country. In short, I learned that Mr. Person is a man who has been stealing jewelry and using the credit cards of the women he dated. He met most of these women online through dating sites like Match.com, Tinder, and Bumble. He would end up stealing from each of these women thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars. Seven women told eerily similar stories of the theft, deception, and evil perpetrated upon them by Mr. Person,” the ADA explained.
The DA’s Office learned Person had spent time in an Illinois prison in 2015 “for stealing and pawning his then-girlfriend’s jewelry and using her credit card.” Blackmon said Person’s criminal record also included being caught in Georgia attempting to steal a Jaguar from a dealership in 2021. The airport in Nashville, Tennessee too was working on a stolen car case in which Person was a suspect, Blackmon noted. Person was arrested in South Carolina in 2021 for having yet another stolen vehicle and bench warrants, while Ohio and Illinois each were working cases involving two victims who testified in the FTA sentencing hearing Dec. 5, 2022, in Hopkins County.
“In short, it did not take me long to realize I had a true monster on my caseload. I quickly got to work, which involved gathering evidence from various agencies and speaking to many women and other people who had been victimized by Mr. Person. I made it clear that I would not be making any plea offers to Mr. Person other than pleading guilty to the FTA and going before Judge Northcutt for sentencing. I knew the only proper sentence was the absolute maximum: 20 years imprisonment with a $10,000 fine. The stories these women were telling me had to be heard, and these women deserved the opportunity to confront Mr. Person and hold him accountable. And that’s exactly what they did,” Blackmon reported.
As part of Person’s open plea, 8th Judicial District Judge Eddie Northcutt was able to consider everything in the State’s file when determining the sentence for Mr. Person. The DA’s file on Person included witness statements from conversations between the DA’s Office and the alleged victims from other states, evidence obtained from the various agencies, and Person’s jail phone call, according to the ADA.
Northcutt heard testimony from the three women, including “tales of jewelry and family heirlooms being pawned, credit cards being abused, and lies upon lies upon lies told to them by Mr. Person,” according to Blackmon.
“Ultimately, we were able to show Judge Northcutt just what kind of individual Mr. Person was: an evil monster. Not only had Mr. Person conned many women, but he had attempted to con the 8th Judicial District,” the ADA reported.
On June 23, 2021, Person was alleged to have produced a photoshopped text message, which Person presented to the court in an attempt to explain his missed court date on June 9, 2021, Blackmon reported. The text was supposed to be from American Airlines, showing his flight from San Antonio to Dallas was canceled.
Blackmon said that explanation had two issues, however. Blackmon described the alleged text as a terrible photoshop job. Also, during his interview for a presentence investigation report (PSI), Person claimed to be living in Ohio when his flight was canceled; in June 2021, however, he claimed to have been in San Antonio, Texas.
Northcutt sentenced Person this week to the maximum sentence, 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, on the failure to appear/bail jumping charge.
“Justice was served in Hopkins County, and this should serve as a message to any criminal that this is no place to commit crime,” Blackmon said.
The ADA credited the conviction and stiff sentence to “the incredible collaborative effort between the victims, out of state agencies, and our office. This case was massive, and so, it was an all hands on deck situation in the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s office. Cindy Caviness, our Executive Assistant, played a vital role organizing and maintaining the ever-growing file. Susan Fisher, our Victim Assistance Coordinator, was alongside me in nearly every interview we conducted with the many, many victims left in Mr. Person’s wake. Robert Stout, our Investigator, did an outstanding job tracking down the files maintained by out of state law enforcement agencies in a short amount of time. The attorneys in our office, especially our elected DA Will Ramsay and First Assistant Matt Harris, provided me with mentorship and encouragement the entire way. And last, but certainly not least, the three women who traveled across the country to relive their nightmare were absolutely indispensable,” Blackmon stated.
Redesigned Texas Temporary Tags Start Going Out Today
Security And Data Enhancements Will Further Reduce Fraudulent Tag Use
AUSTIN, Texas – Texans will start seeing new temporary tags on the road beginning today. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) is introducing a new look for tags that are issued by licensed Texas motor vehicle dealers. This action further supports ongoing efforts that have made a significant impact in preventing the fraudulent production of, access to, and use of temporary tags.
The new tags are more complex and secure than existing tags and include additional data and security features to facilitate law enforcement identification of counterfeit tags and increase the safety of traffic stops.
Features of the New Tag Design
Note: For security purposes, not all features are included or fully described in this list.
- Texas flag watermark.
- Enhanced depiction of tag expiration date, vehicle year and make, and name of issuing dealer.
- Identification of the specific type of tag issued.
- Font selection and size that maximize readability of primary components.
- Active and passive security features identifiable by law enforcement.
- Numerous pieces of embedded data and text, linked to law enforcement databases, that can be created only by internal TxDMV computer systems.
For more information about the new tags and prior actions that have been effective in reducing fraudulent temporary tag activity, visit www.TxDMV.gov/temporarytags.
64 SSHS Students Inducted Into Gladys Alexander Chapter Of NHS
Sixty-four students at Sulphur Springs High School met the requirements and were inducted into the Gladys Alexander Chapter of the National Honor Society during the annual ceremony held earlier this week in the school cafeteria. Fifty-five additional students were recognized as two-year members of the chapter.
The SSHS Honor Society Chapter is named in honor of Gladys Alexander, the teacher who not only founded the organization in 1940 but also the Student Council, and aided in the organization of the Lee Willis Chapter of the Future Teachers of America. She taught band, drill team, football, Latin, English, history and almost every subject except agriculture. She retired in 1961, but her contributions to education didn’t end there. She became a substitute teacher and taught summer school after retirement. In 1966, the SSHS National Honor Society Chapter was named after Gladys Alexander to honor the tradition of excellence in academic she started at the school.
President Lausen Ost, Vice President Madelyn Sherman, Secretary Lexi McCoy and Treasurer Mali Maeker conducted the Dec. 5, 2022 induction ceremony, each lighting candles to symbolize the organization’s purposes:
- To create enthusiasm for scholarship,
- To stimulate a desire to render service,
- To promote leadership, and
- To develop character in the students of secondary schools.
The chapter motto is noblesse oblige: nobility obligates. Members of NHS are obligated to behave honorably, generously and responsibly to others.
New members were recognized. They also took the NHS oath, pledging to uphold high purposes, be true to the principles NHS stands for, to be loyal to the school, and to maintain and encourage high standards of scholarship, service, leadership and character. Each received a certificate from Chapter Advisor Renee Maeker, shook hands with Principal Josh Williams and signing their name into the official chapter record book.
Inducted into in the Gladys Alexander Chapter of the NHS were the following students:
- Joseline Arenas
- Jayden Arledge
- Madelynn Bailey
- Peyton Ball
- Kody Barclay
- Coen Bell
- Makieya Boren
- Addison Bradley
- Talley Brown
- Landon Burkett
- Chloe Cameron
- Rylie Carroll
- Levi Caton
- Betzy Chacón
- Austin Chaney
- Carter Charlton
- Asia Chen
- Kylie Clarke
- Zoe Crump
- Cooper Faircloth
- Axel Garcia
- Juan Garcia
- Maria Garing
- Anely Gaspar
- Lily Glenn
- Jaci Haire
- Celeste Hernandez
- Payton Hooks
- Jordyn Huckabee
- Kate Hurley
- Kylah Latham
- Jessie Li
- Lorelai Lilley
- Bridger Mayhew
- Logan McCain
- Kathryn Monk
- Jacqueline Monroy
- Ivan Mora
- Holden Moss
- Natalie Negrete
- Katlyn Noe
- Emerson Penny
- Tomi Pirtle
- Annaston Price
- Emmi Price
- Caroline Prickette
- Jolene Reed
- Ty Robinson
- Osvaldo Rodriguez
- Brook Seagraves
- Haylee Shultz
- Emily Soto
- Catherine Starzyk
- Alexis Tanton
- Alan Tellez
- Chelino Manuel Tellez
- Daphne Valles
- Alexis Villarino
- Kami White
- Anna Williams
- Aubrey Williams
- Macey Williams
- Peyton Willis
- Jolee Wilson
Recognized Monday night as two-year members of the Gladys Alexander Chapter of the National Honor Society were:
- Jayla Abron
- Carlos Alba
- Lithzy Alvarez
- Jack Bain
- Mattie Bridges
- Brylee Brock
- Aubrey Camacho
- Nick Cantillo
- Luke Caton
- Artesia Cheak
- Matthew Clarke
- Alexander Cooper
- Catherine De La Rosa
- Daniel Elam
- Miley Fisher
- Andres Flores
- Jonah Foster
- Kinley Friddle
- Colbie Glenn
- Martha Gonzalez
- Makayla Grinnan
- Cole Haney
- Jadyn Harper
- Zoe Haywood
- Hector Hernandez
- Ashland Hooten
- Laney Hurst
- Jillian Jumper
- Chloe Kerns
- Lynn. Branson
- Mali Maker
- Kamilah Martinez
- Alexis McCoy
- Trentin McKinney
- Mykylie Meador
- Matt Mitchell
- Ryan Mitchell
- Lausen Ost
- Ella Ray
- Jose Manuel Rodriguez
- Mattye Schmidt
- Brooklynn Shackelford
- Madelyn Sherman
- Robert Smith
- Sallee Spraggins
- Rebekah Stanley
- Isabelle Thesing
- Danielle Verlander
- Briley Vice
- Addisyn Wall
- Parker Whisenhunt
- Merrin Williams
- Olivia Worth
- Jocelyne Yañez
- Khira Young
Hawk Builders LLC Awarded Contract To Build New Senior Citizens Activity Center
After 2 years, the Sulphur Springs City Council this week finally selected a contractor to build a new Senior Citizens Activity Center, to be funded in part by a Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Community Development Block Grant-CV Community Resiliency Program Grant as well as voter approved bonds.
“Since March of 2020, City staff along with hired professionals have been working diligently to design a Senior Activity Center that meets all of our needs, and will provide for a great facility for many years to come,” Smith noted.
| Bond Proceeds | $1,500,000 |
| Private Donations | $157,767.57 |
| TDHCA Grant Award | $2,420,000 |
| Total Budgeted Funds | $4,077,767.57 |
new senior citizens activity center
The process has continued, despite challenges such as delays in the design process, a change in architects, a pandemic which impacted not only ability of individuals to work and resulted in some supply chain issues as well as significant increases in construction costs. That time did allow the City to apply for the TDHCA grant, which the city was notified of selection for the grant in April. However, work could not begin until after the grant contract was signed, so that the city wouldn’t be out that cost. Any funds expended or work begun prior to that would not be eligible for reimbursement by grant funding.
After the city manager signed a contract for the state funding in October, the city was able to published in October and November in a local publication, as well as a Request for Proposal on BidNet Direct for the complete construction of the Senior Activity Center.
According to Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Lesa Smith, more than 400 contractors and suppliers were notified of the project, and 26 downloaded the plans and specifications. Only two sealed electronic proposals had been submitted electronically when the bid process concluded on Nov. 16, 2022. The low bid of $4,575,029 came from Hawk Builders LLC and the second bid was from Scott & Reid in the amount of $5,824,422.
The City used the Best Value Sealed Proposals method to accept proposals and evaluate the proposals based on pricing, timing, experience and other pre-determined criteria as described in the Project Manual. Both of the bids contain an owner’s contingency of $200,000, which can only be used at the City’s discretion, Smith noted.
| Company | Bid |
|---|---|
| Hawk Builders LLC | $4,575,029 |
| Scott & Reid | $5,824422 |
senior citizens center
The contingency funds would be utilized for any unexpected items that might come up, including any change orders not anticipated if there are any issued found with the architectural work or design. That is included in the bid cost.
Even accepting the low bid and adjusting the project budget, which has more than doubled since the bond proposition passed in November of 2019, the new Senior Citizens Center is still expected to be overbudget. The city has budgeted $2.42 million in grant funding, $1.5 million from bond proceeds and $175,767 in private funds raised. The rest of the cost is expected to come from the City’s general fund. Once the new facility is complete, Smith noted, the current building serving senior adults could be sold to recoup some overage, if needed.
When asked by Precinct 5 City Councilman Gary Spraggins about the impact on the City’s available funding, Smith noted the city is recommended to keep 20% to assure funding for continued operations. Using some of that funding for the senior center is not expected to put the city below that mark.
Overall, city staff recommended that the City Council approve the low bid of $4,575,029 and award the contract for construction of the new Senior Citizens Center to Hawk Builders LLC.
Place 1 City Councilman Jay Julian made a motion, which Place 2 Councilman Harold Nash seconded at the Dec. 6, 2022, regular City Council meeting, to award the contract to Hawk Buildings LLC at the low bid price for construction of a Senior Citizens Activity Center on Oak Avenue as part of the Community Resiliency Program Grant. The City Council was unanimously approved by the six members present at the meeting. (Place 2 Councilman Oscar Aguilar was not at Tuesday’s meeting.)
Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report — December 2022
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, 2022, presented to the City Council in a Memorandum as well as aloud the following monthly manager’s report:
CLAIMS
We did not have any workers comp claims in November. We did have two liability claims. One was for damage to a Frontier cable allegedly caused by city employees. The other claim seeks reimbursement for a tire and wheel after a driver struck a valve cover in the street.
SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER
Award of the construction contract for the Senior Citizens Center is on this agenda for approval.
PACIFIC PARK
XLNT Construction has ordered the steel frame for the pavilion. The lead time is 4 months. I don’t expect to see any more activity at Pacific Park until February. At that time XLNT will construct the building in about 90 days.
When the pavilion is complete, we will demolish the old basketball courts and grade the interior of the park. Then we will install irrigation and sod.
COLLEGE STREET
College Street is open down to Patton Street. We decided to construct the intersection at College and Jackson ourselves. The contractor needs to construct several driveway approaches and other miscellaneous items to complete his work in Phase 1.
Further east, the flooding problem at Ramsey Street has been resolved. We will now start Phase 2 of the project from Patton to Como. After that we will turn our attention to Holiday Drive.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
Finance Director Lesa Smith will present the year-end report of revenues and expenditures.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Texana Land and Asphalt paved Drexel Street this month and they should finish with Bonner Street tomorrow.
Bad news for the residents on Como Street. Atmos is about to replace a gas line on that street, so we have decided to delay Como Street until Atmos completes the gas line replacement project. We delayed Ardis Street last month for the same reason. We expect
to pave both streets in 2023.
Staff also pulled Fisher Street off the list. We think Fisher is a candidate for a full reconstruction project due to a water main issue. We will bring this issue to you at a future meeting.
RAW WATER SALES
In November, I executed the raw water sales agreement with the Upper Trinity Regional Water District that the city council had previously approved. I also retroactively authorized the transfer of approximately 915 million gallons of evaporative loss onto the city’s books. This represents all of the evaporative loss for Upper Trinity beginning June 1 and ending November 30. I expect a check for approximately $245,000 this month.
MISCELLANEOUS
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Responded to 164 animal control calls while achieving an 81% adoption rate.
- Made 6 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit.
- Responded to 26 accidents, wrote 479 citations, recorded 34 offenses and made 43 arrests in the Patrol Division.
- Sold 2,170 gallons of AvGas and 11,530 gallons of JetA fuel.
- Accommodated 1,503 operations (takeoffs or landings) at the airport.
- Repaired 299 potholes.
- Removed 2 fallen trees from the roadway.
- Cleaned storm drains twice.
- Replaced 2 stop signs and 3 street signs.
- Installed stop signs and yield signs for a new development.
- Installed new 4-way stop signs at College and Jackson/J.D. Franklin.
- Conducted 44 building inspections, 34 electrical inspections, 26 plumbing inspections, 7 mechanical inspections, and issued 28 building permits.
- Installed Christmas lights/décor downtown.
- Fertilized rye grass areas.
- Mowed Municipal Airport twice.
- Hosted 2 softball tournaments.
- Repaired Christmas light circuits.
- Repaired school zone lights.
- Repaired the service center car wash.
- Performed preventative maintenance on numerous items at the water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant.
- Treated wastewater to a daily average total suspended solids reading of .33 mg/L.
- Disposed of 150.36 tons of sludge at the landfill.
- Repaired 15 water main ruptures.
- Replaced 18 water meters.
- Unstopped 24 sewer mains.
- Responded to 203 calls for fire/rescue including 1 structure fire, 2 vehicle fires and 2 grass fires.
- Performed 25 fire inspections.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 72 fire hydrants.
- Checked out 2,781 items from the library and an additional 590 eBooks
Nominate A Texas Student Volunteer For The 2023 Student Heroes Award
Do you know an outstanding student volunteer who deserves recognition for their efforts helping or benefitting other students? You can nominate them for the State Board of Education‘s 2023 Student Heroes Award.
The Student Heroes Award program recognizes Texas public school students in prekindergarten through high school who voluntarily work to assist or benefit their fellow Texas students.
Student volunteers possess enormous passion and talents that are displayed in numerous ways. Actions of past recipients include organizing a project that distributed 350 care bags to the homeless and unsheltered, advocating for safe teen driving by successfully promoting an app, establishing a foundation to provide support to cancer patients and their families while receiving treatment, collecting supplies for disaster relief in hard-hit areas, and launching an organization dedicated to spreading awareness about mental health.
Up to 15 students – one per State Board of Education district – may receive the award each year. Anyone may nominate a Texas public school student for the award.
Award requirements include the following:
- The service, assistance, and/or good deed must be voluntary and not part of any curriculum, graduation requirement, class, or community project.
- The service, assistance, and/or good deed must benefit other students in Texas, either individually or collectively.
- The benefit may be to students of one campus, district, or community.
Nominations will be accepted through March 31, 2023, at 5 p.m. (CST).
Recipients of the Student Heroes awards will be announced in June. A plaque and medal will be awarded to each Student Hero by his or her State Board of Education member.
Nomination forms and program guidelines are available at https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news- and-multimedia/awards/student-heroes-award.
The online nomination form can be accessed directly at https://form.jotform.com/TXEd/student-hero- nomination-form.
For more information, please email [email protected] or call (512) 463-9007.
Hot Chocolate and Brownie Treat for the Paris Junior College Students
HOLIDAY REFRESHMENTS
Paris Junior College Student Activities Coordinator Megan Chapman, left, passes out cups of hot chocolate and brownies to students at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center campus — a treat that is enjoyed during the holiday season.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Pittsburg Siblings, 1 Other Jailed Following Theft Complaint
Three Pittsburg residents, a pair of siblings and another man, were jailed on controlled substance charges following a theft complaint at Walmart, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police were dispatched at 3:23 p.m. Dec. 7, 2022, to what was reported as a theft in progress at Wal-Mart. Officer Sean Hoffman was near the area and responded. He arrived in time to see a man, who matched the description given for the theft suspect, running from the store to a white Mitsubishi Endeavor. Store personnel reported the man walked past all points of sale with two TVs he had not paid for. The man jumped into the SUV, which quickly exited the store parking lot, turning east onto Posey Lane. The officer also exited the parking lot and initiated a traffic stop.
Hoffman reported seeing “heavy movement inside of hte vehicle as it was coming to a stop.” As the officer walked toward the SUV, he ordered the theft suspect out of it. He got out of the rear passenger’s seat and was detained, Hoffman noted in arrest reports.
A records check using the driver’s ID information showed Thomas James Clower to have an outstanding parole warrant for his arrest, and was placed into handcuffs. The 58-year-old Pittsburg man’s sister was a passenger in the Endeavor. Hoffman asked her to exit the SUV as well, and she did.
While the officer was investigating, the woman threw a glass pipe of hte type commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and other narcotics; it landed in front of a vehicle, partially destroying it. The sister then was detained. After reading their rights to all three involved, the woman claimed her brother handed her two glass pipes, which she concealed in her bra. She removed a glass pipe used to smoke meth, two baggies containing meth residue, a plastic straw, and a glass container with a crystal-like substance Hoffman believed to be meth, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports.
He was granted permission by Clower to search the SUV for possible contraband. In a headphone case on the front passenger’s seat, Hoffman reported finding a large amount of crystal-like substance he believed was meth as well as numerous baggies of the kind used for illegal distribution of narcotics. When asked, all three denied any claim to the contraband, resulting in all three being taken into custody on a controlled substance charge.
The theft suspect, 27-year-old Hector Leonardo Hernandez; 58-year-old Clower; and 37-year-old Dana Lynn Lison were booked into the county jail at 6:57 p.m. Dec. 7, 2022, on a possession of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams with intent to distribute
While Hernandez was also charged with a heft of property valued at $100 or more but less than $750, both Clower and Lison were also booked in on one warrant each for a parole violation, according to arrest reports. All three remained in the county jail Thursday morning on the second-degree felony according to jail and sheriff’s reports.
USFDA Authorizes Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines For Children Down To 6 Months of Age
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the updated (bivalent) Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to include use in children down to 6 months of age.
“More children now have the opportunity to update their protection against COVID-19 with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and we encourage parents and caregivers of those eligible to consider doing so – especially as we head into the holidays and winter months where more time will be spent indoors,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “As this virus has changed, and immunity from previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes, the more people who keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, the more benefit there will be for individuals, families and public health by helping prevent severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.”
What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know
Children 6 months through 5 years of age who received the original (monovalent) Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine are now eligible to receive a single booster of the updated (bivalent) Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine two months after completing a primary series with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not yet begun their three-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or have not yet received the third dose of their primary series will now receive the updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as the third dose in their primary series following two doses of the original (monovalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have already completed their three-dose primary series with the original (monovalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine will not be eligible for a booster dose of an updated bivalent vaccine at this time. Children in this age group who already completed their primary series would still be expected to have protection against the most serious outcomes from the currently circulating omicron variant. The data to support giving an updated bivalent booster dose for these children are expected in January. The agency is committed to evaluating those data as quickly as possible.
The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include an mRNA component corresponding to the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component corresponding to the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.
Individuals who receive the updated (bivalent) vaccines may experience similar side effects reported by individuals who received previous doses of the original (monovalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
The fact sheets for both bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for recipients and caregivers and for healthcare providers include information about the potential side effects, as well as the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis.
“Vaccines remain the best defense against the most devastating consequences of disease caused by the currently circulating omicron variant, such as hospitalization and death. Based on available data, the updated, bivalent vaccines are expected to provide increased protection against COVID-19,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Parents and caregivers can be assured that the FDA has taken a great deal of care in our review, and we encourage parents of children of any age who are eligible for primary vaccination or a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose to consider seeking vaccination now as it can potentially help protect them from COVID-19 during a time when cases are increasing.”
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent
The monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized as a two-dose primary series in individuals six months of age and older and as a third primary series dose for individuals 6 months of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise. With today’s authorization, the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is now authorized for administration in individuals 6 months through 5 years of age as a single booster dose at least 2 months after completion of primary vaccination with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is also authorized for use in individuals 6 years and older as a single booster dose at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
For the authorization of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for children 6 months through 5 years of age, the FDA relied on immune response data that it had previously evaluated from a clinical study in adults of a booster dose of Moderna’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine that contained a component corresponding to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and a component corresponding to the omicron lineage BA.1.
In addition, the FDA conducted an analysis of data from a clinical study that compared the immune response among 56 study participants 17 months through 5 years of age who received a single booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completion of a two-dose primary series of the vaccine to the immune response among approximately 300 study participants 18 through 25 years of age who had received a two-dose primary series of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in a previous study which determined the vaccine to be effective in preventing COVID-19. The immune response to the booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in the 17 months through 5 years age group was comparable to the immune response to the two-dose primary series in the adult participants.
The safety of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for children 6 months through 5 years of age is supported by safety data from a clinical study which evaluated a booster dose of Moderna’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1), safety data from clinical trials which evaluated primary and booster vaccination with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, and postmarketing safety data with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent.
In one clinical study, the safety of a single booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine was evaluated in 145 clinical study participants 6 months through 5 years of age who received a booster dose of monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completion of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine two-dose primary series. The most commonly reported side effects after a booster dose of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine across this age group included pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, swelling/tenderness of the lymph nodes of the injected arm or thigh, and fever. In clinical study participants 17 months through 36 months of age, other commonly reported side effects included irritability/crying, sleepiness, and loss of appetite. In clinical trial participants 37 months through 5 years of age, other commonly reported side effects included fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, and nausea/vomiting.
The data accrued with the investigational Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) and with the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine are relevant to the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent because these vaccines are manufactured using the same process.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent
With today’s authorization, children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not yet received the third dose of the three-dose primary series with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine will now receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent as the third dose of the primary series. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is also authorized for administration in individuals 5 years of age and older as a single booster dose at least two months after completion of either primary vaccination with any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, or receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
With today’s action, the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is no longer authorized for use as the third dose of the three-dose primary series in children 6 months through 4 years of age. The monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine remains authorized for administration as the first two doses of the three-dose primary series in individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, as a two-dose primary series for individuals 5 years of age and older, and as a third primary series dose for individuals 5 years of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise.
The authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for administration as the third dose of a three-dose primary series following two doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years of age is supported by the FDA’s previous analyses of the effectiveness of primary vaccination with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in individuals 16 years of age and older and individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, and previous analyses of immune response data in adults greater than 55 years of age who had received a two-dose primary series and one booster dose with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and a second booster dose with the investigational Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1).
The safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent for administration as the third dose of a three-dose primary series following two doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years of age is based on safety data from a clinical study which evaluated a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s investigational bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) in individuals greater than 55 years of age, safety data from clinical trials which evaluated primary vaccination in individuals 6 months of age and older with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, safety data from clinical trials which evaluated booster vaccination in individuals 5 years of age and older with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and postmarketing safety data with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent.
The data accrued with the investigational Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine (original and omicron BA.1) and with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine are relevant to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 Vaccine, Bivalent because these vaccines are manufactured using the same process.
The amendments to the EUAs were issued to Moderna TX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.
