Hopkins County Genealogical Society Fourth-Wednesday Lunch & Learn May 2023
The Hopkins County Genealogical Society invites members and nonmembers who want to learn more about doing genealogical research to join us on Wednesday, May 24th. Bring your sack lunch, salad or drive-through meal and meet with other members from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the genealogy library, 611 N. Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Tx. Coffee, tea, water, and soft drinks will be available for purchase.
The Hopkins County Genealogical Society’s March session featured Rhonda Bechhold presenting “Ancestry 101- Completing Your Family Group Sheet.” Forms were made available to each attendee and instruction was given on how to complete them. In April Rhonda advised others what to research and how to find the records to support your group sheet and pedigree chart.
This month, Shirley Patchen will talk about “Exploring Free Websites for Genealogy Research”. The title is self-explanatory, and you do not have to have attended the previous sessions to benefit from this presentation.
Hopkins County Hospital Board Of Directors Swear In Two New Members
May 17, 2023- Hopkins County Hospital Board of Directors met Tuesday night. After a long wait two members have been sworn in to the board.
Board members Chris Brown and Tammy Wright have been sworn into the Board of Directors as of last night. This is following the canceling of the election for the new members as there was a lack of candidates willing to run for the positions on the board.
Also not pictured is Eimy Medina, who was sworn in at a later time.
CANhelp Business After Hours Networking Event
May 17, 2023 – CANhelp is excited to invite you to their upcoming Business After Hours networking event, hosted by CANHelp in Sulphur Springs. Join them on Thursday, May 18th, for an evening of connection and collaboration.
Enjoy food and refreshing beverages while mingling with fellow business leaders in your community.
Don’t miss the chance to meet and engage with CANHelp’s Director, Brian Crump, and dedicated staff, learn about this organization, and network with our business leaders in Hopkins County.
Located at 613 Gilmer street Sulphur Springs, Tx
Sulphur Springs ISD School Board Election Results
May 17, 2023- Sulphur Springs ISD school Board has canvassed and officially declared the results of their election. Four candidates ran for board positions while only two trustee positions were available. Darla Reed and Adam Teer received the highest number of votes in the election.
The selected candidates are to be sworn into the board on June 12.
Hopkins County Chamber Adult Leadership Open Once Again
May 16, 2023- The Leadership Sulphur Springs Class is a community leadership development program sponsored by the Hopkins County Chamber Of Commerce. The course was created back in 1989 with the concept of offering leadership training and community involvement for emerging business and community leaders. Leadership Sulphur Springs is a nine-month session, with meetings held once a month.
For an application click here: Leadership Sulphur Springs Class Application
Please mail or drop off completed applications at the Chamber of Commerce office, 110 Main Street, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482.
The Selection Committee is looking for applicants who:
- Have lived or worked in Hopkins County for at least one year.
- Have demonstrated a concern for the community.
- Possess high standards of personal quality and integrity.
- Willing to commit the time required for the program.
- Have the endorsement of their employer or some indication the employer would not object from taking time away from work.
The cost per participant is $500. The fee is payable by the selected participants no later than August 1st.
The fee will not be refunded if you are unable to complete the class for any reason.
For more information on Leadership Sulphur Springs please visit: Sulphur Springs Leadership Class
Pacific Park Sports Pavilion Construction Underway
May 16, 2023- The new Pacific Park sports pavilion is currently under construction. The foundation has been poured and after a long wait for materials, the shipment of the steel has been delivered, allowing construction crews to begin work on the placing of said steel.
As stated by the City Manager, once the construction of the pavilion is completed the old basketball courts will be demolished and the interior of the park will be graded. After the grading of the park is completed new irrigation systems and sod will be installed
Also stated in a City Managers report, it is speculated that the crew will finish the building within 90 days after the placing of the steel.
GM Recalls Nearly One Million Vehicles As Part Of Larger Airbag Recall
May 16, 2023- General Motors has announced a recall notice of nearly one million SUV Crossovers with a potentially life-threatening airbag defects. The recall specifically affects 994,763 GM vehicles, spread out between certain Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles produced between the 2014 and 2017 model years.
According to documentation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the driver’s side airbags inflator may explode during deployment, which may send sharp metal fragments into the cabin of the vehicle, potentially causing serious injury or death.
The manufacturer learned of a report that a 2017 Chevrolet Traverse was involved in a crash in March, and that the front-driver airbag inflator exploded during deployment. A later inspection confirmed that the front-driver airbag inflator ruptured in the vehicle.
GM dealers were set to be notified on May 10, 2023, with owner notification estimated to begin in later June. Under the recall, dealers will replace the driver’s air bag unit for free. Concerned owners can check the NHTSA recalls site to confirm if their vehicle is involved in the recall.
The recall comes as part of a larger request from NHTSA that ARC Automotive Inc. recall 67 million airbag inflators because of the risk that they may explode. Documents released by NHTSA show that ARC denied the request. The ARC airbag inflators affect the GM products being recalled, as well as Stellantis, BMW, and Hyundai Motor Group vehicles.
Chamber Connection – May 17
Leadership Sulphur Springs is back on this year, with applications online!
The leadership class is for Hopkins County men and women who want to learn and become more invested in their local community. It’s an intensive nine-month program that immerses the participants in the business and government of Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County.
The tentative dates for this year’s program are attached to the application, which can be accessed at HopkinsChamber.org.
The registration fee is $500 and that covers the cost of the food, drinks, transportation, etc. for the year.
Business After Hours
Get your networking on at the next Business After Hours, set for Thursday, May 18, at CANHelp on Gilmer Street.
The event is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. and is open to the public. This is an excellent opportunity to network as well as get familiar with CANHelp and its mission.
If you are a Chamber of Commerce member and want to host a Business After Hours (or Before Hours), we have some openings for you!
We are scheduling our monthly networking events for the remainder of the year, and are looking for host businesses in the fall and winter. The cost of the event is free; we just ask that you provide some refreshments.
You simply open your business from 4:30-6 p.m. on the designated day (or 7:30-8:30 a.m.), and welcome the guests.
If you’re interested, send me an email at [email protected] or call 903-885-6515.
Summer Storytime
Summer Storytime at Sulphur Springs Public Library is just around the corner. “Once upon a time … at the library” kickoff is 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 3.
Patriot Sporting Challenge
The 5th Anniversary Patriot Sporting Challenge is set for June 3, 2023 at Lake Fork, supporting Folds of Honor and Heroes Ranch.
The Challenge is limited to 72 teams who participate in fishing and golf at Lake Fork, then meet for Casino Games at 2 p.m. at the iconic Neon Moon in Yantis.
It’s a unique opportunity to support the two military veteran organizations.
Register on the website PatriotSportingChallenge.org.
Ribbon Cuttings
Cricket Wireless hosted a ribbon cutting at noon Friday, May 12, at their store at 1217 South Broadway. Please help us welcome them to the community!
The Plant Niche will host a grand re-opening at noon on Wednesday, May 17, at their store located at 222 Tomlinson St. Please join us for this event.
Texas House Approves Bills To Spend $1 Billion Dollars To Purchase More State Park Land
May 16, 2023- The Texas House has given preliminary approval to two Bills Monday, Senate Bill 1648 and Senate Joint Resolution 74, With voter approval would create a Centennial Parks Conservation Fund to invest up to $1 billion to buy more land for the state parks system.
The Bill and Resolution, by Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, has already received an OK from the Senate and needs a final vote in the House before heading to the governor’s desk for final approval. The governor has already called for a increase in the budget of state parks, advocates of the Bill and resolution are optimistic of its approval.
If the governor does approve them, the issue will go before voters as a constitutional amendment in November, and the state could begin spending the money as early as Jan. 1.
Stated in a report by Environment Texas last year, Texas is ranked 35th in the nation for state park acreage per capita, with about 636,000 acres of parkland for a population of over 29 million as of 2019. The report also suggested that Texas needs to add 1.4 million acres of state parks by 2030 to meet its needs for its residents.
Since the COVID pandemic state parks number of visitors have increased drastically seeing a 37% increase from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021.
Advocates and park aficionados have gathered at the Capitol several times during the legislative session to express the need for more park land. They shared stories of their most memorable park experiences of fishing, hiking and camping. They also told lawmakers that to enjoy state parks, which receive close to 10 million visitors each year, sometimes they have to get on waiting lists several months in advance and campsites are limited.
As lawmakers make big investments in Texas parks, Robert Kent, Texas state director for The Trust For Public Land, said he hopes they will find a way not only to buy land for new parks but to preserve existing ones, too.
He pointed to another set of bills, House Bill 3165 and House Joint Resolution 138 by Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall, that might do just that. The bill would create a conservation fund that would provide grants to preserve water resources as well as local and state parks. The resolution would put the fund on the November ballot for voter approval.
The House approved the Bill and the Resolution earlier this month. However the Senate has yet to vote on the items.
Hopkins County Genealogical Society
Mr. Marlan Warner will be our speaker Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at 611 North Davis Street, Sulphur Springs, Texas. He is going to talk to us about the original Hopkins County Courthouse located in Tarrant, Texas.
Warner is a former agriculture mechanic from Bradford, Ohio. He began his research of the old Tarrant courthouse area in 2015 with the help of his son, Jason. There are now several people helping them. He will be sharing with us his research journey to date, many of the artifacts he has found and how to preserve them.
If you cannot join us in person for this interesting and informative meeting, we invite you to join us via Zoom. The time will be the same, 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada). You will need to register in advance for this meeting by clicking the following link: Zoom Meeting Showing
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. HCGS member, Larry Pettit will be hosting the Zoom presentation from his home in Keller, Texas
