Scammers Are Using Attorney General’s Name, Seal, Signature In Email To Steal Personal Info.
AUSTIN – Attorney General Paxton today warned Texans of scammers attempting to use Attorney General Paxton’s name, signature, and the Office of the Attorney General seal to get their personal data.
This email “phishing” scam attempts to scare consumers by claiming they have committed identify theft and are facing prosecution and significant jail time, in an email that purports to be signed by the Attorney General. Recipients are then instructed to call a toll-free number to provide their personal data.
If you or anyone you know receives an email or any other communication like this, please report the suspected fraud to the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by calling toll-free 1-800-621-0508, or by filing an online complaint at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint.
9/11 Memorial Observance Hosted At Hopkins County Fire Station
Local emergency responders took time to remember those who died Sept. 11, 2001 in the terrorist attacks on this country during a 9/11 Memorial Observence hosted at Hopkins County Fire Station on Friday morning, Sept. 9, 2022 (since Sept. 11, 2022 falls on a Sunday).
This is the fifth year a 9/11 Memorial Oobservance has een held at the fire station. HCFD Assistant Fire Marshal and Fire In Texas Instructor Rodney Caudle opened the ceremony, reminding those present the reason for the occassion — ensuring those emergency responders who lost their lives during the terror attacks on American soil on Sept. 11, 2001, are never forgotten for their sacrifice, giving their lives trying to save other victims.
“Times are changing, people are changing. The majority of people we encounter are glad we are here. There’s a few who have hate and resentment towards us. Let us remember that we can overcome any endeavor or feat by looking to God for help,” Caudle said “Let us remember that thy word is a lamp u ntil my feet and light untomy path. Let us stay forcused and help restore unity where evil has prevaled. God bless each and every one here.”
Joel Tiemeyer, who has served as a local chaplain for the fire department and is pastor at The Way Bible Church, sited Psalm 91:15, then offered a prayer of thanks for God’s protection and calling upon Him, “acknowledging that we need you now more than ever.” He also prayed offering remembrance for those who lost loved ones during the terrorist attacks, all the families that were affeccts, and “all the great heroes who gave their lives that day,” and calling on the Lord to continue to be with those who have surred through the tragedy, to wrap His arms around them. Then, in prayer, Tiemeyer offered thanks for the Lord’s goodness, faithfullness, “that we can stand here today, grateful for all the heroes who stand here today.” Tiemeyer called upon God, asking him to “bless this nation once again, and Lord Father, come through for us as you always have. And, we thank you for allowing us to come together today.”
Recruits from Fire In Texas academy filed in behind bagpiper Paul Watson, lining the driveway beside and behind the flag poles. Officers raised the three flags. Those present were asked to pledge allegiance to the USA and Texas flags. The FIT Academy officers also lowered the flags in memory of the many lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, in the terror attacks.
Tribute was paid to those whose lives were lost over the emergency services radio, with all except emergency traffic asked to stop for a moment of silence and prayer for the occassion. After Watson played Amazing Grace, HCFD performed the ceremonial ringing of the bell from a fire truck, in five rounds of three. Over the radio, all were asked to take a moment to remember the firefighters, police officers and EMS responders called to action, who most will remember because they ran toward the danger when it struck on American soil on Sept. 11, 2001, for their help and sacrifice in this pivotal event in American history.
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Rodney Caudle and Joel Tiemeyer 
9/11 Memorial Observance held at Hopkins County Fire Station on Sept. 9, 2022 
9/11Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Fire In Texas recruits proceed in and Paul Watson plays bagpipes 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Fire In Texas officer recruits 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Fire in Texas officers present colors 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Fire in Texas recruit officers raise flags 
9/11 Memorial Oobservance at Hopkins County Fire Station — flags being raised 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — reciting pledges to flags 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — flagslowered in remembrance of those killed in the terror attack Sept. 11, 2001 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Tamara Williams with the Reinforcement Foundation presents a hat for Rodney Caudle to draw a name from 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Fire in Texas recruits departing 
9/11 Memorial Observance at Hopkins County Fire Station — Paul Watson plays bagpipes
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend,” EMS officials stated over the itercom system. “Twenty-one years ago, 412 emergency responders, including 343 New York City firefighters, 60 police officers , 80 emergency medical technicians from EMS services and one patrolman from New York Fire Patrol ran towards danger and did not make it home to their families. Today, we honor their courage, commitment and sacrifice with a longstanding tradition in the fire service, with the tolling of the bells … indicating a firefighter has not returned or has fallen.”
All were asked to observe radio silence during that time, unless they had emergency traffic, while the HCFD engine bell was rung.
Before the 9/11Memorial Observance was over, Tamara Williams with The Reinforcement Foundation (a charitable organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of first responders and their families, by supporing the men and women who make sacrifices every day while serving in the community) held a drawing for law enforcement. Chad Norris with Sulphur Springs Police Department’s name was drawn to receive a $125 gift card for GT Distributors.
Tiemeyer also offered a closing prayer, for peace today in this nation and His guidance, that the sacrifices that have been made never be forgotten, and that the legacy and spirt of God be caried forward in all as they go throughout the day.
Watson then played Taps as the recruits filed out to conclude the program.
Watson said it was an honor to be part of the 9/11 Memorial Observance. Fire recruits said it meant a lot to them to be asked to take part as well.
Also included among those attending the 9/11 observance Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, were members of SSPD, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, HCFD, Sulphur Springs Fire Department, Hopkins County EMS, volunteer firefighters, local judges and elected officials, and community members.
Registration at the Paris Junior College Sulphur Springs Campus
REGISTERING
PJC-Sulphur Springs Center Director Rob Stanley works with Brandi Redden of Sulphur Springs as she registers for the fall semester at the campus.
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.
NETBIO Cattle Sale Set for Friday, September 16th
Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission
Public Information Services
NETBIO cattle sale Friday, Sept. 16
The Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization (NETBIO) will hold its next pre-
conditioned calf and yearling sale on Friday, September 16.
Cattle producers have consigned over 6,000 head of cattle to the sale, which will be held at the
Sulphur Springs Livestock Auction Market beginning at 1 p.m. The cafe will be open, and the cattle
will be penned for viewing before the sale.
Calves consigned to the sale would have been weaned by July 16 and had their boosting shots
by August 16.
Sulphur Springs Livestock Commission co-owner and NETBIO board member David Fowler
said NETBIO member-producers will have a lot of quality cattle in the sale. All the calves offered in
the sale will have been pre-conditioned through the NETBIO vaccination program and weaned at least
60 days in advance of the sale.
This auction will be broadcast on the Internet. Log onto LIVEAUCTIONS.TV. If you haven’t
registered, click on “register” and go through the steps. Internet buyers should register in advance in
order to bid. If you have questions, call the livestock market office.
For more information about the NETBIO sales and to register, call the Sulphur Springs
Livestock office at 903-885-2455 or visit their Web Site at www.sslivestockauctions.com.
SOS 101, About Voter Registration, First In Video Series About Election Administration In Texas
AUSTIN — Texas Secretary of State John Scott today released the first installment of ‘SOS 101,’ a series of videos educating voters about election administration in Texas ahead of the November 8, 2022 General Election. In the first SOS 101 video, Secretary Scott provides an overview of the voter registration process in Texas, including how eligible Texans can register to vote, how county voter registrars process voter registration applications, and how voter rolls in each of Texas’ 254 counties are maintained for accuracy. Secretary Scott also visits with Brazos County Elections Administrator Trudy Hancock to discuss voter registration in her county.
“Today, you’ll be learning about one of your most important civic duties as a Texas voter – registering to vote,” Secretary Scott says in the video.
“Whether you’re registering to vote for the first time or need to update your information on your record, make sure and visit VoteTexas.gov and select ‘Voter Registration’ to learn everything you need to know about voter registration in Texas.”
“Brazos County is up to 123,000 voters,” Elections Administrator Trudy Hancock explains in the video.
“Right now, we’re having Volunteer Deputy Registrars come in dropping off new applications. We’re a college town, we have over 70,000 students here, so they’re working hard at the campus to get those young folks registered.”
Hancock joined Secretary Scott in reminding eligible Texas voters that the deadline to register for the November 8, 2022 General Election is Tuesday, October 11.
SOS 101: Voter Registration in Texas covers the following key topics:
1. Eligibility Requirements
In Texas, you are eligible to register to vote as long as you are:
- A United States citizen;
- A resident of the county where you submit your voter registration application;
- At least 18 years old on Election Day.
- Not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole); and
- Not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
2. Completing Your Application
If you’re a new voter in Texas, you have several options when registering to vote, including:
- Registering to vote when obtaining a Texas Driver License or Texas ID card at the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS);
- Registering to vote online when renewing, replacing or updating your Texas Driver License or Texas ID card; or
- Complete, sign and send a voter registration application to your county voter registrar.
If you are already registered to vote and simply need to update information on your voter registration record – such as your address, name or identification number(s) – you can do so online at Texas.gov.
Remember to make sure your voter registration application is postmarked by Tuesday, October 11th to vote in the November 8th General Election.
3. How Your County Voter Registrar Processes Your Application
When your county voter registrar receives your voter registration application, the registrar will enter your information into the statewide voter registration database – the Texas Election Administration Management (TEAM) system. Some Texas counties choose to use their own third-party vendors that are responsible for communicating with the TEAM system to ensure all voter registration information is updated in a timely manner.
Once the registration information is entered in TEAM, it goes through a process called ‘Live Check’ – which verifies the Driver License, ID and/or partial Social Security number (last 4 digits) on your registration application with DPS and the Social Security Administration.
Once your registration passes the Live Check process, you should receive your voter registration certificate from your county voter registrar in the mail within 30 days.
If you don’t receive your voter registration certificate in the mail in time to vote – don’t worry, you can still vote! You aren’t required to show your registration certificate to vote in person – just be sure to bring one of 7 approved forms of photo ID for voting, and know what forms of ID you can bring if you don’t possess and can’t reasonably obtain one.
4. Verify Your Voter Registration Status
Once you’ve submitted your voter registration application, you can visit www.votetexas.gov and click on ‘Am I Registered?‘ to check your registration status.
Through the My Voter Portal, you can:
- Check your voter registration status;
- View a list of Election Day and Early Voting poll locations;
- View your registration information, including your Voter Unique Identifier (VUID);
- Start a new voter registration application;
- Update your registration information; or
- Track your ballot by mail, if you are eligible to vote by mail
5. Voter List Maintenance
The Texas Secretary of State’s office follows state and federal law in ensuring the voter rolls in each of Texas’ 254 counties stay up-to-date and accurate, and that ineligible voters are removed from the rolls.
For example, an average of between 10-15 thousand deceased voter registration records are removed from the voter rolls statewide each month in Texas. Texas counties report monthly cancellation numbers to our office, which show how many registrations were cancelled, and for what reason.
Because Texans move often, tens of thousands of duplicate registrations are cancelled each month. This ensures that no person is registered at more than one address, in more than one county, or in more than one state.
Voter registrations can also be cancelled when a voter is found to be:
- Serving time for a felony conviction;
- A non-U.S. citizen; or
- Declared mentally incompetent.
For more information on voter registration in Texas, visit www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote.
CHRISTUS Welcomes New Orthopedic Surgeon
Sulphur Springs, Texas – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ.
By Jennifer Heitman, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
New Orthopedic Surgeon
We are excited to welcome to our CHRISTUS family, Dr. Christian Douthit. Dr. Douthit graduated from medical school and did an internship in General Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He performed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Science Center before completing a Fellowship in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at the Hand Center of San Antonio. Dr. Douthit cares for patients of all ages and is particularly interested in hand-to-shoulder problems, peripheral nerve surgery, orthopedic trauma, and sports injuries. Dr. Douthit will see patients at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, located at 103 Medical Circle, Sulphur Springs, TX, 75482. For more information, please call 903.885.6688.
Farmer’s Market
Our CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is hosting a Farmer’s Market on Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of our cafeteria. We will have local, sustainable produce grown by Texas farmers. Our cafeteria will now be incorporating produce from Texas farmers to create a “Farm to Table” menu. Please make plans to come shop the market and have lunch while you are here!
FREE Athletic Injury Clinic for Student Athletes
CHRISTUS Orthopedics and Sports Medicine of Sulphur Springs offers a FREE Saturday Athletic Injury Clinic for student athletes. The athletic injury clinic will be held every Saturday from 9am to 11am, on August 27 through November 12. Student athletes from 7 th grade to college age will be able to get a free exam and x-ray to determine a plan of care to treat their injury. The clinic will be held at our CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Orthopedics, Medical Building 5, at 103B Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs. For more information about our Sports Medicine program, or Orthopedic services, please call 903.885.6688.
COVID Vaccine Clinics
Net Health COVID Vaccine clinic will continue to offer Adult and Pediatric vaccines and boosters at our clinic on 100 Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs every 3 weeks on the following dates: Sept. 19 – 23, and October 17 – 21. You may walk in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. No appointment is necessary.
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals – Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long-term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
- Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
- Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
- Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
- Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
- Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
- Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
- Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
Always Learning
By Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent, Hopkins County, [email protected]
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension educators from across the state of Texas recently met in Bryan, Texas, for a state-wide professional development conference. One of our keynote speakers really caught my interest. He was very dynamic, but not in a phony way. He encouraged each of us to find our strengths and use them in our everyday work as well as in our personal lives. He provided a website for us to explore our strengths and character traits. The outcome was extremely interesting. I learned much about my strong suits and what they mean in everyday work and personal life. My top five are listed below:
- Love of learning: mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge whether on one’s own or formally; related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond.
- Prudence: being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted.
- Spirituality: Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort.
- Honesty: Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way and acting in a sincere way; being without pretense.
- Gratitude: Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.
Among the other top traits were: forgiveness, love, fairness, curiosity, kindness, perseverance, creativity and hope. If you would like to explore your characteristic strengths, simply go to the following website. You will find it very interesting: https://viacharacter.org/ There is no charge to take the survey, but you will need to allow a little time. Research shows that understanding and applying your strengths can help:
- Boost Confidence
- Increase Happiness
- Strengthen Relationships
- Manage Problems
- Reduce Stress
- Accomplish Goals
- Build Meaning and Purpose
- Improve Work Performance
Fall Festival Events
I’ve seen lots of excited buzz on social media about the 2022 Hopkins County fall Festival. One of the popular events is the Arts & Crafts Show. Vendor spaces are available inside the Sulphur Springs High School cafeteria, north entrance, and north sidewalk leading into the cafeteria. Spaces are filling quickly, so if you have hand-made, hand-crafted items you would like to sell, please contact me soon. The event will take place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21 and 22. This is a great opportunity to do a little early Christmas shopping! A concession stand will be available inside the cafeteria, and vendors will be selling a great variety of items from wooden toys and puzzles to home décor and everything in between.
Another popular event is the Creative Arts Contest which is similar to the State Fair of Texas creative Arts contest (but on a slightly smaller scale.) Open to Hopkins County residents, individuals can showcase their art, photography, baked goods, food preservation, needlework, woodwork, and more! This event will take place in the Sulphur Springs High School Conference center, Oct. 21 and 22, with registration starting on Oct. 20.
Guidelines for both of these events are available at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 1200 Westt Houston St., Sulphur Springs. We hope to see you at the fair!
Closing Thought
Some people look for a beautiful place; others make a place beautiful.
— Hazrat Khan
Contact Johanna Hicks at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension at the Hopkins County Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston St., Sulphur Springs, TX 75483, 903-885-3443, [email protected]
Hopkins County Stands #UvaldeStrong
Hopkins County schools are dedicated not only to supporting their own, but also being supportive and compassionate toward other schools and groups not only in this county, but across the state, country and world when appropriate. On Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, our local students made sure to let the folks in Uvalde know their hearts, prayers and thoughts were with them as they stepped back on UCISD campuses Tuesday for the first time since the tragedy at their school at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year.
Local businesses and community members joined Hopkins County kids and staff in wishing UCISD the best possible start of the school year, wearing maroon as a visible sign of support for peace, healing and strength for Uvalde CISD families and the community.
Below are some of the images the local schools shared with KSST, on social media and under #UvaldeStrong, so those families, educators and kids could feel that love and support:
Saltillo ISD
Saltillo ISD wore maroon and white to support Uvalde CISD and their first day of school. #SaltilloUvaldeStrong
Cumby ISD
Students and faculty at Cumby ISD wore Maroon today to support Uvalde Consolidated ISD on their first day back! Pictured are Cumby Elementary students and faculty in their maroon! #wearecumby #UvaldeStrongSulphur Springs ISD
Sulphur Springs ISD
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong 
Sulphur Springs ISD #UvaldeStrong
Students and staff across Sulphur Springs ISD also donned maroon attire to show support for UCISD and the community.
North Hopkins ISD
North Hopkins ISD also encouraged their student and staff to wear maroom for Uvalde CISD Sept. 6.
Sulphur Bluff ISD
SBISD encouraged students and the community to join them and schools all throughout the state of Texas in a stand of unity and support for Uvalde CISD’s return to school.
Yantis ISD
Yantis ISD also encourged the community to join them in supporting Uvalde CISD by wearing maroon Tuesday, September 6. YISD students and staff joined others across Texas in expressing support for the Uvalde community as they move forward, on the first day of school.
If students at your school participated and you’d like to have them included below, submit to [email protected].
City Awarded $2.4 Million American Rescue Plan Grant For Old Thermo Mine Road Improvements
Award Is Part of US Department of Commerce’s $300 Million Coal Communities Commitment
WASHINGTON – Today (Tuesday, September 6, 2022), U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.4 million grant to the city of Sulphur Springs, Texas, for roadway improvements needed to boost business growth at the Thermal Industrial Park. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment.
This project will redevelop East Haul Roadway to accommodate heavy truck traffic in a region impacted by the declining use of coal. The EDA investment will be matched with $595,392 in local funds and is expected to create 180 jobs and generate $250 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
“President Biden is committed to ensuring that our communities are provided with the resources they need to diversify and grow their economies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will grow industrial businesses in Sulphur Springs, spurring private investment and strengthening the regional economy.”
“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting locally-developed strategies designed to stimulate American innovation and entrepreneurial activity,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This infrastructure constructed through this project will attract new businesses to the area, bringing good-paying jobs to the community.”
“The Economic Development Administration’s investment in Sulphur Springs will help pave the way to greater economic opportunity for Texans in the region,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “The resources provided by this grant will help boost business growth and bring new jobs to the community as we continue unleashing the full might of the Texas economy for all to thrive in our state.”
This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.
EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates $300 million of EDA’s $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
Sulphur Springs City Manager’s Report — Sept. 6, 2022
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell Tuesday evening, Sept. 6, 2022, presented to to the City Council in a Memorandum as well as aloud the following monthly manager’s report:
CLAIMS
We did not have any workers compensation claims in August. We had one minor liability claim in August.
SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER
We have been awarded a $2.4 million grant from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). This does not mean that we can get started on the project yet. We must first sign a contract with the TDHCA.
Before TDHCA provides a contract for our signature, they must finish their environmental clearance process which involves 2 different comment periods, the last of which will conclude September 28.
After that TDHCA says it will take about a week to prepare the contract and forward it to the City. If all goes as planned, we should be able to sign the contract in early October.
It is important to note that if we spend any money on the senior citizen center before the contract is signed, that money will NOT be reimbursed by the grant.
PACIFIC PARK
The new bathroom has been installed. It is made entirely of concrete, even the roof. You could roll it down a hill and pick it up and use it. The installers told us that actually happened once.
The old bathroom has been demolished.
XLNT Construction should begin construction on the basketball pavilion soon.
COLLEGE STREET
This project is slowly progressing eastward. This contractor is very slow.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
Finance Director Lesa Smith will not present a report on revenues and expenditures as she has been deep in the budget this month.
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Texana Land and Asphalt has resumed paving the streets on our SIP list. I have crossed out the completed streets on the list below:
MISCELLANEOUS
Elsewhere around the city, employees:
- Reprogrammed school zone lights
- Restored power to Highway 11 lift station.
- Treated wastewater to a daily average total suspended solids reading or .16 mg/L.
- Repaired 40 water main ruptures.
- Replaced 8 water meters.
- Repaired a fire hydrant that was struck by a vehicle.
- Unstopped 22 sewer mains.
- Washed 75,000 feet of sewer mains.
- Repaired 1 sewer main.
- Hauled 386 tons of sludge to the landfill.
- Sold 193 million gallons of potable water.
- Sold 5,328 gallons of AvGas and 13,593 gallons of JetA fuel.
- Checked out 3,766 items from the library plus 742 eBooks.
- Responded to 270 fire/rescue calls including 3 structure fires and a vehicle fire.
- Performed preventative maintenance on 79 fire hydrants.
- Cleaned and repaired the Hopkins County Veterans Memorial fountain.
- Repaired 168 potholes.
- Made 29 extensive street repairs following utility repairs.
- Replaced a few stop signs, speed limit signs and slow, children playing signs.
- Cleaned out stormwater catch basins 3 times.
- Removed 2 fallen trees from the street.
- Demolished and removed structures at 631 sunset, 409 S Moore, and 327 Magnolia.
- Responded to 251 animal control calls.
- Achieved an 80% adoption rate.
- Made 11 felony arrests in the Special Crimes Unit.
- Responded to 42 accidents, wrote 615 citations, recorded 38 offenses, and made
- 62 arrests on the Patrol Division.
- Conducted 56 building inspections, 23 electrical inspections, 13 plumbing inspections, 3 mechanical inspections and issued 18 building permits.
