Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner Found A Lot To Like In Friday Win Over Hallsville
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner passed out praise to her Lady Cats after their solid 3-0 district win over Hallsville Friday, October 16, at the Main Gym at Sulphur Springs High School. The Lady Cats improved to 4-1 in district play and 7-6 for the season.
Coach Dorner said the Lady Cats rose to the occasion knowing it was a big game. She said it was good to see the Lady Cats get it done with the pressure on.
The Lady Cats got off to a strong start but had to hold off Hallsville in a 25-23 set one win. Coach Dorner said the Lady Cats seemed to relax in that set but she gave them credit for fighting and finishing the set out.
The Lady Cats then took control, winning sets two and three by identical 25-17 scores. Coach Dorner called Hallsville a great opponent with good quality kids and an amazing setter.
Again Coach Dorner credited her team with refusing to let the ball hit the floor. She said the Lady Cats are anticipating where the ball is going instead of reacting. Coach Dorner said she was also proud of the way the Lady Cats served. She noted that Brooklyn Burnside made some clutch serves near the end of the match.
So far, the Lady Cats have taken advantage of a first half top heavy with home matches. The Lady Cats are 4-0 on their home court and 0-1 on the road. They will wrap up the first half of district play with a road match at Longview Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Coach Dorner said the Lady Cats will have to play as well on the road as they have at home when the second half schedule features lots of road matches and just two at home. She said the Lady Cats are having fun winning and she added they get along well as a team.
Lady Cats Cross Country Wins Commerce Invitational Meet Saturday With Wildcats Placing Third
In a final tune up before next Monday’s District 15-5A Cross Country Meet in Mount Pleasant, the Lady Cats took first place and the Wildcats were third at the Commerce Invitational Meet on Saturday, October 17.
The Lady Cats competed in a two mile race and they were led again by freshman Haylee Shultz who was third overall with her best two mile time of 12:31.99. Sophomore Laney Hurst was fifth, Sophomore Mattie Bridges finished 12th, senior Kenia Herrera was 16th, sophomore Emily Soto was 19th, sophomore Allison Peckham finished 32nd and senior Maurie Flecker was 36th. The Lady Cats will be running a three mile 5K at the district meet.
The Wildcats were led by junior Evan Patrick who was second in the 5000 meter run. Junior Alex Flecker was fourth, junior Jose Mejia was seventh, sophomore Hector Hernandez was 26th, senior Corde Mayo was 27th and junior Alex Hernandez was 32nd.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Wildcats Varsity Football Home Game Against Ennis Friday Is Postponed
For the third Friday night in a row, there will be no Wildcats varsity Football.
Wildcats Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Greg Owens announced Monday that due to the varsity football quarantine, the Friday, October 23, Wildcats home varsity football game against the Ennis Lions was postponed. He indicated it was to be determined if the game would be rescheduled.
Next on the Wildcats schedule is a district game at Royse City on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
There will be football this week in Sulphur Springs below the varsity level. The Wildcats JV will be at Ennis Wednesday at 6 p.m. The Wildcats freshmen team will play Ennis at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gerald Prim Stadium. The 8th grade Wildcats will play Pine Tree at home 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Finally, the Wildcats and Lady Cats Golf Teams are both hosting tournaments at the Sulphur Springs Country Club on Monday. It’s the first of three rare fall meets for Wildcats and Lady Cats’ golfers.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
TxDOT Paris District Road Report For The Week Of Oct. 19, 2020
Paris — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the week of Oct. 19, 2020. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Motorists are advised to remain alert and pay special attention to all signs, barricades and traffic controls, and reduce their speed as they approach and travel through work zones. They should also avoid distractions such as cell phones, eating, drinking, or car audio or navigation systems.
Sulphur Springs Area
Hopkins, Franklin Counties
Contacts: Sulphur Springs Area Office (903) 885-9514; Franklin Co. Maintenance (903) 537-4976; Hopkins Co. Maintenance (903) 885-4031.
- SH 19, Hopkins County: From Loop 301 to Delta County Line. Watch for crews performing work on cross drainage structures.
- I-30, Hopkins & Franklin Counties: From Titus County Line to Hunt County Line. Watch for lane closures and short traffic delays as crews upgrade metal beam guard fence.
- I-30, Hopkins County: From Hunt County Line to Loop 301. Watch for lane closures and short traffic delays as crews perform concrete pavement repairs.
- FM 3389, Hopkins County: From IH 30 to FM 1567. Watch for lane closures and short traffic delays as crews begin work on cross drainage structures.
Paris Area
Delta, Lamar, Red River Counties
Contacts: Paris Area Office (903) 784-1357; Delta Co. Maintenance (903) 395-2139; Lamar Co. Maintenance (903) 785-4468; Red River Co. Maintenance (903) 427-3561.
- FM 79, Lamar County: from Loop 286 to BU 82 H (Bonham Street). Watch for lane closures while crews mill and place new asphalt pavement and improve cross drainage structures.
- FM 1507, Lamar County: from South Collegiate Drive to Loop 286. This roadway is closed while crews rehabilitate and resurface the existing roadway.
- SH 37, Red River County: from US 271 (Bogata) to Franklin County Line. Watch for daytime lane closures as crews mill existing pavement, upgrade bridge rail, and place new hot mix.
- BU 271D, Red River County: from US 271 to SP 38 (Bogata). Watch for daytime lane closures while crews rehabilitate the existing roadway.
- US 82, Red River County: from FM 1159 to Bowie County Line. A new traffic pattern is in place this week. Traffic will shift to the north side of the roadway between FM 44 and FM 1699 while crews perform pavement widening work on the south side.
- FM 195, Red River County: from FM 410 North to SH 37. Watch for temporary lane closures while crews upgrade metal beam guard fence and complete cross culvert extensions at two locations.
- SH 37, Red River County: from the Texas-Oklahoma state line south to the Red River-Franklin County line. Watch for temporary traffic signals at bridge locations while crews upgrade bridge rail from Clarksville to Bogata.
- FM 911, Red River County: from BU 82K (Avery) to FM 44. Watch for temporary lane closures while crews safety treat drainage structures and rehabilitate the existing pavement.
Greenville Area
Hunt, Rains Counties
Contacts: Greenville Area Office (903) 455-2363; Hunt Co. Maintenance (903)455-2303; Rains Co. Maintenance (903) 473-2682.
- FM 2194, Hunt County: between Merit and FM 903. This project will widen the shoulders and apply safety treatments to fixed objects. The contractor is currently working on establishing vegetation, removing existing signage and replacing mailboxes. Please be careful when traveling in this area. FM 1566, Hunt County: from FM 272 near Celeste to State Highway 34. The contractor is constructing cross culverts on this roadway. Roadway rehabilitation work is scheduled to begin in early October. Please be aware of lane closures, and watch for work zones and workers when traveling in this area.
- Hunt County maintenance crews are performing overlay work on on US 69 and FM 816 at various locations. Crews will also perform spot base work on FM 1737 at various locations. Maintenance crews will be performing ditch work, pothole repairs, mowing and metal beam guard fence repairs at various locations in Hunt County. They will also be removing debris from I-30 this week. Please be careful when traveling in these areas, watch out for workers and maintain a safe distance from work crews.
- Rains County maintenance crews will be performing patch work on FM 1564 from SH 34 to FM 36. Crews will be working on US 69 at the Rest Stop Area and on SH 276 and FM 751 at the boat ramps. Please watch for lane closures, work zones and workers along this portion of the roadway.
- SH 34 bridge, Hunt County: 3.5 miles south of Quinlan. TxDOT has placed a temporary concrete traffic barrier to protect travelers from the damage caused by an 18-wheeler accident. The bridge/road is now open to both lanes of traffic. Please drive cautiously and safely in this area.
Sherman Area
Fannin, Grayson Counties
Contacts: Sherman Area Office (903) 892-6529; Grayson Co. Maintenance (903) 893-8831; Fannin Co. Maintenance (903) 583-7566.
- US 75, Grayson County: from FM 1417 to SH 91 (Texoma Parkway). Watch for shoulder closures and lane shifts on northbound and southbound US 75 between Center Street and FM 1417 as crews work on building new main lanes and the new South Travis Street Bridge. Watch for lane closures on the frontage roads between FM 1417 and Washington Street as crews work on building detours and installing drainage structures. The northbound exit ramp for Houston and Lamar (SH 56) is currently closed, and exiting traffic is requested to use the Park Avenue exit ramp. The southbound exit ramp for Park Avenue is currently closed and exiting traffic is requested to use the Houston/Lamar Street (SH 56) exit. The northbound frontage road from South Travis Street to near Park Avenue is closed in order for crews to work on building the remaining portion of the retaining wall along US 75 at the South Travis Street intersection. Traffic is requested to use the US 75 mainlanes during this closure. The southbound Washington Street exit ramp will be closed beginning October 25th as crews work on the frontage road between Preston Drive and Pecan Street. Exiting traffic wishing to access Washington Street should use the north Travis Street exit. A reduced speed limit of 60 mph has been set for this construction project.
- The US 75 pedestrian bridge near Pecan Street in Sherman is closed to pedestrian traffic. The east side over the frontage road has been removed. The remaining pedestrian bridge will be removed at a later time. Pedestrians wishing to cross US 75 are advised to cross at the Houston Street signalized intersection.
- US 75 Full Depth concrete repair, Grayson County: crews will be working on US 75, weather permitting, each week from Sunday night through Thursday night. Lane closures will be present during the nighttime only in order for crews to replace failed concrete slabs. Lane closures begin at 7:30 p.m. and should be reopened to traffic by 6 a.m.
- FM 1417, Grayson County: from US 82 to SH 56. Watch for lane shifts and shoulder closures between US 82 and SH 56 while crews are working to construct a portion of the new Sand Creek bridge. Watch for occasional daytime lane closures as crews perform utility work. A reduced speed limit of 45 mph has been set for this construction project.
- SH 289, Grayson County: from FM 120 in Pottsboro north to the end of State Maintenance. Watch for occasional daytime lane closures as crews perform cleanup work on the project.
- FM 121, Grayson County: from Jim Jones Road to FM 3356. Watch for occasional daytime lane closures as crews work to build portions of the new bridges and roadway. Watch for lane shifts and narrow lanes throughout the project as crews have moved traffic to the temporary detour section. The ultimate roadway will be a five-lane section consisting of concrete pavement when the project is completed.
- US 377, Grayson County: Willis Bridge at the Oklahoma State line. Watch for occasional lane closures on the existing bridge as workers pour concrete for the new bridge structure.
- US 75 Ramp Reversal in Denison, Grayson County: on the southbound US 75 main lanes and frontage road between Spur 503 and FM 691. Watch for a lane closure on the southbound US 75 frontage road as well as the westbound Spur 503 ramp while construction crews work on building the new southbound US 75 entrance ramp. A new traffic pattern has been implemented where westbound Spur 503 will be shifted to the southbound US 75 frontage road and will travel through the FM 691 intersection and then enter southbound US 75 using the on-ramp after FM 691. The new FM 691 exit ramp is open to access FM 691.
- Spur 503, Grayson County: from US 75 to SH 91. Watch for daytime and nighttime lane closures for both eastbound and westbound lanes as crews perform concrete pavement repairs.
- SH 56, Grayson County: in Bells from US 69 to the Fannin County line. Watch for daytime and nighttime lane closures as crews perform concrete repairs at the railroad underpass. A temporary signal will be installed to handle traffic during this work.
- US 75 debris pickup, Grayson County: from Collin County line to Oklahoma State line. Watch for mobile lane closures as workers pick up debris from the roadway every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the daytime.
- US 377, Grayson County: from US 82 to FM 901. Watch for temporary daytime lane closures and shoulder closures as workers install safety treatments on fixed objects.
- US 82 & US 69, Grayson County: from FM 131 to FM 1897 on US 82, and from SH 56 to US 75 on US 69. Watch for temporary daytime lane closures and shoulder closures as workers install safety treatments on fixed objects.
- SH 289, Grayson County: between FM 902 and the Collin County line. Watch for daytime lane closures as maintenance workers blade level the roadway.
- FM 121, Grayson County: between SH 289 and FM 3356. Watch for daytime lane closures as maintenance workers blade level the roadway.
- SH 160, Grayson County: between SH 11 and the Collin County line. Watch for daytime lane closures as maintenance crews blade level the roadway.
- FM 1753, Grayson and Fannin County: from FM 1897 to SH 78. Watch for temporary one-lane closures as workers rehab and widen the roadway.
- FM 898, Fannin County: from the Grayson County line to SH 121. Watch for temporary one-lane closures as workers rehab and widen the roadway.
- FM 2815, Fannin County: from FM 1629 to SH 11. Watch for temporary one-lane closures as workers rehab and widen the roadway.
- FM 1743, Fannin County: from SH 56 to FM 1550. Watch for temporary one-lane closures as workers rehab and widen the roadway.
- FM 824, Fannin County: from SH 56 in Honey Grove to the Lamar County line. Watch for temporary one-lane closures as workers rehab and widen the roadway.
- SH 121, Fannin County: from the Collin County line to SH 56. Watch for temporary daytime lane closures and shoulder closures as workers install safety treatments on fixed objects.
- US 82, Fannin County: from SH 121 to the Lamar County Line. Watch for slow moving construction equipment as crews work on widening US 82 from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane divided section. Westbound US 82 traffic has been shifted to the new pavement on the eastern end of the project between the Fannin and Lamar County line and County Road 2975. Eastbound traffic will remain in its current lane, while crews work on the inside lane to work on building the crossovers and turn lanes. Drivers who frequent this roadway are advised that all driveways, county roads and farm-to-market roads approaching the new westbound main lanes on US 82 will have a full stop before crossing over to the median. The SH 121 and US 82 frontage road intersections have been converted to signalized intersections. The on-ramp to westbound US 82 from SH 78 has been closed while crews work on building the new westbound main lanes. The westbound exit ramp for SH 121 is closed as crews work on building the new main lanes in this area. Exiting traffic for SH 121 is asked to use the SH 78 exit and continue along the frontage road to SH 121.
- County Road 3530, Fannin County: at Wafer Creek. County Road 3530 is closed for crews to remove the existing bridge and build a new culvert. Traffic on CR 3530 will need to use an alternate route during construction.
- County Road 4250, Fannin County: at Freeman Creek. County Road 4250 is closed for crews to remove the existing bridge and build a new bridge. Traffic on CR 4250 will need to use an alternate route during construction.
- SH 78, Fannin County: from SH 121 to FM 273: Watch for daytime lane closures as crews perform base repairs.
- FM 897, Fannin County: in Lannius from US 82 to CR 2950. Watch for daytime lane closures as crews perform ditch cleaning work.
Please be careful when traveling in these areas, watch out for workers and maintain a safe distance from work crews. Debris and litter operations are ongoing throughout multiple parts of the county. Please be careful when traveling, and watch out for workers.
Wood County Voters Reported Ballot Issue For Yantis ISD Trustees Election
Twice last week, voters reported ballot issues for the Yantis ISD Trustees Election. One was reported in Hunt County and the other ballot issue for Yantis ISD Trustees Election was reported in Wood County.
On the first day of voting, a voter notified Hopkins County election officials that YISD trustees election wasn’t on the ballot when he attempted to vote on Tuesday. It was found the contract for the election was never received by Hopkins County officials. Texas Secretary of State’s Office was contacted regarding the ballot issued for Yantis ISD Trustees Election; a separate voting booth with paper ballots and election workers were in place in Hopkins County the next morning for all YISD Trustees Election voting. Anyone YISD voter who cast a ballot before the matter was addressed Wednesday morning can stop by YISD voting booth anytime during the early voting period to cast a ballot in that trustees election.
In Wood County, a few voters last week reported received the wrong school ballot during early voting. One resident who lives near the lake reported receiving a ballot that included the Quitman ISD Trustees Election instead of the Yantis ISD Trustees Election. She reported alerting an election worker that she lives within YISD, not QISD. She was reportedly offered a provisional ballot to vote in the YISD election.
When the voter called Wood County officials later in the week about the matter, she was told it had been taken care of. However, the woman said she was told 2 others she knows who live within YISD did not receive the YISD ballot either.
According to Wood County Elections Administrator Laura Wise, a glitch was discovered in the voting system. The road on which the voters live was discovered to be incorrect in the system. She said that has been corrected and voting continues as normal. The issue only affected “a handful of voters.”
The Wood County elections officer said the woman who originally reported the issue declined to cast a provisional ballot to vote in the Yantis ISD election, the information on the ballot she did cast will be counted along with other Wood County resident’s votes on Election Day.
The Elections Administrators said she was made aware Friday of another resident of that same street not having the YISD election on the ballot. The computer error regarding the street was discovered and addressed, according to the elections officer.
Wise encourages voters to report any voting issues to election workers by while at the voting center, prior to casting a ballot if possible, so the matter can be addressed immediately. Instances such as the wrong school election being listed or a school election being left off of the ballot can be addressed immediately by canceling the incorrect ballot and giving the voter a correct ballot to complete on site, and the matter looked into, the election administrator reported.
If any other residents within YISD voted early on a ballot with Quitman ISD instead of YISD on the ballot, they may contact the election officer regarding the matter.
The Yantis ISD trustee election is one of a number of city and school elections elections postponed or rescheduled for Nov. 3 due to the Governor’s order canceling May elections, which included early voting in April, due to the spread of the COVID-19 across the state and country during the spring.
In Wood County, there are at least 40 different ballots, including those for elections called by Alba Golden, Big Sandy, Mineola, Yantis, Hawkins and Quitman school districts; and the cities of Hawkins, Quitman and Winnsboro, according to the EA.
Many polling centers are reporting heavy, possible record, numbers of voters turning out at the polls. According to voting information reported to the Secretary of State’s office, 7,369 voters had cast in-person ballots (22.76 percent ) and 1,499 mail through Friday, Oct. 16. That’s 8,868 of the 32,382 registered voters in Wood County (27.39 percent) voting through Friday. According to the Election Page on the Wood County Elections/Voter Registration Wood County has 31,862 registered voters.
Another 350 took advantage of Saturday voting, approximately 120 of those during the morning hours; typically, less than 50 voters turn out for in-person Saturday voting. Adding another 6 mail ballots, a total of 9,224 voters or 28.48 percent of registered voters in Wood County had voted as of the close of the voting center Saturday, Oct. 17, according to the SOS website.
In Wood County, the biggest turnout during the early voting period since 1988 was 12,960 in 2016, followed by 9,480 in 2018 and 9,245 in 2008, according to the Wood County voter registration figures reported by the SOS.
Early voting in Wood County in the Nov. 3 Elections continues from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 19-24, and Oct. 30; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 26-29, at the Wood County Annex building, located at 200 West Bermuda St. in Quitman.
Local Centenarian Honored With ‘This is Your Life’ Event
On October 15, 2020, Margie Dale Hathcox joined the other 300,000 persons worldwide who are documented to have lived to be 100 years old. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term Centenarian is invariably associated with longevity. That Margie Dale has longevity as a family trait was brought out by her daughter Valinda Hathcox in a presentation of Margie Dale’s life before a gathering of family and friends. That Margie Dale is healthy, physically active and mentally nimble is evident to anyone who meets her. The event was held at her home on Hathcox Farms in northern Wood County on October 17, 2020.
To put some of the features of her life in a nutshell, Margie Dale Parkins Hathcox was born October 15, 1920 in the Liberty Community of Hopkins County. Her parents, Thomas Daniel “T.D.” and Dora Bell Nabors Parkins, moved to West Texas briefly, returning to Hopkins County when Margie Dale and her sister were just starting school age. They lived and attended school and church in the Greenview Community. Then the sisters later attended the Liberty School. From an early age, Margie Dale loved to work and help her dad with farm work and in his many business endeavors.
It was at the Liberty elementary school where Margie Dale first met her future husband, Bill Jack Hathcox. Both she and Bill Jack graduated fr0m Sulphur Springs High School, and two weeks after she turned age 18, the couple married. For residents of Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County who know the Hathcox Family, it is known that their interests in local restaurants, agriculture business, and dairy and cattle operations have been successful. Some fondly remember their P & B Restaurant (where CVS is now) and the Big H Drive-In Diner (where Walgreens is now) In 2017, she sold her home property on Mockingbird Lane to Walgreen’s for their Sulphur Springs location, and at that time, Margie Dale and Valinda moved back to the farm where they still run the cattle and hay operation. At age 100, Margie Dale enjoys overseeing the farm, interesting conversations with friends and visits from an extended family of grand- and great-grandchildren. Born in the year that women won the vote, Margie Dale is a life-long Democrat and has not felt a need to change, and remains a charter member of the Hopkins County Democratic Women. She freely offered memories, laughter and practical advice to those gathered to celebrate her 100th birthday party.
Winnsboro Man Accused Of Assaulting A Pregnant Woman
A 27-year-old Winnsboro man was accused of assaulting a pregnant woman over the weekend, according to arrest and sheriff’s reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Justin Wilkerson and Chris Baumann responded at 8:15 p.m. Oct. 17, 2020, on County Road 2402 to what was reported as a disturbance between a male and pregnant female. Upon arrival, deputies encountered a woman who was “visibly pregnant.”
Deputies were told the woman and 27-year-old male resident were involved in a verbal altercation which turned physical, resulting in bodily injury to the pregnant woman. Deputies reported seeing dried blood inside the pregnant woman’s nose.
After speaking to the man, deputies determined Dario Ledesma Jr. to be the “primary aggressor during the altercation in which the pregnant victim sustained bodily injury. Ledesma was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Saturday for assaulting a pregnant woman, then transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked at 10:35 p.m. Saturday.
Ledesma was released from Hopkins County jail Sunday, Oct. 18. Bond on the third-degree felony assault of pregnant person charge was set at $10,000.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Volunteer Cooks Needed On Thursdays For Meal A Day
Senior Citizens Center Director Karon Weatherman reports the Meal A Day program is again in need of help. Two volunteer cooks are needed on Thursday mornings to replace a pair who will notified Weatherman that they will cease volunteering at Meal A Day at the end of the month.
“That will leave us 2 short on Thursdays. So, If you can give a few hours of your time to help in your community we would really appreciate the help,” Weatherman said.
Cooks typically arrive at 7 a.m. prepare hot, nutritious meals and finish by 11 a.m. after meals are ready and packaged for delivery by additional volunteers at lunch time Monday-Friday to senior adults who are homebound, unable to prepare meals for themselves and have no one to prepare meals for them, are ill, disabled or homebound. Meals are offered at a discounted rate of $2 for seniors who can pay, thanks in part to contributions from businesses, individuals and organizations such as Hopkins County United Way.
In 2019, the Meal A Day program served 41,157 meals to Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County senior adults.
The Sulphur Springs Senior Citizens Center is a place where Senior Citizens age 50 and over can have a good time with old friends and make some new ones. Meal-A-Day is just one service the center provides. The coffee pot is always on and a smile is on each face. The SCC has a full library with all different kinds of reading books that can be taken, read and returned. Take as many as you like and bring some of your books in to share with others. Click here to find more information for seniors citizens.
Volunteers Needed For Texas CARES, COVID-19 Serological Testing, Survey Program
Texas CARES Could Help Determine How Many Have COVID-19 Antibodies, Potentially Some Degree of Immune Protection
Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are partnering with Texas Department of State Health Services to launch the Texas Coronavirus Antibody Response Survey, Texas CARES, in an effort to help public health professionals and scientists better understand the spread of COVID-19 in Texas and the immune response it causes in individuals.
The health officials hope Texas CARES will help them determine the proportion of people throughout Texas who have COVID-19 antibodies, indicating a past infection and presumably some degree of immune protection.
DSHS worked with UTHealth to develop and fund the antibody survey to broadly describe the experience Texans are having with COVID-19. With antibody testing purchased by the state, funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the expertise of UTHealth researchers, the collaboration aims to learn more about the number of people who have been infected in Texas, follow how infections spread over time, understand risk factors for the disease, and inform planning for future health care needs due to COVID-19.
Participation In Texas CARES
Survey participants will be asked to complete a brief survey about their health and environmental factors that affect it. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete.
Participants then visit a participating clinic to have their blood drawn by a phlebotomist. The nearest Clinical Pathology Laboratories locations are in Paris, Texarkana, Longview, Tyler, Rockwall, Sherman, Mesquite, Allen, McKinney and other locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Three to four months after the first blood test (T1), the participant is required to visit one of the participating Clinical Pathology Laboratories locations, where a phlebotomist will draw blood a second antibody test (T2). The participant will also complete a brief 5-minute survey.
After the requisite time period has passed, the participant is to again visit a participating health clinic to have their blood drawn for a third antibody tests (T3). The participant also at that time is asked to complete a 10-minute survey.
“Texans who participate in this survey will provide valuable information about who has and who has not been infected and how that is changing over time,” Eric Boerwinkle, PhD, dean and M. David Low Chair in Public Health at UTHealth School of Public Health, was quoted in a DSHS press release. “I’m asked all the time about how a person can help in this fight against COVID-19. Well, participating in this survey is one way all Texans can help,” Boerwinkle added.
Volunteers Needed
The survey team wants to enroll a diverse population of participants to gather more insight on why some individuals infected with the virus are asymptomatic and if that affects their antibody response. Those who have tested positive, negative, or have never been tested for COVID-19 are eligible to enroll in this assessment.
“DSHS saw a need to better understand how COVID-19 is affecting people across our state,” DSHS Commissioner John Hellerstedt, MD, was quoted in the DSHS press release. “We are excited to partner with UTHealth on this effort that will give us an in-depth look at COVID-19 in Texas and help us continue to plan and respond to the pandemic.”
The assessment team plans to enroll approximately 100,000 people making it one of the largest COVID-19 antibody surveys in the U.S. Texas CARES will focus on several specific groups: 20,0000 children 5 to 17 years old; 31,500 teachers and education professionals; 31,500 employees within retail, business, or service industries; and 23,000 patients and staff at community clinics.
“We believe Texans across these groups will provide a snapshot of Texas as a whole. Focusing on these groups will allow us to better understand COVID-19 antibodies and how they impact our neighbors across different age groups and communities,” Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker, PhD, an associate professor of health promotion and behavioral sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health in Brownsville, was quoted in the DSHS press release.
Program Partners
Texas CARES is managed by a collaborative team of researchers from UTHealth School of Public Health and DSHS in partnership with Clinical Pathology Laboratories and The University of Texas System. Other survey team members from UTHealth School of Public Health include Ashraf Yaseen, PhD; Stacia DeSantis, PhD; Steven Kelder, PhD; Bill Kohl III, PhD; Sarah Messiah, PhD; and Michael Swartz, PhD. Team members from DSHS are Jennifer Shuford, MD, and Stephen Pont, MD.
For more information or to sign up for this survey visit the Texas CARES website or email [email protected].
Como Pickton FFA Stew n Auction Postponed til 2021
Como Pickton CISD FFA Advisor Michael Bowen and his students enjoyed success recently at the Help a Child Benefit, with the 2nd Place Chili plaque and First Place Award for Ag Mechanics now on the chapter’s awards shelf. At the same time, the FFA Chapter makes an announcement about postponement of a much-anticipated annual Autumn event for the Chapter. Bowen posted this announcement on October 19, 2020.
CP FFA Members, Parents and Supporters,
In speaking with our administration team, and out of an abundance of caution, we are going to postpone our FFA Stew and Auction for this current year and schedule it for March 11, 2021. The goal this year is to keep our school open as long as possible. We are thankful for your constant support of our FFA Students and hope to see you at our FFA Stew and Auction on March 11, 2021. Our school year is one-fourth of the way over, and we couldn’t have gotten through it without our students and staff diligently following the protocols in place to minimize the spread of the COVID.
Thank you,
MBowen
