Speeding Kills. Slow Down and Save Lives
Speeding is top factor in Texas traffic crashes
July 16, 2024
AUSTIN – The telltale red-and-blue lights in a driver’s rearview mirror can inspire shame and guilt. But those feelings don’t come close to the guilt speeding drivers feel after killing or injuring someone – or the pain a family feels when someone dies in a crash.
Speeding can kill, and someone is always left behind to deal with the painful aftermath.
Speed was a factor in more than 160,000 traffic crashes in Texas last year, and 1,456 people were killed in speed-related crashes. That’s a third of all traffic deaths in Texas.
Lanisa Dehn knows how lives can be forever changed when someone makes the choice to drive at an unsafe speed. In 2020, a young man driving twice the speed limit in Lubbock, crashed into her mother’s car as she tried to make a left turn. Her mother died at the scene.
“If that driver would’ve obeyed the law, my mother might still be here today,” said Dehn. “I hope other drivers will hear my story and protect their fellow Texans by slowing down and avoiding making the same mistake.”
Tragic deaths like that of Dehn’s mother are why TxDOT is partnering with law enforcement to launch its summer Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign and encourage motorists to slow down.
“Speeding is one of the deadliest problems on our roads,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “Getting to the office, home or wherever you’re going a few minutes faster isn’t worth putting your life or the lives of others at risk”.
Speeding is not only dangerous, it can also be costly. The Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign coincides with Operation Slowdown, a statewide, high-visibility speed limit enforcement period. From July 19 through Aug. 4, Texas law enforcement agencies will step up their efforts to get drivers to slow down or pay up. Be Safe. Drive Smart. means more than following the speed limit. Follow these tips to keep yourself and others safe, and avoid a ticket:
- Match your speed to road conditions, such as bad weather or driving through a work zone.
- Slow down and allow for more distance to stop when traffic is heavy or roads are slick.
- Watch for road signs alerting you of reduced speed limits ahead.
TxDOT actively monitors roadways throughout the state to identify patterns that may help implement additional safety measures to prevent speeding. Working together, TxDOT, law enforcement, and drivers can save lives on Texas roads.
Be Safe. Drive Smart. messages will be broadcast this month on TV, radio, billboards, gas pumps, theater screens and social media. TxDOT is also hosting community events featuring an interactive exhibit of safety quizzes and video displays at select Buc-ee’s locations along major travel corridors.
Be Safe. Drive Smart. is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
Northeast Texas Trail Improvements Underway in Clarksville
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today announced that a project to upgrade and improve the Northeast Texas Trail in Clarksville, Texas, is set to begin July 19.
Sammy Gist Enterprises was granted 148 working days, weather permitting, to complete this project valued at more than $1.9 million. The target completion date for this project is May 30, 2025.
The work on this project will include construction of a 10-foot-wide shared use path and pedestrian enhancements along the former railroad ROW. Most of the work will be performed off of streets and highways, but care should be taken for vehicles entering and exiting the trail and at streets that cross the trail.
Motorists who travel frequently in these areas are asked to pay special attention to all barricades, traffic controls and signs, and to 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.
For more information, contact [email protected] or (903) 737-9213.For more information, contact [email protected] or (903) 737-9213.
TxDOT Slates Several Summer Traffic Safety Outreach Events
July 18, 2024
PARIS – Texas Department of Transportation officials today announced that several traffic outreach events are slated in July and August, 2024.
The schedule of events includes:
July 24, 10 a.m. to Noon, Mamas & Munchkins Car Seat event, the Hub Center in Clarksville, Texas; 501 West Broadway Street.
Aug. 1, 4 to 6 p.m., Hopkins County Back to School event. 115 Putman Street, Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482.
Aug. 3, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fannindel Back to School Bash promoting car seats and seatbelts. 601 West Main, Ladonia, Texas 75449.
Aug. 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Paris Back to School Bash promoting transport/traffic safety. Love Civic Center, 2025 Collegiate Drive, Paris, Texas 75460.
Aug. 23, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., TAMU-Commerce Welcome Back event on DWI. 200 West Neal Street, Commerce, Texas 75428.For more information, contact [email protected] or call (903) 737-9292.
Dinner Bell for July 24th, 2024
If you are a farmer, a rancher or “country living is just for you”, Texas Farm Credit is able to help!!! Farm Credit Bank of Texas is part of the Farm Credit System established in 1916 by Congress to support rural agricultural communities. It consists of cooperative banks and associations who provide credit to individuals and businesses throughout the United States. The FCS assist the rural community and organizations of all types and sizes, ranging from small family farms to corporations with global operations. The Farm Credit System is a crucial source of funding for the agribusiness industry which is seen as high risk by traditional lenders. The Farm Credit System helps the agriculture industry with such financial products as credit life insurance, crop insurance, accounting tools, mortgages and cash management services. It also provides access to leasing programs that help customers purchase and finance vehicles, farm equipment and other supplies. The federal government initially funded the FCS to ensure American agriculture had a dependable source of credit. It is now self funded and owned by its member- borrowers.
Texas Farm Credit of Sulphur Springs is Community minded and sends a team to the World Championship Stew Contest and Partners with Dinner Bell to provide a nourishing meal to those who need a meal.
Dinner Bell is grateful for the support of Texas Farm Credit.
GRAB and GO with a meal from the distribution area under the covered driveway on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus starting around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
MENU
Spaghetti Casserole
Green Beans
Garden Salad
Buttered French Bread Slices
Texas Sheet Cake
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AS COVID AND FLU ARE LURKING IN OUR MIDST! WEAR MASKS WHERE REQUIRED! WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! GET INOCULATED AND BOOSTED!!!
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
Chamber Connection – July 16, 2024
By Butch Burney
The anticipation has been growing and now it is time for the actual preparation. We are looking forward to a fantastic 55th Annual Hopkins County Stew Contest on Oct. 26, and it’s time for stew cooks to start registering.
Registration for last year’s cooks are going out in the mail and email this week, so be looking for it in your mailbox and inbox. You can also register online at HopkinsChamber.org/stewcooks.
We are keeping the registration fee the same as in past years at $100 per stew site, with the sponsor asked to provide $150 to each cooking team for ingredients.
If you have been a Stew Cook in the past, we look forward to seeing you again and tasting your delicious stew. If you have won the contest in the past, you are eligible to enter the Super Stew competition.
Each returning stew team will have the option of keeping their 2023 site. These sites will be reserved until Monday, September 30, and then on Tuesday, October 1, the “unclaimed” stew sites will be open to “new cooks” and to returning cooks who would like a new site location. After Sept. 30, all sites will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. As in 2023, we will have sites open on both the north and the south side of Connally Street, where we will have a serving tent and market vendors.
We will have a Stewcomers meeting at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15 for any new cooks or those who are thinking about entering. You can get all the information you need to start planning for the largest annual single-day event in Hopkins County.
If you need more information, call the Chamber at 903-885-6515 or email [email protected].
The theme for this year’s stew contest is Stewper Heroes, and we would love for you to participate and be a Stewper Hero!
Cocktails and Conversation
Join us for our main networking monthly event when Nations Lending hosts our Cocktails and Conversation on Thursday, Ju 18.
You don’t have to be a Chamber member to attend. It is free to everyone, and a prime time to make friends and contacts.
The event will also mark the grand opening for Bethany Ashby’s new Nations Lending office, located at 425 Main St.
Back to School Fair
CANHelp in Sulphur Springs is gearing up to host their annual Back-to-School Fair, which assists children in low-to-moderate income families prepare for the new school year, by providing school supplies, haircuts and other needs. The fair is on August 1, but pre-registration is required for students to receive school supplies.
You can pick up an application at CANHelp (613 Gilmer Street).
Businesses may also register to participate as a vendor.
Designer Handbag Bingo
The Hopkins County Healthcare Foundation’s extremely popular Designer Handbag Bingo event is coming Aug. 8, and tickets will go quickly.
Tables of eight for the event are currently on sale, and individual tickets will be up for grabs on July 13.
The link to access sponsorship and ticket information is handbagbingo24.givesmart.com
Quilt Show
The Lone Star Heritage Quilt Show is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22 at the ROC on Putman Street. Numerous projects will be on display, and one special quilt will be up for raffle during the event.
If you’re interested in entering your own quilt project, those arrangements must be made by July 31. To request entry, email [email protected].
Ribbon Cutting
Birthright Midwifery will host a ribbon cutting at the Chamber office, 110 Main St., on Friday, July 26, at noon. Everyone is invited to attend this event.
Texarkana High School Band Instructor Sentenced to 25 years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Violation
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Texas
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Texarkana man has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Brandon Neil Sams, 48, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor while serving as a band instructor at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas and was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III, on July 16, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Sams communicated with several of his minor students through social media and messaging applications to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce them to participate in sexual activity. Sams provided his victims with gifts, such as cell phones, clothes, and prepaid credit cards to encourage them to do what he asked of them. After the Texas High police department uncovered Sams’s criminal activity, several victims came forward to explain that they had been victimized by Sams in the past but had been too afraid to come forward about it for fear of backlash.
Sams came to the attention of law enforcement in 2022 when a boy’s parents reported him after seeing disturbing exchanges between Sams and their child on a cell phone that they believed was evidence of sexual grooming common among pedophiles, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The parents provided an officer with a debit card and a credit card which Sams gave the boy to use and showed text messages on the boy’s phone allegedly sent by Sams using WhatsApp in which he speaks of “gay for pay.” Sams gave the student a laptop computer in exchange for a sexually graphic photo, the affidavit said.
“We expect teachers to protect and keep their students safe from harm, not to abuse their positions of trust to take advantage of them,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Mr. Sams used his access to teenagers to groom them to participate with him in illegal sexual activity. The sentence he received today should serve as a warning to all child predators: we will find you, and you will face justice.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the Texarkana, Texas Independent School District. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Austin Wells.
Bighorn Sheep Coming to El Paso This Fall
July 17, 2024 – Texas Parks and Wildlife is planning to restore bighorn sheep to the Franklin Mountains this fall.
North Franklin Peak is a mountain in the Franklin Mountains. North Franklin, at 7,192 feet (2,192 m), is the highest point in El Paso, and the 27th-highest mountain in the state of Texas. It is surrounded by a state park and with a maintained trail leading to its summit, the mountain is a popular hiking destination.
Texas has eleven herds of free-ranging desert bighorn sheep, the result of restocking efforts begun in 1954 and continuing to the present time.
Desert bighorn sheep are a subspecies of bighorn sheep. They are consider the most threatened of all the bighorn subspecies. Both males and females develop large horns after birth. There is evidence that they use these horns to break open cactus in search for food and water. Males use the horns for fighting and to maintain dominance.
This subspecies is well adapted to rocky dessert condition. The rely on keen eyesight and their excellent climbing abilities to escape coyotes bobcats and other predators.
It’s the Moment you’ve Been Waiting for… Stew Contest Cook Registration
July 16, 2024 – The 55th Annual World Champion
Hopkins County Stew Festival
Saturday, October 26, 2024
The anticipation has been growing and now it is time for the actual preparation. We are looking forward to a terrific and large Stew Contest, and we want you to participate in it! For those who powered through the rain storm last year, we say a big Thank You! It was wet and muddy, but we still served 3,000 people because of your perseverance.
If you have never been a Stew Cook before, here is how it works: First of all, create a cooking team—up to 2 cooks. Second, ask someone to sponsor your stew pot. They will pay $100 to the Chamber of Commerce to sponsor your stew, plus $150 to you to pay for your ingredients. Then, turn in your entry form with your sponsor’s check, pick your stew site, and you are ready to get cooking!
Contestants are also encouraged to participate in the Campsite and Costume contest, as well as the Appetizer Contest on Friday night — just mark it on your entry form. There is also a place on the entry form to pre-order shirts with this year’s logo on the front and “Stew Cook” on the back for only $20 each.
If you have been a Stew Cook in the past, we look forward to seeing you again and tasting your delicious stew. If you have won the contest in the past, you are eligible to enter the Super Stew competition.
Each returning stew team will have the option of keeping their 2023 site. These sites will be reserved until Monday, September 30, and then on Tuesday, October 1, the “unclaimed” stew sites will be open to “new cooks” and to returning cooks who would like a new site location. After Sept. 30, all sites will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. As in 2023, we will have sites open on both the north and the south side of Connally Street, where we will have a serving tent and market vendors.
**PLEASE NOTE** Cooks may pick up their bags on Tuesday, October 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce located at 110 Main Street in Sulphur Springs. It will be a come-and-go opportunity throughout the day where you will receive your contestant bag, 2 complimentary stew bowls, and the contest rules and information. This will also be an opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding the actual stew contest. We will have a short meeting at 5:30 p.m. for cooks who have not previously participated before. This will be a small group format so that new cooks can ask questions and receive their rules packet.
We will also have a Stewcomers meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, for prospective cooks who want more information about the process before they commit to cooking.
Please make sure to have at least one participant or representative from your cooking team collect your bags on October 15.
We are so excited about this year’s huge celebration, and we certainly hope that you will choose to participate in it!
Sincerely,
Butch Burney
President/CEO Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce
Texas Game Wardens’ Operation Dry Water Campaign Effective in Reducing BWIs
July 15, 2024
AUSTIN – Despite the landfall of Hurricane Beryl, Texas Game Wardens worked hard to keep Texans safe as they celebrated the Fourth of July on the water.
Between July 4-6, 402 game wardens contacted 10,034 vessels, issued 1,326 citations and 1,794 warnings for various boating safety violations. Wardens filed 32 boating while intoxicated (BWI) charges and five driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges, two of which were drug related. Additionally, another 30 people were arrested for various other crimes.
“Texas Game Wardens’ dedication to public safety in the face of challenges brought on by Hurricane Beryl was nothing short of remarkable,” said Col. Chad Jones, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) law enforcement director. “These statistics are a testament to the positive impact they continue to make on Texas’s public waterways.”
Texas Game Wardens, the United States Coast Guard and thousands of law enforcement officers across the country participated in Operation Dry Water. This nationally coordinated enforcement campaign prevents boating under the influence. Wardens saw the number of BWI cases drop from 56 during the 2023 holiday weekend to 32 this year. They did, however, file five DWI cases compared to the four last year. The highest blood-alcohol concentration recorded by wardens over the holiday was 0.236.
“As an agency, we have been participating in Operation Dry Water since its inception in 2009,” said Cody Jones, Texas Game Warden assistant commander for marine enforcement. “We attribute the drop in BWI cases from last year in part to our outreach efforts about the dangers of BWI and increased patrols over the holiday. Texas Game Wardens will continue to participate in this operation and continue to play their part in keeping the public safe on the water.”
Another important aspect of Operation Dry Water is boating safety awareness. The TPWD boating education team traveled to multiple water bodies to conduct educational outreach regarding boating and water safety. While partnering with several agencies, the team spoke with people launching 265 vessels, including 462 adults and 80 children at Canyon Lake, Lake Austin, Joe Pool Lake and Lake Tawakoni.
“Many water safety incidents can be avoided by observing boating and water safety practices,” said Kimberly Sorensen, TPWD boating education manager. “Our team tries to reach as many people as possible to spread this message and appreciate when other agencies partner with us.”
Sorensen and team also handed out free life jackets, donated by Fruend Foundation, to boaters and swimmers at Canyon Lake. The life jackets come with an explanation on proper sizing, the importance of wearing them and a reminder that in some instances, wearing a personal floatation device or life jacket is required by law.
Over the course of the holiday, game wardens also conducted multiple open water rescues and responded to 22 boating accidents and five boating related fatalities. Two fatalities occurred in the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston, two at Lake Ray Hubbard and one at Lake Conroe. Wardens also responded to four open water drownings: two at Lake Texoma, one at the Cedar Creek Reservoir and one in the Trinity River near Lake Livingston.
In addition to the increased boating and water safety patrols for wardens over the holiday, they also assisted other first responders with medical emergencies, helped with multiple search and rescues, prevented a suicide attempt, provided first aid to an unresponsive individual before EMS arrived and more.
The Texas Game Warden Aviation Unit assisted game wardens in South Texas with water safety and riverbed regulation enforcement. Wardens in the helicopter were able to relay information and points of interest to ground crews. The joint operation resulted in locating 30 vehicles, ATVs and UTVs illegally in and along the riverbed with multiple cases pending. Aviation also aided wardens in the Port Aransas and Corpus Christi areas, flying the helicopter along beaches to look for water safety concerns.
“I want to commend game wardens for the work they did in light of the drought in some parts of the state, flooding in other parts and all while preparing to respond to the incoming hurricane,” said Cody Jones. “Despite all the adversity, wardens and educators were able to make a positive impact across the state.”
First Texas Case of West Nile Virus and a Global Increase in Dengue Virus Cases Highlights Need for Mosquito Precautions
July 16, 2024 – Public health officials urge Texans to be vigilant in protecting against mosquito bites after confirming the first Texas case of West Nile virus and 10 travel-associated dengue cases for 2024. Precautions should be taken in Texas and while traveling internationally to countries where dengue is endemic.
The first case of West Nile in 2024 was reported in a Montgomery County resident who has been diagnosed with West Nile fever. As of today, the Texas Department of State Health Services has identified nearly 800 mosquito samples infected with West Nile virus in 24 counties.
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Most people exposed to the virus don’t get sick, but about 20 percent develop symptoms like headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue. In a very small proportion, less than one percent, the virus affects the nervous system, leading to the more serious West Nile neuroinvasive disease that can cause neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis and even death.
All of the dengue cases reported in Texas so far in 2024 were acquired while traveling internationally, but a small number of dengue cases have been acquired from mosquito bites in southern Texas in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently alerted health care providers about the increased risk of dengue virus infections in the United States in 2024 based on an unprecedented number of cases being reported globally and higher-than-expected cases identified among U.S. travelers. Most dengue virus cases in the US have been linked to travel to places where the virus is endemic, including most tropical countries of the South Pacific, Asia, the Caribbean, South and Central America and Africa.
Dengue virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and about 25 percent of infections become symptomatic. After about three to 14 days, infected people may develop a fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle aches, joint pain, bone pain, pain behind the eyes and headaches. Most people recover completely within two weeks. However, about one in 20 symptomatic people develop a severe infection called Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever that can be fatal if untreated.
“Unfortunately, many mosquitoes in Texas are capable of spreading diseases, such as West Nile and dengue. These diseases are often mild, but some people will develop severe illness,” said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH. “So, it is important for Texans to know how to protect themselves against mosquito bites.”
Heavy, widespread rain from Hurricane Beryl has left behind standing water that provides mosquitoes ample breeding ground to multiply. An increase in nuisance mosquitoes may initially occur in areas impacted by the storm. This may be followed by an increase in the types of mosquitoes that can spread diseases like West Nile. People working on clean up and recovery should take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
The Texas Department of State Health Services urges people to not give mosquitoes a biting chance by following these steps to protect themselves and their families from West Nile and other diseases spread by mosquitoes.
- WEAR long sleeves and pants. Create a barrier to mosquito bites by covering up.
- APPLY insect repellent. Use EPA-registered repellent such as those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone.
- REMOVE standing water. Emptying out water that accumulates in toys, tires, trash cans, buckets, clogged rain gutters and plant pots will deny mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs and reproduce.
People should also keep mosquitoes out of their homes by using air conditioning and making sure window and door screens are in good repair. DSHS urges people with West Nile or dengue symptoms to contact their health care provider and mention any exposure to mosquitoes.
There were 154 cases of West Nile disease in Texas last year and 13 deaths.* Over the last five years, Texas has had 497 cases and 68 deaths. There were 79 cases of dengue in Texas last year, including one locally acquired case in Val Verde County. Mosquitoes remain active in much of Texas into November and December.
