COVID-19

The Department of State Health Services Thursday reported a major increase in positive cases of COVID 19 in Hopkins County. There were 15 new positive cases for a total of 107 since March, with 66 recovered and 41 active in our community. The hospital has one Covid-19 patient. No one …

Most of Tuesday’s voting ran smoothly. But thousands of Texans who tried to vote by mail say they never got their ballots. While others say, their mail-in ballots were returned to them, unopened. Some say they were successful on the second attempt. It’s not clear exactly how many voters were …

Texas will allow school districts more flexibility when it comes to in-person instruction this fall. Governor Abbott told a TV station in Houston that he plans to give districts more time to develop a safe re-opening plan. Last week, the state said districts risked losing state funding if they allowed …

Thousands of Texans lost their health insurance since the start of the pandemic, and the state now has the highest rate of people without coverage in the country. The group, “Families U-S-A,” says 659,000 people in Texas lost insurance coverage through their job from February through May. California had more …

The FBI ran about 5.4 million background checks for gun purchases from April to June, almost double the 2.8 million processed in the same period last year. Dealers say new buyers make up 40% of recent sales, and handguns, which most use for personal protection, are selling twice the rate …

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Wednesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is isolating at home. Stitt, 48, has backed one of the country’s most aggressive reopening plans, has resisted any statewide mandate on masks, and rarely wears one himself.

On Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott announced that his Public Safety Office would provide $41 million in federal funds to assist cities and counties with the COVID-19 response. Funds awarded under Program go for first responder overtime and hazard pay, equipment and supplies, social distancing and personal protective gear, and county …

Hospitals across Texas are reporting more Covid-19 patients after a one-day drop earlier this week. Some hospitals in North Texas say the number of patients has increased 180 percent over the past month. Hospitals in the DFW area are moving beds to keep from running out of space, but the …

On Wednesday, the Paris-Lamar County Health District received notification of an additional COVID-19 related death. It is an 82-year-old female and brings the total fatalities to 15 in Lamar County. The county also has 13 more COVID-19 cases for 466. They are a 12-year-old female, a 19-year-old female, a 22-year-old …