July 2022

More than 15-million pints of blood are transfused in this country each year. That exceeds 40,000 pints daily. Hospitals in north, central and east Texas are using only a fraction of that amount, but Carter Blood-Care still requests 1,000 volunteer blood donors each day to keep pace with local hospital demands.

The Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management, in conjunction with the Kaufman County Fire Marshal’s Office and local fire departments, are asking landowners who have the ability to plow a fire break approximately 30 feet wide along your fence lines in an attempt to reduce the spread of wildfires during this extreme wildfire season.

Sept. 17: The City of Terrell, in partnership with The Terrell Chamber of Commerce, will host the first ever Terrell Mural Walk. The Mural Walk will be held in historic downtown Terrell from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Participants are invited to enjoy a self-paced tour of the City’s existing historic murals as well as two murals – the Jamie Foxx mural in the 100 block of South Alley and a vintage-inspired fitness mural on the Lyric building – the future home of Hard Bodies - located at 115 W. Moore Ave.

District Attorney Erleigh Norville Wiley announced that a Kaufman County jury has sentenced Laquoncy Deshard Ellis, 41, to 38 years in the Texas penitentiary. Ellis pled guilty to the 3rd Degree Felony offense of Evading Arrest or Detention with a Vehicle.

United Way of Kaufman County will be conducting it annual Agency Grant reviews in February 2023. If you are an organization providing services to Kaufman County residents that are compliant with our Community Impact guidelines (Education, Health and/or Financial Stability), have a 501(c)3 standing with the IRS, have annual audits or reviews and would like an application to apply for grant money, please contact the United Way office at deb@kaufmancountyunitedway.org.

Governor Greg Abbott encouraged Texans to remain vigilant during increased wildfire activity this week as the State of Texas continues ongoing coordinated wildfire response efforts through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). Critical fire danger and widespread drought conditions have resulted in multiple wildfires continuing to burn across Texas, including the Chalk Mountain Fire in Somervell County and the 1148 Fire in Palo Pinto County. Both fires have caused local officials to issue voluntary evacuation orders for residents.

Triple-digit temperatures are forecast throughout the week for North Texas, with temperatures on Wednesday climbing to near-record levels, according to the National Weather Service. To help keep everyone safe during this latest heatwave, the American Red Cross is urging people to use caution and follow our heat safety tips.

As the temperatures rise across the country, extreme heat can have a significant impact on everyone’s safety, but it can be especially stressful and confusing for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Alzheimer’s disease causes a number of changes in the brain and body that may affect their safety, including changes in sensitivity to temperatures.

A funeral service filled with remembrance for Glenn B. Tolbert will be held Saturday, July 30, 2022, at 10 a.m., at Max Slayton Funeral Chapel.

While watching tv the other night, a commercial came on that got my attention. Yeah, that’s right. Believe it or not, an ad that was worth watching. In a closeup of his face, the owner of a local business was speaking directly into the camera. And lo and behold, he was actually not pushing his product!