Agri-Life extension office presents updates
The Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court met Monday morning to present a check to the Senior Citizen Center for $1,000 with Karen Weatherman, sharing that the money would be used to buy Thanksgiving Dinner for the seniors and community.
The court also discussed and approved accepting the purchase of a one ton crew cab truck for Precinct Three for $49,995 from Jay Hodge Chevrolet dealership and to hear a report on the Agri-Life Extension activities from Johanna Hicks and Mario Villarino.
The Hopkins County Livestock and Forage Education conducted four private application trainings, submitted 42 newspaper articles and sent out newsletters to their private applicators. There were also four planning meetings, a homeowner septic system training, 12 Master Gardner meetings and a Grasslands tour which had 25 attendees.
“Beef Day was a huge success,” Villarino shared. “There were over 2,500 visitors to the event.”
The Family and Community Health highlights included the Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes and Cooking Well with Diabetes for National Diabetes Awareness Month. The Master Wellness Volunteer Program currently has 11 trained volunteers with 824 hours logged in 2021 reaching over 3,464 individuals.
For the Better Living For Texans program conducted Fresh Start, Healthy Snacking and the 55+ Health Fair.
Hicks conducted a Marriage Education Workshop with three couples completing the materials covering topics such as marriage expectations, conflict resolution, money management and goal setting.
The Walk Across Texas program which consists of three separate walks: Walk and Talk, Walk Across Texas and Walk Through Texas History. It covers over 12,114.57 miles.
The court also held a hearing regarding the establishing of a reinvestment zone for, by and between Hopkins County, Texas and Belltown Solterra Solar, LLC and approving the resolution for the reinvestment zone.
Austin Willis of Belltown Power Texas was in attendance to discuss the solar project on behalf of Belltown Power.
“Belltown Power has been operating for around five years in North Texas, and we have conducted or are in progress on 12 projects currently,” Willis said. “The Solterra project would be our thirteenth.”
The project is currently valued at almost one million dollars per megawatt at $140 million for the 143-megawatt project.
“The 313 application has been submitted and is under review with the comptroller,” Willis commented. “We hope to start construction by the end of 2022.”
Judge Robert Newsom shared that the land being leased in the project belongs to the Tully Family and the Los Senderos Cattle and Ranch Company.
The court then approved the agreement by and between TargetSolutions Learning, LLC with Vector Solutions, a company that provides continued education, learning management, compliance training, workforce scheduling and safety management and the Hopkins County Fire Department.
The court also approved an amendment to a resolution approving the request of Pine Forest Solar I, LLC and Pine Forest Hybrid I, LLC to use certain roads. The only changes made was to strike County Road 3338 and replace it with County Road 3334.