KSTV News

A motorcycle crash in Brownwood has left one person in serious condition. Poclie say 50 year-old Phillip Poor, of Brownwood, was riding in the 1200 block of Austin Avenue on Monday when an SUV driver turned left in front of him. Poor is now recovering at a hospital in Fort Worth.

Artist Narong Tintamusik’s exhibition “To Sleep on a Bed of
Tears” is now open at Tarleton State University’s Clyde Wells Fine Arts Center gallery. It runs through Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. In the exhibition the Dallas-based artist explores themes of identity, sexuality, memory and innocence. His works often are drawn from experiences with the natural world. Tintamusik earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from UT Dallas with a minor in visual arts. He
has exhibited in group shows in Dallas and beyond, including New York, Canada and Germany.

New COVID-19 cases seem to be trending downward in Erath County. That’s definitely good news. However, the infection rate is still concerning. In the county’s latest report provided to us on Monday, there were 12 new positive tests returned in the previous 24 hours. Eight from Stephenville and four from rural residents in the county. Also good news, the number of people hospitalized went down slightly. It now stands at six, while the number of deaths remained the same, at 45. The county is reporting 245 active cases of coronavirus in Erath County right now, with a total of 2,885 people being infected since the pandemic began last March.

In an effort to increase the availability and increase in supply of COVID-19 vaccine in Erath County, officials with Erath County and the City of Stephenville are opening a vaccination center. Texas Department of State Health Services has committed to Erath County, the City of
Stephenville, and Dr. Kelly Doggett to send approximately 300 doses of Moderna Vaccine to Erath County this week. Please do not contact Dr. Doggett’s office about receiving these vaccines. The vaccination center will be located in the Bosque River Center at 2900 W. Washington in Stephenville. It will be located in the building that formerly housed J.C. Penney and most recently the FFO Furniture business. This will be the only location that these vaccines will be administered. There will be no walk ins allowed. It is anticipated at this time that the vaccination center will open on Thursday or Friday January 28th or 29th.

Erath County is temprorarily lifting its burn ban once again. The burn ban will be lifted effectiuve on Monday, January 25th at 9am. County Judge Alfonso Campos continues to urge residents to be very cautious withoutdoor burning. The burn ban lift is based on the determination that the fire danger and circumstances identified in the original burn ban currently do not exist. The Erath County Fire Marshall and other county officials will continue to monitor the fire danger situation daily.

Over to Bronwood, now, where authorities say a man has been arrested and jailed for a robbery of a Brownwood convenience store. Dakota Cross, of Brownwood, was arrested after police obtained a warrant for him on Tuesday. Polcie say Cross held up Lillie’s Food Market at 1201 Austin Avenue. The store’s security video captured the crime taking place, which police say they used to help capture Cross.

Erath County’s latest COVID-19 dashboard that was released yesterday showed 39 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the community in the previous 24 hours. That includes 18 from Stephenville, 16 from rural parts of the county and five from Dublin. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 illnesses rose by one. It now stands at 13. But the death toll figure remained the same, at 42. The county now reporting a significant drop in active coronavirus cases in the community, with 245. It had been fluctuating around 300 for the past couple of weeks.

If you’re interested in running for public office in Stephenville, now’s your chance. The filing period for the May 1st general election ballot opens today. The deadline to submit applications will be 5pm on Friday, February 12th. There will be four Stephenville City Council seats up for grabs. They include Place 1, which is currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Mark McClinton… Place 3, Place 5 and Place 7. In order to qualify, you must be a US citizen who has resided in Texas for at least one year, but also residing in Stephenville for at least 6 months, and a qualified voter for the state of Texas. Applications can be turned into the city secretary at Stephenville City Hall.

The Stephenville Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated a grand opening of a new business in Dublin. Patrick Street Pharmacy and Dublin Family Medicine have opened at 305 North Patrick Street. The facility is a branch of the Comanche County Medical Center. The pharmacy says it will offer hometown service and low prewscription prices. Comanche County Medical Center (CCMC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is part of a growing rural Texas health system serving Comanche, Erath and surrounding counties.

The number of daily cases of COVID-19 in Erath County went down for Monday’s report, but the number of active cases in the community went up. The number of people hospitalized also rose, as did the number of people listed as fatalities. 12 new cases in the community were reported Monday from Stephenville, while two were in Dublin. ANother four were in trhe county, for a total of 18 poisitive test results returned in the previous 24 hours. The number of people who have died from complications of COVID-19 rose to 42. The number of people currently hospitalized stands at 12.