News

The city of Breckenridge and Stephens Memorial Hospital District came to terms on an interlocal agreement Tuesday, June 2, to provide free meals three days a week for the aging services department.

The agreement includes a check for $18,816.18 written by the city for the “Senior Citizens Fund.” The funds will include any interest accrued between the date the agreement is prepared and the date the check is written.

Stephens County Commissioners amended an item to transfer the funds from Interbank to Stephens County for the Veterans War Memorial on the courthouse lawn.

The funds would close the account and place the funds with the Stephens County registry, where the funds will be audited and accounted for. The commissioners also amended the budget to pay for the names to be added to the memorials during the recent Memorial Day celebration.

Stephens County Commissioners approved the COVID-19 operating plan for the county to reopen the courthouse/courtrooms saftely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plan was approved on Monday, June 1 with the guidance of 90th Judicial District Judge Stephen Bristow and Stephens Memorial Hospital’s William Prater, MD.

For the full story, click here to subscribe or log in to read the Wednesday, June 3 edition of the Breckenridge American.

Unemployment claims filed in Stephens County has increased significantly in 2020 compared to the 2019 statistics after a review of the Texas Workforce Commission.

Since mid-March, Stephens County has seen 271 individuals filing unemployment claims compared to 20 claims in 2019, according to a recent graph by TWC.

For the full story, click here to subscribe or log in to read the Wednesday, June 3 edition of the Breckenridge American.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation ordering early voting by personal appearance to begin on Monday, June 29. Early voting will go through the fourth day before election day with a special election on Tuesday, July 14. The last day to register to vote will be Monday, June 15.

The runoff election will select the candidate in the Stephens County Commissioner of Precinct 1, Republican nominees for the Texas House District 60, and the Democratic candidate facing John Cornyn for the U.S. Senator seat.

Stephens County Commissioners passed a resolution pledging to no tax revenue increase for citizens for the 2021 fiscal budget.

The resolution passed with all county commissioner’s support during the Tuesday, May 26 meeting at the Stephens County Courthouse. The passage comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the “decrease of mineral values of oil and gas, the reduction of income from agricultural businesses, and left many residents of Stephens County unemployed or with a reduction in wages,” according to the resolution.

Breckenridge City Commissioners informed citizens of multiple financial cuts, due to being behind for three years in a row on the yearly budget.

A special meeting of the Breckenridge City Commissioners, held Tuesday, May 26, allowed commissioners and citizens to voice their concerns.

For the full story, click here to subscribe or log in to read the Wednesday, June 3 edition of the Breckenridge American.

Stephens Memorial Hospital is now offering different options to test for COVID-19.

Along with the nasal testing method, Stephens Memorial Hospital will also offer antibodies testing for citizens within the community. Citizens must contact their primary care physician to arrange for testing.

For the full story, click here to subscribe or log in to read the Wednesday, May 27 edition of the Breckenridge American.

The Stephens County Courthouse is assisting the vulnerable population in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals who are over the age of 65 or have underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, compromised immune systems, or cancer will have special accommodations to assist during the pandemic and into the future.