- Hopkins County has joined those Northeast Texas counties that have banned outdoor burning. Almost all Northeast Texas counties now have active burn bans in place. Only Franklin, Titus and Camp counties are still allowing outdoor burning. The region has enjoyed a break from triple-digit high temperatures this week, but ground conditions remain extremely dry. The Texas A&M Forest Service currently rates fire danger levels at “high” for almost all of Northeast Texas. Early this morning, firefighters contained a wildfire that occurred east of Mt. Pleasant.
- The City of Paris is changing its provider for trash pickup. The Paris News reports this week, the city council voted 5-2 to award a contract to Arkansas-based CARDS Holdings, Inc., to become the city’s new garbage pickup service. The News reports CARDS Holdings has been in business since 2017 and has operations in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. CARDS Holdings successfully outbid Paris-based Sanitation Solutions.