Steve Killian, superintendent of Cooper Lake State Park , says admissions at the Doctor's Creek unit of the park was up 50 percent in August compared to last year, and the South Sulphur unit was up 30 percent. Cooper Lake was 10th in admissions for all state parks in June. Steve says the park has recently had some controlled burns of several hundred acres that are necessary for the park's ecosystem.

Commerce Mayor Wyman Williams says the City Council received a report from Acting City Manager Ned Muse that the city actually saw an increase in sales-tax and property tax revenue during the 2019-20 fiscal year, just ended, despite the coronavirus lockdowns. One reason is a new state law that allows cities to receive sales taxes from online purchases. The council this week adopted the budget for 2020-21, which includes a pay increase for city employees. A public hearing on the proposed tax rate

Lori Cope, the director of CASA, the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Hunt County , reports that a major increase in the number of removals of children from their homes, and placements in foster care, has been seen since school resumed and teachers have seen evidence of abuse or neglect. CASA recently had received reports of 21 child removals from homes since early August, compared to 16 from April 1 through July during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Karri McCreary, co-owner of the Greenville Animal Hospital , reflects on a story that telemedcine for pets is catching on during the coronavirus pandemic, but she says, so far, it's not a trend in Northeast Texas.

Alice Reese, Herald-Banner movie reviewer, says "The Broken-Hearts Gallery," new in theaters this weekend, features a great comic performance by a young Australian actress, Geraldine Viswanathan, but will primarily be appreciated by milennial audiences. Alice also discusses "Tenet," the science-fiction action movie, that is the biggest hit since the coronavirus situation began.

Wayne Bowman, Hunt County Master Gardener , says if you intend to grow any fall vegetables, time is running out. It's important to plant so that you can harvest a crop before the first frost by around mid-November. Wayne recommends buying transplants from garden centers at this point, in particular the " cole crops," such as cabbage, turnips and collard greens. Wayne also discusses soil testing in this conversation.

Carol Taylor, Hunt County Historical Commission chairman, says the Ebenezer Baptist Church of Wolfe City recently received the 100th historical marker presented in Hunt County. The predominantly-black church was founded in 1889 by a committee made up of men and woman, and blacks and whites, very unsual for the time.

Paul Voss, Commerce Chamber of Commerce president, says the Chamber has decided not to hold the annual Bois D'Arc Bash this year for the first time since it started in 1987. The reason, of course, is the continuing threat of the coronavirus. Paul says not holding the popular celebration will cause considerable financial stress for the Chamber.

Frances Dalbey, community outreach specialist with Hunt Regional Healthcare , says it is National Cholesterol Education Month. As on many other topics, Hunt Regional provides a comprehensive fact sheet on the best ways to avoid "bad" cholesterol.

Autumn Johnson, director of Campus Recreation at Texas A&M University-Commerce, reflects on an article advocating that hedonism has its place. A University of Zurich study finds that enjoying short-term pleasures contribute as much to happiness as self-control.