Inspector General Warns About New Social Security Benefit Suspension Scam

Today, I am warning the public about fraudulent letters threatening suspension of Social Security benefits due to COVID-19 or coronavirus-related office closures. Social Security will not suspend or discontinue benefits because their offices are closed.

The Social Security Office of the Inspector General has received reports that Social Security beneficiaries have received letters through the U.S. Mail stating their payments will be suspended or discontinued unless they call a phone number referenced in the letter. Scammers may then mislead beneficiaries into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain regular benefit payments during this period of COVID-19 office closures.

As of Tuesday, March 17, 2020, local Social Security offices are closed to the public due to COVID-19 concerns. However, Social Security employees continue to work. Social Security will not suspend or decrease Social Security benefit payments or Supplemental Security Income payments due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Any communication you receive that says Social Security will do so is a scam, whether you receive it by letter, text, email, or phone call.

Social Security will never:

§  Threaten you with benefit suspension, arrest, or other legal action unless you pay a fine or fee.

§  Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.

§  Require payment by retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, internet currency, or prepaid debit card.

§  Demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem.

§  Send official letters or reports containing personally identifiable information via email.

If you receive a letter, text, call or email that you believe to be suspicious, about an alleged problem with your Social Security number, account, or payments, hang up or do not respond. We encourage you to report Social Security scams using our dedicated online form. Please share this information with your friends and family, to help spread awareness about Social Security scams.

Learn about Social Security services during the COVID-19 pandemic, by visiting our Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) page.

Painting on the river

Between the coronavirus pandemic and especially rainy weather, work on the downtown historic mural has been slowed considerably, but the sun is shining today and artist Dwayne Windell was out working on it today. For a complete story and update on the status of this mural and others planned for downtown Clarksville, see next week's paper.

Governor Abbott, HHS Announce Federal Approval Of Emergency SNAP Benefits Over $168 million in emergency benefits for all SNAP recipients in Texas

AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide more than $168 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to help Texans during the COVID-19 response. HHS received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. The emergency allotments are currently authorized for the months of April and May and will affect all SNAP recipients in the state of Texas.

"As the state continues to respond to COVID-19, we are working closely with our agency partners to ensure families have access to nutritious meals," said Governor Abbott. "I thank the U.S. Department of Agriculture for quickly granting this approval. These emergency benefits will give hundreds of thousands of Texans the additional support they need to provide for their families during this challenging time."

"The additional SNAP food benefits will give families who are facing economic uncertainty security in knowing that they will continue to have access to food," said HHS Access and Eligibility Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter. "SNAP has always been a safety net for households in their time of need. A pandemic will not stop our work to continue helping families purchase nutritious foods."

SNAP recipients will see the additional amount on their Lone Star Card by April 15 for this month’s benefits, and by May 15 for next month’s benefits. Disbursements will be staggered and will begin on April 9. SNAP recipients do not need to take any further action to receive the additional benefits. More information about SNAP benefits is available here. 

Amended Proclamation Declaring a Local State Of Disaster

WHEREAS, beginning in December 2019, a novel coronavirus, now designated SARS-CoV-2 which causes the coronavirus disease COVID-19, was detected in Wuhan, China, has spread throughout the world and has now been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization; and

WHEREAS, symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and outcomes have ranged from mild to severe illness and in some cases death; and

WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization Director General declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and advised countries to prepare for the containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing, and prevention of onward spread of the disease; and

WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring the growing number of COVID-19 cases that have spread into the United States; and

WHEREAS, over 10,442 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the United States, including 150 deaths; and

WHEREAS, the known cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in the State of Texas is currently increasing daily with 194 positive cases across Texas, including 5 deaths; and

WHEREAS, a large gathering of unidentifiable individuals without necessary mitigation for the spread of infection may pose a risk of the spread of infectious disease; and

WHEREAS, unless the actions as hereby provided are immediately initiated, avoidable serious illness and deaths could occur; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 spreads between people who are in close contact with one another through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes; and WHEREAS, the continued worldwide spread of COVID-19 presents an imminent threat of widespread illness, which requires emergency action; and

WHEREAS, extraordinary measures must be taken to contain COVID-19 and prevent its spread throughout the City of Clarksville and Red River County, including the limitation of community gatherings of over ten (10) people and potentially requiring individuals, groups of individuals, or property to be subject to additional measures that prevent or control the spread of disease; and

WHEREAS, the State Office of Court Administration, in consultation with the Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, and Regional Presiding Judges has provided guidance recommending postponement of all non-essential court proceedings, minimizing staff, and taking all other appropriate measures to prevent the spread of disease; and

WHEREAS, I issued a declaration of local disaster on March 17, 2020 that included the ability to take measures to reduce the possibility of exposure to disease and mitigate the risk to, and promote the health and safety of, the residents of the City of Clarksville; and

WHEREAS, the City Council adopted a resolution extending until March 31, 2020, or until amended or no longer needed.

WHEREAS, on March 19, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbot issued an executive order directing schools to close; banning gatherings of 10 or more people and ordering restaurants to limit operations to drive-through, delivery and pick-up, and bars; closing indoor recreation facilities and other public venues; banning people from visiting nursing homes; starting midnight central standard time on Friday, March 20, 2020 and is effective until midnight April 3; and

WHEREAS, the measures identified in this Declaration are designed to prevent deaths in the City of Clarksville; and

WHEREAS, the identification of "community spread" cases of COVID-19 in the City of Clarksville and the region could potentially signal that transmission of the virus may no longer be limited to travel to outbreak areas or contact with travelers who have visited outbreak areas.

NOW, THEREFORE, BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE GOVERNING BODY, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLARKSVILLE, A GENERAL LAW TYPE A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, BODY POLITIC AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS SITUATED IN RED RIVER COUNTY, TEXAS, AND PURSUANT TO SECTION 418.108 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE (TEXAS DISASTER ACT), BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CLARKSVILLE:

Section 1. Declaration of Local State of Disaster. A local state of disaster for public health emergency is hereby declared for the City of Clarksville, a Texas general law Type A municipal corporation, pursuant to Section 418.108(a) of the Texas Government Code.

Section 2. Duration of Local State of Disaster. Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 418.108(b), the state of disaster for public health emergency shall continue as allowed by the Clarksville City Council until March 31 or until amended or no longer needed.

Section 3. Publicity and Filing. Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 418.108(c), this declaration of a local state of disaster for public health emergency shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the City Secretary.

Section 4. Activation of the City Emergency Management Plan. Pursuant to Section 418.108(d) of the Texas Government Code, this declaration of a local state of disaster activates the City of Clarksville emergency management plan and grants the Mayor the powers set forth herein; including the power to temporarily close City buildings, facilities, and certain uses thereof; to temporarily postpone all non-essential municipal court proceedings; to temporarily suspend all City utility shut-offs to residential customers affected by COVID-19; and to prohibit all public and private Community Gatherings wherein ten (10) people or more are expected to be in attendance.

a. For purposes of this Order, a "Community Gathering" is any indoor or outdoor event or convening subject to the exceptions and clarifications below, that brings together or is likely to bring together ten (10) or more persons at the same time in a single room or other single confined or enclosed space, such as an auditorium, theatre, stadium (indoor or outdoor), arena or event center, meeting hall, conference center, large cafeteria, restaurant, or nightclub/bar, or any other confined indoor or confined outdoor space. For clarity, this includes, but is not limited to, weddings, religious gatherings, parties, funerals, sporting events, social events, conferences, and other large gatherings.

b. An outdoor "Community Gathering" under this Order is limited to events in confined outdoor spaces, which means an outdoor space that (i) is enclosed by a fence, physical barrier, or other structure and (ii) where people are present and they are within arm's length of one another for extended periods.

c. This Order also does not prohibit gatherings of people in multiple, separate enclosed spaces (including separate cubicles) in a single building such as a multiplex movie theater, school classrooms, or different floors of a multilevel building, so long as ten (10) people are not present in any single space at the same time. This Order also does not prohibit the use of enclosed spaces where ten (10) or more people may be present at different times during the day, so long as ten (10) or more people are not present in the space at the same time. For any gathering covered by this subsection c., the Mayor of the City of Clarksville strongly encourages compliance with the CDC Social Distancing Recommendations, including providing hand sanitizer and tissues and increasing cleaning of commonly and frequently touched services.

d. For purposes of clarity, a "Community Gathering" does not include spaces where ten (10) or more persons may be in transit on buses, trains or airplanes; or waiting for transit, such as airports, bus stops or terminals. In addition, "Community Gathering" does not include the following spaces where ten (10) or more persons may congregate, so long as visitors are generally not within arm's length of one another for extended periods:

(i) office space or residential buildings;

(ii) grocery stores, shopping malls, or other retail establishments where large numbers of people may be present, but it is unusual for them to be within arm's length of one another for extended periods; and

 (iii) hospitals and medical offices and facilities.

In all such settings, the Mayor of the City of Clarksville recommends following Social Distancing Recommendations, and personal hygiene measures, including providing hand sanitizer and facial tissues.

Section 5. Temporary Housing and Emergency Shelter. Pursuant to Section 418.020(d) of the Texas Government Code, the City of Clarksville is authorized to:

(1) temporarily or permanently acquire by lease, purchase, or other means sites required for installation of temporary housing units or emergency shelters for disaster victims; and

(2) enter into arrangements necessary to prepare or equip the sites to use the housing units or shelters, including arrangements for the purchase of temporary housing units or shelters and the payment of transportation charges.

Section 6. Protective Control Measures and Facilities. Pursuant to Section 122.006 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, the City of Clarksville is authorized to adopt rules to protect the health of persons in the City of Clarksville, including quarantine rules to protect its residents against communicable disease and provide for the establishment of quarantine stations, emergency hospitals, and other hospitals.

Section 7. Reporting of COVID-19 Testing. The city manager shall establish an order that all public, private, and commercial labs within the City of Clarksville shall report the number of COVED-19 tests conducted on a daily basis to the City of Clarksville and establish a penalty for failure to report.

Section 8. Limits on Large Gatherings. Pursuant to Section 418.108, the city manager shall establish an order to limit the size of gatherings to no more than ten (10) people. Section 9. Penalties. Pursuant to Section 418.173 of the Texas Government Code, Peace officers, City of Clarksville Code Department inspectors, and the Office of the Clarksville Fire Marshall, are hereby authorized to enforce this order. Persons who violate this Order commit a misdemeanor violation punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days. Section 10. Effective Date. This Proclamation shall take effect immediately upon its issuance by the Mayor of the City of Clarksville, Texas.

I HEREBY DECLARE A LOCAL STATE OF DISASTER WITHIN THE CITY OF CLARKSVILLE to continue until March 31, 2020, or until amended or no longer needed. ACCORDINGLY, I further proclaim activation of the City Emergency Management Plan and the activation of all other statutory and ordinance powers vested in me and all officers of the City of Clarksville to act in the premises and for the purposes stated.

Prompt and general publicity is hereby proclaimed and ordered as to the issuance of this Proclamation. ORDERED this 20th day of March, 2020, in the City of Clarksville, Red River County, Texas, in witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name. Filed with me, City Secretary Melissa Gibson of the City of Clarksville this 20th day of March, 2020, by Mayor Ann Rushing whose signature I hereby certify is true and genuine, with general publicity of the foregoing Proclamation being put into effect the same date as the signing thereof.

Mayor Rushing, City Clalksville

Melissa Gibson, City Secretary

Social Distancing Recommendations

1) Vulnerable Populations: Limit Outings a. Vulnerable populations include people who are: i. 60 years old and older; or ii. People with certain health conditions such as heart disease. lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and weakened immune systems. b. For vulnerable populations, don't go to gatherings (of 10 people or more) unless it is essential. If you can telecommute, you should avoid people who are sick.

2) Workplace and Businesses: Minimize Exposure a. Suspend nonessential employee travel. b. Minimize the number of employees working within arm's length of one another, including minimizing or canceling large in-person meetings and conferences. c. Urge employees to stay home when they are sick and maximize flexibility in sick leave benefits. d. Permit sick employees to stay home without providing a doctor's note. e. Consider use of telecommuting options. f. Some people need to be at work to provide essential services of great benefit to the community. They can take steps in their workplace to minimize risk.

3) Large Gatherings: Cancel Non-essential Events a. Recommend cancelling or postponing large gatherings, such as concerts, sporting events, conventions or large community events. b. Do not attend any events or gatherings if sick. c. For events that aren't cancelled, we recommend: i. Having hand washing capabilities, hand sanitizers, and tissues available; ii. Frequently cleaning high-touch surface areas like countertops, doorknobs, and handrails; and iii. Finding ways to create physical space to minimize close contact as much as possible.

4) Schools: Safety First a. Do not have your child attend school if sick. b. If you have a child with chronic health conditions, consult the child's doctor about school attendance. c. Frequent re-education of students and staff regarding personal hygiene measures (handwashing, etc.) and ensuring that appropriate signs are posted. d. Schools should equip all classrooms with hand sanitizers and tissues. e. Recommend rescheduling or cancelling medium to large events that are not essential, even if the events would otherwise comply with the Order. f. Explore remote teaching and online options to continue learning. g. Schools should develop a plan for citywide school closures and families should prepare.

Investigation continues

Business Hwy. 37 on the outskirts of Clarksville remained closed as of 1 p.m. Thursday as crime scene forensics continued relating to the shooting Thursday morning. Here, a state trooper makes measurements at the scene.

Officer involved shooting Thursday morning in Clarksville

Official Statement from The City of Clarksville:

“On Thursday, February 27, 2020 there was a multi jurisdictional response to a 911 call in the City of Clarksville. Unfortunately, it resulted in an officer involved shooting. The Texas Rangers have taken over the investigation and no names will be released at this time.

"The City of Clarksville does not have any further information on this incident. All questions will need to be deferred to the Texas Rangers office. Our thoughts and Prayers are with the families involved.”

Tigers glide past Union Grove

By BRUCE E. WILLIAMS

Sports Correspondent

The Clarksville Blue Tigers opened the 2020 playoff run in impressive fashion as Coach Willie Coulter's team charged past the Union Grove Lions 83-51 in a Bi-district game played on Tuesday night at Pittsburg High School.

Clarksville moves on to face Number 1 ranked Martins Mill in Area round action later this week. The Tigers improve their season record to 21-9, while Union Grove ends their season with a 24-9 mark.

Clarksville never trailed in the game, but the Tigers did allow the Lions to hang around for a while, however, behind the play of senior guard Jalen Scott in the first quarter, Clarksville managed to find some breathing room before the Tigers moved to the second frame leading 21-11.

Union Grove, the third seed from District 16-2-A, would manage just four points in the second quarter as the Tigers defense was overpowering. The Lions would record only 15 total points in the initial half, as Clarksville was in control 45-15 at the intermission.

Clarksville senior guard Daquavian Griffin came off the bench to lead the charge to victory with 22 points. Twenty one of his total arrived thanks to Griffin's seven three point field goals. The Tigers had 10 three point hits in the game, with Scott contributing the remaining three. 

Clarksville proved to be relentless on the boards as the Blue Tigers held the Lions to limited shot opportunities. The Clarksville lead was 62-25 when the teams entered the final period.

The Tigers moved to a commanding 79-38 advantage when Griffin chipped in a free throw with 2:34 left. That was the greatest advantage in the game and it would spell the end for Clarksville starters on the playing floor, as Union Grove closed with a 26 point fourth quarter. 

Clarksville, the second seed from District 15-2-A, held double digit advantages at the end of all four quarters. Scott added 14 points for Clarksville, while R.J. Owens contributed 11 points, and Neo Scales, who had a strong performance, joined Olajuwon Woodberry by adding 10 points each.