November 16, 2020
 
Bell County Judge David Blackburn Statement in re COVID19 in Bell County:
On October 8, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-32 to reopen certain venues to 75% capacity and allow resumption of elective surgeries in certain counties. Counties that reside in Trauma Service Areas (TSAs) with high COVID-19 hospitalizations are excluded from these reopening’s. Per the GA-32, areas with high hospitalizations means any Trauma Service Area that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity exceeds 15 percent, until such time as the Trauma Service Area has seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity is 15 percent or less.
 
A county within a TSA that has high hospitalizations may still reopen up to 75% if the county meets attestation parameters established under GA-32.
 
According to State DSHS COVID dashboard for yesterday, Trauma Service Area L (which is comprised of 6 counties , Bell, Coryell, Hamilton, Lampasas, Milam, Mills) there was a total of 1,282 staffed hospital beds and 310 of those were currently available…meaning we are at about 76% capacity.
 
Under the Governor’s Order relating to reserving hospital bed capacity, this means that , for the region, we are at about 91% of capacity relative to the Governor’s threshold for hospital bed capacity.
 
Discussions with our 3 area hospital system administrators also indicate that our local hospital capacity, while being managed, is seeing signs of stress as it relates to bed capacity and COVID. BSW currently has 46 COVID patients, the highest census of COVID patients since mid-August. While BSW is below the Governor’s 15% threshold number requiring elective surgeries to cease, I am advised that they are currently not scheduling any new elective surgical cases that require a hospital bed for the first part of this week.
 
Seton and Advent are also experiencing much the same as BSW as relates to hospital capacity and COVID patients and are making adjustments to better manage hospital bed capacity in order to stay below the Governor’s 15% threshold.
 
I share all this to simply say that we need to heed the advice and counsel of our health authorities and continue to be vigilant in our COVID health protocols. Maintaining social distancing, wearing our face coverings when we are out and about and can’t maintain social distancing, and washing our hands frequently remain our best line of defense against COVID.
 
These health protocols are also our best line of defense against a return to more stringent health, economic and business measures. I don’t think any of us want a return to some of the measures we saw in the Spring of this year … measures that we are seeing re-imposed in other parts of the country as we speak.
 
As we gather for the upcoming holidays with friends and family, please be careful and safe…for your own good, and for the good of those friends and family that are with you.
 
 
David Blackburn
Bell County Judge 

The McLennan Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Temple Chamber of Com­merce, and Extraco Banks will present a vir­tual training on December 3, 2020, at 11:00 am about the legal structuring of social en­terprises.
 
A social enterprise is a business model that addresses a basic unmet need or solves a social or environmental problem through a market-driven approach. It blurs the lines of traditional business, government, and non-profit sectors.
 
Social enterprises allow you to make a posi­tive impact without the limits of a non-profit. Join the virtual training with Tisha Dodge to discover if a social enterprise is right for your business.
​
Tisha Dodge, a business lawyer of 24 years and seasoned business owner of her own social impact businesses, will answer your questions. Tisha earned her BA in Political Science from George Washington University in Washington DC and her JD from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 1995.
 
Tisha believes an entrepreneur can make a profit and serve a greater good. Her law firm, Dodge Legal Group, SPC, is the first, and presumed only, Texas Social Purpose Corporate Law Firm in Texas and provides legal services to social en­terprises, start-ups, established businesses, and non-profits, empowering you with legal knowledge to maximize business growth.
 
Register for the training at http://bit.ly/SBDCSocialEnterprise.

​The COVID-19 outbreak has taken a toll on our families, friends, and neighbors. It has resulted in difficult times for many of our local businesses, which are vital and unique to our community. Early on in the pandemic, some industries were mandated to close temporarily, others had to scale back, and many have changed their operations completely.
 
As we enter the holiday season, and potentially another wave of COVID-19 cases, we must continue to support the local businesses who create the fabric and character of our community. It is easy to rely on online shopping in a time like this, but we have to think of the long-term consequences of a quick online checkout.
 
According to the Small Business Economic Impact Study, consumers’ local impact during the holiday shopping season is significant because an average of $0.67 of every dollar spent at local businesses stays in the local community.
 
Looking at that bigger picture, think how those dollars spent in the greater Temple area make our community a little better. The local businesses where you shop, dine, or play, employ our family, friends, and neighbors. They pay taxes, which help to provide essential services like police, fire and rescue, infrastructure improvements, schools, and parks. Local businesses also support various local clubs, teams, and events. 

This holiday shopping season, we encourage you to shop and buy local with Temple Chamber Members. Be sure to check out our Temple Chamber Member directory at web.templechamber.com/allcategories.
 
When visiting local establishments, be sure to wear a face-covering and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Plus, here are a few other ways to safely support local business:

1. Order Takeout or Delivery – many of our local restaurants have found a way to continue safely serving during this difficult time. Many have curbside pickup or even delivery options. Now is a perfect time to order from your favorite restaurant or to try somewhere new!
   
   
2. Order Ahead – simplify your transactions by placing your order before arriving. Many businesses are offering an option to purchase goods or services through their social media, via a phone call, or through email. Ordering ahead will shorten your exposure time to others and lessen the risk for everyone involved.
   
   
3. Purchase Gift Cards – support your favorite business by purchasing a gift card now to use later.
   
   
4. Write Positive Reviews – Write positive reviews of your favorite local businesses on Facebook, Google, and Yelp.
   
   
5. Utilize Social Media – Like, Follow, Comment, Share – help spread the news of your local businesses to your friends and followers!

 
Local business owners are our family members, friends, and neighbors; they are our community, and they need our support now more than ever before.