A default judgment on the now-vacant Canadian Apartments, located at 203 Birch, will be issued in court sometime this month. Once the judgment is returned, the property may be offered for sale by local taxing entities in an effort to recoup the back taxes owed and return the property to the tax rolls.

Commissioners considered, but turned down, a suggestion by Judge George Briant that—in light of the continued COVID-19 surge here—they temporarily close the county-owned Jones Pavilion for use by the public.

The number of new COVID-positive tests performed by the Hemphill County Hospital Laboratory Department continued to rise over the last eight days, increasing by 26 the number of confirmed positive cases in this county since last Wednesday. According to HCH, there are now 49 active cases in Hemphill County, out of 309 total positive tests reported by the lab.

Hemphill County has $23 million in cash and cash equivalents, with unrestricted net assets of $26.5 million. Based on annual expenditures, the county has enough in reserve to continue operating for 35.3 months—an admirable position, according to Doshier, Pickens, & Francis partner John Merriss.