The past month has been a rollercoaster ride for local farmers, with changes in temperature and rainfall affecting their crops and livestock.
Lyle Zoeller, an agent with the Bell County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office, said this yearâs weather has mostly affected local crops and not so much the livestock. He said this year shows why having a diversity of crops is so critical.
âIt is not like any we have had recently,â Zoeller said. âWe have had, quite honestly, a cooler than normal temperatures, and now we have had significant rainfall in May, June and now July. So itâs just another different year where you just got to take it one day at a time.â
Thanks to a decline in Bell County s COVID-19 hospitalization rate, businesses that had been operating at half of their usual occupancy may now welcome more customers, and we could see bars reopen soon.
Bell County Emergency Management announced Wednesday that Bell County Judge David Blackburn has been informed of the drop in hospitalizations and advised on what that means for the county.
Judge Blackburn received a letter Tuesday from Dr. John Hellerstedt, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). In it, Dr. Hellerstedt reportedly confirmed that, according to DSHS records, Trauma Service Area L (TSA L), which includes Bell County, has experienced 7 consecutive days in which the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has not exceeded 15% of hospital capacities.