Local News
Big jump in Rockwall County unemployment
Rate highest ever recorded for the start of the year
HEATH — Local unemployment rose sharply to start the year, with the jobless rate and the number of people seeking jobs the highest recorded during the month of January so far this century.
On the other hand, the number of people at work also set a record for the month, according to a report issued Thursday by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
Rockwall County’s unemployment rate was listed at 8.2 percent in January, up from the 7.6 percent rate seen in December. Unemployment during January 2009 was listed at 6.6 percent.
There were 3,190 people listed as unemployed in Rockwall County in January, the highest number recorded for the month since at least January 2000, while also representing an increase of 227 people from December and 689 persons from January 2009.
There were 35,926 people listed as employed in the county during January, the highest number posted for the month this century, and 529 more than twelve months earlier, but 106 less than in December.
Rockwall County is listed by the TWC as part of the Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan Division, which also includes Dallas, Collin, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Hunt and Kaufman counties.
Kaufman County recorded the division’s highest January unemployment rate, at 9.6 percent. Dallas County posted 9.2 percent unemployment and Hunt County reported 9.1 percent unemployment during the month.
Delta County recorded 8.9 percent January unemployment, with Ellis County posting 8.7 percent unemployment during the month.
Collin and Denton counties were tied for the division’s lowest unemployment rates during January, at 7.8 percent.
- Local News
-
-
Taking Shape...
With construction in its earliest stages at the Rockwall County Courthouse building site, county commissioners and a construction company representative concentrated this week on procedures for keeping commissioners in the information and decision-making loop.
-
Veterans applaud vote on memorial
A recent vote by Rockwall County Commissioners Court was applauded by the audience of almost 30 people.
-
Heath to look at entry corridor concepts
City of Heath staff members got the nod recently to move forward in the development of concepts for entry corridors, beginning with the Farm to Market 740 entry into the city.
-
RCP production features returning students for ‘That’s Entertainment’
“That’s Entertainment,” a musical tribute to Broadway, opens tonight and runs through Aug. 8.
-
Award-winning imaginations | Cullins-Lake Pointe DI team
These Doris Cullins-Lake Pointe Elementary School students got to tell Rockwall Independent School District trustees about their competition in the Destination Imagination Global Finals Tournament held at the University of Telnnessee. The team placed first in the regional tournament, second in the Texas State Tournament and eighth out of 60 teams in the global finals. The students had to build a structure out of newspaper and glue. It needed to be as light as possible and hold as much weight as possible to obtain the highest score. Team members are (from left) second grader Megan Woolly and fifth graders Ryan Hollifield, Andrew Murphy, Zach Dougal and Chris Dulac.
-
Home school resource center opening new campus in Rockwall
School is out for the summer, but a program called Classical Conversations (CC) is gearing up for the 2010-11 school year. A North Carolina-based home school organization, CC serves the Dallas Metroplex, including a new campus in Rockwall which will meet at Trinity Harbor Church at 306 E. Rusk.
-
County considers modular building to ease overcrowding
Rockwall County commissioners soon will decide whether a modular building is the temporary solution to easing overcrowding in the Rockwall County Government Center.
The building at 1101 Ridge Road is operating at capacity, but more office space will be needed in November when the new 439th District Court opens. -
Ground broken in Fate on new home for volunteer fire department
City and county officials, firefighters and residents gathered in downtown Fate on Monday to celebrate a “very special” and “historic” occasion — a groundbreaking ceremony for Fate Fire Rescue’s new home.
-
Former policeman hired as RISD director of safety and security
The Rockwall Independent School District is pleased to announce that Bart Rosebure has been named as the new director of safety and security. The Board of Trustees approved the hiring at their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, July 19.
-
DA warns residents to guard against identity theft
Rockwall County’s criminal district attorney is taking a program to senior citizen audiences because she wants to warn them about one of the nation’s fastest growing criminal enterprises.
These criminals are thieves, but they usually don’t steal belongings from their victims. What they want, instead, is the victim’s identity. - More Local News Headlines
-
