The Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative is on the hot seat in Hemphill and Sabine County after the city of Hemphill was advised recently by coop general manager Larry Warren, the city would not be allowed to provide electrical power to a new nursing home being built just outside the Hemphill city limits. Although the project is located outside the city limits, it is inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction the city of Hemphill has serviced in the past. Hemphill City Manager Don Iles says the only way the city can offset other utility costs to the project, such as water, sewer and gas, would be to sell electricity to the nursing facility.  At Monday night’s meeting of the Hemphill City Council, a full house of concerned citizens, county officials and a representative from State Senator Robert Nichols’ office were in attendance. The new nursing facility is reported to provide 80 to 90 new jobs in Sabine County that has the highest unemployment rate in the state at almost 17 percent.  Some are calling Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative’s decision a “power struggle”. The City of Hemphill purchased over $2 million in electricity from the coop last year, which in turn was sold to city residents and businesses.  Meanwhile, the city of Hemphill is questioning who was picking up the tab on the installation of lines currently being installed by an out-of-state contractor to run service to the nursing home. Citizens are concerned coop members are paying for the installation.  None of the three Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative members from Sabine County, nor Warren were in attendance at the meeting.