News

WIND, FRIEND AND FOE!

The wind is one of the most overlooked pieces of the outdoor puzzle. Watching a skilled bush pilot bring a float plane to dock on a windy day requires much skill and is an amazing sight.

WIND, FRIEND AND FOE!

Sitting on a hillside in Palo Pinto County last week on the Dale River Ranch, I overlooked a little valley that led down to a creek that joined the Brazos a half mile or so to the north. My goal was to use my trusty old box call to entice a gobbler out of the heavy cover. On my way driving into the ranch, I stopped at a low water crossing to change into my camo and when I shut the truck door, I heard several gobblers sounding off closeby. The birds were sticking in extremely tight cover and I wondered why. Normally during the early portion of the breeding season, they are strutting around and gobbling in relatively open country, hoping to attract a receptive hen. Had they just come off the roost? Probably not, there were no big roost trees nearby, just a lot of thick junipers and low growing brush common to the area.

Sixth Annual Texas City Nature Challenge Encourages Citizen Scientists to Record Nature Observations

Sixth Annual Texas City Nature Challenge Encourages Citizen Scientists to Record Nature Observations

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), through the Texas Nature Trackers program, is inviting Texans to participate in the sixth annual City Nature Challenge, Friday, April 30 through Monday, May 3. This global community-based scientific effort, co-organized by San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, invites current and aspiring citizen scientists of all ages and backgrounds to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals and fungi using the free mobile app iNaturalist.

Mesquite is Awarded $400,000 State Grant for Lawson Road Improvements

The City of Mesquite announced it has been awarded a state grant of $400,000 for interim improvements to Lawson Road. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) grant will help fund 90% of the project that will add three more feet of road shoulder and a safety guardrail on both lanes of Lawson Road near East Cartwright Road and Milam Road. Construction will begin in 2022.

Here’s How Texas Elections Would Change, and Become More Restrictive, Under the Bill Texas Republicans are Pushing

Senate Bill 7 — a Republican priority — would make changes to almost the entire voting process, taking particular aim at narrowing the latitude local officials have to control voting. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune

Here’s How Texas Elections Would Change, and Become More Restrictive, Under the Bill Texas Republicans are Pushing

Like Republicans across the country, Texas lawmakers are pushing to enact sweeping changes to state voting laws, including new restrictions on how and when voters can cast ballots.

Did You Know?

Thought they might be most often associated with dogs, ticks can affect cats as well. According to Blue Cross for Pets, cats are most likely to encounter ticks if they live near areas with lots of deer and sheep or in regions where other wildlife, such as hedgehogs and rabbits, are present. While ticks are active throughout the year, cats are most likely to encounter them between spring and autumn. That’s due in part to the climate during these seasons, which tends to be warmer and therefore more inviting to cats, compelling them to spend more time outdoors than they do in winter. Ticks, which are eggshaped, are big enough to spot, so cat owners should conduct a careful examination of their cats’ fur each time they come into the house after spending time in the yard. Blue Cross for Pets notes that ticks feel like small bumps on a cat’s skin. Ticks are most likely to attach themselves to particular areas of a cat’s body. These areas include the head, neck, ears, and feet. Routine brushing, especially whenever cats come inside after time spent outdoors, can help cat owners spot and remove ticks from their cats. It’s important to recognize that indoor cats are not invulnerable to ticks, as other pets and humans can track ticks indoors. Periodic inspections and brushing of indoor cats’ can protect them from ticks and the diseases ticks carry.

Forney ISD’s Music Education Program Earns ‘Best Communities for Music Education’ Recognition for the Seventh Year in a Row
Forney ISD’s Music Education Program Earns ‘Best Communities for Music Education’ Recognition for the Seventh Year in a Row

Forney ISD’s Music Education Program Earns ‘Best Communities for Music Education’ Recognition for the Seventh Year in a Row

For the seventh straight year, Forney ISD has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

Mad Max Margaritas
Mad Max Margaritas

Mad Max Margaritas

There’s a certain day where the tequila runs like a river, the limes are fresh, and the salt rains down like a February snowmageddon. If you happen upon downtown Garland, expect to see bounce houses and colorful sidewalk markets, in non-Covid times, at least. Restaurant Dos Banderas does it up big, complete with Mariachi bands and flamenco dancers. Elsewhere, walk into any chain restaurant and prepare to be greeted by artificially green margaritas, specials on tacos, and a sombrero wearing hostess welcoming you in with a “Happy Cinco de Mayo.” It’s Mexican Independence Day, right? Umm, no. In fact, May 5th doesn’t even get a nod in Mexico, unless you wind up doing the limbo at an all-inclusive resort in Playa wearing a green, white, and red lei. What’s so important about Cinco de Mayo? Turns out, it’s a real messy situation that’s a little bit Austrian, a little bit French, with ample nobility laden family histrionics. But first, meet Max.

Construction on Kaufman County Justice Center Begins Officially with Groundbreaking
Construction on Kaufman County Justice Center Begins Officially with Groundbreaking

Construction on Kaufman County Justice Center Begins Officially with Groundbreaking

Tuesday, April 13, was a notable day for Kaufman County. Kaufman County Judge Hal Richards, led a ceremony that was attended by County officials and employees, as well as other area elected officials and citizens, to break ground on the County’s new Justice Center. This long-awaited project will bring muchneeded upgrades to the County’s judicial system.

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Forney Messenger

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 936, Forney, TX 75126
Physical Address: 201 W. Broad St., Forney, TX 75126
Phone: 972-564-3121
Fax: 972-552-3599