News

Due to the February 12, 2021 disaster declaration by the governor, certain properties within Kaufman County may qualify for a temporary exemption under section 11.35 of the Texas Property Tax Code.

The boys and girls JV golf teams played their JV District at Rusted Rail Golf Club on Wednesday, March 17th. The girls placed 1st overall in the team division with Freshman Makayla Peek leading the way with a 3rd place finish overall individually. Other freshmen placed as well: Emma Chaney (5th), London Littlejohn (6th), Olivia Bowdoin (7th), and finishing Tied for 9th were freshmen Chandler Chaney, Lilly Dishman, and sophomore Alexis Abart.

Hunt Southwest Real Estate Development has kicked off two speculative industrial developments in Denton and Forney, Texas, in response to continued demand for new, state-of-theart construction in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. These represent the 9th and 10th industrial projects Hunt Southwest has developed in the last five years in Texas. The Dallas-based real estate developer recently completed a 1,023,488-square-foot building, Interstate Crossing in Fort Worth, now fully leased by Amazon. Ryan Keiser with KBC Advisors represented Amazon. Trey Fricke, SIOR, Reid Bassinger, SIOR, and Becky Thompson of Lee & Associates represented Hunt Southwest.

Congressman Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have introduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act. The legislation requires DNA testing to confirm a familial relationship between an alien and accompanying minor during their petition for asylum in America.

On Monday, March 8th, Representative Keith Bell (R-Forney) filed House Bill 3211 to amend the Texas education requirements to expand the civics curriculum for grades K-12. HB 3211 would ensure that every student in Texas public schools receives a comprehensive education on the importance of democracy, America’s founding principles, and being an engaged and informed citizen of Texas and the United States.

Easter Week is an exciting time for Christians across the globe. Easter Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday, and during the week, Christians commemorate the Last Supper on Holy Thursday and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. Come Holy Saturday, it may seem as though there’s little left for Christians to do besides prepare for Easter Sunday Mass the following day. However, some churches hold Easter Vigil services on the Saturday night before Easter Sunday. During these vigils, some of which may last several hours, priests will light what is known as a Paschal candle. This candle is several feet tall and within it are several rings of incense, which are intended to symbolize the wounds Christ suffered on the day of his crucifixion. Once the Paschal candle is lit, the priest proceeds to the front of the church, periodically stopping to light various smaller candles. By the time the priest reaches the front of the church, it is illuminated with what Christians believe is the light of Christ. But the Paschal candle’s work does not end on Holy Saturday, as priests will then use the same candle throughout the year during baptisms and funerals.

A minister once asked GOD why it was so hard to follow Him and so easy to follow Satan and the world. GOD answered and said it is because Satan has many ways but I have only one way. That must be the cause for many people to hate GOD. Many think GOD would take everything away from them and turn them into zombies. Nothing could be further from the truth. When GOD forgives a person of their sins and gives the gift of the Holy Spirit is when life really starts. Many exciting things happen and it becomes a joy to go to Church and have fellowship with other Christians. The activities of the Churches are fun for the kids and a pleasure for the adults. Studying the Bible in the classes and learning about what it means to serve GOD is not dull by any means.

My husband and I had a 3 am epiphany recently. We are those people. You know the ones who baby talk their pets, the ones who refer to their puppies as 24 months old instead of two years, the ones who spend more on a pet’s hair and food and supplements than their own? Yep. That is us. We are they. But, the way we came to this realization was quite comical. See, we were completely asleep in the early hours before dawn. That’s a miracle in itself, because in order for me to actually sleep, the following things must occur: 3 fans must be whirring (1 ceiling fan and 2 nightstand fans), a meditation story about a man who canoes down a river and finds an alien hologram must be playing (the meditation story is only a half hour long, but we have the dreamy music set to 10 hours), and I must have the perfect pillow to body ratio of 2 head pillows/1 upper body pillow/1 lower body pillow – aka the pillow fort. 20 milligrams of melatonin and a 16 oz glass of water don’t hurt, either. But, on the night in question, all the stars were aligned and we were both blissfully asleep. Then, it happened. There was a thrashing ruckus-y, wrestle-y, monster noise. My eyes popped open. I froze. Just dreams about holograms and aliens, I thought. Then, it happened again. As my husband rustled (oh, dear, he hears it, too) I immediately went to my internal threat meter. Is it a serial killer? They usually target unaccompanied women. Could it be a kidnapper? No, a decent kidnapper would know we weren’t ransom worthy. How about a dognapper? That only happens to dalmatians and Lady Gaga. It was time to turn on the lights. But 1st, about my bed…

The above words by Ronnie Spector succinctly sum up the life of her former husband and producer of some of her great “hit music” with “wit, passion, and intelligence,” as so many of his former associates would, and still will, submit as “gospel,” when remembering PHIL SPECTOR. Ronnie also said, “I still smile whenever I hear the music we made together, and always will. The music will be forever.”

The COVID-19 pandemic permanently evolved our definition of “home,” inspiring us to reconsider how we use and live in our spaces. For many, it’s no longer just the place where we relax and regroup at the end of the day – it’s also an office, daycare, eatery, gym or classroom.

According to the National Autism Association, autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that affects the normal development of the brain in various areas. Those areas include social interaction, communication skills and cognitive function. Autism generally appears before a child reaches his or her third birthday, and the NAA notes it is diagnosed four times as often in boys than it is in girls. Roughly 40 percent of children with autism do not speak, but parents whose children speak between the ages of 12 and 18 months should know that such youngsters can still ultimately be diagnosed with autism. In such instances, the NAA notes that children lose the words they previously learned. Incidences of autism appear to be on the rise, though the reasons for that remain unclear. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of autism had risen to one in every 59 children by 2018. That’s twice as great as the rate in 2004, when the CDC reported one in 125 children were diagnosed with autism.

Communities in Texas will be healthier and more engaged with their natural surroundings thanks to grants awarded through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP). This opportunity will create 10 grant partnerships, totaling $290,000, supporting community-based conservation and outdoor recreation activities throughout the State.

Spring is upon us and that means the start of Texas’ amazing spring wildflower season. Late winter annuals and perennials lead the 2021 flora parade along Texas highways and state lands within our diverse ecoregions and vernal landscapes.