Created by Shangri La Tarot, Astrology, Reiki, 111 Austin Street, 469-994-2295 For the Week of August 31 to September 5, 2024 As Mercury goes direct on August 28th, the square between Jupiter and Saturn reminds us that fulfillment doesn’t require greatness. Rather than challenging authority or seeking global change, focusContinue Reading

Rick Smith/Columnist Val Lou looked at Cousin Gary like he had come unhinged when he made an unthinkable announcement at the breakfast table.  “Say again!” she replied.  He blinked, wondering what he had said that earned him a look that registered somewhere between amusement and disdain.  “I think Krispy KremeContinue Reading

Ken Bridges/Columnist Success is never a straight line. Gail Borden’s story is how an Indiana farmboy with almost no formal schooling went from being a Texas revolutionary and editor to a celebrated inventor and wildly successful New York factory owner.  The calm and curious man nurtured not only revolution in Texas but a revolutionContinue Reading

Rick Smith/Columnist Listen up, fellow wisecracks, Friday, August 16, 2024, is National Tell a Joke Day. It’s a day that the world celebrates the art of telling tales.  Now, I know that humor is deeply subjective. Not all jokes are funny. One person’s knee-slapper is another’s eye-rolling grizzle. Sometimes IContinue Reading

Ken Bridges/Columnist The twentieth century opened up a new frontier for innovation and adventure: the skies.  With the first successful airplane flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903, airplanes began making rapid advances that would change transportation forever.  Aviation had come to stay, and Texas would play an important early role.  Two pilots inContinue Reading

Rick Smith/Columnist Grace’s roots were in northwestern Louisiana.  “I’ll die here,” she said, words firmly planted in her headroom. And it was there, a short drive from her birthplace, she crossed the great divide, having ventured only a couple times to the other Cotton States. I coaxed her to flyContinue Reading

Created by Shangri La Tarot, Astrology, Reiki, 111 Austin Street, Jefferson 469-994-2295 Weekly Horoscopes and Lucky Numbers (July 26th – August 1st) Aries: This week, you’re urged to take things slow and avoid hasty decisions. Focus on introspection and long-term goals. Expect some challenges in your personal relationships, but communicationContinue Reading

Rick Smith/Columnist About 25 years ago, I eased up to a traffic light on the northside of Houston. Two young men, probably in their early to mid-twenties, were standing to my left on the median strip. Their clothes were stained with sweat and dirt, hair greasy, fingernails encrusted with dirt.Continue Reading

Rick Smith/Columnist It’s July. The middle of the summer. The busiest month for summer vacations. In case you are wondering what to do, here are twelve awesome summer activities to either add to or check off your bucket list.  Prepare a cherry dessert. Have you been to Brookshire’s on BroadwayContinue Reading

Ken Bridges/Columnist  Many historical figures make an impact in multiple fields.  For Dr. Roland Vela, an intense curiosity about the world as well as a drive to serve others became the defining characteristics of his life.  He spent a decades-long career making important discoveries in science and helping to makeContinue Reading

By Hunter Bonner  My name is Hunter Bonner, and I am your newly elected Marion County Republican Chairman.  I was elected in the primary election on March 5, 2024 and my term will last through State Convention in 2026. When I decided to run for County Chairman, I did soContinue Reading

Rick Smith, Columnist I’m hard pressed to name a favorite color. I like bold, eye-catching colors. But I usually wear black. I like black. Blue jeans. Black shirt. Black boots. I’m good to go.  Black suit, black Oxford dress shoes, white shirt, and the razzle dazzle of a red tie.Continue Reading

Rick Smith/Columnist She was a frugal chef. Not by choice though. She managed to put three homemade meals on the table every day. No easy task. She cooked with her soul, using simple ingredients. Her food was delicious, and if it wasn’t, it was because she was working out theContinue Reading

Demonstrate and Profess the Good News! Lynnett Arielle Rabbi, Bethel Temple Fellowship “The problem is that they haven’t all paid attention to the Good News and obeyed it. For Isaiah/ Yesha’yahu says, Lord/ Adonai, who has trusted what He has heard from us? So, trust comes from what is heard,Continue Reading

Rick Smith/Columnist We all need a favorite aunt.   An aunt is one of creation’s masterpieces, love and skill working in unison. Her advice is spot on, and, if need be, can be delivered in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Most often, she is polylingual, understanding that what wasContinue Reading