By Austin Lewter On Monday, a colleague said, “Austin, you are to be commended for your willingness to publish opinions that differ so much from your own. It really shows your commitment to free speech.” His remark was made during a passing conversation about a recent letter to the editor,Continue Reading
By Brett Rogers I’m tired of race. I’m tired of being pushed by others into thinking about it. If people ask me what I am or how I identify, I say that I am Brett. I’ve never introduced myself as a white man – mostly because I see myself asContinue Reading
By Glenn Melancon Joe Biden promised to “Build Back Better.” The liberals in Congress just passed the American Recovery Plan. They set the agenda because Democrats won elections for the House, Senate and the Presidency. Liberals believe government programs can, and should, alleviate suffering. Conservatives reject this approach. They believeContinue Reading
By Rabbi Linda Chag Sameach! Happy Passover! It’s time to celebrate Passover; the biblical feast of the Lord. I would like to share a brief message of what Passover is about for the world. It is the greatest love story done for mankind. Our Creator loved us so much, that he sent his onlyContinue Reading
By Gary Borders, TPA The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.8% in January, down a tick from December’s 6.9% rate but double the record low of 3.4% in May 2019. It is unclear what effect the mid-February winter storm had on employment, when power outages swept the state and manyContinue Reading
By Edward Jones’ Joey Romano In just a few days, we will experience the vernal equinox – one of the two times in the year when the sun is exactly above the equator. Apart from this astronomical anomaly, though, the equinox is mostly known as the beginning of spring –Continue Reading
Dear Editor, Many thanks to the Jefferson Water Department, Allan Whatley and Carey Heaster for saving our water service during the weather event several weeks ago. Their dedication and hard work (in bone chilling temperatures) is very much appreciated! Sincerely, Alexandra Holton Jefferson, TexasContinue Reading
By Austin Lewter I need to apologize. You may have noticed my recent hiatus from publishing a weekly column. I haven’t published since the last week in January and, if you’ve missed me, I’m sorry. If you haven’t, you’re welcome. Quite honestly, the first part of 2021 has been incrediblyContinue Reading
By Brett Rogers Back in 2015, I was the campaign manager for a Republican challenging Democrat Congressman Filemon Vela in southern Texas, whose district stretches from near Corpus Christi to Brownsville on the border. Working on that campaign I became aware of the horrible human trafficking that took place becauseContinue Reading
By Alden Ho, Wheel Salt Ministries There are certain days that we are not supposed to forget, such as our own birthday, our spouses birthday, our children’s birthday, anniversaries and many others, but try as some might, many do forget these dates. But, what if I told you that thereContinue Reading
From Brad Collins, NY Life Have you put off making a will? If so, you’re not alone. According to a 2020 survey conducted by Caring.com, only 32% of American adults have estate planning documents, like wills and living trusts, in place. While preparing a will may not beContinue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano You can demonstrate this resilience by answering these questions: What is your specific goal? What obstacle do you face in achieving this goal? How can you overcome this obstacle? Here are some examples of how this resiliency process works: Goal: Building sufficient retirement funds ToContinue Reading
Dear Editor, We read that the Moon Lake Development crew pulled out from doing any business with the city of Jefferson, including the annexation, which will result in missing out on a projected $750,000 annual tax revenue, not to mention up to 120 families spending their money at our shops,Continue Reading
By Brett Rogers, Now that the legislature is in session, even though we’re coming off of COVID and Gov. Abbott has finally seen fit to rescind his job-killing restrictions, things are moving much faster behind the scenes than what we can see. That’s part of the problem with government today:Continue Reading
By Glen Melanconn I am proud to live in Modern America. America is a progressive country. Our democracy allows us to create laws to improve our lives. Over the past 230 years much has changed for the better. The progress has been slow but steady. In the 1820s white laborersContinue Reading
By Sirrah Sprady There’s always a hopeful anticipation during the new year. The calendar changes, new resolutions and healthy habits commence, and we begin this process of “starting over,” pushing our proverbial “reset” button. However, 2021, much like 2020, seems to have brought with it some of the same troublesContinue Reading
By Brad Collins, NYLife Investing in the stock market provides you with an opportunity to put your money to work. Historically, the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index has returned close to 10 percent on an average annual return.1 Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results. But mostContinue Reading
From Edward Jones’ Joey Romano On March 8, we observe International Women’s Day, a celebration of women’s achievements. Of course, even in the United States, women still tend to encounter more obstacles than men in the pursuit of financial security. As a woman, you should recognize these challenges – andContinue Reading
By Brett Rogers In the past week of unmovable snow and freezing temperatures, what succeeded is the self-initiated love shown from neighbor to neighbor. What failed is a centralized response from government. This past Wednesday, the top board members of the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) all resigned. ERCOTContinue Reading
By Glen Melanconn Markets are truly a human wonder. They allow us to buy products which we lack the skill, resources or time to make for ourselves. We rarely think about markets until they leave us in the cold. Markets are simply part of our everyday life. We shop forContinue Reading