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
Seth Buckner/Heritage Baptist Church Ants are remarkable creatures. Although tiny, they display great organization, industry, and strength that is fascinating to study. More than 12,000 species are found throughout the world. If ants could talk, they might say, “You forgot to wipe your counter. I am going to go tell a thousand ofContinue 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
Rick Smith/Contributing Writer A garden is one of the purest and simplest pleasures in life. I have a small, city-slicker-sized garden – a couple of raised beds and a few terra cotta pots arranged here and there, all loaded with herbs. This herb garden has become a sanctuary thatContinue Reading
Rick Smith/Columnist “But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.” ― Mitch Albom, For One More Day The year was 1936. The Great Depression. The Silent Generation. The place was a village in northern Louisiana. Rural. Beyond the black stump. A heatContinue Reading
Rick Smith/Columnist People want what is owned them. Cousin Sharon had arranged home delivery of her hometown newspaper. Finances were never her area of specialization, but who doesn’t have an extra $3.75 a month, she asked herself. Well, she didn’t. She immediately started falling behind on payment. The youngster thatContinue Reading
Rabbi Lynnette Ariella, Bethel Temple Fellowship Teshuvah, (repent) for your redemption draweth nigh. “And when these things began to come to pass, then look up, and lift your heads; for you redemption draweth nigh.” —Luke 21:28Since the announcement of the return of the Messiah, many have said, “We areContinue Reading
Elections are key to our government and way of life. But lately, elections are ugly. They’re doing more to divide people than brining them together. A common phrase these days is: “I don’t like either candidate, so I just won’t vote.” Voter turnout is already at an historic low ofContinue Reading
Rick Smith “The older I get, the more clearly I remember things that never happened.” Mark Twain I remember very well a conversation with Ms. Ellie twenty years ago. But before I wade into the deep end of that pool, you need a snippet of backstory. Born in the mid-50s,Continue Reading
Ken Bridges John Wesley Hardin was one of the most violent figures of a violent age. Born in Bonham to a Methodist preacher in 1853, he quickly moved to a life of crime. By the time he was 18, he killed perhaps eight people. This was only the beginning of a bloodyContinue Reading
Elwood Watson Thanks to the so-called culture wars, debates about events on college campuses are being employed as useful weapons for attacking the gradual democratization that has occurred in higher education since the 1950s. Those of us who are academics and see education as crucial should be alarmed at theContinue Reading
Glenn Melanconn I’m often asked, “Should I vote in the Texas primary election?” Yes, you should. Your vote is a reward for the past and hope for the future. First, you will need to choose either the Democratic or Republican primary. These are two separate and exclusive elections. YouContinue Reading
Rick Smith/Columnist I met Sir Burgess Burgoyne for the first time in Little Rock, Ark. He introduced himself as “Burgess.” No title. No last name. I read in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that he had arrived in the Little Rock area about eight weeks earlier. I called to schedule aContinue Reading
Dr. Ken Bridges/Columnist The City of Fort Worth, a beloved Texas city sometimes known as “Cowtown” or “Where the West Begins,” has a storied past that has helped shape the history of the state. However, the name behind the city was a legend in its own right. Gen. William Jenkins Worth was a distinguished officer and war heroContinue Reading
Dear Editor: Election Day is March 5, 2024. Polls will be open from 7am until 7pm. This is the day that our campaigns have worked towards for several months. Our final words before tomorrow’s election: Since December when we announced our candidacy for Marion County Republican Chair and Marion CountyContinue Reading
Ken Bridges It often takes courage to stand up for a principle. Because of people who do, the world starts to change. One Texas dentist, Dr. Lonnie Smith, changed the way Americans vote. A 1944 Supreme Court decision forced Texas and states across the country to change election laws. Dr.Continue Reading