Opinion

A Texas’s View of Touchdown Jesus…

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This is a backstory of “Touchdown Jesus” on the 50th anniversary of Notre Dame’s football faithful making the massive Hesburgh Library’s south wall mural better known than the building itself. Ever heard of the Hesburgh Library, or does “ Touchdown Jesus” sound more familiar? I thought so.

State Capital HIGHLIGHTS

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Flood victims urged caution upon returning home As East Texas residents return to clean up their homes and businesses after extensive flooding earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services urged residents and business owners to exercise caution. Among the recommendations: · Never use gasoline-powered generators or charcoal grills indoors. Keep them outside, at least 20 feet from homes to avoid possible carbon monoxide poisoning. Direct generator engine exhaust away from windows and doors · Never mix bleach with products that contain ammonia. Toxic fumes could be created.

Postal Service Rescued…

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With news of incivility, protests and disruption gobbling up radio and television air time and dominating front-page newspaper articles, many of us are in a state of perpetual tension. What will tomorrow bring? It’s tough to find even a sprig of a smile, but heaven knows my ancient Uncle Mort is trying his best to hack his way through an underbrush of chaotic unrest to find that sprig.

A Queen Like None Other…

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Many tourist destinations claim to be “all things to all people,” but compared to Branson, MO, the rest of them miss the mark by a country mile. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, the laid-back community not only survived the pandemic, but has roared back with numerous new attractions to strengthen its vows to be “number one” in tourism.

HIGHLIGHTS

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High-end electrical users could strain grid The growth of industrial-scale users of power could strain the Texas power grid, ERCOT’s chief announced last week. The Dallas Morning News reported Pablo Vegas, the agency’s CEO, said bitcoin miners and artificial intelligence data centers going in across the state, as well as industrial growth in the Permian Basin, could create the need for a massive buildup of power transmission lines in the future.

On New Year’s Resolutions…

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My ancient Uncle Mort is not one to speak negatively of neighbors, unless they live at least three cattleguards away. He recently “spilled the beans” on a neighbor who lives so deep in the thicket that no one passes his house going to town.

State Capital HIGHLIGHTS

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State Capital ‘Aggressive’ hurricane forecast for Gulf Coast Colorado State University researchers are calling this year’s hurricane season forecast “the most aggressive” ever, the Texas Standard reported. They say there is a 54% chance a hurricane will strike the Texas coast, and a 25% chance it will be major.

State Capital HIGHLIGHTS

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State Capital Agencies blasted over wildfire oversight State agencies and regulators were heavily criticized at a Texas legislative hearing for failing to communicate during the deadly Panhandle wildfires, the Texas Tribune reported. The three-day hearing, held in Pampa, investigated the Smokehouse Creek fire and others that burned more than a million acres, destroyed hundreds of homes, killed up to 10,000 cattle and resulted in two deaths.