Columns & Editorials

We are weeks away from starting the 2021- 2022 school year. The return to public schools will look as diverse as the students served by them. In the Dallas metroplex, options for returning to instruction I am aware of include: Extended school days, an extended school year, year-round schedules, a hybrid of virtual/ classroom instruction, full-day instruction with and without masks and all day virtual instruction. There appears to be an option for just about everyone.

“God is full of truthfulness because He reads the Bible a lot,” says Angela, 8.

The moment a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal savior He gives them the Holy Spirit and keeps them in His hand for eternity. Jesus said no one could take them out of His hand. Although all Christians sin against GOD sometimes they are still in the hand of Jesus.

Dear Aunt B,

In a whirlwind day of a whirlwind week, I am about as exhausted as a person can feel. My neck is knotted worse than a hair tangle in a wad of bubble gum. My lower back is singing the blues, while my middle back accompanies on the bass fiddle. Hips are out of alignment. Hamstrings are threatening to un-string themselves. My brain is foggy. Psoas is staging a coup. You might think I have the flu, or worse. But, what I have is actually a much greater affliction, one that takes all of your money and talks you into things you’d never believe you’d do. I have grandkids this week. As I sit here writing this column after getting them both in bed, a feat that required masterful debate skills, physical dexterity, and above average prestidigitation, all the transgressions of the day are forgotten. All I feel is the love doled out best by Doritos laden fingers and kisses stuck on tight with popsicle residue. They are precious. So precious, that it hurts to look at them sometimes – their innocence and purity. I had a different topic to give you tonight, but I can only think about this one single moment from the afternoon. My 6-year-old granddaughter snuggled up next to me on the couch, the Olympics showcasing Simone Biles on the beam, and whispered in my ear, “Didi, are you going to die?”

Despite significant gains in vaccinations and fighting COVID-19, the rise of the more transmissible Delta variant poses a significant risk for unvaccinated people.

Was your car declared a total loss after an accident or flood? Here are some answers to questions you might be asking.

It can be easy to forget to apply sunscreen when a sunny summer day beckons you to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. But forgetting to apply sunscreen before spending time in the sun is a potentially deadly mistake. According to the World Health Organization, one in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer. In addition, the Skin Cancer Foundation notes that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. The discomfort of a sunburn might seem relatively harmless, but the relationship between sunburns and cancer risk is significant. The SCF notes that having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma, a type of skin cancer that often and quickly spreads to nearby lymph nodes. Perhaps that’s one reason why the American Cancer Society reports that the number of new invasive melanoma cases diagnosed annually increased by 47 percent between 2010 and 2020. Avoiding sunburn by applying and reapplying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 should be a priority for anyone spending time outdoors.

Last week something remarkable happened at my front door. It was an event that used to be commonplace for young people but in the world of cell phones, video games, computers and television it is something that rarely happens.

Dear Aunt B,

The moment a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal savior He gives them the Holy Spirit and keeps them in His hand for eternity. Jesus said no one could take them out of His hand. Although all Christians sin against GOD sometimes they are still in the hand of Jesus.

Top scholars at Southwestern College in Winfield and at Southwestern College Professional Studies have been announced with the release of the Dean’s Honor Roll for the spring 2021 semester. Full-time students who earned grade point averages of at least 3.70 (4.0 equals an A) were eligible for the honor.

Raising your own pumpkin patch, whether it is for decorations or pies, can be a fun a way to introduce gardening for your family.