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The new Texas House speaker, Dade Phelan, raised $4.4 million as he ascended to the job late last year, according to his team.

Afterschool programs help students succeed in school and in life and provide invaluable support to communities. As we’ve seen this past year, these programs play an especially important role when students, families, and communities are struggling.

The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children should get at least one hour of physical activity per day. The AAFP notes that many kids easily achieve that marker simply by being children and engaging in the activities kids are drawn to each day, such as running, climbing and playing games like tag with other youngsters. The Canadian Paediatric Society notes that exercise needs change as children advance through various stages in life, and that means activities should change along with them. For example, the CPS recommends that physical activities for toddlers should be fun and encourage children to explore and try new things. Unstructured physical activity or free play can benefit toddlers. As toddlers become preschoolers, physical activities can become more structured, though the CPS notes that children this age may not understand the rules of organized sports nor are they necessarily coordinated enough to participate in them. However, structured activities like games of tag and throwing and catching may be appropriate for some preschoolers. As children enter kindergarten and advance through elementary school, physical activities can be moderate to vigorous in intensity. Organized sports can become part of the fitness regimen at this time, though the CPS recommends short instruction times, flexible rules, free time in practices, and a focus on fun rather than competition. Parents who want to learn about ageappropriate physical activities can encourage their children to embrace fitness and are urged to speak with their children’s physicians.

How many times in the past years have we heard the sound or seen the symbol and asked, “I wonder who it is and what happened?!”

State Representative Keith Bell was sworn in for his second term on January 12. Serving House District 4, which encompasses Kaufman County and portions of Henderson County, Representative Bell is eager serve his constituents in the 87th Legislative Session for the State of Texas.

Kaufman County residents have watched reports of nearby counties distributing the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccine to its residents, with no sign of the same occurrence in our own county. This has left many in the area full of questions. Who is eligible for the vaccine? Where can I get it? When will it be available? Does Kaufman County even have any vaccines?

“God promised he would never flood the Earth again,” says Katie, age 7. “He put a rainbow in the sky. God told Joseph to build an ark. It was hard for Joseph, but he did it.”

Apha Tau, Kaufman County Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, fulfilled the Christmas Wish List of Still Waters. “This was part of an ongoing project of our chapter, as we have also helped the resource center with items that were needed in the past. During the last few months, our members were busy gathering listed needs and donated almost all products on the list! It was so exciting to present the items to Still Waters!—especially at Christmas!” stated Cathy Stewart, First Vice-President of Alpha Tau.

More than 160 Angelo State University student-athletes and athletic training students have been named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fall 2020 semester, including Cassidy Hill of Forney.

It was a muted start to this year’s legislative session in Austin Tuesday as lawmakers returned to tackle the biggest public health crisis in living memory and the economic downturn it caused. The normal raucous hallways and packed galleries of past opening days were replaced by quiet on a day usually filled with ceremony and celebration as the pandemic kept constituents and well-wishers at home. One day before, state Comptroller Glenn Hegar laid out his projected forecast for state revenue for the next two fiscal years, telling lawmakers how much they’ll have to work with as they look to pay for state services over the upcoming biennium. “The pandemic, which resulted in steep declines in key sources of revenue in the later half of fiscal [year] 2020 and has continued to drag down collections in fiscal [year] 2021 wiped out a projective positive ending balance and has turned it into a currently projected deficit of nearly $1 billion,” said Hegar.

Madison Wiley, of Forney, TX, has been named to the Central Penn College Dean’s List for the fall 2020 term. Wiley is currently majoring in Physical Therapist Assistant. To qualify for the designation, an undergraduate student must carry six or more credits and earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or better for the term.

Do we ever say “thank you” enough? It’s easy to remember to do so when someone has just done something you directly asked them to do for you whether it is to bring something to you or opening a door. But what about people that are more anonymous in your life? The cashier at the cafeteria, the janitor that is always cleaning, the door greeter at a business-- these are people who can sometimes fade in the background of your day. But these are the exact people who make many moments in your day run smoother just by doing their respective jobs. And if you are ever in need of their services, you then remember who they are.

All the teams that advanced to the 2020—2021, 5A and 6A final two play-off games towards becoming State Champions, had top notch records—no “unexpecteds,” except for some local expectations! The final game for each competing match-up appeared “even” on paper. Here is a wrap-up of what resulted! Congratulations to all teams everywhere who competed this year at any level. You are winners in my book!