FILL A SEAT… THEN A POTHOLE

The month of August is always an interesting time of year. Summer begins packing its bags, preparing to give way to fall, students are filling backpacks with school supplies as they prepare to return to classrooms, and every so often there’s an additional feeling, a scent in the air.

Don’t Leave Rural Texas Behind

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I watched a documentary about President Theodore Roosevelt.

THE COMMUNITY YOU ARE BECOMING

Of all the news in this week’s edition, the one I want to focus my editorial commentary on this week is what is going on around two and a half hours to the east in Jack County.

Don't Just Listen to the Speeches. Watch the Budget.

One of the first lessons I learned working in the Texas Capitol was that speeches are written for voters.

WHAT TO DO WHEN MEDICAL BILLS PILE UP

Dear Savvy Senior, I’m 63 and recently had a hospital stay that left me with bills I can’t afford to pay. I had Affordable Care Act health insurance, but after my premiums went up in January, I had to drop my coverage. Now I’m overwhelmed by medical bills.

Gina Hinojosa Makes Her Case to Rural Texas

Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa is running for governor of Texas. On paper, Hinojosa brings a trifecta of characteristics that have not historically translated into electoral success in rural red Texas: She is a woman. She is Hispanic. And she is a Democrat.

CIVIC RAIN GAUGES

One drop of rain rarely changes your day. I'd wager each of us has had that anomalous experience being struck by a single drop from a cloudless Texas sky. You might feel it land on your arm, glance above, and forget about it a few minutes later. One drop is easy to dismiss.

For Sue Jane

Patricia Hurt, Publisher Publisher's note: Sue Jane Sullivan passed away peacefully on the morning of July 25, 2026, surrounded by her family.She spent a lifetime teaching us how to live: check your mirrors, love your people, take the trip, and shed a little light on everyone you meet along the...

ROBOTIC PETS CAN PROVIDE COMFORT TO ELDERLY SENIORS

Dear Savvy Senior, My mother, who has dementia, recently moved into an assisted living facility that doesn’t allow pets. I’m thinking about getting her a robotic pet to cheer her up.

AGE 66? HIT ROUTE 66

Barbara Brannon of Spur has been a big fan of Route 66 ever since she read John Steinbeck’s TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY, IN SEARCH OF AMERICA. In that book from 1962, he called Route 66 The Mother Road. Others have called the famous highway America’s Main Street.