Columns

KELLEY SHANNON Executive Director, Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Fifty years ago, responding to public demand in an era of reform, Texas enacted a sweeping law ensuring the people’s right to know about their government. The Texas Public Information Act – originally known as the Open Records Act when it passed in 1973 – was one of the strongest transparency laws in the nation.

This week, the 88th regular session of the Texas Legislature convenes in Austin. As I heard jokingly before from many when I served in the Texas House of Representatives myself, the circus has come to town!

This time of year, we see many coaching jobs come available. Some of the more outstanding youthful hires I have witnessed lately have been Kendall Briles at TCU, and Payton Pardee and AJ Smith to Houston of the XFL.

Dear Editor, I am writing to thank Terrell-area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child.

STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS A series of dry cold fronts sweeping through the next week bring the potential of increased wildfire risk to parts of the state, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. On Jan.

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION The 2023 Texas legislative session opened Jan. 10, with property taxes, gun control and the power grid expected to be among the top issues on the agenda.

TPWD opposes listing prairie chicken as endangered The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has reiterated its opposition to a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the lesser prairie chicken as endangered in some areas and threatened in others, citing “tremendous” voluntary collaboration with private landowners and industry to conserve the chicken’s habitat.

Christmas is a time of discovering joy. Yet it seems like for many of us, it’s hard to find.

Most teams in the playoffs will end their season with a loss. This seems cruel but it is a fact of life. Instead of thinking of the loss, all players and coaches need to be excited about the good season they had. They need to focus on the continual climb for greatness, making important changes along the way.

Some dogs enjoy the spoils of begging for food; they might even swipe something off of a plate or the table when they think no one is watching. Yet these scraps aren’t always healthy for dogs and can create health issues over time.