Columns

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION With the Fourth of July bringing a possible four-day weekend for lucky Texans, the Texas A&M Forest Service urges outdoor enthusiasts to exercise fire safety outdoors, especially when using fireworks or starting campfires to roast hot dogs and toast marshmallows. Approximately 90 percent of wildfires are caused by humans and their activities, and the Fourth of July is one of the top days for reported wildfires, according to the forest service.

Veteran Lake Tawakoni guide David Hanson eased the throttle back on his big Falcon guide boat as we entered a stump field on the north end of the lake. We had left the ramp at Anchor Inn Marina a few minutes before and traveled north at a good clip, but as ever savvy boater knows, it was time to slow down to avoid hitting stumps that might top out at only inches below the water’s surface.

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION Seven Texas counties have been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for grants for emergency work and replacement of disaster-damaged public infrastructure after severe weather and flooding struck much of Deep East Texas, Gov. Gregg Abbott’s office reported.

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION Texas House Democrats are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session to increase public school funding, while Abbott is criticizing them for opposing legislation last year that tied increased funding to his pet project, school vouchers.

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.

May 4: The City of Terrell and Terrell Chamber of Commerce are hosting the Terrell Taco Festival Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION Early voting began Monday, April 22 for municipal, school board and various bond elections. It ends on April 30 with Saturday, May 4 being Election Day.

February 21- May 8: Riter C. Hulsey Public Library is hosting a 10-week U.S.

February 21- May 8: Riter C. Hulsey Public Library is hosting a 10-week U.S.

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION 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.