Columns & Opinions

Texas’ anti-immigration law again on hold by court system

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T he on-again, offagain state immigration law is once more on hold while the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals considers its constitutionality. Senate Bill 4 would allow state and local law enforcement officials to arrest and deport people suspected of entering the state illegally from Mexico, the Austin American-Statesman reported. The U.S. Supreme Court last Tuesday removed a temporary hold on the law, which allowed it to take effect for several hours before the 5th Circuit court again stopped SB4 from being enforced while it considers its constitutionality.

Drowning in memories

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I recently wrote of memories, not uncommon for my columns. Memories can seep into consciousness simply by seeing or touching the smallest and seemingly most insignificant little something– here at home or elsewhere, even from viewing a picture. The spark of a memory can waylay me until I catch it all, savor, process, and react to it, maybe file it away for later consideration.

Religiosity

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F or the world’s 2.4 billion Christians, Easter is the most sacred day of the year. It celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and the gift of salvation and eternal life to all who believe.

Texas counties among nation’s fastest growing: Census Bureau

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R ecent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that six of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States from 2022 to 2023 were in Texas. According to the Texas Tribune, Kaufman County, just east of Dallas, led the list with a 7.6% increase in new residents that brought its population to more than 185,000. Census data shows that Rockwall and Liberty counties closed out the top three, with growth rates of 6.5% and 5.7%, respectively.

What is Palm Sunday?

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P alm Sunday is a Christian festival celebrated the week before Easter. It commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and is reported in all four of the canonical Gospels of the New Testament. The name originates from the palm branches waved by the crowd greeting him.

The quest for the best pickle

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S ince I left the proximity of large metropolitan areas behind 23 years ago, there are few things I’ve missed. It took a while to adjust, but that was before Amazon and eBay. I used to drive to Waco to shop in brickand- mortar stores, perhaps hit a restaurant or attend an event. Now, if we can’t fill our needs locally, we usually find what we want on Amazon Prime, often for a lower price than in Waco –and we don’t pay for gas or shipping. There are things that one can’t easily locate on the Internet –or only at a higher price– making the item prohibitive. And there’s no Amazon Fresh available– for products not carried by local grocery stores. So we usually just do without those.

It doesn't take much

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Z ack and I usually say “It doesn’t take much” when a simple thing makes us overwhelmingly happy–like a gorgeous dawn, sunrise, twilight, sunset, or green grass and spring bulbs poking up. Or something our animals do. Or when we accomplish a difficult project.

Massive wildfires ignited by power lines in Texas Panhandle

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T wo wildfires that burned more than 1 million acres in the Panhandle were caused by downed power lines, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Juan Rodriguez, with the service, told the Texas Standard that its law enforcement investigators had concluded their probe into the source of the Smokehouse Creek and Windy Deuce fires.

Religiosity

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I ncreased antisemitism in Czarist Russia, starting in the early 1880s, led to a tidal wave of Jewish immigration to the United States. Jewish leadership in America strongly supported open immigration as a way to escape the oppression in Europe.

Religiosity

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T his coming Sunday, March 10, at sundown, 1.8 billion Muslims around the world will begin their observation of the ninth and most sacred month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting which is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with faith, prayer, charity, and a pilgrimage to Mecca.