Eligible Texas voters who have not done so already have until April 7 to register to vote in the May 7 statewide constitutional amendment election, as well as any local elections for city, school districts and other local entities.

No sooner than I took a breath after the worst of Zack’s second knee recovery then he had to have physical therapy for sciatica --- and decided we should return to the gym. I approve of both measures, but the schedule’s killing me. I’d be happy to spend about a month in a sanitarium regaining my energy and tranquility after this four-month/two knee caregiving stint. Mind you, this was 24/7 most of the time. My impatient patient spent most of his time sleeping off painkillers, going to physical therapy and being waited on hand and foot. Plus, there was always a handy sounding board available to hear all complaints. The caregiver, on the other hand, had little down time.

Editorial cartoonist Ben Sargent once penned a masterful sketch of a newspaperman — a skinny, bug-eyed fellow in a baggy suit with a press card in the band of his porkpie hat. The unnamed journalist was depicted in the simple act of entering a dark room at city hall and switching on a light.

Much of the state remains at considerable risk for wildfires through this week, largely because of higher-than-usual temperatures and drought conditions. More than 40% of the state is suffering extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Nearly the entire state is in some form of drought, with much of the Panhandle, High Plains and west central Texas most at risk.

I rarely paid close attention to the news until recent years. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to or wasn’t interested. But there was no way I could control any of it, so I focused on what was happening in my own little world. That was enough to handle most of the time. I simply didn’t have room for much more. Things have changed in the last few years, and I did watch more news and keep up with social media for a while. Then I stopped being so vigilant about it, because politics and people became nasty, and everything grew pretty upsetting for a variety of reasons.

Formally, Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District is a political subdivision of the State of Texas that has the authority to regulate the spacing of water wells, the production from water wells, or both under the Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 52 or Article XVI, Section 59.

An Eastland County sheriff’s deputy died Thursday as wildfires swept through several small Texas communities west of Dallas, destroying at least 50 homes and charring more than 54,000 acres as of Sunday.

You probably know I’ve been in caregiver mode. I wrote last week of our plans for Zack’s post-surgical care and how a rehab hospital would transport him after recovery to their facility with an experienced and friendly staff--- and keep him up to ten days. Well, “Man plans and God laughs.” There’s the foreshadowing. Little turned out as expected. I’ve since learned that I could have arranged for Zack to stay at our local hospital or a local rehab/nursing facility to recover. If we ever find ourselves in this position again, that’s what we’ll do.

As Ukrainians fight and die for democracy, Russia is arresting its own citizens who are protesting the war and threatening prison for journalists who report the truth. The attempt to crush a democratic government and stop the flow of information comes as American news organizations and transparency advocates observe Sunshine Week from March 13-19, a time for highlighting government openness and a free press.

Nine employees at a Bastrop County facility that cares for young victims of sex trafficking have been accused of trafficking those same girls, according to the Austin American-Statesman. One employee of the state-contracted Refuge Ranch has been arrested on an undisclosed charge and more arrests are anticipated, according to Tara Olah, a director with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.