Congratulations to Mrs. Weaver’s CTE Business students for earning the EXCEL EXPERT Microsoft Certification..

AUSTIN –Texas Land Commissioner Buckingham is proud to announce the General Land Office has now obtained ownership of the historic Alamo Cenotaph. This landmark decision was voted on in the San Antonio City Council Meeting this morning.

On May 15, 1970 Misty Fincher finally got her first good night’s sleep since a tornado tore through Lubbock four days earlier Moda Fincher, the little girl who grew up to be the first female radio announcer in the Lone Star State and, some say, the whole country, spent her early years in a tiny settlement called Bronte. The original inhabitants wanted to call their new home in the wide-open spaces of West Texas “Bronco,” but the postal authorities said that name was taken. So the town founder, who doubled as the doctor, came up with “Bronte” in honor of his favorite novelist – Emily Bronte. His neighbors, however, had the last word choosing to pronounce it “brahnt.”

AUSTIN — Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., enlisted the State of Texas to sue the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over strict guidelines that seek to eliminate nearly all the United States natural gas and coal-fired power plant carbon emissions over the next two decades. “This move by the Biden Administration is more than concerning – it has the power to potentially decimate Texas’ robust oil and gas industry and rob Texas schoolchildren of billions of dollars in education funding,” said Commissioner Buckingham.

Dear Rusty: I keep reading that the SSA will only be able to pay out 75% of benefits come 2033. If congress were to do nothing and this reduction in benefits occurred, would seniors already collecting benefits in 2033 have their benefits reduced or would it only be those who have not begun to collect have their future benefits reduced? I will be collecting my benefits no later than 2027 but my wife will not reach full retirement age until 2033 and we are looking for information on whether we need to adjust savings now to account for mine or my wife’s possible reduction in benefits. Signed: Worried Senior Dear Worried Senior: If Congress does nothing to prevent Social Security’s reserves from depletion, Social Security – by law will only be able to pay out benefits equal to income, which is estimated to be about 23% to 25% short of what will be needed to pay full benefits starting in 2033. That would mean everyone who is already receiving monthly Social Security benefits would get a payment 23% to 25% less than they were previously receiving. And without reform, new beneficiaries would get benefits similarly reduced.

Gardners in case you haven’t noticed, blueberry bushes are brimming with succulent, round berries bursting with flavor (we have picked several pounds of fruit which freeze well too). For us, harvesting season for these magnificent fruits begins at the beginning of May and often ends late July, with a few stragglers ripening into August. Gather them when the entire berry has a dark blue color with no other colors present on the berry, since blueberries will not ripen further after harvesting. Harvest berries every 2 to 5-days as they ripen and keep a watchful eye for “berry predators”, noting that our winged friends enjoy them as much as we do! Netting is a deterrent to winged marauders and is effective (highly recommended). Cover each plant with netting before berries begin to ripen to protect them and maintain your harvest. If you enjoy blueberries and want the best tasting fruits possible, there are numerous “U-Pick” blueberry farms easily accessible for most of us. It is a wonderful and rewarding experience for your family to enjoy, with the added benefit of harvesting the best quality berries possible!

On Monday May 13, 2024, about 1:03 pm, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Orangefield Independent School District in reference to threats. An anonymous caller placed calls to multiple campuses indicating their intent to harm students and faculty. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office, along with multiple other law enforcement agencies responded to the Orangefield campuses. The preliminary investigation revealed the threat was not credible. Out of an abundance of caution, a heavy law enforcement presence saturated the campuses while students were released to go home due to an incoming severe weather condition. This is an active investigation. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division is currently investigating all possible leads and will be pursuing charges against the person or persons responsible.

Orange County ESD#1 Fire Chief Robert L. Smith reported a home received minor damages in a Sunday house fire. “On the morning of May 12, 2024, at approximately 3:36 PM, OCESD#1 was requested for service due to a fire in a structure. Fire crews arrived on scene in the 1000 Block of Liberty Street, to find a single-story wood frame home with light smoke and flames showing. Fire crews used one handline to extinguish the fire. The structure suffered minor damage. There were no injuries reported during the firefighting operation. Orange County ESD#1 was assisted by Orange County ESD4. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental in nature.”

Early voting in the State Representative District 21 runoff election begins Monday at four Orange County locations and will continue through Friday. Voting hours are 7 a.m.

(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for May, 0.4 percent more than in May 2023. These allocations are based on sales made in March by businesses that report tax monthly and sales made in January, February and March by quarterly filers.