Community & Opinions

Sisters, canned cranberry, football—and rolls that don’t rise

Shed a Little Light I am not the family go-to when it comes to homecooked meals. While I am an excellent cook when I choose to do so, I just don’t care about being in the kitchen. Right now, I don’t even own a stove. I’m in my Toaster Oven Era.

2025 Community Calendar

SPUR VISITOR CENTER, 101 Hill Street at Burlington Avenue, is operated by the Spur Area Chamber of Commerce and open during regular hours Tuesday–Saturday. Visitors seeking information on the area may email spurchamber@gmail.com or call (806) 271-3097.

Me first

When the Red Army marched into Poland in 1945 (Germany had seized the country six years earlier), U.S.S. R. leader Joseph Stalin believed his troops were entitled to take what they wanted. Writer and historian Anne Applebaum, in her book “Iron Curtain,” describes in detail the plunder that followed.

TEA releases financial accountability ratings

TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION AUSTIN— More than four-fifths of Texas public schools received an ‘A’ rating for their financial practices, according to the Texas Education Agency, which released the final financial accountability ratings for the latest school year last week.

Bessie

I have six chapters written of a book about Bessie. Her story is not unique, as many women like her have lived the tragedies she experienced. However, her life has taken on mythical proportion simply because she was my grandmother.

2025 Community Calendar

SPUR VISITOR CENTER, 101 Hill Street at Burlington Avenue, is operated by the Spur Area Chamber of Commerce and open during regular hours Tuesday–Saturday. Visitors seeking information on the area may email spurchamber@gmail.com or call (806) 271-3097.

Jayton schools pass transportation bond, elect 2 new board trustees

A year after its electorate narrowly voted down a $10 million bond proposition that would’ve financed other school facilities in addition to new school buses, Jayton-Girard voters have approved by a more than 2 to 1 margin a new transportation bond measure for $1,900,000 to fund new buses and other...

Retired professor, former Texas state historian Bill O’Neal passes away in East Texas hometown

A valued longtime colleague and friend to many Texas history circles, John William “Bill” O’Neal of Carthage, Texas, passed away November 3, 2025 Born April 8, 1942, O’Neal had a prolific career as historian and educator in his home state.

A forgotten armistice

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 45,418 of the 16.4 million Americans who served in the World War II are alive as of 2025. The website also reports that in 2020 there were over one million living Korean War era veterans.

2025 Community Calendar

SPUR VISITOR CENTER, 101 Hill Street at Burlington Avenue, is operated by the Spur Area Chamber of Commerce and open during regular hours Tuesday–Saturday. Visitors seeking information on the area may email spurchamber@gmail.com or call (806) 271-3097.