Opinion

Brownie and Mitsy. Those were the mixed shelter dogs that my family had when I was a child. We loved those dogs. We were even playing a small part in addressing a huge community problem -- pet overpopulation. It has only gotten worse, and it will not be solved until local and state officials take it seriously.

Food traditions often serve as cultural landmarks, preserving culinary heritage and connecting generations. Long-standing food establishments carry the flavors and techniques passed down through time, offering a taste of history on each plate.

We don’t know what we don’t know. We can allow ourselves to be influenced by those who claim to be in the know, but that isn’t the same as knowing.

For your reading enjoyment, we continue to publish Rambling Vines by the late Marylea Vines as she recalls events and names of Corning folks from many years ago. We are currently in the year 1990 Here’s a switch… The Courier got a letter last week addressed to S.

LITTLE ROCK – A group of physicians and nurses conducted an in-depth study of the deaths of pregnant women in Arkansas and submitted their recommendations to the Legislative Council. They recommend that maternity care providers should increase their understanding of the need to screen for chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, which can worsen during pregnancy and which is a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths.

Pam Lowe did a great column a couple of weeks ago about truth. It set me to thinking. We have always been plagued by lies told by people who simply want things their way. It is not new, and it will probably never end. But, it could be avoided by doing your own research and when you hear a comment, go to its root and see if their truth might be found. If not, then cast it into a bottomless pit so that it might not deceive someone else. And please, don’t do your research on social media, or by listening to those talking heads. They all have an agenda, and the facts will usually get spun to reflect that agenda. I live in Texas, and right now the world is looking at us through big eyes. Our governor, Abbott, is playing hardball with immigrants who are crossing our southern border. He has placed razor wire in the river to keep men women and children from crossing. He is also defying the federal government by not removing the wire when ordered so by the Supreme Court. I am not going to argue that the border needs attention - it does. But mainly, I read and watch videos about that area, some posted by local people. I see another agenda, one that is a bit inhumane. Recently a woman and her two children drowned in the river, and Abbott’s National Guard would not allow the Border Patrol to rescue them. How do you excuse that? I am aware that not everyone that crosses that border is trying to come to America to find work and a life. I am not that naïve. We have people running drugs across, though little of that is brought in by families. It is usually brought in by trucks. Perhaps if the attention of the authorities could be focused on that rather than families, it could be further restricted. Not all the people trying to cross are Mexican nationals either. There are refugees from as far south as Venezuela, and that could be a problem. I have also heard reports of foreign nationals from other parts of the world trying to breach our borders that way. Yes, that needs attent

The Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) and the council’s subcommittees met this week at the Capitol. These meetings were previously scheduled for the week of January 15 but were postponed due to the winter weather across the state.

There is a detective story by Lemony Snicket called, “Who Could That Be at This Hour?” and in the book is a character called Dashiell Qwerty who is quoted as saying, “They say in every library there is a book that can answer the question that burns like a fire in the mind.” My immediate thought, “But what if that book is banned from your library?” Americans should be trusted to make their own decisions about what they and their children read. There I said it.

Just the Facts, Ma’am Back when your grandpa and grandma were whippersnappers, there was an old TV show in the 50’s called DRAGNET. It was a detective story, and the lead detective was Lt. Jack Webb, and the title of this column was his tag line in the show. Kerry and I went on a long trip out to West Texas a few days ago, and in our busy lives it gave us opportunities to talk and discuss issues that abound in this time in which we live. One of the things that came up was the fact that we are fed a lot of baloney by social media and even the mainstream media. We are busy people, living in a fast paced world. How often do we take time to hear a point that is preached, and then go dig at the roots and see how valid the remark is? An example of that is the fact that there is an element down here in Texas that wants to secede from the Union. Imagine that!! They are told by various sources that they can leave the United States and just do their own thing. My column is not long enough to list the reasons why that is not possible, but you always have my e-mail at the end of the column if you would like a list of those reasons. I will give you one, though, and an example. Texas doesn’t have enough water to supply to the ever increasing number of humans that insist on coming here. We crossed over the Leon River, numerous times, and Lake Belton on our trip. It is one of the main suppliers that replenishes the Edwards Aquifer that sits under Austin and the Texas Hill Country. And there, in the middle of that lake on that river was a boat landing that ended in a rock pile in the middle of the river/lake, with no water in sight. There is ever so much more, but that is a start.