Hearing no

by Lynette Sowell   For more than 15 years, longer than I’ve been a news writer, I’ve made my way through the fiction writing world. I’ve heard yes a number of times from publishers, editors and agents. But there’s always that “no” that comes down the pike.

Moving On

Renae Brumbaugh Coffee Talk   Yesterday, my coffee maker died.   It just quit working. No warning. No sputtering or strange noises.   It just died.   My first reaction was one of those deer-caughtin-the-headlights panic moments. No coffee?

The Wildlife Refuge Putsch

Rich Lowry Column   The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge hasn’t heretofore been known as a locus of government tyranny or much of anything else. Saying that the refuge, established in 1908 by Theodore Roosevelt, is in the middle of nowhere makes it sound too centrally located.

Good ol’ boy world infidelity once had double standard

By Willis Webb In our good ol’ boy world of Texiz, a double standard for the sexes has long existed.   Equal rights standards notwithstanding, a dominant macho mentality for years steered public thought and even legal ruling in favor of males.   It’s the cowboy image, don’t you know.

Falling through the cracks

By Lynette Sowell I can’t believe the school year is already past the halfway point. When did that happen? Day by day, little by little. School supplies are at a premium now, the backpacks are getting that worn look, the shoes which fit in August might be a little tighter now.

Conversations

By Renae Brumbaugh I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve had lengthy, in-depth conversations with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush, just to name a few. I’ve dined with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and sang on the same stage as Billy Graham.

The Year of Hysteria

By Rich Lowry We should be glad that 2015 has passed into memory, because it was a year when we could barely hold it together.   It was a year when we freaked out over symbols and scared ourselves with fake statistics.

Having a resolution

By Lynette Sowell   I don’t often listen to TV preachers, but when I do, I listen to Andy Stanley. The first Sunday of the year in churches across America, the main topic of the sermon was probably what to do in a new year.

Texas sues EPA over new ozone standards

By Ed Sterling   The State of Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Dec. 23 filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its new ozone standards rule.

Inheritance

By Renae Brumbaugh   I am an heiress! I’ve recently inherited a sizable assortment of jewelry.