State responds to Fort Hood shooting

by Ed Sterling   AUSTIN — A Fort Hood soldier brought a civilian semiautomatic pistol to the sprawling military post 60 miles north of the Capitol city on April 2 and opened fire, killing three fellow service members and wounding 16 others before turning the .45-caliber weapon on himself.

Pulling Weeds

By Renae Brumbaugh   I’ve decided to become a gardener. This is a rather lifechanging decision for me, as I am a card-carrying member of Plantkillers Anonymous. But not anymore. From this day forward, I plan to actually water my plants. Or at least I plan to try to remember to water them.

The foolish anti-vax cause

By Rich Lowry   In a feat that would have been unimaginable a few decades ago, the anti-vaccine movement has managed to breathe life into nearly vanquished childhood diseases.

Here’s the scoop

By Lynette Sowell   I’m not one to go around repeating gossip, so you’d better be sure and listen close the first time. Or something like that. This is my one chance to tell you the REAL scoop about our city.

Birds and the bees

By Willis Webb   “Let me tell ya ‘bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees…” Yeah, “naturelover” me was sitting out on the back deck-porchwhatchamacallit the other day and I actually got to watch the birds and the bees.

Muddy boots

By Renae Brumbaugh   Last weekend, I played in the mud. And it. Was. Fun. I wore my overalls, my old work boots, and my cowgirl hat. My tools were a shovel and a spigot.

Dumbing down the SAT

By Rich Lowry   It turns out that SAT words were too abstruse. The College Board is updating its iconic test yet again in ways that are indistinguishable from dumbing it down.

Chips and shoulders

By Lynette Sowell   I love chips. Besides good chocolate, I can always eat a bite of chips. They’re great with dips of all kinds. Chips come in all kinds of flavors, too. Salt and vinegar, barbecue, loaded baked potato, cheddar. Genius, whoever created different seasonings.

‘Do you know I am?’ always spells trouble

By Willis Webb   Not long ago, a prominent personality, actor-actress (I never know which to use these days) Reese Witherspoon got into a heap of trouble in the form of negative publicity over that statement. And, in the interest of fairness here, I’ll admit to being a fan of Ms. Witherspoon.

Peace, be still

By Renae Brumbaugh    As I write this, I’m listening to the snap and sizzle of corn popping on my stove. Yep, the old-fashioned kind, not that yucky microwave stuff that leaves half the bag unpopped.