Special to the News-Times WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, led 13 of his colleagues in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough following disturbing antisemitic comments posted online by Shakeba Morrad, a United States Attorney at the Office of General Counsel for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Specifically, lawmakers requested…

By Chris Edwardsnews@tylercountybooster.com Last month, a 20-year-old woman named Lanah Burkhardt testified to the Board of Trustees of the Conroe Independent School District that, at age 11, she began a downhill slide due to a kiss depicted in a book. Burkhardt said she “looked for other books that gave me pleasure,” after the kiss depicted in Drama, by Raina Telgemeier, which was published by…

By Tony Farkastony@polkcountypublishing.com Years and years ago, I worked for a gentleman who essentially used the business as a personal bank account. Over his 15 years running the show, he had bought vehicles, RVs, property, renovation materials and paid for personal expenses, all at the expense of the firm and its employees. He eventually was investigated, arrested and convicted for…

By Sen. Robert NicholsSenate District 3 The year is coming to a close and the holidays are fast approaching. Have a fun and safe holiday season! Here are five things happening around your state: Texas stillnumber one fordomestic in-migration Last year, Texas again was the number one destination for Americans moving to another state, according to State-to-State Migration Flows data from the Census…

By Rep. Trent AshbyDistrict 19 Representative With the Christmas holidays right around the corner, we are entering into a season of giving. As we run around town looking for stocking stuffers and gifts to put under the tree, I want to encourage you to consider our fellow Texans who are struggling and in need of support this holiday season. Together, by donating blankets, old coats, canned foods,…

By Morgan Luttrell U.S. Representative,Texas District 8 Every day, the lives and livelihoods of people across this country are severely affected by the millions of illegal immigrants flooding into the United States. As revealed in the House Committee on Homeland Security’s investigation into the costs, causes, and consequences of the border crisis, this is especially true for those who make their…

I’ve never been an animal person. I respect animals. I think many of them are beautiful and I know that several of them have very high levels of intelligence. I’ve just never felt the need to have one … and especially not in the house. I know people whose pets are like their children. And that’s great for them. It was just never my thing. During the summer of 2017 I underwent major surgery that…

By Tony Farkas The definition of the term pseudo intellectualism is an apt description of the state of affairs in this country, particularly regarding social issues. Someone fitting this description wants to win arguments, or impress people with their knowledge or virtue, instead of attempting to arrive at the truth. Pick an issue and you can see how that plays out. The current transgender…

By Tom Purcell Hopefully, the rugged beard I’ve been sporting will motivate at least one of my fellow men to take better care of his health this November. Every November, you see, two charitable organizations, Movember and No-Shave November, raise funds by encouraging men to not cut or shave their facial hair. Both organizations have made November an enjoyable month for we men to share photos of…

By Tony Farkas For most folks, this week is for reminding ourselves about the things in life that are important, for giving thanks to God and everyone for the many blessings we enjoy throughout the year and our lives. Even me, who dodged a health issue recently, has plenty to be thankful for. What keeps coming to the front of my mind, though, is the bizarre and frankly non-Thanksgiving topic of…

By Chris Edwards It’s baaaaaaaaaaack! Although this particular cat didn’t return the very next day, this perusal through certain news topics called “Cheers and Jeers,” which looks to summarize news, in a method similar to what our esteemed colleague Gary Borders does in his Capital Highlights columns for Texas Press Assocation, albeit with a little judgment calling and some of that special sauce…

By Morgan Luttrell,Marcus Luttrell, Rick Perry and Dakota Meyer As the opioid epidemic continues to grip our nation, claiming lives, destroying families and burdening communities, it is imperative that we explore every viable solution. Among these potential solutions is a powerful, natural, non-addictive substance known as ibogaine. As voices that have served in political and military capacities,…

By Jase Graves According to my extensive research (approximately five minutes on Google when I should have been folding underwear), the Chinese zodiac system assigns an animal symbol to each year. It is believed that people born in a given year have the personality of that year’s animal. For example, based on the placemats at my favorite Chinese buffet, I was born in the Year of the Dog, which…

By Tony Farkas I think about overreach a lot. Readers probably get that. Things like Sunday, in which we marched like lemmings to our clocks to change the flow of time, all at the behest of a government that thought by shifting the hours of the day around like chess pieces that our energy use would be less. Or something. Then there’s the whole idea behind electric cars, which also is supposed to…

By Jim Powersjim@polkcountypublishing.com The graphic above this editorial appeared in the 11/9/2023 of the Tyler County Booster. The quote inside the graphic, addressed to a soldier in some forsaken battle in some forsaken war, says “You might not know this now, but we future generations will never forget your sacrifice…” I’m sad to say that we have, in fact, forgotten what they were sacrificing…

By Rep. Trent AshbDistrict 9 Representative As the days grow increasingly shorter with the change in seasons, many East Texans wonder why it’s necessary to change our clocks back an hour around this time every year. Over the last several weeks, my office has received numerous phone calls regarding the observation of Daylight Savings Time in Texas. While some support changing the clocks back, many…

Americans historically have had a long love affair with their newspapers because they are uniquely relevant in that they can serve as government watchdogs, promote community events, publish timely public notices and document history. A month ago, Oct. 1-7 to be exact, was National Newspaper Week, a time to recognize and promote the importance of the newspaper industry throughout the nation.…

Special to the Booster AUSTIN — Early voting for the 2023 Texas Constitutional Amendment Election started Monday, Oct. 23, and lasts through Friday, Nov. 3. The League of Women Voters wants all eligible Texas voters to cast a ballot in this election, whether in person during early voting or on Election Day, or by using Vote by Mail. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7th, which is also the last…

By Tony Farkastony@polkcountypublishing.com I was talking to a potential candidate for a future election about their reasons for running, and the answer was one I’ve heard before. It’s time for a change. Anyone even remotely following politics and the direction of the country can attest that massive change is needed. Society is fast becoming something that’s largely unrecognizable, and certainly…

By Jim Powersjim@polkcountypublishing.com Have you ever watched sheepdogs work? It’s amazing. A large herd of sheep in a huge pasture scattered everywhere, munching on the grass. The shepherd gives a command and the dog springs into action, running so fast at times he’s hard to follow, circling the sheep, forcing them into a tight group, then maintaining that control as he drives them back to…

By Tony Farkastony@polkcountypublishing.com The current discussions regarding school vouchers make me wonder if the focus is on quality education for children. Mostly, at least in what I’ve heard, it’s been about money, with a side trip into questioning accountability of private schools to the state godfathers. Administrators in smaller schools rightly feel that allowing funds to be moved would…

By Jim Powers jim@polkcountypublishing.com As humans, we have just a few needs. We need food to eat, we need water to drink, and we need shelter from weather. But beyond need, these are basic rights. As rights, they are not exclusive. But they are real. Without them we can’t survive. If we are hungry, we can eat, and that food satisfies our hunger. If we are thirsty; we can drink water and that…

By Kelty Garbee, Ph.D. In the noise and shuffle of lawmakers’ work at the Texas Capitol earlier this year, our legislators made a wise (and critically needed) investment in broadband infrastructure. Lawmakers did their part by setting aside $1.5 billion in state funding for broadband, and now voters must do their part at the ballot box this fall. State constitutional amendment elections are often…

By Trinity Smith In the United States alone pollination is a several billion-dollar industry commonly focused on honeybees (Apis mellifera) an invasive species of pollinator originally imported to the United States from Europe to produce honey and pollination of fruits and vegetables. In 2006 there was a phenomenon discovered known as colony collapse disorder, CCD for short, which sparked an…

By Tony Farkas It’s October, so everyone knows what that means (if your answer is anything like pumpkin spice, I’ll make you run laps). That’s right, it’s time for silly stories. To keep you from having to do it, I’ve combed the news sites — legitimate and otherwise — that posted headlines that are headscratchers, puzzlers and ones that make you go, “Huh?”. That, and sometimes even I need a break…

By Danny Tyree National Newspaper Week (October 1-7) compels me to acknowledge my journalistic catastrophe of fifth grade. Based on my passion for reading Nashville’s two dailies, Miss Bunch handed me the plum assignment of launching a newspaper for our class. I joyously composed articles of my own and proofread the contributions of classmates. Alas, my mechanical ineptitude reared its ugly head…

By Rep. Trent AshbyDistrict 9 Representative This week, I formally announced my intention to seek re-election as the State Representative for House District 9. As a lifelong East Texan, I have been proud to serve as a voice for the Deep East Texas region in the Texas House. Though we have achieved a great deal, I believe there is more work to be done to secure our southern border, support our…

By Tony Farkas Probably to no one’s surprise, Congress pulled out a hail-Mary vote that passed a stop-gap funding measure so the government wouldn’t shut down. Also to no one’s surprise, both sides of the “debate” — Democrats and Republicans — are completely unhappy with the results. Yet, the taxes roll in, and the taxes roll out. Democrats are upset, based on news that President Biden got cranky…

By Chris Edwards In 1969, Brian Jones, the Rolling Stones’ shaggy-haired, mercurial guitarist was found dead in a swimming pool. The ruling: “death by misadventure.” Oh, how those Brits have a way with euphemisms. In the United Kingdom, that phrase is used to describe an accidental death caused by a risk taken of one’s own volition. Theories abound as to what actually happened to Jones, but an…

What do you think are the most pressing issues facing Polk County? What do you think the priorities for Polk County should be? Do you value quality of life over economic growth or vice versa? Or are they equally important in your mind? There are myriad issues of importance – health care, education, infrastructure, affordable housing, public transportation, recreation, shopping, dining. But what…