Opinion

April was a busy month for tornadoes across the United States with 373 recorded, bringing the total for the year to 549, the Austin American-Statesman reported. That is nearly double the average at this point in the year, the National Weather Service says.

Many tourist destinations claim to be “all things to all people,” but compared to Branson, MO, the rest of them miss the mark by a country mile. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, the laid-back community not only survived the pandemic, but has roared back with numerous new attractions to strengthen its vows to be “number one” in tourism.

Storms are as much a cultural as a natural phenomenon in North Texas. When I was a boy growing up in Weatherford, Spring meant tornado drills and late nights watching the weather on the local news channel. Anticipating disaster became a part of our lives as much as attending church or watching the Rangers. We expected storms.

The growth of industrial-scale users of power could strain the Texas power grid, ERCOT’s chief announced last week. The Dallas Morning News reported Pablo Vegas, the agency’s CEO, said bitcoin miners and artificial intelligence data centers going in across the state, as well as industrial growth in the Permian Basin, could create the need for a massive buildup of power transmission lines in the future.

What becomes of our achievements after we are gone from this world? We labor to achieve prestige, power, position, and prosperity... but to what end? What remains when we depart from this life and enter eternity? As I reflected this past week on things I have seen and done, I had a profound realization. All that remains of a legacy is how the man impacted the people around him.

Education Coordinating Board, could well have been kidded unmercifully if details of his part time teaching in retirement had been widely known. He taught graduate classes in higher education at two locations-- in the same semester.

My ancient Uncle Mort is not one to speak negatively of neighbors, unless they live at least three cattleguards away. He recently “spilled the beans” on a neighbor who lives so deep in the thicket that no one passes his house going to town.

Early voting began Monday, April 22 for municipal, school board and various bond elections. It ends on April 30 with Saturday, May 4 being election day. What is on the ballot depends on where you live.

Any endeavor worth undertaking will likely be fraught with peril. Such is the state of man in life’s venture to be fruitful and productive. In our day-to-day existence, mundanity can become the norm. I realized this last week when I opened my mouth to a friend and stated, “My life has become a grind.” Since that day, life has been beyond mundane.

Colorado State University researchers are calling this year’s hurricane season forecast “the most aggressive” ever, the Texas Standard reported. They say there is a 54% chance a hurricane will strike the Texas coast, and a 25% chance it will be major.