More than 20 new state laws went into effect as Texans rang in the New Year, with another half-dozen to go on the books on Jan. 18, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Those laws include a ban on transgender athletes competing on sports teams that reflect their gender identity, and penalties for illegally restraining dogs.

Seldom, if ever, does one have the opportunity to attend a 103rd birthday celebration. So, when Claudia and I were invited by a dear Centenarian client to her party we were truly honored and excited.

The ladybugs may be back. Again. We noticed our first group of unexpected squatters 19 years ago---when we started making this old farmhouse habitable. A carpenter friend who was helping claimed he brushed away hundreds of ladybugs when replacing old wood and installing new siding. Coincidentally, I read a magazine article detailing the same problem at a home in another state. Since that time, we’ve had repeat performances, and once what could only be called a full-blown infestation.

The Texas Department of Transportation has kicked off its statewide “Drive Sober. No Regrets” drunk driving prevention program for the holidays. Throughout the month, TxDOT has released videos of people who deal with the daily consequences of driving while impaired, either as an offender or survivor.

started writing this while awaiting lab results from a Mohs procedure on my leg ---with another one scheduled for another two weeks. Twelve stitches later, I’m once again the poster child for skin cancer. Ask your doctor about suspicious skin spots. That’s my public service announcement. My most recent tiny lesions were just inches apart, but couldn’t be removed, checked microscopically and sewn I up on the same day. This makes no sense to me. I wouldn’t even need to roll up the other pant leg. One reason provided was that Medicare would consider these as duplicate charges and reduce reimbursement. That seems possible, knowing how government and insurance bureaucracies work. Curiously, some Mohs surgeons would do both small removals at once, with no problem. A retired surgeon friend confirmed that if two removals are done at the same sitting, insurance only pays 50% of the value of the second. The other explanation was something about not loading me up with too much deadening agent in one day. No way I buy that one.

The Clifton Municipal Airport is a public-use, general aviation facility that serves the area’s air transportation needs. Three businesses are located on the airport – Wings Aviation, Clifton Aero and Taylor Spraying Service.

The Texas labor market exceeded the previous prepandemic high in February 2020 by hitting just under 13 million nonagricultural jobs in November, the Texas Workforce Commission reported last Friday. The adjusted jobless rate was 5.2% last month, down slightly from the previous month.

Holiday lights are up and seasonal aromas fill the air. Traditional sentiments of the season are proclaimed--- Peace on Earth, Eat--- and Shop ‘Till You Drop. Stores are filled with decorations, gifts and special foods. This time of year evokes memories for us all, whether we celebrate

Clifton, Texas has become somewhat of an “artsy” town over the last several years with a variety of artistic talents that live and work in and around Clifton. Judith J. Baker is a Clifton resident whose talent is not only pleasing to the eye but has scientific purposes.

Blame it on La Niña. By the end of November, nearly half the state was experiencing drought conditions, up 25 percentage points from the end of October, according to Dr.