Columns and Opinion

The state’s economy continues to grow faster than the nation as a whole. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates gross domestic product for Texas grew in 2023 at an annual rate of 5.7%, more than double the national average of 2.5%. The state also continues to lead the nation in job creation, adding almost 50,000 new jobs in February.

When we moved our family to San Saba County nearly 20 years ago, my husband and I both left “good government jobs” to start a business. I worked at the school for the first year and thought I would stay there until I retired. But the new business and all the associated work did more than grow, it exploded. By the end of the first school year, it was apparent that I would not be able to keep up with my role in the business and work at the school, along with the demands of being a working mother, so I left my school job. For the past 18 years, I have worked from home.

Our big day has come and gone. The solar eclipse didn’t bring any masses of people to Richland Springs, but San Saba had a bustling day. Mill Pond Park was packed with visitors and the stores had plenty of business. We had a perfect day to watch the eclipse. At one point, I wondered if I should have sunscreen on since I was sitting out in the open. We were fortunate to have wonderful visitors to our beautiful community. I’m glad none of the visitors to Burnet showed up here. I hope everyone enjoyed their day and God’s awesome creation.

Enough already. The eclipse of April 8 has been smothered with coverage by both mass and social media. Americans--some who flail at things that go “bump” in the night--yearned for even more darkness! They carved out time from busy schedules and squeezed funds from their budgets to make their way to a slice of the globe where the solar eclipse darkened the day for some four minutes--give or take a few seconds.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 informs us that, “there is nothing new under the sun.” And, as an educator since 2001, I have come to realize that King Solomon knew a thing or two about repackaging when he spoke these words. It is true in education, as it is in other fields such as fashion, that ideas are cyclical. What once was will be again. There are very few truly novel ideas for ensuring that students are learning what we are teaching.

One economist is calling it “the most profitable 22 minutes in Texas history,” according to the Texas Standard. The total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, is expected to draw up to a million visitors to the Lone Star State, especially in its narrow path of totality.

The TxDOT Brownwood District will be conducting a virtual public meeting, along with a series of in-person meeting opportunities, for the proposed 2025-2028 Rural Transportation Improvement Program (Rural TIP). These meetings offer the public an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed projects in the district. The virtual public meeting will include a pre-recorded presentation that provides the same information and program materials presented at the in-person public meetings.

Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following statement on March 26th: “For over a decade, my family and I have been dealing with the ongoing stress of these accusations and are relieved to finally have a resolution in this matter. The prosecution came to us to begin negotiations and we were able to come to an agreement on terms. There will never be a conviction in this case nor am I guilty.

The Goldthwaite Theatre has partnered with Joyful Trading Company for ticket sales for the upcoming production of “Superhero Sanitarium” scheduled for April 12-13, at 7 p.m., and April 14, at 2 p.m. The play centers around Lois Landcaser, an investigative reporter who meets a very eclectic group of inmates at the local sanitarium she is investigating.

How many folks are expected to travel for the eclipse? On the VERY LOW END, 500,000 to 1.5 million into Texas alone. Why are WE expecting so many people? It’s early April which is usually not too hot, not too cold, not too humid.