News

Senior Connect, the nonprofit agency that oversees Kaufman County Meals on Wheels, and its board of directors have launched an emergency fund campaign due to the unprecedented demand for services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 16, Forney ISD approved the hiring of Steven Moss as the new band director for North Forney High School. Moss joins the Forney Family with an impressive and successful 20 year history as a music educator and fine arts administrator in Texas Public Schools.

There is something magical about the first day of a month being on a Saturday--and May is almost always a magical month!

STAR Transit is providing free rides for persons with confirmed appointment to get the COVID 19 vaccine shots. The curb-to-curb service extends outside of the agency’s service area. Rides are available Monday – Friday, 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. For this purpose, STAR Transit is temporarily adding Saturday service from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Reservations should be made at least one service day in advance and are based on vehicle availability.

Due to the February 12, 2021 disaster declaration by the governor, certain properties within Kaufman County may qualify for a temporary exemption under section 11.35 of the Texas Property Tax Code.

With more people enjoying the outdoors this spring season, you may start to notice more wildlife in your backyard, neighborhood or surrounding areas. Species including birds, deer and snakes are active this time of year and their young often stray or appear to be abandoned. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) experts caution against lending a helping hand.

April is the “birth-month” of William Shakespeare, in my humble opinion, “the GREATEST WRITER/PHILOSOPHER of all time.”

What’s the biggest financial mistake you can make? Choosing the wrong investments? Waiting too long to save for retirement? Underestimating the costs of retirement? All these are reasonable answers, but the biggest mistake you might make is not looking at your financial picture holistically – that is, not bringing into the picture all the elements of yourself.

Kaufman County was formed from Henderson County, which was formed only two years earlier from Nacogdoches County, and from 1848 until 1850, the cities of Kemp and Mabank were in the “overlapping” part that was in the “1850 change.” This caused some of the settlers in the 1850 census to appear in Henderson County instead of Kaufman County, where they rightfully belonged!

Sitting on a hillside in Palo Pinto County last week on the Dale River Ranch, I overlooked a little valley that led down to a creek that joined the Brazos a half mile or so to the north. My goal was to use my trusty old box call to entice a gobbler out of the heavy cover. On my way driving into the ranch, I stopped at a low water crossing to change into my camo and when I shut the truck door, I heard several gobblers sounding off closeby. The birds were sticking in extremely tight cover and I wondered why. Normally during the early portion of the breeding season, they are strutting around and gobbling in relatively open country, hoping to attract a receptive hen. Had they just come off the roost? Probably not, there were no big roost trees nearby, just a lot of thick junipers and low growing brush common to the area.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), through the Texas Nature Trackers program, is inviting Texans to participate in the sixth annual City Nature Challenge, Friday, April 30 through Monday, May 3. This global community-based scientific effort, co-organized by San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, invites current and aspiring citizen scientists of all ages and backgrounds to observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals and fungi using the free mobile app iNaturalist.

Spring is in the air and with that comes one of Texas’ best spring traditions, angling for catfish. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Neighborhood Fishin’ program enables friends and families to stay close to home, enjoy time in the outdoors, and have the chance to reel in a catfish.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists at the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center in College Station are using a “table-to-farm” approach to create a safer, healthier and more sustainable melon supply chain in the U.S. by considering consumer preference at the dinner table.