A Message of Inspiration From the Author of Living Loved, May 4, 2025
Hey friends! Recently when the student ministry met on the square to have some ice cream and do some street ministry, we read in Luke 19 about Zacchaeus the tax collector. Read with me in Luke 19:1-10. [1] Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. [2] There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. [3] He tried to...
Texas SB 1065 Clears Senate, Heads to House
May 1, 2025 – On April 30, 2025, the Texas Senate approved Senate Bill 1065 with a 20–11 vote, aiming to prohibit contractors leasing government-owned property from enforcing firearm bans, such as the one implemented by the State Fair of Texas. The bill now advances to the Texas House of Representatives for consideration. The State Fair of Texas banned firearms in response to a shooting in the fair’s food court in 2023...
Larry Joel Walters
Larry Joel Walters, 78, of Cumby, Texas, passed away peacefully in his wife’s arms on April 24, 2025. He was born on May 8, 1946, in Houston, Texas, to Charles and Marie Walters. Larry grew up in Houston and graduated from Jeff Davis High School in 1964, where he proudly served in ROTC all four years. Early in life, he enjoyed many adventures with his parents, fishing and crabbing in Galveston and visiting extended family in...
Building Real-World Skills in AI: A New Path for College Students
With rapid changes to every industry being brought on by artificial intelligence, East Texas A&M is offering a program to prepare students for the future workforce. COMMERCE, TX, April 30, 2025—Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a futuristic concept—it’s already changing how people live and work. From chatbots that help answer customer questions to algorithms that assist doctors in diagnosing illness, AI is...
Representative Lujan Files Bill to Combat Rental Car Theft and Cross-Border Crime
April 30, 2025 – AUSTIN, Texas — For years, a troubling trend has been unfolding across major Texas cities. Stolen vehicles, once considered a localized issue, have become key assets in organized criminal operations, particularly along the southern border. Representative John Lujan (R–San Antonio) has filed legislation to combat this growing threat by addressing a loophole in state law that criminals have exploited to traffic...
Legislation Aimed at EPIC City Under Consideration
April 30, 2025 – Representative Candy Noble (R–Lucas) has proposed legislation aimed at regulating unconventional property ownership structures. The developments, known as EPIC City and EPIC Ranches, are being marketed as exclusive Islamic enclaves, featuring not only residential housing but also a mosque, K-12 schools, a community college, retail space, and a clinic. According to developers, these amenities would be funded...
Billy James Turner
December 9, 1953 ~ April 28, 2025 (age 71) Billy James Turner VISITATION: Monday May 5, 2025 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM West Oaks Funeral Home 500 S. Hillcrest DriveSulphur Springs, TX 75482 GRAVESIDE SERVICE Monday May 5, 2025 11:30 AM Como Cemetery Highway 11 East Como, TX 75431
Mary Valerie Collum Barnhill
March 4, 1931 — April 26, 2025 Sulphur Funeral service for May Valerie Collum Barnhill, age 94 of Sulphur, Louisiana, will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at Murray-Orwosky Funeral Home with Dwight Anderson officiating. Interment will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park with Joshua Barnhill, Brandon Barnhill, Todd Barnhill, Daniel Barnhill, Collin Alexander, and Greg Barnhill serving as pallbearers. Visitation will be held...
CDC Taps Texas A&M School Of Public Health To Assess Avian Flu Among Dairy Farm Workers
April 29, 2025 – By Ann Kellett, Texas A&M University School of Public Health In April 2024, a month after avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) was detected in dairy cows in several states, the first known human case was reported in an individual in Texas who had been exposed to dairy cows. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes this was the first case of H5N1 being spread from...
Trump Administration Announces that the U.S. Government Has Dropped Criminal Charges Against Small Farmer/Rancher Maude Family
April 29, 2025 – (Washington, D.C., April 28, 2025) — The Trump Administration announced it has dropped all criminal charges against Charles and Heather Maude, South Dakota cattle and hog farmers who faced prosecution under the Biden Administration in what officials now describe as a “politically motivated” case. The charges stemmed from a longstanding dispute over 25 acres of land adjacent to the Buffalo Gap National...
