Opinion

FROM THE PRECINCT 1 DESK: I appreciate all the good input from those who were able to make the road meetings. As a reminder, anyone who can’t make them is more than welcome to call and talk with me or leave a voicemail with input at 936-241-6241.

LEAD STORY FAMILY VALUES Tony Toto and his wife, Frances, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, are celebrating 57 years of marriage, WFMZ-TV reported in a feel-good Valentine’s Day story. “We have been blessed that we had all these years,” Tony said, noting “that one time when we had a rough time.” Yeah, that was the time in 1983 when Frances hired teenaged hitmen five times to kill Tony.

I don’t want to lose focus on the greater obligation of the commissioners’ office to govern, but I know the roads are generally what we see first. I would like to give a couple of updates and express my appreciation for the way the community has continued to work with me in this area so far. Many people start their conversation off with something similar to “I don’t want to be a bother but” or “I’m sorry to bring this up but” … Part of my job is managing our roads and I need to be informed about conditions as they come up. I don’t mind being reminded occasionally of things needing to be addressed because this helps me update prioritize my work as conditions change. I purchased a more efficient vehicle to be on the roads more. Since December 2, I have already put over 8,000 miles on this vehicle so far. Good road design takes time, organization, and effort. I have found that the best time to look at the roads is after dark during a heavy rain. If you see a blue Bronco Sport driving slowly down your road or backing up around midnight, please don’t shoot lol, it’s probably just me. I also understand the real concern that our “gravel road” design is rough on vehicles as I have already had over $1,000 in repairs to my new vehicle, directly resulting from county roads. I agree we need to move to a better road design. I am developing a plan to fix this.

LEAD STORY WAIT, WHAT? A couple in Etobicoke, Toronto, left on an extended business trip in January 2022, CTV News reported. When they returned home months later, they were stunned to realize that their house had been sold and the new owners had moved in.

The following essay first appeared in the Madisonville Meteor on February 2, 1984, not many years after Black History Month was first designated in 1976. Remember as you read this that it speaks from 1984, 39 years ago. When it says someone lives, that was true then. The Gooden/Washington essay starts in the next paragraph.

LEAD STORY -- NEW WORLD ORDER Sure, your fancy SUV may have ventilated seats and Wi-Fi, but does it have electrified door handles? The Guardian reported on Jan. 25 that a new vehicle has hit the market targeted at the particularly fearful driver -- the Rezvani Vengeance.

LEAD STORY -- IRONY Early on Jan. 14, in Monterrey, Mexico, Carlos Alonso, 32, allegedly broke a glass door at Christ the King Parish and entered, intending to rob the church, Catholic News Agency reported.

LEAD STORY -- CAVITY SAM LIVES On Jan. 9 in Kyiv, Ukraine, a surgeon removed an unexploded grenade from the chest cavity of a 28-yearold Ukrainian soldier, The Guardian reported.