A huge pot of federal rail funding and chronic highway congestion are prompting some Texas officials to again consider expanding passenger rail in Texas, according to The Texas Standard. Congress set aside $66 billion three years ago in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for rail projects across the country, sparking some interest in increasing passenger rail service between the state’s major cities.

On August 1, Madison County Museum’s most recent exhibit focused on local families closes, to be replaced with items from local churches. Such can include photos, membership directories, certificates, hymnals, Bibles, Bible School or Sunday School items, attendance charts, bulletins, sheet music, or such.

As the dog days of August approach and electric bills soar, the Public Utility Commission is reminding consumers of rules in place to protect them from having their power disconnected due to financial difficulties, especially during extreme heat.

Madison County Historical Commission’s website, which can be found at www.madisonchc. com, may be new to you, but I hope you check it out. It offers links to resources that you may like, and it is evolving.

Belva Jean Baker was born August 16, 1941, in Madisonville’s Heath Clinic on North Madison. She grew up a few miles south of Madisonville, beside Highway 75, on property owned by her father’s family.

More than 2 million Texans lost power when Hurricane Beryl hit the Texas coast, and Gov. Greg Abbott wants to know why. The Austin American- Statesman reported Abbott has ordered the Public Utility Commission to conduct an immediate study into why the Houston area has again been hit by widespread power outages.

A year after a new state law ended mandatory water breaks in Texas, a proposed federal rule would protect millions of workers from the risks caused by extreme heat, The Texas Tribune reported. The rule would require employers to create plans to prevent heat injuries and illnesses and ensure workers get access to drinking water, rest breaks and control of indoor heat.

Recently the Museum received priceless items in honor and memory of the late Patsy Crain Raley, a member of Madisonville High School’s Class of 1955. Included were MHS yearbooks for 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955, plus another book entitled The Men and Women in World War II from Madison County Texas!

My first Musings appeared in the Madisonville Meteor’s June 24, 2015, edition. Before that, Lynda Breeding was Madison County Museum’s curator and had written regular essays entitled Musings, but she quit and moved to Goliad. Jane Reynolds was hired as our curator, and Vivienne Chambless and I helped as volunteers. Jane felt she lacked the necessary computer skills for the Musings columns, so I agreed to do them, at that time every other week. I doubt many folks read my first few, but if they did, they may well be as forgetful as me.

With the Fourth of July bringing a possible four-day weekend for lucky Texans, the Texas A&M Forest Service urges outdoor enthusiasts to exercise fire safety outdoors, especially when using fireworks or starting campfires to roast hot dogs and toast marshmallows.