Commentary

By donna smith ammons

I slept in on the first day of school 2016! However, I know hundreds of school children who were up at the crack of dawn!! They ate breakfast, got dressed and headed off to the bus stop with their backpacks filled with school supplies. Whether they rode the bus, or dear old mom drove them to school, they were on their way to another year of learning.

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition 

By Lola Russell

I am the first to admit that I am as dumb as an ox when it comes to understanding my computer. I do not even know all the things that my cell phone can do. I do not try to learn as my memory bank is so full of facts that I do not want o lose so why clutter up what is left to something that stresses me out. Yesterday I was typing up my memoir for the class. As usual, I waited unitl the last minute—the very thing that I scolded my boys about in their school days. I had it ready to print and something went wrong.

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition 

By Pete Abington

 As advertised the public should be aware, in various times in August there will be meetings to consider levying additional or increased millage rates without voter approval. This will be done by rolling the millage forward, not to exceed the prior years maximum. This happens sometimes when the property value is increased and it enables the governmental entity to collect more taxes. The increase in taxes with this millage increase will apply to various legal departments in governments such as: Sabine Parish Law Enforcement - $236,500 - meeting August 16, 2016 at 10 a.m.; Town of Many - $2,093.02- meeting held August 25th at 12 noon: Sabine Parish Police Jury - increase millage $490, 960 - meeting date August 31, 9 a.m. This is for your information.   

By donna smith ammons

Hubby-dear and I are always looking for good movies. Sometimes movies that are not reviewed or even have trailers, turn out to be some of the best. I am a huge Sally Field fan, so when I discovered “My Name is Doris” on July 4, along with my daughter-in-law, Alexis, I placed it on my list of Movies to Watch. We didn’t get to watch it then because the men deemed it a chick flick. However, with hubby-dear’s surgery and about two weeks of therapy under his belt and pain pills, I caught him in a weak moment. Since I was his chauffeur for a time, he figured he’d better be flexible. We ordered the movie and settled back with our Sunday night favorite— popcorn, apples and cheese.  

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition 

By donna smith ammons

Hubby-dear had hip replacement surgery two weeks ago and is recuperating well. We were only in Highland Hospital for 30 hours before we were released. A mere three hours of being taken to his room, the physical therapists (Josh Crow and Phillip) had him up and walking down the hall with his walker.

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition 

By Pete Abington

It looked like after two special sessions Louisiana has passed $1.5 billion in new taxes. One estimate had it at $3 billion. These increases come on top of some $720 million in new revenues that were approved during the 2015 regular session. That is a lot of money for us to suck up. Much of the waste that is in this budget has not been filtered out. But, it does not appear to be billions of dollars of waste, which we need to fund the TOPS scholarship program or the partner hospitals that provide indigent care. The tragedy of the Louisiana economy is that it is shrinking. It is true that we broaden our state’s tax base and increase taxes as the same time, the state’s overall base is getting smaller. Statewide employment numbers have been decreasing every month since August of 2015. Outside of the Capitol area of Baton Rouge and Lake Charles, the picture looks pretty dismal.

by Pete Abington

You had better be aware because texting and driving is going to cost you in Louisiana in the future. Cell phones and other electronic devices have already contributed to close to 1,400 car crashes in Louisiana this year. This is not just an innocent offense for those involved. Too many innocent lives are lost because someone behind the wheel decided to take their eyes off the road to send a text. Under a new bill, they will enforce harsher penalties for those caught using wireless communication devices for text messages and social networking while driving. These changes will consist of increased fines for the first violation and subsequent violations in school zones. First violation carries a fine up to $500 and thereafter $1,000. If caught using a cell phone in school zone there will be a fine up to $250 for first offense.  

by Daniel Jones

(Note: I wrote the following movie review for my new blog associated with the Sabine CounterCulture Movement. Further writings and links to my podcast, which is the only podcast dealing with movies, television, and pop culture in this area of Louisiana, can be found at sabinecounterculture.wordpress.com) 

As I begin writing this, the credits are preparing to roll on “I Saw the Light.” For those who aren’t in the know, it is a 2016 independently produced feature length film detailing the career of Hank Williams, one of the biggest country music superstars of all times.  

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition 

By donna smith ammons

Every time I turn around hubby-dear has the television on some channel that features snakes. Yes, you heard me….an entire program about snakes. Back in his high school days, hubby-dear and his best friend, Rocky, were snake handlers. They had a large variety of snakes, which they kept in aquariums and cages in the Ammons’ backyard. Somehow I can’t imagine that being OK with his mother. I guess she never stepped foot out back. (My house is a no-snake zone!!)

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition 

By Lola Russell

I suppose one or the dearest places of my early childhood is O’Geese Bayou. It was located bout four miles from our house if we took the short cuts. After turning off the little dirt road that was more like a lane, we came to some woods and once we walked through them, we came upon a clearing that was like a different world.

To view more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition