“Dad,” said the voice over the phone, “I need your help to write a paper about the ‘Old West.’” My daughter, Tara, in order to improve her lot in life, had gone back to school at age 34. Because of my love for all things ‘western,’ I took on the challenge.

AUSTIN — The Texas Attorney General’s office on Oct. 5 called for a halt on all foreclosures, sales of properties previously foreclosed upon and evictions of persons residing in previously foreclosed upon properties. Loan-servicing companies were asked to review their processes, including whether employees or agents “robo-signed” affidavits and other documents recorded in the state before proceeding with foreclosures. Suspension notices were sent to 30 l ...

You always hear about all the advantages of homeownership, like tax breaks, accumulation of wealth, and other less tangible, social benefits. But is there a downside, too? Well, that depends on your perspective. I find one of the biggest adjustments for renters-turned-homeowners is the ownership factor. If something breaks or needs some TLC, there is no longer a landlord to lean on, and ignoring it doesn't make sense — as a homeowner, you are responsible. Home maintenance ...

AUSTIN — Voter registration ended Oct. 4, and now, less than a month remains until the general election on Nov. 2. The 10-day period to early vote in person runs Oct. 18-29. Election polls show incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry continuing to hold a margin of 6 points or so on Democratic candidate Bill White, the former mayor of Houston. Meanwhile, the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News and KLRU-TV in Austin, are sticking with t ...

Books have been written about race mixture in Latin America. After the Spanish conquest, Europeans established a caste system that ensured that “whites” would remain firmly in control of power. Vestiges of that system still remain today. Even whites were categorized. A Spaniard born in Spain had higher status than a Spaniard born of Spanish parents in the New World.

AUSTIN — State Attorney General Greg Abbott on Sept. 23 filed a legal challenge against the U.S. Department of Education to secure $830 million in federal education funds for Texas schools, teachers and students. The state’s legal move comes in response to the Department of Education’s Sept. 9 decision to deny Texas’ application for the education jobs funds through H.R.

In the early summer of 1994, my wife and I led sixteen art teachers into the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico. The goal was to learn the art of making pottery the way the Paquime Indians did hundreds of years earlier. We set up camp in a remote area known as Cave Valley, a narrow gorge lined on both sides with Indian cave dwellings and parted in the middle by the meandering Piedras Verdes River.

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry on Sept. 14 praised legislation filed to repeal a Central Texas congressional representative’s amendment to the recently passed federal education jobs bill, H.R. 1586. U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn teamed up to write and file repealing legislation, S.3768, and U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, led Texas’ GOP House delegation in offering a House version, H.R.

While sorting through some papers recently, I came across the following letter to my kids, all of whom lived in “the big city” at the time: El Paso, Texas June 26, 2008 Well, here I sit in my cleaned out office at Horizon High School watching the clock until 4:30 p.m. when I will walk out the front door for the last time.

The emergency room doors banged open and a father, closely followed by his sixteen year-old son, ran through cradling the unconscious form of his eight year-old boy. The ER personnel responded quickly and whisked the boy away into the bowels of the big hospital leaving the two to pace back and forth in the waiting area. The boys had left Mom at home to go on a weekend outing with their Dad to do some camping and fishing and to just spend some quality time together in the great out-of- ...

AUSTIN — Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott on Sept. 1 made public the Texas Education Agency’s proposed budget cuts for fiscal years 2012-2013, in accordance with Gov, Rick Perry’s request for a 10 percent reduction. If approved, the amount of funding for Texas public schools will be cut by than $260 million.

Bobby Bindseil asked us if we had any animals that could graze down the overgrowth on a piece of land next to his house. We put a few goats on the place and I go by with some regularity to check on them. One evening as I was finishing up with the goats, Bobby and his wife, Clara Jo, came out and engaged me in some pleasant conversation.

AUSTIN — Bullets from a gun battle in Juarez, Mexico, struck a building on the campus of the University of Texas-El Paso over the weekend of Aug. 21-22. “For the second time in two months, bullets from a gun battle in the escalating drug war in Juarez have struck a building in El Paso, and I’d like to commend the swift action taken by local and state law enforcement in the area, Gov.

“One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil—it is anger, envy, jealously, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. “The other is Good—it is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.&r ...

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry on Aug. 19 called for lawmakers to enact tougher penalties for the crime of human trafficking in Texas. Lawmakers will meet next when the 82nd Texas Legislature convenes at noon on Jan. 11, but more pressing is Election Day, Nov. 2, only two months away. Former Mayor Bill White of Houston, a Democrat and incumbent Gov.