Monthly Archives: July 2013


Making Points to Win

RED OAK, TX — It was a cold winter day in Springfield, Massachusetts, back in December 1891, when a physical education instructor, Dr. James Naismith, created the game of basketball at a local YMCA. In the hope of coming up with a game that would keep his gym class inside and active throughout the long […]


A Peaceful Buzz

MIDLOTHIAN, TX — On a windy, sunny day ripe with opportunity and promise, it was time to visit the bees. One does not just jauntily walk up to bees in their home. Great care and respect is in every cautious step in their direction. Voices are kept at a low and moderated tone. A […]


Amazing Thing

MANSFIELD, TX — If you were to ask Gary Maddux the most memorable time of his life, he might tell you about the very first of many times the wheels of his helicopter grazed presidential ground as he landed the former President of the United States, George W. Bush. Or as a family man, he […]


Freedom Costs

GRANBURY, TX — Retired Army Colonel V.B. Corn has lived in Pecan Plantation since 2001. As an avid golfer, V.B. plays four days a week as the weather permits. This year, he joined forces with Bobby White, the golf pro at Pecan Plantation Country Club, to organize and conduct the first annual golf tournament hosted […]


Ennis Proud

ENNIS, TX — When it comes to school pride, the Ludwig family has it in spades. From the late Herbert Ludwig and his daughter, Pat, to his granddaughter, Joanna, three generations have cheered for the Ennis Lions. Herbert, who passed away last year, left behind many grieving hearts that cherish his legacy as a devoted […]


Red Hat Freedom

BURLESON, TX — On Wednesdays, you find them. Numerous ladies surround a table at the Senior Citizens Center, a game in the middle. They talk, giggle and sometimes burst into laughter. One woman, a regular at the center, peeks around the corner. “Y’all are laughing so much in here, I just had to come […]


Blessings Two Squared

CORSICANA, TX — Parenthood creates joys, challenges and changes in a couple’s life, but for some parents the joys, challenges and changes are played out in multiples of two. Jeremy and Belinda Tipton, graduates in the class of 1993 from Corsicana High School, had planned to fulfill Belinda’s lifelong dream of having a large […]


Where the Healing Begins

WAXAHACHIE, TX — When entering the Ellis County Children’s Advocacy Center, children and their non-offending family members are greeted by a plethora of stuffed animals. They have access to toys and a child-friendly movie is playing in the lobby. The calm atmosphere offered here allows children to relax, offering a quiet location for them to […]


Something to Buzz About

WEATHERFORD, TX — Most of us run from them. We swat at them. We spray harsh chemicals at them in the hope they will fly far away from us, never to return. But this isn’t the case with Jason Smith. Jason keeps bees on his property. For Jason, it’s a family tradition. His grandfather […]