Now_Staff_Writer


Peaceful Strides

BURLESON, TX — Jessica Prickett began her running career in middle school. “I was not a great runner at the time,” she said. “No one knew about me, but I kind of liked running.” She stuck with it, and by her freshman year she was coming into her own, running on the varsity team […]


Investing Together

WEATHERFORD, TX — She’s better known as Volunteer Amy, the stay-at-home mom who never stays home. Amy Mercer, along with her husband, George, are teaching their children to serve the community. It all started when their 12-year-old, Macy Jo, was only 2. “We did not have two nickels to rub together, and I didn’t […]


A Teacher’s Transformation

WAXAHACHIE, TX — Carolyn Stroud enjoyed a passionate 25-year career in education, teaching reading and language arts. Now retired, her love for reading is reflected during the annual Drop Everything and Read Day celebration, when she dresses up as the fictional character named Miss Tizzy, and reads to the children. This year marked the […]


Game On

CEDAR HILL, TX — Being a standout high school athlete can prove difficult for some young superstars to handle. The pressure of winning, grueling training schedules, maintaining grades and still managing to have some type of social life can be challenging. But some are successful at this juggling act — and accomplish even more. […]


Love at First Flight

RED OAK, TX — A chance meeting on an unlucky date may be the luckiest moment in Rob and Julie Minialoff’s lives. This dual-country couple has overcome obstacles and odds, and their relationship continues to grow today in what was first Julie’s home in Red Oak. “I moved here with my son, Riley, in […]


Marked by a Teacher

MIDLOTHIAN, TX — “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” These words, spoken by 19th century journalist Henry Brooks Adams, point to the phenomenal amount of impact and power a teacher can wield. Nearly every person who has been to school can point to at least one teacher who […]


Getting Ready for Society

MANSFIELD, TX — When Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Easley took a brutal hit as a football player for the University of Tennessee, he thought that maybe he should search for a new profession. He traded in the football for a Bible to become a pastor after his college days. Shortly after earning his master’s degree, […]


Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

GRANBURY, TX —  Leadership skills are necessary in many facets of life. And, within the Granbury Independent School District, Lieutenant Colonel Scott Casey, Ret. and First Sergeant Johnny Rositas, Ret. are helping students practice leadership roles. After retiring from the Marines, Casey took command of Granbury’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps for […]


Pride on Wheels

ENNIS, TX — Even though it lies off the beaten path, about 15 miles northeast of Ennis, the quiet hamlet of Bristol is home to what its caretakers lovingly call the “Beast.” Just ask Fire Chief Eddie Miner or any of his crew that comprise the Bristol Volunteer Fire Department. They should know. The […]


Umpire Eyes

CORSICANA, TX — Baseball is a longstanding tradition in American culture. Many have watched it, and others have played it. However, very few have had the opportunity to experience the game from the official’s point of view, one which entails a different understanding and perspective of the game, according to Elton Raney, Monty Casbeer […]