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Nothing stirs up division quite like meatloaf. Once a staple in American kitchens during the 1950s and ’60s, it has quietly faded from everyday menus, yet it remains a hearty meal that can spark strong reactions; either warm nostalgia or complete turnoff, depending on where you land.

Dear Neil, my azaleas are dying, one after the other. This has been going on for the past year.

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First things first requires acknowledgement of my subject/verb “oops” in the last paragraph of last week’s column about the first of this year’s Lenten Luncheons. I was attempting to render “Youse guys better show up, man” into standard English and settled on “You are invited” but thought to personalize the message a little with “each of.” Needless to say, I neglected to change the plural “are” into “is” in the edit. My bad, as we say. As my obsession in advanced age is the cause of more communicative written composition, I accept the demands of being grammarian-in-chief, beginning with my own composition. I find myself berating my television set when newscasters confuse fewer and less (remember, it’s fewer people and less salt or sand). I may even have screamed out, “Fewer people, not less!” during after-dinner speeches, so I willingly accept censure.

On February 18th, we began the season of Lent. Lent is a season of preparation leading up to Easter. It is the forty days plus the six Sundays before Easter. For centuries, it has been observed as a special time of self examination and penitence. Lent is a time for concentration on fundamental values and priorities, and is not a time for self punishment.

The City of Laredo reached a major milestone in its commitment to youth recreation and economic growth on January 28, with the official ribbon-cutting of Phase I of the Buena Vista Sports Complex. The $45 million facility, located in South Laredo, debuted before a crowd of city officials, community leaders, and eager youth athletes ready to take the field.

The Fort Stockton City Council will convene for its regular meeting on Monday, March 9, 2026, at 5:30 PM at City Hall, located at 121 West Second Street. The agenda features several key community development initiatives, ranging from official park designations to significant improvements for local youth sports facilities.

The Pecos County Attorney’s Office announced that a jury found Carlos Lopez Guzman guilty of Violation of a Bond/Protective Order, a Class A misdemeanor, following a trial held on March 2, 2026, in the County Court, presided over by the honorable Judge Shuster.

The survival of Fort Stockton’s most enduring landmark, the aptly named “Oldest House” adobe ruins, has taken a significant step forward thanks to a partnership focused on both physical preservation and scientific discovery. Located at 601 S. Nelson Street, the structure is undergoing a transformation from a fragile ruin into a stabilized historical site, supported by recent wall reinforcement work sponsored by the Summerlee Foundation.

The Fort Stockton Independent School District Board of Education recognized local heroes and students while navigating state-level accreditation challenges and finalizing several key district policies during its regular meeting Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.