But when it comes to those charged with managing modern medical records and the many new computerized health care technologies now available, it can prove nearly impossible.

Not without paying what amounts to another doctor’s salary at the very least.

That’s why local hospital administrator Lance Smiga said he began investigating options, he told members of the Jackson County Hospital District board Thursday, and he believes he may have found a solution.

That solution comes in the form of a yearlong IT services contract with a firm called Blue Layer Innovative Technology Solutions, based in Lubbock, to serve as a sort of co-manager of the local hospital’s IT needs.

At present, the Edna hospital has an IT staff of just two who, especially when technology problems arise, can quickly become overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything, Smiga said. Hiring just one additional qualified employee could easily reach six figures for the county-funded hospital once benefits are factored into the equation.

IT services

Which is why Blue Layer has its appeal, Smiga said. By contracting with the company, the local hospital gains the expertise of not just one employee but a staff of 58 full-time IT professionals spanning a variety of specialties, from cybersecurity and advanced medical record systems to the latest high-tech precision surgical equipment.

“As our hospital continues to grow and all new technologies get introduced every day, this really seems like the best option for us moving forward,” Smiga said.

Ideally, Blue Layer will work in tandem with the hospital’s existing IT staff, providing both on-the-ground IT services at the local level and remote systems management and expertise, while also offering additional onsite assistance when needed.

And they can do so at a reasonable rate for the district as well, Smiga added.

Blue Layer’s service agreement will cost the hospital district about $10,000 a month, according to the contract approved Thursday. The agreement is renewable for up to three years, pending annual approval by the local board of directors.

In other business:

• The hospital district approved its policy for granting local tax abatements for various entities that fall under its taxing jurisdiction. No abatements are currently under consideration, but Thursday’s action establishes the guidelines the board must follow should one come before it.

• Hospital district directors received a construction update on ongoing renovation projects at the Edna and Ganado campuses.

• The board received its monthly ER report, showing 385 patients were treated in May, up from the same month last year and averaging 12.4 patients per day. Local EMS call volumes, although down slightly in May, continued to trend upward year over year.

Master Sgt. Roy P. Benavidez, a Medal of Honor recipient who was born near Cuero in DeWitt County before later making El Campo his home, is among 250 Americans proposed for inclusion in the national memorial. The proposal comes as efforts also continue to name the new Veterans Affairs clinic in nearby Victoria in his honor.

Hero

The garden would include 250 sculptures honoring Americans from all walks of life, although the project has been the subject of nearly six years of debate over whether it will ultimately become a reality.

Benavidez is on the short list of proposed honorees. Other names on the list include George S. Patton Jr., John Adams, Ronald Reagan, Elvis Presley, Barbara Jordan, Nat King Cole, Red Cloud, Roberto Clemente, Audie Murphy, Francis Scott Key, Martin Luther King Jr., Walt Disney and Neil Armstrong.

The monument was first envisioned by President Donald Trump in Executive Order 13934, issued July 3, 2020. The project struggled with funding after President Joe Biden rescinded the order, but it was revived following President Trump’s return to office in 2025.

As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in May 2025, the garden received $40 million in funding through the Department of the Interior.

“We do not know if this garden will ever come to fruition, but for my grandfather’s name to be among the names of some of the greatest American icons in the 250 years of our nation’s history is truly an honor,” said Matthew Benavidez.

His father, Noel Benavidez, is one of Roy and Lala Benavidez’s three children, along with Yvette Benavidez Garcia and Denise Prochazka. Each has children who have been taught about the legacy of the grandfather few of them were old enough to remember meeting.

The garden envisions classical or realistic- style renderings, only slightly larger than life, created from marble, granite, bronze, copper or brass.

“Out of all the American icons and heroes the President’s team has selected the orphaned farmer boy from Cuero, Texas, who was in the right place at the right time to help his friends and brothers in arms,” Matthew Benavidez said.

“His name will be alongside the names of Betsy Ross, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Davy Crockett, Albert Einstein, William McKinley and George Washington, to name a few. It is such an honor to think his contribution to his community, to the military, to the youth and to the nation as a whole has had such a profound impact that he is considered to be recognized among the heroes who helped shape this nation,” he added.

Despite being one of the most recognized figures of the Vietnam War nationally, little in the Crossroads region honors the Green Beret who, after being injured so severely doctors told him he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, refused to accept that limitation. He taught himself to walk again by first crawling across the hospital floor and then pulling himself up against a wall.

His determination to stay on active duty led to another tour in Vietnam, a deployment that resulted in what he later called “Six Hours in Hell” on May 2, 1968, when he volunteered for a rescue mission after learning three previous attempts had failed.

Facing odds estimated at 100 to 1, Benavidez, armed with only a knife and a medical bag, saved eight of 12 men, recovered classified documents and suffered 37 bullet, stab and shrapnel wounds.

And while it may not sound polite in the civilian world, few soldiers will forget that Benavidez came home alive because he somehow found the strength to spit in the face of the men who believed he was dead and were preparing to place him in a body bag.

After many more years of stateside service, Benavidez returned to El Campo with his wife and children upon his retirement in 1976. The town threw him a parade when the Army awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during those six hours in hell.

He had also been nominated for the Medal of Honor. The military conducts an extensive investigation of every nomination, including requiring eyewitness testimony. In Benavidez’s case, many of the witnesses had been killed or seriously wounded.

Lt. Col. Ralph R. Drake quickly began working to ensure Benavidez received the recognition he deserved. The eight rescued men testified, but the process ultimately required testimony from radio operator Brian O’Conner, who had left the United States after the war and did not know he was needed.

Somehow, however, O’Conner happened to read a story published in the El Campo Leader-News seeking witnesses and contacted officials.

President Ronald Reagan awarded Benavidez the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, on Feb. 24, 1981.

Following his retirement, Benavidez traveled extensively, often asking only that his travel and lodging expenses be covered, speaking to military units and students about service, his wartime experiences and the meaning of the West Point motto, “Duty, Honor, Country.”

Benavidez also became the first noncommissioned officer in U.S. history to receive a West Point saber.

“I do not often think about the impact he has had on people I have never met, but he truly is not only a Texas icon, but an American icon, and I am truly thankful to all those who remember his name and echo his story as a true American patriot,” Matthew Benavidez said.

The project makes use of a revolving fund provided by the Texas Water Development Board, addressing city infrastructure needs, like aging water and sewer line replacement.

Thursday’s council action named Traylor & Associates of Tyler the official grant administrator over the proposed project, and Civil Corp of Victoria as the city’s primary construction agent in charge of the work.

Both firms have established relationships with city already, Edna city manager Gary Broz said. Both are involved with street, drainage and utility improvement projects as part of Edna’s federal disaster aid dollars made available through the Texas General Land Office in Hurricane Harvey’s wake.

Civil Corp is also overseeing work on improvement projects along Division, Brackenridge and Miracle streets that are part of the city’s bond projects, paid for with certificates of obligation.

Recent rains idled work on the street projects, Broz said in his project update to council in his city manager’s report, though he suspected work would pick up when things dried out. At least a mile of that project is due for an Aug. 1 completion date to accommodate the start of the new school year, he added.

In another though unrelated civic improvement project Thursday, council members extended their blessing to the Edna Business Association to install some 34 curb grab bars in the downtown area.

Council also greenlighted two demolition projects—one at 702 W. Cedar and the other at 705 Third—both removing condemned structures within the city.

In other business:

• The city received its annual financial audit report from Harrison, Waldrop & Uherek, the firm presenting an unqualified opinion—its top mark—on the city’s bookkeeping over the last year.

• Council approved a measure to clean up some old deed paperwork for a property located along Guadalupe Street.

• The council approved a vehicle lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management for a new pickup to be used by Edna’s animal control officer.

• The city renewed its agreement Texas Health Benefits Pool to provide health insurance for all city employees, with no increase in premiums anticipated in the year ahead.

That’s after board members met last week to adopt their proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget and tax rates on Wednesday, June 17.

According to their public notice published in these very pages on June 3, homeowners in Ganado ISD will likely see about a $39 decrease in their tax bills in the year ahead, falling from an average of about $483 last year to $443 this year.

Of course, such saving may well prove moot, as average property values rose from about $190,069 in 2025 to $198,653 in 2026.

Still, the savings listed in their printed notice came despite overall tax rates climbing by about 4 cents per $100 valuation in the school’s interest and sinking account (I&S), the result of recent voter-approved bond issues within the district.

The proposed school operations tax rate remains unchanged at 64.790 cents per $100 valuation, while the proposed I&S rates move from 45.954 cents per $100 to 50 cents per $100.

Those proposed rates will help fund an estimated $14.4 million balanced budget for the coming year, up from about $12.4 million currently, the biggest differences coming as part of the school’s debt service categories as payments come due on those bonds.

The board will meet next month in hopes of finalizing the budget and tax rates for the year ahead. Unlike most districts where budgets and tax rates are set in August, Ganado ISD’s fiscal year ends in July.

In other business:

• Board members authorized superintendent John Szymanski to enter negotiations with the architectural firm Sledge Engineering to lead design work for latest bond project renovations at the school’s auditorium, field house, CTE barn and new softball field.

They also greenlighted similar contract negotiations with the construction firm Jacobs & Weaver, who will head up actual work on said projects.

• Ganado ISD approved Roloff, Hnatek & Co. to continue its annual school audit services for the district.

• Trustees reviewed and signed off on several end-of-year budget amendments, including requests to compensate hourly workers who were impacted by the school’s closures on May 15 brought on by a districtwide illness and on May 28, when almost everyone in town traveled with local girls to the state champion softball finals.

• The school board also renewed its drug dog contract for the coming year, reviewed financing plan options for their most recent round of school bonds and approved a summer work calendar change that grants Monday off, following the upcoming Fourth of July weekend.

According to the indictment, Jalomo is accused of “introducing Diphenhydramine into the body of Azaiah Alexander Lozano, delaying seeking medical care for Azaiah Alexander Lozano, and delaying providing medical care for Azaiah Alexander Lozano.”

Diphenhydramanine is an antihistamine, the primary active ingredient in allergy medications like Benadryl.

On Oct. 3, 2025, police and EMS were dispatched to Jalomo’s residence on County Road 131, according to social media posts by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, for a report of an infant who was unresponsive. According to Jackson County Sheriff Rick Boone, Lozano is the second infant to die in Jalomo’s care in five years.

In fact, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is making data centers a priority issue in the upcoming state legislative session in 2027.

The Texas Tribune reported recently that the governor sent letters to state policymakers on June 9 outlining several key recommendations for lawmakers to take up when they return to Austin in 2027, including:

• Requiring new facilities to add power generation to the state’s power grid.

• Requiring data centers pay for their own grid interconnection and infrastructure costs.

• Mandating the use of “closed-loop” water systems, which draw a large amount of water at the start but reuse it over some period of years.

• Require annual reporting by all data centers on electricity and water use.

• Establishing best-practice standards to address community concerns like noise.

• And repealing data center sales tax exemptions and “other outdated or unnecessary incentives” for data centers.

On that final point, the governor was especially adamant. The Tribune reported recently that Texas stood to lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years because of a sales tax exemptions granted to data centers that were already going up/installed in the state.

“The rapid scale of data center development requires oversight to ensure everyday Texans are not burdened with the costs of infrastructure driven by data center expansion, and to ensure that as data centers interconnect to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid, residential electric bills are not negatively affected,” Abbott said.

On June 11 in nearby Matagorda County, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller took up the battle flag in a Bay City town hall meeting focused on what he dubbed were the “hidden costs of data centers.”

He spoke on many of the same topics the governor raised with something of a more farm-based slant, most specifically, how data centers were gobbling up prime farmland and farm resources, especially water.

Miller’s office has been at the forefront of water shortage talks for years now, especially as Texas’ urban population continues to grow.

“Texas agricultural producers and rural communities need a balanced solution that recognizes the importance of innovation yet still protects our precious agricultural land for generations to come,” Miller said.

The conference aims to deliver an evening of education, networking and industry-wide support for the Gulf Coast cattle sector.

The event program features a diverse lineup, including a trade show, a catered dinner and a live stockmanship demonstration.

Dr. Ron Gill, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Livestock Specialist, will lead the educational demonstration, providing attendees with practical, expert insights into livestock management.

To help defray the operational costs of the conference, organizers are actively seeking local business and individual sponsorships, according to a news release. Three distinct tiers of support are available. The Gold Star sponsorship, priced at $500, offers an assigned booth space, event and social media recognition, a printed logo on the official agenda and a prominent business banner displayed inside the arena. The Silver Star level is available for $250 and includes an assigned booth space, event and social media recognition and a logo on the agenda. The Bronze Star level, available for $150, provides official recognition at the event and across social media platforms.

Sponsorships must be received as soon as possible to ensure inclusion in the printed event program.

Sponsorship payments and forms can be dropped off or mailed to the Jackson County Cattle Raisers Association, located at 411 N.

Wells, Room 111, Edna, Texas 77957. For further questions regarding the event or registration, contact Kade R. Smith, CEA Agriculture-Natural Resources, at 361-7823312 or via email at kade.smith@ag.tamu. edu.

With demand remaining exceptionally strong, we handled 129 cows, 27 bulls and 9 sheep. Packer cows and bulls both rallied

$8–$10 higher than last week. The calf market was mixed; lighter, fleshy new-crop calves softened slightly, but heavier weights trended strong, gaining $3–$15 in some classes.

Packer Bulls: High yielding, 195-228; Lower yielding 142-185.

Packer Cows: High yielding 183-203; Medium yielding 157-175; poor and weak, 80-135.

Palpated: seven, 1,750-

3,000. Pairs: $3,650-

$4,200.

Steer and bull calves:

200-250 lbs. 615.00-

740.00; 250-299 lbs.

580.00-800.00; 300-350 lbs; 546.00-625.00;;

350-400 lbs. 510.00-

560.00; 400-450 lbs.

478.00-545.00; 450-500 lbs. 460.00-505.00; 500--

550 lbs. 442.00-488.00;

550-600 lbs. 415.00-450.00; 600-700 lbs.

392.00-416.00; 700-800 lbs. 350.00-388.00 Heifer calves: 200-250 lbs. 600.00-705.00; 250--

300 lbs. 512.00-575.00;

300-350 lbs. 482.00-

590.00; 350-400 lbs.

465.00-580.00; 400-450 lbs. 446.00-600.00; 450--

500 lbs. 428.00-510.00;

500-550 lbs. 410.00-

530.00; 550-600 lbs.

389.00-450.00; 600-700 lbs. 371.00-440.00; 700--

800 lbs. 330.00-370.00 For more information, call 361-275-2329 barn.

Steers: 200-300 lbs.,

400-594-735; 300-400 lbs., 380-533-620; 400--

500 lbs., 400-479-555;

500-600 lbs., 318-432--490; 600-700 lbs., 348--

408-440; 700 lbs. & up,

187-308-384.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs.,

335-489-655; 300-400 lbs., 340-480-55; 400--

500 lbs., 322-427-495;

500-600 lbs., 360-403--

450; 600-700 lbs., 304--

377-420; 700 lbs. & up,

255-334-379 Stocker cows: none; Stocker pairs: none Packer cows: none;

800 lbs. & up, 92-188.

Packer bulls: 800 lbs. and up, 150-205.

Date: 6-16-26 Cattle on hand: 657 One week ago: 905 One year ago: 806

The calf market was higher this week. #1 classes sold $3 to $5 higher on the heavier weights and $4 to

$8 higher on the light weights. Demand remains incredibly strong. Packer cows and bulls sold fully steady and very strong on a supply of 100 head. No really high yielding cows or bulls to quote.

Good stocker cows and heifers, 3,250-4,500; medium stocker cows and heifers, 1,800-2,850; good cow and calf pairs,

4,400-5,700.

Packer cows: high dressing cows, 168-188; medium dressing cows,

145-168; low dressing cows, 125-145; poor/ weak cows, 100-125.

Packer bulls: high dressing bulls, 205-218; medium dressing bulls,

185-205; low dressing bulls, 160-185.

Top #1 class steer calves: under 200 lbs.,

650-850; 200-300 lbs.,

625-820; 300-400 lbs.,

520-620; 400-500 lbs.,

450-570; 500-600 lbs.,

410-490; 600-700 lbs.,

380-440; 700-800 lbs.,

330-393, 800+, 290-342.5. Top #1 class heifer calves: under 200 lbs.,

600-850; 200-300 lbs.,

520-680; 300-400 lbs.,

460-580; 400-500 lbs.,

410-520; 500-600 lbs.,

390-472.5; 600-700 lbs.,

350-407.5; 700-800 lbs.,

300-358; 800+ 270-315.

Replacement heifers:

350-750 lbs., 400-560.

Texas ranked second in the nationwide survey behind New York ($152 million), with Alabama ($104 million), Georgia ($49 million) and Maryland ($48 million) rounding out the Top 5 nationally.

On a per household basis, Texas still ranked tops nationally at No. 5 ($62 annually), trailing New Hampshire’s costs at $85 per household per year, Alabama at $84, New York at $76 and Wisconsin $70.

The study was released June 10, and headed by Matthew Baker, research director with Rebuild Local News, a nonprofit focused on advancing public policies to counter the collapse of local news and revitalize community journalism, and an entire team of the nation’s top economics scholars headed by Dermot Murphy, a finance professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

The current study builds on another comprehensive research project completed in 2020 led primarily by those in the finance sector, who investigated what impact local news markets played on things like bond ratings and interest rates in comparable towns and cities across the United States.

Those bond ratings and interest rates impact how local governments — everything from cities, counties and schools to hospitals, law enforcement and public utilities, which in turn affects costs of everything from health care to transportation, even the very water we use daily — borrow money for major projects.

In 2020, researchers found that borrowing costs could increase by as much as 5 to 11 basis points, or an average of $650,000 per loan, all based on the strength of the borrowing entity’s local news market.

In other words, after comparing hundreds of like-sized communities, demographics and project scopes, researchers found that areas with strong, robust news markets saved money over places with weak or no coverage at all, something they now refer to as a “news desert.”

The reason for the discrepancy in numbers is that financial lenders view news entities as an accountability safeguard for how those lent dollars are ultimately spent.

The study found that lenders are more likely to seek higher interest rates as compensation for the risk of lending to unmonitored local governments because a lack of news coverage opens the opportunity for such places to engage in wasteful spending, left unchecked.

The newly released 2026 study helped to better monetize those earlier findings into numbers that were far simpler to digest.

“When viewed through a fiscal lens, public investment in local journalism can lead to significant cost savings for local governments and taxpayers,” Baker wrote in the conclusion of his report. “Stabilizing local watchdog reporting can produce measurable public benefits by reducing borrowing costs and recovering dollars otherwise lost to higher borrowing costs.” The question for state policymakers, he continued, is not whether journalism investment pays off — this report shows it does, most clearly in the form of borrowing costs for local governments and likely across other areas of public spending as well — but whether states are willing to pay more for costs embedded in a system where some residents get less accountability coverage than those in other communities.

“The costs associated with the loss of local news are real and measurable, and ones that states cannot afford to ignore,” Baker said.

Check out the latest study findings at https://www.rebuildlocalnews. org/ local-news-shortageleads- to-1-1-billion-inextra- borrowing-costsfor- local-governmentsand- taxpayers/

Is there a way to suspend our Medicare coverage while we are overseas and reinstate it without a penalty when we return? It’s a large expense to have to pay Medicare Part B, Medicare supplement, and Part D premiums, and not be able to use the benefits. If we were to cancel our Medicare, the supplement, and Part D, what would we have to do when we return to Texas?

Thanks for your help with this Medicare issue. Part of our planning is figuring out our expenses while we are not living in the U.S.

-Sandy from Houston

Hi Sandy: This is a great question because there are different situations when someone is living overseas. Will you or your husband be working full-time with employer benefits? Or are you just moving out of the U.S. for a few years to get away? That was not addressed in your question.

If you or your husband will be working with employer benefits, then you can delay Part B until you return to the United States without receiving a Medicare Part B penalty.

If neither of you will be working full-time with group health benefits, then I would advise you and your husband to remain enrolled in Medicare and keep your Medicare Supplement plan, because you never know what will happen to your health in the future. If you decide to drop your Medicare Supplement and return to the United States at a later date, both you and your husband will be subject to underwriting when you reapply for a new Medicare Supplement.

I’ve encountered other individuals, who moved overseas, stopped their Medicare Part B and then developed serious health issues. Upon returning to the United States, they re-enrolled in Medicare Part B only to discover that their Medicare Part B penalty goes all the way back to the day they turned 65 at a 10% penalty for each year since age 65 or when their Medicare Part A began.

Let’s say you and your spouse are 75 years old and your Medicare Parts A and B began when you turned 65. When you return to the States and re-enroll in Medicare, then the Medicare Part B penalty will be 75 years minus 65 years which equals 10 years times 10% or a 100% penalty that is not for one month, but for each month for the rest of your and/or your spouse’s Medicare enrollment.

Sandy, because you are moving overseas and plan to return to the United States at a later date, during a Toni Says Medicare consultation (in person or by Zoom) the Toni Says Medicare team would advise the following: --Do not disenroll from Medicare because you and your spouse will have to re-enroll in Medicare Part B and D and can receive Part B and Part D penalties.

--If you cancel your Medicare supplement and Part D prescription drug plan, then when you return to the States you can reapply for a new Medicare supplement which will involve underwriting and enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan with additional Part D penalties.

--Another option, if you have health issues upon your return and cannot qualify medically (pass underwriting) for a Medicare Supplement, would be to enroll in a Medicare Advantage HMO/PPO plan with Part D prescription drug plan.

Take your time, Sandy, to explore your Medicare options because with Medicare, what you don’t know WILL hurt you! Contact the Toni Says Medicare team at info@tonisays.com or call (832) 519-8664 for assistance or to answer Medicare questions. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www.tonisays. com to download Toni’s new Medicare 2026 First Steps guide

Shopping at The Shack Market will be held Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Shack Bar & Grill, 2049 FM 616 in La Salle. The monthly market, held on the third Saturday of each month, combines a market-day atmosphere with a farmers market and features a variety of vendors. For information, call 361-550-5008.

A free concert featuring Greg McDougal will be held Saturday, June 20, from 6-8 p.m. at The Ranch Cowboy Church, 514 Dugger St. in Edna. The event is free and organizers encourage attendees to bring Dad for the Father’s Day weekend performance. More information is available at theworkofacarpenterministeries. org.

Workforce Solutions invites the community to meet and speak with its staff on the second and fourth Monday of the month from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Cypress St across from HEB parking lot.

Benito Barajas Jr. of Lockhart was charged with Online Solicitation of a Minor – Sexual Conduct, following an investigation by the department.

Barajas Jr. was taken into custody and booked into the Jackson County Adult Detention Center.

“The Edna Police Department remains committed to protecting children and aggressively investigating crimes involving the exploitation of minors,” Police Chief Kenny Pyle said in a statement.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The elder Myrick didn’t bat an eye.

The eradication of the screwworm and invention of the round bale, he replied.

“Never in my wildest dreams, back when he said that, did I ever think I’d be standing here now talking about the screwworm’s return to Texas,” Dr. Myrick said before a full house Tuesday at Gruenau Hall.

But he was, and he did. In fact, as a veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) over the Giddings region, encompassing multiple Central and South Texas counties in what’s become the nation’s single largest cow-calf producing region, Dr. Myrick has been at the forefront of the screwworm battle for months already, well ahead of parasitic pest’s confirmation in Texas earlier this month.

By June 13, the total screwworm count had climbed to nine confirmed cases so far, most involving young calves in counties found along the Rio Grande borderland country between Del Rio and Laredo. Just two of nine known cases at that time had crossed species: One involved a goat in Gillespie County, and the other was a dog out in Andrews County, near the Texas-New Mexico border.

The canine case, which involved a small lapdog that recently traveled into the heart of Mexico with its owner, seems unrelated to the naturally occurring spread along the South Texas border. That same case is also responsible for adding New Mexico to the list of affected states, as the dog and owner technically reside there.

Already, quarantine zones have been established in affected counties, and federal and state inspectors are monitoring all animals in and around the affected zones.

State and federal agencies are also actively dealing with the screwworm itself, releasing thousands of sterile male screwworm files into impacted areas. Plus, ranchers and landowners statewide are being urged to stay especially vigilant with their herds this summer and report immediately any signs that might suggest screwworm flies have made it beyond existing quarantine zones.

Sadly, Dr. Myrick noted that the very same industry innovations his father listed back when, both making it possible for cattlemen and landowners to take up ranching from afar, could well prove the greatest stumbling block in dealing with the screwworm today.

While reviewing several successful options available for treating and preventing screwworm infestations during his talk last week — nearly all of which require a veterinarian’s prescription — he said just one method truly works.

“The best thing you can put on your cows for screwworms is a pair of eyes,” Dr. Myrick said. “Then, if you see something, report it. It’s the only way we get a handle on this.”

How did it get here? The screwworm — which technically isn’t a worm at all but rather a parasitic fly larva that feeds on the living tissue of most any warm-blooded animal — is hardly new to the Texas landscape.

Female flies, attracted by the scent of blood in an open wound, will land and lay eggs there. Those eggs hatch and the larvae begins burrowing its way into the animal’s flesh, causing severe irritation, infection and, left unchecked, eventually death to the host animal.

First identified in Texas during 1930s — though believed to have been here for decades before already, at minimum — the first successful efforts at eradicating the screwworm took place in the 1960s, and despite a few instances of resurgence in the 1970s, eradicators led by the USDA effectively pushed the screwworm fly populations clean off the North American continent altogether.

For decades now, the USDA had effectively held screwworm fly populations at bay largely by geography, via a government lab set up in the country of Panama, where the narrow stretch of land between oceans set in an otherwise mountainous jungle region worked to provide a natural barrier for the sterilized flies they released weekly.

You see, female screwworm flies are the real problem, biologically speaking. They lay eggs. Fortunately, they only mate once in their lifespan, so by releasing sterile flies into the environment, scientists can effectively end the life cycle.

That worked for decades, but things eventually went sideways.

Those who watched the screwworm spread closely believe it likely came by way of illegal movement of livestock and other mammals, said Si Cook, executive director with the Texas Farm Bureau, who agreed to a sit-down interview with the newspaper on June 13.

Whatever the case, however, the screwworm broke past the barrier in 2023 and has steadily marched its way up Mexico in the months since.

What do we do now? According to figures Dr. Richard Myrick shared last week, the numbers in Mexico were alarming — 27,603 confirmed cases as of June 5, with 352 of those involving humans; three people even died from screwworm infestations in Mexico — all since the first case turned up in that country back in 2023.

Of course, USDA and other animal health agencies and farm organizations have hardly sat on their hands in the years since.

“The first model projections I saw on this back in 2023 had the screwworm arriving here in Texas by the summer of 2025,” Cook said. “We managed to hold it off for an entire year, which gave us time to strengthen our response system.”

It’s why reporting plays such a key factor moving forward.

Cook and Dr. Myrick both stressed that screwworm is NOT a food safety issue. It’s a food production issue.

To cattlemen fearful that reporting infestations could shut down their operations, such fears are also unwarranted, both men also said.

For starters, the screwworm is entirely treatable. Since 2023’s reintroduction of the pest, no animals have had to be euthanized (barring those whose infestations were too far along), which is why monitoring is so critical right now.

Even in Panama, where the shadow of the screwworm loomed constantly, people have successfully ranched for generations, Dr. Myrick said.

“And once reports are filed, nobody’s going to come shut you down,” Cook said.

Even in quarantine zones — which are set up to contain the spread and provide USDA target areas for sterile fly release — cattle movement isn’t restricted.

“When you get your cows loaded to go to sale, somebody with USDA, TAHC or some other agency will be by to look at the animals and sign off that the screwworm isn’t present. Sale barns are also keeping close watch at their facilities, as they always have, to ensure infested animals aren’t introduced there. If found, the animal is treated, and everything proceeds as scheduled.”

If left unreported, however, the screwworm fly gains a foothold that no one wants, both men agreed.

Moving forward Si Cook isn’t just executive director of the state’s largest farm organization in Waco. He’s also a proud rancher, who bought his first cow at the age of 11 and in the five decades since has built a nice herd that he runs on both owned and leased land in Lavaca and Gonzales counties.

Of course, Cook is also a poster child for that absentee rancher made possible by those very same innovations that Dr. Myrick’s dad first named at his retirement sendoff, the very same ranchers who, in fact, comprise the larger part of cattle production today.

Without a screwworm attacking your herds and a few dropped round bales, ranchers could live almost anyplace and do all sorts of other work, all while their cattle did what they do best: Eat grass and drop calves.

Reintroduction of screwworm changes things, certainly, but it’s hardly the end of the world, Cook said. He’s stepped up his own surveillance efforts, relying on friends and family members within his ranching operation to keep watch while he’s away. Besides that, not much has changed, really.

Since the barrier break in 2023, USDA started plans to build a second sterile fly production facility that’s going up now in Edinburg. It will increase production from the 100 million mark now to more than 500 million sterile flies each week once completed.

That facility, initially set for completion in September 2027, is now targeting a May 2027 completion date, due largely to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent intervention on behalf of Texas cattlemen, during which he offered USDA everything from manpower to supplies to ramp up process.

“That’s remarkably fast for the construction of any federal facility, especially one like this,” Cook said. “And we can’t thank the governor’s office enough for what he did. As he told reporters then, he didn’t want to see Texas ranchers going through a whole other summer of screwworms.”

Cook also thanked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, a fellow Texan, who has worked tirelessly on this issue and continues to do so.

As to the construction timelines, most facilities aren’t near as complex. They sterilize flies by means of radiation, so there are containment issues to consider, both for the radiation and the flies themselves. Stepping up completion dates by even a few months is remarkable, indeed, something that’s sure to pay off handsomely once finished, Cook said.

Of course, it’s going to take time, and like most things, they’ll probably get worse before they improve.

“It’s a lot like getting antibiotics from your doctor,” Cook said. “He’ll tell you to take the entire prescription, even if it’s not an instant cure or, worse still, you start feeling better after a couple of doses.”

You quit early, and you run the risk of it coming back. With a vengeance, usually.

“We’re in this for the long haul,” Cook said. “The last thing we want is people my age tossing in their hat and saying to heck with it. Because I tell you, it sure will make it a lot more difficult for younger people looking to fill their boots.

“We can beat this,” he added. “We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. We just need to make sure we rely on sound science and not fall victim to hysteria.”

•Leonardo Martinez Baez and his attorneys Keith Weiser and Chris Isles appeared briefly in the courtroom but did not stand before the judge or address the court. Baez was arrested in July of 2022 after walking into the Sheriff’s Office and confessing to murdering his wife before attempting suicide. Baez has been in the custody of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office since.

•Bryan Lee Hadley agreed via plea deal to serve three concurrent five-year sentences for three felonies. Hadley pleaded guilty to two counts of Indecency with a Child, and one count of Attempted Sexual Assault. Hadley also agreed to register as a sex offender, and to have no contact with three separate victims.

•Corey Dean Ferguson was sentenced to 45 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for two counts of Manufacturing/Delivering a Controlled Substance. The two 45year sentenced will run concurrently.

•Aron Cirilo Padilla- Medina pleaded guilty to Sexual Assault of a Child in exchange for 8 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

•Jose Miguel Salazar, accused of murder in the October 2024 death of Jasmine Ramirez, appeared on the docket but did not appear in the courtroom. His case was reset for a future date.

Don’t feel alone, because there is a person entering Medicare every 8 seconds every day for approximately the next 10 years. Most Americans feel an urgency to learn their Medicare options and are stressed over getting it right, because they know that one wrong move can jeopardize the retirement savings they worked so hard to build.

Below are some facts that those entering Medicare need to know: Enroll on time: The only way Medicare is automatic for someone turning 65 is when they are already receiving a Social Security check.

If you are not receiving your Social Security check and not working full-time with employer benefits from either your or your spouse’s work, then you will want to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B online at www.ssa.gov/medicare/ sign-up Those who are working full-time with employer benefits or are covered under their spouse’s benefits may want to delay enrolling in Medicare Part A (especially if a Health Savings Account (HSA) is an employee benefit; important Medicare rules apply) and Medicare Part B until they retire or lose their benefits for any other reason.

Medicare is NOT free: Medicare covers a lot and there is a cost associated with Medicare Parts A and B. You have been paying tax dollars for Medicare and the premium for Part A is at no cost. Medicare Part B has a premium that is means-tested depending on how much you have earned for that year. In 2026, an average Medicare beneficiary pays $202.90 each month for the Part B premium. The 2026 Medicare Part A (hospital) deductible is $1,736 not once a year but every 60 days, or 6 times a year. The 2026 Medicare Part B deductible is $283 once a year, with Medicare paying 80% of the Medicare approved amount and you paying the remaining 20% (and many individuals purchase insurance to cover this 20% “gap”).

Learn Medicare’s alphabet soup… Parts A, B, C and D: Medicare Parts A and B cover hospital, medical and provider expenses.

Medicare Part C, known as Medicare Advantage plan, is another way of receiving your Medicare benefits. Part D is a Medicare Prescription Drug plan that can be enrolled in as a stand-alone plan with Original Medicare and a Medicare Supplement or bundled in a Medicare Advantage plan.

Medicare covers plenty: Medicare Part A covers in-patient hospital, skilled nursing facility care, home health and hospice care.

Medicare Part B covers physicians’ services, outpatient surgery/services, lab/X-rays, MRIs, durable medical equipment, and preventative services, etc.

Medicare doesn’t cover everything: Medical services not covered under Medicare include vision, hearing, or dental expenses as well as long-term care.

There’s no network with Original Medicare (with Medicare Supplement/ Medigap): Your health care professional or facility bills Medicare directly.

Medicare Advantage may be a good option: Know that you can choose between Original Medicare (Parts A and B), or Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurance companies.

Medicare also serves Americans under 65: Those under 65 on Social Security Disability or with ESRD or ALS qualify when they meet Medicare’s requirements.

When someone visits www.tonisays.com for a Medicare consultation online via Zoom nationwide, the Toni Says Medicare team advises the client to forget everything they know about their old health insurance plans because Medicare is totally different!

For a Medicare/Social Security checkup, call the Toni Says Medicare hotline at 832-519-8664 or email info@tonisays. com. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www. tonisays.com to download Toni’s new Medicare 2026 First Steps guide.

------ Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare, Social Security, and long-term care issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664

He will be covering events, news items and other stories of interest for both DeWitt and Jackson counties.

Horecka comes from just across the county line, where he and his wife, Jennifer – a grade school teacher who taught several years at Cuero’s St. Michael’s Catholic School – spent the last few years establishing their farm between Shiner and Hallettsville, while he also helped out with Lavaca County’s four newspapers and led the nearby Luling Newsboy & Signal to a 2025 Sweepstakes Award with the Texas Press Association, his fourth such honor in a career that now spans four decades.

While collecting multiple state and national press accolades through the years, Horecka is also a published author with a dozen books to his credit, so far. His 2020 story collection, Long Gone & Lost: True Fictions and Other Lies, even got shortlisted for a 2021 book award with the Texas Institute of Letters.

A Gonzales High School graduate, Horecka holds a bachelor’s in English from Texas State University in San Marcos and a master’s in creative writing from Texas A&M-Victoria.

Originally trained as an educator, he also spent several years teaching writing courses at various universities and junior colleges across the Lone Star State.

The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture has partnered with technology firm dewwI.T. to host a specialized Lunch & Learn seminar focused on practical tech integration.

The event, “Using A.I. in a Small Business,” aims to teach entrepreneurs how to successfully adopt artificial intelligence without compromising their security.

The session is scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2026, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will be hosted at the Jackson County Chamber office located at 116 W.

Cypress Street in Edna.

The presentation will be spearheaded by industry experts David Arnold, the CEO of dewwI.T., and Colton Slaten, a Technical Sales Engineer.

Together, they will guide attendees through the fundamentals of what AI actually is, explore its evolving role in the small business ecosystem, and detail the steps required to get an organization’s infrastructure ready for the shift.

Because space is limited for this highly anticipated seminar, advanced registration is mandatory for all attendees. Prospective participants must RSVP by Wednesday, July 15, to secure their spot. Registrations can be made by calling the Jackson County Chamber directly at 361782-7146 or by visiting their official website at jacksoncountytexas.com.

In one of the early episodes, he asked the talented, but vain and vacuous star of the team a question he had been asking of all the players: “Would you rather be a lion or a panda?”

“I’m me, coach,” the young superstar replied. “Why would I want to be anything else?”

The coach smiled. “I don’t think you understand how psychologically healthy that response was.”

Lately, I don’t like looking at the man in the mirror. The unrelenting march of time is taking its toll.

Wrinkles. Gray hairs. Love handles.

But it goes deeper than that. I have long struggled with the man in the mirror.

The sins. The scars. The fears and self-doubt.

Most of us don’t struggle to find things we dislike about ourselves.

In Psalm 139, King David doesn’t seem burdened with such insecurities.

He wrote, “I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

To be clear, when David said that he was “fearfully made,” he wasn’t saying that God had made him fearful – anxious and afraid, worrying and wondering if he was good enough.

He also wasn’t saying that God had made him frightening. His appearance wasn’t hideous. He didn’t instill terror in others.

When David said he was “fearfully made,” he meant that God had made him in a way that inspires awe and wonder. David looked at how God had created him and could only say, “That was awesome!”

But David was no narcissist. He wasn’t vainly denying his shortcomings. He was marveling at how amazingly God has created us.

The human body is a marvelous machine. Your heart beats without being told. Your lungs draw breath while you sleep. Your body turns food into strength, fights infection, heals wounds, and carries you through life. Your mind can imagine, remember, reason, laugh, grieve, repent, and love.

And then God made billions of us – each one unique, each one gifted with varying personalities and talents, each one special to God.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your body is a marvel of divine engineering. Your soul was created to last forever.

Yes, you are stained with sin. You make mistakes. You have weaknesses and foibles.

But you were so precious to the God who created all things that he entered our humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. He took your place. He suffered your punishment. He redeemed you with his blood. At your baptism, he chose you. He adopted you as his precious son or daughter.

It isn’t vanity to recognize how amazingly God has made you or how special you are. God gets all the credit. But when we tear ourselves down – when we complain about how God has made us – when we despise the man in the mirror, we are telling God that he somehow made a mistake.

You are the result of divine engineering. You are the crown of God’s creation. You are a baptized son or daughter of the King of the universe.

Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving” and “364 Days of Devotion,” on Amazon.com.

The Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) is one of 10 species of “spiny lizards” that reside in Texas, and it by far has the most limited distribution of the group. In fact, this species of lizard has the second smallest range of any other lacertilian in the United States. This variety can only be observed in and around the Monahans Sandhills region of western Texas within five counties: Andrews, Crane, Gaines, Ward and Winkler and the adjacent Mescalaro Sands region of southeastern New Mexico.

However, the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard does not reside throughout these sandhill regions. Typically, it will avoid areas of open dunes, choosing instead to dwell on dunes littered with shin oaks and sagebrush (hence the common name). It is under these diminutive trees that this lizard will take refuge from the intense heat, as well as predators. Many are spotted as they scamper from one bush to the adjacent one.

The genus to which this species belongs to is known as the “spiny lizards”, and as such, this species has dorsal (back) scales that are quite bristly. The most distinguishing characteristic of this species is the apparent lack of pattern along the dorsal areas, instead at first glance appearing to be just a uniform pale tan to brown. Upon closer examination, of course, there are three pronounced stripes on the back. The middle stripe is gray and broad, occurs along the midline of the spine and is known as a vertebral stripe. Set on either side of this vertebral stripe are two very distinctive light dorsolateral stripes that run lengthwise down the body of the lizard. Please note that I said upon a closer examination. From afar these stripes are virtually indiscernible and coupled with the pale background coloration that matches the soils upon which it lives, most individuals are overlooked until they move.

From above, males and females are not easily distinct from each other. But if one examines the belly of this lizard, then the ability to tell the sexes from one another is quite simple. Mature males have two black-bordered blue patches on either side of the belly; females lack such coloration. Males are the larger sex, achieving total lengths of up to 6 inches, although most average a length of five inches. Females are slightly smaller than the males, topping out at approximately four and on-half inches.

“Dune Lizards”, as they are sometimes called locally, are “cold-blooded”, or ectothermic. This means that they do not generate heat from the inside of their body, as mammals and birds do, but rather are dependent on outside sources for heating and cooling. They are active throughout the day from early March to October, and unlike many other reptile species, the high metabolism of this lizard enables it to be observed during the hottest part of the summer afternoons.

This species of lizard is an opportunistic carnivore, feeding primarily on small crickets, grasshoppers, flies, and moths that it encounters in its daily diurnal activities.

The Dune Sagebrush Lizard is oviparous, which is a fancy way of saying that it lays eggs. After emerging from the winter-long brumation period (reptiles do not hibernate in the true sense of the word), males will search out females to mate. After mating, the female will lay a medium-sized clutch of eggs (averaging five) in moisture retaining soil. Females will lay a maximum of two clutches of eggs per summer. After a relatively short six-week incubation period, the diminutive inch and onehalf long young emerge prepared to fend for and care for themselves.

Given the “openness” of the preferred habitat, this variety of spiny lizard is exceedingly alert and wary. Many will sit motionless when approached, darting off for cover at the seemingly last possible moment.

Population studies have shown that this lizard is relatively abundant in some areas, while in others it has almost been extirpated. However, these studies have fueled the division between folks. Some studies have estimated that the population densities are as low as 10,000 individuals while other studies demonstrate the population may exceed 100,000 individuals. If the former number is accurate, then many feel that this species should not only be protected by state law, but by federal law as well. However, if the latter numbers are correct, then many believe that protection on the state level is sufficient, and a federal listing not necessary at all. This division is of course not the lizard’s fault…they are just doing what they have been doing since well before modern man arrived in the area!

Regardless of the exact population numbers, evidence shows that the population trend is decreasing, and it is listed on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable. In Texas, it and its habitat are afforded protection within the boundaries of the Monahans State Park.

With demand remaining exceptionally strong, the Cuero Livestock Market handled 129 cows, 27 bulls, and 9 sheep. Packer cows and bulls both rallied $8 -

$10 higher compared to last week.

The calf market was mixed; lighter, fleshy new-crop calves softened slightly, but heavier weights trended strong, gaining $3 - $15 in some classes.

Packer Bulls: Higher yielding, 195-228; Lower yielding 142-185.

Packer Cows: High yielding 183-203; Medium yielding 157-175; poor & weak, 80-135. Palpated: 9 bred, 1750--

3000. Pairs: 6 pair,

3650-4200.

Steer/Bull Calves:

200-250 lbs., 615-740;

250-299 lbs., 580-800;

300-350 lbs., 546-625;

350-400 lbs., 510-560;

400-450 lbs., 478-545;

450-500 lbs., 460-505;

500-550 lbs., 442-488;

550-600 lbs., 415-450;

600-700 lbs., 392-416;

700-800 lbs., 350-388.

Heifer Calves: 200--

250 lbs., 600-705;

250-300 lbs., 512-575;

300-350 lbs., 482-590;

350-400 lbs., 465-580;

400-450 lbs., 446-600;

450-500 lbs., 428-510;

500-550 lbs., 410-530;

550-600 lbs., 389-450;

600-700 lbs., 371-440;

700-800 lbs., 330-370.

The calf market was near steady this week.

#1 kinds in all weight brackets sold fully steady. #2 kinds saw some minimal weakness. Overall a very strong market. Our area received some very beneficial rains which pastures desperately needed.

Packer cows and bulls continued very strong at phenomenal prices on a supply of 100 head.

Good stocker cows and heifers, None; medium stocker cows and heifers, 1,800-2,800; good cow and calf pairs, None; medium cow and calf pairs, 1 pair 4,300.

Packer cows: high dressing cows, 168-194; medium dressing cows,

145-168; low dressing cows, 125-146; poor/ weak cows, 100-125.

Packer bulls: high dressing bulls, 205-226; medium dressing bulls,

185-205; low dressing bulls, 165-185.

Steer calves: under

200 lbs., 650-925;

200-300 lbs., 625-780;

300-400 lbs., 520-670;

400-500 lbs., 450-540;

500-600 lbs., 410-492.5;

600-700 lbs., 360-420;

700-800 lbs., 330-388;

800+, 290-342.

Heifer calves; under 200 lbs., 600-880;

200-300 lbs., 520-690;

300-400 lbs., 460-590;

400-500 lbs.; 400-505;

500-600 lbs., 380-450;

600-700 lbs., 350-410;

700-800 lbs., 300-375;

800+ 270-320.

Replacement heifers:

430-580.