The Carmine Chamber of Commerce hosted its Texas Mixer at Windmill Ranch Lodge on the evening of Feb. 23. Ronnie Eckert was named Citizen of the Year, and Carmine State Bank, represented by Chris Coufal, was chosen as Business of the Year. Both have done much to contribute to the success of our community and it is appreciated.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will expand health care benefits to millions more veterans starting March 5 thanks to the PACT Act.

The PACT Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022 to provide health care coverage to veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. The law requires the VA to presume toxic exposure for a wide range of veterans who served since the Vietnam War.

Second Chance Emporium (SCE) recently donated $10,000 to the Flatonia Public Library. Monies donated will be used to add new and large print books to the library, to sponsor a summer reading program, to purchase Apollo software and to establish a new website. The library is a center for community learning by providing free access to information, resources, programs and technology.