To the Editor: Regarding the hospital land deal reported last week: Just over $9,000 an acre for property minutes from the bypass in La Grange and on a major thoroughfare. There’s not many other properties in Fayette County in that price range (if any) and assuredly none close to La Grange on a major thoroughfare.

To the Editor: There are a lot of people who are very upset with the appraised value of their property. And they should be.

I recently heard that 80 percent of pain medications produced in the world are consumed by Americans. Apparently we are a nation that hates pain and will seek all types of remedies in order to eliminate or alleviate those dreadful uncomfortable feelings.

To the Editor: July 4th is a very special holiday to American patriots. The Declaration of Independence remains a great historical landmark.

To the Editor: Better late than never. After being submerged in Hurricane Harvey’s flood waters in August 2017, all but two of the ruined houses on Country Club Drive are now gone.

C APITAL Highlights Texas’ power grid reported record electricity use early last week. Both the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas are urging residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce electricity use as temperatures soar above 100 degrees over much of the state.

T EXAS History At the Olympic Trials on Jun. 30, 1956, Eddie Southern of the University of Texas and Ohio State’s Glenn Davis both ran the 400-meter hurdles in world record time.

The forces of change have been hard upon us for the last few years and they don’t let up. I’m thinking, first, of the real estate subdivisions whose signs of imminent arrival have sprouted in various Fayette County pastures. Some call it progress, but if we, personally, find it destructive, I think we can be forgiven.

This column is a recurring column sharing public information and insight on St Mark’s Medical Center, the needs for health care in Fayette County, and a path forward. One reason given for the financial struggles at St.

Inflationary pressures forced a 10¢ tax rate increase upon property owners in the La Grange Independent School District. The school board voted for this hike because budget cost estimates for the new school year increased by $35,215 to cover higher costs for: local fund assignment, $7,395; insurance, $1,320; cafeteria operations, $7,500; and labor, $7,500. The increase cancelled out a 10¢ reduction the board had approved the previous year. Superintendent C.A. Lemmons said even with the new tax increase it might be necessary to cut some school services.