After a prolonged delay because of a lawsuit filed by about 100 school districts, the Texas Education Agency has released the 2023 A-F accountability ratings, indicating the share of campuses that received a passing ranking dropped by 14% from 2022.

Three years after holding Texas’ first state fair, Henry L. Kinney was indicted in Philadelphia on May 4, 1855 for plotting to invade Nicaragua. The ex-smuggler and shady founder of Corpus Christi was, as always, up to no good.

A Jubilee Celebration will be held at Zilss Hall to recognize 75 years of community service of the association on Saturday, May 3, from 2-4 p.m. There will be a short ceremony recognizing the Annual Scholarship Awards, recognition of previous officers, and the dedication of a historical marker for the Association.

Driving to our weekend property near La Grange recently I listened to a podcast with Paul McCartney detailing the backstory behind the greatest hits of the Beatles and his own solo career. He was telling the story of Let It Be, a song he wrote as it became clear the Beatles would break up, with all the anger and angst that would bring. He recalls that one night amid all that stress and conflict he had a dream. In it, his mother, Mary, who died when he was an adolescent, came to him and consoled him, guided him to acceptance and peace, in essence…to let it be. In a time of turmoil, the resulting song and its meaning became a great comfort to him, an anthem of sorts for the band, and a message of peace for the millions who would listen to it for the next half century and beyond.

As a small-town newspaper reporter, I didn’t expect much excitement in my day to day routine unless you count the occasional complaint about an unattended cow roaming the rural roads. So I was understandably stunned when my days sometimes ended with me gutted by grief, doubled over in laughter, or questioning my career choices while flashing my camera hoping to distract a charging dog.

A letter to the editor that was sent to us by Patsy Parker appeared in last Friday’s issue and ran as being written by her. After publication she informed us that the letter was actually written by Michael Quinn Sullivan of Texas Scorecard. “He gave me permission to use it ... I take fault for the omission,” Parker told us.

To the Editor: On March 26, The Daily Signal published an article by Jeffrey Anderson, President of the American Main Street Initiative titled, The 5 Biggest Threats to America’s Principles and Way of Life. Anderson reminds the readers that back in 1838 Abraham Lincoln warned in an address he gave in Springfield, IL, in 1838 “that American citizens’ creeping disregard for the Constitution and laws risked exposing the nation to threats from talented but unscrupulous men who burn with ambition and would gladly tear down the handiwork of our founders to satisfy their dark desire for distinction.” Lincoln stipulated “that maintaining our freedom depends primarily upon three things: our general intelligence, our sound morality, and above all our reverence for the Constitution and laws, which he implores us to make “the political religion of the nation.” Anderson added to Lincoln’s list the following additional threats: “the consolidation and centralization of power (in the hands of government or large corporations) and technological advances that have or threaten to have profoundly adverse effects on human industry, human worth, and even human nature.” Anderson asked the question, “How are we doing?” His answer, “We seem to be getting stupider by the day.” A headline in the Morning Bell on April 9 is an illustration of the current irreverence for the Constitution and the law: ‘Constitutional Zombies’: Lawsuit Alleges Bureaucrats Operating Outside Law to Target Trump-Appointed Investigators.

How do voters know when something proposed or enacted by our political leaders is good or bad for the country? In an age when we have more sources than ever for information and opinions, it’s tempting to let others make that judgment on our behalf, isn’t it? Here are some of our options: (a) Let President Donald Trump or Governor Greg Abbott or Judge Dan Mueller tell us what to think about what they are doing, and believe them without question.

Everyone has been so serious lately. Here are few notes to lighten things up for a bit.

The Texas House on Thursday passed Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher bill after a yearslong campaign by the governor and his allies, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, announced Friday he recommended that chamber accept the House version, which prioritizes children with special education needs for vouchers.