Last week, Williams Production Co. announced that it had abandoned plans to sell part of its 7 acre property at Frenchtown and Jeter roads, southeast of Argyle, to another company to run a disposal well for oil and gas production waste. In a press release, Williams declared that it might use the site as a centralized location to collect wastewater from Argyle-area gas wells in aboveground tanks for disposal elsewhere by truck or pipeline.

     During a Town Hall meeting in Lantana last week, to discuss the effects of gas drilling on community health, representatives of the Dept. of State Health Services told the crowd of about 200 area residents that Texas health officials are waiting for lab results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after selecting 28 residents at random for biological sampling that could determine if they’ve been exposed to toxic substances.

   It’s often referred to as the “silly season,” but, in some areas, it could just as well be termed, “the sleazy season.” Sadly, there are some who are so obsessed with the notion of being in elective office that they’d lie, cheat, and maybe even attempt to destroy an opponent, or someone they disagree with. To these types, nothing is off limits; not even the family of someone they want to defeat.

    Consider the following description of a physical reaction: The neural circuits in your brain begin to reverberate. Chemical and electrical impulses start flowing rapidly through your body. The pituitary gland is stimulated; hormones and endorphins race through your blood.

     According to an anti-capital punishment group, death sentences issued in Texas were at historically low levels last year, part of a nationwide trend. In a recent report, the Death Penalty Information Center indicated that Texas juries issued nine death sentences in 2009, the same as in 2008, maintaining a decline seen over several years.

  The stress involved in police work has been well documented in countless studies across the country. Dealing with people who, for the most part, resent authority, is a daunting task in a free society.

     The Small Business and Entrepreneurial Council (SBEC) has ranked Texas in the top three states for small business and entrepreneurship in their 2009 Small Business Survival Index. The Top-Ten entrepreneur-friendly states are:

     Last Saturday evening, the Town of Flower Mound Republicans (TFMR), a recently formed group, held their first Judicial Candidate Forum to give residents of the area a chance to see and hear from those running for the Republican Party designation on the ballot at the Primary election on March 2.

   The News Connection has been accused, by both sides of the gas drilling issue, of being for, and against, the continuation of that form of energy exploration in Flower Mound and its environs. Perhaps that demonstrates the way different people look at the same articles or editorials.

      Political debates were designed to give people a close-up of the candidates’ views in a given campaign in order to allow the voters to make a prudent choice of those who will be leading them for a period of years. Those verbal confrontations are supposed to get to the truth concerning issues the public cares about. However, getting to the truth is more difficult than one might imagine; especially if the candidate feels that the truth might cause a loss of votes among some segments of the electorate.

    How many books do you read a year? A month? A week? How much you read, as well as what types of books you read, is probably a function of how much spare time you have and how much of a bibliophile you are. One way to stay motivated about reading is to become a member of one of the reading book clubs in the area. These are small groups (generally 8 to 12 members) who get together monthly to discuss a book that was recommended the month before.

    Filing for Denton County’s March 2 primary election ended Monday with the GOP fielding 43 candidates and the Democrats coming up with only four. Congressman Michael Burgess heads the list of Republicans with his reelection bid for a fifth term as our representative in the 26th District.

    It’s very rare for a State Attorney General to make a personal appearance at a trial, but on Tuesday, Texas AG Greg Abbot showed up at the prosecutor’s table during the Eldorado trial of a polygamist group member.

     If we've learned anything in the last few decades, it's that free speech has its limitations, especially if the speech is fraught with racist overtones. Yet, there may still be some who, never having experienced the sting of an insensitive remark, feel confident that they can verbalize on racial/nationality/gender issues without fear of negative consequences.