Up until I was 20 years old, the only thing that came to my mind when I thought of nature was a painful jellyfish sting I received as a kid during my family’s only summer vacation. It was our first time heading to the beach. Needless to say, I stayed away from the ocean for some time after that experience. It wasn’t until I was 20 years old—when I went white-water rafting in Colorado—that my appreciation for nature changed.

In the wake of disasters, the first step is always response - that initial lifesaving push. Following the tornadoes in North Texas, for example, Texans came together to perform search and rescue operations, provide medical care, and set up emergency shelters. At some point, the transition to recovery begins — restoring power, clearing debris, rebuilding, and eventually returning to a normal routine.

Cows are supposedly “dumb” animals and yet I have learned a lot from them, such as... 1.

Thank you for all the well wishes after my first “Capital Highlights” column last week. I also appreciate the emails suggesting topics of high interest.

With the Texas economy slowly awakening from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Comptroller Glenn Hegar reminds shoppers they can save money on clothes and school supplies during the state’s sales tax holiday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7-9.

I am Carson Childress, incoming Senior at Ozona High School, and a Texas State 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador. The 4-H Shotgun Shooting Sports program has been thriving and growing at a substantial rate within the last few years.

Wednesday, July 29 • CCCCSD Online Registration at ozonaschools.net • Lions and Lady Lions Cross Country Voluntary Workouts, seventh-12th grades, 6:30 a.m. at Lion Stadium • Lions and Lady Lions Strength and Conditioning Workouts, 8:30-10:30 a.m.

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” Romans 7:19-21

Iconic ranches, farms and small towns sustain about 3 million Texans — a population larger than the City of Houston’s. The sense of community, plentiful open space and great quality of life — all found in places like West Texas and the Panhandle — have sustained families for generations.

It will be a miracle if Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and his team of financial prognosticators are right about the arc of the state’s economy over the next few months. The LBJ State Office Building where they work is full of smart people, but they’re being asked to put numbers to their assumptions about the state’s fumbling response to the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recession the virus spawned.