News

Soil moisture levels continue to decline in most areas of the state after a months-long dry spell as warm-season crop plantings and preparations increase.

Thursday March 17th the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts announced historic growth in Texas real estate values.

Many college grads are continuing their educations after earning bachelor’s degrees. Roughly 13.1 percent of American adults have an advanced degree, which is up from 8.6 percent in 2000, according to findings from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Eductional Attainment in the United States: 2018. As of 2016, 28.5 percent of Canadians had a bachelor’s degree or higher, says Statistics Canada. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center says enrollment in graduate programs continues to grow. It rose 3.6 percent in fall 2020 from a year earlier, and 4.4 percent during the spring 2021 semester, perhaps spurred on by the global pandemic and schools’ more flexible course offerings that cater to remote students. Despite their growing popularity, advanced degrees do not always translate into higher salaries or improved job prospects. The research site Educationdata. org says about 9 percent of Americans have master’s degrees, but the degrees increased employability by less than 3 percent. Furthermore, the cost of a master’s degree nearly doubles the average debt held by people with bachelor’s degrees, according to the personal fi nance marketplace Credible. In addition, certain business owners may even pass up on applicants with advanced degrees because the students had been in school too long or tended to assume their degrees make them worth more, according to a report by Fox Business. That report indicates less than 10 percent of employers believe colleges do a good job of preparing students for the working world, and many employers value applicants who prioritize real-world experience over schooling. This is information students need to consider when thinking about pursuing advanced degrees.

Whether you’re celebrating a weekend meal with loved ones or simply looking for a way to bring your family to the table at the same time, seafood night can make dinnertime a special treat. Next time you plan to make fish the focus of your menu, it’s possible you’ll be enjoying the benefits of aquaculture, also known as seafood farming.

Mesquite Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Terry McCullar is retiring at the end of April.

The demand for qualified, talented nurses figures to grow in the years to come. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half a million nurses are expected to retire by 2022. Couple that with an existing nursing shortage, and the BLS projects a need for 1.1 million registered nurses in the near future. A shortage also figures to affect Canada, where the Canadian Nurses Association recently estimated that the country would be forced to confront a nursing shortage of roughly 60,000 nurses by 2022. Various factors are contributing to the nursing shortage in both countries, including an increasingly large aging population that will require more and more nurses to meet its health care needs. In the United States, the Affordable Care Act, which was passed in 2010, increased access to health care for millions of people across the country, thereby creating a greater need for nurses and other health care professionals. In addition, a greater emphasis on preventive care in many countries across the globe figures to compel more people to visit their physicians even when they’re otherwise feeling healthy. As more people prioritize preventive care, the need for more nurses will likely increase.

A recent study from researchers at The Ohio State University found that the disparity between the number of words young children who are frequently read to have heard compared to those who have not been read to is significant. The study first appeared online in the Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics and found that young children whose parents read them five books a day

Bring your family and friends to be a part of a very exciting milestone moment in Kaufman County. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 5, 2022, as we celebrate the Grand Opening/Open House of the Kaufman County Pet Adoption Center. The ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will include the official Ribbon Cutting and then continue with an Open House and tours until 1 p.m.

“The first lie detector was made from Adam’s rib, and it hasn’t been improved on since,” writes humorist James Hefley.

Mesquite honored four City employees with Real. Texas. Service. Champion awards during the March 7 City Council meeting. The Real. Texas. Service. Champions program celebrates employees who provide exemplary customer service and achieve accomplishments that merit special recognition.

Each year, Crandall ISD hosts its Battle of the Books—a literacy competition for students in grades 3-6. Students from each elementary campus gather in teams of six. In the fall, teams receive copies of books to read for the competition.

The great news is that the 4th annual Casino Gala Night is officially sold out! But–that doesn’t mean you are left out of the fun of participating and helping the students and teachers in Forney ISD by bidding in the Silent Auction.

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) has been a leader in water reuse for more than a decade to help meet the growing population in the region, and the utility provider was honored at the 37th Annual WateReuse Symposium with the prestigious 2022 WateReuse Award for Excellence as a Community Water Champion.