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Midwestern State University Announces Fall Honor Rolls

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Resolutions made at the start of a new year often focus on personal improvement. Giving up poor habits like smoking or drinking too much alcohol and losing weight through diet and exercise are some popular resolutions.

Excitement for a new year abounds on January 1. Baby New Year is one of the more recognizable symbols of the New Year’s holiday, particularly in print advertisements and television commercials. Perhaps you’ve wondered what role Baby New Year plays in the celebration? While he may seem like a relatively modern icon, this cultural mainstay has a lengthy history.

Donating blood is a selfless act. Each year, blood donors collectively save the lives of millions of people across the globe. The American Red Cross reports that blood levels continue to be low, and hospital need often outpaces the rate at which many blood donation organizations can replenish their supplies, That reality results in emergency shortages. When people think about blood donations, they frequently envision whole blood donations. But it is possible to only donate plasma as well. And donors typically can donate plasma with greater frequency than they can donate blood. Whole blood donations include all four blood components: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. By contrast, plasma donation involves collecting only the plasma component of blood and returning the other three components to the donor, says Plasma Hero. The American Red Cross indicates plasma helps maintain blood pressure and volume; supplies critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity; carries electrolytes to muscles; and helps to maintain a proper pH balance in the body to support cell function.

After two years of declining enrollment that was undoubtedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, study abroad programs are regaining their popularity. In May 2022, Education Abroad at Texas Global, which coordinates international engagement efforts at the University of Texas at Austin, reported that 1,500 students were scheduled to travel for formal study programs in the summer of 2022. That figure is nearly seven times higher than it was in 2021. Not surprisingly, faculty-led study abroad programs also increased dramatically between 2021 and 2022. For example, Education Abroad reports that, as quarantine restrictions were relaxed across much of the globe between 2021 and 2022, faculty-led programs at UT increased from six to at least 54.

I read a quote that resonated with me on multiple levels. Upon checking it out, it originated from someone known as MrsMopar on iFunny and it went something like this: “I admire those with hairstyles. I don’t have a hairstyle, but thankfully I have hair. Most days it has zero caterpillars in it. That’s about as good as it’s going to get.”

Lee University congratulates Mansfield Yiu of Forney, TX, on earning Dean’s List honors during the Fall 2023 semester.

Many people consider New Year’s Day the unofficial end of the holiday season. That often means that New Year’s Eve is an opportunity to socialize, gather and party one final time before returning to the routines of daily life.

They might not realize it, but New Year’s Eve celebrants honor a worldrenowned Scottish poet and lyricist each time they sing along to “Auld Lang Syne” as the clock strikes 12 midnight on New Year’s Eve. Robert Burns wrote “Auld Lang Syne” in 1788 and translations regarding what the phrase means vary. Burns wrote the poem in the Scots language, which is a little known language spoken in Scotland and parts of Ulster in Ireland. The phrase is now widely translated as “times long past,” which may explain why it has become the unofficial anthem of New Year’s Eve.

The holiday season is officially underway, with lots of office parties, neighborhood open houses and family dinners. For the friends and families of the 1,246 people killed last year in Texas by drunk drivers, the holidays this year (and for many years to come) will be a time of grief and sadness.

On Thursday, December 14, in Forney, TX, a public meeting was held concerning the proposal for the creation of Municipal Utility District (MUD) south of Forney. The meeting was requested by State Representative Keith Bell in a letter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). A packed room for the meeting, those in attendance included Representative Bell, TCEQ officials, CoatsRose attorneys for the developers, the developer Bellagio 443, LLC, residents near the proposed development, Kaufman County sheriff’s office, Forney ISD, Kaufman County Judge Jakie Allen, County Commissioner Skeet Phillips. The proposed MUD, Kaufman County Municipal Utility District No. 15, would contain approximately 500 acres of land just south of Forney near the intersection of Markout Central and Quail Run. The land is in the City of Mesquite’s Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) and has requested to have eminent domain and road powers. The proposal includes 950 apartments and over 1,100 homes. It’s estimated that over 700,000 gallons of wastewater will be treated daily which led to concerns about a wastewater treatment plant and the disposition of the grey water, whether to a tributary to the Trinity River or sprayed on top of the floodplain.

The American Lung Association notes that respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that produces coldlike symptoms in adults and children. Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that most cases of RSV go away within two weeks without intervention, the virus can be unpredictable. In fact, the ALA reports that RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in all infants. In addition, most children have been infected with the virus by the time they are two years old. Such high infection rates understandably leads to questions about transmission of the virus, which the CDC reports can spread in the following ways.