THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Higher education gets news coverage in both mass and social media and much, I’m sure, is true. Technology is changing it at warp speed, and the old descriptions we used to toss about no longer fit. We joked that colleges had buildings where “ivy is creeping around on the outside and teachers are creeping around
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON In 1775 the journey between the Pennsylvanian towns of Ephrata and Valley Forge was a distance of 51 miles. The journey is less than an hour’s drive by today’s standards. For Peter Miller of Ephrata, it would take a little longer since he would walk the distance. It was a journey he didn’t have to take, and
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By NANCY PATRICK Canadian author Louise Penny has written an intriguing series of novels that feature main character Armand Gamache. The series has eighteen books so far, and though I would really like to read them sequentially, I have thus far had to take whatever the public library has on the shelf. By reading them out of sequence, I have
Read moreDr. Julian C. Bridges, a longtime professor of sociology at Hardin-Simmons University, died Monday, March 20, at age 91. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 31, at First Baptist Church, 1333 N. Third St. A private family gradeside service will be held March 31 in Elmwood Memorial Park. The Bridges family will receive guests
Read moreAbilene Christian University’s Student Government Association is bringing Sarah StewartHolland and Beth Silvers, hosts of the Pantsuit Politics podcast, to ACU on Wednesday, March 22. The podcast hosts will speak in Chapel at Moody Coliseum at 11 a.m. and in Boone Family Theatre at5 p.m. Both appearances are free and open to the public. Silvers and Holland will also sign
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON The picture below appeared in post-war 1948 newspapers across the country. Although life resumed and the economy began its upswing, there were still places where despair and poverty thrived. Seated on the steps are Lana (6), Rae (5), Milton (4), and Sue Ellen (2). Their mother was expecting another child, David. The right circumstances have faded with
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By JIM NICHOLS The lab was humming with activity. Lights were flashing, pumps were pumping, and people in white coats were moving from bench to bench adjusting dials. Two different experiments were occurring simultaneously in the room and the workers were careful to make sure the mechanics of the room were correct. Getting accurate data from the experiments was the
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The Texas High School Coaches Association–organized by 28 coaches in 1930–now has a membership of some 24,000. It also has an education foundation that introduced the “Grant Teaff Coaching Beyond the Game Award” a decade ago. If it’s not the most coveted, it should be, this award made annually to a coach who
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Far more Americans express favorable than unfavorable views of Jews, mainline Protestants and Catholics, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey that measures U.S. adults’ broad sentiments toward several religious groups. At the other end of the spectrum, more Americans express negative than positive attitudes toward atheists, Muslims and Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
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Spirit Of Abilene 