By Danny Minton When Ann Reeves Jarvis passed away in 1905, she had no idea that her dream of a day honoring mothers would be the reason our modern-day Mother’s Day exists. The actual forerunner of Mother’s Day was Julia Ward Howe, who in 1870 argued that war was an evil that could be prevented and that mothers had a
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By Jim Nichols There was a light pink stain on the kitchen counter. As I have many times, I reached under the kitchen sink for the Comet cleanser powder. I had done this often in my life—wet the spot, sprinkle on a little Comet, rub it lightly with a sponge, and the stain disappears. As I reached under the counter,
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury With news of incivility, protests and disruption gobbling up radio and television air time and dominating front-page newspaper articles, many of us are in a state of perpetual tension. What will tomorrow bring? It’s tough to find even a sprig of a smile, but heaven knows my ancient Uncle Mort is trying his best to
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Jesus’ short stories — well, he called them parables — preach it, brother! Glenn Dromgoole is a former editor of the Abilene Reporter-News and the author of numerous books. He and his wife, Carol, own Texas Star Trading Company.
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By Jay Moore Looking for a leisurely walk in historic Abilene? Head over to North 10th and Cottonwood Street. Park anywhere. Then enjoy a quiet stroll through the lanes of the city cemetery. No one will bother you. The city cemetery on Cottonwood Street began life in 1881 as just one of three adjacent cemeteries, all roughly the same size.
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United Methodists concluded their General Conference on Friday, May 3, by removing the last barriers to full equality of LGBTQ+ members in the life of the church. After repealing a 52-year-old declaration on Thursday that the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching,” delegates on Friday went further, eliminating a passage in their Book of Discipline, or church law,
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The U.S. electorate continues to be sharply divided along religious lines. The latest Pew Research Center survey finds that most registered voters who are White Christians would vote for Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Joe Biden if the 2024 presidential election were held today. More than half of White Christians think Trump was a “great” or “good” president and don’t think he broke the
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Legendary McMurry University men’s basketball coach Hershel Kimbrell died May 2 at age 97. A visitation will be held 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 US Hwy 277 South. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 9, at Aldersgate Abilene Methodist Church with Bishop Dan Solomon officiating. Interment will follow at Elmwood Memorial Park. Click
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Many tourist destinations claim to be “all things to all people,” but compared to Branson, Missouri, the rest of them miss the mark by a country mile. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, the laid-back community not only survived the pandemic, but has roared back with numerous new attractions to strengthen its vows to be “number
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Spirit Of Abilene 