Property tax cuts go into effect

AUSTIN— A total of $18 billion in property tax cuts were approved by more than 80% of voters in the November general election and should be reflected in property tax bills that are due by Jan. 31.

The 501 Droning on . . . about words

Droning on . . . about words Word association test: Drone. Did you think of a honeybee, specifically one of those lazy bees with nothing to do but hang out with the queen bee? Probably not. An unmanned aircraft flew into your thoughts. Am I right? Not to overlook the verb drone.

Peppermint Bark

CUISINE & CULTURE | ANGELINA@ANGELINALARUE.COM For many years, peppermint bark has been one of my son’s favorite Christmas treats. The last time I purchased the ingredients for it, the cashier asked what I was making.

Narcissus is the December birth flower

From the garden It may seem odd that the Narcissus is one of the official birth flowers of December, since in the garden Narcissus is a spring-blooming bulb. However, the Paperwhite narcissus is a winter bloomer.

SPC Reese Center to host Vocational Nurse Pinning ceremony on Dec. 14

REESE CENTER – South Plains College Reese Center Vocational Nursing class will host a Pinning Ceremony at 10 a.m. on Dec. 14 (Thursday) in the Center for Clinical Excellence.

Legal challenges to amendments appear quashed

lawsuits challenging the 13 approved Texas constitutional amendments appear to be dead in the water, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The Christmas Red Zone

Check Your Mirrors A Sunday of NFL football means that the phrase “red zone” is within earshot when in and out of the living room. Once a team reaches the opponent’s 20-yard-line, it is within twenty yards of the endzone. Scoring opportunities are within grasp.

None of your beeswax

It’s that brain-straining gift-giving time of year when we realize how much we don’t know about our own family members. You’ve got two choices—actually three.

Chocolate-Almond Crinkle Cookies

CUISINE & CULTURE | ANGELINA@ANGELINALARUE.COM ANGELINA L aRUE It’s time for Christmas cookie swaps, office holiday parties, and cute plates of cookies to pass out to the neighbors. I enjoy my tradition of baking various flavors of shortbread cookies, but I also like to explore new ideas.

Texas Supreme Court hears abortion ban challenge

AUSTIN— The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a case that could decide whether medical exceptions to the state’s abortion ban are written clearly enough to protect pregnant women who face serious health risks, the Austin American-Statesman reported.