Perspectives

Comptroller: Hundreds of new homes needed to cut costs

Sat, 09/07/2024 - 12:00am

A 26-page report from the Texas Comptroller concludes that the state needs 306,000 additional homes, a shortage that has sent housing costs soaring, The Texas Tribune reported. Homebuilding hasn’t kept up with the booming economy as millions of new residents have moved here over the past decade, leaving more than half of the state’s homeowners and renters struggling to find and keep affordable housing.

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Swimming lesson

Sat, 09/07/2024 - 12:00am

I am a certified Baby Boomer, so when I grew up in the 1960s there were nearly three zillion kids in my neighborhood.

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SAVE LEFTOVER BASIL IN WATER

Wed, 09/04/2024 - 12:00am

Dear Heloise: Yesterday I purchased a bundle of fresh basil from our vegetable stand in town. It had just come from the garden and had a lovely strong odor to it. It was used as a topping for a grape-tomato, cheese and asparagus salad. How can I keep the remaining basil fresh? -- Mary Ellen C., Southbury, Connecticut Mary Ellen, cut the basil stems at the bottom and place them in a glass of water, as you would a bouquet of flowers. Change the water every few days. Do not refrigerate them. Similar to most herbs, they will need to be used as soon as possible to get the full freshness. -- Heloise

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State’s power grid again reaches record demand

Sat, 08/31/2024 - 12:00am

The dog-day heat wave has sent power demands to new records, the Austin American-Statesman reported. With much of the state enduring an excessive heat warning, power demand peaked at 85,559 megawatts last week, breaking a record set last August.