Dear Readers: A number of you wrote in response to 'Weary at Heart,' whose sister was molested by her stepfather, and offered your perspectives and advice. Here are a few of my favorite letters offering valuable insights.

I remember when my now adult children were kids. I always like the quiz or problem when you picked the one thing that was different than the other three things.

This most wonderful time of the year is known for cozy weather, family gatherings, and delicious holiday meals and treats. I won’t repeat the tips from my November Thanksgiving column, but I will reiterate a few things.

The following is a year in review for Hopkins County. RELEVANCE Livestock and forage production are a 3.96 billion dollars industry in the Central Region.

Relevance: Volunteers are the backbone of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Hopkins County has a strong group of 14 Master Wellness Volunteers who have received 40 hours of training in the areas of health and wellness, nutrition, working with diverse audiences, identifying reliable internet sources, food safety, and other topics.

It is that time of year when Asian Lady Beetles make an appearance indoors, and usually in large numbers. While they can be a major nuisance, they shouldn’t cause panic and some simple exclusion practices can help prevent this issue in the future.

Pine bark beetles attack and kill pine trees, and are relatively common pests of pine forests. The feeding and tunneling activities of adult and larval pine bark beetles eventually girdles an infested tree (e.g., disrupts the transport of water and nutrients up and down the stem) and quickly kills it.

This is the third in a series of program impacts, provided by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health – Hopkins County Relevance: Better Living for Texans is a statewide program targeted toward helping families serve healthier foods and increase physical activity. In Hopkins County, approximately 4,021 receive supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits according to https://hhs.texas.gov.

Q. Our cut flower garden is doing well with snapdragons, stocks, and calendula except for the fire ants. It is difficult to weed by hand because of the ants. They even end up on some bouquets that we harvest, and they are savage! Do you have any strategies to suggest that would address the problem?

Governor Greg Abbott today extended the State of Texas' response and recovery efforts following severe storms across northeast Texas throughout Friday , Nov. 4 and overnight into Saturday, Nov.