Well, it is officially November and as soon as the clock clicked midnight on October 31 people started talking about the holidays. I have friends who have already put up their Christmas trees and decorations and the Thanksgiving family get togethers are already being planned.
Identity theft can come in ways we never expected. Many years ago, I belonged to an online site where some of my writer friends spent time. The community of authors gave each other advice and encouragement and supported each other. We chatted and got to know each other this way too. I didn’t post much during those days but lurked in the background for the most part.
It’s unfortunate, but recessions are a fairly normal part of the economic landscape. When a recession occurs, how might you be affected? The answer depends on your individual situation, but regardless of your circumstances, you might want to consider the items in this recession survival checklist: Assess your income stability. If your employment remains steady, you may not have to do anything different during a recession. But if you think your income could be threatened or disrupted, you might want to consider joining the “gig economy” or looking for freelance or consulting opportunities. Review your spending. Look for ways to trim your spending, such as canceling subscription services you don’t use, eating out less often, and so on. Pay down your debts. Try to reduce your debts, especially those with high interest rates. Plan your emergency fund. If you haven’t already built one, try to create an emergency fund containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid account. Review your protection plan. If your health or life insurance is tied to your work, a change in your employment status could jeopardize this coverage. Review all your options for replacing these types of protection. Also, look for ways to lower premiums on home or auto insurance, without significantly sacrificing coverage, to free up money that could be used for health/life insurance.
Meals for Vets, the flagship program of Honor Veterans Now, received $75,000 grant from The Meadows Foundation to support the fight against food insecurity among Veterans, their families, and surviving spouses. The grant is targeted to be used in 235 counties in Texas that are either rural in nature or don’t have access to the same amount of philanthropy as major metropolitan areas. The grant will supplement existing grant funding and help to expand the effort in these areas. Grant funding will provide funds to travel to many remote areas of Texas to meet with Veterans resources groups and personnel to aid in locating those in need. It will also allow us to help spread the word among Veterans and potential donors to assist our cause.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) would like to announce that Christina Trowler, P.E. has been selected as the new Director of Transportation Operations for the Atlanta District. In her new position, Trowler will oversee traffic operations in Bowie, Camp, Cass, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Panola, Titus, and Upshur counties. This includes signals, illumination, pavement markings, signs, radio, railroad coordination, and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) operations. “As a second generation TxDOT employee, it is very rewarding to serve the area and community where I was born and raised. I truly enjoy working to enhance traffic safety on our local roadways, “ Trowler said. She began her career with TxDOT as a summer hire in 2005 and worked in the Atlanta District for the following two summers. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree in 2010, Trowler joined an engineering firm in Texarkana. She became a licensed professional engineer in 2013. Trowler rejoined TxDOT’s Atlanta District in 2014. She has served as the district traffic engineer since 2018 and previously spent time working in the area office, automation, traffic and advance planning.
139 E.N. Front Street
New Boston, Texas 75570