Sidney Hathaway and Emory Tyler are reading superstars! Sidney and Emory are the third and fourth children to complete the ‘1,000 Books Before Kindergarten’ program at the Hemphill County Library.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle, said, “What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.” What was true 2,300 years ago for ancient Greece held true locally this week as neighbors and church groups pulled together in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and an epic ice and snowstorm to help their community and show appreciation to frontline healthcare providers and staff. From one end of Hemphill County to another, linemen worked day and night to restore power; cowboys worked to care for livestock; neighbors checked on neighbors; and being blessed with more than our fair share of arboreal splendor, there were massive downed limbs and trees to deal with as the weather cleared.

I was thinking about the upcoming holidays and some of my favorite sweets, so I picked two easy-to-make recipes for cookies that freeze well. So start baking, enjoy some, and freeze the rest! — KIM B.

Hemphill County 4-Hers and youth from 20 Texas Panhandle counties gathered at Amarillo’ Tri-State Fairground’s Rex Baxter Building on Oct. 20-21 to compete in the District 1 Food Competitions sponsored by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.