A wave of new Texas laws enacted during the 2025 legislative session and subsequent special sessions is dramatically reshaping public education, altering how schools are funded, how students are grouped, what can be displayed in classrooms, how achievement is measured, and how districts navigate issues of gender, religion and parental authority.
Reinvention is one of the most persistent themes in literature. The idea of “starting new” carries a magical pull for writers. Humans are uniquely capable of imagining a different version of themselves, dreaming of a different life and then working to make it real. Yet the psychological process behind creating oneself is more complex than simply making a New Year’s resolution. It requires a sincere internal shift and a willingness to sit in uncertainty.
“I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.” Ecclesiastes 3:14 NASBS
After nearly two years of debate and delay, the Olney City Council unanimously approved the creation of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2 on Dec. 22 — just under the wire to capture new tax revenue that supporters said would give the long-sought zone a crucial early boost. The vote came at the council’s final meeting of 2025 and followed months — and in some cases years — of sometimes tortuous discussion over the merits, risks and boundaries of the proposed tax zone. By contrast, Monday’s meeting was notable for its brevity. Olney Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Tom Parker was present to answer questions about the zone’s footprint and how the tax increment funds could be used, but there was little discussion from council members before the unanimous vote.
213 E. Main St.
PO Box 577
Olney, Texas 76374
Phone: (940) 564-5558
Fax: (940) 564-3992
