Author

Andy Kober

Andy's Latest Articles

Some Never Survive Being Young
By
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Features
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April 30, 2026

Twenty-two year old Kayley Boda is dying. Like too many young people, Boda started vaping at a young age, she was 15 and had experimented with smoking. Vaping is supposed to be a safe alternative to smoking. The peer pressure and slick advertising campaigns convince young people that it is the trendy, sophisticated thing to do. Generations ago, the same peer pressure and slick advertising convinced young people that smoking was harmless. Every guy wanted to be the Marlboro Man on his horse, young women flocked to Virginia Slims because “you’ve come a long way baby”, and many looked for those cigarettes that were “a silly millimeter longer”. The results were mouth, throat, lung and other cancers that killed too many while they were still young. So it is with Boda and she is paying a terrible price.

Andy’s Astronomy: Planets of “Battlestar Galactica”
By
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Local
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April 30, 2026

In 1979, just three years after “Space 1999” was cancelled, the original “Battlestar Galactica” premiered. This was a very high-budget production that began with a premier movie and phased into a television series. The story had humans spread across 12 “colonies” located in the far reaches of space with those planets drawing their names from the 12 constellations visible from Earth. Under the guise of peace talks to end a long war, the colonies are attacked by artificial intelligent humanoid robots with the goal of exterminating the human species. Also attacked are the colonies’ 12 battlestars, capital warships, also unprepared for the sneak attack. Perceived similarity to the attack on Pearl Harbor is understandable.

This Week in American History: 1568 – French Forces Attack Spanish Fort San Mateo
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Local
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April 30, 2026

• May 3. On this day in 1568, America is not yet a country when French soldiers attack the Spanish fort, San Mateo, located along the banks of the St. Johns River in Florida. Spanish soldiers surviving the battle are slaughtered. This bloodthirsty action was because three years earlier Spanish soldiers out of St. Augustine had attacked the French Fort Carolina located in nearly the same spot.

Some Never Survive Being Young
By
●
Local
●
April 30, 2026

Twenty-two year old Kayley Boda is dying. Like too many young people, Boda started vaping at a young age, she was 15 and had experimented with smoking. Vaping is supposed to be a safe alternative to smoking. The peer pressure and slick advertising campaigns convince young people that it is the trendy, sophisticated thing to do. Generations ago, the same peer pressure and slick advertising convinced young people that smoking was harmless. Every guy wanted to be the Marlboro Man on his horse, young women flocked to Virginia Slims because “you’ve come a long way baby”, and many looked for those cigarettes that were “a silly millimeter longer”. The results were mouth, throat, lung and other cancers that killed too many while they were still young. So it is with Boda and she is paying a terrible price.

Andy’s Astronomy: Planets of “Battlestar Galactica”
By
●
Features
●
April 30, 2026

In 1979, just three years after “Space 1999” was cancelled, the original “Battlestar Galactica” premiered. This was a very high-budget production that began with a premier movie and phased into a television series. The story had humans spread across 12 “colonies” located in the far reaches of space with those planets drawing their names from the 12 constellations visible from Earth. Under the guise of peace talks to end a long war, the colonies are attacked by artificial intelligent humanoid robots with the goal of exterminating the human species. Also attacked are the colonies’ 12 battlestars, capital warships, also unprepared for the sneak attack. Perceived similarity to the attack on Pearl Harbor is understandable.

This Week in American History: 1568 – French Forces Attack Spanish Fort San Mateo
By
●
Features
●
April 30, 2026

• May 3. On this day in 1568, America is not yet a country when French soldiers attack the Spanish fort, San Mateo, located along the banks of the St. Johns River in Florida. Spanish soldiers surviving the battle are slaughtered. This bloodthirsty action was because three years earlier Spanish soldiers out of St. Augustine had attacked the French Fort Carolina located in nearly the same spot.

Some Never Survive Being Young
By
●
Features
●
April 30, 2026

wenty-two year old Kayley Boda is dying. Like too many young people, Boda started vaping at a young age, she was 15 and had experimented with smoking. Vaping is supposed to be a safe alternative to smoking. The peer pressure and slick advertising campaigns convince young people that it is the trendy, sophisticated thing to do. Generations ago, the same peer pressure and slick advertising convinced young people that smoking was harmless. Every guy wanted to be the Marlboro Man on his horse, young women flocked to Virginia Slims because “you’ve come a long way baby”, and many looked for those cigarettes that were “a silly millimeter longer”. The results were mouth, throat, lung and other cancers that killed too many while they were still young. So it is with Boda and she is paying a terrible price.

Burn Ban Continues in County
By
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Local
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April 30, 2026

A mandated ban on outdoor burning continues in the county. Issued by the Georgia Forestry Commission, the burn ban was issued as a result of a pronounced drought impacting much of the state. Unless listed sooner, the ban expires May 22.

Early Voting Underway
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Local
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April 30, 2026

The 2026 Election Season is underway with voting having started in the General Primary Election. The General Primary Election started Monday and continues weekdays 8 am to 5 pm, ending on Friday, May 15. Two Saturday voting sessions have been set for 8 am to 5 pm May 2 and May 9. Any voter in the line by 5 pm on any of the early voting days will be allowed to cast their ballot. Early voting is conducted at the Harris County Elections office located along Carver Circle in Hamilton. Actual voting day for the Primary Election is Tuesday, May 19, and will be held in individual precincts. A valid driver’s license or other state issued identification card will be required to vote.

Timberland Development Could be Headed to Court
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Local
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April 30, 2026

In an ongoing situation, Timberland 109 LLC and county officials continue to be at odds over a proposed residential development along McKee Road. In the face of strong opposition from county residents, Timberland’s development had previously been denied and that decision appealed. The appeal was heard during the Harris County Commission meeting on Tuesday, April 21. Prior to anyone speaking, Commission Chair Susan Andrews explained the Planning Commission had determined that Timberland had to request rezoning of the property from A-1 (Agriculture) to R-1 (Residential) to utilize two-acre minimum lot sizes to determine the number of lots. For this reason, Andrews said the Planning Commission denied the preliminary plat offered by Timberland for the development.

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