Star-Mercury-Vindicator Thursday, April 16, 2026
Data Centers Still a Concern for Hogansville Residents
Newsroom's Latest Articles
Andy’s Astronomy: Looking Forward to Artemis III
Just as I watched the launch of Artemis II, last Friday I watched the return and splashdown of the Integrity command module. What an emotional rush it had to be for the latest astronauts to orbit the Moon after a 50-year drought. Once again America leads the way and thanks to President Donald Trump for getting us back into space. To an old Star Trek fan, references to the Starship Enterprise were most appropriate as this team of astronauts have truly gone “where no man has gone before”.
This Week in American History: 1912 – Titanic Survivors Reach New York
• Apr. 18. Today in 1912, the ocean liner RMS Carpathia enters New York City. A heavy rain is falling as Carpathia enters the harbor with over 700 passengers from the ill-fated Titanic. Carpathia was nearly 70 miles from Titanic when the sinking ship’s distress call was received. Despite danger from icebergs, under the command of Captain Arthur Rostron, Carpathia made her best speed to the disaster to find Titanic had already sunk and rescued surviving passengers from the frigid waters.
DID YOU KNOW …? Was one of Hitler’s top advisors half American?
April moves along at it usual pace, and we are getting deeper into spring. Ah, isn’t it wonderful? Yes, actually, it is. I hope your April is going as well as it can possibly go, and that the rest of the year is even better for you! How about some trivia? Got some fresh stuff right here!
A Loss of Confidence
School voucher programs are becoming increasingly popular. Several weeks ago news reports out of Texas indicated families seeking school vouchers far exceeded funds budgeted for the program. Those same reports noted that additional funding will likely be budgeted next year. There are a growing number of states, and Georgia is one, that is issuing school vouchers. In a nutshell, these vouchers can be used to pay for private schools or public schools in a different school district from where the student lives, and in some cases tutoring or homeschooling. In Georgia, the program is called Georgia Promise Scholarship Program and pays $6,500 annually per student but there is a catch. To qualify, the school district in which the student resides must be in the bottom 25 percent of underperforming school zones. The application period for the 2025-26 school year closed the end of March.
Where No One Has Really Gone Before
As I write these words, four human beings are farther from their home world than any other people have ever been. There are still people out there who don’t believe any of it ever happened. I truly feel sorry for those folks, and I’ll get into why in a bit. The four-person crew of Artemis II - Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen - made a loop around the Moon on the evening of April 6 and extended farther out into space than any crewed spacecraft has ever gone - 252,756 miles away from Earth. They beat the record held by the crew of Apollo 13, which was set in 1970.
Harris County Journal Thursday, April 16, 2026
Park Issues Result in Frayed Tempers
Andy’s Astronomy: Looking Forward to Artemis III
Just as I watched the launch of Artemis II, last Friday I watched the return and splashdown of the Integrity command module. What an emotional rush it had to be for the latest astronauts to orbit the Moon after a 50-year drought. Once again America leads the way and thanks to President Donald Trump for getting us back into space. To an old Star Trek fan, references to the Starship Enterprise were most appropriate as this team of astronauts have truly gone “where no man has gone before”.
This Week in American History: 1912 – Titanic Survivors Reach New York
• Apr. 18. Today in 1912, the ocean liner RMS Carpathia enters New York City. A heavy rain is falling as Carpathia enters the harbor with over 700 passengers from the ill-fated Titanic. Carpathia was nearly 70 miles from Titanic when the sinking ship’s distress call was received. Despite danger from icebergs, under the command of Captain Arthur Rostron, Carpathia made her best speed to the disaster to find Titanic had already sunk and rescued surviving passengers from the frigid waters.
A Loss of Confidence
School voucher programs are becoming increasingly popular. Several weeks ago news reports out of Texas indicated families seeking school vouchers far exceeded funds budgeted for the program. Those same reports noted that additional funding will likely be budgeted next year. There are a growing number of states, and Georgia is one, that is issuing school vouchers. In a nutshell, these vouchers can be used to pay for private schools or public schools in a different school district from where the student lives, and in some cases tutoring or homeschooling. In Georgia, the program is called Georgia Promise Scholarship Program and pays $6,500 annually per student but there is a catch. To qualify, the school district in which the student resides must be in the bottom 25 percent of underperforming school zones. The application period for the 2025-26 school year closed the end of March.