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Tommy Ray Ellis, 61, of Elgin, passed away Monday morning, Aug. 14, 2023.

Carol Higgins, age 75, of Bastrop, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.

Dolly Doris Simmons, 68, of Austin, passed away Monday, Aug. 7, 2023.

Robert Allen Rayher, 93, of Elgin passed away Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023.

Lorenzo Fowler Sr., 83, passed away Aug. 4, 2023. He was born Dec. 25, 1939.

Christopher “Chris” Ray Varble, 37, of Providence, Rhode Island, passed away Friday, Aug. 4, 2023.

Denise Martinez, 26, of Miami, Florida, passed away suddenly, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023.

In the 1930s there was an organization of young girls in Elgin called Rainbow Girls. They were part of Eastern Star, which was composed of adult women. My mother, Mattie Belle Upchurch Smith, was a Rainbow Girl along with her friends Betty Wilson Dildy and Joy Cole Fromme.

To have a kingdom, you must have a king. In the Old Testament, the Lord gave lofty promises about a future King coming who would be like King David, only better. When Jesus came, He didn’t seem to fit the bill. The wise men could content themselves with Jesus as King, but not Israel. That little baby didn’t really seem like much of a king, even less after He grew up. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Nothing regal about that.

Forecasters for the National Weather Service are anticipating a more active hurricane season this year because of record-warm ocean surface temperatures, the Texas Tribune reported.

Downtown Elgin was the site of the annual Meet The Wildcats event on Aug. 10 as many members of the community packed Veterans’ Memorial Park for the introduction of Wildcats and Lady Wildcats fall sports teams.

The regular season is officially underway for Bastrop County area volleyball teams as Elgin High School, Bastrop High School, Cedar Creek High School, Smithville High School and Mc-Dade High School all had games this past week.