William Shakespeare described love as “an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.”
Eloquent as these 500-year-old words are, they’re also wildly out of sync with an age when some high-profile romances (we’re looking at you, Kim and Kris!) can be measured in days, not decades.
Twogether in Texas wants to make them relevant again.

Twogether, a pre-marriage education program for Texas couples, believes strong lasting relationships are not just “dearer than eyesight, space and liberty,” (take another bow, Bard) but also the foundation of society itself. And building that foundation is an old-school craft that requires patience, empathy, good decisions and unwavering focus on what we love about our mate.

Such skills come naturally to some. Most of us, though, can benefit from good advice offered by people who really know their stuff. People like the counselors who teach Twogether in Texas classes all over the state. Their eight-hour classes help couples improve at communication, conflict resolution, maintaining realistic expectations of one’s partner and other aspects of successful marriage.

Twogether in Texas grew out of the federal Healthy Marriage Initiative and operates with funds from Texas Health and Human Services Commission. In just over three years, it has helped thousands of people nurture stronger marriages — and save a few bucks in the process.

At the end of the Twogether course, couples receive a certificate they can take to the county clerk’s office to waive the 72-hour waiting period and $60 state fee for a marriage license. (Counties, however, may still charge up to $12 in local fees.)

Classes are available at dozens of sites. Many are hosted by faith-based organizations, but the curriculum includes no religious content. As part of Twogether’s commitment to keeping it real, most classes are taught by male-female teams — often married couples. The teachers use a varied educational approach including games, videos, practice exercises and a freewheeling approach that allows plenty of opportunity for questions.

Feedback from participants suggests this approach is working. Couples often come to save money on their marriage license but leave with a more realistic, better prepared feeling about their relationship.

“I originally came here today to get my $60 voucher,” one participant said after attending a workshop in Fort Worth. “However, I’m leaving with so much more. I don’t even care about the money I saved because the knowledge I gained today is priceless.”

And timeless, too, for couples who make love a lifelong project. Because it’s as true now as when Shakespeare first wrote it that there’s “a world of earthly blessings to the soul if sympathy of love unite our thoughts.”

To find a marriage education class near you, call 2-1-1 or visit www.twogetherintexas.com. The Twogether in Texas website also includes links to healthy marriage advice from many sources as well as information on how an organization can register to provide services in its area.

Daingerfield resident Fredia Thomas claimed a $1 million Powerball® prize yesterday at the Texas Lottery® claim center in Tyler.
Thomas’s ticket matched all five numbers (16 – 26 – 35 – 52 – 58), but not the Powerball (2) drawn on October 19. Since Thomas added the Power Play® option to her ticket for $1extra, what would have been a $200,000 5-of-5 prize increased to a guaranteed $1 million.
The winning ticket was purchased at the Rite Track #15 located at 1304 Linda Drive in Daingerfield.
The claimant requested minimal publicity.
For more information about the Texas Lottery, please visit www.txlottery.org.

By Todd Staples, Texas Agriculture Commissioner

Texas agriculture faced one of its most difficult years in 2011. As the worst one-year drought blanketed the Lone Star State, farmers and ranchers were forced to reduce cattle herds and take losses on crops that yielded half their normal harvest.
Last year also threw many financial challenges at Texans. Despite the fact that Texas has been noted as a national leader in economic recovery, our Legislature was forced to make many reductions to crucial programs, including a state funding reduction of about 40 percent here at the Texas Department of Agriculture, which resulted in cuts or elimination of some programs.
In the wake of these decreases in funding and staff, we must continue to provide critical services to Texans, such as ensuring they get what they pay for at the pump and grocery store; helping farmers and ranchers expand operations to grow more food; assisting rural communities in enhancing economic opportunities; and ensuring schools serve nutritious meals to children.

Fortunately, we have a great team at TDA that is ready and willing to see these challenges as new opportunities that can be met with innovative solutions – new ideas and strategies that will enable us to better serve all Texans more efficiently and effectively. We demonstrated our ability to do this in 2011 when we began or enhanced several initiatives for Texans, including:

•        Border Security – Especially in light of reduced government spending levels, we must remember that government’s primary responsibility is to protect its people. After hearing from many farmers and ranchers who had been threatened and even assaulted by dangerous Mexican drug cartels, I launched a website called, ProtectYourTexasBorder.com and commissioned two high ranking retired military Generals to conduct the study, “Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military Assessment,” that both include testimonies from Texas farmers and ranchers about the dangers they face due to our porous border. These efforts were started to garner the much-needed attention of our federal government and demonstrate a need for increased federal protection to secure our border and protect all Texans.
•        Disaster Assistance – With last year’s drought killing most of the forage around the state and fueling an unprecedented number of wildfires, I instructed my team to enhance our Hay Hotline to better assist Texas ranchers in locating hay and utilize the State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund (STAR Fund) to help ranchers, through private donations, rebuild fences that were destroyed by the wildfires. To date both are helping our state’s livestock producers hold on to their herds, which is important for our domestic food supply.
•        Economic Assistance – With the legislatively-directed transfer of the Texas Department of Rural Affairs to TDA, our state has consolidated an array of federal assistance programs to help rural communities flourish. Additionally, our Young Farmer Grant Program made numerous awards to assist a younger generation of Texans in either creating or expanding farming operations to ensure an affordable and abundant domestic food supply.
Despite the trials and tribulations of 2011, we managed to ring in the New Year with more hope and anticipation. Rain again is falling on our great state; let’s pray we receive plenty more so our stock ponds fill up, crops sprout and dreams grow.

State Representative David Simpson (R-Longview) has agreed to four candidate forums to be held before the end of early voting.
“I am glad that Mr. Merritt has finally decided he is willing to attend a public candidate forum with me,” said Rep. Simpson. “Despite multiple attempts two years ago to set up a public forum for voters, Mr. Merritt refused at every turn.”
“I certainly want as many opportunities as possible for the voters to know the differences between Mr. Merritt and myself,” Rep. Simpson continued.
The Simpson’s campaign wonders as to why four forums during the last week of early voting.
“It strikes me as odd that Mr. Merritt wants to wait until a large percentage of people have already voted before he appears in public,” said Rep. Simpson’s campaign manager, Ryan Mauldin.  “What does he have to hide?”
In addition, Merritt’s proposal suggests the public purchase tickets to attend.
“The idea of charging local families to hear politicians speak is ludicrous. The purpose of a public forum should be to give all voters the opportunity to get to know those who would represent them,” said Simpson. “Charging for entrance only impedes voters’ ability to evaluate candidates.”
According to Mauldin, Simpson’s campaign has no plans of charging people to an event that should be free.

By Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott

Make 2012 count for you and your children by resolving to pay your child support in full and on time. As parents, our children rely on us to provide basic necessities, as well as love and support. By paying child support, you are providing these things and more for your children.
It is common knowledge that child support payments cover a child’s basic needs, such as food, shelter and clothing. However, the benefits extend beyond the financial security that each payment provides. Research shows that children of parents who pay their child support have fewer behavior problems, make better grades and stay in school longer than children who do not receive regular support.
Parents who pay child support also are more likely to be a constant presence in their children’s lives and take an active role in their upbringing. Children with two involved, caring parents are more confident, more likely to exercise self-control and less likely to engage in risky behaviors that result in drug usage and early pregnancies.
Thank you to the thousands of parents who paid their child support in full and on time during 2011. Because of you, this office collected a record $3.196 billion in child support for the state fiscal year that ended Aug. 31. Your faithfulness will provide endless benefits to your children. Parents who regularly pay their child support demonstrate that they are concerned for their children’s welfare.
For parents who have missed payments, the Attorney General’s Office encourages you to renew your commitment in the New Year to provide for your children and pay your child support. Please show your children that you care about their welfare by making regular child support payments throughout 2012.
To help parents collect child support, the Attorney General’s Office accepts applications from mothers, fathers and other individuals who request our services. Applications can be obtained by visiting Child Support Interactive on the main Attorney General website at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov or by calling our 24-hour voice response system at (800) 252-8014. Parents who receive financial assistance through the Health and Human Services Commission automatically receive child support services.
The Office of the Attorney General wishes you and your family all the best for a healthy and happy 2012!

Jobless Texans will have until March 3, 2012 to qualify for emergency unemployment benefits.  Without this extension assistance for 78,000 claimants would have run out in January.
Congress approved the extension last month, before claimants would have endured a gap in their benefits.  Each recipients should continue to request unemployment benefit payments on his scheduled day.
This legislation does not apply to persons whose benefits have already expired, to Emergency Unemployment Compensation, and to Extended Benefits. Current claimants may receive additional information on the legislation at ui.texasworkforce.org or by calling (800) 558-8321 (select second option.)  Claimants need not call the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to qualify for the extension unless notified by mail.
Emergency unemployment benefits are exclusively federally funded.  This means Texas employers are not charged for claims paid under this new legislation.
The TWC and 28 local workforce development boards provide unemployed jobless Texans with work search assistance, training and other services.  For thousands of job postings visit WorkInTexas.com.

Jeremy Van Deman of Brownsboro claimed the second of three $1 million prizes in the Texas Lottery® scratch-off game Merry Millionaire.
With more than $31 million in total prizes, the $20 Merry Millionaire features overall odds of winning any prize of one in 3.07, including break-even prizes. Van Deman’s win leaves one $1 million top prize unclaimed. In addition, seven second-tier prizes of $10,000 currently remain unclaimed.
Van Deman purchased his ticket at Pac-N-Sac II located at 6500 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler. The retailer is eligible to receive a bonus of $10,000 for selling the winning ticket.
The claimant requested minimal publicity.
Tonight’s Mega Millions® jackpot is an estimated $116 million. Wednesday’s Powerball® jackpot is an estimated $78 million, and the Lotto Texas® jackpot is an estimated $4 million.
For more information about the Texas Lottery, visit www.txlottery.org.

By AG Abbott

A malicious new spam email claiming to originate from the Council of Better Business Bureaus has recently hit inboxes across Texas.

The unsolicited email message, which may include the subject line, “Complaint from your customers,” intentionally creates a false appearance of legitimacy because the return email address is riskmanager@bbb.org. The end of the spam message also deceptively includes the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ address, which is intended to confer legitimacy by associating the email with the national office of the Better Business Bureau system. According to the Council, the return email address is not actually used by the BBB. The Council warned that the email message contains a malicious link to a non-BBB website.

Recipients should not respond to the sender or click on any Web links that may appear within the message. Activating Web links that appear in unexpected emails may direct users to fraudulent websites or allow identity thieves to capture users’ sensitive personal information.

Texans can protect their email addresses from spammers by working with their Internet service providers to install free filters, blocks and other junk mail management services. All computer users should also familiarize themselves with a website’s privacy policy before providing their email addresses. Most legitimate vendors allow users to prevent the company from sharing their information with unauthorized third parties.

Former State Representative Tommy Merritt has officially announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for State Representative, District 7.
Merritt served in the Texas Legislature from 1997 – 2011.  During his tenure, he was Chairman of the House Committees on Public Safety and Energy Resources.  He also served on the committees for Transportation, Local & Consent Calendars, Redistricting, Federal Legislation, State Recreational Resources, State Affairs, Border Affairs & International Relations, and Defense & State-Federal Relations.

This holiday season, you have an opportunity to give a gift that will bring joy to friends and family, and at the same time, help the Texas economy.

The secret is to GO TEXAN when you go shopping. With more than 2,000 Lone Star State businesses offering everything from Texas-made snacks and boots to native nursery plants and home décor, GO TEXAN is the one-stop shop for everyone on your list. And because GO TEXAN products are made and processed in your community and around the state, your money supports local businesses, restaurants, and the overall Texas economy.

After all, who doesn’t enjoy a down-home meal, some homegrown flowers or a day-trip getaway to a winery, pick-your-own farm or farmers market?

Simply look for the GO TEXAN logo – a glowing brand in the shape of Texas – on products in any retail store. For a list of GO TEXAN members, visit gotexan.org or search for locations near you by downloading the GO TEXAN App for iPhone.

Happy holidays and happy shopping, Texas!