Thank You — Senior Meals would like to thank everyone who participated in their brisket fundraiser last Monday.
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Easter Rescue — An Air Force officer shot down over Iran in April described his 50-hour fight to survive in his first public interview Sunday. Identified only by his call sign, Bravo, he fell at up to 100 mph after an Iranian missile shredded his parachute. He prayed as he fell: “Lord, your will be done. But if I’m getting through this, I need help.” Bravo broke his back, an arm, and a shoulder, then climbed a 7,000-foot ridgeline as Iranian forces came within a few hundred meters. His rescue led to the U.S. putting more than 90 troops on the ground in Iran for the first in 46 years, aided by a CIA deception campaign. When their planes got stuck in the desert sand, the rescue force destroyed the aircraft rather than leave them behind. Bravo was pulled out at sunrise on Easter Sunday, April 5. See declassified rescue footage here. The Flyover
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Celebrity Billionaires — Steven Spielberg is the world’s richest celebrity, worth an estimated $7.1 billion, according to a new ranking of the wealthiest stars. Fellow director George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, is second at $5.2 billion. Spielberg became entertainment’s first billionaire in 1994 after Jurassic Park, and his fortune now spans DreamWorks and royalties on Universal theme park tickets. Michael Jordan is the richest athlete, with a net worth of $4.3 billion, built largely on Nike endorsement money. He sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets in 2023. JAY-Z leads the musicians at $2.8 billion. Taylor Swift follows at $2 billion, powered by the highest-grossing tour in music history. The Flyover
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Texas Leads The Way — Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston earned the nation’s No. 1 ranking for pediatric heart care for the 10th straight year in U.S. News & World Report’s new Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. The hospital also took No. 1 in diabetes and endocrinology, No. 2 in kidney care, lung surgery, and urology, and No. 3 in neurology and neurosurgery. All 11 specialties U.S. News evaluated earned national rankings. Texas Children’s has been No. 1 in Texas for 18 straight years and No. 1 in the Southwest for six. President and CEO Debra Sukin said the honors reflect “the skill, compassion, and relentless commitment” of the hospital’s physicians, nurses, and researchers. Children’s Medical Center Dallas ranked No. 2 in Texas and the Southwest, followed by Dell Children’s in Austin at No. 4 and Cook Children’s in Fort Worth at No. 5. Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas led the country in pediatric orthopedics. The Texas Flyover
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No Show — No hurricane has formed in the Atlantic since the season opened June 1, the longest such stretch on record since satellites began tracking storms in 1966. Five tropical storms have developed, including Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, and Edouard, but none reached the 74-mph threshold that defines a hurricane. The first one usually arrives in August. Forecasters point to an unusually strong El Niño, which increases wind shear over the Atlantic and tears apart storms before they can organize. The same pattern has fueled a busy season in the eastern Pacific. The season runs through Nov. 30, and hurricane specialists caution that late starts can still turn active. NOAA’s outlook called for two to six hurricanes this year. The Flyover
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Eyes In The Skies — Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday the United States has weapons stationed in Earth’s orbit, the first time a Pentagon official has publicly confirmed the capability. Speaking at a defense conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Meink described the systems as on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending American forces against hostile action. He declined to say whether they are kinetic and said the wording was chosen deliberately. The disclosure follows years of warnings about Chinese and Russian anti-satellite programs. A Space Force spokesperson said the capabilities can be used for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of military commands. The Flyover
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FHS Homecoming Queen Candidates — (l-r) Ketzally Tafoya, Kyleigh Stephens, Aaliyah Padilla, Stevie Herring, and Shelby Lewellen. The 2026 Homecoming Queen will be crowned next Friday evening before the homecoming football game. The pre-game ceremonies will start around 6:00 p.m. at Chieftain Field.
In Parmer County: $40 per year
Out of Parmer County: $50 per year
eStar (emailed): $30 per year
Call 806-250-5200 for more information
