Vivienne St. John, Artistic Director of Main Street Theater's Theater For Youth, was — like many people — sadly surprised by the recent anti-Semitic attacks in New York City. She had hoped, thought, that kind of prejudice and violence against Jews was a thing of the past.  Totally coincidentally, because it was planned more than a year ago, her theater will be presenting The Diary of Anne Frank which, as she puts it, "Especially right now I think it is very important." view article

TEXAS CITY, Texas -- The Texas City Disaster on April 16, 1947 was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history.  The death toll was about 640 leaving over 5,000 injured and 63 unaccounted for.  The disaster involved the explosion of 2,200 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer on a French ship which was docked in the Port of Texas City. view article

At first, 49-year-old Tammy Daybell’s death was chalked up to natural causes. The popular school librarian had married her college boyfriend and helped him found Spring Creek Book Co., where they self-published apocalyptic novels aimed at a Mormon audience. The fantasies that Chad Daybell spun up featured Chinese bioterrorism attacks, devastating pandemics and hurricanes, and rising civil unrest. Tammy’s family described her as “the true backbone” of the operation, designing book covers while also managing the company’s finances. view article

Read! It all began 90 years ago with teachers and concern for their health care needs. In December 1929, Justin Ford Kimball was in a new job overseeing operations at the Baylor University Hospital in Dallas. It was just weeks after the historic stock market crash and Texas was in the grips of an icy winter with extraordinary amounts of snow. As he studied the books, Kimball spotted a troubling trend: Many of the bills owed to the hospital belonged to educators. view article

When the virus arrived on its shores, the Pacific island nation was grievously unprepared. It had left the door to contagion wide open, and thousands of children have suffered.    From the beginning, Nuu Lameko’s baby daughter radiated happiness. She clapped and danced to the songs of praise at church. Often, Ms. Lameko would roll a coconut across the floor of their home to hear her giggle.  “Whenever I’m having a bad day, she would have that smile to cheer me up,” Ms. Lameko said.  Late last month, that joy turned to despair. The baby girl, Lemina — called Mina for short — contracted measles as a calamitous epidemic swept the Pacific island nation of Samoa. Days later, Mina, just 10 months old, died in her mother’s arms. view article