Two years ago, I discovered the most amazing beneficial “bugs” for my garden in my own backyard…the Harvestmen. Found all over the world, and in fossils as old as 410 million years, they live one to seven years, depending on how cold the climate is in which they reside. Omnivores and scavengers, they catch and consume most types of soft-bodied invertebrates, dead or alive, such as aphids, beetle larvae, mites, lice, slugs, snails, caterpillars, flies and more. As scavengers, they are beneficial by feasting on decaying vegetative matter, fungi, pollen and even bird droppings.

The Whatley Center for the Performing Arts at Northeast Texas Community College is ready to help you get into the holiday spirit as it hosts The Celtic Angels Christmas on Tuesday, Dec. 6th at 7:30 p.m.

• Thereare154inmates in jail with 127 males and 27 females. Since 11/18/2022 the following have been booked into the jail, • DessireeWatson,40of Mt.

The Community Events Calendar is published as space permits. Events will also be published on our website.

The 2022 holiday shopping season promises to be an unpredictable one. The labor shortage and supply chain issues are already throwing a wrench into holiday shopping.

The Northeast Texas Community College Theatre Department will present Almost, Maine on the stage of the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts December 1st-3rd. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. nightly and there will also be a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Dec. 3rd.

The Mount Pleasant High School Fashion Design program was recently approached by team members at Cypress Basin Hospice with a service project idea: design and sew fidget blankets for their patients. Fidget blankets are small activity blankets that provide sensory and tactile stimulation for the restless hands of someone with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Cypress Basin Hospice donated fabric, buttons, ribbon, and other sewing notions to complete the blankets which will be created throughout the school year.

The life of a successful professional can be hectic. Demands at work force many professionals to work long hours, and those days could be even longer for remote workers. In fact, a 2020 study of 2,800 workers by the staffing firm Robert Half found that 70 percent of workers who transitioned to remote work due to the pandemic now work on the weekends. The survey also found that 45 percent of workers indicate they now routinely work more hours during the week than they did prior to the pandemic. With so much on their plates, busy professionals may not have time to shop for products that can make their lives a little easier. That makes the holiday season a perfect time for people to consider what to get the hardworking professional on their shopping list. These four gifts can each make it easier for busy professionals to handle long days at the office.1. Portable phone chargerModern professionals rely on their smartphones to check and send work emails, keep track of their busy schedules and answer calls from colleagues, among other things. But those phones are only useful when their batteries are charged. Portable phone chargers are lightweight and easy to use, making them ideal for onthe- go professionals who need to keep their phones charged all day long. Professionals who spend lots of time in their vehicles may love a solar-powered portable charger, which ensures their phone batteries stay charged even when they forget USB cables at home.2. Wireless headphones Though some models can cost of hundreds of dollars, a reliable set of wireless headphones can be found for as little as $50. These headphones can be especially useful for professionals who work from home, as many are designed to cancel out ambient noise, making it easier to participate in Zoom calls or other meetings even if the kids are being rowdy right outside a home office door.3. Cleaning service Few chores are less appealing after a long day at the office than cleaning a house. Many cleaning services offer weekly or monthly packages, and professionals would undoubtedly appreciate someone taking this time-consuming task off their to-do list. Ask a relative or two to pitch in and help pay for the service if it’s beyond your budget.4. Slow cookerSlow cookers allow users to put everything in a pot in the morning and then arrive at night to a ready-to-eat, homecooked meal. These can be especially valuable to professionals who work long hours and don’t have the time to prepare a meal from scratch at the end of a workday.Whether it’s portable tech, some help keeping their homes clean or a device designed to simplify home cooking, various gift ideas can help make busy professionals’ lives a little less hectic. HL22A350

Holiday shoppers know that, seemingly every year, there’s one person on their shopping list who’s hard to shop for. Seniors may fit that bill, as many have already accumulated a lifetime’s worth of goods and gadgets. That’s why experiential gifts can be such a good fit for seniors come the holiday season.Experiential gifts are wildly popular. In its 2021 Winter Holiday Shopping Report, the market research firm Mintel revealed that nearly half of individuals surveyed for the report felt that experiential gifts are superior to tangible items. Seniors who already have everything they need might be even more enthusiastic about experiential gifts, which may encourage them to get out of the house or pursue passions they’ve long had a passing interest in. This holiday season, shoppers can consider these experiences as they look for something new and unique for the seniors on their shopping lists.