The City of Wichita Falls is pushing to annex part of Wichita County that is off South Central Expressway and includes the Wichita Falls Business Park and the Stanley Tools Property. Our hats are off to the city for their foresight in supporting growth through zoning laws. Currently there are no zoning laws and businesses are free to sprout up and are basically unregulated.

There is also the aspect of landscape regulations that come with good zoning laws. Landscaping can be controled so all parts of our city can remain pleasant areas to live and work. It is always good to have measured growth because measured growth stimulates the economy.

Take the case of growth at the other end of U.S. 287 north of the city. When a Wal-Mart was built in that area there was nothing else there. Now, there are numerous businesses, strip malls and organizations that have moved into the area.

In recent years, Lawton has taken a very proactive position concerning city growth and while we're at it we certainly want to compliment them as well for their foresight and aggressiveness in supporting the citizens and business community in that part of Texoma.

Prescription drugs are again becoming a hot topic of conversation. Particularly when it comes to Medicare's Part "D".

Have you seen the price of prescription drugs lately?

It's astronomical!

If you suffer from some sort of condition, you can go broke just trying to stay healthy. Many senior citizens today who worked hard all their lives, contributed to our society, paid taxes, defended our country, and chipped in to the insurance pool at work, now find themselves on an island.

Many have found once their jobs are gone, so were the benefits. Many of our greatest generation and others just a bit younger find themselves ordering their medication and dealing with a fixed monthly income at the same time.

They buy over the internet. They sneak it across the Mexican border and the Canadian border.

These are your neighbors, your family members, good citizens all and they are having a tough time meeting the demands of being elderly, taking care of each other and trying to attain or keep a quality of life that they have earned and deserve.

Who can we turn to so this nagging dilemma can be investigated and investigated right away. This wrong must be made right!

And Congress... no more party line that the lobbyists for the pharmaceutical companies throw out citing the high costs of research and development. That won't cut it anymore. No --- we're all for free enterprise, for growth, for opportunity, but not at the expense of our citizens, especially the elderly, the infirmed and the needy.

We want to hear what you have to say...

Send us your opinions about this or any editoria  by e-mailing comments@kauz.com.

Residents are making plans for tomorrow night, but the Fourth of July is about more than just cookouts and fireworks. In this week's editorial, KAUZ General Manager, Mike DeLier hits at the heart of the special day.

Before the Declaration of Independence - before Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and the Boston Tea Party - the citizens of this country were British subjects. They paid their taxes to the Crown, served in the forces of the British Empire - and many led very comfortable lives, even by today's standards.

Yet they wanted more and some risked and sacrificed everything they had for themselves and their families - but also for us. We are living the future for those American patriots - and we should be ever mindful of their cause, their sacrifice and their hopes and dreams.

What was to become the United States of America was inhabited by roughly three million people. The population was scattered mostly up and down the East Coast. The rest unexplored wilderness for the most part. Yet these brave men and women risked everything for "freedom" They were and are American patriots. So too are the generations that followed them - and served on the home front and those in the service of this country that have stood guard over our way of life of freedom.

There have always been threats to our way of life - but every generation has met them head on and we continue to be the greatest and most successful social experiment in the history of mankind. This July 4th week, let's do more than just set off fire crackers. Let's remember the sacrifice of all those who gave us our declaration of independence - and those who protect these rights!

Happy Independence Day.

We'd like to hear what you think about this or any of our editorials. All you have to do is send us an e-mail to comments@kauz.com.

Ever get the feeling congress isn't working in your favor. KAUZ General Manager Mike DeLier doesn't think so. He has some words for politicians in this week's editorial.

It seems strange in a way that the two presidential candidates should have such opposing views on so many issues - the War in Iraq; taxes, raising taxes; housing; the mortgage mess and their scam artists; immigration; campaign finance; religion; gas prices and the price we pay at the pump and whether we should drill off shore and in Anwar at all and that's just to name a few.

And speaking of oil prices - I wish congressional committees would quit posturing themselves for the electorate and actually do something for the electorate ----- that is... If they really have any idea of what to do at all.

Automotive dealers are particularly hard hit as is the airline industry.

There are real differences between Senators McCain and Obama - I suspect more than just one being a Republican another a Democrat as most party members would agree.

2009 could see major bankruptcies occurring in the airline industry - not legal manuvering bankruptices - going out of business bankruptcies.

If we have oil under us - let's drill it up, refine it, put it in our planes and automobiles and trucks and go about our business - before our business is damaged so deeply that we pay more in the future because of political posturing now.

If you've got a comment about this or any of the editorials let us know what you think. It's easy, just email us at comments@kauz.com.

The President of the United States has many responsibilities. In his weekly editorial KAUZ General Mike DeLier explains how your vote can impact those decisions.

Be careful who you cast your vote for this fall when choosing a president. One of the few things a president can do on his own is nominate a Supreme Court Justice. Those appointments are critical to the development of our country. How we interpret our constitution and how we apply the constitution to a developing world.

Just last week, our Supreme Court, by a vote of 5-to-4, ruled that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have rights under the Constitution of the United States and can therefore challenge their detention in civilian courts.

That's right -- our Supreme Court granted these thugs, these murderers, these terrorists rights under our constitution that they don't even have, nor deserve in their own countries.

This is not about civilian law enforcement, this is about being in a war, a war we need to win. This puts this country and our fighting men and women in a dangerous situation. Civilian courts are not equipped to handle military legal proceedings. Many United States Senators and Congressmen are not only perplexed but maddened by this ruling -- and you should be as well.

U.S. Representative Lamar Smith from Texas said it very well when he said, "The Supreme Court has placed the rights of foreign terrorists over the safety and security of the American people," -- and we agree. What do we take away from this?

Be careful who we elect president -- they nominate the supreme court justices.

If you are wondering what's going on with the weather in Texoma, the answer is, "the weather has changed." At least for KAUZ TV.

We have a new chief meteorologist and he is a specialist in severe weather coverage. If you watch television in Texoma, no doubt, you are aware that our weather "forecasting" staff and capabilities are changing.

Well, as of one week ago, the weather did change. No, it isn't the weather outside, it's the weather department within KAUZ Channel 6.

Last Thursday veteran meteorologist Ken Johnson joined our staff. And the first day he was on the air, he demonstrated his specialty.... Forecasting severe weather. A strong storm system blew through the viewing area and KAUZ was on top of it -- actually ahead of it.

Ken comes to Texoma from Jackson, Mississippi where he studied under one of the top meteorologists in the country for nine years. He's spent thousands of hours forecasting severe storms including Hurricane Katrina and we are very fortunate to have him forecasting in Texoma.

Last Thursday, Ken demonstrated his capabilities, as well as those of the only 250-thousand watt radar in this television market. We're speaking of the Doppler 6000. He also utilized our Live Vipirmax Six, our live Titan 6000 system as well as our True View Weather system.

Ken leads a staff of four degreed meteorologists, including Chip Maxham, Matt Posgai and our new meteorologist Jessie Thomas. That's right, KAUZ has four degreed meteorologists looking out for you and your family.

Yes, our weather has changed for the better here at KAUZ, not only in higher utilization of our equipment, but in highly trained personnel. It's all for one thing. The benefit and safety of you, our viewers!!! It's what you've come to expect from KAUZ.

If you've got a comment or question about this or any editorial, send us an email to comments@kauz.com.

Hooray for the City of Wichita Falls!!!

At the council meeting this week, city councilors gave their okay to the city manager to apply for a half a million dollar grant from the Department of Transportation. This money would go towards improving air travel into and out of the city of Wichita Falls.

It may be a long shot, because Wichita Falls is competing with forty other municipalities across the country, but at least the city is doing something. If the city gets the grant, John Burris, the Director of Aviation, Traffic and Transportation plans some bold steps to look out for consumers.

One of his goals is to get another airline flying into Municipal Airport. Burris says consumers should have the ability to fly out of Wichita Falls without cost being a factor or without having to drive to Dallas or Oklahoma City to catch a plane.

Last week, American Airlines said it will begin using larger airplanes to fly into Wichita Falls, and while that may help another airline choice would be even better. Delta Airlines started flying out of Lawton a few months ago, Wichita Falls should be able to support the same type service.

Not only will this help consumers in their travel, but it can only mean more commerce for the city of Wichita Falls and the surrounding area. More commerce means a better economy and a better economy means a better quality of life for all of us.

Our hats are off to the city manager, the director of aviation and the city council for their forward thinking when it comes to serving the city and its citizens.

Memorial Day is this coming up Monday and his this week's editorial, KAUZ General Manager Mike DeLier explains what the day should mean to us all.

It isn't Thanksgiving, and it's not someone's birthday - some don't even know what the day means at all. It's Memorial Day! Originally called Decoration Day; it's a day of remembrance for those who have fallen while in the service of our country.

It may have originated with women's groups in the south -- who decorated the graves of those killed during the Civil War. No matter, it is a special day.

We should recognize it as a special day -- and observe it in special ways. Sure, it is now a three day weekend. Nothing wrong with vacations, camping, trips just resting at home. It's our choice.

Just remember, though, if it wasn't for those brave men and women who fell in the service of this country -- we might not have the opportunities that we now enjoy.

For those of us who grew up shortly after World War II it was not uncommon to have school pals - teammates, who had lost a father, or a brother in the war. They observed Memorial Day - and we right along with them.

Things got a little lose with Korea and Viet Nam. Divisions in our country still run deep. No matter. Most of us have learned to deal with it on some basis or another. But don't forget, many brave soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines died fighting in those wars as well - of late we just seem to have replaced the spirit of the day with a three day weekend.

If we can't seem to remember why we observed Memorial Day in the past - let's spend a silent moment, each of us, on Memorial Day this year and acknowledge the sacrifice being made by young men and women currently fighting, dying and bleeding in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We have a lot to be thankful for as citizens of this country, this Memorial Day. Let's try to pause if only a minute and acknowledge those that sacrificed, and those that are sacrificing so much for us right now.

We want to know what you think about this or any of our editorials. Simply email us at editorials@kauz.com.

KAUZ TV is starting a new campaign, in an effort to remind us to check on our children regularly. General Manager Mike DeLier explains in this week's editorial.

Do you know where your kids are and what they are doing?

You need to know!

Many of us with adolescent or teenage kids should know where they are going, who they are going with and what they are up to when they get their destination. There are simply too many distractions that will tempt even the best of kids to violate their parent's trust.

Starting this week, and continuing every night at 10 pm, KAUZ is going to remind you to keep track of your kid's whereabouts.

If all of us look out for each other and each other's kids by making all of us aware of where our kids are and what they are doing then maybe, just maybe all of us together can help save a few lives.

We want to know what you think. If you've got a question or comment about any of our editorials, log onto www.kauz.com and go to the "blogs" section and click on the editorial blog.