Wally Decker
Monday News February 16, 2026
33 days till SPRING (March 20)
Looking ahead
Fat Tuesday…Ash Wednesday…there are 48 days until Easter Sunday (April 5)
Sunset this evening will be at 6:02pm.
*No sunset BEFORE 6pm till November 😊
Today is…Presidents Day or Washington’s Birthday?
The federal government still officially calls today’s holiday “Washington’s Birthday”.
BTW: George Washington’s birthday is actually February 22.
*In 1971, Congress moved the birthday celebration of our first president to the 3rd Monday in February (creating a 3-day weekend) part of the “Uniform Monday Holiday Act”.
*Presidents Day gained popularity back in the 1980s as a way to celebrate all US Presidents (including George) along with retailers to sell mattresses, furniture and appliances. https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/facts/the-truth-about-presidents-day
The search for missing 84-year old Nancy Guthrie has now stretched into a third week after being abducted from her Arizona home on January 31.
*A glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s home appears to match the one worn by a suspect seen in her home’s doorbell camera footage, according to the FBI. DNA from the glove is being analyzed in an attempt to identify a suspect.
*“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie posted another video on social media, saying her family still has hope for her mother’s return saying “It’s never too late to do the right thing”
LIVE updates: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/nancy-guthrie-news-updates-02-16-26
In person Early Voting continues for the March 3rd Primary Election.
*Don’t forget your photo ID. https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-early-person
*During early voting, you can cast a ballot at any early voting site in your county.
Early voting runs through February 28 (Sat). https://www.ncsbe.gov/
View your ‘Sample Ballot’. Do your research… https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/
AARP Foundation WS Tax-Aide is now accepting appointments through April 10. All ages can apply for assistance. https://www.forsyth.cc/library/article.aspx?NewsID=28007
Appointments can be made online at www.wstaxaide.com or by calling 336-777-6189.
(February 16, 1968) The first 9-1-1 call made in the US in Haleyville, Alabama.
Today, over 97% of the US population is served by 9-1-1 service.
In the US, the first catalyst for a nationwide emergency telephone number was in 1957, when the National Association of Fire Chiefs recommended the use of a single number for reporting fires.
In 1968, AT&T announced that it would establish the digits 9-1-1 (nine-one-one) as the emergency code throughout the United States.
Garden Planning Sessions through the Forsyth County Cooperative Extension.
This evening (Feb 16) from 6pm – 7pm www.eventbrite.com/e/1980485765237?
Also, Friday afternoon (Feb 20) from 1:30pm – 2:30pm
www.eventbrite.com/e/evening-garde…s-1980485765237
Location for both sessions: Forsyth County Central Library; 660 W 5th Street, downtown Winston-Salem. FREE, RSVP if possible.
Learn how to navigate planting calendars and seed packets, estimate harvest dates while making the most of your garden space – big or small.
Can Alzheimer’s disease be slowed by flickering lights and sound?
That is the question that drives Annabelle Singer, an associate professor and biomedical engineer at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. In her lab in Atlanta, Singer is trying to better understand patterns of neural activity in the brain and what goes wrong with Alzheimer’s patients. Building on that knowledge, she hopes to develop new ways to treat the disease. “We are taking a really different approach to Alzheimer’s,” she said. “We’ve determined how neural activity that is essential for memory fails in Alzheimer’s disease. We’re using that information to develop brain stimulation that could improve brain health.”
https://www.cnn.com/health/flickering-lights-sound-slow-alzheimers-annabelle-singer-spc?utm
Wendy’s is closing several hundred U.S. restaurants and increasing its focus on value after a weaker-than-expected fourth quarter.
https://apnews.com/article/wendys-value-restaurants-closing-cfd9a7865904ce569044ded5a205cf73
College Hoops (Saturday / Men’s)
Wake Forest over Stanford (68 – 63) at the Joel on Saturday
NASCAR: Tyler Reddick winning the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
It’s the first Daytona win for both Reddick and 23XI (23-11) Racing team owner Michael Jordan. BTW: The final lap was the only lap that Reddick led all day.
“(George) Washington knew he was part of something bigger than himself.
He had helped create a nation, but it didn’t belong to him. So after eight years fashioning the office of the presidency, he did something simple and exemplary: He went home.”
Washington warned the nation in his 1796 Farewell Address, that love of power will tend to create a real despotism in America unless proper checks and balances are maintained to limit government power:
Despotism (noun) ˈde-spə-ˌti-zəm = a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power. Synonyms: tyranny, dictatorship, fascism, authoritarianism… https://www.heritage.org/commentary/the-man-who-would-not-be-king
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” -2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
This verse is part of God’s response to Solomon’s prayer after the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is a covenant promise to ancient Israel regarding judgment (famine, plague) and restoration. While originally for Israel, it is often cited today as a standing principle for spiritual revival and national repentance.
