About 7,500 Kern County residents die each year; here are 17 of the most memorable from 2025

In 2025, Kern County lost a number of pioneers. We lost veterans of World War II and Vietnam, giants of education, pillars of ...
American Songwriter

On This Day in 1973, Merle Haggard Was at No. 1 with a Christmas Song That Can Break Your Heart Any Day of the Year

On this day (December 22) in 1973, Merle Haggard topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “If We Make It Through December.” The song spent four weeks at No. 1, making it the final No. 1 of ...
Midland Reporter-Telegram

New owners revive Merle Norman Cosmetics, unveil The Pointe Boutique

Contrary to popular belief, Merle Norman never left Midland. Now under the new owners Candice and Dean White, the beloved cosmetics store has received a makeover and features a brand-new boutique ...
American Songwriter

Merle Haggard’s Pick for “the Greatest Singer I’ve Ever Heard” Has a Surprising Connection to the Goo Goo Dolls

Country icon Merle Haggard has been as much of an inspiration to the mainstream music world as he has been to the scrappy indie scene bubbling beneath it, and two tribute albums that came out in the ...