QUESTION: Somebody told me there were UFOs or something over the Atlantic on Dec. 21 (2017), that they actually had films of them. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I haven’t read anything about it in the newspaper or in the news. If you could, elaborate on this?

QUESTION: Is Short Street between Second and Third streets ever going to be reopened? It appears they have patched it, but it has been closed now for about six months or so. Will it ever be reopened? The “closed to thru traffic” signs are still up.

QUESTION: I’ve heard some houses are being torn down over by the fairgrounds off Jaycee Drive. Who is doing that and why?

QUESTION: This past Sunday, Aug 29., I was driving on Loop 281 and I noticed every parking space was occupied at HeathCARE Express. Usually there are about eight cars there, but they were swamped. Was it because the hospitals are swamped with COVID? Just curious.

QUESTION: Would employees who work for the Texas Legislature be eligible to file a federal wage and hour complaint following the governor’s veto of funding for legislative agencies and staff members?

QUESTION: Can those who took the Moderna COVID vaccine take the Pfizer booster when it becomes available? Or will Moderna have a booster available? How long do you have to wait to get a booster?

QUESTION: I have been in two stores while shopping in Longview of late and noticed that non-medical dogs were in both stores along with their owners as they shopped.

QUESTION: I am curious if there’s any historical information about the mansion for sale at 1210 Judson Road in Longview. Is there any history behind it, because it’s such a huge mansion and I’ve never heard anything about it in all the years I’ve been here in Texas.

QUESTION: My question is what has happened to the two flags that have been flying on top of the VeraBank building in downtown Longview? They were just so beautiful, and they’ve been gone for a while now. I certainly miss and would love to have them back. I’m curious as to what happened.

UESTION: Can you eat watermelon seeds? Do they actually turn into a watermelon plant in your stomach?

ANSWER: Kids have a lot of questions, and the kids in Answer Line’s life know I answer questions professionally. So, they rarely accept an “I don’t know” to the multitude of questions they lob my way.

This question is one submitted by Answer Line’s children, but it’s something I’ve heard repeated often during my 43 years, so I thought it was worth sharing

So, for everyone who has ever been told that watermelon seeds are bad for you, or that a watermelon plant will grow in your stomach if you eat the seeds — you have been misled. Yes, yes, it might have all been in good fun, but ...

Yes, you can eat watermelon seeds, and no they don’t turn into a plant in your stomach. That’s according to the Watermelon Board, a national association of watermelon growers.

In fact, I found some information arguing about the healthful benefits of watermelon seeds.

So, here’s hoping ... because Answer Line is generally too lazy to spit the seeds out when I’m enjoying watermelon.

QUESTION: What entity do you call or text concerning child tax credit not received?

QUESTION: I don’t understand why some people come here from other countries and are here for years without trying to become U.S. citizens.

QUESTION: There is a two-story, cream-colored stucco building across Mobberly Avenue from the train depot and just south of the railroad. I was told that it was built to produce ice back when nearly everyone had an icebox and not a refrigerator. By the time I first knew about the building, i…

QUESTION: Are there specific rules for how close to the street homeowners can put decorative items (yard art)? Is there a setback rule? I see mailboxes with planters, but that’s different I guess. I tried to find the information in the city building codes, but couldn’t find anything.

QUESTION: I was calling about the road work at the East Texas Montessori Prep Academy on Marshall Avenue. I noticed a week or two ago they poured this real nice concrete median. Then a few days later I came back and they had torn it all out. I was wondering what was going on there?

QUESTION: What is the projected completion date for the traffic signal at Hawkins Parkway and Good Shepherd Way?

QUESTION: A couple of years ago there was an article in the newspaper about the terrible condition of the mausoleum at Grace Hill Cemetery. 

QUESTION: When and why did the speed limit from Longview to Louisiana change to 70 from 75? I was very disappointed when I went to Louisiana today.

QUESTION: Diesels are constantly parked on the shoulder, where there's not enough room, at the entrance ramp for Interstate 20 at FM 450. 

QUESTIONS: I’m calling concerning the story about the county giving hazard bonuses. The police officers are getting $5,000 extra for the pandmeic. Why are sanitation workers not involved in that pandemic hazard pay? Are Longview police officers and firefighters also receiving the hazard pay?

QUESTION: It seems like every time I drive in Longview, I encounter some traffic obstacle generated by the work Sparklight is doing in the city. Are they free to indiscriminately reduce lanes on major roads or set up wherever they like? How long will this madness last?