DAY OUT WITH THOMAS™ HEADS TO GRAPEVINE VINTAGE RAILROAD TO CELEBRATE THE LET’S ROCK, LET’S ROLL TOUR
Tickets on sale now for the October event GRAPEVINE, TEXAS (August 17, 2026) – All aboard! Thomas the Tank Engine™, everyone’s favorite No. 1 blue engine, is rolling into Grapevine this October for Day Out with Thomas™: The Let’s Rock, Let’s Roll Tour. Tickets are on sale now for this family-friendly experience aboard Grapevine Vintage…
Read MoreSWEPCO Encourages Customers to Stay Safe During Extreme Heat
SHREVEPORT, La. (August 17, 2026) – As dangerous temperatures continue across Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, SWEPCO is taking additional steps to help customers stay safe and comfortable by suspending residential disconnections for nonpayment through the end of the week. While customer protections and weather-related disconnection requirements vary by state, SWEPCO is taking a consistent…
Read MoreSierra Club Demands Permanent Halt to Trump’s Big Bend Construction
CBP pauses work pending an on-site review after bulldozers tear through land near Santa Elena Canyon AUSTIN, Texas — Following widespread bipartisan outrage, Donald Trump’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott announced Monday that the agency is temporarily pausing all construction activity in Big Bend National Park as he visits the site…
Read MoreTEXAS STATE ARTIST CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
_______ Texas Commission on the Arts Announces Call for Nominations for State Poet Laureates, Musicians, Visual Artists AUSTIN, Texas – August 17, 2026 – On behalf of the Texas Legislature, the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is seeking nominations for the positions of 2027 and 2028 State Poet Laureate, State Musician classical genre,…
Read MoreOP-ED: WE NEED. M.T.X.E. IN DAILY LIVING
By JAMES A. MARPLES ************* For some people of a certain age or older than myself, the initials: M.T.X.E. carry a certain mystique, a dream, a work-ethic, and a lifelong philosophy that needs to be rebooted for our current times. Those initials stand for: Mental Toughness Extra Effort. Although they were coined by the famous…
Read MoreDPS Reminds College Students to Keep Safety Top of Mind
August 17, 2026 AUSTIN – As college students begin returning to campus for the start of the fall semester, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) encourages students to make smart decisions and remain aware of their surroundings both on and off campus. Whether heading to class, attending football games or exploring a new city,…
Read MoreUT Tyler Student Artists Present Advanced Printmaking Work
Exhibition continues through Sept. 25 at Fine Arts Complex Gallery TYLER, Texas (August 17, 2026) – The University of Texas at Tyler fall 2026 student art exhibition, “Steamroller Prints,” is currently featured through Friday, Sept. 25, at the UT Tyler Fine Arts Complex Gallery. This show highlights work from UT Tyler students who completed the…
Read MoreTexas High School Coaches Association Concludes 94th Annual Coaching School with New Leadership
THSCA welcomes new leaders dedicated to supporting and advancing Texas coaches Houston, Texas (August 17, 2026) — The Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) wrapped up its 94th Annual Coaching School & Convention, held July 19–21, 2026, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The event drew 17,067 attendees for three days of…
Read MoreFeds pausing Big Bend border construction while CBP commissioner visits the park
By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune August 17, 2026 WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott announced that his agency is pausing construction work in Big Bend National Park while he conducts an “on-the-ground evaluation,” reversing course after heavy machinery had begun moving dirt. In a video posted to X on Monday,…
Read MoreCan Austin break the costly cycle of homelessness, jail and crisis? A new program aims to do that.
By Austin Current, The Texas Tribune August 17, 2026 On a hot August afternoon, Marcus Martin walked out of the Travis County Correctional Complex in Southeast Austin after about six months behind bars, a broad smile stretched across his face. He’s been incarcerated before, but he believes this time is different. Outside the facility, several…
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