Eric King responds to Jim “Pappy” Moore’s column published in the June 18 print edition
I am responding, section by section, to the article entitled “Only Black People Can Save Black People” written by Jim “Pappy” Moore as published on June 18, 2026, in the Gilmer Mirror. Citizens of all colors and faiths, as well as business owners, found the article to be racially stereotypical, intellectually condescending, arrogantly paternalistic and…
Read MoreTexas Land Commissioner Buckingham, VLB Celebrate Successful Panhandle Veterans Expo in Amarillo
v AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is pleased to share the success of the Panhandle Veterans Expo held this past weekend in Amarillo. The VLB was proud to host this event alongside representatives from the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC), Amarillo VA Healthcare System, and Texas Veterans Network…
Read MoreTexas Gas Prices Continue Dropping, Fluctuations Remain Possible Ahead of July 4th Travel
The statewide gas price average in Texas is $3.49 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch. That price is nine cents less when compared to this day last week and is 69 cents more per gallon compared to this day last year. Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in…
Read MoreThe Laughs Return: Laugh Out Longview Improv Festival Brings Statewide, National Talent to Longview
LONGVIEW, Texas — The laughs are coming back to East Texas. The Laugh Out Longview (LOL) Improv Festival officially returns June 26 and 27, 2026, bringing a multi-day weekend of comedy and creativity to Longview. This year’s festival returns to the Longview Museum of Fine Arts (215 E. Tyler St.), located in the Downtown…
Read MoreTed Cruz bill to regulate college sports in NIL era advances
By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune June 18, 2026 U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz took a big bipartisan swing last month when he unveiled a compromise bill with Democrats to regulate college sports, a play he believes is the only path to saving the multibillion dollar industry from itself. The Protect College Sports Act, which Cruz…
Read MoreState investigators issue final Camp Mystic report detailing cascading failures during July 4 flood
By Carlos Nogueras Ramos, The Texas Tribune June 18, 2026 Camp Mystic did not have state-required written emergency plans or adequate evacuation measures that could have prevented the deaths of 25 campers and two counselors in last year’s July 4 flood, state-appointed investigators told the state lawmakers in their final report released on Thursday. Casey…
Read MoreLandmark $211M tax-break deal could trump SpaceX’s deal in South Texas
By Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune June 18, 2026 McALLEN — A South Texas community once cited as the poorest in Texas is courting an Austin-based defense technology startup that promises to bring 10,000 jobs over 10 years, more than SpaceX’s initial promise of 300 back in 2014. The Cameron County commissioners court approved a…
Read MoreVideo: Texas Primary Elections Policy Forum Pt 1: Overview of TX Primary Structure and Participation
Talarico goes all-in with attack on Paxton plea deal in child sex abuse case
By Taylor Goldenstein, The Texas Tribune June 18, 2026 Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico on Thursday slammed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, his Republican opponent, for a plea deal his office offered a Waco man who was charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a young boy. Speaking from the steps of the McLennan County Courthouse…
Read MoreTexas college watchdog received nearly 70 complaints, opened one investigation, records show
By Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune June 18, 2026 A new state office received 69 complaints about Texas universities, including allegations of banned DEI initiatives, restrictions on conservative speech and interference in academic affairs. All but one complaint was closed without investigation, records obtained by The Texas Tribune show. The Office of the Ombudsman’s only…
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