Area News

_______  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,…

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…

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,…

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…

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,…

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…

As more communities in Texas wake up to the danger of mass surveillance, the solution isn’t trading one brand of camera for another. It’s regulating the whole industry. By Farrah Hassen Government surveillance isn’t new, but new wide-ranging technologies that can detect our faces and track our movements are making it more ubiquitous. While the…

Free Sept. 4 workshop requires no coding experience Austin, Texas —Veterans with an idea for building a software business can turn that idea into a working prototype during a free, hands-on workshop on Sept. 4 in Austin — with no coding experience required. The Veteran SaaS Launch Lab, held Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, from 9…