Area News
Buyouts offered to nearly a quarter of UT Tyler employees amid budget shortfall
By Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune July 2, 2026 Nearly 100 employees at UT Tyler accepted buyouts expected to save the university $9.6 million in the coming fiscal year as officials aim to keep the East Texas school affordable. Along with 99 staffers accepting the buyouts, University of Texas at Tyler officials paused salary increases…
Read MoreOp-Ed: Stop Letting Credit Card Companies Squeeze Small Businesses
Lobby groups are spending big to stop bipartisan legislation aimed at lowering the exorbitant “swipe fees” charged by the credit card industry. By Carter Dougherty | August 19, 2026 When a powerful industry rakes in billions for doing something that should have a negligible cost, it will say almost anything to keep that river of…
Read MoreTDI names new deputy commissioner of Strategy and Performance
August 18, 2026 Español The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) announced Michelle Kranes as deputy commissioner of the Strategy and Performance Division on August 17. Kranes will oversee the division that supports TDI’s strategic planning, performance and risk management, and process improvement through technology, automation, and business innovation. “Michelle brings fresh energy and a strong…
Read MoreTexas Fire Departments Receive $10,000 Grant Through the State Farm® Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program
The program, in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council, provided a total of $1.5 million to 150 volunteer fire departments nationwide Eight volunteer fire departments in Texas were among 150 nationwide recipients of a $10,000 grant through the State Farm® Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program. The program, in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire…
Read MoreOp-Ed: Are you filled with God’s joy and peace today?
By Dr. Billy Holland Do you remember that old song in Vacation Bible School that said, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart? Do you still have it today? I hope you do, because as God’s children we have lots to be joyful about. Be edified as you read I Thessalonians…
Read MoreEPA conducts inspections of illegal toxic and polluting imports at Port Houston and sale and distribution of illegal pesticides by Houston area retailers
DALLAS, TEXAS (August 18, 2026)– Last week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct inspections and train CBP agents at the Port of Houston, and in parallel EPA inspected Houston-area retailers—all in support of the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to crackdown on illegal toxic pesticides and chemical…
Read MoreAAA Texas: New Research Finds Speeding Has Become Normalized Among Drivers Inbox
New AAA Foundation research finds many motorists believe driving 10 mph over the limit is acceptable and keeping up with traffic is safer than obeying the posted speed limit Speeding has become so commonplace that many drivers now consider it a normal part of being behind the wheel, according to new research from the AAA…
Read MoreTexas counties sue feds for trying to tie election security policies to anti-terrorism funding
By Ayden Runnels, The Texas Tribune August 17, 2026 El Paso County and Harris County on Monday sued the Department of Homeland Security alongside communities in Tennessee and Ohio over new requirements for federal grants that they argue undermine election security and public safety. In June, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it would withhold…
Read MoreFamilies ask U.S. Supreme Court to rule on Texas’ Ten Commandments requirement for public schools
By Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune January 20, 2026 Texas families on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether state lawmakers can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments. The formal request comes after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled earlier this year that Texas’ and Louisiana’s laws mandating such…
Read MoreRio Grande Valley residents are feeling more negative about their lives. That could spill into the voting booth.
By Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune August 13, 2026 EDINBURG — At 50 years old, Abel Gonzalez says he’s happy to be involved in his eight-year dream career of filmmaking, something he sees as fostering the budding film industry in the Rio Grande Valley. But, he still has some anxieties. He’s worried that a family…
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