Area News

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune June 16, 2026   The GOP convention just wrapped in Houston. The biennial affair was marked by high-powered elected officials, low turnout from the base and robust calls for unity — whether or not they were heard by all. Texas Tribune politics reporter Alejandro Serrano and lead Blast writer…

June 16, 2026 NORFOLK, Va. — In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the U.S. Coast Guard will oversee comprehensive maritime safety and security operations alongside local, state and federal partners during Sail250 Virginia, which is scheduled to be held in Norfolk, June 19-23. Sail250 Virginia, a massive maritime celebration to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial and…

Proverbs 4: 1-5 “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain…

By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune June 16, 2026 Attorney General Ken Paxton, speaking Monday at a tele-town hall, said the GOP will have a pre-midterm convention in Dallas this September, bringing President Donald Trump to Texas for a high-profile event ahead of the November election. The Republican National Committee has publicly discussed plans to…

By Jaden Edison, Sneha Dey, Rob Reid and Hien An Ngo, The Texas Tribune June 16, 2026 Texas elementary and middle school students mostly stagnated in reading this school year while their performance on math and social studies exams improved, according to STAAR results released Tuesday. The Texas Education Agency published results from the annual…

June 16, 2026 AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Franklin Estuardo Gonzalez Flores – a violent offender from Guatemala – to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to his arrest. All tips…

MAGNOLIA, AR (06/16/2026) Southern Arkansas University is proud to recognize Jason Smith, director of Jazz Studies and assistant professor of trumpet in the Dempsey College of Liberal and Performing Arts, for a distinguished chapter of military service that continues to inform his leadership, artistry, and dedication to students at SAU. This past December, during the…

TYLER, TX – The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC), through its North Texas Field Operations Team, led a multi-agency operation that dismantled an organized criminal ring responsible for installing payment card skimmers on high-flow diesel pumps and using stolen card information to fraudulently obtain fuel from truck stops across North Texas. In late April…

TYLER, TEXAS — Preservation Texas is now accepting applications for its new Historic Rural Log Building Grant Program, funded by a $750,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service.   Through this competitive program, Preservation Texas will award subgrants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 to five to seven preservation projects involving historic,…

Drivers 25 Times More Likely to Cause a Fatal Crash When Combining Alcohol and THC   HOUSTON – The safest decision happens before you turn the key. Driving after drinking alcohol, using THC or mixing substances puts everyone on Texas roads at risk. With summer travel, World Cup matches and Independence Day celebrations coming up,…