Area News

By Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune August 18, 2026 Texas lawmakers will examine Tuesday whether colleges are doing enough to protect research from foreign adversaries, while Gov. Greg Abbott plans to unveil measures aimed at limiting foreign influence in education during a campaign event later that day. The House Higher Education Committee’s agenda does not…

By Eva-Marie Ayala, The Texas Tribune August 18, 2026 This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. On Wednesday, elementary schools in a small southwestern Colorado district stopped using a controversial reading curriculum developed by the state of Texas. It was the third day of school. The sudden shift…

East Texas State Fair Opens Mutton Bustin’ Registration Through August 24 The East Texas State Fair is calling all young cowboys and cowgirls to sign up for one of the Fair’s most exciting rodeo traditions — mutton bustin’! Registration is now open and will remain available through Monday, August 24, for children ages 5–7 who…

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…

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…

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…

_______  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,…