Area News

New integration eliminates hundreds of administrative hours spent managing cases and solidifies Intoxalock’s position as the state’s premier ignition interlock provider.   Key Takeaways Intoxalock is the first IID provider to integrate automated compliance reporting directly with CSS. The integration serves 230+ Texas supervising agencies, eliminating manual report downloads and uploads. Real-time IID compliance data…

By Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune August 31, 2026 Two major UT System institutions face leadership changes as their presidents stepped down in recent days. On Monday, UT Arlington president Jennifer Cowley announced plans to return to the faculty. Last week, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center president Peter Pisters announced his retirement after more than…

(September 1, 2026, DALLAS) – GasBuddy, North America’s trusted fuel savings platform for more than 25 years, today released its annual Labor Day gas price forecast, predicting that average gas prices on the last summer holiday weekend of 2026 will be $4.03 per gallon, 87 cents higher than in 2025, and the highest Labor Day…

By Terri Langford, The Texas Tribune August 31, 2026 When the state’s new fiscal year begins on Tuesday, Texas hospitals expect to lose $27 million a day in additional Medicaid funding. The shortfall is the result of a decision by the Trump administration to withhold approval from Texas for about $9.8 billion in the next…

By Jaden Edison, The Texas Tribune August 31, 2026 Muslim Texans pressed State Board of Education members on Monday for more classroom instruction centering on how people of Islamic faith positively contributed to world history. With the majority-Republican board expected to finalize what high schoolers learn in social studies this week, dozens of speakers said…

(The Alamo Has No Islamic Connection) By Wm Gawthrop, Ph.D.   The claim that Muslims were meaningfully present in Texas before statehood collapses under scrutiny. The historical record is clear: there were isolated individuals, not communities; incidental presence, not institutional influence. Yes, figures like Estevanico and enslaved West African Muslims passed through or existed within…

Plan continues progress on high-priority preservation, mobility and safety projects   August 31, 2026 ATLANTA – Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced a new 10-year transportation plan with a total projected investment of $138 billion. In a rapidly growing state, this transformational investment will help improve safety, reduce congestion and strengthen…

By JAMES A. MARPLES *** Like most people, I was saddened to read in the news the reports surrounding the passing of Music legend, philanthropist, actress, business-woman, and universally-likeable person, Dolly Parton, who recently died at age 80. To say that she was a “Superstar” would be no understatement. She mingled with almost every celebrity…

Tyler, Texas (August 31, 2026) — Registration is open for the UT Health East Texas Breast Cancer Survivor Summit. The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center in Tyler. This year’s theme is “Bloom Beyond the Battle.”   The summit will celebrate…