Area News
North Texas suburbs resisting new housing laws garner Abbott’s rebuke
By Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune July 31, 2026 Gov. Greg Abbott wants to crack down on cities he accused of getting in the way of addressing the state’s housing affordability problems and make it easier for homeowners to build additional dwellings in their backyards, he said Friday. Abbott signed a bipartisan set of laws…
Read MoreHouston mothers challenge Ten Commandments posters under Texas’ new parental rights amendment
By Ellie Ashby, The Texas Tribune July 31, 2026 Three Houston mothers are suing to stop displaying the Ten Commandments in Texas public school classrooms, arguing that it violates the state’s religious freedom law and a voter-approved parental rights amendment. Their lawsuit is the latest challenge to Senate Bill 10 — this time under Texas…
Read MoreACLU launches legal claims in 17 states against immigration detention conditions, including Texas
By Uriel J. García and Alex Nguyen, The Texas Tribune July 30, 2026 A 55-year-old legal permanent resident from Trinidad and Tobago who was deported last year is seeking $10 million from the Trump administration, claiming that he experienced medical neglect and mistreatment while he was detained at a South Texas immigration detention center. The…
Read MoreTRIO, Work4College students visit ETBU and Caddo Lake
July 29, 2026 Northeast Texas Community College TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) students, along with Work4College participants, recently enjoyed an incredible day of learning and exploration! During this trip, students visited East Texas Baptist University (ETBU), where they learned about transfer opportunities, academic programs, and campus life. A guided boat tour of beautiful Caddo Lake,…
Read MoreTexas lawmakers want to halt plan to build high-voltage transmission lines across the state
By Carlos Nogueras Ramos and Paul Cobler, The Texas Tribune July 31, 2026 ODESSA — A growing chorus of Texas lawmakers is calling on the state’s electric grid managers and utility regulators to halt an expansive and increasingly controversial project to build transmission lines that would cut through several thousand acres of private property to…
Read MoreTexas land commissioner orders feds to stop “illegally” clearing state border tract
By Alejandro Santos Cid, The Texas Tribune July 31, 2026 Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham sent a cease and desist letter on Friday to Customs and Border Protection and federal contractor Barnard Construction, accusing the company of illegally clearing state land in Presidio County, on the U.S-Mexico border. Buckingham’s letter came less than two weeks…
Read MoreUT Tyler Adjunct Instructor Releases First Studio Album with Ensemble “Tell Me a Story” features fusion of folk, classical music
TYLER, Texas (July 31, 2026) – Starting musical studies on the piano at age four, Anna Larson later discovered a passion for the violin that would lead her to pursue a life of music. As an avid chamber musician and coach, Larson frequently performs with her husband, Kaden. The duo has now published their first…
Read MoreGreat Texas Birding Classic Breaks Records in its 30th Year
July 31, 2026 The event saw record participation, species identified and Conservation Grant amount awarded in 2026 AUSTIN – The biggest, longest and wildest birdwatching tournament in the country, the Great Texas Birding Classic (GTBC), had a record number of teams and overall participants in the 30th iteration of the event, as well as a…
Read MoreDaughters of the Republic of Texas to Commemorate Honor Day and the Battle of Nacogdoches
NACOGDOCHES, Tex. — The Stone Fort Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT), in partnership with the Adolphus Sterne Chapter, Sons of the Republic of Texas (SRT), and the City of Nacogdoches, will gather to commemorate the 194th Anniversary of the Battle of Nacogdoches on Aug. 2, 2026, at 2 p.m. The event, slated to…
Read MoreLouisiana man sentenced to 25+ years in federal prison for Jefferson County violent crime spree that included carjackings, a shooting, and a convenience store robbery
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Sunset, Louisiana, man has been sentenced to over 25 years in federal prison for a violent crime spree in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Bracelon Armon Charles, 23, pleaded guilty to attempted carjacking; carjacking; Hobbs Act robbery; and discharging a firearm during a crime…
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