Area News

News from Southern Arkansas University MAGNOLIA, AR (09/14/2026) Astronauts know the strange feeling of returning to Earth after a flight in space. NASA employee Chris Blanks now knows what it is like to re-enter a world after a long absence. Blanks, a lead SharePoint developer with NASA in Houston, has returned to Southern Arkansas University…

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas communities will be more resilient against wildfire following the award of $457,413 through the Texas A&M Forest Service Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program. The funding, provided to landowners, will support 69 wildfire mitigation projects that will treat 9,610 acres, helping protect homes, infrastructure, natural resources and the people who…

TYLER, TEXAS — Women, families, students, community leaders, and supporters from across East Texas are invited to attend East Texas Women’s March & Expo on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center, 2000 W. Front St., Tyler.   The 2026 East Texas Women’s March & Expo…

By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune September 15, 2026 WASHINGTON — Ken Paxton’s campaign is launching its first substantial broadcast ad buy of the general election with two economy-focused spots that will run in three South Texas markets. The ads, first shared with The Texas Tribune, will run on broadcast, streaming and digital platforms in…

By Megan Menchaca, The Texas Tribune September 14, 2026 Students at the University of Texas at Austin said they were dismayed — but unsurprised — by the racist attacks lobbed at them online after a Republican candidate for statewide office suggested white Americans were being “displaced.” Bo French, the Republican running for a seat on…

By Robbie Sequeira, Stateline September 15, 2026 Declining birth rates mean fewer students. And that means more districts grappling with whether to close or merge schools. “The big shrink” is how Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, described what is happening nationally. “When there are fewer young people, obviously it’s going to change…

By Carlos Nogueras Ramos, The Texas Tribune September 14, 2026 Karl Rove, former adviser to President George W. Bush and longtime Texas GOP political consultant, said he will vote for Jon Rosenthal, a Houston Democrat running to serve the Texas Railroad Commission, after Republican Bo French posted racist comments on Sunday about South Asian students…

By Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune September 15, 2026 As Don Huffines settled into his new post this summer as the new Texas comptroller overseeing the state’s finances, he arranged meetings to introduce himself to top level staff and to get to know their work. Often, he was accompanied by his second-in-command. Call him “Mr.…

By Jacob Fischler, Stateline September 14, 2026 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will revoke limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that run on coal and natural gas, according to regulatory documents Administrator Lee Zeldin signed Monday. The administration framed the action to repeal 2024 limits on greenhouse gas emissions from virtually all power…