Texans approved billions for water and broadband infrastructure. Now what?
The legislation behind the historic investment directs state agencies to send money to the state’s smaller, cash-strapped towns that have difficulty paying for upgrades. Federal money is also expected to flow to regions that need broadband.
Texas Tech gets 1st win with 41-3 romp over FCS-member Tarleton after early pick-6
Malik Dunlap returned the first of his two interceptions for a touchdown, Tahj Brooks set a career high with 158 yards rushing and Texas Tech got its first win of the season, 41-3 win over lower-division Tarleton State.
This new law will help health care workers save lives in ambulances that cover wide-open West Texas
The emerging technology, paid for by a grant established during the 2023 legislative session, will help emergency health care workers talk with doctors in emergency rooms to better care for critical patients.
A West Texas coffee shop owner is giving away Plan B for free as fight over contraception access takes hold
Last May, Lubbock became the biggest city in Texas to ban abortion within city limits. Now, with abortion outlawed throughout the Lone Star State, the fight over reproductive rights is taking a new turn.
Why the High Plains turns off its turbines to limit wind production while the Texas power grid is stressed
While wind farms in the region could help power and lower energy costs for at least 9 million homes, significant infrastructure upgrades would be needed to supply electricity from the region to other parts of the state.
Texas Tech plans $200M football stadium, facilities project
Texas Tech is planning a $200 million project consisting of new four-story building in the south end zone that will include locker rooms, offices for coaches and a field-level club area that the Red Raiders will go through before football games.
K-State rallies past Texas Tech 25-24, ends Big 12 skid at 8
Skylar Thompson passed for 296 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, rallying Kansas State in the second half of a 25-24 victory over Texas Tech. The Wildcats came up big on Texas Tech's final two plays with a pair of sacks.
Businesses near Texas Tech worry Big 12 shakeup will stir financial trouble, even if Lubbock’s economy isn’t in danger
Lubbock is one of the few sports hubs in West Texas, meaning college football games draw out-of-town crowds that fill local shops, restaurants and hotels. Some business owners and leaders there worry about lost revenue once the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma stop playing there.
University of Texas president defends decision to join SEC as lawmakers criticize timing and impact on other schools
Jay Hartzell said the switch to the Southeastern Conference was the best thing for UT-Austin’s student athletes and the university. Texas senators expressed disdain for the move and questioned how it came about.
Lawsuit to block Lubbock's abortion ban is dismissed in court as the ordinance takes effect
Planned Parenthood sued to block the "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinance, passed by voters in May, but a federal judge said he didn't have jurisdiction to hear the case. The ordinance went into effect June 1.
After Texas' power grid failure, some in Lubbock worry about the city's plans to join ERCOT
Lubbock officials initially planned to join ERCOT once its 15-year-long contract with Xcel Energy, a member of the Southwestern Public Service Company, expires. Spencer lives in Lubbock, one of the few areas of the state not connected to Texas’ independent power grid. The failures of Texas’ independent power grid have led to some counties mulling a way out. Lubbock officials initially planned to join ERCOT once its 15-year-long contract with Xcel Energy, a member of the Southwestern Public Service Company, expires. AdLubbock City Councilperson Jeff Griffith he still feels confident Lubbock will move forward with the plans to join ERCOT.
Abbott lifts business capacity limits, mask mandate starting next week
HOUSTON – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he is lifting business capacity limits and the state’s mask mandate starting next week. Abbott said that county judges can institute coronavirus-mitigation measures in their counties if the hospitalization rate rises above 15% for seven consecutive days. AdIn the Tuesday letter, Hidalgo and Turner said they believe lifting the mandate would be “premature and harmful” to the progress made in the pandemic thus far. Houston health officials announced Monday that wastewater testing has revealed an increasing amount of COVID-19 variants in the city with the UK version becoming the primary variant being detected.
The Latest: Memphis-Houston men's basketball game postponed
Now their first scheduled game with Houston has been added to the postponement list. ___The Big 12 has announced the reschedule dates for nine women’s basketball games postponed this season because of COVID-19 protocols. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Thursday that Louisville's men's basketball game at Virginia Tech scheduled for Saturday has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Ad___Saturday’s men's basketball game between Texas A&M and Florida has been postponed due to COVID-19. It's the third straight Florida men's game affected by the coronavirus.
Applications for U.S. passport will be accepted at 2 Houston Municipal Court locations starting Monday
HOUSTON – The City of Houston Municipal Courts Department will soon begin accepting passport applications at two locations on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. Starting Monday, both the Central Houston (at 1400 Lubbock) and the West Houston (3203 South Dairy Ashford) Municipal Court locations will be designated as an Acceptance Facility for U.S. passport applications for U.S. citizens planning international travel, the city announced in a news release. Effective Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, Houston Municipal Courts will begin accepting passport applications on behalf of the @StateDept. pic.twitter.com/1pyzTT5vQ2 — HoustonMunicipalCrts (@HoustonMunCourt) January 29, 2021Appointments are required before visiting one of the two Acceptance Facility locations. AdCentral Houston Municipal Court1400 Lubbock, HoustonWest Houston Municipal Court3203 South Dairy Ashford, Houston
Gov. Greg Abbott allows only limited COVID-19 restrictions for Texas' worst hot spots. Local leaders say it's not enough.
The Dallas County health department reported 33 available intensive care beds on Sunday for the county’s 2.6 million residents. Jenkins said most Dallas County businesses are likewise adhering to Abbott’s restrictions. But many county officials, including Jenkins, said bars are openly flouting guidelines and the TABC is not enforcing the rules. In most cases, local officials said they focus on educating wrongdoers instead of punishing them. Meanwhile, the city reported 245 people hospitalized with the virus on Sunday, down from a peak of 360 in late November but still enough to concern local health officials.
No. 5 Kansas wins 30th straight league opener at Texas Tech
14 Texas Tech 58-57 on Thursday night, giving the Jayhawks a win in their conference opener for the 30th season in a row. Texas Tech (6-2, 0-1) had one more opportunity, with coach Chris Beard calling a timeout with 6.2 seconds left to set up a final play. Mac McClung led Texas Tech with a season-high 21 points, the third 20-point game this season for the transfer from Georgetown. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders had only seven turnovers and forced 16 Kansas turnovers, and had 16 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds. Texas Tech plays at Oklahoma on Tuesday night.
Fleeing the state's strict restrictions on sports, New Mexico basketball teams seek refuge in two of Texas' worst hot spots
Facing restrictive policies prohibiting team sports, the University of New Mexico’s basketball teams have fled their home state, seeking refuge in Lubbock and Amarillo — two of the hardest hit coronavirus hot spots in Texas. The men’s team will reside in Lubbock temporarily, though UNM is still finalizing where the team will practice and play games. At West Texas A&M University, where the UNM women’s team will play, an official said the school is “pleased to host” the Lobos. According to Santa Fe New Mexican, Eddie Nuñez, UNM’s athletic director, chose West Texas because it was close to Albuquerque after considering a number of locations. Disclosure: Texas A&M University, University of Houston and West Texas A&M University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.
Funeral homes and hospitals in parts of Texas brace for new wave of coronavirus infections and deaths
The number of coronavirus patients in Texas hospitals has nearly doubled since October, and average infections are at their highest point in almost three months — leaving health officials and funeral homes bracing for a potential crush of hospitalizations going into the holidays. Local funeral homes are readying extra refrigerated storage space, as the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the far West Texas city has shot up nearly tenfold since the start of September. The new wave of infections stands in contrast to the summer surge, when Gov. The fatigue comes as hospitals in El Paso and parts of West Texas have filled with coronavirus patients, and as other regions have seen steady increases in infections that could presage their own wave of hospitalizations. Multiple floors have been converted to house coronavirus patients, and they have leased space from a children’s hospital to treat adults who are not infected with COVID-19.
Supreme Court changes fuel moves to protect abortion access
A vast swath of West Texas has been without an abortion clinic for more than six years. That law led to the closure of more than half the state’s 41 abortion clinics before the Supreme Court struck down key provisions in 2016. Women in Lubbock faced a 310-mile (500-kilometer) drive to the nearest abortion clinic in Fort Worth. Texas is one of several red states where Planned Parenthood has sought to expand abortion access. Missouri, for example, bars the use of telemedicine for abortion services, a policy that has sharply limited the number of medication abortions.
Texas' new coronavirus surge is leaving critically sick patients stranded in rural areas, hospitals say
Texas is experiencing a second surge of coronavirus hospitalizations, up more than 75% since the beginning of October. On Oct. 28, there were more than 5,600 people with COVID-19 in Texas hospitals, a patient volume not seen since August, when the state experienced a crush of patients that pushed some South Texas hospitals to their limit. But the consequences of Texas’ burgeoning “fall wave” of the coronavirus pandemic extend hundreds of miles beyond those far-flung cities. Fewer than half of the state’s rural hospitals perform surgeries or deliver babies, said John Henderson, chief executive of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. The 18-bed hospital is grappling with its own influx of COVID-19 patients.
Coronavirus hospitalizations are up in Texas as some fear the state is headed toward another surge
Credit: Emily Kinskey for The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Hospitals in some parts of the state are filling with coronavirus patients, alarming health officials who say Texas could be on the brink of another surge after a relative plateau in September. A wave of infections and hospitalizations swept Texas this summer, overwhelming hospitals along the U.S.-Mexico border. Not all parts of the state are seeing an increase in hospitalized coronavirus patients. North-central Texas has seen coronavirus hospitalizations increase by about 30% since September, said Stephen Love, president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council.
No. 8 Texas rallies to beat Texas Tech 63-56 in overtime
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger scores a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, Saturday Sept. 26, 2020, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Mark Rogers)LUBBOCK, Texas – Sam Ehlinger threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Moore in overtime, sending No. 8 Texas to a wild 63-56 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday that saw the Longhorns rally with two touchdowns in the final 3 minutes of regulation. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders were on the brink of delivering second-year coach Matt Wells a signature win over a Top 10 team and big rival. The first two set up Texas touchdowns in the first half before the last one ended the game.
As Texas college towns emerge as coronavirus hot spots, universities try to keep students from infecting locals
That’s compared to 23% in counties with a smaller proportion of students, including larger metropolitan areas like Houston and Dallas that also house universities. The Texas counties where university students make up the biggest share of the population are home to Texas State University, Texas Tech University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Sul Ross State University, Sam Houston State University, and several A&M campuses, including the flagship in College Station, Tarleton State University, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M University-Commerce. Since Aug. 1, Texas Tech has logged more than 1,400 cases of COVID-19, including at least 1,266 among students. “It’s not about me,” Cook said, in a mantra he has repeated to college students. Disclosure: Prairie View A&M University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University System, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas System, University of Texas at El Paso and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.
Texas Tech without 20-plus players with positive COVID tests
LUBBOCK, Texas Texas Tech is practicing without at least 20 players who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as an unspecified number of additional players also being isolated because of contact with those affected by the novel coronavirus. The school said Tuesday that there were 24 active positive cases within the athletic program, including 21 involved with the football team. Texas Techs athletic program has had 64 positive cases overall from 1,382 tests completed among student-athletes and coaches and staff in multiple sports. At that point, the football team had reported 26 positive cases, all of which had recovered then. The school said any student-athlete who tests positive for COVID-19 is immediately placed in self isolation to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Texas hospitalizations below 7,000 for first time in weeks
AUSTIN, Texas Texas reported fewer than 7,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients for the first time in six weeks Thursday, but that encouraging sign was clouded by questions over testing as schools reopen and college football teams push ahead with playing this fall. Demand has curtailed to the point that in Austin and Dallas, health officials have expanded eligibility for testing, including those who are asymptomatic. Were not having enough people step forward to be tested as we did before.Numbers from Texas health officials this week, however, offered a hazy picture of how much testing has fallen. On Wednesday, the seven-day infection rate average in Texas hit a record 24%, suggesting that roughly one in every four coronavirus tests in Texas was coming back positive. Falling testing demand is also a factor, said Lara Anton, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Watch Gov. Greg Abbott deliver the latest on the coronavirus pandemic from Lubbock at 11:45 Central Time
Greg Abbott will be in Lubbock and El Paso on Thursday to meet with local officials and provide an update on the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. He'll speak in Lubbock first at Citizens Tower around 11:45 a.m. Central Time. His El Paso press conference at the El Paso Regional Communications Center is scheduled for 2 p.m. Mountain Time, or 3 p.m. Central Time. Abbott gave updates in Beaumont and Victoria earlier this week, urging Texans to remain vigilant even as hospitalizations for the coronavirus have decreased in recent weeks. Watch live feeds of both Abbott press conferences here, courtesy of NBC DFW.
What losing football to COVID-19 would mean for Texas college towns: "Its like losing Christmas"
Texas five major conference football teams Baylor University, Texas Christian University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin are massive economic drivers for their cities of Waco, Fort Worth, College Station, Lubbock and Austin, respectively, generating a flood of seasonal business for hotels, restaurants and bars in a typical year. Across Texas, university leaders have supported allowing football to move forward if conference division leaders allow it. We want to play football in the fall, said Texas A&M System John Sharp in a statement to The Texas Tribune on Monday. For college towns, its like losing Christmas, Berg said. Disclosure: Baylor University, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.