The pace of arrivals in Brownsville appeared to catch the city on the southernmost tip of Texas off guard, stretching social services and putting an overnight shelter in an uncommon position of turning people away. Officials say more than 15,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have illegally crossed the river near Brownsville since last week.

That is a sharp rise from the 1,700 migrants that Border Patrol agents encountered in the first two weeks of April, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

“It’s a quite concerning because the logistical challenge that we encounter is massive for us,” said Gloria Chavez, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector.

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The reason for the increase was not immediately clear. Chavez said migrants have been frustrated by relying on a glitch-plagued government app that can allow them to seek asylum at a port of entry. Some migrants who crossed this week cited other motivators, including cartel threats that immediately preceded the sudden increment.

The uptick comes as the Biden administration plans for the end of pandemic-era asylum restrictions. U.S. authorities have said daily illegal crossings from Mexico could climb as high as 13,000 from about 5,200 in March.

Other cities — some far away from the southern U.S. border — are also grappling with suddenly large influxes of migrants. In Chicago, authorities reported this week a tenfold increase in the arrival of migrants in the city, where as many as 100 migrants have begun arriving daily and begun sheltering in police stations.

Brownsville is across the Rio Grande from Matamoros, Mexico, where a sprawling encampment of makeshift tents has housed about 2,000 people waiting to enter the U.S.

Last week, some tents were set ablaze and destroyed. Some migrants have said cartel-backed gangs were responsible, but a government official suggested the fires could have been set by a group of migrants frustrated over their long wait.

“It was desperation, the cartel,” said Roxana Aguirre, 24, a Venezuelan migrant who sat outside a Brownsville bus station Friday afternoon. “You couldn’t be on the street without looking over your shoulder.”

In downtown Brownsville, families from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and China walked aimlessly, carrying their belongings and talking on their cellphones.

Some waited for their buses while others were in limbo, waiting for relatives before making plans to leave but finding no shelter in the meantime. One Venezuelan couple said they slept in a parking lot after being turned away at an overnight shelter.

Officials in Brownsville issued a disaster declaration this week, following other Texas border cities that have done the same in the face of suddenly large influxes of migrants, including last year in El Paso.

“We’ve never seen these numbers before,” said Martin Sandoval, spokesperson for the Brownsville Police Department.

The reshuffling of resources at the border — in one of the busiest sectors with robust Border Patrol staffing levels — comes as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prepares to end the use of a public health authority known as Title 42, which allowed them to reject asylum claims.

The administration has expelled migrants 2.7 million times under a rule in effect since March 2020 that denies rights to seek asylum under U.S. and international law on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Title 42, as the public health rule is known, is scheduled to end May 11 when the U.S. lifts its last COVID-related restrictions.

Francisco Oropesa, 38, fled after the shooting Friday night that left five people dead, including an 8-year-old boy. San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Saturday evening that authorities had widened the search to as far as 20 miles from the scene of the shooting.

Investigators found clothes and a phone while combing a rural area that includes dense layers of forest, but tracking dogs lost the scent, Capers said.

Police recovered the AR-15-style rifle that Oropesa allegedly used in the shootings but authorities were not sure if he was carrying another weapon, the sheriff said.

“He could be anywhere now,” Capers said.

The reward was announced at a press conference Sunday afternoon when authorities continued to say they had no tips about Oropesa’s whereabouts.

“We’re asking everyone for your help until we can bring this suspect, or this monster I will call him, to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James Smith. 

“Right now we’re running into dead ends,” he said.

The attack happened near the town of Cleveland, north of Houston, on a street where some residents say neighbors often unwind by firing off guns.

Capers said the victims were between the ages of 8 and 31 years old and that all were believed to be from Honduras. All were shot “from the neck up,” he said.

Two hundred officers were going door to door in the search for Oropesa, asking questions and looking for tips, Capers said.

“This $80,000 is in my opinion a real good motivator to have somebody turn him in,” he said.

Billboard posters are being made with information about the reward in Spanish, he said.

The attack was the latest act of gun violence in what has been a record pace of mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, some of which have also involved semiautomatic rifles.

The mass killings have played out in a variety of places — a Nashville school, a Kentucky bank, a Southern California dance hall, and now a rural Texas neighborhood inside a single-story home.

Capers said there were 10 people in the house — some of whom had just moved there earlier in the week — but that that no one else was injured. He said two of the victims were found in a bedroom laying over two children in an apparent attempt to shield them.

A total of three children found covered in blood in the home were taken to a hospital but found to be uninjured, Capers said.

“They were covered in blood from the same ladies that were laying on top of them trying to protect them,” he said Sunday.

Capers said the children were safe with family.

FBI spokesperson Christina Garza said investigators do not believe everyone at the home were members of a single family. The victims were identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8.

The confrontation followed the neighbors walking up to the fence and asking the suspect to stop shooting rounds, Capers said. The suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, Capers said, and one person in the house got a video of the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle.

The shooting took place on a rural pothole-riddled street where single-story homes sit on wide 1-acre lots and are surrounded by a thick canopy of trees. A horse could be seen behind the victim’s home, while in the front yard of Oropeza’s house a dog and chickens wandered.

Rene Arevalo Sr., who lives a few houses down, said he heard gunshots around midnight but didn’t think anything of it.

“It’s a normal thing people do around here, especially on Fridays after work,” Arevalo said. “They get home and start drinking in their backyards and shooting out there.”

Capers said his deputies had been to Oropesa’s home at least once before and spoken with him about “shooting his gun in the yard.” It was not clear whether any action was taken at the time. At a news conference Saturday evening, the sheriff said firing a gun on your own property can be illegal, but he did not say whether Oropesa had previously broken the law.

Capers said the new arrivals in the home had moved from Houston earlier in the week, but he said he did not know whether they were planning to stay there.

Across the U.S. since Jan. 1, there have been at least 18 shootings that left four or more people dead, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today, in partnership with Northeastern University. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings; and workplace vendettas.

Texas has confronted multiple mass shootings in recent years, including last year’s attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde; a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019; and a gunman opening fire at a church in the tiny town of Sutherland Springs in 2017.

Republican leaders in Texas have continually rejected calls for new firearm restrictions, including this year over the protests of several families whose children were killed in Uvalde.

A few months ago, Arevalo said Oropesa threatened to kill his dog after it got loose in the neighborhood and chased the pit bull in his truck.

“I tell my wife all the time, ‘Stay away from the neighbors. Don’t argue with them. You never know how they’re going to react,’” Arevalo said. “I tell her that because Texas is a state where you don’t know who has a gun and who is going to react that way.”

On average, the Texas Retired Teachers Association says a Teacher Retirement System of Texas Retiree’s monthly annuity is $2,145.

“I’m making the same annuity that I made in 2006, and obviously things have changed a lot in 17 years,” said Judy Bryant.

Bryan is a retiree from Dallas ISD.

Today, she supplements her pension and social security through work with the Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers and the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, helping to lobby lawmakers for a cost-of-living adjustment or COLA.

“We’re tired of having to go beg the legislature every other year, and that’s what we’ve been doing. That’s why I’ve been doing it for so long,” she said.

But thanks to a recent decision by Texas lawmakers, that soon could change.  

“This is the most bold effort to address our retired public school employee pension we’ve ever done,” said Texas Representative Greg Bonnen.

Friday, the House voted unanimously to approve a constitutional amendment to provide an ongoing cost of living adjustment to pensions of two, four or six percent. It would be based on the number of years since a teacher retired.

The plan would also include a supplemental payment for those over the age of 70, funded in part by Texas’s surplus along with a small increase in contributions from active employees.

Bryant argues the COLA shouldn’t burden those still working. She’d also like to see it increased to match inflation.

Still, she says it’s a step in the right direction.

“We are thankful that we have gotten this far this time because we never have before. “It’s a matter of respect for us as retired educators of all types,” said Bryant.

That bill now goes back to the Senate and then a conference committee where the two bodies will work out some differences between their versions of the bill.

Under the House plan, voters would get the final say come fall.  

The retailer, which in February filed a second bankruptcy in three years, has been closing stores in recent years, but it still has 59 stores in Texas, including 18 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The closings come as Bed Bath & Beyond is also shutting down operations. That’s a lot of inventory hitting the market, possibly putting a dent in home goods sales at other retailers for the next few months.

The sale of Tuesday Morning, founded in Dallas in 1974 as a closeout retailer of gift and home merchandise, was approved at an afternoon hearing Thursday before Judge Edward L. Morris in the Fort Worth division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Hilco Merchant Resources is paying more than $32 million for the company. The liquidation means a couple thousand employees at Tuesday Morning’s North Dallas headquarters and stores will be terminated as store operations wind down over the next few weeks.

To read the full article, visit our partners at the Dallas Morning News.

Owner and pitmaster at Austin’s Interstellar BBQ, John Bates, explains how important brisket is to Texas culture.

“Texas barbecue is definitely built around a few key concepts,” he said. “It’s very much driven by offset smokers. Our style is typically very low and slow with a lot of smoke and clean flavors going through the pits. It’s also built on mostly brisket. It’s definitely the most important item in all Texas barbecue.”

Pitmaster at Corkscrew BBQ in Spring, Will Buckman, discusses why he left his career in communications to open the restaurant.

“I was spending a lot of time out in the driveway cooking these things for free to share with friends and family,” Buckman said. “It wasn’t until my wife stepped in because she was fighting for my time that said, you know, you should really be charging for these efforts.”

And Texas Monthly BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn tells host Baylee Friday what he looks for when he reviews a new restaurant.

“Almost every barbecue joint in the state has sliced brisket, ribs, pork ribs, and sausage. So I usually start there,” Vaughn said. “I’ll ask if the sausage is housemade. If not, I’ll probably look for something else on the menu. Like maybe a smoked turkey, which has gotten a lot more popular in Texas over the last decade.”

Listen to Texas Wants to Know in the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza, remained at large more than 18 hours after the shooting and authorities warned that he might still be armed. The attack happened just before midnight Friday near the town of Cleveland, north of Houston, on a street where some residents say it is not uncommon to hear neighbors unwind by firing off guns.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Oropeza used an AR-style rifle, and as the search for him dragged into Saturday evening, authorities had widened their efforts to as far as “10 to 20 miles” from the murder scene. He said Oropeza may still have a weapon but that he believes authorities have the rifle used in the shooting.

Capers said they found clothes and a phone while combing a rural area that includes dense layers of forest but that tracking dogs had lost the scent.

“He could be anywhere now,” Capers said.

Capers said the victims were between the ages of 8 and 31 years old and that all were believed to be from Honduras. All were shot “from the neck up,” he said.

The attack was the latest act of gun violence in what has been a record pace of mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, some of which have also involved semiautomatic rifles.

The mass killings have played out in a variety of places — a Nashville school, a Kentucky bank, a Southern California dance hall, and now a rural Texas neighborhood inside a single-story home.

Capers said there were 10 people in the house — some of whom had just moved there earlier in the week — but that that no one else was injured. He said two of the victims were found in a bedroom laying over two children in an apparent attempt to shield them.

A total of three children found covered in blood in the home were taken to a hospital but found to be uninjured, Capers said.

FBI spokesperson Christina Garza said investigators do not believe everyone at the home were members of a single family. The victims were identified as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 8.

The confrontation followed the neighbors walking up to the fence and asking the suspect to stop shooting rounds, Capers said. The suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, Capers said, and one person in the house got a video of the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle.

The shooting took place on a rural pothole-riddled street where single-story homes sit on wide 1-acre lots and are surrounded by a thick canopy of trees. A horse could be seen behind the victim’s home, while in the front yard of Oropeza’s house a dog and chickens wandered.

Rene Arevalo Sr., who lives a few houses down, said he heard gunshots around midnight but didn’t think anything of it.

“It’s a normal thing people do around here, especially on Fridays after work,” Arevalo said. “They get home and start drinking in their backyards and shooting out there.”

Capers said his deputies had been to Oropeza’s home at least once before and spoken with him about “shooting his gun in the yard.” It was not clear whether any action was taken at the time. At a news conference Saturday evening, the sheriff said firing a gun on your own property can be illegal, but he did not say whether Oropeza had previously broken the law.

Capers said the new arrivals in the home had moved from Houston earlier in the week, but he said he did not know whether they were planning to stay there.

Across the U.S. since Jan. 1, there have been at least 18 shootings that left four or more people dead, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today, in partnership with Northeastern University. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings; and workplace vendettas.

Texas has confronted multiple mass shootings in recent years, including last year’s attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde; a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019; and a gunman opening fire at a church in the tiny town of Sutherland Springs in 2017.

Republican leaders in Texas have continually rejected calls for new firearm restrictions, including this year over the protests of several families whose children were killed in Uvalde.

A few months ago, Arevalo said Oropeza threatened to kill his dog after it got loose in the neighborhood and chased the pit bull in his truck.

“I tell my wife all the time, ‘Stay away from the neighbors. Don’t argue with them. You never know how they’re going to react,’” Arevalo said. “I tell her that because Texas is a state where you don’t know who has a gun and who is going to react that way.”

Families believe changes in the law can save lives, but there’s only a month left to get it done. The Legislative session ends on Memorial Day.

Many North Texans have been involved in the progress some bills are making in the Capitol, including Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo.

“I have never come to the Capitol, to testify on anything,” he said in front of lawmakers during a House committee hearing on Tuesday.

But Arredondo says he’s doing it for the future of his city.

“We’re fighting the good fight,” he told NBC 5 on Friday.

He spoke this week in support of House Bill 1581, which would increase felony offenses for drug dealers tied to overdoses or deaths. The bill’s next step is to move off to the House floor.

“I know they get it and they understand the struggles and our plight. I felt very good coming away from that committee meeting that they were going to act in our favor,” said Arredondo.

Carrollton has seen nearly a dozen overdoses and three deaths among school children in a matter of months earlier this year.

“What’s frustrating about it is people know what it does. But the addiction to the opioid is so strong that they can’t fight it, as they should,” he said.

Arredondo says this bill and ones like it can’t pass soon enough.

“We’re depending on them to give us the resources we need so that we can rid our great communities of this poison,” he said. “We need to have stronger laws that will help us prosecute these manufacturers and dealers that are supplying our kids with this.”

Debbie Petersen of Carrollton also testified with the chief this week, sharing the loss of her adult son Matt last year.

“He stopped breathing within one minute and all of his dreams were crushed,” she said. “I am hoping that Austin will step up and be the voice of my child, Matt Harvey, as well as the hundreds and thousands that have died due to fentanyl.”

With just weeks to go before the session ends, time is running out to address numerous fentanyl bills in Austin.

“We’re in crunch time right now. We’re needing bills to get through the House as well as the Senate on harm reduction and as well as prevention and education,” said Stefanie Turner, founder of Texas Against Fentanyl.

Turner lost her 19-year-old son, Tucker Roe, to an illicit Percocet pill that was bought from a peer on social media. After his passing, she immediately began sharing Tucker’s story to help prevent others from suffering the deadly effects of this dangerous drug that is devastating our communities.

She has also been busy this session connecting with other mothers and lawmakers, following the progress of the bills that can alter the fentanyl crisis. She’s pushing for a bill that would require fentanyl education in schools.

“My son, the first time that he used, he did not know what fentanyl was and neither did I,” said Turner.

Another bill, House Bill 6, calls for prosecuting fentanyl deaths as murder. Both the education bills and HB6 are making progress in the House and Senate.

But a key senate bill calling to legalize fentanyl detecting test strips is stalling. It led to protesters taking over parts of the Capitol on Thursday, demanding more action before the session ends in a month.

“I don’t feel that it’s happening fast enough,” said Turner. “We know fentanyl was a priority item and we’re still not making much headway through the Senate yet. So we need those bills to get on through.”

Inspectors tied to state-licensed inspection shops are suspected of taking cash in exchange for falsely passing cars.

DPS officials said at least five arrests had been made so far, and more than two dozen inspection stations had been locked out of the state system.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview at DPS headquarters in Austin, DPS Director Steven McCraw told NBC 5 Investigates he is frustrated that the state’s lack of technology to prevent the fraud has created extra work for law enforcement.

“It forces us to divert resources from high priority matters to lower priority matters just for a period of time so we can have an impact,” McCraw told NBC 5 Senior Investigative Reporter Scott Friedman.

As a series of reports from NBC 5 Investigates has shown, the state’s vehicle inspection computer system – overseen by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is not programmed to prevent an inspector from issuing a false passing report even though the system captures data – red flags – suggesting many inspections are fake.

In the weeks since we started asking questions, the TCEQ has activated a feature in the computer that at least locks out some inspectors after they are suspected of running multiple fake inspections.

NBC 5 Investigates has learned from TCEQ officials that the feature was created more than 10 years ago, but was never activated. 

In a statement, TCEQ said DPS did not ask them to turn it on until last month.

DPS told NBC 5 it was not aware the feature existed.

McCraw acknowledged Thursday that some of the current problems could have been headed off if those lockouts had been put in place a decade ago.

“Absolutely, there’s no question about it,” McCraw said.

Since the lockouts were put in place, DPS said more than 100 inspectors had been prevented from accessing the system.

McCraw said, going forward, his agency is working with TCEQ to assure that more technology changes will be made to stem the tide of fake inspections.

“It could have been done. It should have been done. It’s going to be done,” McCraw said.

But in order to prevent vehicle inspectors from falsely passing cars in real-time – instead of after the fact – TCEQ said it would also have to modify the emissions analyzer software. 

In a statement, the agency told NBC 5, “Until this change is made these (falsely inspected) vehicles will still receive their inspection report at the end of the inspection.”

That allows the car to get Texas plates even though it never really passed.

McCraw is calling on the TCEQ to make that software change now to help cut the number of stations and inspectors his agency needs to investigate.

“And, the sooner they can do that, the better,” McCraw said.

“I’m confident they want the same thing as we do. And I can assure you that the both of us will be working towards that end,” McCraw told NBC 5.

But in a statement Thursday, TCEQ said it had not decided yet whether it will make the change McCraw is requesting.

“The TCEQ is having discussions with DPS about possible ways to enhance the enforcement tools for the I/M (inspection & maintenance) program. However, no decision has been made and the TCEQ is not modifying the analyzer software at this time,” the statement said.

For now, DPS troopers often have to manually search inspection data to identify locations suspected of falsely passing cars, and then visit them to conduct surveillance to see if the business is passing cars that are not really at the shop. Experts say stations conducting fraudulent inspections can now use emissions system simulators or surrogate cars to falsify an inspection, and the vehicle that passes doesn’t even have to visit the shop.

NBC 5 Investigates rode along with some of the state troopers deployed on the inspection enforcement operation in Dallas this week.

At several locations, troopers found the inspection business they were looking for was not at its registered address, and neither was the emissions analyzer device the department suspects is being used to conduct fake inspections.

McCraw said this highlights the challenges of investigations after the fact, versus cutting off the bad actors at the start of the process.

“That’s why I talked about prevention on the front end”, McCraw said. “Because If the business is not there, or the business is there, but the inspector is not there and he’s off-site, there’s no way to triangulate exactly where they’re at. So it’s very difficult from an enforcement standpoint.”

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The apologies from the convoy members, Hannah Ceh and Kyle Kruger, were part of a settlement for a lawsuit brought by four people who were on the bus as it traveled Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio on Oct. 30, 2020, to rally people for the last day of early voting.

As the bus moved, it was met by several protests, culminating in highway harassment. According to the lawsuit, members of the convoy pulled in front of the bus, driving between 15 to 25 mph on the expressway, which had a 70 mph speed limit. The bus driver had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid hitting the other vehicles.

The incident prompted the Biden campaign to cancel two events scheduled for the same day.

Click here to read more on this report from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

Those overheard conversations over plates of enchiladas and banana pudding became inspiration for Lambert’s Grammy-winning musical career, teaching her the art of storytelling and entertaining at the same time.

“Some of my first songs were written about some of the stories that they were going through,” Lambert said. “I hadn’t lived it myself yet, but I really absorbed that.”

After nearly two decades in country music and at the height of her career as one of the most award-winning country artists, Lambert is dishing on those recipes — and the stories behind them — from her family and friends in a book called “Y’All Eat Yet? Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin’ Kitchen.”

“It’s really important to surround yourself with people who celebrate the good times and who hold you up through the bad times,” said “The House That Built Me” singer. “That’s what this whole book is about.”

The book, out now on HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books, is equal parts Lambert’s family memoir, a guide to Texas-style entertaining and a church potluck cookbook.

Get to know Lambert’s grandma “Nonny” and her mom “Bev” and all their colorful female friends through the recipes they’ve swapped and shared: the famous meatloaf that often leads to wedding bells, the whiskey cupcakes and the potini bar (mashed potatoes in a martini glass with all the toppings.) She also teaches the tricks to glamping in her Airstream travel trailer and tubing down the Guadalupe River and her dad offers a primer on seasoning a cast iron pan to perfection.

“Life on the road is tough, and so it makes it that much more special when you get to have a home-cooked meal,” Lambert said. “It’s such a triggering memory. It’s like a perfume or a song.”

Lambert has a lot to celebrate right now as she heads into the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11 as the reigning entertainer of the year. She’s already the most awarded artist in ACM history and she’s up for the top prize again, as well as breaking another record with her 17th female artist of the year nomination.

“I didn’t really get celebrate with everybody when I won last year, so this will be like, ‘Yay, hurrah! Who’s going to get it next?’” Lambert said of the awards show, which will be held in Frisco, Texas, this year. “I’m really excited that it’s in Texas and I’m just continually thankful for this community and the country music family that has lifted me up all these years and still votes for my records and recognizes my work.”

She’s also now a highly sought-after free agent after leaving her longtime label home Sony Music Nashville this spring. She was just 19 when she signed with the record label and debuted her first Sony record “Kerosene” in 2005.

“It’s a very different landscape from when I started,” Lambert said but noted that she’s already got some collaborations in the works.

“It feels really good to be free and just sort of take a step back and a deep breath and let the creativity lead the decisions,” Lambert said of her future musical plans.

The payout over Holly Barlow-Austin’s death after being held at an East Texas jail operated by LaSalle Corrections is among the largest public settlements of its kind, attorney Erik Heipt said in a statement. Her death was one in a string of other deaths and incidents that led to lawsuits and investigations of the company, which runs facilities where thousands of people are incarcerated.

“If you’re going to cut corners and put profits over people’s lives, there will be a steep price to pay,” said Heipt, a Seattle-based lawyer who represents Barlow-Austin’s husband and mother. He said the payout ”should serve as a wake-up call to all private jail and prison operators.”

The family’s federal lawsuit was resolved ahead of a trial after more than two years of litigation. They had claimed that LaSalle guards and medical staff at the Texarkana jail ignored obvious signs of Barlow-Austin’s worsening health, falsified records, deprived the 46-year-old of food and water and only took her to the hospital after it was too late.

They sued LaSalle along with Bowie County and several guards and medical staff at the Bi-State Jail. Court records do not show details of the agreement, including what share of the settlement was paid by which of the defendants. Heipt said the specific terms were confidential.

Lawyers for LaSalle — which runs facilities in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia — and Bowie County did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The county sheriff’s office took over management of the jail in 2021, after a decade of LaSalle running it.

In April 2019, Barlow-Austin was arrested for a parole violation by police in Texarkana, a city that straddles Texas’ northeastern border with Arkansas.

She arrived at the jail with serious health conditions, including HIV, but normal vital signs and full mobility, according to the suit. It said she left the facility “blind, emaciated, and barely able to move.”

Over a period of days guards and medical staff didn’t check on her or, when they did, ignored her calls for help and water, according to the suit. It also says staff falsified observation logs — something state inspectors found they had done in another case that was settled.

The family of Michael Sabbie reached an undisclosed settlement with LaSalle two months before Barlow-Austin died in a hospital. They alleged in a lawsuit that company employees at the same jail deprived him of medications and treatment for his heart disease and diabetes.

In 2017, LaSalle also agreed to a settlement when a severely diabetic woman died after a nurse at the jail refused medical treatment. The former nurse subsequently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor negligent homicide.

In a statement Thursday, Barlow-Austin’s mother and husband, Mary Margaret Mathis and Michael Glenn Austin, said they hope the settlement in their case “will save some lives in the future.”

Erick Aguirre has been charged with murder in the April 11 death of 46-year-old Elliot Nix.

During a court hearing on Thursday, Aguirre’s bond was set at $200,000. His attorney, Brent Mayr, declined to comment.

Police say Aguirre, 29, and his date had each parked their cars near a downtown Houston restaurant when Nix approached them, saying it would cost $20 each to park their cars, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Aguirre paid the $40 but was later told by a restaurant employee that Nix didn’t work for the parking lot and had scammed them, police said.

An employee at a nearby smoke shop later told police he saw Aguirre run back to his car, grab a pistol and go after Nix. The employee said both men went out of his view but he heard a gunshot before 8 p.m. and then saw Aguirre “nonchalantly walking back to his car with the gun in his hand” before putting the gun back in his car and walking back across the street to the restaurant and going inside with his date, according to the affidavit. Nix was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Aguirre’s date later told police she did not see or hear what he had done and was only told by Aguirre that “he had just scared the guy and everything was fine,” according to the affidavit.

Aguirre’s date said the couple then started walking to their table but they left and ate at another restaurant after Aguirre looked uncomfortable and suggested they go someplace else, according to the affidavit.

Aguirre’s date contacted police two days later after police had released photos of the couple, who had been identified by tips to Crime Stoppers.

“She wanted to do the right thing. She wanted to make sure that she came forward and told the police what she knew,” Rick DeToto, the woman’s attorney told NPR affiliate KPRC.

Aguirre, who lives near Corpus Christi, located about 200 miles southwest of Houston, was arrested earlier this week. He remained jailed Thursday.

Houston criminal defense attorney Grant Scheiner, who’s not affiliated with the case, said that under state laws related to the protection of property, Aguirre’s attorney will likely be able to make an argument that the use of deadly force was justified.

But the circumstances related to this case, including retrieving a weapon when there was no immediate danger and then continuing with one’s dinner after the alleged shooting, will not help Aguirre, Scheiner said.

In 2021, Texas lawmakers approved legislation allowing people to carry handguns without a license, and the background check and training that had gone with it.

“The problem is that guns are just so widely available and there’s a lot of misinterpretation on when you can use deadly force,” Scheiner said. “You have a lot of guns and not very much knowledge.”

Nix’s fatal shooting comes after several high-profile incidents around the U.S. where nonviolent situations — going to a mistaken address, getting into the wrong car or going into a neighbor’s yard to retrieve a basketball — devolved into shootings.

The effort is spearheaded by the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, a nonprofit founded in the weeks after the tragedy.

At the North Texas Commission headquarters, the group’s leaders and CEO of Huckabee Architects, Chris Huckabee, provided updates on the project that’s set to break ground in July.

They also shared plans for the proposed 120,000-square-foot school that would serve second, third and fourth graders.

Designs came together following months of meetings with parents, teachers and survivors about how those involved could create a safe and innovative environment for a community still reeling from trauma.

Leaders say forming the nonprofit was the fastest way to help the community build a new school, rather than a bond referendum that could take years to play out.

“I think I began to think in that moment, what could you do? What would be the thing you could get involved in, that you could do to help the town of Uvalde and to help these children move forward after such a tragic event?” said Foundation Board Secretary and former State Senator Beverly Powell.  

The Moving Forward Foundation said to date, it’s raised about 70% of its $60 million goal.

The North Texas philanthropic community has set a $25 million target with Huckabee, Inc., Rainwater Charitable Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, VF Corp, and The Morris Foundation among its top donors.

The Moving Forward Foundation said it’s now focused on a public fundraising campaign as it seeks to reach its goal.

Uvalde Apr 17

Fort Worth Firm Designs New School for Uvalde

Uvalde School Shooting Jan 19

First Renderings for the New Uvalde School Released

The Connection Apr 17

New School for Uvalde: The Connection

The chase took place on Saturday on the Bentsen Palm highway, south of McAllen, Texas.

A video posted on Twitter by Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, shows a man, later identified as 20-year-old Eduardo Herrera, driving a pickup truck with 12 migrants inside before losing control on a dirt road and rolling over.

As police cruisers surround Olivarez’s truck, the video shows several migrants jumping out before running away.

Herrera, originally from Mexico, was charged with evading arrest and human smuggling, Lt. Olivarez said. Herrera and five others arrested were then referred to the U.S. Border Patrol.

The other seven immigrants ran away, according to Olivarez.

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The employees at the now-closed DuPont chemical plant in LaPorte, Texas, died in November 2014 when a chemical used in the manufacturing of insecticide and fungicide, methyl mercaptan, was released.

U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, who is based in Houston, said the deaths were the result of “DuPont’s criminal negligence.”

“The sentence imposed today sends a clear message of my office’s dedication to holding managers at industrial facilities, and the corporations that own and operate those facilities, accountable for violations of … laws meant to protect the safety of workers and nearby communities,” Hamdani said.

During a court hearing Monday, DuPont, along with Kenneth Sandel, who ran the unit at the plant where the employees who died worked, each pleaded guilty to one count of a negligent release of an extremely hazardous substance.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal ordered DuPont to serve two years of probation, which means that federal officials will have full access to all of the company’s operating locations. DuPont was also ordered to pay a $12 million criminal penalty and make a $4 million community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Sandel was ordered to serve one year of probation.

In a statement, Corteva, a spinoff from DuPont that took over its agricultural operations, said it “deeply regrets” the deadly gas leak.

“We are committed to the highest safety standards, and safety is a core value,” Indianapolis-based Corteva said in a statement.

In a final report released in 2019 on the deadly gas leak, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board concluded that various safety management system deficiencies, including problems with troubleshooting operations, safe work practices and toxic gas detection contributed to the severity of the incident.

Attorneys for Sandel, 52, did not immediately return emails seeking comment. In court documents, federal prosecutors had requested Sandel be sentenced to eight months in prison.

The chemical began leaking from a valve around 4 a.m. on Nov. 15, 2014, in a unit at the plant in La Porte, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Houston. Crystle Wise, Wade Baker and brothers Robert and Gilbert Tisnado were killed. A fifth worker was injured.

Sandel and DuPont engineers allegedly devised a plan to divert a large volume of methyl mercaptan gas into a waste gas pipe system during the day before and night of the fatal incident, according to prosecutors and an indictment. However, Sandel failed to implement the necessary procedures to evaluate the safety aspects of that plan, according to prosecutors.

The unit where the workers died did not have adequate ventilation or air monitoring to ensure employee safety, and procedures weren’t followed that would have restricted worker access into areas where ventilation fans weren’t working, according to the chemical safety board.

In 2016, DuPont permanently shut down the insecticide production plant where the workers died.

Brent Coon, an attorney who represented Wise’s family, said jail time for executives would be more effective in preventing similar tragedies. DuPont settled lawsuits filed by Wise’s family and the families of the other workers who were killed.

“It remains to the general public to believe whether or not … probation is fair criminal punishment for somebody whose decision led to several highly avoidable and painful deaths,” Coon said.

KEY ELECTION DATES IN DFW

Thursday, April 6 – Last day to register to vote
Monday, April 24 – Early voting begins
Tuesday, April 25 – Last day to apply for a ballot by mail
Tuesday, May 2 – Early voting ends
Saturday, May 6 – Election Day — ballots by mail must be postmarked by 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 11 – Last day to register to vote in any potential runoff
Tuesday, May 30 – Last day to apply for a ballot by mail for any potential runoff
Saturday, June 10 – Likely date of any potential runoff

EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE

• Collin County early voting schedule — Collin County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here including wait times. The wait times at each location are marked in either green, yellow or red, indicating wait times of 20 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less, and more than 40 minutes, respectively.
  Early Voting Schedule
  April 24-29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  April 30: No early voting hours
  May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Collin County Elections
  
• Dallas County early voting schedule — Dallas County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here including wait times. The wait times at each polling place in green, yellow, and red, indicate wait times of 20 minutes or less, 40 minutes or less, or more than 40 minutes, respectively.
  Early Voting Schedule
  April 24-29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  April 30: Noon to 6 p.m.
  May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Dallas County Elections
• Denton County early voting schedule — Denton County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here.
  Early Voting Schedule
  April 24-29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  April 30: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 a.m.
  On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Denton County Elections
  
• Tarrant County early voting schedule (Tarrant County voters may vote at any early voting location — see a list of locations here or see a map here including wait times. The wait times are shown in five colors, green, yellow, orange, red, and blue. Green indicates 0-29 minutes, yellow 30-44 minutes, orange 45-59 minutes, red more than 60 minutes and blue indicates no wait time data available.
  Early Voting Schedule
  April 24-28: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  April 29: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  April 30: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  May 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  On May 6, Election Day, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. **More information, sample ballots, etc., available at Tarrant County Elections
  
• Other County Election Pages: Anderson, Bosque, Comanche, Cooke, Delta, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Freestone, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Somervell, Van Zandt, Wise

HOW TO REGISTER/AM I REGISTERED?

The last day to register to vote in the state of Texas for this election was Thursday, April 6. You can check your voter status at VoteTexas.gov. If you have not yet registered you will not be able to vote in this election, but you can still register to vote in future elections by printing out an application online and then mailing it to your county election office. Also, Texans can now register to vote online, but only when they renew or update their driver’s licenses.

WHERE DO I VOTE IN NORTH TEXAS?

Voters in 17 North Texas counties are approved to use the Countywide Polling Place Program for the May 6 election, which means they can vote at any polling location they like. Those counties that are CPPP approved are: Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Erath, Grayson, Henderson, Hood, Hopkins, Jack, Kaufman, Montague, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, and Tarrant. See a full state list of approved CPPP counties here. Voters in all other counties must vote at their designated precinct on Election Day. Lists of voting/precinct locations can be found on County Election Pages here: Anderson, Bosque, Comanche, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Freestone, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Van Zandt, Wise. In larger counties, wait times may be posted on the county election website.

WHAT IDENTIFICATION DO I NEED TO VOTE?

You must present one of the following forms of photo ID when voting in person:

• Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) issued by DPS
• Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
• A United States Military Identification card containing the person’s photograph
• A United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
• A United States Passport (book or card)

FREE RIDES TO THE POLLS

DART
DART is providing free transportation to polling locations for the May 6 election. Voters can ride at no charge on all DART buses, trains, GoLink, the Dallas Streetcar, Paratransit Services and the TRE between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station. Customers need to show a valid voter registration card to ride for free on the day of the election. GoLink riders can use promo code VOTE23 at checkout for a complimentary Adult Local Day Pass in the DART GoPass app on May 6. You can learn more at dart.org/vote.

TRINITY METRO
Throughout early voting and on Tuesday, May 6, Fort Worth residents can catch a free ride to the polls on Trinity Metro services to cast votes in the mayoral and city council member election. Passengers may ride for free to polling locations during early voting from April 24-May 2 and on Election Day, May 6, by showing their voter registration card or current Texas ID. Riders may choose from Trinity Metro’s bus routes, ZIPZONE on-demand rideshare services or ACCESS paratransit for voting. To use Trinity Metro ZIPZONE, download the ZIPZONE app and book your ride. Free ZIPZONE rides will be offered to or from any identified voter center location within a zone. For questions about bus routes, ZIPZONE or ACCESS paratransit rides to your polling place, call Trinity Metro at 817-215-8600.

STAR TRANSIT
STAR Transit is offering free, round-trip rides to local polling places for early voting, encouraging all eligible voters to participate. Free service for early voting continues weekdays through Tuesday, May 2, across the entire STAR Transit service area. In Mesquite and Balch Springs only, free service is available for early voting Saturday, April 29, and for Election Day Saturday, May 6. All STAR Transit services are available, including Demand Response, Fixed Routes, and STARNow. To ride free on STARNow, use the code Vote2023. Rides must be in the STAR Transit service area or STARNow zone and are based on availability. Voters must tell bus operators and reservationists they are riding to and from the polls. To schedule a free ride to vote, call STAR Transit no less than 30 minutes in advance of the desired trip. Scheduling agents are available during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday–Friday at (877) 631-5278. To book a STARNow ride, use the STARNow app, which can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Se Habla Español.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN TEXAS

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) dramatically reduced the number of locations across the state that can accept a handed-in absentee ballot to ensure that poll watchers had adequate access to each location. Beginning in October 2020, mail ballots delivered in person by eligible voters can only be delivered to one location in each Texas county — that location is designated by each county’s early voting clerk. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID.

To qualify for a mail-in ballot in Texas, voters must be: away from their county of residence on Election Day and during the early-voting period; sick or disabled; confined in jail but otherwise eligible to vote; or 65 years old or more. Absentee voters must also include their Texas driver’s license number, Texas DPS-issued ICN or ECN, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, whichever matches their voter record, or a statement that they have not been issued any of those forms of ID.

The last day to apply for an Absentee Ballot is April 24; Absentee ballots may be turned-in in person at any time as long as it’s received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots that are mailed in must be postmarked by Election Day.

• In Tarrant County, absentee ballots can be dropped off in person at the Tarrant County Elections Administration office at 2700 Premier Street, during regular business hours. The ballot may also be hand-delivered on Election Day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier. Read more here.
• In Dallas County, absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Early Voting Clerk’s Office at 1520 Round Table Drive. A full schedule, with extended hours, is available on DallasCountyVotes.org. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier.
• In Denton County, absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Early Voting Clerk’s Office at 701 Kimberly Drive. Ballots may be hand-delivered during regular business hours. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier.  Read more here.
• In Collin County, absentee ballots can be dropped off at the Elections Department at 2010 Redbud Boulevard, Suite 102 during regular business hours. More information can be found here. You may only hand-deliver your own envelope and not for another individual and you must bring ID. Ballots may also be delivered to the clerk via a common or contract carrier.

WHAT’S ON MY BALLOT? SEE SAMPLE BALLOTS IN TEXAS

Some key races and bond and city props are below. To see sample ballots for your specific county, you’ll need to visit your county election webpage (links are below).

County Election Pages: Anderson, Bosque, Comanche, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Freestone, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Van Zandt, Wise

KEY MAYORAL RACES IN NORTH TEXAS

Key races in this election will be listed below. It is not a comprehensive list of all races and not all races will appear on all ballots. The comprehensive list of all races will be added and linked from this page in the days leading up to Election Day.

Addison Mayor
Bruce Arfsten
JP Vercollone

Arlington Mayor
Amy Cearnal
Jim Ross Incumbent

Balch Springs Mayor
Wanda Mack Adams
Carrie F. Gordon Incumbent

Burleson Mayor
Chris Fletcher Incumbent
Ronnie Johnson

Carrollton Mayor
Steve Babick Incumbent
Young Sung
Adam Polter

Celina Mayor
Ryan Tubbs
Sean Terry Incumbent

Corinth Mayor
Lindsey Rayl
Bill Heidemann Incumbent

Dallas Mayor
Eric Johnson Incumbent
Kendal Richardson Write-in candidate

Double Oak Mayor
Patrick Johnson
Jean Hillyer

Farmers Branch Mayor
Terry Lynne
Jaime Rivas

Fort Worth Mayor
Mattie Parker Incumbent
Alyson Kennedy
Jennifer Castillo
Adrian Devine Smith
Kenneth Bowens, Jr.

Frisco Mayor
Jonathan David Spencer
Mark Piland
Jeff Cheney Incumbent

Garland Mayor
Roel G. Garcia
Scott LeMay Incumbent

Haltom City Mayor
An Truong Incumbent
Cindy Sturgeon
Jeff Barlett

Haslet Mayor
Gary Hulsey Incumbent
Patricia Hilborn

Justin Mayor
James Clark
Chrissa Hartle

Lakeside Mayor
Wesley Hearn
Patrick Jacob Incumbent

Ponder Mayor
John Bassler
Matthew Poole Incumbent

Richardson Mayor
Bob Dubey
Janet DePuy

River Oaks Mayor
Darren Houk
Dan Dagel

Seagoville Mayor
Lackey Stepper Sebastian
Dennis K. Childress Incumbent

Trophy Club Mayor
Greg Lamont
Jeannette Tiffany Write-in candidate

SCHOOL BOND PROPOSITIONS IN NORTH TEXAS

Aledo ISD – Prop A – $124 million for school facilities.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD – Prop A – $716 million for school facilities.

Cedar Hill ISD – Prop A – $208 million for school facilities.

Coppell ISD – Props A-D – $321 million for school facilities.

Crowley ISD – Prop A-C – $1.17 billion for school facilities.

Denton ISD – Props A-C – $1.43 billion for school facilities.

Garland ISD – Props A-C – $1.3 billion for school facilities.

Godley ISD – Prop A – $889 million for school facilities.

Irving ISD – Props A-E – $702 million for school facilities.

Kennedale ISD – Props A-E $106 million for school facilities.

Northwest ISD – Props A-C – $2 billion for school facilities.

Princeton ISD – Bond Prop A – $797 million for school facilities.

Slidell ISD – Bond Prop A – $26 million for school facilities.

NORTH TEXAS CITY PROPOSITIONS

Arlington – Props A-E – $278 million for street improvements, parks, public safety and library facilities.

Flower Mound – Prop A – $7.5 million for parks and recreation facilities.

Frisco – Props A-E – $473 million for facilities, roads, parks, parking garage.

McKinney – Prop A – $200 million airport terminal.

Northlake – Prop A – Add 2% hotel tax and use 1/8th cent of existing sales tax for the development of a sports venue project.

Parker – Prop A – $8.6 million municipal facility.

Richardson – Prop A – $46 million for a new City Hall.

Rowlett – Props A-C – $76 million for public safety facilities, animal shelter and parks.

Saginaw – Prop A – Reauthorize the local sales and use tax at 1/8 of 1% to provide revenue for street repair.

HAS MY BALLOT BEEN RECEIVED?

If you would like to verify if your mail-in or in-person ballot has been received you can verify that information at txballot.org. Ballots that were mailed in may take a few days to show up on the website.

LONE STAR POLITICS

early voting Apr 23

Early Voting in May 6 Election Begins

early voting Apr 23

Polls Open Monday Morning for Early Voting

lone star politics Apr 23

Lone Star Politics: What's on the Ballot on May 6

WHAT IS A POLL WATCHER?

A poll watcher is a person appointed to observe the conduct of an election on behalf of a candidate, political party or the proponents or opponents of a particular measure. Their role in an election is established by Chapter 33 of the Texas Election Code and they must adhere to certain rules at polling locations. The Poll Watcher’s Guide from the Texas Secretary of State can be found here.

The primary duty of a watcher is to observe the conduct of the election at the location where the watcher has been appointed. A watcher may point out to an election judge or clerk any observed irregularity or violation of the Texas Election Code. However, if the clerk refers the watcher to the judge, the watcher may not discuss the matter further with the clerk unless the presiding judge invites the discussion.

• A poll watcher must have a certificate of appointment that includes their name, address, information on who appointed them and the precinct in which they are permitted to serve.
• Poll watchers cannot be current candidates or elected officials.
• Poll watchers are not allowed to engage or talk to voters in any manner about the election.
• No more than two poll watchers may be at any particular polling place at any given time.
• Poll watchers cannot talk with an election officer regarding the election except to call attention to an irregularity or violation.
• The watcher cannot reveal information about voters or the votes before the polls close or face possible criminal charges.
• A poll watcher can witness the installation of voting equipment and observe the securing of equipment before the election.
• A poll watcher can observe any activity conducted at the location and sit or stand conveniently near the election officials to observe the election activities, but they are not allowed to go into voting booths with voters while they are marking their ballot.
• Poll watchers are permitted to observe assistance given to voters by election officials and to inspect the ballot before it’s deposited in the ballot box to determine if it was prepared in accordance with the voter’s wishes.
• Poll watchers are permitted to inspect the returns and other records prepared by election officials. They are also allowed to observe the tallying and counting of votes to verify that they are tallied and read correctly.
• Poll watchers may also be on the lookout for illegal activities, including but not limited to, electioneering, loitering, voters attempting to vote without identification, and others attempting to coerce or bribe voters.

STRAIGHT-TICKET VOTING

Most states don’t offer straight-ticket voting. Texas offered straight-ticket voting for decades, but Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a law removing the option in 2020. That measure was pushed through by a GOP-controlled Legislature that argued ending the practice would encourage voters to cast better-informed ballots on Election Day.

Democrats challenged the change in court, citing long lines on Super Tuesday where some Houston voters waited more than an hour to vote. They said ending straight-ticket voting disproportionately hurt Black and Latino voters in big urban counties, where longer ballots mean longer wait times.

According to a report by our media partners at The Dallas Morning News, web of suspects around the country used the IDs to draw huge sums from victims’ bank accounts, buy luxury cars and open credit cards, the officials told The Dallas Morning News in an exclusive briefing. At least 5,000 Texans are victims of the scheme, including some in the Dallas area.

The revelations come as the department had its first arrest in the case earlier this month, and on Friday the suspect, Tony Cao Li, was extradited from New York. More arrests are expected as the investigation continues, DPS officials who provided the briefing said. They asked not to be named because the investigation is still active. The Dallas Morning News also reviewed court documents filed in Travis County.

The scam exposed vulnerabilities in the state’s online systems, and department leaders faced criticism for waiting months to tell Texans their identities may be stolen.

Read the full story from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News.

The Texas Lottery said on Twitter a ticket with all the right numbers for Saturday’s $95 million jackpot was sold in Colleyville. The Lotto Texas jackpot jumped an additional $12 million Saturday, from $83 million to $95 million, making it the third-largest jackpot in Lotto Texas history and the second-largest in the world.

It’s not yet clear if the winner has come forward. But whoever owns that ticket could now have more than $43 million to add to their bank account.

With an estimated cash value of $57.5 million, after paying federal taxes of $13,800,000 (24%) the winner will take home roughly $43,700,000 (76%) since Texas lottery winners don’t pay a state tax on lottery winnings. If the winner took the annuity payments on the entire $95 million prize, they’ll end up with more prize money in the long run.

The Lotto Texas jackpot was the largest since the drawing on May 29, 2010, when the advertised jackpot reached an estimated $97 million.

Saturday’s drawing was the 93rd in the current Lotto Texas jackpot run since starting as an estimated annuitized $5 million for the drawing on Sept. 19, 2022.

The annuitized jackpot was the second-largest in the world and was only eclipsed by the EuroMillions jackpot. Recent wins in the multi-state MegaMillions and Powerball lotteries dropped those jackpots back to $20 million for this weekend’s drawings.

Texas Lottery officials say if you ever end up with a winning ticket, sign the ticket and put it in a safe place. Then, seek financial and legal advice and call the Texas Lottery to schedule an appointment to claim the prize.

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Brian Michael Gaherty, 60, was charged in the indictment with four counts of making threats in interstate communications and four counts of threatening a U.S. official, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said in a statement.

Gaherty was arrested April 13 after prosecutors filed a criminal complaint alleging that he had threatened Waters, other elected officials and a news reporter in Houston.

The indictment says Gaherty called the congresswoman’s office four times — twice in August and twice in November — and each time left a threatening message.

Prosecutors said that in one, he told the congresswoman he intended to “cut your throat.”

The indictment alleged Gaherty “knowingly threatened to assault and kill” Waters while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties.

There was no immediate response to messages requesting comment from an attorney who was believed to be representing Gaherty.

After Gaherty was arrested at his residence in Houston, he made a court appearance Monday and was ordered released on $100,000 bond.

He is expected to appear for an arraignment in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

Each count of making a threat to a federal official carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The charge of making threats in interstate communications carries a maximum penalty of five years.

The fires were set Wednesday and Thursday at the sprawling camp of about 2,000 people, most of them from Venezuela, Haiti and Mexico, in Matamoros, a city near Brownsville, Texas. An advocate for migrants said they had been doused with gasoline.

It was not immediately known who was to blame for torching the tents. Cartel-backed gangs often draw suspicion in any border attacks because of their penchant for preying on migrants and demanding money for passage through their territory. But a government official suggested the fires could have been set by a group of migrants frustrated over their long wait in Matamoros to cross the border.

“The people fled as their tents were burned,” said Gladys Cañas, who runs the group Ayudandoles A Triunfar. “What they’re saying as part of their testimony is that they were told to leave from there.”

There were no reports of deaths or significant injuries. But about 25 rudimentary shelters made up of plastic, tarps, branches and other materials were torched in a sparsely populated part of the camp. Many who lived there also apparently lost clothing, documents and whatever other modest belongings may have been left inside.

Margarita, a Mexican woman staying at the camp, said Friday she saw migrants from Venezuela screaming during the previous day’s blaze.

“They had their children with them and a few other things they had a chance to get,” Margarita said. She spoke on the condition that her last name not be published due to fears for her safety.

Gangs recently threatened migrants who were wading across the river border illegally, as well as their guides, Margarita said, but the crossings had continued.

Criminal groups often prey upon migrants in the area and demand money in return for permission to pass through their territory.

However, Juan José Rodríguez, director of the Tamaulipas Institute for Migrants, a state agency coordinating with Mexico’s federal government, said he had no information that a gang was responsible for the fires.

Rodríguez attributed them to a group of migrants and said some 10 tents that had already been abandoned were burned. He added that they apparently set the fires to express frustration with a U.S. government mobile app that assigns turns for people to show up at the border and claim asylum.

Migrants have been applying for 740 slots made available daily on the glitch-plagued app, CBPOne, which allows them to enter the U.S. legally at an official crossing.

There are far more migrants than available slots, exacerbating tensions in Mexican border cities that house them, often in shelters and camps like the one in Matamoros. Last year hundreds of migrants blocked a major pedestrian crossing between Tijuana and San Diego until authorities shut down the protest.

In Matamoros on Wednesday night, about 200 migrants gathered on the southern side of an international bridge and halted all U.S.-bound traffic, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported. Vehicles were able to resume crossing after about two hours and pedestrians were allowed to cross after about four hours.

CBP made no mention of fires at the Mexican camp in its statement about the bridge shutdown.

The tent fires in Matamoros come on the heels of a March 27 blaze that killed 40 men at a Mexican immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez. The fire was allegedly started by a detained migrant to protest conditions at the facility in the city across from El Paso, Texas.

The U.S. government is increasingly turning to Mexico while preparing to end pandemic-era asylum restrictions, known as Title 42 authority, on May 11. Mexico recently began accepting people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who cross the border irregularly and are turned back by the U.S.

The Biden administration also is putting final touches on a policy under which asylum would be denied to people who pass through another country, such as Mexico, to reach U.S. soil.

The cause of death for the six animals was unknown, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Wednesday. As of Friday, there had been no updates in the case, a dispatcher said.

The cattle were found along Texas State Highway in three counties — Madison, Brazos and Robertson — with each animal part of a different herd and in a different pasture, the sheriff’s office said.

Five of the animals were adults, the sheriff’s office said. One was a yearling.

It wasn’t immediately clear when they died. The sex of the animals wasn’t disclosed.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

“I do,” Simone wrote on Instagram April 22, alongside photos of the couple at their intimate wedding ceremony. “Officially Owens.”

Jonathan commented, “Wifey got a great ring to it. First day of forever.” He also shared the pics on his own Instagram, writing, “My person, forever #TheOwens #itsofficial.”

The bride wore a white, ruffled, halter gown with her hair styled in a high ponytail. The groom sported a beige suit with no tie.

The couple shared pics of the two exchanging vows with an officiant, kissing inside the building and on a rooftop and signing their Montgomery County, Texas marriage license, which is dated April 21. These special snaps come a week after Simone posted an image of the two holding the paperwork.

2022 Celebrity Weddings

The ceremony comes a little more than a year after Simone revealed Jonathan popped the question in a romantic fashion—and yes, she was practically doing backflips over the engagement.

“THE EASIEST YES,” the gymnast wrote alongside a series of photos featuring the magical moment posted to Instagram in February 2022. “I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you. You’re everything I dreamed of and more! let’s get married FIANCÉ.”

As for Jonathan, the Houston Texans player also gushed about the moment, hinting that it all went down on Valentine’s Day. In his sweet post shared to Instagram Feb. 15, the St. Louis native noted that he “woke up this morning with a fiancée.”

The couple’s courthouse nuptials may precede a larger event. Soon after the engagement, Simone wrote on her Instagram, when asked about her must-have for her wedding, “Beach. It will be a destination wedding.” Earlier this month, she reiterated, in response to a fan, “We are having a destination wedding,” according to Essentially Sports.

In March 2022, Simone picked out a Galia Lahav wedding dress, according to the brand. The following April, the Olympian was full speed ahead when it came to planning her and her partner’s dream wedding, even hinting at who made the guest list.

“We have some of my teammates,” she exclusively told E! News of her attendees in April 2022. “But other than that, it’s really close family, friends and people that have watched us grow throughout our relationship and will share that love on that day.”

At the time, Simone also recalled picking out her wedding dress, and while she kept the intricate details close to the chest, she did reveal a golden moment happened when she found the one.

“I had my best friend and my mom there and then once we found the dress, we did FaceTime Jonathan’s mom so that she could see it,” she explained. “But it was just a very, close tight knit group. I didn’t show all my friends because we still wanted it to be special for everybody. It was something I didn’t think I would go with, which was so crazy because I came in with a list of my likes, what I want it to look like and then I kind of did the complete opposite of that.”

Fast-forward to this January—and as the Ohio native sweetly revealed, she didn’t necessarily need to wait until their big day to get all the flowers her heart desired.

“Almost weekly he brings me flowers,” the gold medalist exclusively told E! News‘ Francesca Amiker. “It’s kind of cliché but it’s just so cute because, after his practices from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., he still takes the time to put a smile on my face.”

And as Simone noted, she had a lot more reason to smile, sharing that their wedding would feature a “very classic and elegant” theme.

But there would be even more to celebrate, since Simone shared in March that the couple also chose to simultaneously embark on another chapter of their journey: building their very own home.

“A home is made with love & dreams,” she captioned a March 5 Instagram post of the pair standing within a plot of land. “Cheers to breaking ground.”

The worker was injured in the area where planes pull up to the terminal, an airport spokesperson said.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said it was called shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday and found a person dead from “traumatic injuries.”

Cpl. Destiny Silva, with the Austin Police Department, said the employee had been operating a ground service vehicle that struck a jet bridge.

APD’s Vehicular Homicide Unit is investigating the crash as an accidental death, according to Silva.

“I don’t have any indication that anyone is not cooperating. The main focus here is that someone, unfortunately, lost their life in an unfortunate accident. We are utilizing all of our resources,” Silva said Thursday evening.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines released a statement on the matter Thursday.

“We are devastated by the accident involving a team member at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport,” said a spokeswoman for American Airlines. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our local team members.”

American Airlines declined to comment further. The name and sex of the worker and details about how they were injured were not immediately available.

Working around aircraft can be dangerous work. At least three deaths of ramp workers have been recorded since 2019.

In December, a baggage handler for American subsidiary Piedmont Airlines in Montgomery, Alabama, died when she walked in front of a running jet engine and was pulled into the fan blades.

Last September, a contractor’s employee who was unloading bags from a Frontier Airlines plane at the New Orleans airport died after her hair got caught in a conveyer belt.

In 2019, an employee of a United Airlines contractor at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was pinned under a bag-loading vehicle. He died later at a hospital.

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Nathan Donald Pelham of Greenville, who initially faced four misdemeanor charges tied to the insurrection, now faces an additional felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm following the April 12 incident, the complaint filed this week shows.

An FBI special agent wrote in a filing that he had called Pelham on April 12 and asked him to surrender in a few days. That evening, according to the agent, local authorities went to Pelham’s home after his father requested a welfare check. When the deputies arrived, Pelham fired several shots toward them, prosecutors said.

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The initial charges against Pelham included disorderly conduct, and parading, demonstrating or picketing at the Capitol. He appeared in at least one photo from the riot donning a hat with a logo associated with the Proud Boys, the FBI said.

Read more at NBCNews.com.

“The ground kind of rumbles. It’s not loud at first. But when it gets up above you, and the thrust is still building in you thinking that it should be kind of dissipating, and it’s just getting louder. Then you kind of think, where’s the car?” said Maria Pointer.

Ever since her home was swallowed up by Elon Musk’s project, Maria Pointer has watched the facilities take shape to build and launch Starship, the world’s largest rocket measuring 400 feet tall.

After watching from the kitchen window, Pointer sold her home to SpaceX and moved a few miles away.

This week, she’s hosting nine people at her fishing lease turned rocket-launch-watching campsite.

“We are right on the exclusion zone, right on the edge of the four-mile required exclusion zone,” she said.

Pointer’s also invested in photographing and recording the launches and even started streaming them on her YouTube and Discord channels, helping tens of thousands, from as far away as Russia, witness the test flight.

“It’s very important that they do this launch. It’s not just to get it off of the launch mount. It’s to get the data back,” said Pointer.

Hopefully, making future launches safer and putting SpaceX one step closer to its goal of ferrying people to the moon and beyond.

While Pointer said she’s not sure that will happen in her lifetime, she’s excited to see and share SpaceX’s journey with the world.

“We’re going to see rockets fly to orbit. Maybe not the moon and maybe not people here in Boca Chica but they’re going to be built here and they’re going be tested here and I get to be in the front row seat,” she said.

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Survivors of the group who lost loved ones gathered for a memorial in Waco Wednesday. Historians joined them with theories on how it might have ended peacefully instead.

Between the original February 1993 raid by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the final conclusion, 86 people died including four ATF agents and 22 children.

The gathering of survivors was painful.

“I miss our huge family so much. It doesn’t get easier,” survivor Heather Jones said.

Members of the group were behind a fence, far away from the media after the ATF raid over alleged weapons in the compound. At the time, they could not easily share the comments that were heard at Wednesday’s memorial.

Dana Kiyabu spoke fondly of life with other group members.

“She baked bread every morning. We woke up to that wonderful smell. We made sandwiches,” she said.

Once followers of self-proclaimed profit David Koresh, some members are bitter about their portrayal in the media.

“That demonization. These are people. The Davidians were people. The people that died at Mount Carmel were people. They’ve never been truly humanized,” said survivor David Thibodeau. 

He said he left the building as the fire began 30 years ago but was there to witness the first shots which he said were ATF agents killing dogs at the compound. 

In some recreations since then, Thibodeau said fire extinguishers were shown being used by agents on the dogs.

“These people, during the 51 days lied completely to you, over and over again, and they started with the dogs,” Thibodeau said.   

Survivor Scott Mabb said he was one of the first children released from the compound after the raid. He said he has watched the discussion continue over the years.

“The story they told was from the government side. It completely forgets the lives of people who were out there,” he said. “I wish there could be some questions answered. I’ll probably never have them answered, unfortunately, but I’d really like to know why it was necessary to kill them.”

Historians and experts who joined the survivors at the memorial have drawn conclusions from evidence they gathered about how the final tragedy might have been avoided.

Theology expert J. Phillip Arnold with the Reunion Institute in Houston said he and another expert offered to help negotiators with a better understanding of the group’s beliefs.

“We tried our best to contact the FBI to give them this information, but they were just not interested,” Arnold said.

Sociology Professor Stuart Wright from Lamar University in Beaumont quoted the Congressional investigation that was conducted years after the standoff.

Wright said Koresh could have been arrested during one of his visits outside the compound but the ATF was determined to use a dynamic entry approach.

Wright said the Congressional investigation found poor judgment in the original AFT raid and questioned the FBI decision to pierce the building with tear gas, which happened just before the place burned.

“This calamity could have been avoided through better investigative work and planning. And whatever crimes David Koresh and others may have committed, this deadly disaster was entirely preventable,” Wright said.

Survivor Kathy Schroeder said she is troubled by her inclusion in a recent documentary that attempted to settle the past. She asked to speak to clear the air with other survivors.

“I would never condone or excuse sexual exploitation of anyone,” she said. “I do not agree with any violence of any kind against anyone.”

Thirty years later, several survivors said they are still trying to heal.

“There’s just no getting over this. It will be on my mind and in my head for the rest of my life,” Heather Jones said.

The FBI declined to comment on the anniversary.

ATF spokesman Eric Longnecker provided the following statement.

“ATF’s mission brings our Special Agents into contact with violent, armed criminals every day in communities throughout the United States. While most of these actions are conducted peacefully, on February 28, 1993, four Special Agents were killed and 28 were injured during the initial raid in Mount Carmel. Special Agents Conway LeBleu, Todd McKeehan, Robert Williams and Steven Willis made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country that day. They and the other Special Agents were dedicated professionals who are heroes to their families, friends and fellow Americans.”

While preparing to feed her 8-month-old son, Jessica Chavez spotted worms in the formula she had been giving him for weeks.

“I was scooping up some formula and then I noticed something black inside the powder,” she told KXAN. “So, I got it out, and it was moving. That’s when I noticed it was a worm.”

The specific formula was “Enfamil NueroPro Gentlease Infant formula — Brain Building Nutrition, Clinically Proven to Reduce Fussiness, Gas, Crying in 24 hours, 35.2 oz, Power Refill Box (Pack 4).” Chavez purchased it from Amazon on Feb. 25.

Upon spotting the worms, Chavez immediately contacted Enfamil and she was offered a refund. Reckitt/Mead Johnson, the maker of Enfamil, was also scheduled to take samples of the worm-filled formula on Tuesday as part of an investigation.

“At Reckitt/Mead Johnson we take these complaints very seriously,” the company said in a statement. “We received the consumer complaint, have been in touch with the consumer directly, and are moving quickly to investigate the situation.”

Chavez said her son has been experiencing diarrhea, though it’s unclear if that’s a result of the formula. Still, she plans to have him tested for parasites.

“I just want it to be spread out to moms,” Chavez said. “It’s shocking…and…it’s really disgusting to know that there’s worms in there.”

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The justices, in a 6-3 decision, sent Reed’s case back to a lower court for his constitutional challenge to the state’s law on DNA testing.

The issue before the high court was whether Reed, sentenced to death nearly 25 years ago, waited too long to file his lawsuit claiming that untested crime-scene evidence would exonerate him. Texas courts and the federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled that he missed the deadline.

But the Supreme Court, in an opinion by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, reversed the appellate ruling.

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented. “If there is a mitigating factor to today’s decision,” Thomas wrote, it’s that the outcome “is no barrier to the prompt execution of Reed’s lawful sentence.”

Reed was sentenced to death for the 1996 killing of 19-year-old Stacey Stites. Prosecutors said Reed raped and strangled Stites as she made her way to work at a supermarket in Bastrop, a rural community about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Austin.

Reed has long maintained that Stites’ fiance, former police officer Jimmy Fennell, was the real killer. Reed said Fennell was angry because Stites, who was white, was having an affair with Reed, who is Black. Fennell, who served time for sexual assault and was released from prison in 2018, has denied killing Stites.

Reed has attracted support from around the world, including from Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey, as well as lawmakers from both parties.

The winning Quick Pick ticket for the Oct. 22, 2022 drawing was bought in Paris at Tiger Mart 75. The ticket matched the five white balls (19-25-48-55-60) but not the red Powerball (18).

In most cases, the winner has 180 days, or until Thursday, April 20 at 5 p.m. in this case, to claim the prize. After that, the Texas Lottery said the winning ticket is forfeited and the cash is turned over to the state.

The Texas Lottery told NBC 5 unclaimed prizes from all scratch and draw games are given to the state for programs authorized by the state legislature, including the Foundation School Fund and Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, which are the primary beneficiaries of the Texas Lottery.

Over the last 32 years, through Feb. 28, 2023, the Texas Lottery said they have transferred more than $1.5 billion in unclaimed winnings back to the state to be used for a variety of programs. That makes for a whopping average of $47 million in unclaimed winnings per year. So, check your tickets!

The Texas Lottery said they have generated $36.8 billion in revenue for the state and distributed $80.5 billion in prizes to lottery players since 1992. Since 1997, the Texas Lottery has contributed $30.8 billion to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public education in Texas. Additionally, since the first veterans’ themed scratch ticket game was launched in 2009, the Texas Lottery has contributed more than $210 million to the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance for programs supporting Texas veterans.

KRLD Morning News anchor Mike Rogers was a new reporter for the station in 1993 and could see Mount Carmel when the fire started.

“I said, ‘Does that look like smoke?’ And everybody turned and looked. And within a few seconds, it was like roaches scattering when you come in and turn on the light in the middle of the night,” Rogers said. “Just everyone taking off to their cars because it was obvious at that point, that is smoke, that is a fire, and this thing was about to come to a horrifying end.”

But how did it come to that? And why did KRLD become central to the story?

The leader of the Branch Davidians, David Koresh, turned out to be a longtime listener of KRLD and told law enforcement if his message was played on the station, he would surrender.

“We played it and, obviously, he didn’t come out at that point because he said that God had spoken to him and told him that instead of coming out, he needed to wait it out,” Rogers said. “And at that point, they all decided to wait it out and they locked the doors and the standoff began. Fifty-one days.”

Therapist Rachel Bernstein, who specializes in cults and hosts a weekly podcast about them called IndoctriNation, told host Baylee Friday that even 30 years later, she thinks these patterns will continue to repeat themselves.

“I think there will always be cults because born into this world will always be people like us who are open, who are wanting to learn, who are wanting to grow, who are a bit trusting because we have no reason not to be in a lot of situations and we’re going to be vulnerable,” she said. “And then there are people also simultaneously born into the world who feel totally entitled to take over someone else’s life.”

Listen to Texas Wants to Know in the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Elgin Police said officers responded to reports of a shooting outside an H-E-B supermarket early Tuesday. Officers found two victims with gunshot wounds. One of the victims was treated and released at the scene, the other was taken by helicopter to a hospital in critical condition, according to Elgin police.

A suspect identified as Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr., 25, was arrested and charged with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony, police said.

Lynne Shearer, the owner of Woodlands Elite Cheer, told NBC affiliate KXAN, that four cheerleaders from her gym typically carpooled from Austin to their location for practice. The teens stopped at the H-E-B in Elgin, about 25 miles northeast of Austin, where some of the members had parked their cars.

One of the teens accidentally tried to get into the wrong car, but when she tried to apologize, the man pulled a gun and she backed into her friend’s vehicle, Shearer said.

“And so they tried to speed off and he shot his gun, like five times or so into the car,” Shearer said.

KXAN, citing criminal complaint documents, reported that surveillance video from the shooting scene led police to the suspect.

Shearer identified the critically injured cheerleader as Round Rock Independent School District student Payton Washington.

“She’s won every title there is to win in all-star cheerleading. She’s literally a role model for the kids in this industry throughout the country,” Shearer said. “Everybody knows her. She’s literally one of the very best that’s ever done this sport.”

Washington’s father, Kelan Washington, told NBC News that his daughter was shot in the leg and back. He said doctors removed her spleen and she’s now stable in the ICU at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas in Austin.

Kelan Washington described the star athlete, born with just one lung, as “tough as they come.”

He said he was baffled by the shooter’s response, telling NBC News, “You watched her walk up to your door on accident — it’s a girl in a cheer outfit.”

It marks at least the third incident in a week in which young people who’d made an apparent mistake were met with gunfire. Last Thursday, a Black teenager in Kansas City, Missouri, was shot by a homeowner after he mistakenly went to the wrong house to pick up his younger twin brothers from a family friend’s home. On Monday, a 20-year-old woman was shot to death by a homeowner in upstate New York after pulling into the wrong driveway.

According to Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Texans can purchase certain items tax-free during the state’s sales tax holiday, which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 24.

The list of tax-exempt items ranges from fuel containers and flashlights to batteries and portable generators. Even cell phone batteries and radios are exempt this weekend, depending on the model.

“While we can’t know in advance when the next flood, tornado or hurricane may strike, we can make sure our families, homes and businesses have the supplies they need to face these and other emergencies,” Hegar said. “This tax holiday can help Texans save money while stocking up for emergency situations. Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Take the time now to get prepared.”

Comptroller’s office estimated that shoppers will save nearly $2 million in state and local sales taxes during the tax holiday, which was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2015.

There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase, and you do not need to give an exemption certificate to claim the exemption, the Comptroller’s office said.

According to a report by our media partners at The Dallas Morning News, the list of exempt items doesn’t change much from year to year. Backpacks were added in 2007 to the back-to-school tax-free weekend, which is now in its second generation of Texans since it was started in 1999.

TEXAS SALES TAX HOLIDAY QUALIFYING ITEMS

• Less than $3000
  • Portable generators.
• Less than $300
  • Emergency ladders.
  • Hurricane shutters.
• Less than $75
  • Axes.
  • Batteries, single or multipack (AAA cell, AA cell, C cell, D cell, 6 volt or 9 volt).
  • Can openers – nonelectric.
  • Carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Coolers and ice chests for food storage – nonelectric.
  • Fire extinguishers.
  • First aid kits.
  • Fuel containers.
  • Ground anchor systems and tie-down kits.
  • Hatchets.
  • Ice products – reusable and artificial.
  • Light sources – portable self-powered (including battery operated).
    • Examples of items include candles, flashlights and lanterns.
  • Mobile telephone batteries and mobile telephone chargers.
  • Radios – portable self-powered (including battery operated) – includes two-way and weather band radios.
  • Smoke detectors.
  • Tarps and other plastic sheeting.

PURCHASES THAT DO NOT QUALIFY

• Medical masks and face masks.
• Cleaning supplies, such as disinfectants and bleach wipes.
• Gloves, including leather, fabric, latex and types used in healthcare.
• Toilet paper.
• Batteries for automobiles, boats and other motorized vehicles.
• Camping stoves.
• Camping supplies.
• Chainsaws.
• Plywood.
• Extension ladders.
• Stepladders.
• Tents.
• Repair or replacement parts for emergency preparation supplies.
• Services performed on, or related to, emergency preparation supplies.

A list of emergency preparation supplies that may be purchased tax-free can be found on the Texas Comptroller’s website.

When making purchases online, Texans should note that delivery, shipping, handling, and transportation charges are part of the sales price.

According to the Comptroller’s office, if you pay sales tax on these items during the sales tax holiday, you can ask the seller for a refund of the tax paid. The seller can either grant the refund or provide their customer with Form 00-985, which allows the purchaser to file the refund claim directly with the Comptroller’s office.

Anyone with additional questions about refund requests should contact 800-531-5441, ext. 34545, or visit the Sales Tax Refunds web page.

For additional information, contact Tax Help, or call 1-800-252-5555.

The city of Kyle, just south of Austin, is inviting everyone named Kyle to join them for the largest same-name gathering during their big fair next month.

“CALLING ALL KYLES! Tall Kyles, short Kyles, young Kyles & old Kyles are needed 4/21/23 at 4pm to attempt the Guinness World Record for the largest same-name gathering (1st name only),” the city tweeted.

It will be the city’s fourth attempt at breaking the record, which stands at more than 2,300 participants, The Dallas Morning News reports.

The “Gathering of Kyles” takes place Sunday, May 21.

All participating Kyles will get a free Kyle Fair T-shirt.

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In an interview with NBC 5, the Republican says the Senate plan will save seniors and homeowners under 65 more than the House plan, which calls for a 5% cap on annual appraisals.

“I am not taking $1,000 away from the average senior, $15,000 or $20,000, depending on how long they have their home. And I’m not taking $25,000 or so from people under 65. I am not going to do it. Hell will freeze over before I will do that,” said Patrick.

House Speaker Dade Phelan said in a statement last week that their plan provides the most relief to the most Texans and is the largest property tax cut in state history.

We asked Patrick if he can see property taxes or any issues leading to a special session.

“Oh yes, I can see any issue,” said Patrick.

Another issue facing lawmakers is using state money for private school costs. A bill has already passed the Senate providing roughly $8,000 for families to choose their own schools. Patrick says public schools will still get the money for a student who leaves for five years.

“Parents deserve a choice. If they have a child with a disability the school can’t handle, if their school is a failing school, if they feel like their child is being bullied or in danger, or if they don’t just don’t like the library books,” added Patrick.

Critics and some lawmakers have said that public schools could be hurt in future budget cycles.

“No, this is what we hear from education every session. Since I’ve been lieutenant governor, by my count, since 2019,  we have put somewhere around $15-17 billion more into public schools,” said Patrick.

The bill remains uncertain in the House. House lawmakers have passed an amendment prohibiting state money for any voucher-type program.

The path has been cleared for the House to vote on online sports betting and casinos in select areas. The bills have come out of committee. But, they don’t look to have too much support in the Senate right now.

“We have two votes that I know of for sports betting, and we don’t have any votes for casinos. So, that is where we are,” said Patrick.

The Texas Legislative Session ends on May 29.

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A decade later, the town has rebuilt and people continue to move forward, but on the anniversary of the destructive explosion the city took a moment to pause and reflect. On Saturday they held an event at a memorial to honor the fallen heroes and also look at how far they’ve come.

“It’s something that had happened 10 years ago, and you don’t want to remember but you don’t want to forget it either,” said West Mayor Tommy Muska.

Born and raised in West, Muska has been mayor for 12 years, including on April 17, 2013, when his hometown would change forever.

“I remember it as vivid today as I did 10 years ago, and it’s not going to ever go away,” said Muska.

On that Wednesday, Muska, who owns an insurance company, said he visited the West Fertilizer Company around 4 p.m. to have someone sign papers related to another business.

“I often think about Cody Dragoo and his smile, he was just a great person,” said Muska who said the document his friend signed for the water company he represented, was probably one of the last papers he ever signed. “I was talking in his office to have him sign some insurance papers, standing right next to the ammonium nitrate that only a few hours later would explode.”

Muska then went home and just before 7:30 p.m. is when he saw black smoke coming from the plant.

“So I started making my way to the fertilizer plant, and I made it about a block and a half out when all of a sudden it just blew up,” said Muska.

“The sound was just like that,” said Muska as he snapped his fingers. “And then the air came a couple of seconds later and it came across that field you could see the concussion coming at you, it knocked me off my feet.”

He noticed the fire was gone because the oxygen was depleted by the explosion. He made his way to the intermediate school because it was on fire and he was trying to put it out.

“My brown truck, my famous little brown truck started, which was a miracle,” said Muska because the concussion from the blast damaged many other vehicles. He said his rearview mirror was knocked off, but that was it.

Once he saw the debris on the street, people walking around with injuries, and the overall destruction, the reality of the situation began to set in.

He started delegating to get help from people and McLennan County leaders who could help.

“I needed somebody who had some experience if I didn’t, I knew that I was smart enough to get somebody that knew what they were doing to help us those first few hours,” he explained.

He described what he saw as something that you would see in a movie.

“It was like a bomb went off, and that’s when I realized this thing was a whole lot bigger than I thought it was,” he said.

He said one of the first people he ran into was Carolyn Pustejovsky, whose son, Joey Pustejovsky, was 29 at the time of the explosion. He was a firefighter and also the West city secretary.

“And I knew that he was probably there, I didn’t know for sure, but then she asked me where he was until, I didn’t know which, I didn’t for sure but later found out he died,” said Muska.

He said he had to tell several families the devastating news.

The deceased victims were Morris Bridges, Perry Calvin, Jerry Dane Chapman, Cody Frank Dragoo, Kenneth Harris, Adolph Lander, James Matus, Judith Ann Monroe, Joseph “Joey” Pustejovsky, Cyrus Adam Reed, Mariano C. Saldivar, Kevin William Sanders, Douglas Snokhous, Robert Snokhous and William Uptmor, Jr.

All of their names are etched in stone with their life stories at a peaceful memorial that sits about 100 yards from where the blast happened.

Along with the lives lost, hundreds of people were injured, and many homes, schools, buildings, cars and businesses were either destroyed or damaged.

The town’s infrastructure was also damaged.

Muska said after years of dealing with the state, FEMA and insurance to recoup monies to rebuild, they’re finally there.

Internally though, the repairs to the heart and minds of those who experienced the traumatic event and lost loved ones, will take time.

“There’s still the mental part, the post-traumatic stress,” he said. “That’s going to be a long, long time coming near that’s going to take years and maybe never to get right there. But I still have to concentrate on that and so it’s still part of the picture.”

He said for the most part, people are ready to move forward.

“We don’t ever want to forget those 15 people that died in the explosion and the chaos and devastation that happened, but you know if you keep looking backwards while you’re trying to walk forward, you’re going to fall down,” said Muska. “And that’s my theory with all of this is that we have to keep moving forward. You want to live, you know and remember the past but you want to live for the present and hope for the future and that’s where we are.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety was notified by the Austin Police Department around 4 p.m. on Sunday that a 911 call from an unknown person claimed there was a pipe bomb at the capital.

Out of caution, DPS evacuated the capital and the grounds.

Troopers and explosive K-9s searched the premises and no explosive devices were found.

The all-clear was given at 7:23 Sunday evening.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available.

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It’s the biggest and mightiest rocket ever built, with the lofty goals of ferrying people to the moon and Mars.

Jutting almost 400 feet into the South Texas sky, Starship could blast off as early as Monday, with no one aboard. Musk’s company got the OK from the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday.

It will be the first launch with Starship’s two sections together. Early versions of the sci-fi-looking upper stage rocketed several miles into the stratosphere a few years back, crashing four times before finally landing upright in 2021. The towering first-stage rocket booster, dubbed Super Heavy, will soar for the first time.

For this demo, SpaceX won’t attempt any landings of the rocket or the spacecraft. Everything will fall into the sea.

“I’m not saying it will get to orbit, but I am guaranteeing excitement. It won’t be boring,” Musk promised at a Morgan Stanley conference last month. “I think it’s got, I don’t know, hopefully about a 50% chance of reaching orbit.”

Here’s the rundown on Starship’s debut:

SUPERSIZE ROCKET

The stainless steel Starship has 33 main engines and 16.7 million pounds of thrust. All but two of the methane-fueled, first-stage engines ignited during a launch pad test in January – good enough to reach orbit, Musk noted. Given its muscle, Starship could lift as much as 250 tons and accommodate 100 people on a trip to Mars. The six-engine spacecraft accounts for 164 feet of its height. Musk anticipates using Starship to launch satellites into low-Earth orbit, including his own Starlinks for internet service, before strapping anyone in. Starship easily eclipses NASA’s moon rockets – the Saturn V from the bygone Apollo era and the Space Launch System from the Artemis program that logged its first lunar trip late last year. It also outflanks the former Soviet Union’s N1 moon rocket, which never made it past a minute into flight, exploding with no one aboard.

GAME PLAN

The test flight will last 1 1/2 hours, and fall short of a full orbit of Earth. If Starship reaches the three-minute mark after launch, the booster will be commanded to separate and fall into the Gulf of Mexico. The spacecraft would continue eastward, passing over the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans before ditching near Hawaii. Starship is designed to be fully reusable but nothing will be saved from the test flight. Harvard astrophysicist and spacecraft tracker Jonathan McDowell will be more excited whenever Starship actually lands and returns intact from orbit. It will be “a profound development in spaceflight if and when Starship is debugged and operational,” he said.

LAUNCH PAD

Starship will take off from a remote site on the southernmost tip of Texas near Boca Chica Beach. It’s just below South Padre Island, and about 20 miles from Brownsville. Down the road from the launch pad is the complex where SpaceX has been developing and building Starship prototypes for the past several years. The complex, called Starbase, has more than 1,800 employees, who live in Brownsville or elsewhere in the Rio Grande Valley. The Texas launch pad is equipped with giant robotic arms – called chopsticks – to eventually grab a returning booster as it lands. SpaceX is retooling one of its two Florida launch pads to accommodate Starships down the road. Florida is where SpaceX’s Falcon rockets blast off with crew, space station cargo and satellites for NASA and other customers.

THE ODDS

As usual, Musk is remarkably blunt about his chances, giving even odds, at best, that Starship will reach orbit on its first flight. But with a fleet of Starships under construction at Starbase, he estimates an 80% chance that one of them will attain orbit by year’s end. He expects it will take a couple years to achieve full and rapid reusability.

CUSTOMERS

With Starship, the California-based SpaceX is focusing on the moon for now, with a $3 billion NASA contract to land astronauts on the lunar surface as early as 2025, using the upper stage spacecraft. It will be the first moon landing by astronauts in more than 50 years. The moonwalkers will leave Earth via NASA’s Orion capsule and Space Launch System rocket, and then transfer to Starship in lunar orbit for the descent to the surface, and then back to Orion. To reach the moon and beyond, Starship will first need to refuel in low-Earth orbit. SpaceX envisions an orbiting depot with window-less Starships as tankers. But Starship isn’t just for NASA. A private crew will be the first to fly Starship, orbiting Earth. Two private flights to the moon would follow – no landings, just flyarounds.

OTHER PLAYERS

There are other new rockets on the horizon. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is readying the New Glenn rocket for its orbital debut from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in the next year or so. Named after the first American to orbit the world, John Glenn, the rocket towers over the company’s current New Shepard rocket, named for Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard’s 1961 suborbital hop. NASA will use New Glenn to send a pair of spacecraft to Mars in 2024. United Launch Alliance expects its new Vulcan rocket to make its inaugural launch later this year, hoisting a private lunar lander to the moon at NASA’s behest. Europe’s Arianespace is close to launching its new, upgraded Ariane 6 rocket from French Guiana in South America. And NASA’s Space Launch System moon rocket that will carry astronauts will morph into ever bigger versions.

The ceremony Saturday held was two days before the actual anniversary on April 17, 2013. Officials from the city of West and McLennan County honored the 15 lives lost on that April night, which included 12 first responders and three civilians.

Carolyn Pustejovsky lost her son Joey Pustejovsky, who was 29 at the time of the explosion. Her son was not only a firefighter, but he was also the West city secretary.

“He would even go to sleep with his beeper on his pajamas, so he can get up and go,” Pustejovsky said Saturday. “Very loving, compassionate person.”

On the night of the fire, she said she thought her son might have been home. Her home was not far from the fertilizer plant.

“The explosion happened. It blew my car up in the air and flipped me going the other way. I had no idea what going on at that time,” she recalled.

It took her family more than a week to confirm her son was one of the people killed in the explosion.

“We were calling every hospital trying to find him. I just kept thinking, ‘He’s going to be OK,’” she said. “I don’t want anyone to forget what these guys did for the town of West. You know, it could have been a lot worse.”

At the ceremony Saturday, all 15 names were read out loud in their memory. It was followed by a moment of silence at the end of the program.

The deceased victims were Morris Bridges, Perry Calvin, Jerry Dane Chapman, Cody Frank Dragoo, Kenneth Harris, Adolph Lander, James Matus, Judith Ann Monroe, Joseph “Joey” Pustejovsky, Cyrus Adam Reed, Mariano C. Saldivar, Kevin William Sanders, Douglas Snokhous, Robert Snokhous and William Uptmor, Jr.

The explosion also damaged or destroyed homes, buildings, and cars. West Mayor Tommy Muska said rebuilding over the past decade has required money from FEMA and the state of Texas.

“All the infrastructure on the north side of town, we’ve completely done the streets. New homes are here; 120 new homes,” Muska said. “Ten years. A lot of times, you forget after 10 years. We don’t ever want to forget these 15 people.”

In 2016, federal officials announced the deadly blast was caused by a “criminal act”. The findings were revealed in a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation into the origin of the deadly fire and explosion.

“I don’t know if any citizen can believe someone actually started this,” Muska said Saturday. “I don’t know what the ATF came about as far as figuring that out. They said somebody started it. If they did and killed 15 people and damaged millions in property and the best they can come up with is a $50,000 reward, then something is not right. That’s all I can say about that.”

The company plans to reschedule a launch attempt in the coming days, with a minimum of 48 hours before it can make another attempt.

The rocket could play a critical and historic role in taking people to the moon, and eventually getting humans to Mars.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk envisions using Starships to send people to the moon and Mars. NASA has already signed up for a Starship to put astronauts on the lunar surface as early as 2025.

SpaceX describes the shiny, stainless steel Starship as “a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.”

Starship, SpaceX said, “is also capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less.”

The Federal Aviation Administration issued SpaceX a five-year Vehicle Operator License on Friday afternoon, the final hurdle in the private company’s pursuit of sending the massive vehicle into orbit.

STARSHIP

SPACEX Feb 9

SpaceX Test Fires 31 Engines on Starship Booster in Preparation for Orbital Launch

Jan 24

SpaceX Completes Major Starship Test in Prep for Rocket's First Orbital Launch Attempt

news Feb 9

SpaceX Successfully Test Fires Starship Booster in Last Key Step Before Orbital Launch

No people or satellites will be aboard the rocket during Starship’s test flight, which will attempt to send Starship into orbit around the Earth before landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii.

Anticipating Friday’s regulatory approval, SpaceX recently stacked Starship Prototype 24 on Super Heavy booster Prototype 7 in preparation for the upcoming launch. Together the fully-stacked vehicle stands at nearly 400 feet.

SpaceX has tested both Starship and the Super Heavy 33-engine rocket with separate test flights of each. The next launch will be the first orbital test of a fully-stacked rocket with Starship attached.

Ken Ruffin is president of the National Space Society of North Texas. He said conditions for launch must be right.

“There’s always a list of reason why rocket launches could be postponed. It could be because of wind, or it could be because of lighting,” said Ruffin.

Ruffin said this is huge step in a direction some never thought possible.

“Eventually the expectation is to get to the point that, whether it’s SpaceX initially and then at some point NASA, will approve the Starship for being human rated, meaning being approved to carry people,” Ruffin said. “And this is actually expected within the next two years or so.”

Engineers at SpaceX have also built what they describe as “the world’s tallest rocket launch and catch tower.” The tower is nearly 500 feet tall and is designed to perform multiple functions including assisting in stacking Starship on top of the rocket, launching the integrated vehicle and then catching the Super Heavy rocket booster upon its return to the launch site.

“For the first flight test, the team will not attempt a vertical landing of Starship or a catch of the Super Heavy booster,” SpaceX said, adding that both will have water landings with the Super Heavy rocket coming down in the Gulf of Mexico and Starship coming down in the Pacific Ocean.

The FAA said Friday that SpaceX has passed a comprehensive evaluation process and met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibility requirements.

“We carefully analyzed the public safety risks during every stage of the mission and required SpaceX to mitigate those risks,” the FAA added.

For the first time, the FAA will identify and reroute aircraft directly affected by the closed airspace during the launch window, allowing more aircraft to stay on their most optimal and efficient routes. The FAA said this process has previously only been used for launches from the Florida space coast.

Space enthusiasts throughout North Texas and beyond who are interested in humanity’s exciting future in space are cordially invited to:

1. Complete the NSS membership application at  space.nss.org/ 

2. Forward the NSS membership confirmation email to me at ken.ruffin@nss.org 

3. Ken Ruffin will reply that the new NSS member also has a one-year complimentary membership to the National Space Society of North Texas (NSS-NT)

4. NSS members can access discounted registration rates for the 41st annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Frisco Hotel and Convention Center from May 25-28, 2023. NSS-NT is the host chapter.

THE 'SPACEX EFFECT'

SpaceX Effect Nov 12, 2021

The ‘SpaceX Effect' on the Lone Star State

SpaceX Effect Nov 17, 2021

The “SpaceX Effect” on the Lone Star State

SpaceX Effect Nov 15, 2021

The ‘SpaceX Effect' on the Lone Star State

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A Travis County judge unsealed 76 pages of documents as the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles considers an unusual request from Gov. Greg Abbott to pardon Perry, an Army sergeant.

Perry’s posts included messages like “It is official I am a racist because I do not agree with people acting like monkeys.” And in 2019, Perry wrote it was “to [sic] bad we can’t get paid for hunting Muslims in Europe.”

Perry was found guilty by a jury April 7 for killing an armed protester at a Black Lives Matter march in Austin in 2020. Perry, who also worked as an Uber driver, came across demonstrators in his car and fatally shot 28-year-old Garrett Foster, who was attending the protest with his fiancée. Foster was carrying an AK-47, which is legal.

Click here to read more on this report from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

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‘Egregious Overreach': Juror Pushes Back on Abbott's Call to Pardon Shooter

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The next drawing offers an estimated cash value of $41.9 million. If someone wins Saturday night and takes the cash value option, they’ll pay approximately $10,056,000 in federal taxes (24%) and take home roughly $31,844,000. Texas lottery winners don’t pay a state tax on lottery winnings.

“This is quite an exciting time for Lotto Texas players, as they have a chance to play for one of the largest advertised jackpot prizes in the game’s history,” said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. “One thing we know for sure is that when someone does win this enormous Lotto Texas jackpot prize, they will be a Texas Lottery player. We are looking forward to celebrating our largest Lotto Texas jackpot winner since May of 2010 and the first one of this year. As this jackpot continues to grow, we want to remind our players to play responsibly. It only takes one ticket to win.”

Texas Lottery officials say if you ever end up with a winning ticket, sign the ticket and put it in a safe place. Then, seek financial and legal advice and call the Texas Lottery to schedule an appointment to claim the prize.

In March Grief said that while the jackpot prize remains up for grabs, many Texas Lottery players have been coming away with lower-tier Lotto Texas prizes during the recent jackpot run, so he encouraged players to check their tickets after every drawing to see if they have won other cash prizes.

If there is no jackpot winner for Saturday night’s Lotto Texas drawing, the jackpot prize for Monday, April 17 will climb to $69.75 million.

The latest annuitized jackpot is the third-largest in North America. Lotto Texas is only eclipsed by multi-state jackpots Mega Millions and Powerball, whose jackpots are $476 million and $219 million, respectively.

Saturday’s drawing is the 90th in the current Lotto Texas jackpot run since starting as an estimated annuitized $5 million for the Sept. 19 drawing.

This is the largest Lotto Texas jackpot up for grabs since the drawing on May 29, 2010, when the advertised jackpot reached an estimated $97 million.

Lotto Texas has boasted nine different winning jackpot drawings in the $50 million range throughout the game’s 30-year history. The last time was for the drawing on Jan. 26, 2005, when an advertised $57 million prize was claimed by a Garland resident

mega millions Feb 22

Maine Winner of $1.35 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot Comes Forward Through an LLC

Texas Lottery Feb 14

$20 Million Scratch Off Ticket Sold in Fort Worth, One Top Prize Ticket Left

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18-Year-Old Wins $48 Million Jackpot on Her First-Ever Lottery Ticket

Following public comments both for and against a possible shutdown, the Llano County Commissioners Court decided to remove consideration of a possible closure from the agenda, assuring its three libraries remain open.

“We will try this in the courts, not through social media or through news media,” said Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham, who presides over the commissioners court and is one of the defendants in a lawsuit filed a year ago by library patrons.

The struggle in Llano County, home to about 20,000 people in the Texas hill country outside of Austin, reflects an explosion of attempts in recent years to ban books around the U.S. amid escalating cultural wars.

The special meeting was called after U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman granted a temporary injunction last month that ordered almost 20 books be returned to library shelves.

Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said this was the first incidence she was aware of in which officials moved to consider closing a system altogether.

Beginning in 2021, the lawsuit says, the defendants began using various tactics to keep certain books out of the hands of patrons, from moving children’s books they objected to into the adult section to temporarily suspending use of their digital library. The suit also said steps involved dissolving a previous library board and then packing it with appointees, including many of those who had been pressuring the system to ban books.

The other defendants include the four county commissioners, the library system’s current director and some new members of the library board.

One of the new library board members is Bonnie Wallace, who was among those speaking at Thursday’s meeting. Wallace, who said there were over 200 additional books she thinks should be banned, was among those who read aloud explicit sex scenes from books they said were currently on the shelves.

“I am in favor of closing the libraries temporarily until we find a solution to the pornographic filth we do have,” Wallace said.

Resident James Arno, who supported keeping the libraries open, said parents can monitor what their children are reading without denying access to others.

“It’s not our job to burn this thing to the ground to prevent kids from reading what these people are reading,” said Arno, referring to explicit material read aloud at the meeting. “It’s the parents’ job to know what their kids are into.”

Caldwell-Stone said the books targeted in Llano County fit into trends they are seeing nationwide. “The demands that we’re seeing are to remove books that reflect the lives and experiences of LGBTQIA persons or reflect the lives and experiences of persons of color, in particular Black persons,” she said.

The books that were being kept off the shelf include “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent” by Isabel Wilkerson, “They Called Themselves the K.K.K: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group,” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, “In the Night Kitchen” by Maurice Sendak, “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health” by Robie H. Harris and “Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen” by Jazz Jennings.

Others were picture books for children including “Larry the Farting Leprechaun” by Jane Bexley and “My Butt is So Noisy!” by Dawn McMillan.

“These are books that we have found over the years appeal particularly to young male readers and are really great tools for encouraging early literacy and a love of reading,” Caldwell-Stone said.

Over 1,200 challenges were compiled by the ALA last year, by far the most since the association began keeping data over 20 years ago. The 2022 number was nearly double the then-record total for 2021.

The uproar in Llano County has drawn interest from notable conservatives. The attorney representing the county is Jonathan Mitchell, an architect of a Texas anti-abortion law in 2021 that was briefly the strictest in the country before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Mitchell, who has appealed the judge’s order in the library case, argued in a recent filing that the plaintiffs’ claims that their First Amendment rights were violated “cannot get off the ground” because the books were currently available to check out through the library’s “in-house” system.

But the judge wrote in his order that books hidden in a back room and absent from the catalog wouldn’t be within reach of the public.

“This is, of course, an obvious and intentional effort by Defendants to make it difficult if not impossible to access the materials Plaintiffs seek,” Pitman wrote.

Nicole Graham and her husband, Mike, are no strangers to serpents as co-owners of The Garden Hen, a Texas-based company that teaches people how to become urban chicken farmers. Part of their job involves cleaning chicken coops, a magnet for snakes who prey on eggs.

With 14 full-time clients and a health condition — in January, Graham was diagnosed with a benign pituitary tumor that’s caused vision problems — her daughter Haylie, 18, has been driving her to and from jobs.

Understandably, a reptile was no big deal.

“I am not scared of snakes,” Graham, a mother of three, tells TODAY.com, adding, “Spiders, reptiles, snakes, it doesn’t matter. I view all animals with respect and compassion.”

On April 4, Graham was cleaning two coops in Burton, when a snake popped its head out from a pile of hay.

“I was like, ‘Well, hello there,'” she says.

She immediately recognized it as a rat snake, a nonvenomous reptile commonly found in Texas that often preys on chicken eggs.

Graham estimated the snake in question was more than 4 feet long.

Fortunately, Graham was wearing gloves and carrying a long stick, which she used to move the hay aside, then grabbed the tail.

“Most times, you don’t want to go toward the head because if they get alarmed or scared, they have a tendency to strike,” she says. “The good thing about rat snakes is that they’re typically not aggressive.”

Graham used the stick to support the snake’s body and carry it outside where she planned to release it around the forest line.

When Graham was about 10 feet from Haylie’s Mini Cooper, the snake broke free, dropped to the ground and quickly slithered into the wheel well.

“It happened so fast,” she recalls. Predicting the snake would coil itself in the warm engine, she popped the hood of her daughter’s car as Haylie filmed from outside.

“Come here,” Graham told the snake in the video, while gently pulling it from the engine. “Baby, I’m not trying to hurt you.”

“Oh my God, oh my God,” the teen exclaims.

“She is not used to snakes,” Graham tells TODAY.com of her oldest daughter. “She is a girlie girl and free spirit, however, there are certain animals she won’t go anywhere near.”

Graham released the creature near the forest and continued with her day.

The feat was an example of the backyard self-sufficiency (gardening, raising chickens, life-cycle education) that Graham instills in her clients and her daughters alike.

“My youngest girls don’t know anything different,” she says. “We have chickens in our backyard and a garden. There’s a lot to be learned from it.”

Now she can add snake wrangling to the lesson plan.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Rather than flipping a house, the couple is now setting their sights on a hotel. The Gaines are renovating the nearly 100-year-old Grand Karem Shrine building in Waco, Texas, where the couple lives, and turning it into a hotel called Hotel 1928.

They’re taking fans along for their dip into the hospitality business via the show “Fixer Upper: The Hotel.”

The new project is a spinoff on the Gaines’ wildly popular series, “Fixer Upper,” which aired for five seasons on HGTV and ended in 2018. It will debut this fall on the couple’s Magnolia Network.

The Gaines announced their new project on Wednesday during Warner Bros. Discovery MAX Streaming Day. At the event, Warner Bros. Discovery also unveiled its new streaming service — Max — which will combine content from the HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services.

Starting May 23, Magnolia Network programming will now be available on Max, rather than Discovery+.

On Wednesday, the Gaines teased their new show in a one-minute trailer. At the beginning of the clip, Joanna sets the scene for the announcement by saying, “We are excited we finally get to share some news with you.”

The 44-year-old then looks expectantly at her husband and says, “Share the news!”

“Hold on one second,” the 48-year-old replies before exiting the frame.

Chip rushes back to his wife, now wearing a classic hotel employee’s uniform. He salutes and says, “How can I help you? Can I take your bags?”

Chip then makes the big announcement, revealing he and Joanna took on the hefty project.

“Y’all, we’re gonna have a hotel in downtown Waco, Texas,” he says.

“What?” Joanna replies in mock shock.

The scene then shifts to footage from the show. Chip narrates, saying, “When you think about a 50 thousand square foot hotel remodel, I mean, this is the big leagues. This is what you dream about. I think Jo and I are out of our element to some extent. But I think we’re up for the challenge.”

The trailer then switches back to the couple’s announcement, who start dancing together as Chip sings.

“We’ve got some work to do and we’ll keep you posted!” Joanna says.

The couple further expressed their excitement for the project in a press release.

“For us, this project represents everything we are most passionate about — hospitality, restoration and home,” they said. “We’ve always been firm believers in the value of home, as a place but also as a feeling. Our dream for this hotel is that it would serve as an extension of home to every guest who comes to stay.”

The series, which will feature six half-hour episodes, will chronicle their renovation journey and Hotel 1928’s grand opening this October.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• HBO Max to be renamed ‘Max’ with addition of Discovery+ content
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In an interview with The Associated Press, Jere Dowell said prosecutors put on a convincing case against Daniel Perry, who was in his car working as a ride-share driver when he shot 28-year-old Garrett Foster, who had been legally carrying an AK-47 while marching with demonstrators through downtown Austin.

As an alternate, Dowell did not have a vote in convicting Perry but said she was in the room for deliberations and she agreed with the verdict handed down Friday.

“I just think it’s a travesty,” Dowell said of Abbott already seeking a pardon.

Her comments are the first time a juror has spoken publicly since Abbott, a Republican, announced Saturday he would use the power of his office and seek to wipe away the verdict. Legal experts have called the governor’s move highly unusual and prosecutors condemned it as troubling.

Abbott made his intentions known on Twitter less than 24 hours after the verdict and amid outrage from conservative voices on social media and television over the conviction.

“I just thought it was an egregious overreach of power,” Dowell said. “It’s undermining due process. It’s undermining democracy. I was upset, honestly.”

Perry, who was on active duty at the time of the shooting, is still awaiting sentencing from a judge. He faces up to life in prison.

Dowell, who said she has not previously supported the three-term governor politically, said she worried that Abbott wading into the case could cause other jurors to second-guess their decisions. She said the verdict was strictly based on evidence, following 17 hours of deliberation, and politics did not factor in.

“If your governor is coming out and saying you made the wrong decision, that may make you think twice about what you said or what you felt,” she told AP.

The AP has attempted to reach all jurors who served during the weeklong trial in Austin. Others have declined to speak about the case or not returned messages.

Spokespersons for Abbott did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday.

The trial had received little national attention prior to Friday’s verdict and Abbott had not previously commented on the case publicly. He has has not elaborated on how he reached his conclusion about Perry’s case, and his office on Monday referred questions to his statement on Twitter.

The encounter leading up to the shooting began when Perry turned onto a street and into one of the demonstrations that swept the country after Minneapolis police killed of George Floyd.

In video that was streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking amid the downtown crowd. Then, several shots ring out, and protesters begin screaming and scattering.

Perry drove off, later calling police to report the shooting, and officers arrived to find Foster shot. What led up to the gunfire was a core question in the trial that resulted in Perry’s conviction.

Dowell said her confidence in the verdict was based in part on testimony that Foster’s gun was pointing up — close to his ear — moments before the shooting and that Foster was at least a foot away from Perry’s car.

She said prosecutors also presented text messages between Perry and a friend, exchanged prior to the shooting, discussing other cases in which protesters had been shot and whether it amounted to self-defense.

Witnesses testified that Foster never raised his rifle at Perry, and prosecutors said the sergeant could have driven off rather than opening fire with a handgun. Perry didn’t testify. But his defense attorneys have said Foster pointed his gun at the driver and that the shooting was self-defense.

“I look forward to approving the Board’s pardon as soon as it hits my desk,” Abbott tweeted Saturday.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, whose office prosecuted the case, said Wednesday in an interview on CNN that it appeared clear that neither Abbott nor his staff had watched the trial. Garza, who ran as a progressive when he was elected in 2020, has previously been a target of criticism from the governor.

The district attorney said he did not know why Abbott was pushing for the pardon: “I don’t know what’s in the governor’s mind.”

Garza has requested to meet with the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles and present evidence. The board did not immediately respond to questions emailed Wednesday.

Clint Broden, Perry’s attorney, has said they did not petition the governor for a pardon prior to Abbott’s tweet. He has also filed a motion seeking a new trial.

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The bill is the latest challenge from state Republican lawmakers to the academic framework that has become a rallying cry for conservatives in recent years. The proposal would create a process for students and members of the public to file complaints against college professors teaching the framework and have them fired, regardless of tenure.

The proposal from Mineola Republican Bryan Hughes is part of a slate of higher education bills in the Senate that are among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top priorities during this year’s legislative session. Other bills include eliminating tenure at public universities and prohibiting colleges from maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion offices – also known as DEI.

The bill passed on a 19-12 party-line vote.

Click here to read more on the vote from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

The explosion happened at the Southfork Dairy Farm in Dimmitt at about 7:30 p.m. According to KCBD-TV in Lubbock, a worker was trapped inside the milking facility and was hospitalized in critical condition after being rescued by first responders.

No other injuries to employees were reported.

NBC affiliate KCBD-TV reported the fire from the explosion is believed to have spread through the dairy building and into the dairy cow holding pens. While the exact number of cows killed in the fire has not been confirmed, KCBD said preliminary counts indicate 18,000 of the 19,000 cows present at the farm were killed by fire and smoke.

“This would be the most deadly fire involving cattle in the past decade since we started tracking that in 2013,” said Marjorie Fishman with the Animal Welfare Institute.

The institute also tracks barn fires that kill other livestock, including poultry, pigs, goats and sheep.

“The deadliest barn fire overall since we began tracking in 2013… was a fire… at Hi-Grade Egg Producers North, Manchester, Indiana, which killed 1 million chickens,” according to Fishman.

A 2022 report by the institute noted there were, “several instances in which 100,000 to 400,000 chickens were killed in a single fire.”

The cause of the fire at the dairy farm has not yet been confirmed, though Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera told KCBD on Tuesday that early speculation is that methane may have been ignited by overheating electrical equipment used to suck out waste from the holding pens.

The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Dimmitt is in Castro County and is roughly halfway between Lubbock and Amarillo, west of Tulia.

Garrett Foster and his fiancée Whitney were part of a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin in July 2020 when the fatal encounter occurred.

Perry was driving for Uber that night when he entered the intersection. Both men were armed. Perry fatally shot Foster. Perry’s attorneys argued in court it was self-defense. The jury disagreed and on Friday, April 7, they found him guilty of murder.

“I was relieved to get that verdict and it’s a bittersweet feeling obviously,” Whitney told NBC 5. “The whole trial has brought back so many things.”

Less than 24 hours after the verdict, Abbott posted on Twitter on Saturday afternoon that he had ordered the pardons and parole board to expedite a pardon recommendation to this office, citing the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive district attorney,” Abbott tweeted. “I look forward to approving the Board’s pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk.”

“It’s just disgusting,” said Whitney in response. “It’s not fair and it’s just wrong. It’s just wrong.”

NBC 5 spoke to two local attorneys not connected to the case. Both called Abbott’s move highly unusual.

“I do not recall another instance of this ever happening,” said former Dallas County prosecutor and criminal defense attorney Russell Wilson.

Under state law, Abbott has the power to pardon someone convicted of murder if a majority of Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles members recommend it. The seven board members are appointed by the governor.

Joe Padian is a criminal defense attorney and said while there is a standard process to follow, the board sets its own guidelines.

“The board has a great deal of discretion in what they review and the basis on which they make a decision,” Padian said, adding the board can review other factors not presented in a trial.

“I would hope that if a decision is made, regardless of what the governor’s statements have been, it’s based on everything that was observed by the jury in the evidence in the case and not based on political motives,” Padian said.

Wilson said the move by the governor can undermine the legal process.

“Obviously there are many criminal cases decided where one side or another has a different opinion regarding the results for the case, but the system that we are invested in works when we put confidence in the jury trial system,” Wilson said. “When we start giving exceptions when we don’t like the outcome it sends a message of favoritism or bias.”

For Foster’s loved ones the latest move by Abbott is another unwelcome chapter in grieving the loss of the man she loved.

“It’s horrifying and I don’t understand it,” said Whitney. “We’ve just gone through too much to get here to have that happen.”

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The new law is obviously aimed at abortions obtained in other states, but it’s written to criminalize in-state behavior leading to the out-of-state procedure – a clear nod to the uncertainty surrounding efforts by lawmakers in at least half a dozen states to extend their influence outside their borders when it comes to abortion law.

At the same time, Democrat-controlled states are advancing and adopting laws and executive orders intended to shield their residents against civil lawsuits and criminal investigations related to providing abortions for women from states where there are bans.

But there is no legal precedent giving good guidance about whether states can influence their residents seeking abortions outside their borders.

“If red states pass laws saying, ‘We can go after people for X, Y and Z,’ and blue states say, ‘You can’t,’ we’re in uncharted territory,” said Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at the University of California, Davis School of Law.

Arguments about the laws could be rooted in key clauses of the U.S. Constitution that could contradict each other in this case. One clause requires states to respect the laws of other states while another recognizes the right to travel among states and a third restricts the ability of states to impair interstate commerce.

Legal experts say that no prior cases are exactly comparable, though state laws have conflicted in weighty ways in the past.

In the 1840s and 1850s, it was questions over whether fugitive enslaved people in free states remained the property of slaveholders. In the 1857 Dred Scott decision, frequently cited as the worst ruling in U.S. history, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they did.

More recently, before the nation’s top court recognized a right to same-sex marriage in 2015, state marriage laws were a patchwork. Some states did not recognize marriages that were legal elsewhere, and all the protections that go with them, including hospital visitation rights and even the ability to divorce. The federal ruling largely resolved those legal conflicts.

The effort to restrict abortion in far-reaching ways is an outgrowth of last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and ended a nationwide right to abortion.

Each state now makes its own rules. Abortion is banned in all stages of pregnancy in 13 states. Another five have similar bans on the books but are not being enforced under judge’s orders as legal challenges to them are sorted out.

Texas took a step toward state-border restrictions even before Roe was overturned with a 2021 law that allows civil lawsuits against a person who “aids or abets the performance or inducement of abortion.” It does not specify whether the aid would have to happen within Texas. Oklahoma has a similar law.
But using them to block out-of-state abortions has not been tried yet – or tested in court.
Other states are pursuing different approaches.

Idaho’s measure bans transporting a minor for an abortion without parental consent – but bars only the part of the journey that takes place in Idaho.

Tennessee’s GOP-dominated legislature last week approved a measure that would prohibit cities and counties from using their funds to help someone obtain an abortion outside the state – including banning coverage of out-of-state abortions under government employee health insurance plans.

In his concurring opinion in last year’s ruling overturning Roe, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh contemplated whether states could restrict their residents from getting abortions in other states: “In my view, the answer is no based on the constitutional right to interstate travel,” he wrote.

Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, which supports abortion rights, said the validity of interstate laws is unclear.

“The hope would be this would be seen as an extreme overreach,” she said, “but one would have thought that overturning Roe v. Wade would have been an extreme overreach too.”

Elisabeth Smith, state policy director for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the measures have impacts even if they don’t hold up in court.

“Will anti-abortion activists continue to try to use these techniques and use these avenues?” he asked. “Absolutely. Their goal in doing so is to try to chill activity and make those of us who support abortion rights too frightened to help people.”

One possible test of the out-of-state applicability of abortion laws is just getting started in Texas.
The former husband of a Galveston-area woman who terminated a pregnancy last year with medication sued three women who helped her obtain pills, claiming wrongful death. The lawsuit says the woman terminated the pregnancy in July 2022 and the couple divorced in February.

A lawyer representing the ex-husband is Jonathan Mitchell, a former Texas solicitor general who is the architect of the law that uses civil penalties to enforce an abortion ban. As part of the suit, Mitchell sent a letter to the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice in New York City, demanding that it preserve documents. The letter said one of the women helping the ex-wife obtain abortion pills worked for the group and the organization would face questions about whether she was acting as part of her job.

“If anyone out-of-state helps one of their employees break Texas laws, then you better believe that there can be action taken against that, against that company or organization,” said Mark Lee Dickson, a Texas anti-abortion activist who has pushed successfully for local governments to bar abortion clinics. “If an individual assists Texans in breaking the laws of Texas, then that’s a problem, too.”

The heat was worst at a handful of units. The Stevenson Unit in DeWitt County was the hottest in July, with 12 days in three-figure digits. Inmates at two units in Falls and Taylor counties experienced seven days over 100 degrees last summer.

Inside inmate housing areas at Hutchins State Jail in Dallas County, the temperature exceeded 95 degrees for a total of 21 days in July.

The News obtained the indoor temperature logs, which the state recently required prisons to begin keeping, through a public information request and analyzed them for trends and patterns. The data shows that inmates and staff are exposed, at times, to dangerous levels of heat in the majority of the state’s unairconditioned jails and prisons, experts said.

Click here to read more on the heat in Texas prisons from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.