INSIDER
A West Texas pecan farm fights to save its water supply as neighbors sell it to growing cities
Read full article: A West Texas pecan farm fights to save its water supply as neighbors sell it to growing citiesA yearslong dispute over exporting water to growing Texas cities offers a hint at the battles to come as the state’s population booms and water supply dwindles.
Odessa’s mayor ran to help the West Texas city “repent.” Now he wants a second term.
Read full article: Odessa’s mayor ran to help the West Texas city “repent.” Now he wants a second term.Under Javier Joven’s leadership, his critics say, the Odessa City Council has lost focus on municipal issues like roads and water infrastructure.
Texas high schools play 23-inning baseball game, one of the longest in prep history
Read full article: Texas high schools play 23-inning baseball game, one of the longest in prep historyTwo Texas high schools needed 23 innings, played over two days, to decide one of the longest games in prep sports history.
Two West Texas infants in the same neighborhood diagnosed with rare botulism
Read full article: Two West Texas infants in the same neighborhood diagnosed with rare botulismA third infant nearby also contracted botulism last August. The Midland health department said there is no public health emergency.
This West Texas town has a lot of money in the bank. Why can't it pick up its trash?
Read full article: This West Texas town has a lot of money in the bank. Why can't it pick up its trash?Like local leaders in many other towns in West Texas, the Kermit City Council spent years saving its tax revenue fearing the energy economy would crash. Now it is struggling to keep up with essential services like trash and road repair.
An effort to prepare West Texas students to work in the oil and gas industry is expanding
Read full article: An effort to prepare West Texas students to work in the oil and gas industry is expandingThe expansion, which will start with a smaller pilot in four high schools between Texas and New Mexico, is being paid for by the Permian Strategic Partnership, a group funded by major energy producers.
Midland fights disposal of oilfield wastewater near its drinking supply
Read full article: Midland fights disposal of oilfield wastewater near its drinking supplyAs oil and gas companies struggle to dispose of their wastewater in the Permian Basin, the city of Midland is challenging applications for disposal wells near one of its drinking water sources.
Small plane crashes into car after overshooting runway during emergency landing near Dallas
Read full article: Small plane crashes into car after overshooting runway during emergency landing near DallasAuthorities say a small plane overshot the runway while trying to land at a Texas airport and struck a car that was driving along a nearby road, injuring one person.
Texas schools asked voters for $18 billion in new debt to fix its campuses. They largely said yes.
Read full article: Texas schools asked voters for $18 billion in new debt to fix its campuses. They largely said yes.The voter approval rate for school maintenance and construction costs dipped in 2021 after lawmakers required school boards to call them “tax increases.”
In West Texas, schools hope skeptical voters will OK debt to upgrade crumbling, overcrowded buildings
Read full article: In West Texas, schools hope skeptical voters will OK debt to upgrade crumbling, overcrowded buildingsThe West Texas ethos of low taxes and small government has been hard for school leaders to overcome. Voters have rejected bond issues in Midland and Odessa during the last decade.
As West Texas’ population grows, the need for more mental health care does too
Read full article: As West Texas’ population grows, the need for more mental health care does tooLike many regions in Texas, the county jails and hospitals have been at capacity with people needing mental health help. Local leaders hope a new 200-bed facility will alleviate pressure.
The summer’s record heat has caused costly damage to Texas water systems
Read full article: The summer’s record heat has caused costly damage to Texas water systemsAs dry soils contract, underground pipes rupture and cities must fix thousands of water leaks, frustrating conservation efforts and highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to a warming climate.
The national debate over books has come to West Texas. And librarians are stuck in the middle.
Read full article: The national debate over books has come to West Texas. And librarians are stuck in the middle.West Texas residents are organizing over their love — or concern — for books. Meanwhile, from Lubbock to Midland and Odessa, librarians are trying to reaffirm libraries’ role as community hubs.
How an internship program hopes to end “brain drain” in Texas’ Permian Basin and other rural regions
Read full article: How an internship program hopes to end “brain drain” in Texas’ Permian Basin and other rural regionsThis is the third year businesses in the Permian Basin — known for high school football and oil fields — have participated in the University of Texas at Austin program. Students this year say they are seeing their hometowns in a new way.
A Texas energy company will pay $1.3 million over pollution in the Permian Basin, EPA says
Read full article: A Texas energy company will pay $1.3 million over pollution in the Permian Basin, EPA saysThe EPA last year announced aerial surveillance of “super-emitters.” At least one other company in New Mexico faced a similar fine.
West Texas gas operators released tons of excess emissions during June heat wave
Read full article: West Texas gas operators released tons of excess emissions during June heat waveWhen sizzling temperatures in June affected the air pressure in pipelines in West Texas, companies in five counties vented millions of pounds of natural gas and other toxins into the air.
Video: Looking back at destruction of 2020 Michigan flood
Read full article: Video: Looking back at destruction of 2020 Michigan floodHeavy rains that fell on the area led to the breaking of several dams in the area, which essentially caused lakes to disappear, streets to be knee-deep or more in water and property to be damaged.
Texas police ask for public’s help in identifying nonverbal boy found wandering alone
Read full article: Texas police ask for public’s help in identifying nonverbal boy found wandering aloneThe Midland Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a nonverbal boy who was found wandering alone on Sunday.
San Antonio residents may have felt a shake following 5.3 magnitude West Texas earthquake
Read full article: San Antonio residents may have felt a shake following 5.3 magnitude West Texas earthquakeDid you feel a random rumble Friday afternoon? If so, it was the result of a magnitude 5.3 earthquake about 12 miles north of Midland.
Texas’ oil and gas industry will produce “massive amount” of toxic wastewater with few reuse options, study finds
Read full article: Texas’ oil and gas industry will produce “massive amount” of toxic wastewater with few reuse options, study findsOil and gas companies produce 3.8 billion barrels of wastewater per year in the arid Permian Basin. A state consortium is trying to figure out whether it can be reused.
EPA says it is looking for “super-emitters” of methane gas in Texas’ Permian Basin
Read full article: EPA says it is looking for “super-emitters” of methane gas in Texas’ Permian BasinThe federal environment agency says it will continue flyovers of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico until Aug. 15 using infrared cameras to survey oil and gas operations.
In Texas, calls to boost U.S. oil production after Russian invasion run into hard realities
Read full article: In Texas, calls to boost U.S. oil production after Russian invasion run into hard realitiesLabor shortages, supply chain issues, hesitant financial backers and a frosty relationship with the Biden administration have limited how much Texas oil and gas companies are ramping up production.
WATCH LIVE: University of the Southwest in New Mexico provost news conference
Read full article: WATCH LIVE: University of the Southwest in New Mexico provost news conferenceAuthorities are trying to determine why a pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on a darkened, two-lane West Texas highway before colliding head-on with a van, killing nine people including six New Mexico college students and a golf coach.
5 Texas school employees, including superintendent, arrested for not reporting sexual assault
Read full article: 5 Texas school employees, including superintendent, arrested for not reporting sexual assaultFive employees at a Texas private school have been arrested on a felony charge after authorities accused of them of failing to report the alleged sexual assault of a student on campus.
Texas GOP Railroad Commission hopeful dies in crash while traveling from campaign appearance
Read full article: Texas GOP Railroad Commission hopeful dies in crash while traveling from campaign appearanceOne of the five candidates for the Republican Texas Railroad Commission nomination has been killed in a traffic crash while traveling from a West Texas campaign appearance.
Earthquakes in Texas doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of oil companies injecting sludgy water underground.
Read full article: Earthquakes in Texas doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of oil companies injecting sludgy water underground.The surge in seismic activity from increased underground pressure is shaking the West Texas ground and rattling longtime residents.
Texas college students confront anxiety, apathy as another pandemic semester begins
Read full article: Texas college students confront anxiety, apathy as another pandemic semester beginsAs Texas universities and colleges begin a fifth semester during the COVID-19 pandemic, many students say they are struggling with uncertainty and an indifference toward school and the future.
Weighing reelection bid, GOP Texas Sen. Kel Seliger confronts redrawn district, Trump endorsement of primary challenger
Read full article: Weighing reelection bid, GOP Texas Sen. Kel Seliger confronts redrawn district, Trump endorsement of primary challengerAfter high-profile clashes with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a fellow Republican, Seliger suspects members of his own party are trying to oust him.
Shell sells off its oil and gas business in Texas’ Permian Basin, seeking to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels
Read full article: Shell sells off its oil and gas business in Texas’ Permian Basin, seeking to reduce its reliance on fossil fuelsTexas-based ConocoPhillips bought Shell’s Permian Basin assets for $9.5 billion, its second major purchase in the oil-rich area over the last year.
More Texas students tested positive for COVID-19 last week than at any time last school year
Read full article: More Texas students tested positive for COVID-19 last week than at any time last school yearThere have been 20,256 reported cases among students across the state since the school year began.
State: Water may be unsafe at Texas site for migrant teens
Read full article: State: Water may be unsafe at Texas site for migrant teensAUSTIN, Texas – Texas’ environmental regulator on Friday barred most uses of the water at an oilfield camp converted into a holding center for immigrant teenagers, raising alarms about the safety of more than 400 youths detained there. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said running water at the Midland camp could be used only to flush toilets or wash clothes because officials aren't sure whether the water is safe. AdThe Midland camp did not have an active permit with TCEQ for a public water system, according to the agency’s online records. Texas Sen. Kel Seliger said Friday that water on site is drawn from a well that the company drilled without getting a TCEQ permit. Hopefully not oilfield pollutants, but they don’t know.”It's unclear whether TCEQ has tested the water or whether any hazardous chemicals have been found.
Emergency sites for migrant children raising safety concerns
Read full article: Emergency sites for migrant children raising safety concernsA surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. President Joe Biden’s administration has been sharply criticized for its response to a surge in crossings of unaccompanied immigrant children. “I feel like I have to wait and try again.”The Biden administration is not expelling immigrant children unaccompanied by a parent or legal guardian. But Pfluger and other Midland officials said the Biden administration wasn’t answering their questions or giving them assurance that officials would keep the surrounding community safe. HHS opened the Midland site without notifying some top local officials who say many of their questions aren't being answered.
West Texas flower shop owner, former mayoral candidate charged in Capitol riot
Read full article: West Texas flower shop owner, former mayoral candidate charged in Capitol riot(AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)MIDLAND, Texas – A West Texas flower shop owner who posted a video on Facebook bragging about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office being broken into during the U.S. Capitol riot last week was arrested Wednesday, federal officials said. The Midland Reporter-Telegram reports that Cudd and Rosa appeared Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Griffin in Midland. “She did not break into Nancy Pelosi’s office," Flanary said. “She didn’t go anywhere inside or near it.”“We’re pretty confident that the cameras will show she was only in the public portions of the Capitol,” Flanary said. A mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building last week following a rally the president held.
Mayoral candidate, attorney among Texans who joined in US Capitol siege and posted on social media
Read full article: Mayoral candidate, attorney among Texans who joined in US Capitol siege and posted on social mediaFILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana File)Texans who were involved in Wednesday’s siege upon on the U.S. Capitol were not shy about it on their own social media accounts. Texans among the mob who stormed the Capitol included a former mayoral candidate, a real estate agent, a lawyer and a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy. Videos Cudd posted on her own Facebook have gone viral. A lieutenant with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is under investigation after she posted photos of the incident on her Facebook.
Midland rejects ordinance enforcing Texas’ mask mandate
Read full article: Midland rejects ordinance enforcing Texas’ mask mandateMIDLAND, Texas – The city council in Midland on Monday declined to approve ordinances related to enforcing Texas’ mask mandate. Monday’s decision came amid a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Texas. In El Paso, officials have been asking Abbott for support for a curfew in the county as mortuaries are being overwhelmed due to COVID-19 deaths. El Paso has recorded a steep incline in COVID-19 cases and deaths over the last few weeks. On Monday, El Paso recorded 328 new coronavirus cases and seven new deaths, bringing the active case count to more than 36,000 and the death toll to 862.
Carjacking suspect arrested in Kendall County following violent encounters with victims, law enforcement officers
Read full article: Carjacking suspect arrested in Kendall County following violent encounters with victims, law enforcement officersBut law enforcement authorities said Jerry Gardner, of Cedar Park, didn’t give up easily. Gardner was involved in a violent series of encounters, beginning at a gas station in Midland, where the carjacking occurred Friday night, the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said. Gardner then struck a customer who tried to intervene in the carjacking before taking off on Interstate 10. Gardner then ran toward a Kendall County deputy and the suspect was shocked with a Taser, the KCSO said. After a brief struggle, he was arrested and taken to the Kerr County Jail, where he is being held on bonds from six charges totaling $528,500.
Trump rallies oil-and-gas workers in the Permian Basin against Democrats ahead of the November election
Read full article: Trump rallies oil-and-gas workers in the Permian Basin against Democrats ahead of the November electionU.S. President Donald Trump signed presidential permits for energy development during a tour of the Double Eagle Energy oil rig in Midland on Wednesday. Carlos Barria/REUTERSPresident Donald Trump sought to give a morale boost to the beleaguered Texas energy industry during a visit Wednesday to the Permian Basian, while also rallying oil-and-gas workers against Democrats ahead of the November election. "We were very close to losing a very powerful, great industry," Trump said, "and now we're back and we're just gonna keep expanding." While Texas officials welcomed Trump to Texas by endorsing his "support of Texas energy producers, the industry across the state has been harshly disrupted in 2020. The trip was Trump's 16th visit to Texas as president but first to the Midland-Odessa area, a Republican stronghold.
Trump to discuss energy, tour oil rig, raise money in Texas
Read full article: Trump to discuss energy, tour oil rig, raise money in TexasWASHINGTON President Donald Trump will shift his focus to American energy dominance during a stop in Texas later this week that will include his first visit to an oil rig. During the stop Wednesday at Double Eagle Energy in the west Texas city of Midland, Trump will discuss how the U.S. is achieving energy dominance by cutting regulations, simplifying permitting and encouraging private investment in energy infrastructure, the White House said. While in Texas, Trump will raise money for the Republican Party and his reelection campaign at a fundraising luncheon with supporters in nearby Odessa. It will be Trumps 16th visit as president to Texas, the White House said. The White House said Trump has taken steps to help the energy industry recover after the coronavirus outbreak caused demand for energy and prices to plummet as people stayed home to avoid becoming infected.
Michigan village not waiting for federal, state flood relief
Read full article: Michigan village not waiting for federal, state flood reliefFILE - In this May 29, 2020 file photo, two cars are flipped over after major flood damage, in Sanford, Mich. Sanford village, with a population of 859, is pulling together after the devastation of two dam failures in May. Volunteers are still clearing muck and providing supplies to those whose homes were destroyed since there's no telling when major state and federal help will come. Although state or federal government aid would be a huge help, Ricards said Sanford could not wait. We celebrated birthday parties, their graduations, anything you can think of there.The goal is to keep people in the village, Cole said. I think its better just to help than to sit back and wait" for state or federal funding, Cole said.
The big names headed to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Read full article: The big names headed to the Houston Livestock Show and RodeoThe majority of the lineup for this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was released Thursday and it includes big names in country and pop. The rodeo will run from March 3-22, just weeks after the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, which runs Feb. 6-23. Here in the Alamo City, Cody Johnson, Midland, Chris Young and Brad Paisley will also play for the San Antonio rodeo. Other San Antonio rodeo performers include ZZ Top, Aaron Watson and Sammy Hagar and the Circle. Here’s the full lineup for the 2020 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo:
In Dunn, Far Right Has Spender Who Gets Results
Read full article: In Dunn, Far Right Has Spender Who Gets ResultsA Midland oilman has spent millions over the last decade financing groups focused on moving the Texas Legislature in a more conservative direction. While critics have decried his hardball tactics, Tim Dunn isn't backing down.