INSIDER
Bills introduced a year after stateās largest blaze seek to limit wildfires
Read full article: Bills introduced a year after stateās largest blaze seek to limit wildfiresAmong the proposals is a bill that would force more inspections of power lines, which a committee concluded ignited a blaze that burned more than 1 million acres last year.
A year after Texasā largest wildfire, Panhandle residents tugged between hope and anxiety
Read full article: A year after Texasā largest wildfire, Panhandle residents tugged between hope and anxietyThe Panhandle town of Canadian is determined to move beyond the deadly fire. And yet, they are reminded almost daily another catastrophe is possible.
Campaign finance records donāt capture total spending on Amarillo abortion ātravel banā election
Read full article: Campaign finance records donāt capture total spending on Amarillo abortion ātravel banā electionSeveral prominent Amarillo business people donated to support the so-called travel ban. Meanwhile, statewide progressive groups helped the opposition.
Amarillo voters reject abortion ātravel ban,ā a rare rebuke of anti-abortion movement in Texas
Read full article: Amarillo voters reject abortion ātravel ban,ā a rare rebuke of anti-abortion movement in TexasTuesdayās vote was a rare chance for Texans to vote directly on abortion restrictions. The state already has a near-total abortion ban.
Unregulated oilfield power lines are suspected of sparking Texas wildfires
Read full article: Unregulated oilfield power lines are suspected of sparking Texas wildfiresNo state agency is taking responsibility for making sure the privately built lines that power many oil and gas sites are safe. Such lines have been blamed for sparking two recent Panhandle fires.
I started reporting on the dearth of reproductive health care. Then I had my own emergency.
Read full article: I started reporting on the dearth of reproductive health care. Then I had my own emergency.Texas Tribune journalist Jayme Lozano Carver has written about health care for years. Most recently, she reported on how little access there is for women and new moms in the Texas Panhandle.
Three months after the Texasā largest wildfire, Panhandle residents are preparing for the next one
Read full article: Three months after the Texasā largest wildfire, Panhandle residents are preparing for the next oneShort of an immediate statewide response, Texans who lost homes and livestock are taking matters into their own hands to better prepare their property for a wildfire.
Clarendon City Council rejects ordinance banning travel to access abortion outside of Texas
Read full article: Clarendon City Council rejects ordinance banning travel to access abortion outside of TexasClarendon is one of the first cities in Texas to reject the ordinance, after several cities and counties passed similar measures
Ted Cruz and Ronny Jackson push legislation to help ranchers who lost livestock in Panhandle wildfires
Read full article: Ted Cruz and Ronny Jackson push legislation to help ranchers who lost livestock in Panhandle wildfiresThe Republican senator and congressman introduced a bill that would expand a federal aid program to pay ranchers when pregnant cattle are killed in disasters.
Decayed power pole sparked the largest wildfire in state history, Texas House committee confirms
Read full article: Decayed power pole sparked the largest wildfire in state history, Texas House committee confirmsA lack of air support and ineffective coordination hurt efforts to contain this year's Panhandle fires, the committee said.
After Texasā largest wildfire is contained, a rancher moves on with a single calf
Read full article: After Texasā largest wildfire is contained, a rancher moves on with a single calfIn testimony to state lawmakers, Dale Jenkins and his Panhandle peers shared the āhidden costā of the wildfires.
Public blasts Texas agencies, regulators for poor communication and oversight at wildfire hearings
Read full article: Public blasts Texas agencies, regulators for poor communication and oversight at wildfire hearingsThursdayās hearing marked the end of the Legislatureās three-day marathon of public hearings.
Utility pole inspection company declines to testify at Texas Panhandle wildfire investigation hearing
Read full article: Utility pole inspection company declines to testify at Texas Panhandle wildfire investigation hearingThe Texas A&M Forest Service concluded that a fallen decayed utility pole caused the Smokehouse Creek fire.
Texas emergency director calls for firefighting air force after historic Panhandle fires
Read full article: Texas emergency director calls for firefighting air force after historic Panhandle firesA special legislative committee is investigating what caused the Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest in state history.
Cows at two Texas dairy farms have bird flu, another blow to Cattle Country following wildfires
Read full article: Cows at two Texas dairy farms have bird flu, another blow to Cattle Country following wildfiresFederal officials said the nationās milk supply should be not at risk after a bird flu outbreak hits dairies in Texas, New Mexico and Kansas.
Texas firefighters completely contain Panhandle inferno that burned more than 1 million acres
Read full article: Texas firefighters completely contain Panhandle inferno that burned more than 1 million acresA series of deadly wildfires have burned for nearly three weeks, destroying farms and ranches in several counties.
āIt does not get easierā: Texas ranchers lose cattle and land in historic wildfires
Read full article: āIt does not get easierā: Texas ranchers lose cattle and land in historic wildfiresAs ranchers recover from the Smokehouse Creek fire, they face the agonizing choice of what to do with an unknown number of injured cattle.
Texas requires utilities to plan for emergencies. That didnāt stop the Panhandle fires.
Read full article: Texas requires utilities to plan for emergencies. That didnāt stop the Panhandle fires.Experts say utilities need to be ready for extreme weather, which could be a challenge in a state where discussing climate change is often taboo.
Many homes burned in the Texas wildfires werenāt insured, creating a steep path to recovery
Read full article: Many homes burned in the Texas wildfires werenāt insured, creating a steep path to recoveryRural Texans are more than twice as likely to go without homeowners insurance than their urban peers.
Texas Panhandle wildfires: What you need to know about the blazes, damage and recovery
Read full article: Texas Panhandle wildfires: What you need to know about the blazes, damage and recoveryThe full scope of damage still isnāt known, but some Panhandle residents have returned home. Firefighters continue battling the infernos.
Firefighters keep up battle to stamp out largest wildfire in Texas history
Read full article: Firefighters keep up battle to stamp out largest wildfire in Texas historyPlanes have dropped fire retardant over the northern Texas Panhandle as firefighters are continuing efforts to stamp out the largest wildfire in state history.
H-E-B, chairman Charles Butt to donate $1 million in wildfire recovery efforts for the Texas Panhandle
Read full article: H-E-B, chairman Charles Butt to donate $1 million in wildfire recovery efforts for the Texas PanhandleAs the Texas Panhandle continues to suffer through the largest wildfire in state history, H-E-B and its chairman announced Saturday they are pitching sizable donations to the affected area.
Texas Panhandle ranchers face losses and grim task of removing dead cattle killed by wildfires
Read full article: Texas Panhandle ranchers face losses and grim task of removing dead cattle killed by wildfiresRanchers in the fire-scarred Texas Panhandle are facing a grim task of disposing possibly thousands of dead cattle killed by smoke and flames.
Wildfires ravage cattle country, threatening Texasā agriculture economy
Read full article: Wildfires ravage cattle country, threatening Texasā agriculture economyTexas wildfires have consumed acres of agricultural land, killing thousands of livestock, destroying crops and exacerbating challenges lingering from last yearās drought.
Texans in the Panhandle recall towering smoke and darkened skies as wildfires crept near their towns
Read full article: Texans in the Panhandle recall towering smoke and darkened skies as wildfires crept near their townsThe fires have left at least two people dead and four injured firefighters. Cattle have been lost and homes and businesses decimated in their wake.
San Antonio-area firefighters deployed to assist in battling Texas Panhandle fires
Read full article: San Antonio-area firefighters deployed to assist in battling Texas Panhandle firesFirefighters across Bexar County are actively being deployed to assist with batting devastating fires in the Texas Panhandle.
Texas Panhandle fire danger elevates into weekend as crews work to battle largest fire in state history
Read full article: Texas Panhandle fire danger elevates into weekend as crews work to battle largest fire in state historyHealthy winds and low humidity are forecasted for the Panhandle this weekend, which could add more fuel to the Smokehouse Creek Fire.
Videos capture devastating Texas Panhandle wildfires
Read full article: Videos capture devastating Texas Panhandle wildfiresA series of wildfires in the Texas Panhandle has devastated communities in at least 60 counties this week, and one of them has swelled to become the second-largest in state history.
In the Texas Panhandle, a nonprofit is fighting rural child care deserts
Read full article: In the Texas Panhandle, a nonprofit is fighting rural child care desertsThe Amarillo Area Foundation is funding new day care facilities in Friona and Claude after the towns found that a shortage of child care is making it harder to fill job openings.
After pause, this Texas city is set to reconsider banning travel to access an abortion
Read full article: After pause, this Texas city is set to reconsider banning travel to access an abortionA handful of local governments have already put the legally dubious bans in place. The news that Amarillo will take the issue up again comes shortly after a Dallas woman left the state for an abortion after losing a legal battle to obtain one here.
In Texasā Panhandle, a long-awaited oasis for mental health care is springing up
Read full article: In Texasā Panhandle, a long-awaited oasis for mental health care is springing upThe region that includes Amarillo, a Panhandle city of more than 200,000 people, and surrounding towns has long been a mental health care desert. Officials hope a new $159 million hospital can help reduce a massive spike in suicide attempts.
1 dead and 3 injured after multiple people pulled guns during fight in Texas Panhandle city
Read full article: 1 dead and 3 injured after multiple people pulled guns during fight in Texas Panhandle cityPolice say one arrest has been made and others are expected after a man was killed and three others were injured when multiple people pulled guns and shots were fired during a fight in a small city in the Texas Panhandle.
Heat wave has US South sweltering, from tornado-ravaged West Texas town to Florida beaches
Read full article: Heat wave has US South sweltering, from tornado-ravaged West Texas town to Florida beachesCommunities from Houston to New Orleans are opening cooling centers to bring relief as steamy hot temperatures settle across a broad swath of the U.S. South.
āThis is pretty devastatingā: Three dead, more than 100 injured after tornado strikes Perryton
Read full article: āThis is pretty devastatingā: Three dead, more than 100 injured after tornado strikes PerrytonMore than 100 people were injured in the tornado that hit the Panhandle town. Gov. Greg Abbott sent emergency crews to assist with recovery efforts.
Tornado devastates Texas Panhandle town, killing 3 and injuring dozens
Read full article: Tornado devastates Texas Panhandle town, killing 3 and injuring dozensThree people have been killed after a tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton, leaving dozens more injured widespread damage.
Texas will spend billions to connect the state with broadband. But is it clear which neighborhoods need help?
Read full article: Texas will spend billions to connect the state with broadband. But is it clear which neighborhoods need help?On the eve of a historic investment in connecting the Lone Star State, advocates worry maps that will help establish which communities get funding have bad information.
Massive Texas dairy farm blaze that killed thousands of cows caused by engine fire in manure hauler
Read full article: Massive Texas dairy farm blaze that killed thousands of cows caused by engine fire in manure haulerState investigators determined that a fire and explosion at a dairy farm in the Texas Panhandle that injured one person and killed an estimated 18,000 head of cattle was an accident that started with an engine fire in a manure vacuum truck.
Women accused of facilitating abortion in Galveston wrongful-death lawsuit file countersuit
Read full article: Women accused of facilitating abortion in Galveston wrongful-death lawsuit file countersuitThe women are accused of helping their friend terminate her pregnancy, but they now claim her ex-husband, who brought the lawsuit, knew she had obtained the medication and did nothing to stop her.
Fire, explosion that killed thousands of cows in Texas Panhandle ruled accidental
Read full article: Fire, explosion that killed thousands of cows in Texas Panhandle ruled accidentalThe Texas State Fire Marshalās Office has ruled the fire and explosion that killed thousands of cows in the Texas Panhandle an accident, according to media reports.
Texas university students protest drag showās cancellation
Read full article: Texas university students protest drag showās cancellationProtests continued Wednesday at a university in the Texas Panhandle after the schoolās president said a planned campus drag show wouldnāt be allowed and expressed the view that such events ādiscriminate against womanhood.ā.
A storied Texas Panhandle newspaper halts publication after 130 years
Read full article: A storied Texas Panhandle newspaper halts publication after 130 yearsThe end of The Canadian Recordās print edition ā even if temporary ā is another indication of how perilous the news business is for local publishers and the communities theyāre a part of.
Man gets life plus 300 years in prison for making child porn
Read full article: Man gets life plus 300 years in prison for making child pornA West Texas man has been sentenced to life plus 300 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child and 10 counts of producing child pornography, including filming himself sexually assaulting children.
Texas drought strengthens its grip, triggering wildfires, water restrictions and crop disasters
Read full article: Texas drought strengthens its grip, triggering wildfires, water restrictions and crop disastersHundreds of wildfires have broken out this spring. More than a dozen areas are under voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions, and more than 200 Texas counties have been designated as crop disaster areas.
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Tornadoes reported in Texas Panhandle, no injuries reported
Read full article: Tornadoes reported in Texas Panhandle, no injuries reportedAMARILLO, Texas ā Several suspected tornadoes touched down Saturday afternoon in the Texas Panhandle between Lubbock and Amarillo, according to the National Weather Service, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. āThere are no reports of injuries,ā and only minor damage, Merchant said. āWe can't answer that until afterwards when we examine the damage,ā Merchant said. Storm survey teams could be sent to the areas as early as Sunday morning, according to Merchant. ___This story has been corrected to show the name of the Amarillo area emergency management director is Chip Orton, not Chad Orton.
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After 91 years, coronavirus brings a Texas rancherās last sunset
Read full article: After 91 years, coronavirus brings a Texas rancherās last sunsetNot for anything could Raymond Reeves bluff his way through a game of poker. When Reeves died he still had 120 cows and calves, down from 300 at the height of his work. Raymond Reeves did not suffer a mean animal. āIt was very difficult for him to grasp that this was serious,ā Carol Reeves said. That day in November, after Reeves died, there was no tearing of wrapping paper or laughter of children.
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Snow, freezing rain reported in parts of West Texas, Panhandle
Read full article: Snow, freezing rain reported in parts of West Texas, PanhandleOKLAHOMA CITY ā Snow, sleet and freezing rain were reported Tuesday in parts of the Texas Panhandle as an early season ice storm bore down on the Southern Plains. The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning for areas in the Big Country, Concho Valley, the Northern Edwards Plateau and portions of the Heartland. Freezing rain is expected in parts of West Central Texas. Snow was also reported near Amarillo and San Angelo, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department shared images of a snowy Chaprock Canyons State Park near Quitaque. NWS-El Paso also reported snowy conditions in the Borderland, where temperatures were in the upper 20- and low 30-degree range.
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Virus deaths hit new high in Texas as governor urges masks
Read full article: Virus deaths hit new high in Texas as governor urges masksAUSTIN, Texas Signs in the Texas Panhandle urged voters to wear masks. By and large, most voters covered their faces, even though Texas' mask mandate exempts polling locations. On Wednesday, Texas again set a new high with nearly 10,800 new cases, along with a record 110 deaths. The rising toll includes 35 deaths that officials on the Texas-Mexico border said happened Wednesday morning alone in Hidalgo County. Although it remains too early to tell the impact since Texas' mask order was announced before the Fourth of July weekend, other former holdouts to requiring face coverings continued relenting Wednesday.
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The new coronavirus has killed more than 2,000 people in Texas
Read full article: The new coronavirus has killed more than 2,000 people in TexasSarah M. Vasquez for The Texas TribuneEnough people to pack the bleachers at Faith Christians football stadium in Grapevine. By the state's official count, the coronavirus pandemic has now killed 2,029 people in Texas, a toll experts agree is an undercount. Connecticut, a state with one-eighth of Texas population, is mourning twice as many known fatalities. Most Texans died where most Texans live, state data show. The state health department has collected only limited data about them, reporting demographic information for just 664 lost Texans.