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Local Texas News
Houston City Council Pushes Through $16 Million Homeless Hub
A $16 million homeless “super hub” that was pulled from two consecutive agendas amid public backlash has now been approved.
Orange County Commissioners Adopt No-New-Revenue Rate
Orange County will collect the same amount of property taxes as the year prior.
Cedar Hill ISD Band Directors On Leave Over Misconduct Allegations
The alleged victims are former students.
City of Dallas Sued for Enforcing 89 Ordinances in Violation of Texas Constitution
The city previously acknowledged that these ordinances are unconstitutional.
Local Archive
Analysis: Who’s Raising and Lowering Taxes in Upton County?
Taxpayers in Upton County, nestled in the Permian Basin, have experienced a mix of tax rate changes across local entities. Some have reduced rates significantly, while others have increased them. This analysis is part of our ongoing look at property tax rates across...
LGBT Non-profit Provides ‘Therapeutic Support’ to Students in Houston Schools
The Hatch Youth Safe Zones Project works with school officials to provide counseling to students and staff who identify as LGBT. Hatch Youth, which is part of the Montrose Center, writes on its website that it seeks to provide an “affirming space” for LGBT youth. “The...
Katy Faces First De-annexation Challenge Under New Texas Law
The City of Katy received its first de-annexation petition under a 2023 state law, leaving some local officials trying to find a way to stop it. “We’re used to receiving and not giving land away out of our [extraterritorial jurisdiction]. But the developer really...
Harris County Commissioners Court to Evaluate Work-from-Home Policy
The Harris County Commissioners Court is set to discuss potential changes to its work-from-home—also known as “telework”—policy during its next meeting in February. The sole Republican on the court, Commissioner Tom Ramsey, added the topic as an...
West Texas Teacher, Coach Charged With Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child
Another Texas educator was arrested for sexually assaulting a child. Justin Wade Esquell, 49, is accused of sexually abusing his victim over a period of four years, starting when the child was under the age of 14 years. Esquell worked as a teacher and coach at Robert...
Report: CCP Infiltration of Texas Cities
A Texas House committee report warned that the Chinese Communist Party is out to influence local public servants. The report’s writers recommended state lawmakers ban relationships between Texas and Chinese local governments but did not include an enforcement...
Harris County & Houston Issue Opposing Guidance on Prep for Freeze
As Houston prepares for a forecasted hard freeze and snow, local authorities issued conflicting guidance on how citizens should protect their homes from pipes bursting. Conventional wisdom is to drip water from faucets to prevent water from freezing in the pipes and...
Conroe ISD Substitute Teacher Accused of Sexually Assaulting Martial Arts Student
A martial arts instructor who also worked as a substitute teacher and contract physical education instructor for Conroe Independent School District is accused of sexually abusing an underage student he trained at a studio in The Woodlands. Stephen Andrew Zarruk, 32,...
Historic South Texas Ranch Tussles With TxDOT’s ‘Unnecessary’ Highway Expansion
A ranching family in South Texas is working to stop the Texas Department of Transportation from expanding U.S. Highway 83, which would force them to concede private and historic property. Rene Ramirez is a 7th-generation Texan and a direct descendant of Spanish Texas...