TYLER â Our news partners at KETK report that a candlelight vigil was held on Friday evening for a motorcyclist who lost his life during a crash last weekend in Tyler. Dakota Hunter was killed in a crash in the 7900 block of South Broadway Avenue at around 4:45 p.m. on March 1. Tyler Police Department said an SUV turning into the Pizza Hut parking lot collided with two motorcycles, injuring the SUV driver, another motorcycle rider and killing Hunter. The vigil was held on Broadway Avenue where Hunter lost his life at only 21-years-old. A ceremony was held to remember Hunterâs life and a cross was planted in his memory.
Alto man arrested in connection to multiple robberies
LUFKIN â The Lufkin Police Department has arrested a man they said is connected to multiple recent robberies according to our news partners at KETK. At around 10:40 a.m. on Friday, Lufkin PD officers responded to a reported robbery at Western Finance on S Chestnut St. An employee had reported that a man reaching into his pocket was demanding money and had stated that he didnât want anyone to get hurt. Lufkin PD said the man left the business after the employee gave him the money he was demanding. While officers were at Western Finance getting a description of the man and his vehicle, another robbery attempt was reported from Covington Credit on Wednesday Frank Ave. Continue reading Alto man arrested in connection to multiple robberies
Obstacles slow effort to improve substance abuse recovery homes
AUSTIN (AP) – A new state law meant to ensure that more Texans recovering from substance abuse in residential facilities have uniform standards of care and living conditions may not have the effect lawmakers intended.
The 2023 law, which goes into effect in September, requires recovery homes to be accredited to receive state funding. That accreditation requires them to meet specific health standards, adhere to an established code of ethics and agree to inspections. But there arenât enough people to inspect the nearly 600 recovery homes, the cost of becoming accredited can be cost prohibitive for some facilities and legislators havenât earmarked enough money to subsidize the number of homes advocates say are needed.
âI donât think thereâs enough incentive for them to get accredited,â said Ralph Fabrizio, a certified recovery support peer specialist and owner of the accredited House of Extra Measures facilities in Houston. âThere is just not a lot of money in recovery housing, and this is another expense some good providers canât take on financially because they are already battling unlicensed recovery homes, setting the price point so low that itâs running them out of business.â
House Bill 299, which the Texas Legislature passed in 2023, prohibits a recovery house from receiving state money if it has not participated in the âvoluntaryâ accreditation process.
âA lot of people come into recovery housing from other industries with not a full understanding of the rules in health care,â said Elizabeth Henry, director of policy for RecoveryPeople, a substance use recovery nonprofit based in Texas. âThings like referral fees and bonuses and things like that are not welcomed in health care, but we have people trying to get discounts on drug testing. One of the great things that happens when they go through accreditation is they learn these things.â
In addition to Oxford House, Texas Recovery Oriented Housing Network accredits recovery houses in Texas. To start the certification process, a recovery house must pay $500 per application and $10 per bed.
To help categorize recovery residences into more specific groups, NARR distinguishes these residences based on four levels of care.
The first level is peer-run recovery residences, where residents operate the facility. Level two is for monitored recovery residences, with an administrative director overseeing operations. A level three home is a supervised recovery residence, which has more intense oversight than monitored residences and includes 24/7 support for residents. The fourth and final level is for service provider recovery residences, which are typically operated by organizations or corporations that offer clinical and administrative supervision and credentialed staff.
Each level has standards that must be met before being certified by NARR, including requirements for administrative operations, recovery support, physical environment, and even how to be a good neighbor. It also includes a rule that makes paid work agreements completely voluntary so residents donât suffer consequences for declining work, a costly concept for recovery home providers.
Texas Recovery Oriented Housing Network is the only accreditation agency in the state that can certify all levels, as Oxford House Incorporated deals mainly with level 1 homes.
While these standards are meant to improve residentsâ recovery, they saddle housing providers with additional costs. Providers make most of their money from residentsâ rent.
Henry said House Bill 299 was initially meant to include funding, but lawmakers removed this portion during committee hearings. âWe donât know why,â she said.
Residentsâ private or public health insurance usually does not cover housing costs for recovery residences, leading to recovery homes closing or switching to more profitable care facilities.
âCurrently, the conundrum that we face is that the higher the severity of illness, the lower the resources the person has available. This is because the higher the severity, the higher the care they need, which is more expensive, and insurance doesnât pay for it,â Henry said.
The exact number of recovery homes in Texas is unknown because accreditation is voluntary. Still, advocates believe 600 to 700 recovery homes are operating in a given year. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission reports that 407 are accredited or chartered homes, with 326 of those being low-intensity resident-run homes.
Henry estimates around 300 homes lack accreditation and risk being cut off from all state funding.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission could not provide an exact number of recovery homes that lack accreditation because no agency gathers information on every recovery home that exists.
To meet the current demand from Texans seeking to recover from substance abuse, the state needs at least 300 more dwellings and 200 more high-intensity managed care homes to be accredited, said Jason Pullin, the director of the Texas Recovery Oriented Housing Network.
According to the National Study of Treatment and Addiction Recovery Residences, the state currently ranks 33rd in the nation for recovery homes per capita. Most Texas counties â 218 â have no identified recovery housing, and 86% have fewer than five.
The Texas Recovery Oriented Housing Network has accredited 81 recovery homes, with 23 residences becoming newly certified through the voluntary process in fiscal year 2024. Even if the demand for accreditation increases, the Texas affiliate of the national accreditation organization will likely not meet it due to a lack of staff.
âWe currently have one paid employee, myself, but we operate from El Paso to Beaumont, Amarillo to South Texas. These homes must be physically walked through as part of the accreditation process. We just donât have the bandwidth,â said Pullin, the organizationâs director.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission identified the single issue concerning accreditation is providers donât find it financially feasible or worthwhile.
The exact amount of money a recovery home receives from the state can vary depending on the level of substance use it is meant to address, as higher-intensity programs might need medicine programs and clinical support.
State funds usually cover rent for specific residents in a recovery home, ranging from $300 to $2,000 monthly. However, this is not a reliable source of funding for most providers.
âThe vast majority of recovery homes in Texas do not receive state funding,â Henry said. âCurrently, approximately 15 homes under PROJECT HOMES and those supported by BeWell Texas receive state funds, and both programs require NARR accreditation. However, BeWell Texas only covers costs of residents who meet specific criteria, making the funding highly limited and inconsistent.â
In fiscal year 2024, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission spent $10 million on substance-use housing, with $4 million going to the Texas Targeted Opioid Response recovery housing program.
The majority of state funding for recovery housing goes to Oxford House, which has had a decade-long contract with the Texas health agency, with the current one being $1.6 million annually. Oxford House has accredited 326 homes, with 20 residences newly chartered in 2024.
âWhile this funding has provided stable support for Oxford Houses, it has also contributed to a significant gap in recovery housing options, as other recovery homes remain largely unfunded,â Henry said.
Additionally, some recovery homes occasionally receive housing vouchers from local mental health authorities, but these payments can take months to process, making them impractical options for many homes and residents.
The federal Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Block Grant covers 70% of all substance use services in Texas, something advocates say needs to be switched to state funds soon as federal funding can be unreliable, and the accreditation process is already a financial burden for recovery housing providers.
Pullin said the costs a recovery home can incur annually vary widely depending on whether the provider rents or owns the homes, whether transportation is provided, what programming is offered, and more.
âIn my estimate as a former operator, the average budget for a recovery home would range from $50,000 on the low end to over $100,000 on the upper end,â he said. âEvery provider has a unique program. There is no way to get an accurate average with a multitude of differences among providers.â
The current situation in Texas has led many recovery homes to look for other funding sources, either by leaving the industry altogether or switching to programs that have more consistent federal and state funding.
This is why recovery housing advocates and managers have asked lawmakers to send $4.3 million to level two or three accredited homes during the next two-year state budget cycle. Most level one homes already receive consistent funding, and a clinic or hospital usually supports level-four dwellings, so they donât need additional funding, Henry said.
The recovery home industry warned lawmakers in a hearing that without rental assistance, facilities with expensive programs will continue to close or move to more profitable outpatient programs, and more dangerous, unregulated facilities will replace them.
âWe are hopeful that this funding proposal will successfully move through the appropriations process and become part of the state budget, expanding access to quality recovery housing for more Texans in need,â Henry said.
What is a recovery home?
Lyndsi Taylor, a 35-year-old Pearland resident, began a downward spiral into drug abuse seven years ago when her youngest daughter died. Sheâs bounced around from couches to rehab programs to the streets, but this year, she is ready for a change.
âItâs a full-time job just worrying about how youâre going to get pills. And itâs so exhausting, and Iâm just so tired of that; Iâm so tired of that same old worrying about something that doesnât even do anything for me and causes nothing but trouble in my life,â Taylor said.
For people like Taylor, a recovery home is a community of like-minded individuals who are there to pick you up at your lowest moments.
âThe girls are great. Thereâs a sisterhood and a bond because weâre all going through the same thing,â Taylor, who is currently staying in a recovery home in Houston, said. âWe hold each other accountable. But weâre there for each other when you need it, too. You need that community because you canât do it alone.â
For many Texans, leaving rehab is just the start of the recovery journey, not the end.
âYou are pretty much going from the street to 30 days in treatment and then right back home,â said Sarah Saidock, who was a resident of a recovery home in 2021. âThose addictive behaviors are still going to be engraved in you.â
Saidock said her time at a recovery home allowed her to regulate her emotions again after years of numbing them with drugs.
âIf I hadnât been sent to that recovery home, I wouldnât have had that time to heal and grow and be a responsible parent for my daughter that I still am today; that made a world of difference for me,â said Saidock, who has worked at House of Extra Measures, a recovery housing program in Houston since her treatment.
Recovery housing benefits individuals by reinforcing a substance-free lifestyle and providing direct connections via support groups, participating in house meetings, peer support, job training, and more.
âYou must learn many little things, like keeping the house clean and pushing in your chair. At first, I thought that was stupid, and then I started to like taking care of the house, taking care of myself, and being respectful,â said Kimberly Ham, who has been a Hoskins House for Women resident in Houston for the past three months.
However, for many who are searching for help with their addiction, finding a quality recovery home can be a challenging task.
âIâve been to awful places. I mean roach infestations, people still doing drugs all the time and stealing,â said Taylor. âThere are a lot of places like that, but this place is completely different.â
Why is accreditation important?
Studies show that recovery homes with enforced standards are a key step in recovery and preventing relapses. Still, the quality can vary from place to place since the accreditation process is voluntary in Texas.
âAnybody can open up a recovery home, put some beds in it, put utilities on it, market it, and put some bodies in there,â said Fabrizio.
This has led to a problem where tracking what recovery home is open or closed can be challenging.
âSince undergoing accreditation is a voluntary process, HHSC cannot confirm the total number of operating recovery homes in Texas,â said James Rivera, spokesperson for the state health agency.
States cannot simply close down unlicensed houses because doing so would violate the Federal Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.
âOther recovery homes will say they will give you grace but want their money immediately. They want their money, and itâs almost impossible to focus on recovery when stressed about finding a job just to get a bed,â said Stephanie Paris, who had been abusing opioids and heroin since the age of 11.
Paris, 46, decided she was ready for a change after being released from rehab in early 2024. However, she knew the grim options that awaited someone with her financial means.
âItâs virtually impossible, especially in todayâs economy, to start from scratch all over again without some kind of support and assistance,â she said. âYou are pretty much homeless once you leave a rehab program.â
When Paris thought she had no other options and would have to continue her court mandated probation on her own, she learned about the House of Extra Measures. This accredited recovery housing organization offered services to people with little to no income.
âIt was a game changer. It allowed me to make my recovery the most important thing in my life, and that set a routine and foundation for me. All of this can be hard to do when you have to worry about paying rent or end up back on the street,â she said.
What is the solution?
Recovery housing advocates say more money from the state will save taxpayer dollars.
âWe are currently spending a bunch of money on people with some pieces of addiction. Weâre spending on the justice system. We are spending it on child removals and spending it on human trafficking prevention. It touches every area that we taxpayers pay for,â said Cynthia Humphrey, executive director of the Texas Association of Substance Abuse Programs.
Advocates want $2 million of the $4.3 million requested from the state to be used on implementing and administering accreditation programs.
âAdditional funds would allow us to increase staff and our ability to develop more training materials for providers who want to get into operating a recovery home,â Pullin said. âThere is not a lack of interest in this purpose. Itâs a lack of resources.â
Advocates also propose using some of these funds to create rental assistance programs for accredited providers, easing some of the financial burden created by trying to provide quality service.
âMy husband is one of the do-gooders who started a recovery home in the early 2000s, and it lasted about two years after pouring so much money into the home,â Humphrey said. âWe need to do something for our providers and those seeking help.â
TWU hosts public meeting for District 3 on Tuesday
TYLER – On Tuesday, March 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) will conduct a come-and-go community meeting in District 3 at the Glass Recreation Center, Large Classroom, 501 W. 32nd St. This come-and-go event will feature information stations staffed by Department Directors and the opportunity for individuals to speak directly with Councilmember Shirley McKellar. Water Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) will also be available to assist with individual account questions. Customers are encouraged to attend the event in their district and speak one-on-one with subject matter experts to learn more about TWU, utility billing, and improvement projects, voice questions or concerns, and provide feedback on these topics. Residents should bring a copy of their water bill for specific billing questions. Continue reading TWU hosts public meeting for District 3 on Tuesday
California and Texas join push to end remote work among state employees
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) â Jonah Paul, a California state employee, says heâs lucky if he gets home by 7 p.m. when he takes the train two days a week to his Sacramento office â a lengthy commute thatâs about to become more frequent.
He is among thousands of state employees across the U.S. being pushed back to the office this year â a trend in states led by Democrats as well as Republicans. Itâs happening in both California and Texas, which together have more than 350,000 public-sector workers.
The roll-back of remote work mirrors the Trump administrationâs mandate for federal workers and moves by some of the nationâs largest corporations including Amazon, JP MorganChase and AT&T.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsomâs order this week cites concerns about productivity and collaboration. Starting July 1, state workers must be in the office at least four days a week, with exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
âThe governorâs executive order kind of blindsided everybody,â said Paul, who is also president of the downtown Sacramento chapter of SEIU Local 1000, the stateâs largest public sector union. âPeople have been really upset.â
Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Braun issued his return-to-work mandate one week before President Trumpâs executive order for the federal workforce.
In Texas, some state employees got emails this week telling them to return to the office full-time as soon as possible after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott instructed state agencies to end remote work.
âAny remote work policies must ensure taxpayer dollars are being utilized efficiently,â explained Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott. âWith remote federal workers returning to the office where possible, itâs important that state agencies ensure they do the same.â
Other states vary. New York, which also has one of the countryâs largest state workforces, allows each agency to set its own rules. And some legislatures, like Wisconsin, have introduced bills to require in-person work by law â an idea shot down by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
These return-to-office orders shouldnât lead to massive quitting, but they usually result in top performers leaving first, and recruitment and retention suffer, according to economist Nicholas Bloom at Stanford University.
âStates are going to have to increase salaries or fatten up the benefits package in other ways if theyâre asking people to forgo this flexibility,â said Chris Tilly, a UCLA professor of urban planning who studies labor markets.
While many are anxious, others are already accustomed to the change. More than half of Californiaâs 224,000 full-time employees, such as janitors and highway patrol officers, already report for duty in-person each workday.
Texas pivoted despite a legislative committeeâs findings in February that remote work has had a positive impact, said Myko Gedutis, organizing coordinator of Texas State Employees Union CWA Local 6186. The survey found 80 out of 96 agencies reported improved recruitment and 46 saw improved productivity, while 40 agencies reported no improvement.
Texas state employee Rolf Straubhaar said many are concerned that people with medical needs wonât get exceptions.
âThis can push out employees who, for medical reasons, need to work from home,â Straubhaar said.
Paul wakes up around 5 a.m. for the two-hour train ride from his home in Oakland to his employment development job in the state capital. His agency already staggers in-office days due to limited office space, and now his colleagues face more logistical challenges.
âThereâs a physical space constraint that makes this order even more absurd,â Paul said. âItâs not really realistic to force everyone to come back.â
Man arrested after elderly woman was neglected for two weeks
TYLER â A man was arrested for injury to an elderly individual on Thursday after an elderly woman was brought into a Longview emergency room with serious injuries, according to a press release.
Smith County Sheriffâs Office deputies started an investigation after an elderly woman in Smith County was brought into a Longview emergency room on Feb. 4, following a hospice referral.
Officials said the woman had been sitting in a chair in her own waste for two weeks, and that her clothing had to be removed from her skin, causing further injury. Our news partner, KETK, reports that he woman has been put under the care of Adult Protective Services, and is being treated for several serious medical conditions resulting from this neglect. Continue reading Man arrested after elderly woman was neglected for two weeks
Wood County man sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine in East Texas
TYLER â A Mineola man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Bobby Wayne Land, 48, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle on March 7, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on February 28, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search of Landâs residence in Van Zandt County which resulted in the discovery of approximately 205 grams of methamphetamine. Land admitted that the methamphetamine was his and possessed if for the purpose of distributing to others. Co-defendant, Preston Mitchell Wilson, was sentenced on January 17, 2025, to 120 months in federal prison. Danny Lynn Nabors was also sentenced on January 17, 2025, to 96 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Grand Saline Police Department; the Canton Police Department; and the Van Zandt County Sheriffâs Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.
Panola County landowners recover over $50k in timber theft case
PANOLA COUNTY – Our news partner, KETK, reports that more than $50,000 of timber was recovered and given back to its owners in Panola County following an investigation.
The Texas A&M Forrest Service Law Enforcement began the investigation in January after Panola County landowners filed a timber theft complaint after they believed that they were given an unjust deal during their negotiations with a timber harvesting company. The harvesting company paid $21,167 for their timber, which landowners believed was significantly lower than what the volume of timber was worth. Investigators determined that the company owed the timber owners an additional $41,655.
On Feb. 21, the harvesting company sent the landowners a full payment, which was valued at $50,240. Texas A&M Forest Service Assistant Chief Law Enforcement Officer Jarred Lemmon spoke about the case and how his departmentâs top priority is protecting the integrity of timber owners and the sales process. Continue reading Panola County landowners recover over $50k in timber theft case
West Texas reports nearly 200 measles cases
WEST TEXAS (AP) – A historic measles outbreak in West Texas is just short of 200 cases, Texas state health officials said Friday, while the number of cases in neighboring New Mexico tripled in a day to 30.
Most of the cases across both states are in people younger than 18 and people who are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.
Texas health officials identified 39 new infections of the highly contagious disease, bringing the total count in the West Texas outbreak to 198 people since it began in late January. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized so far.
Last week, a school-age child died of measles in Texas, the nation’s first measles death in a decade. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that they were sending a team to Texas to help local public health officials respond to the outbreak.
Across the state border from the epicenter of the outbreak, Lea County, New Mexico, had 10 cases Thursday after health officials confirmed an unvaccinated adult who died without seeking medical care had the virus, though as of Friday, measles has not been confirmed as the cause.
But in an update on the state health department’s website, the number of cases in Lea County shot up Friday to 30. The department has said it hasn’t been able to prove a clear connection to the Texas outbreak; on Feb. 14, it said a link is âsuspected.â
The CDC said Friday it has also confirmed measles cases in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington.
But the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks make up for most of the nationâs case count.
The rise in measles cases has been a major test for U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who has questioned the safety of childhood vaccines. Recently, he has stopped short of recommending people get the vaccine, and has promoted unproven treatments for the virus, like cod liver oil.
Kennedy dismissed the Texas outbreak as ânot unusual,” though most local doctors in the West Texas region told The Associated Press that they have never seen a case of measles in their careers until this outbreak.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years.
Childhood vaccination rates across the country have declined as an increasing number of parents seek exemptions from public school requirements for personal or religious reasons. In Gaines County, Texas, which has the majority of cases, the kindergarten measles vaccination rate is 82% – far below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.
Many of Gaines County’s cases are in the county’s âclose-knit, undervaccinatedâ Mennonite community, a diverse group that has historically had lower vaccination rates and whose members can be distrusting of government mandates and intervention.
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the CDC. Owing to the success of the vaccine, the U.S. considered measles eliminated in 2000.
Houston company’s moon lander is now dead
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) â A private lunar lander is no longer working after landing sideways in a crater near the moonâs south pole and its mission is over, officials said Friday.
The news came less than 24 hours after the botched landing attempt by Texas-based Intuitive Machines.
Launched last week, the lander named Athena missed its mark by more than 800 feet (250 meters) and ended up in a frigid crater, the company said in declaring it dead.
Athena managed to send back pictures confirming its position and activate a few experiments before going silent. NASA and other customers had packed the lander with tens of millions of dollars’ worth of experiments including an ice drill, drone and pair of rovers to roam the unexplored terrain ahead of astronauts’ planned arrival later this decade.
It’s unlikely Athena’s batteries can be recharged given the way the lander’s solar panels are pointed and the extreme cold in the crater.
âThe mission has concluded and teams are continuing to assess the data collected throughout the mission,â the company said in a statement.
This was the second landing attempt for Intuitive Machines. The first, a year ago, also ended with a sideways landing, but the company was able to keep it going for longer than this time. Despite all the problems, the company’s first lander managed to put the U.S. back on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
Earlier in the week, another Texas company scored a successful landing under NASAâs commercial lunar delivery program, intended to jumpstart business on the moon while preparing for astronauts’ return. Firefly Aerospace put its Blue Ghost lander down in the far northern latitudes of the moonâs near side.
Firefly CEO Jason Kim reported Friday that eight of the 10 NASA experiments on Blue Ghost already have met their mission objectives. It’s expected to operate for another week until lunar daytime ends and solar power is no longer available.
The south polar region of the moon is particularly difficult to reach and operate on given the harsh sun angles, limited communications with Earth and uncharted, rugged terrain. Athena’s landing was the closest a spacecraft has come to the south pole, just 100 miles (160 kilometers) away.
That’s where NASA is targeting for its first landing by astronauts since the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program, no earlier than 2027. The craters are believed to hold tons of frozen water that could be used by future crews to drink and turn into rocket fuel.
Intuitive Machines has contracts with NASA for two more moon landing deliveries. The company said it will need to determine exactly what went wrong this time before launching the next mission. After the 15-foot (4.7-meter) Athena landed, controllers rushed to turn off some of the landerâs equipment to conserve power while trying to salvage what they could.
In both landings by Intuitive Machines, problems arose at the last minute with the prime laser navigation system.
Intuitive Machines’ rocket-propelled drone, Grace, was supposed to hop across the lunar surface before jumping into a crater to look for frozen water. The two rovers from two other companies, one American and one Japanese, were going to scout around the area as well.
NASA’s ice drill experiment was activated before the lander’s batteries died. How much could be accomplished was not immediately known. Several other objectives were accelerated and milestones met, according to the company.
NASA paid $62 million to Intuitive Machines to get its three experiments to the moon.
Texas A&M Board of Regents names Glenn Hegar as university systemâs next leader
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar will be the next chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, overseeing 11 universities that educate more than 157,000 students and eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
The Board of Regents selected Hegar on Friday to succeed Chancellor John Sharp, who has held the job since 2011 and is slated to retire in June. The vote was unanimous.
Hegar is inheriting the systemâs reins at an inflection point as Republican leaders scrutinize what they see as progressive policies and curriculum in higher education. Heâll have to contend with continued accusations that public universities are violating the stateâs ban on diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and navigate intensifying threats to academic freedom.
Hegar, a Republican from Katy, was first elected comptroller in 2015. He previously served as a state representative and then as a state senator, from 2003 to 2014.
The comptroller serves as the stateâs chief financial officer, accountant, revenue estimator and treasurer.
As comptroller, Hegar has brought attention to problems that have plagued other states like infrastructure maintenance and state employee pensions. He worked with the Texas Legislature to pay down pension debt. He also helped create the first state-administered precious metals depository and the Texas Bullion Depository.
The Texas Broadband Development Office and how the settlement funds from a lawsuit stemming from the opioid crisis are under the comptrollerâs purview. If a school voucher proposal to let families use public funds for their childrenâs private schooling passes this session, the office could also be responsible for overseeing how the program works.
Hegar infused some conservative politicking into the role when he ran for reelection in 2022 as âa true conservative defending the values of faith, family and freedom.â At the time, his office released a list of financial companies that Hegar said were anti-oil and gas. He also threatened to sanction Harris County for cutting its budget for law enforcement.
In the Legislature, Hegar chaired the Sunset Advisory Commission and has said he eliminated inefficiencies in government and abolished six state agencies, saving taxpayers more than $160 million.
During his last session in the Senate, he chaired the finance subcommittee on state and local revenue matters and has said he helped cut $1 billion worth of taxes.
That year he also sponsored a bill in 2013 that placed additional restrictions on abortion before the Supreme Court outlawed it entirely in 2022. (That bill was the one that launched Democrat Wendy Davis into fame for her 11-hour filibuster). He also authored a bill that allowed students with concealed handgun licenses to store firearms in their vehicles on campus. Now, Texans donât have to have a concealed handgun license to carry.
Hegar is himself an Aggie, graduating from Texas A&M University in 1993. He later got his masterâs and law degrees from St. Maryâs University, a private school in San Antonio, and a master of laws degree from the University of Arkansas.
He has three children with his wife, Dara.
Texas A&M University System Board of Regents also considered other candidates for chancellor, according to a source familiar with the process: Texas A&M Foundation President Tyson Voelkel; University of Alabama President Stuart Bell; State Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin; and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin. A second source confirmed four of the five names. Regents met all day Monday in Houston to interview the candidates, mostly behind closed doors.
Hegarâs political trajectory is similar to Sharpâs, who also served as comptroller before he became chancellor in 2011.
Sharp, who ran as a Democrat, also served stints as a state representative, state senator and railroad commissioner. As chancellor, he ushered in an era of prosperity for the system while navigating the changing environment in higher education as campuses became increasingly polarized.
He secured an all-time high of $1 billion in new funding for the system during the same session lawmakers banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices, programs and training and threatened to eliminate tenure. He is credited with proposing that lawmakers codify the practice instead. Tenure, which offers faculty employment and academic freedom protections, has been instrumental in the stateâs rise in the ranks of research.
Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh III should lose his job if he continued allowing faculty to recruit doctoral students at a conference that limited participation to people who are Black, Hispanic or Native American. Welsh was named president after his predecessor, Katherine Banks, resigned over the botched hiring of Kathleen McElroy, a Black journalism professor who some of the university systemâs regents worried had a liberal bias. The university also came under fire at that time from faculty and alumni after The Texas Tribune reported a professor was suspended with pay after she was accused by a politically connected student of criticizing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during a lecture.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.
Educators say proposed increases for school funding, teacher pay are inadequate
AUSTIN – The Dallas Morning News reports that st a Thursday hearing at the Capitol, dozens of public school teachers and officials testified that a bill proposing $7.5 billion in school funding does not go far enough. House Bill 2 proposes raising the per-student allotment by $220 to $6,360 a year, but teachers, administrators and advocates told the House Public Education Committee the increase falls short of meeting the needs of the stateâs school districts. HB 2âs proposed pay raises for teachers also were panned as inadequate. âThe pay teachers receive demonstrates the level of respect afforded to our children,â said Megan Holden, a 10th grade English teacher at an Austin-area high school. âThey are getting the message that Texas doesnât value them or their future.â HB 2 would devote 40% of the basic allotment to teacher pay.
The basic allotment would need to rise by $1,300 to keep up with inflation since 2019, when the Legislature last increased the payment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The proposed $220 increase is also less than half of the $500 increase that was proposed in 2023 but died after Gov. Greg Abbott said he would veto any bill increasing school funding that did not create a program allowing public money to be spent on private schools. HB 2 includes other mechanisms that provide money to public schools but in more targeted fashions aimed at special education and pay boosts for high-performing teachers. The Houseâs proposal to raise teacher pay is part of a âTexas two stepâ Republicans have proposed in tandem with a voucher-style school choice proposal. Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, is the author of the school funding bill, the voucher proposal and another bill that would scale back the STAAR test and replace it with a different standardized testing system.
Officials discover meth, marijuana during traffic stop
VAN ZANDT COUNTY â An East Texas man was arrested after being pulled over twice in three months where authorities reportedly found illegal drugs.
According to our news partner, KETK, the Van Zandt County Sheriffâs Office pulled over a vehicle on Jan. 9 for alleged equipment and moving violations. The driver was identified as Jerrick Munns, of Wills Point. When officers spoke to Munns, he reportedly admitted to having illegal drugs ensuing a search of the vehicle.
Officials found suspected methamphetamine, marijuana and a large sum of money.
He was arrested and taken to the Van Zandt County detention center, where he had a medical episode that required attention, officials said. âAs a result of Munnsâ condition, he was released to medical personnel and a warrant was requested and issued for his arrest for the methamphetamine,â the sheriffâs office. Munns was arrested again on March 3, after he was pulled over for equipment and moving violations. The warrant from the previous encounter was implemented and the Interdiction Team`s K9 arrived to search the vehicle.
âThe Interdiction Team`s K9 arrived and alerted to the presence of illegal items in the vehicle,â the sheriffâs office said. âA subsequent search located, suspected methamphetamine, scales, as well as pills suspected of being Trazadone. Marijuana and additional drug paraphernalia were also located.â
Munns was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and manufacturing/delivering of a controlled substance. He is being held at the Van Zandt County Jail on a $200,000 bond.
40 new cases of measles reported in Texas as outbreak grows to 198: Officials

(GAINES COUNTY, Texas) -- The number of measles cases associated with an outbreak in western Texas has grown to 198, with 40 cases reported over the last three days, according to new data released Friday.
Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, with 80 unvaccinated and 113 of unknown status. At least 23 people have been hospitalized so far, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Just five cases have occurred in people vaccinated with one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases, followed by children ages 4 and under.
So far just one death has been reported in an unvaccinated school-aged child, according to DSHS. The child did not have any known underlying conditions, according to the department.
The Texas death was the first measles death recorded in the U.S. in a decade, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A possible second measles death was recorded on Thursday after an unvaccinated New Mexico resident tested positive for the virus. The New Mexico Department of Health said the official cause of death is still under investigation.
Gaines County is the epicenter of the outbreak, with 137 cases confirmed among residents, according to DSHS. More than 90% of cases have been identified in just six counties, which account for less than 1% of the stateâs total population, the department said.
State health data shows the number of vaccine exemptions in Gaines County have grown dramatically.
Roughly 7.5% of kindergarteners in the county had parents or guardians who filed for an exemption for at least one vaccine in 2013. Ten years later, that number rose to more than 17.5% -- one of the highest in all of Texas, according to state health data.
The CDC has separately confirmed 164 cases in nine states so far this year in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Texas.
The total, however, is likely an undercount due to delays in reporting from states to the federal government.
The majority of nationally confirmed cases are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. Of the cases, 3% are among those who received one dose of the MMR shot and 2% are among those who received two doses.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans. Just one infected patient can spread measles to up to nine out of 10 susceptible close contacts, according to the CDC.
Health officials have been urging anyone who isn't vaccinated to receive the MMR vaccine.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two vaccine doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective. Most vaccinated adults don't need a booster.
Texas health officials are recommending -- for those living in the outbreak area -- that parents consider an early dose of MMR vaccine for children between ages 6 months and 11 months and that adults receive a second MMR dose if they only received one in the past.
Earlier this week, the CDC said in a post on X that it was on the ground in Texas, partnering with DSHS officials to respond to the measles outbreak.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to the highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.
ABC Newsâ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
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SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ends with another explosion
BROWNSVILLE (AP) – Nearly two months after an explosion sent flaming debris raining down on the Turks and Caicos, SpaceX launched another mammoth Starship rocket on Thursday, but lost contact minutes into the test flight as the spacecraft came tumbling down and broke apart.
This time, wreckage from the latest explosion was seen streaming from the skies over Florida. It was not immediately known whether the spacecraft’s self-destruct system had kicked in to blow it up.
The 403-foot (123-meter) rocket blasted off from Texas. SpaceX caught the first-stage booster back at the pad with giant mechanical arms, but engines on the spacecraft on top started shutting down as it streaked eastward for what was supposed to be a controlled entry over the Indian Ocean, half a world away. Contact was lost less than 10 minutes into the flight as the spacecraft went into an out-of-control spin.
Starship reached nearly 90 miles (150 kilometers) in altitude before trouble struck and before four mock satellites could be deployed. It was not immediately clear where it came down, but images of flaming debris were captured from Florida, including near Cape Canaveral, and posted online.
The space-skimming flight was supposed to last an hour. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would require SpaceX to investigate the accident.
âUnfortunately this happened last time too, so we have some practice at this now,â SpaceX flight commentator Dan Huot said from the launch site.
SpaceX later confirmed that the spacecraft experienced âa rapid unscheduled disassembly” during the ascent engine firing and said it alerted safety officials.
Flights were briefly grounded at Orlando International Airport âdue to space launch debris in the area,â the airport posted on X.
Starship didn’t make it quite as high or as far as last time.
NASA has booked Starship to land its astronauts on the moon later this decade. SpaceXâs Elon Musk is aiming for Mars with Starship, the worldâs biggest and most powerful rocket.
Like last time, Starship had mock satellites to release once the craft reached space on this eighth test flight as a practice for future missions. They resembled SpaceXâs Starlink internet satellites, thousands of which currently orbit Earth, and were meant to fall back down following their brief taste of space.
Starshipâs flaps, computers and fuel system were redesigned in preparation for the next big step: returning the spacecraft to the launch site just like the booster.
During the last demo, SpaceX captured the booster at the launch pad, but the spacecraft blew up several minutes later over the Atlantic. No injuries or major damage were reported.
According to an investigation that remains ongoing, leaking fuel triggered a series of fires that shut down the spacecraftâs engines. The on-board self-destruct system kicked in as planned.
SpaceX said it made several improvements to the spacecraft following the accident, and the Federal Aviation Administration recently cleared Starship once more for launch.
Starships soar out of the southernmost tip of Texas near the Mexican border. SpaceX is building another Starship complex at Cape Canaveral, home to the companyâs smaller Falcon rockets that ferry astronauts and satellites to orbit.