Several East Texas school districts are considering reviewing or terminating their contracts with Lifetouch following public scrutiny of the company’s corporate ownership. The controversy stems from alleged financial ties between Leon Black, the former CEO of Lifetouch’s parent firm, and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019.  Following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in late 2025, mandating the release of millions of previously sealed Department of Justice records, and the recent 3.5 million-page “document dump” of the files, the public has raised concerns about any entities with ties to the individual named in the Epstein files.  Read more at: https://tylerpaper.com/2026/02/17/tyler-area-school-districts-evaluate-ties-with-lifetouch-amid-corporate-controversy/  Black was recently mentioned in the newly released files. He resigned from Apollo in 2021.   at: https://tylerpaper.com/2026/02/17/tyler-area-school-districts-evaluate-ties-with-lifetouch-amid-corporate-controversy/ view article

On a cold winter morning in Johnson County, at the southwestern edge of the booming Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, 52-year-old Lee Oldham stands beside the Pleasant View Elementary School and wonders what the drilling waste he helped lay underneath might mean for the children inside. Surrounding the school is the partially complete 2,500-home Silo Mills development that will supply it with children and that is also built atop drilling waste, according to satellite maps and interviews. The first families moved in two years ago.  view article

The trial has started for a man whose teenage son is accused of killing two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school in 2024 view article

A student describes how he and his classmates barricaded the classroom doors with tables during a deadly shooting in western Canada Nine people have been killed and at least 25 injured in attacks at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and a home in British Colombia - here's how they unfolded  Six victims were found dead inside the school, which is around 415 miles north of Vancouver. A seventh died on the way to hospital view article

The New World Screworm fly poses a billion-dollar threat to the state’s economy.   The United States and Texas are fully prepared to combat a parasitic fly that poses a billion-dollar threat to the Texas economy, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Monday.  During a visit to the Rio Grande Valley with Gov. Greg Abbott, Rollins said proactive steps by the USDA and state response teams had prepared the region to eradicate New World Screwworm. This parasitic fly lays eggs in open wounds, posing a threat to livestock.  Texas leads the U.S. in cattle production, making the screwworm an extraordinary risk to the industry. Ranchers and other agriculture advocates have sounded the alarm about screwworm for more than a year.  Cases of screwworm have been detected in Mexico, as close as 70 miles from the border in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. view article

A nonprofit that provides critical services to Austin-area students may have to pare down its work because of budget challenges from key government partners.  Why it matters: Communities In Schools (CIS) of Central Texas provides clothes, meals, literacy help, money for rent, mental health services and more for students and families in need.   It operates in nine school districts in the region, covering more than 100 schools, with on-campus employees often working as social workers for kids. view article

Multiple South Central Texas school districts investigate bomb threats, lockdowns issued  SAN ANTONIO — Several school districts across South Central Texas were placed on high alert Wednesday morning after receiving bomb threats that prompted lockdowns, evacuations and cancelled classes in some areas.  Officials with Uvalde CISD, Boerne ISD, Comfort ISD and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD all reported receiving similar threatening messages claiming multiple bombs had been placed on school campuses. view article

Three Robertson County schools were placed on lockdown Tuesday after receiving bomb and shooting threats that Sheriff Bill Ruland said appear to be part of a swatting incident. Franklin High School, Franklin Middle School and Franklin Elementary School were all locked down as a precaution. “All three are clear now,” Ruland said, adding that while the calls were directed at the high school, his office cleared all three campuses as a safety measure. view article

Dobie High School in Pasadena was placed on lockdown as a precaution on Tuesday morning after a student reportedly saw someone with a firearm on campus, according to Pasadena Independent School District. District officials said law enforcement and campus administrators immediately responded and are actively investigating the report. In an initial statement, the district said all students and staff are safe. Parents started getting text messages from their kids. view article

Texas Christian University junior Sofia Collins lost her father to suicide in 2018. She noted because of the grief, her family would often push talks about the tragic loss under the rug.   Her sister, Bella, brought the conversation to light in 2023 at the University of Alabama by joining others to organize a boxing match. Alabama was then the first expansion for The Fight Against Suicide, a nonprofit started at the University of Georgia, that organizes the boxing events to raise funds for suicide prevention and research efforts.  That first expansion was a knockout, said David Edmiston, co-founder and director of The Fight Against Suicide. view article

A Ponoma Elementary school student has died after choking on food, according to Alvin ISD. On Wednesday, Alvin ISD shared the following statement regarding the student's death. view article

The death of a third grader following a choking incident at Pomona Elementary School in Alvin ISD this week has left a community grieving and sparked renewed concerns among parents about classroom safety requirements in Texas. District officials say the student began choking during snack time. The teacher immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver and called for the school nurse. Campus police and EMS responded within minutes. The child was transported to a hospital, where he later died. view article

A Pomona Elementary school third-grader has died after choking on food, according to Alvin ISD. On Wednesday, Alvin ISD shared the following statement regarding the student's death. view article

Jury selection starts in trial for father of Apalachee High School shooting suspect in Georgia  Jury selection has begun in the trial of Colin Gray, whose teenage son is accused of killing two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school in September 2024  ATLANTA (AP) — Jury selection got underway Monday in the trial of a man whose teenage son is accused of killing two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school in September 2024.  Colin Gray faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter and numerous counts of second-degree cruelty to children related to the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. He is one of a handful of parents around the country charged with crimes after their children are accused of committing acts of violence. view article

A 16-year old student has been shot inside a high school in Maryland, and police say another student is in custody  ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — A 16-year-old student was shot inside a suburban Maryland high school on Monday and another student was in custody, police said.  One student was found with a gunshot wound in a hallway and was taken to a hospital in stable condition, the Rockville City Police Department said in a post on Facebook.   The suspect was also a 16-year-old student, the department said. He was identified and arrested near the school shortly after. Both students were boys. view article

The agreement seeks to remedy a variety of concerns raised by government officials, who accused the development’s owners of targeting Latino homebuyers with predatory loans and false promises.  The owners of Colony Ridge, a Houston-area developer accused of running a predatory lending scheme that deceived Latinos, agreed to a sweeping legal settlement that will require them to invest in law enforcement and infrastructure on their properties and tighten selling practices to address a range of accusations from Texas GOP leaders and conservative media.  Chief among the allegations was that Colony Ridge developers sold land to undocumented people, giving rise to a crime-ridden complex of subdivisions about 30 miles outside Houston allegedly being run by Mexican drug cartels. view article

Austin ISD has added new protocols in the wake of student walkouts over ICE operations and immigration enforcement. Austin ISD saw students from 14 of its campuses walk out of class on Jan. 30 and since then, students from multiple Central Texas school districts have followed suit. view article

The DEA has threatened to classify kratom as a Schedule 1 substance, the same as heroin.
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DPS has established security priorities for the next five years. 
Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Public Safety have released an updated state framework for setting homeland security priorities for the next five years.  “Protecting Texas from a broad range of threats and vulnerabilities is a critical mission that continues to evolve,” said Gov. Greg Abbott. “The Texas Homeland Security Strategic Plan provides a comprehensive and updated framework to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from attacks, disasters and other emerging threats.”   The plan speaks to protecting the state’s critical infrastructure, while mitigating risks and hazards from continued population growth, natural disasters, crime, and cybersecurity attacks. view article

A Trinity ISD teacher has been arrested and placed on administrative leave after he and his wife were arrested in a Munchausen-by-proxy case. Jon Thomas Holcomb, 51, of Trinity, and his wife, Paula Nicole Geurin Holcomb, 46, are each charged with injury to a child. view article

A former Crowley ISD teacher is in jail and has been charged with having an improper relationship with a student. What we know: 62-year-old Ricardo Ortiz was arrested Thursday, Feb. 5 by Fort Worth police. A letter from Crowley ISD says once it found out about the allegations, Ortiz was removed from contact with students and is no longer employed by the district. view article

Donna Independent School District (Donna ISD), in partnership with South Texas College (STC), have launched its first-ever dual credit cohorts in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Automotive Technology, taking place at the Mid-Valley Campus this spring 2026 Semester. This milestone partnership marks a significant step forward in expanding career and technical education opportunities for Donna High School students by providing access to college-level instruction, hands-on training and industry-aligned certifications while students are still in high school. view article

A detected gas leak caused a Waller ISD elementary school to evacuate and two other schools to shelter in place Friday morning, according to officials. The Spring Creek Fire Department said a gas leak was detected at Roberts Road Elementary, and as a precaution, everyone inside the building was safely evacuated as emergency responders addressed the issue. view article

The lawsuit by Catherine and Will Steward, parents of Cecilia “Cile” Steward, argues the family who owns and operates the camp should “never be responsible for children again.”  The family of an 8-year-old girl who remains missing after being swept away by Hill Country flooding that struck Camp Mystic last summer is suing its owners and demanding a judge prevent its reopening.  The 100-page lawsuit, filed by Catherine and Will Steward, the parents of Cecilia “Cile” Steward, is the fifth from the family members of 25 campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic who died during the catastrophic July view article

Buda police said they are investigating an altercation between a juvenile and a man during Hays CISD student walkouts.Buda police arrested a Kyle man Tuesday in connection with a physical altercation involving a minor during Hays Consolidated Independent School District student walkout on Monday.  The altercation occurred during the walkout and involved a female minor and an adult man, according to a statement from the Buda Police Department. view article

Critics of the nondisclosure agreements say they have protected abusers and institutions for decades.   Cindy Clemishire was 12 years old on Christmas night in 1982 when a traveling evangelist staying with her family first abused her.  According to Clemishire, the sexual abuse continued over the next four years. She eventually told her family and the abuse stopped. But her abuser, Robert Morris, went on to found Gateway Church in Texas, which became one of the largest megachurches in the nation.  When Clemishire sought restitution in 2007, Morris’ attorney offered her $25,000 if she would sign a nondisclosure agreement that would prevent her from speaking publicly about the abuse. She refused. view article

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Buda police have arrested a man after a brawl between him and students during Monday’s student-led anti-ICE protest in Buda.  Chad Michael Watts, 45, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with two counts of assault causing bodily injury, the Buda Police Department said in a statement. The investigation is ongoing to determine if additional charges will be filed, the department said.  KXAN received a video showing the physical confrontation, as Johnson High School students were protesting recent immigration enforcement actions.  Additional video, viewed by KXAN, shows the man right after getting out of his truck, pushing past students and singling out a teenage girl. The two exchange punches before the student is pushed to the ground. We are working to verify who recorded that video. view article

A student was rushed to the hospital on Monday after being stabbed at Grand Oaks High School, school district officials said. According to Conroe ISD, a student suffered three shallow stab wounds after an altercation with another student occurred at 9 a.m. on campus at Grand Oaks High School, which is located at 3800 Riley Fuzzel Road in Spring. view article

Former Celina Independent School District teacher and coach Caleb Elliott has officially been indicted by a Collin County grand jury on felony charges. Charges include possession of child pornography, invasive visual recording and sexual performance by a child. Elliott is accused of secretly recording boys in the Moore Middle School locker room. view article

A stabbing was reported at a Conroe Independent School District high school Monday morning. Around 9 a.m., Conroe ISD police said a student was stabbed three times during a fight at Grand Oaks High School. view article

A student was rushed to the hospital on Monday after being stabbed at Grand Oaks High School, school district officials said. According to Conroe ISD, a student suffered three shallow stab wounds after an altercation with another student occurred at 9 a.m. on campus at Grand Oaks High School, which is located at 3800 Riley Fuzzel Road in Spring. view article

The cases come amid renewed nationwide scrutiny of the facility following the transfer there of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy who federal agents arrested along with his father in Minneapolis. view article

Under House Bill 7, a private citizen who successfully sues an abortion pill provider can receive up to $100,000 from the defendant.  A Galveston County man has filed a lawsuit against a California doctor he accuses of providing abortion-inducing pills to his partner, leveraging for the first time a new Texas law that allows private citizens to sue abortion providers for up to $100,000. view article

Midland ISD has expanded its partnership with Baylor College of Medicine to offer a summer opportunity for rising seniors wanting a career in medicine and health sciences.( view article

Harris County Constable Precinct 4 deputies arrested 18-year-old Nicolas Guillory on January 26 in relation to an incident on December 17, 2025. What we know: Deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office say they responded to multiple calls of an unknown man who allegedly exposed his genitals to several students while they were waiting at a bus stop to go to school in the Humble area. view article