The Slocum Water Supply Corporation has issued a new boil water notice. Due to a main line break on ACR 160 located in the Camphill Well 3, Rt 3 area, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality has required Slocum Water Supply Corporation, PWS ID 0010028, to notify the 323 customers in that area to boil their water prior to consumption until further notice effective as of Aug. 1  To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and for making ice, all water should be boiled and cooled prior to consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from another suitable source.   When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the water system officials will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. The rescind notice will be issued in the same manner as the Boil Water Notice. view article

As students head back to school this week, officials want drivers to be more aware on the roads.   With school in session, there are more buses, pedestrians, bicyclists and walkers on roadways.   There were more than 3,200 traffic crashes in school zones or involving school buses last year, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.   To help keep kids safe, TxDOT is urging drivers to slow down, avoid distractions and follow the rules of the road during its “Be Safe. Drive Smart” Back to School campaign. Parents and guardians can also help teach their kids about ways to stay safe when walking or biking to school.   “As students head back to school, we’re asking every driver to make safety their top priority,” Texas Highway Patrol Chief Bryan Rippee said. “Slow down, eliminate distractions and remain alert — especially in school zones, at bus stops and in high-volume traffic areas. Every child deserves to arrive at school and return home safely, and that starts with each of us making responsible decisions behind the wheel.”   TxDOT and the Texas Department of Public Safety offer tips for both drivers and students.   Tips for driving in school zones view article

Public health officials said some parents are confused about what vaccines are required to attend Texas schools amid efforts to change recommendations. view article

Mexia Independent School District officials and local police are investigating after a student was found in possession of ammunition Tuesday morning at Mexia High School. According to a district notice, school staff discovered a loaded magazine or clip on a student during morning arrival on August 11. No firearm was located on the student or the campus, and officials emphasized that only the magazine and ammunition were recovered. view article

Public health officials said some parents are confused about what vaccines are required to attend Texas schools amid efforts to change recommendations.   While vaccine requirements have not changed for Texas students this year — despite federal efforts to drop and space out some inoculations — Becca Harkleroad understands how many parents are confused.   “Despite all the confusion that hits the news … nothing’s changed,” said Harkleroad, the executive director of the Texas School Nurses Organization.  In January, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped the rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines from the recommended list. But a federal judge in Massachusetts — and a Biden appointee — halted that move in March, keeping the pre-2026 vaccine recommendations in place. The federal government is appealing that decision. view article

Documents obtained by NBC 5 reveal new details about the shooting of a Dallas ISD police officer in North Dallas last week. According to an arrest affidavit from the Dallas Police Department, 27-year-old Jose Pantoja-Morales was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a public servant after taking Dallas ISD Officer Justin Jones’ gun and shooting him. view article

O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth was placed under lockdown Monday afternoon as authorities investigated a potential firearm threat on campus. view article

ABILENE, Texas — The first day of school is quickly approaching and it's important to be safe if you're on the roads or walking.  KTXS spoke with the Abilene Police Department who gave us some safety tips for parents and students to know before going back to school.  "A lot of people function off of a routine," Abilene Police Department's Traffic Division Sergeant, Andrew Mason, said. "And so the last two months they've been in the summertime and they've been in the routine of not having to drive through school zones and worry about schoo view article

ABILENE, Texas — As Big Country students return to class, health officials remind families of a few simple steps to prevent flu and other illnesses in the classroom. view article

Balmorhea ISD's Board of Trustees has released new details regarding an investigation into Superintendent John Massey. According to a letter from the board president, the allegation against Massey had already been reported to and investigated by the Child Protective Services division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Texas Rangers. view article

For most of Stacey Ladd’s career at Child Protective Services, she was taking families apart.  It was for a noble effort — keeping children safe — but her role was effectively taking kids away from parents.  A year into leading a new program at ACH Child and Family Services, the industry veteran of more than 30 years sees her role differently.   “We’ve seen so much success, and that’s because our perspective has changed,” Ladd said. “We really see ourselves now as building families.”  Last year, ACH and Our Community Our Kids, the regional adoption and foster agency, began implementing Intercept, a nationwide program meant to keep families together and prevent children from entering foster care.  view article

The floodwaters are gone, but volunteers say families across the Hill Country still need help clearing debris and rebuilding their lives.  AUSTIN, Texas — The frantic search and rescue response to the devastating July floods in South Texas and the Hill Country has given way to a new phase: recovery.  Weeks after floodwaters swept through communities across the region, volunteers with Austin Disaster Relief Network spent the weekend helping families clear debris, salvage belongings and begin rebuilding their lives. view article

Although several synthetically derived cannabis products will be banned on July 31, delta-9 THC products will still remain legal.  Texans’ access to a variety of hemp-derived THC products will significantly narrow on Friday. view article

SAN JUAN, Texas – From Monday, July 25, to Saturday, July 30, the Texas Health and Human Services will carry out Operation Border Health/Preparedness (OBHP). OBHP is a program that sets up sites around the Rio Grande Valley, offering residents free health services. Services include general physician services, immunizations, screenings, sport physicals, dental services, vision services, and more. Although assisting the public in maintaining their health is a goal of OBHP, the underlying purpose is to assist the community in preparing for disasters. State Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said Operation Border Health Preparedness allows state, local, and nonprofit entities to practice setting up and operating health clinics that may be needed in the case of a public health emergency, while providing free care to the community. He said services include medical exams, immunizations for children and adults, sports physicals for students, health and diabetes screenings, and dental and vision exams. “Operation Border Health Preparedness is a great example of a smart policy that not only ensures we are prepared for future public health crises, but also provides an immediate public benefit in the process,” Hinojosa said. view article

Police officials and law enforcement experts say there’s no guarantee that officers will follow their training and confront a shooter — no matter how much training they have.  In the weeks since officers in Uvalde waited more than an hour to confront a gunman who killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school, police departments across the state have asked themselves a crucial question: If they faced a similar situation, would they be able to quickly stop the gunman?  The images of parents and students pleading with officers to take action at Robb Elementary School on May 24 before a tactical team of federal agents finally breached a classroom and fatally shot the 18-year-old gunman deeply disturbed Marfa police Chief Estevan Marquez. view article

An increase in COVID-19 cases among children in El Paso is resulting in more absences at some schools. "Last week my child had a light cough so we decided not to take her to school to not expose the other children to her cough," said El Paso ISD parent Guerrero Garcia. view article

Some Brenham ISD parents are concerned about the safety of their children aboard school buses, while the district struggles to find people to drive them. Overcrowding and longer run times for some buses has parents worried and debating whether their children should be using school transportation. One parent, Cassi Harrison, has pulled her three children off after she says her daughter had to sit on the floor of her elementary school bus, which had students from two bus routes. Harrison says the safety of the children needs to be addressed. view article

Saying positive cases of COVID-19 are climbing to "very high rates" in the district, the Richardson ISD says they are once again temporarily implementing a mask requirement for everyone inside K-12 schools. In a letter to parents, the district said active cases of COVID-19 have increased from 49 on Dec. 7 to 1,089 on Jan. 6, an increase of more than 2100%. The previous pandemic-high number of positive cases in RISD was 367 on Sept. 3. view article

They say participation is strictly voluntary, but the Fort Worth Independent School District is offering a one-time $500 incentive to employees who get fully vaccinated against COVID. Administrators say the money is an ‘effort to provide safe and healthy environments for students, staff and visitors’. view article

In a video address by the Conroe ISD superintendent, Dr. Curtis Null gave an update on the latest numbers on Friday as COVID-19 cases in the district continue to climb. Dr. Curtis Null, the Conroe ISD Superintendent, said, “We need to do something as a community to help make sure that we can keep our schools open and keep our kids safe.” According to the district in the first two weeks of the school year, there have been over 1,100 reported positive cases that included 962 students and 176 staff. view article

Houston ISD students and employees who refuse to wear masks when the school year begins could face discipline and be forced to temporarily learn online under new guidelines released by the district. With exceptions and reasonable accommodations made for people with a “documented medical disability,” the district’s updated back-to-school plan, released Friday evening, says that those who refuse to comply with the mask mandate will face consequences. view article

As COVID-19 cases rise and schools begin to come back into session, the safety of students is a top priority for many school districts. According to a social media post by Jim Hogg County Judge Juan Carlos Guerra, JHC ISD is taking precautions to protect students against rising case numbers. view article

The largest school district in the San Antonio area said Wednesday they will not be enforcing a mask mandate, “for now,” despite a county-wide requirement issued Tuesday that students and teachers wear masks in public schools. A Northside Independent School District spokesperson told KSAT that the district will continue to “strongly encourage the use of facemasks by students, staff, and visitors to district facilities and events” but stopped short of requiring them. Meanwhile, they will “closely monitor the changing guidelines and directives” and alert the public of any change to the policy before the district’s start date on Aug. 23, the spokesperson said. view article

Round Rock ISD parents are divided on COVID-19 masking protocol, with some fighting to keep mask rules in place for their schools and others wanting it to be a choice. The school district's board of trustees recently considered relaxing the mask requirement, but voted to keep the rules in place through the end of the calendar year. view article

All Fort Worth ISD employees will soon be offered a COVID-19 vaccine. Superintendent Kent Scribner sent the information to employees on Thursday. The email states that all employees, including part-time and substitute workers, will be invited to sign up for the vaccine through the school district. view article

During and after a Nov. 9 meeting, Friendswood ISD board members and parents discussed the merits and challenges of structural changes to the district’s virtual learning program. Guidance from the Texas Education Agency released Nov. 5 gave the district significantly more options when it comes to virtual learners, officials said. But that guidance continues to change. view article

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Mackenzie Middle School has confirmed the first case of COVID-19 at the school. Mackenzie Middle School release a statement to parents confirming the case of COVID-19 on August 26, 2020. view article

School districts across the Brazos Valley will be heading back to school in the next few weeks but many are dealing with new protocols as the pandemic continues into the new school year. One area that many districts are dealing with is extracurricular activities. KBTX spoke to Bryan ISD’s Fine Arts Director, Patrick Corbett about how the district’s protocols are adjusting to fit the needs and safety for those who choose to participate. view article

The union for Austin Independent School District employees is asking the district and the state not to send employees back to school buildings in August. Union members say it is unsafe for employees and children to be in classes together. During an online news conference Wednesday, Education Austin President Ken Zarifis said the union is asking AISD to commit to online learning only for the first nine weeks of the semester, while monitoring Covid-19 cases in the city. He also asked that increased pay for employees like cafeteria workers and other support staff continue. view article

Manor ISD is confirming that an employee who recently prepared and distributed curbside meals at Manor New Tech High School has tested positive for COVID-19. According to Manor ISD, the employee’s last day on campus was April 9. All staff who may have had contact with the employee have been contacted and directed to self-quarantine for the next 14 days. view article

Alief ISD has been notified that a female in her 40‘s who works for Owens Intermediate School has been diagnosed as positive with COVID-19, the district said Tuesday. The district said Owens Intermediate School continues to be deeply sanitized and although schools and offices have been closed since March 13 and remain closed at this time, all Alief ISD employees and students have been instructed to continue to follow CDC guidelines and recommendations and to continue to practice social distancing. view article

Austin ISD is announcing changes to its food services amid the coronavirus outbreak. After the City of Austin announced the first cases of coronavirus in Travis County, AISD canceled classes and extended Spring Break for students. view article

As school districts around North Texas and the country brace for possible coronavirus cases, Irving ISD is stressing calm and highlighting preventive measures families can take to prevent infections. Following a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. is likely inevitable, the district is emphasizing that the need for immediate concern is minimal. view article

The lockdown of all Royal Independent School District campuses that was prompted by an unspecified threat was lifted Thursday afternoon. According to a message posted on the district’s website, the lockdown meant no one was allowed in or out of any buildings on campus. By 3:40 p.m., a message on the district’s Facebook page said the lockdown had been lifted. view article