A trial date has been set for former Uvalde school district police Chief Pete Arredondo, according to a Uvalde County court official.  Arredondo is scheduled to stand trial on Feb. 22, 2027, though it remains unclear where the proceedings will take place. His attorneys have previously argued that he cannot receive a fair trial in Uvalde County.  Arredondo led the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department when a gunman entered Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, killing 19 children and two teachers. The gunman remained barricaded inside adjoining classrooms for 77 minutes before officers fatally shot him.  In the aftermath of the shooting, Arredondo was indicted on 10 counts of abandoning or endangering a child. Prosecutors allege he failed to act as the gunman carried out the attack inside two fourth-grade classrooms. view article

Texas must protect residential consumers from paying for the infrastructure needed to power new data centers, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a June 10 order aimed at balancing the rapid growth of data centers with the needs of residents and communities. The governor directed state regulators to ensure data center companies do not pass infrastructure costs on to ratepayers, urging lawmakers to tighten regulations on data centers’ water use and repeal certain tax exemptions that benefit the industry. Abbott’s order comes as Texas grapples with how to manage the data center boom amid climbing electric demand and looming water shortages. Texas is home to the fastest-growing data center market in the nation, and development shows no signs of slowing down, per a January report from Bloom Energy.  “The rapid scale of data center development requires oversight to ensure everyday Texans are not burdened with the costs of infrastructure driven by data center expansion,” Abbott wrote in a June 10 letter to the Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. view article

Drought, wildfire, tariffs and now screwworm are straining the beef industry in Texas as the U.S. herd reaches its smallest point in 75 years.  James Henderson was a teenager in 1971 when he had to treat animals for a type of white maggot that ate livestock from the inside out — the New World screwworm.   “It’s a horrible parasite, and it will eat that flesh very quickly,” said Henderson, who operates the Bradley 3 Ranch near Memphis in the Texas Panhandle. “From the time that adult fly lays its eggs until you have an animal that probably needs to be destroyed can be as little as 72 hours.”  Henderson, like most Texas ranchers, has faced one battle after another in an industry already full of challenges. The return of the screwworm is the latest blow.  view article

After spending the morning testifying before Congress, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins flew to South Texas to assure ranchers and local officials that the government was moving quickly to combat the New World screwworm outbreak.  “We’re going to beat this," she said, standing before television cameras on a ranch Friday. "We beat it before, and we’re going to beat it again.” view article

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties, including much of Central Texas, as severe storms, flash flooding and tornado threats continue to impact the state.  The declaration, filed Monday, includes Travis, Williamson, Hays, Burnet, Blanco, Bastrop, Bell, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Llano and Gillespie counties, among others. view article

Experts say not to panic. These are the signs to look for to protect your fur babies. view article

Three Canutillo Independent School District educators were arrested for alleged "assaultive conduct and other inappropriate treatment" of several special education students, authorities said. view article

Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman on Tuesday fired the deputy who shot and killed college student John Mendoza Jr. during an attempted traffic stop on June 1. In a 4-minute video posted on multiple social media channel, Stallman said Deputy Kevin Tippit had violated sheriff's office policies on handling and using guns.  The authority that is entrusted to law enforcement officers is extraordinary and with that authority comes a responsibility to exercise strong judgment, follow policy and uphold the standards expected by this profession," Stallman said. "Based on the ongoing investigation and the information available at this time, I have determined that due to the policy violations related to the handling and discharge of his firearm, the employment of the deputy involved in the shooting on June 1, Kevin Tippet, has been terminated effective today." view article

A fly that deposits its parasitic, flesh-eating offspring inside cows has been detected in Texas for the first time in decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported Wednesday (June 3).  A second case in a cow in the same county was announced June 5, and two more cases — in a cow and dog — in other Texas counties were flagged on June 8. Another cow case was announced June 9, bringing the total to five.  Here's what to know about the New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax), a pest that was eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s. view article

Help is on the way, but the parasitic and deadly New World screwworm fly is getting too close for comfort to McLennan County, with one local cattle rancher and veterinarian predicting it is only a matter of time before it reaches Central Texas.  The first two U.S. cases in years were confirmed last week in calves in Zavala County near the Mexico border. Four more cases were confirmed Monday, three in livestock farther north in Texas and one in a dog in New Mexico, bringing the total to six, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture webpage. Concerns about the outbreak intensify as state and national officials plot their approach to stopping the screwworm's spread. Restrictions on cattle movement within Texas have become more pronounced, and Canada has banned all cattle from the state.  New World screwworm flies are the size of houseflies. They can lay eggs in any warm-blooded animal's open wounds or body openings such as eyes, nose or mouth, including in rare cases humans'. Hatched larvae burrow into the animal's flesh and feed on living tissue, creating painful, foul-smelling wounds. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the larvae can cause serious and often deadly damage from secondary infection or other illnesses, though the malady is treatable if caught early. view article

Goliad ISD, Refugio ISD and the Refugio Police Department issued statements Sunday following the arrest of Daniel San Miguel, a current Goliad ISD board trustee and former Refugio police officer who previously served as a school resource officer in Refugio ISD. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, San Miguel faces charges of aggravated assault of a child and official oppression. view article

We are learning an arrest has been made in Goliad County involving Daniel San Miguel, a former officer with the Refugio Police Department. According to DPS, San Miguel faces charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and official oppression.

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

Officers with the Hudson ISD Police Department arrested a former math teacher for the school district on Monday in connection to allegations that he had an improper relationship with a high school student that included sexual contact. view article