Factors include reduced fentanyl supply and help with treatment.  Since their peak less than three years ago, opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly by half as of October, according to a Stateline analysis. The drop comes as a shrinking fentanyl supply has made the drug weaker and less deadly and volunteer efforts get more people into treatment.  The weaker fentanyl tracks to a crackdown on materials used to make fentanyl in China around the time U.S. deaths started dropping in 2023. Some experts see it as a welcome, but possibly temporary, break for states in a scourge that boosted crime as people who are using the drugs sometimes fall into homelessness and steal to support fentanyl habits.  The numbers and rates of opioid overdose deaths fell for all races between 2023 and 2026, according to more detailed data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by Stateline. That’s in contrast to an earlier trend from 2019 to 2023, when rates dropped only among white people and rose sharply among Black and Indigenous Americans. view article

Local officials report that 108 of the cases originated in a contracted detention facility in Hudspeth County.  The largest outbreak is in a single contracted federal detention facility in Hudspeth County, as of March 18, according to DSHS. Hudspeth County Judge Joanna MacKenzie told The Texas Tribune that the 108 cases are all at the West Texas Detention Facility, which is managed by LaSalle Corrections, a private company. The facility has previously housed immigrant detainees, though it’s not clear if it still does. It does not appear on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s list of detention facilities.  “Not having jurisdiction, my office is not involved in response,” MacKenzie added in a statement, “however I remain in communication with DSHS and LaSalle, as I regularly do.” view article

In his homeschool curriculum, 12-year-old Luke Lunday is learning about Section 504, a cornerstone of disability rights. Championed by disability rights activist Judy Heumann, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is responsible for what’s known as the integration mandate, which requires that people with disabilities have access to services in their homes and communities, rather than an institution view article

An experienced child welfare manager was appointed to take over case management after “systemic failures” placed children in danger, court records said. view article

East Texas elementary school employee accused of having child porn arrested  ONALASKA, Texas — An East Texas elementary school employee accused of having child porn was arrested Tuesday night.  Jerry Cobb, 47, was booked into the Angelina County Jail for warrants out of the Onalaska Police Department, including two counts of assault and possession of child pornography, according to OPD. view article

Parents in Klein ISD are calling for stronger school safety measures after a series of gun-related incidents across the district, including one involving a man investigators say entered an elementary school campus while armed. An online petition created by a group calling itself the Klein ISD Parent Safety Coalition is gaining traction as families push district leaders to take additional steps to protect students. view article

A group of Klein ISD parents said they have a few safety ideas of their own following a week of gun-related incidents at the district. Those incidents include a gun being fired inside Klein Collins High School, a man with a gun walking into Zwink Elementary, and a student showing an unloaded gun to other students at Klein High School, according to the school district. view article

Two students were expelled after bringing guns to their high school campuses, while a 39-year-old man faces felony charges after allegedly walking into an elementary school with a holstered firearm and tactical gear. view article

A federal judge halted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention childhood vaccine schedule. view article

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Monday confirmed that a 39-year-old man who was killed in a standoff with Dallas officers last week was a member of her security team who had been using a fraudulent identity.  Diamon Mazairre Robinson lived as “Mike King” for years, during which he operated security businesses that hired off-duty officers, Dallas police said during a Monday press conference. Robinson’s real identity was exposed after Irving police put out a bulletin for a vehicle with stolen government plates, which a Dallas officer had seen while working with Robinson on a security job six months earlier. view article

Amid the flood of illegal vape products that have been entering Texas in recent years, law enforcement is actively working to stop a public health disaster before it gets worse. The problem is, by the time a teenager is caught with an illegal vape, the damage may already be done.   What a lot of parents don’t realize is that many of the vapes showing up in their kids’ backpacks are illegal, unregulated devices designed to keep them coming back for more.   Officers across Texas are seizing products that are deliberately designed to attract minors and evade the law. Some look like highlighters, USB drives, gaming devices or even cosmetics. They’re sold in bright colors, sweet flavors and flashy packaging that clearly aren’t meant for an adult trying to quit smoking, but for kids to discreetly use vapes at school. view article

Sex offender arrested after suspicious behavior at Itasca ISD. view article

Boys Ranch ISD has canceled school and Cal Farley's Boys Ranch has suspended campus operations for Thursday, March 12 due to the 'Yellow' wildfire burning in Oldham County. view article

A person is said to have been arrested after showing up with a gun to the front office of a Klein ISD elementary school. According to a letter from Zwink Elementary School Principal Linda Galicia, the incident happened Tuesday afternoon. view article

An individual identified as a convicted sex offender was arrested Tuesday afternoon after police observed him behaving suspiciously near the Itasca Independent School District campus, district officials said. In a letter posted to the district’s Facebook page, Itasca ISD officials said the incident happened around 3:25 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, near the intersection of Main Street and Wampus Cat Drive, close to the district’s campus in Itasca, Texas. view article

A police chase prompted Amarillo ISD to place all schools in "secure" mode. "There is an ongoing police pursuit of a vehicle across town, affecting multiple schools," said the district in a message to parents. "We are carefully watching the situation and doing our best to make sure our schools are safe." view article

Officials with Klein Independent School District confirmed Monday afternoon that a student accidentally discharged a firearm inside a restroom at Klein Collins High School. No students or staff were injured during the incident. view article

Some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel have publicly questioned the safety and manufacturing of the shots, including raising a debunked theory that DNA contaminants in the vaccines are harmful.  A key federal vaccine advisory panel has abandoned an attack on the covid-19 mRNA vaccines — a shift that comes as some Republicans warn that any more changes to vaccine policy could damage the party in the midterms.  Some of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s handpicked vaccine advisers had been seeking to potentially stop recommending mRNA shots. That plan is no longer moving forward, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. view article

The family of a 14-year-old McKinney ISD student has filed a civil lawsuit against a former district athletic trainer accused of sexually assaulting the teen. Attorney Paul Herz, who represents the student and the student’s family, said the allegations involve repeated abuse. view article

DeSoto ISD schools will have an increased visible security Friday amid an investigation into an online threat, officials say. The school district posted a note online Thursday evening stating that DeSoto ISD has not directly received any threats and there is no indication DeSoto ISD is involved. view article

Frisco police have arrested an elementary school teacher accused of physically assaulting a student, charging her with a felony after she turned herself in this week. Patricia Kemper, 54, a special education teacher at McSpedden Elementary, has been charged with injury to a child, a third‑degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. view article

The Montgomery location of Callie’s Apothecary does not look like much.   But standing on the concrete floors and surrounded by metal beams, owner Vince Schilleci described how the “pharmacy-adjacent” storefront will look.  And when Callie’s opens — which Schilleci thinks could happen as early as April — it will likely be the first place in Alabama one can purchase legal medical cannabis. view article

Fewer Wisconsin children and adolescents got vaccinated last year for many childhood illnesses, raising the risk of outbreaks and clusters that could lead to more widespread illness, the state health department reported Monday. Vaccination rates for a group of seven childhood diseases that public health experts recommend in the first two years after birth fell to 66.9% in 2025. In 2024, the rate was 68.8%, according to the Department of Health Services.  “While nearly seven out of every 10 children had the recommended vaccines in this series by 24 months of age, we know that three out of 10 kids did not,” said Stephanie Schauer, who manages the Wisconsin immunization program for DHS. That’s a decline of almost 2 percentage points — about 1,200 children, she said at an online press briefing Monday. view article

Company owned by the e-commerce giant ditched Flock, whose school-based license plate reader cameras are being accessed by ICE through local police. 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