Local News

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Xcel Energy, alleging the Minnesota-based electric company caused the 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire.

Joe Ely was a Texas music legend who drove humbly at the leading edge of an evolutionary wave in alternative country music, and many talented West Texas musicians came with him. Butch Hancock and Terry Allen spoke with KTTZ about the life and career of their close friend, the role that West Texas played in their music, and the role Joe Ely played in their lives.

Following the Dec. 1 memorandum from Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent letters to each of the five presidents within the Tech system, calling upon them not to restrict academic freedom or classroom instruction based on viewpoint.

Caley’s campaign announcement highlighted possible initiatives like developing a new library branch or recreation center in the district, as well as additional neighborhood planning efforts, policies to benefit locally owned businesses, and addressing loose animals.

A county oversight committee gave their approval to move forward with Lubbock’s hotly debated expo center. The next step goes to county commissioners, who will decide whether to borrow from the hotel occupancy tax. After a directive from TXDOT to remove nonstandard markings from municipal crosswalks, the City of San Antonio planned to replace its rainbow crosswalk with a rainbow sidewalk. Texas Public Radio's Joey Palacios reports those plans have been put on pause.

As students return to colleges and universities across Texas, questions remain regarding discussions of gender and race in the classroom and on campus. Our Samantha Larned reports on the latest from the Texas Tech and Texas A&M university systems.

School is back in session, which means flu season is kicking into high gear. Our new student reporter Michelle Waida has advice for parents on symptoms and recovery for children. According to data from the National Weather Service, 2025 was Lubbock's second-warmest year on record. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren breaks down the year-end climate summary.