The KTTZ News Team

Caprock Canyon State Park has been officially certified as an international Dark Skies park. The beauty of the park recently inspired a West Texas native to use his new clothing brand to advocate for natural spaces on the South Plains. Our Olivia O’Rand reports on Dying Breed. New research shows that bison, like those living in Caprock Canyon, can help protect prairies from the invasive eastern red cedar.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new website to centralize information about the New World Screwworm. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro reports a case was detected this fall in a Mexican city less than 70 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. City departments will be closed this Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Our Sean Ryan says offices and community centers will remain closed until Monday, but libraries and museums will resume normal hours over the weekend. A new national survey finds that nearly half of the 1,300 participating small business owners experienced a drop in profits this fall.

Enrollment opens today for three programs from the USDA providing relief for farmers and ranchers affected by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. Our Samantha Larned reports on the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, the Milk Loss Program, and the On-Farm Stored Crop Loss Assistance Program. United Supermarkets will lay off more than 100 positions from the headquarters office in Lubbock, with gradual "restructuring" over the first few months of the new year.

A federal judge has issued a blistering dissent after two other judges on the same panel blocked Texas’ congressional redistricting map from taking effect next year. Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider reports the case has major ramifications for whether Republicans retain control of the House. After increased demand during the federal government shutdown, food pantries are expecting that to continue through the holiday season. The Central Texas Food Bank says some of its sites have had up to a 300% increase in people utilizing its services.

A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new state law that requires Ten Commandments displays in public schools across the state. As The Texas Newsroom's Lucio Vasquez reports, the temporary block is mainly focused on the state's largest cities. With Thanksgiving coming up next week, our Sean Ryan has tips from Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport for those getting out of town this holiday season.

Houston-area senator Brandon Creighton begins his tenure as the Texas Tech System’s new chancellor today. Our Brad Burt reports Creighton sat alongside Dr. Tedd Mitchell for the former chancellor's final board of regents meeting. Meanwhile, KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports international student enrollment in the U.S. is dropping, leading to a projected $1 billion revenue loss this fall.

The opening of the West Texas State Veterans Cemetery, originally set for December, has been delayed. A new report finds that the state's six-week abortion ban has had the most significant impact on those under the age of 18. Texas Public Radio's Bonnie Petrie reports on why that might be. Just one week after District 19 congressman Jodey Arrington announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2026, and other candidates have already begun filing for his seat.

The newly passed federal ban on hemp-based products containing THC, set to go into effect in Nov. 2026, could have a significant negative effect on the Texas economy.Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says the ban could hit a wide range of Texas industries. Tomorrow is National Memory Screening Day and Texas Tech’s Garrison Institute on Aging is joining the effort. Our Bishop Van Buren reports the GIA will be offering free screenings at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center’s Academic Event Center tomorrow at 2 p.m., followed by a lecture by Texas Tech psychology professor Dr. Gayle Ayers from 3 to 4 p.m.

Lubbock City Council gave preliminary approval to two amendments to the city's ordinances brought forward by Lubbock Animal Services. Our Samantha Larned reports they concern dangerous dogs, multi-pet permits, and impound fees. The council is expected to give a final vote on Nov. 25. The new budget deal to reopen the government includes an extension of certain Farm Bill programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program.

After seven years, the Lubbock County Expo Center is expected to present a plan to its oversight board today, in hopes of being approved by commissioners later this month. Rather than combining with the city's Civic Center renovations downtown, the proposal keeps the project in North Lubbock. But our Samantha Larned reports it calls for a $32 million bond, with approval from Lubbock County voters.