Bugs

HB 1592 creates a statewide alert system for risks to wildlife and crops.

Almost a year after it closed, Garza County officials say they are finalizing the sale of the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility to the state of Texas. Lubbock Public Health has confirmed the presence of both the St. Louis Encephalitis Virus and West Nile Virus in the area. Our Bishop Van Buren reports the city is urging residents to avoid contact with mosquitos. And after a human case of screwworm was confirmed in the U.S., the Texas Department of State Health Services has launched a resource page on its website.

Texas is home to approximately 1,200 species of bee and about 25% of them are specialized bees, meaning they only pollinate specific plants. The bristly nama may not be a familiar name for those on the South Plains, but the plant and its purple flowers are all over Lubbock and its bees are hard at work to keep the ecosystem alive.

Recent lab data indicate higher tick activity this season in Texas than in years past. The director of UNTHSC's tick-borne disease lab tells how to guard against bites.

Last week's officer involved shooting on Texas Tech campus has been ruled as justified and officers have been cleared to return to duty. Colleges across the country can now make direct payments to their student-athletes, with a maximum allowance of $20.5 million per year. The outdoors are calling for a day at the lake or a night under the fireworks, but with that and the recent rain comes one issue: mosquitoes. Our Olivia O'Rand has more on how to protect yourself against the pesky insects.

The Fourth of July in Lubbock will look different this year, with new organizers of the 4th on Broadway parade and a last-minute change in location after recent spurts of heavy rainfall. Police are reminding residents that fireworks are still banned within city limits, and public health officials are warning of increased mosquito activity.

Last week, Lubbock ISD school board trustees voted unanimously to approve the budget for the upcoming school year with a $7 million deficit. Our reporter Brad Burt says this budget is subject to change as officials reckon with new money coming from the state legislature. Texas is stepping up its defense against a dangerous livestock pest. KERA's Katherine Hobbs reports on the creation of the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team.

New World screwworms used to be a constant concern for ranchers, until they were eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s. Now that they're on their way back, those who remember dealing with them have warnings about their impact.

Dallas and Tarrant counties have confirmed their first mosquito samples positive for West Nile virus this year. KERA’s Katherine Hobbs has tips for Texans to avoid the disease this summer. Experts say Texas could be down to the last minute for getting ahead of a statewide water crisis, and the response from Texas lawmakers has passed just as the legislative session draws to a close.

It's been decades since the New World Screwworm was a problem in the U.S.