Community

An earthquake shook the ground in west Texas this weekend, some felt it here in Lubbock. Texas Public Radio’s Jerry Clayton reports it was among the strongest quakes in recent years. Tomorrow, the City of Lubbock Solid Waste Department is providing an opportunity to drop-off unwanted items that can be reused or large items for disposal. The Move Out Give Back events are May 7 and May 17 from 8:30 A.M. to 6 P.M. with locations at First Baptist Church's southeast parking lot at 13th Street & Avenue V and next to the City of Lubbock recycling site, at 2901 Elgin Ave. You can find more information at mylubbock.us/move-out-give-back.

With school almost out for summer, many students — in Plainview, Tahoka, and beyond — step out of the classroom and into the public library. Between summer reading programs and the year-round story times, events, and educational opportunities, public libraries are ever evolving to meet the needs of their communities.

The Volunteer Center of Lubbock is celebrating national volunteer week by putting on its first 806 ServeFest tomorrow, a city wide day of service to the community. You can sign up to serve and find more information on the Volunteer Center of Lubbock's website. The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports the latest in an ongoing water-sharing dispute between the U.S. and Mexico. Tonight, Congressman Jodey Arrington will be hosting a telephone town hall. The event starts at 7 P.M. with a livestream on the representative's website. You can sign up to ask questions before 1 P.M. here.

The Trump administration is expected to unveil a budget proposal that would eliminate the Head Start program. The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports, education and child advocates say that could devastate Texas families. To celebrate National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, Lubbock Animal Services is hosting a free adoption event tomorrow from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. at Tyler Technologies at 5519 53rd Street. And on Saturday LAS will be offering free pet adoptions at the VA Welcome Home from 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.

With Lubbock ISD’s $290 million bond the only item on most Lubbock ballots in the May 3 election, many are considering the possible costs for taxpayers and the value of public schools in Lubbock’s economy. At the same time, questions of transparency and participation remain top of mind for district staff and community members alike.

A portion of the proceeds from this year’s State of the City address were designated for a charity of the mayor’s choice. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren attended the presentation of a $17,500 check to the Guadalupe-Parkway Neighborhood Centers on Wednesday. The 2023 A-F school rankings were released yesterday after a lengthy legal challenge. Lubbock-Cooper ISD received a district rating of 89 out of 100, Frenship ISD was rated 82, and Lubbock ISD was rated 79. You can search the rankings of specific schools and districts at txschools.gov.

The Lubbock county elections office reported around 1,000 voters for the first day of early voting. The single issue on the ballot for many Lubbock voters is the $290 million bond for Lubbock ISD. You can find voter information like polling times and locations at votelubbock.org. KTTZ's Samantha Larned reports the Lubbock city council authorized the purchase of the Godeke Branch Library.

Friday is the deadline for artists to submit entries for the 2025 Storm Drain Art Project. Our Samantha Larned explains winning artists will be invited to paint murals downtown to help raise awareness of the role citizens play in improving water quality. Application information can be found at mylubbock.us/StormDrainArtProject. Following his death Monday morning, the Diocese of Lubbock announced it will be holding a memorial for Pope Francis this Saturday at 2 P.M., at Christ the King Cathedral, 4011 54th Street.

During Red Raider football season, Fearless Champion takes center stage as the Masked Rider charges onto the field before home games—but at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center, horseplay is a year-round commitment.

Some Texas legislators may be done questioning the merits of education savings accounts as it moves to a vote in the State House, but voters aren’t. Model programs in other states are showing rural voters could stand to lose the most, and they’re preparing to do the math on election day.