Community

West Texans will soon be seeing another data center after “Project Caprock” broke ground in Hale County yesterday. The boom in A.I. data centers in Texas could raise energy costs and strain the state power grid. KUT's Mose Buchele reports that to understand the risks, grid managers at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas need to understand how many centers are really coming. The City of Levelland in Hockley County is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary this weekend. The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 11, but with the chance of severe weather, the decision was made to push the event to Sunday, April 12.

Following recent reports from the Texas Education Agency about removing Cesar Chavez from curriculum, Mayor Pro-tem and District 1 Lubbock city council representative Christy Martinez-Garcia said that she does not want the changes to erase the history altogether. This week, the Texas Department of Agriculture announced the Marketing Enhancement Grant Assistance program for GO TEXAN partners. Our Charley Maranville has more on how the program works. More at gotexan.org.

Lubbock native Blaire Elbert represented West Texas on this season of the NBC singing competition The Voice. Elbert was eliminated, but is continuing to ride her momentum as she tours the state. KTTZ reporter Mia Shephard spoke with Elbert earlier this month about her experience on the show.

Billie Caviel and her husband, Alfred, owned and operated Lubbock's first Black-owned pharmacy near 19th Street and Avenue A for nearly 50 years. Friends say Billie was continually invested in bringing arts and education to the next generation.

Activist and United Farm Workers co-leader Dolores Huerta issued a statement on social media reinforcing sex abuse allegations against labor icon Cesar Chavez. Texas Public Radio's Kory Cook has the details. In Lubbock, the Democratic Party is asking city leaders to change the name of Cesar E. Chavez Drive. Nonprofit Los Hermanos Familia, which organized Lubbock's event honoring Chavez for more than 25 years, has announced that instead of cancelling, they will hold the "CommUNITY Day of Service" on March 28.

Following sex abuse allegations against labor icon Cesar Chavez, a number of organizations have cancelled annual celebrations typically held in March. Rather than cancelling its day of community service, Los Hermanos Familia in Lubbock has renamed the event. Meanwhile, Lubbock Democratic Leaders are calling on the city to rename the street that also honors Chavez.

Former Lubbock city councilman Gary Boren has declared his intention to run for city council District 4 after Brayden Rose announced his resignation last week. Lubbock’s Chamber of Commerce kicked off its annual Lemonade Day campaign yesterday, launching an initiative that aims to teach kids entrepreneurship through running lemonade stands. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren has more from the ribbon cutting. And Texas families now have at least another two weeks to apply for the state's new school voucher program after a federal judge in Houston ordered an extension.

Lubbock’s Alzheimer’s Football League returns for its fifth season, aiming to raise money for local research and caregiver support with partners like Texas Tech's Garrison Institute on Aging. Organizers hope to build on recent success and remind West Texans they’re not alone in facing the disease.

In honor of Black History Month, the Lubbock Roots Historical Arts Council is celebrating with its “Blackout” art exhibition to highlight the creativity and resilience of Black artists. Recent changes in the education system raise concerns about the teaching of Black history; locals say preserving and honoring it is essential to understanding American history.

This week, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce announced that the Hub City BBQ Cookoff, scheduled as a two day event in September, will not be open to the public this year. The UT System board of regents have approved a measure for faculty to avoid quote “controversial topics.” KUT’s Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vazquez tells us faculty and advocates are worried this might lead to censorship.