Health

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.

After a number of states have dealt different rulings in cases raised against the company behind the herbicide Roundup, the issue is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Texas has the largest number of rural hospitals in the country. In the past decade, 14 of the state’s rural hospitals have closed and another 82 are at risk of closure, according to a recent report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. Despite funding challenges, some rural hospitals are continuing and even expanding services through community support.

The course includes examples of when abortion is permitted to protect the life of the patient, but many experts say the complications women face in pregnancy are impossible to capture in a brief presentation.

Just two weeks ago, West Texas was one of many regions hit by a snowstorm and sub-zero temperatures. Now, this week, Lubbock is experiencing highs in the 70s. Our Charley Maranville has more from a local expert on how these intense fluctuations impact your ability to stay healthy. Also following last month’s winter storm, KERA’s Avery Escamilla-Wendell reports that some Texans could see much higher electricity and gas bills.

The City of Lubbock continues to remind citizens not to touch wild birds, as officials report having collected more than 2,000 dead birds by the end of January. Here are avian flu facts to be aware of and ways to keep yourself and your pets healthy.

Officials said 18 cases of COVID-19 were also identified at the 5,000-bed tent Fort Bliss Army facility, where a Democratic congresswoman said many “chronic issues” persist.

Avian flu continues to spread among wild birds in and around Lubbock, with hundreds of dead geese collected in recent weeks, including near local lakes and water treatment facilities. Our reporter Bishop van Buren has more on the outbreak from Lubbock City Manager Jarrett Atkinson. New data finds that around 71,000 immigrants are being held in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention as of the end of January. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro reports the data shows around 74% of the detainees have no criminal conviction.

Mental health struggles in older adults are sometimes brushed off or just considered a normal part of aging.

Opioid use is a nationwide issue and Lubbock is no exception. StarCare and Lubbock Public Health partnered last week to provide a presentation on recognizing and responding to an opioid overdose, as well as common myths and risk factors.