Infrastructure

The federal investment follows the $1 billion approved by Texas taxpayers to help connect the state.

The proposal comes after the state’s oil and gas regulatory agency said it needs more money to plug wells that are in some instances erupting.

Health and Human Services data shows an encouraging decline in north Texas related to the opioid epidemic. KERA's Marina Trahan Martinez reports that so far this year, local deaths involving fentanyl use are trending down. And Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider says the Texas Senate is looking at how to protect the state’s power grid against worst-case scenarios.

Record-breaking turnout for voters in and around Lubbock was still not able to meet expectations by the Elections Office, with a total percentage just over 62% of registered voters in Lubbock County; while close approval of local propositions opens the question of how long older Lubbockites will financially support Lubbock's massive growth.

A fire burning at a power substation southeast of Lubbock has been contained, but officials say it’s expected to continue to burn for about 40 days. For Texans who plan to vote by mail this year, applications must be received by the local election office today. And taking place this weekend, the United Supermarkets Lubbock Marathon has events for families and athletes alike.

A team of linemen from Lubbock Power & Light was recognized this week for their assistance in restoring power to Florida after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. And KERA’s Katherine Hobbs has more after an attorney for those who filed a lawsuit over the Texas foster care system says the group will appeal a ruling to remove the judge in the case.

A recent report from Inside Climate News found that the state's environmental regulators are not holding polluters as accountable as they once did. The Texas Department of Transportation will receive more than $5.5 billion from the federal government for infrastructure improvements. And the U.S. Supreme Court is revisiting a dispute over shipping nuclear waste from across the country to a site in far West Texas.

Frenship Independent School District cut the ribbon on its newest elementary school campus yesterday. Our reporter Samantha Larned has more from the event. And the City of Lubbock is holding a joint public hearing for the Unified Development Code tonight at 6 p.m. at Citizens Tower.

Dozens of advocates are blanketing Capitol Hill this week to push for Congress to revive a program that provided compensation to people with long-standing impacts from U.S. nuclear testing programs.

A panel of Texas lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday about the investigation into what caused the largest wildfire in Texas history, which burned more than one million acres of the panhandle in late February and early March.