Local Government

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new website to centralize information about the New World Screwworm. Texas Public Radio's Marian Navarro reports a case was detected this fall in a Mexican city less than 70 miles from the Texas-Mexico border. City departments will be closed this Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Our Sean Ryan says offices and community centers will remain closed until Monday, but libraries and museums will resume normal hours over the weekend. A new national survey finds that nearly half of the 1,300 participating small business owners experienced a drop in profits this fall.

Lubbock City Council gave preliminary approval to two amendments to the city's ordinances brought forward by Lubbock Animal Services. Our Samantha Larned reports they concern dangerous dogs, multi-pet permits, and impound fees. The council is expected to give a final vote on Nov. 25. The new budget deal to reopen the government includes an extension of certain Farm Bill programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program.

After seven years, the Lubbock County Expo Center is expected to present a plan to its oversight board today, in hopes of being approved by commissioners later this month. Rather than combining with the city's Civic Center renovations downtown, the proposal keeps the project in North Lubbock. But our Samantha Larned reports it calls for a $32 million bond, with approval from Lubbock County voters.

After seven years, the Lubbock County Expo Center is expected to present a plan to its oversight board Thursday in hopes of being approved by commissioners later this month. The proposal keeps the project in North Lubbock, but includes a voter-approved bond to meet necessary funding.

With a team of six, the City of Lubbock Cemetery maintains approximately 65,000 graves and is digging new ones every week. Arranging burials, finding plots, and dealing with the unexpected, the cemetery staff are caring for the families and the places they lay their loved ones to rest.

After cooler temperatures arrived this week, post-cold front conditions are now driving elevated fire danger across parts of West Texas. Our Bishop Van Buren reports the Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to over 130 wildfire incidents this October. Lubbock’s city council has voted to repeal a recent ordinance update that would’ve required permits, annual fees, and false call fines for owners of alarm systems that alert the police electronically.

Shortly after the updated false alarm ordinance took effect on Oct. 1, concerns from the public began to circulate. Lubbock police say similar ordinances are used in other Texas cities, but whether the systems have reduced the problem of false alarms for those cities remains unclear. Now, the council is repealing the ordinance, with apologies for the procedure that many felt was not transparent.

As Governor Greg Abbott threatens to withhold TxDOT funding over political road markings, our Bishop Van Buren reports a crosswalk in Lubbock honoring Buddy Holly may be at risk. Seven years after voters approved taxpayer funding for an expo center in North Lubbock, county commissioners are considering alternative approaches to get the project started.

The City of Lubbock implemented a crackdown on "nuisance" calls to the police department at the beginning of the month. The False Alarm Ordinance introduces a $50 permitting fee for Lubbock alarm owners. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is developing the state’s application for a federal rural health funding program. With more than half of rural hospitals in Texas at risk of shutting down, KERA’s Abigail Ruhman reports health leaders say the state should utilize potential new funding to prevent further closures.

Incumbent Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish announced his intention to run for re-election in 2026. Our reporter Sean Ryan reports on his priorities and recent accomplishments. The Lubbock Police Department is asking the public to be mindful of what’s being posted online, after a recent shooting at a party in southwest Lubbock spouted unverified information being shared on social media.