Local Government

Our reporter Olivia O'Rand has more on recommendations from a local health expert on using Breast Cancer Awareness month to encourage people to take control of their health. Tomorrow morning, Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer is hosting Coffee with the Mayor alongside District 2 Councilman Gordon Harris at 7 a.m. at the Mae Simmons Community Center.

Lubbock County Commissioners passed new regulations yesterday that will impact the operation of game rooms in parts of Lubbock County. And KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports families and students are pushing back on Keller ISD’s new theater policy, which disallows plays other schools still perform.

A Wednesday ruling from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in a shaken baby syndrome case, could have implications for another man on death row scheduled to be executed next week. Texas Public Radio’s Dan Katz reports. Here in Lubbock, the city has made another step toward building Canyon Lake 7.

Lubbock county commissioners will meet to vote on the county’s property tax rate for what could be the last time before the end of the fiscal year when the county is mandated to cut the budget to the no-new-revenue rate. And KERA's Miranda Suarez reports the Dalby Correctional facility in Garza County is set to shut down at the end of the month — after Tarrant County decided to pull out of its contract early.

The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees approved a new property tax rate yesterday. And Texas Public Radio's Camille Phillips reports The American Civil Liberties Union and several other organizations filed briefs this week in an ongoing lawsuit over books removed from the Llano County library.

Lubbock City Council approved a budget for the next fiscal year yesterday, with a 0.72% increase to property taxes to support it. This week also saw a vote on Lubbock County's budget postponed once again after two commissioners did not attend a meeting the second time in a row. Our reporter Samantha Larned has more. And multiple police departments have responded to reported bomb threats at Lubbock area high schools over the past two days.

Ector County has issued a disaster declaration in response to pollution from a recent chemical fire at an industrial facility outside of Odessa. KERA’s Katherine Hobbs reports that the Texas Civil War Museum will close its doors in October. And Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer will be holding Coffee with the Mayor, beginning with District 1 on Wednesday at 7 a.m.

As the budget season draws to a close, some city leaders are concerned about cuts and commitments that could impact the future of Lubbock's quality of life. At the same time, some are still working to pull departments like Parks and Recreation out of the Pandemic's recession.

Yesterday’s budget work session with the city council saw a new recommendation from city management to approach the issue with private sewer line repairs in the public right-of-way. And multiple Odessa residents are seeking millions of dollars in damages after they say an industrial facility chemical fire last month forced them from their homes and polluted their drinking water.

Many Lubbock County residents came to Monday’s commissioner’s court meeting to express their opposition to a proposed tax increase. Two commissioners were not among them, skipping the meeting to deny the quorum needed for a tax increase vote. Commissioners must vote on the tax rate before September 30.