Local news

Amid a tough year for agriculture, the Lubbock County Junior Livestock Show proved the strength of community and youth dedication. From months of caring for animals to scholarship awards for graduating seniors, the annual event highlighted how the show raises more than livestock — it helps raise future leaders.

Lubbock County, the South Plains and Texas Panhandle were included in a disaster declaration for more than 130 Texas counties ahead of Winter Storm Fern. Here are best practices for staying safe at home and on the road.

Amid one of the best starts in program history, Texas Tech women’s basketball climbed into the AP Top 25 behind one of the Big 12’s top defenses. Now, with some of the conference’s toughest opponents ahead, the Lady Raiders face the most demanding stretch of their season.

As students return to colleges and universities across the state, questions remain regarding discussions of gender and race on Texas campuses. Faculty with the Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University systems are dealing with the impact of new policies on their class curriculums, as West Texas A&M continues to face legal challenges to its drag performance ban.

Although Texas Tech’s run ended with a New Year’s Day loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoffs, the Red Raiders’ first trip to the postseason marked one of the most memorable seasons in program history.

In 2007, horse slaughter was banned within the United States. However, this ban does not keep sellers from sending tens of thousands of horses to be processed within Canada and Mexico. Beth Nickels, a local trauma surgeon, runs a horse rescue, working to give these horses a chance at a new life.

Join the KTTZ news team as we reflect on some of the year’s most consequential stories. With a legislative session led by a Lubbock state representative, a measles outbreak in the region, and Texas Tech taking a national stage for its athletics and in broader conversations about higher education: here is your 2025 West Texas year in review.

Here are some ways you can give back to the Lubbock community in December.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Xcel Energy, alleging the Minnesota-based electric company caused the 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire.

Joe Ely was a Texas music legend who drove humbly at the leading edge of an evolutionary wave in alternative country music, and many talented West Texas musicians came with him. Butch Hancock and Terry Allen spoke with KTTZ about the life and career of their close friend, the role that West Texas played in their music, and the role Joe Ely played in their lives.