Local news

Lubbock City Council accepted a citizens’ petition for an 18-month pause on data center development in the city and will be hearing from residents regarding the proposal on Sept. 8. If the council rejects the petition at the hearing, organizers can choose to put it on the ballot in a general election.

A debate over books in Texas' public school libraries picked up new attention last week, when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick threatened legislative action unless Texas school districts pull books from the shelves that he and certain activists believe are "harmful" to students and families and violate Texas' Senate Bill 13. In a meeting of Lubbock ISD's board of trustees, the district stood by the parent-led library council and book review system established under state law.

The Texas Tech University Veterinary School of Medicine welcomed its inaugural class on August 18, 2021. Now, five years later, the school’s first wave of veterinarians are already working to fill a shortage in Texas’ rural animal care.

Lubbock Animal Services is hosting its annual Clear the Shelter Day on Saturday, August 22. Along with free adoptions and vaccinations, the event will have family-friendly activities and food vendors. And with limited space and new intakes every day, LAS is hoping the adoption push will help create space for more animals.

The Texas Education Agency has released the accountability rating for the 2025-2026 school year. Lubbock-Cooper ISD and Frenship ISD had lower scores in their overall rating compared to the year before, while Lubbock ISD continued a steady increase over the past two school years.

Lubbock ISD and Texas Tech K-12 have launched a new virtual education program, intended to reach more families and provide resources for student success. Applications are open through August 10.

Lubbock’s District 4 has a new city council representative in Tim Green after this weekend’s runoff election. Green’s term will last until 2028.

In a city council meeting this week, recent fears of data center development met with generational frustrations over industrial zoning in north and east Lubbock, leading to threats of recalls for city leaders in a meeting where many who spoke out felt ignored.

After 23 years of serving the people of Lubbock County, Roxzine Stinson is retiring at the end of July. She sat down with the KTTZ news team to reflect on her time as elections administrator, the challenges and rewards of the position, and some of her most memorable moments in office.

Just a stone's throw away from Leftwich Park, a colorful collection of rocks offers a space for neighbors to connect, participate, and enjoy the beauty of nature.