Latest Contributions

• Texas lawmakers propose historic investments to broadband and water infrastructure — but voters will have the last word

  By Jayme Lozano Carver March 7, 2023

  If passed during this legislative session, this would be the state’s biggest investment in broadband, but some local officials question whether it would make the service more affordable in areas with few providers. Full Story 

• Here comes the haboob: Texas High Plains getting walloped by dust storms

  By Jayme Lozano Carver Feb. 24, 2023

  High Plains residents are used to wind and dust, but an ongoing drought and recent tropical-storm-level winds have brought some epic dust storms. Full Story 

• This Texas town has the highest rate of youth attempted suicides in the state. A grieving father hopes to reverse it.

  By Jayme Lozano Carver Feb. 16, 2023

  According to a new analysis by a national health care company, Lubbock has the highest rate of attempted suicides by children between the ages of 6 and 17. A local leader suggests a dearth of resources isn’t helping. Full Story 

• Black and Hispanic Texans say they don’t trust the quality of their water

  By Jayme Lozano Carver and Pooja Salhotra Feb. 16, 2023

  A survey was commissioned by the nonprofit organization Texas Water Trade and included responses from households in both rural border communities and in urban areas across Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Full Story 

• Amarillo’s plan for broadband in El Barrio could be a playbook for other Texas communities without internet

  By Jayme Lozano Carver Feb. 7, 2023

  Texas has had trouble getting a state of 30 million residents online for years — even before the pandemic put a spotlight on poor broadband development. Full Story 

• Texas cities debate costly infrastructure investments in age of extreme weather

  By Pooja Salhotra, Joshua Fechter, Erin Douglas, Jayme Lozano Carver and Emily Foxhall Feb. 3, 2023

  Experts say local governments should prioritize extreme weather preparedness. Cost can be a deterring factor. Full Story 

• A new bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers wants to highlight the state’s fragile water infrastructure

  By Pooja Salhotra and Jayme Lozano Carver Jan. 13, 2023

  So far there has been an average of six boil-water notices a day across Texas in 2023. Full Story 

• Farmers face a higher risk of suicide. The Texas Agriculture Department wants $500,000 a year to change that.

  By Jayme Lozano Carver Jan. 11, 2023

  The department’s helpline is less than a year old. But advocates hope state lawmakers fully fund it as farmers and ranchers continue to face hard economic times and isolation. Full Story 

• Lubbock-Cooper ISD passed a resolution denouncing racist bullying in schools. Parents say it’s a publicity stunt.

  By Jayme Lozano Carver Jan. 5, 2023

  Students reported enduring racial slurs, the sounds of whips cracking and monkey noises as they walked down school hallways. Full Story 

• Texas ag agency says climate change threatens state’s food supply

  By Jayme Lozano Carver Jan. 3, 2023

  A new Texas Department of Agriculture report also points to other factors that are making it harder for Texans to access and afford food, including wages falling behind rising costs of living. Full Story