East Texas town with no abortion clinics passes ordinance attempting to ban the procedure
Waskom declared itself a "sanctuary city for the unborn." City leaders acknowledged that the decision will likely lead to a lawsuit. Full Story
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![The Waskom City Council.]()
Credit: Screenshot via ArkLaTex News -
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill declaring children's lemonade stands legal
The bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1, prevents cities and neighborhood associations from prohibiting or regulating children who sell nonalcoholic drinks on private property. Full Story
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![Focus on sign at lemonade stand. A lemon, strawberry and pile of red plastic cups in foreground. Out of focus girl in background.]()
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No one knows exactly why rural East Texas faces high suicide rates. And resources to help are scarce.
The region has some of the highest suicide rates in the state. But the safety net for people who need help is being stretched thin, and some Texans are falling through. Full Story
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East Texas county sues drug companies, alleges role in opioid crisis
Upshur County is suing a slew of prescription painkiller manufacturers and distributers in federal court, accusing them of fueling a nationwide opioid addiction epidemic. Other Texas governments may follow suit. Full Story
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Study: Oil Activity May Be Cause of East Texas Quakes
University of Texas at Austin researchers call it “plausible” that underground injections of oil and gas waste triggered a series of temblors that rattled Timpson residents in 2012. Full Story
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![Each day, dozens of trucks hook up to the Gulf Coast-run fracking fluid disposal well site near Gonzales, Texas.]()
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Can Mary Lou Bruner Rewrite Texas Textbooks?
The Texas State Board of Education doesn't hold the national sway it once did, so if the controversial East Texas grandmother is elected her impact might be marginal. Full Story
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Van de Putte's Statewide Bus Tour Ventures off Democrats' Beaten Path
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, is reaching out to voters in conservative hotbeds in North and East Texas — a nod to Democrats’ dependence on increasing voter turnout in statewide races. Full Story
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![State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte waves to the delegates at the 2014 Texas Democratic Convention held at the Dallas Convention Center on June 27, 2014.]()
Credit: Alyssa Banata -
Official Says Marvin Nichols Reservoir Should Stay in Water Plan
UPDATED: The Texas Water Development Board's executive director issued a final recommendation Monday that the controversial Marvin Nichols reservoir in northeast Texas remain in the state water plan for now. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
"Bernie" Movie Plays Key Role in Bernie's Freedom
Filmmaker Richard Linklater always thought life in prison was too harsh for Bernie Tiede, the East Texas mortician who murdered his 81-year-old companion. Now — in large part because of Linklater's film on him — Tiede is no longer behind bars. Full Story
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![Bernie Tiede leaves the Panola County Courthouse on May 6, 2014.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson -
Jasper Reaches $831,000 Settlement With Fired Police Chief
The East Texas town of Jasper has reached an $831,000 settlement in the federal discrimination lawsuit brought by its first black police chief after his 2012 firing. Full Story
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![Rodney Pearson and his wife, Sandy, in front of their home in Jasper on June 15, 2012.]()
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East Texas Town's Stance on Famed Convict Changes Over 15 Years
When Bernie Tiede went to trial in 1999 for murdering a wealthy Carthage widow, many in the town wanted the young man to see a light punishment. But 15 years into his life sentence, many now say prison is where he belongs. Full Story
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![Bernhardt Tiede exits the Panola County Court building with his attorney Jodi Cole after his hearing on February 5, 2014 in Carthage. His attorney filed new evidence that could affect his punishment term. He has been serving time since August of 1997 for the murder of Marjorie Nugent.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson -
After Arkansas Spill, East Texans Seek Permanent Shutdown of Pipeline
About eight months after a ruptured pipe spewed at least 210,000 gallons of tar sands oil in Arkansas, residents and some public officials in East Texas are calling on regulators to permanently shutter the Pegasus pipeline, which runs beneath local reservoirs and backyards. Full Story
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![Jim Howell stands on the easement of the Exxon Mobile Pegasus pipeline which runs through his property in Gun Barrel City on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013.]()
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Fired Jasper Police Chief at the Center of a Divide
Former Police Chief Rodney Pearson has become a reluctant symbol for many in Jasper's black community of how little has changed in race relations since James Byrd Jr.’s dragging death. Full Story
![Rodney Pearson and his wife, Sandy, in front of their home in Jasper on June 15, 2012.]()
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In Jasper, Black Leaders Say Tensions Escalating After Chief's Dismissal
Jasper continues to deal with fallout from the dismissal of its first black police chief. Black community leaders in the East Texas town say racial tensions are at "an all-time high." Full Story
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![Reverend Rodney Norsworthy, a minister at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, shows the grave of James Byrd, at a cemetery in Jasper, TX on June 15 2012.]()
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Jasper Police Chief Firing Exposes Rift in City Politics
The short-lived tenure of Jasper's first black police chief — and the public feuding it has provoked — threatens to wrench open still healing wounds from the town's troubled past. Full Story
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![Rodney and Sandy Pearson of Jasper, Texas.]()
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Familiar Foes Simpson, Merritt Square Off Again
GOP leaders from East Texas see a tight race in the HD-7 primary rematch between state Rep. David Simpson and Tommy Merritt, a former seven-term House member. Full Story
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First Minority Cancer Month Highlights Disparities
Lawmakers and health care advocates gathered today to kick off the state's first annual Minority Cancer Awareness Month, designated in the last legislative session to bring awareness to racial disparities in cancer survival. Full Story
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Senate Committee Tackles Rural Child Welfare
Child Protective Services officials got an earful on Wednesday at a Senate hearing on improving the caseworker retention rates in rural communities. And they got a minor scolding from Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville. Full Story
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Texas Gets a D+ in Public Integrity Study
Texas has scored a 68 out of 100, placing 27th in a national state integrity study. The state got high marks for auditing and for monitoring pension funds, but not as high for accountability of the governor and legislators. Full Story
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Urban Water Use Climbs Despite Restrictions
In 2011, residents of some large Texas cities increased their water usage — despite the widespread adoption of restrictions on lawn-watering. Full Story
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