Voters in a competitive central Michigan district will decide control of the state Senate on Tuesday in a special election to fill the seat last held by Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, who's now a congresswoman.

A Midland County Republican Women official said they tried for months to extend an invitation to French, who is in a runoff with incumbent Jim Wright, but were unable to reach him.

The Waco school district is expected to be the latest to contract with the charter operator founded by Mike Miles, the state-appointed superintendent of Houston schools.

Oil and gas companies have said the region needs more power. Environmentalists and a conservative think tank worry the state is moving too fast — and ratepayers will see the costs in their bills.

Cleaning up oilfield pollution in arid West Texas is costly and complicated. The bankruptcy process allows companies to move on while the public pays the price.

The Midland school district has said it has followed the law. Six teachers and the school principal have either resigned or been fired over the alleged abuse of special needs students.

Five years ago, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, the board voted to change the high school to Legacy High. On Tuesday, it reversed course.

The Midland school district rebranded Robert E. Lee High as Legacy High in 2020, part of a nationwide trend to distance public places from the Confederacy.

Most victims were Texans, but some were visiting from other states like California, Florida and Alabama. The youngest victims were 1 year old; the oldest was 91.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shut down six massage businesses in various cities across Texas, including Midland, Katy, Spring, Houston, Plano, and Big Spring, due to suspected human trafficking activities.

Eight Tribune photographers in eight Texas cities covered Saturday’s “No Kings” protests. Here is some of their work.

Demonstrations in McAllen, Midland, Odessa, Austin and elsewhere in Texas have been largely peaceful, as some protests are expected to go well into the night.

The Texas Legislature has also invested millions in research to clean the fracking wastewater. Critics say it’s not a viable solution to the state’s water crisis.

The legislation, which won unanimous approval in both chambers, was written following the state’s historic Panhandle wildfires last year.

Texas Republican lawmakers in regions known for support of public schools defended voting for vouchers, saying they gained leverage to seek concessions.

Desalination can create millions of gallons of fresh water a day. But it is expensive and there are many environmental concerns.

The legislation was written after the state’s largest wildfire scorched more than 1 million acres in the Panhandle last year.

Texas’ population growth has slowed, but the state’s major urban areas are still adding hundreds of thousands of residents.

Among the proposals is a bill that would force more inspections of power lines, which a committee concluded ignited a blaze that burned more than 1 million acres last year.

Meanwhile in the Panhandle, Republicans were less excited that Burrows won the speaker contest thanks largely to Democrats.

A yearslong dispute over exporting water to growing Texas cities offers a hint at the battles to come as the state’s population booms and water supply dwindles.

LGBTQ+ advocates called the ban one of the most extreme measures enacted by a local government.

Under Javier Joven’s leadership, his critics say, the Odessa City Council has lost focus on municipal issues like roads and water infrastructure.

“It’s like time passes, but it also freezes,” said Rosie Granados, whose twin sister was killed during the shooting.

A local volunteer died by suicide ahead of the center’s grand opening, reminding the West Texas community why such spaces are important.

One organization helping Texans pay their electric bills said the average household was $1,400 behind.

A new operator was assigned to fix the well in Midland County, which is still not compliant with state standards.

A third infant nearby also contracted botulism last August. Local and state health officials said there is no public health emergency.

A nonprofit commissioned the report that found severe and fatal vehicle crashes in the Permian Basin far outpaced the state.

The city initially protested Pilot’s applications to drill the wells close to its water supply.

Like local leaders in many other towns in West Texas, the Kermit City Council spent years saving its tax revenue fearing the energy economy would crash. Now it is struggling to keep up with essential services like trash and road repair.

The expansion, which will start with a smaller pilot in four high schools between Texas and New Mexico, is being paid for by the Permian Strategic Partnership, a group funded by major energy producers.

As oil and gas companies struggle to dispose of their wastewater in the Permian Basin, the city of Midland is challenging applications for disposal wells near one of its drinking water sources.

The voter approval rate for school maintenance and construction costs dipped in 2021 after lawmakers required school boards to call them “tax increases.”

The West Texas ethos of low taxes and small government has been hard for school leaders to overcome. Voters have rejected bond issues in Midland and Odessa during the last decade.

Like many regions in Texas, the county jails and hospitals have been at capacity with people needing mental health help. Local leaders hope a new 200-bed facility will alleviate pressure.

As dry soils contract, underground pipes rupture and cities must fix thousands of water leaks, frustrating conservation efforts and highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to a warming climate.

West Texas residents are organizing over their love — or concern — for books. Meanwhile, from Lubbock to Midland and Odessa, librarians are trying to reaffirm libraries’ role as community hubs.

This is the third year businesses in the Permian Basin — known for high school football and oil fields — have participated in the University of Texas Austin program. Students this year say they are seeing their hometowns in a new way.

The EPA last year announced aerial surveillance of “super-emitters.” At least one other company in New Mexico faced a similar fine.

When sizzling temperatures in June affected the air pressure in pipelines in West Texas, companies in five counties vented millions of pounds of natural gas and other toxins into the air.

The Florida governor’s events in six cities are drawing some of the state’s biggest Republican donors.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a big fan of Buc-ee’s beaver nuggets just like almost every Texan.

Heavy rains that fell on the area led to the breaking of several dams in the area, which essentially caused lakes to disappear, streets to be knee-deep or more in water and property to be damaged.

Police in Midland, Texas, are asking people everywhere to share information regarding a nonverbal young man whom police found wandering alone in an alley on Jan. 29.

An Amber Alert has been discontinued for an 11-month-old Midland girl who was possibly abducted by a 29-year-old man on Tuesday.

Officials said the water levels at the local reservoir were too low to meet safety standards.

One of the strongest earthquakes in Texas history has struck in a western part of the state that’s home to oil and fracking activity.

Oil and gas companies produce 3.8 billion barrels of wastewater per year in the arid Permian Basin. A state consortium is trying to figure out whether it can be reused.

Federal prosecutors say a Texas man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attacking an Asian family because he thought they were Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federal environment agency says it will continue flyovers of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico until Aug. 15 using infrared cameras to survey oil and gas operations.

It is the latest example of how Texas Democrats are on edge over the administration’s approach to high gas prices.

Labor shortages, supply chain issues, hesitant financial backers and a frosty relationship with the Biden administration have limited how much Texas oil and gas companies are ramping up production.

One of the five candidates for the Republican Texas Railroad Commission nomination has been killed in a traffic crash while traveling from a West Texas campaign appearance.

The surge in seismic activity from increased underground pressure is shaking the West Texas ground and rattling longtime residents.

As Texas universities and colleges begin a fifth semester during the COVID-19 pandemic, many students say they are struggling with uncertainty and an indifference toward school and the future.

After high-profile clashes with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a fellow Republican, Seliger suspects members of his own party are trying to oust him.

Texas-based ConocoPhillips bought Shell’s Permian Basin assets for $9.5 billion, its second major purchase in the oil-rich area over the last year.

There have been 20,256 reported cases among students across the state since the school year began.

In a story published May 22, 2021, The Associated Press reported that Vector Fleet Management submitted fraudulent invoices to Midland County.

These emergency sites don’t have to be licensed by state authorities or provide the same services as permanent HHS facilities. AdDuring former President Donald Trump’s administration, HHS for months did not ensure FBI fingerprint checks or child welfare screenings were done for workers at a large camp in Tornillo, Texas. HHS’ inspector general warned then that FBI fingerprint checks “provide a unique safeguard” over most commercial background checks that search a person’s name. “While the various background checks could identify some past criminal convictions or sexual offenses, these checks were not as extensive as the FBI fingerprint background checks,” the inspector general found. The Red Cross and HHS for several days refused to acknowledge that the volunteers weren’t given FBI fingerprint checks.

A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. President Joe Biden’s administration has been sharply criticized for its response to a surge in crossings of unaccompanied immigrant children. “I feel like I have to wait and try again.”The Biden administration is not expelling immigrant children unaccompanied by a parent or legal guardian. But Pfluger and other Midland officials said the Biden administration wasn’t answering their questions or giving them assurance that officials would keep the surrounding community safe. HHS opened the Midland site without notifying some top local officials who say many of their questions aren't being answered.

HOUSTON – Cold air has settled into Southeast Texas and will be sticking around for a while. We are in the beginning of the longest stretch of cold weather that has hit Houston so far this season. As we head into late Sunday, temperatures will start to drop and wintry precipitation will be getting close to Southeast Texas! Sunday NightAccumulations will be insignificant in Southeast Texas but snow will accumulate north and northwest of our area. Weekend Travel WeatherAfter Sunday’s rain/snow mix event, the rest of the ten day forecast shows a cooler than normal start with plenty of sunshine for the week ahead.

HOUSTON A Houston area mother said her family was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight on Monday morning because her 3-year-old son with autism would not wear a face mask. The flight initially left the gate but a crewmember said the plane would have to return when the boy wouldnt keep the mask on, Alyssa said. I think there needs to be something in place for children or even adults with disabilities who cant wear a mask. She said her son did not wear a mask while boarding, or on the flight to Midland. Alyssa said a family member will drive her family home from Midland on Thursday.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump will shift his focus to American energy dominance during a stop in Texas later this week that will include his first visit to an oil rig. During the stop Wednesday at Double Eagle Energy in the west Texas city of Midland, Trump will discuss how the U.S. is achieving energy dominance by cutting regulations, simplifying permitting and encouraging private investment in energy infrastructure, the White House said. While in Texas, Trump will raise money for the Republican Party and his reelection campaign at a fundraising luncheon with supporters in nearby Odessa. It will be Trumps 16th visit as president to Texas, the White House said. The White House said Trump has taken steps to help the energy industry recover after the coronavirus outbreak caused demand for energy and prices to plummet as people stayed home to avoid becoming infected.

FILE - In this May 29, 2020 file photo, two cars are flipped over after major flood damage, in Sanford, Mich. Sanford village, with a population of 859, is pulling together after the devastation of two dam failures in May. Volunteers are still clearing muck and providing supplies to those whose homes were destroyed since there's no telling when major state and federal help will come. Although state or federal government aid would be a huge help, Ricards said Sanford could not wait. We celebrated birthday parties, their graduations, anything you can think of there.The goal is to keep people in the village, Cole said. I think its better just to help than to sit back and wait" for state or federal funding, Cole said.

NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 08: (L-R) Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, and Jess Carson of Midland attend the 51st annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 8, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)HOUSTON – The 2020 HoustonRodeo entertainment stage is nearly set. Here are the 17 of the 20 musical acts that will be performing this year.

A Midland oilman has spent millions over the last decade financing groups focused on moving the Texas Legislature in a more conservative direction. While critics have decried his hardball tactics, Tim Dunn isn't backing down.