Good Morning! On this day in 1915, Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Robert G. Cole was born in San Antonio. A paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division, he landed in Normandy ahead of D-Day and helped American forces at Omaha and Utah beaches link up after leading a charge against a group of German soldiers in Carentan on June 11, 1944. He was killed a few months later in Holland and is buried at the American cemetery in Margraten.
Yesterday’s poll question about owning a cat prompted quite the response from readers who reminded us that cats really own their people, not the other way around. That got us thinking about the age-old debate about whether dogs or cats are better pets. Vote for your favorite furball in today’s Poll, and hit reply to share your thoughts!
Today’s sponsor, Immersed, is offering a final chance to invest pre-IPO at $0.66 per share as it prepares to launch its next-generation AR/VR workspace platform and highly anticipated Visor headset.
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Fire Destroys Historic Downtown Gatesville
A fire destroyed multiple buildings in downtown Gatesville Monday night, less than two months after the 12-block district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Coryell County Judge Roger A. Miller issued an emergency disaster declaration Tuesday for the city and county.
According to city officials, the fire started in the Gatesville Messenger building and spread to Leaird’s Furniture, A Freedom Bail Bonds, and Davidson Chiropractic. Nearly all of the local newspaper’s archives, dating back to 1936, were lost in the blaze.
Amber Tippit, a local event organizer, recalled that her uncle used to have a barbershop in one of the buildings, acknowledging that “it’s personal for everybody, not just me.” Ray Ashby, a board member of the Coryell County Historical Museum, said he got tuxedos for his cousin’s wedding from a business in one of the other buildings.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Ashby said. “Sitting there watching it go was just like watching history burn up.”
Houston-Area Train Wrecks
Richmond and Missouri City, towns on the southwest outskirts of Houston, were the sites of train wrecks on back-to-back days this week.
Yesterday, 23 rail cars jumped the tracks around 5 a.m. near OakBend Medical Center in Richmond, shutting down several railroad crossings for hours. No injuries were reported, but one of the derailed tankers was leaking corn syrup, and two more were leaking ethanol.
Officials have said the cleanup could take days. “It is not posing a current threat to the public, and air monitoring is ongoing as a precaution,” said Fort Bend County Fire Marshal Justin Jurek.
On Tuesday, an Amtrak train with 93 passengers and 11 crew members collided with an 18-wheeler in Missouri City around 11 a.m. Two minor injuries were reported. A small fire and a fuel leak were contained, and power was knocked out to about 550 customers.
The train was traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans. The passengers continued their trip on charter buses.
Texas Teams Begin March Madness
March Madness tips off today with six men’s basketball teams representing Texas, the most of any state in the country. TCU faces Ohio State this morning, followed by contests featuring Texas, Texas A&M, and Houston. Texas Tech and Prairie View A&M play their first games tomorrow. See the bracket.
The Houston Cougars, a No. 2 seed, are generally considered the state’s most formidable tournament contender. Led by San Antonio’s Kingston Flemings, the Cougars’ suffocating defense holds opponents to less than 63 points per game, second-best in the country.
Texas Tech, a No. 5 seed and no stranger to tournament success, shouldn’t be overlooked, though. Since losing star JT Toppin to a torn ACL a month ago, Christian Anderson has stepped up for the Red Raiders to become one of the best guards in the country.
It all starts with TCU this morning—the first official game of the tournament—and continues late into the night. Here’s how to watch.
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They have partnerships in place with Qualcomm and Samsung. Executives and founders from Intel and Reddit are shareholders, along with 6,000+ others.
➤ Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies not to observe Cesar Chavez Day on March 31 after recent allegations of sexual abuse by the late labor leader. Local celebrations across the state have also been canceled. (More)
➤ Kennedale: Billy Hurt, a retired firefighter and a sprint car track safety official, died in an accident Saturday while responding to a crash at Kennedale Speedway Park. “He was a good man. We’re gonna miss him,” said his friend Scotty Cook. (More)
➤ Corpus Christi: Attorneys for Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde CISD police chief accused of delaying the law enforcement response to the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary, are suing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to compel the testimony of 19 federal officers during his upcoming trial on charges of child endangerment. (See Details)
➤ Dallas County: The local Republican party announced it would return to countywide voting for the May 26 runoff election after precinct voting caused widespread confusion during the March 3 primary. (More)
➤ Pflugerville: Construction crews repaired a break in a pipeline from the Colorado River to Lake Pflugerville, the city’s primary source of water. The break is the fifth in recent weeks. (More)
➤ Corpus Christi: City officials indicated mandatory curtailment of water usage could be necessary within two months. During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Mayor Paulette Guajardo expressed support for a proposal to build a desalination facility at CPS Energy’s power plant along the Laguna Madre in Flour Bluff. (See Details)
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➤ AP voters selected Texas Tech’s JT Toppin as a first-team All-American, even though he missed the second half of the season to injury. His teammate Christian Anderson and Houston’s Kingston Flemings were selected as third-teamers. (More)
➤ Tarleton State’s men’s baseball team beat No. 2 Texas 6-1 in Austin this week, holding the Longhorns to just two hits. (More)
➤ Baylor basketball signed guard Isaac Williams IV to a two-year commitment that keeps him in Waco through the end of his college career. (More)
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➤ Dallas-based Bridge Tower Properties is building a 179-home community in Fate for renters. “Fate is one of those communities where the demand for quality housing has outpaced the options available to families,” said managing partner Jackson Su. (More)
➤ Swedish tech company Einride is partnering with the private toll operator of SH 130 to test its autonomous freight trucks in Austin. (More)
➤ Swarmer, an Austin-based drone software company whose technology has been used by Ukraine, debuted on the Nasdaq on Tuesday. Its stock soared to a closing price of $31 after its IPO was priced at $5. (More)
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➤ Larry McMurtry, the author of the Texas-based epic Lonesome Dove, is profiled in a new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Streitfeld. Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry will be released on March 24. (More)
➤ Influencer and pro wrestler Logan Paul visited Holy Cross of San Antonio on Monday ahead of his appearance at a WWE event at the Frost Bank Center that evening. He pledged $10,000 college scholarships to two students, praising the school for how it “constantly takes on much bigger opponents” and “exemplifies the American dream.” (More)
➤ A group of homeowners who live next to a Houston bar is upset about potential noise violations and a jungle gym structure that allows children to look into their yards. “We can’t even go outside in our own backyards without feeling like we’re in a zoo,” one resident said. (See Photos)
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Fire Destroys Historic Downtown Gatesville
