Good Morning! On this day in 1930, songwriter and disc jockey J. P. Richardson Jr., better known as The Big Bopper, was born in Sabine Pass. Along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, he died when a plane piloted by Roger Peterson crashed in Clear Lake, Iowa, in 1959.
A tow truck whose rig nearly fell off an overpass after crashing through a cement barrier was rescued by McKinney firefighters on Wednesday. The driver’s brother said “it’s a miracle” he survived the harrowing ordeal. Check out photos of the “movie-like moment” here.
At just four years old, Austin Perine started handing out meals to the homeless. Now 11, Austin’s mission of kindness continues while he balances faith, sports, and acting. Feel Good Flyover Podcast host Amy Hess caught up with Austin this week.Check out today’s episode for the exclusive interview!
If you’ve ever wondered how you could make a real difference in someone’s darkest moment, today’s sponsor, Convoy of Hope, is turning compassion into action when it’s needed most.
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Book-Rating Law Ruled Unconstitutional
A Trump-appointed federal judge in Waco invalidated a state law that aimed to flag school library books for sexual content, ruling it is unconstitutional because it compels speech and is “void for vagueness.”
Passed in 2023, House Bill 900—or the READER Act—required school book vendors to apply a “sexually explicit” or “sexually relevant” rating to books with sexual content. Districts could not purchase “sexually explicit” books, and parental permission would be required for students to check out “sexually relevant” books.
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright issued a preliminary injunction in August of that year, before the law took effect, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld it.
Albright’s latest ruling acknowledged that “Texas has an interest in safeguarding children against sexually explicit material” but maintained READER is “not the way to further that interest.”
Earlier this year, legislators passed a law that allows parents to specify which books their children should not read and requires districts to consider parental input when deciding which books are allowed in school libraries.
State Taking Over Fort Worth ISD
The Texas Education Agency will take over Fort Worth ISD after years of poor performance, replacing its elected board of trustees with a state-appointed board of managers. Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the decision during a press conference yesterday.
In a letter to the district, Morath said the current board had “failed the students of Fort Worth ISD,” citing the most recent accountability report showing that only 34% of students scored at grade level on the STAAR test and that 20 campuses have been considered “academically unacceptable for multiple years in a row.”
“We cannot allow our schools to fail our children, period,” Morath said during yesterday’s news event. In a statement, the board of trustees said it is “disappointed by the decision and hopes the matter will be reconsidered.”
Nearby Lake Worth ISD, as well as school districts in Beaumont, Connally, and Wichita Falls, are also at risk of a state takeover. Houston ISD, South San Antonio ISD, and Shepherd ISD are currently governed by a board of managers.
Denton Getting Massive Master-Planned Community
The historic 3,100-acre Cole Ranch, located southwest of Denton, is being transformed into a massive $5 billion master-planned community featuring 4,365 homes, 156 acres of commercial space, a 55-acre business park, and four schools.
Houston-based Johnson Development and Silvestri Investments are developing the community on the former cattle ranch purchased by M. T. Cole in the 1930s. The new Cole Ranch will preserve 1,200 acres as green space and include two large lakes, 26 miles of trails, and a 50-acre city park.
“We want to do this the right way,” said Cole’s great-granddaughter Jennifer Alexander, who added that the family’s vision for the property is to create “a timeless community that honors our history and the beauty of the area.”
Denton County’s population exceeds 1 million people, representing a 56% increase since 2010. Homes are expected to go on sale in 2027.
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➤ The inauguralTexas Capital Air Show in San Marcos and the first-ever Fleet Week Houston—both originally scheduled for November—have been canceled this year due to the ongoing government shutdown. (More)
➤ McKinney: Firefighters rescued the driver of a tow truck that had crashed into a concrete barrier and was hanging off an overpass on Wednesday. “Having a semi hanging off of Sam Rayburn is not a normal day on the job,” said Luis Aguilar with the McKinney Fire Department. (Watch Video)
➤ Bullard ISD: A 31-year-old janitor at Bullard Intermediate School was arrested Wednesday for allegedly soliciting a female student in the bathroom and refusing to let her leave. He is detained in the Anderson County Jail with bonds totaling $1 million. (More)
➤ Kendall County: Timothy Fogel, 19, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for three speeding convictions, including one in which he was clocked at 142 mph. Fogel posted videos of his encounters with police on his Instagram page. (More)
➤ Orange County: Travis James Dupuy, 32, who previously worked as the assistant fire chief for Pinehurst, was charged with arson after he was allegedly seen throwing a flare into a field from his vehicle. “Yeah, that was stupid. I know better,” he reportedly said when he was pulled over. (More)
➤ Houston: Personal items that belonged to the late Sylvester Turner—a former congressman, mayor of Houston, and state legislator—are being sold at an estate sale starting today. Among the items available are busts of President Barack Obama and “James Harden autographed MVP tennis shoes.” (See Photos)
➤ San Antonio: The Alamo Gift Shop will be converted into a grab-and-go cafe and event hall over the next two years. The $8.1 million renovation is part of a $550 million improvement plan for the historical district. (More)
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➤ No. 14 Texas Tech is likely to start redshirt freshman Will Hammond at quarterback for the second-straight week despite injured starter Behren Morton being listed as “active” for the game. Hammond threw for just 167 yards in last week’s loss to Arizona State—the Red Raiders’ only one of the season. (More)
➤ Former Baylor basketball player VJ Edgecombe scored 34 points for the Philadelphia 76ers in his first NBA game. It’s the third-best scoring debut in NBA history. (More)
➤ Former Houston Cougars basketball player Damon Jones, 49, is one of 31 people arrested this week for his alleged involvement in an NBA gambling operation. (More)
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➤ The Dallas City Council approved a $103 million payment to two local developers to purchase and renovate the 72-story Bank of America Plaza and four adjacent city blocks. The $409 million project includes a new parking garage, 275 luxury hotel rooms, and a restaurant with an observation deck on the 69th floor. (More)
➤ Austin’s RBJ Residences held a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday for The Rebekah, a 16-story senior living complex named after the mother of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. (More)
➤ State Fair of Texas officials blamed the heat, higher costs, and fear of federal immigration enforcement on the fair’s lowest attendance in eight years. (See Details)
➤ Midland International Air & Space Port set a passenger record during the previous fiscal year, marking its third consecutive year of growth. Its 767,734 passengers is a 3.7% increase from 2024. (More)
➤ Harry Potter: The Exhibitiondebuts in Dallas today at Pepper Square. The interactive experience features more than 20 galleries where visitors can immerse themselves in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. (More)
➤ Thirty of the country’s best chefs are offering samples and demonstrations at the Shef Food and Wine Festival in Grand Prairie this weekend. “There’s just a little bit of everything and a little bite for everyone,” said Tiffany Derry, a judge on MasterChef and the owner of Roots Southern Table and Radici in Farmers Branch. (More)
➤ Scientists with the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi are studying 230 corals harvested from the Florida Keys to learn about their ability to withstand changes to their environment. (More)
➤ Overture Life, a Madrid-based biotechnology firm that uses AI to determine the viability of human embryos created through IVF, is opening a facility in Dallas to serve as its U.S. base of operations. (See Details)
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Have you read any Harry Potter books or seen any of the movies based on the series?
Book-Rating Law Ruled Unconstitutional
