Good Morning! On this day in 1758, a force of 2,000 Comanches, Wichitas, and allied nations attacked Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá, killing two priests and six others. The mission, near present-day Menard, was burned to the ground and never rebuilt.
Seven Texas teams are heading to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Get the details in today’s Sports section.
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Oil Company to Restart California Operations
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright invoked the Defense Production Act to direct Houston-based Sable Offshore Corp. to resume drilling and operations at a California site that was shut down after an oil spill in 2015.
The Santa Ynez Unit, which includes three rigs in federal waters off the coast of Santa Barbara, has the capacity to produce 1.5 million barrels of oil per month, boosting the state’s production by 15%.
Wright said the directive would “strengthen America’s oil supply and restore a pipeline system vital to our national security and defense.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the move “reckless and illegal,” accusing Sable of “defying multiple court orders” and suggesting the site’s capacity represents about 0.05% of global oil production. In January, California sued the federal government for approving Sable’s plans to restart use of its pipelines in the state.
North Texas Dominates State Basketball Tourney
San Antonio’s Alamodome hosted the University Interscholastic League Boys Basketball State Championships Thursday through Saturday, with 24 teams competing.
Teams from North Texas were 8-for-8, bringing the region’s total to 13 state titles across the boys’ and girls’ tournaments. Frisco Heritage and Little Elm won their first-ever championships, and North Crowley beat San Antonio Brennan 65-52 after knocking off reigning champ Duncanville in the semifinals.
Dallas Madison and Dallas Kimball—coached by brothers Gerald and Nicke Smith—won their sixth and ninth titles, respectively. Paradise beat Palestine Westwood 52-51 on Max Jordan’s game-winner with 33 seconds left.
Jayton beat Kennard 78-45 for their third consecutive state title, and Lipan beat defending champ Martin’s Mill for their third title in four years. Panhandle beat San Augustine 61-58 for their first-ever state title, joining their girls program as champions this year.
New Statue of Kipper Mease Unveiled
Family members of the late Roy “Kipper” Mease gathered at the Pasadena sports complex named in his honor last week for the unveiling of a new bronze statue to replace one that was stolen in December 2024.
Kipper Mease died in a car crash at the age of 20 in 1982, and a statue of him in his youth baseball uniform had greeted visitors to the sports complex for roughly 35 years. After it was stolen, his 86-year-old father, Roy Mease, said his life’s mission was “to live long enough to get it replaced.”
Although a $2,500 reward for the original statue was offered, it was never recovered, and the thieves were never identified. Last April, Harris County commissioners approved $44,000 for the original artist to rebuild the statue.
Bridgette Mongeon used the original mold to recreate the statue, reinforcing it with steel to deter thieves. “Today we brought Kipper Mease back to his rightful home,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Garcia said during the ceremony.
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➤ The executive director of the Michigan synagogue attacked by the brother of two deceased Hezbollah terrorists last week credits training provided by the Houston Police Department with helping him remain calm during the shooting. Jason Plotkin was previously the Program Director at Congregation Emanu El in Houston. (More)
➤ Austin: The line to get through security at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport stretched outside the terminal lobby for the third consecutive day on Sunday. (See Photos)
➤ Nacogdoches: Stephen F. Austin State University has agreed not to cancel any women’s athletics program pending the outcome of a lawsuit that alleges proposed cancellations would violate Title IX. (More)
➤ College Station: Texas A&M opened the 53,000-square-foot STEM Education and Research Center at its RELLIS Campus earlier this month. (More)
➤ Dallas: A handful of city council members and staff have toured at least 15 sites for a potential relocation of City Hall, according to emails reviewed by a local news outlet. (See Details)
➤ Jasper County: Several volunteer fire departments and a group of future Marine Corps recruits rescued a 15-year-old hiker Saturday after she suffered an apparent leg fracture in the Angelina National Forest. (More)
➤ Panhandle: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed the Lesser Prairie-Chicken’s designation as a threatened species, a move Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller characterized as good “cowboy logic.” Meanwhile, more than 500 acres have been added to the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado County. (More)
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➤ Houston, Texas Tech, TCU, and Texas A&M qualified for this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Texas, SMU, and Prairie View A&M have play-in games this week before the first round starts on Thursday. (See Bracket)
➤ Kyle Kirkwood edged four-time champion Alex Palou to win the inaugural Java House Grand Prix at Arlington on Sunday. Kirkwood took the NTT INDYCAR Series points lead. (More)
➤ Prairie View A&M defeated Southern 72-66 on Saturday in Atlanta to win the SWAC men’s basketball tournament title. Lance Williams scored 18 points as the No. 8-seeded Panthers completed a four-game run to earn an NCAA tournament berth. (More)
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➤ Houston-based private equity firm Ara Partners announced an $875 million deal with Tennessee’s HF Capital to acquire 2.2 gigawatts of thermal-generation assets, 400 million gallons a year of ethanol production, and about 970 gas stations in Germany and Austria. (More)
➤ Wisconsin-based Ashley Furniture is closing a manufacturing facility in Mesquite to consolidate operations, affecting 266 workers. (More)
➤ Parkspring Multifamily of Austin is building a 14-acre garden-style apartment community in Fredericksburg. Each of The Lucille’s 240 units will include stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, and walk-in closets. (More)
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➤ Professional LEGO builders showed off their creations at the two-day Katy Brick Convention this past weekend. “Hopefully we’re inspiring some people to go home and get some loose parts out and build with their families and see what they can do,” said artist Tim Howell. (Watch Video)
➤ Youth agricultural program donors paid $316,000 for Garrett Carr’s Grand Champion turkey at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, while 13-year-old Reagan Miller’s Grand Champion lamb fetched $1 million. Both figures are RodeoHouston records. (More)
➤ Darien Partee, a paraprofessional at Liberty Hill Middle School, graduated with her bachelor’s degree after dropping out of college in 1975. She plans to become a full-time special education teacher. (Watch Video)
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Which Texas team do you think will go furthest in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament?
Oil Company to Restart California Operations
