Sunday, June 29, 2025

The Roundup

Article Icon 1List: Top 100 4th of July Celebration Cities

Thirteen Texas cities, including Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, were ranked among the Best Places to Celebrate the 4th of July

Rankings were based on affordability, attractions, and safety, as American households are projected to spend $8.9 billion on Fourth of July festivities.

The highest-ranking Texas city was Houston at No. 39, followed by Dallas at No. 40. Not far behind were Fort Worth, Lubbock, and El Paso at Nos. 49, 63, and 67, respectively.

 You can see the full rankings, including the methodology, here.

Article Icon 1Gov. Abbott Announces Special Election Date for State Senate Seat

Governor Abbott announced the date of November 4 for the special election to fill the state senate seat vacated by Kelly Hancock on Friday, who resigned earlier this month to become the state comptroller.

Leigh Wambsganss, a former congressional staffer and longtime conservative activist on the Tarrant County GOP executive committee, announced her candidacy for the seat on Friday.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Rep. Nate Schatzline, who dropped out of the race, have both endorsed Wambsganss.

The 9th Senate district leans heavily Republican, with President Trump carrying 58% of the vote in 2024. The candidate filing deadline for the race is September 3, with early voting set to begin October 10. Read the governor’s full proclamation here.

 

Article Icon 1Austin Reportedly Eyeing NHL Expansion

Austin is among five cities pursuing an NHL franchise, with the league setting expansion fees at $2 billion and hearing from hopeful markets during this week’s Board of Governors meetings.

Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, and New Orleans are also contending, but Austin may have the edge due to its growth, lack of a professional team, and potential to add a Western Conference team.

Any official announcement from the NHL on expansion is still likely years away. You can read more of what the NHL commissioner recently said on expansion here.

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Around Texas

➤ North Texas: FedEx confirmed Friday that it will lay off 131 employees—81 in Garland and 50 in Plano—as part of efforts to improve efficiency. (More)

➤ Collins County: A new report named Collin County, home to Princeton—the fastest-growing U.S. city—the best overall county to live in Texas. (More)

➤ Harris County: Authorities and SPCA officials rescued over 30 sick and emaciated animals after responding to a report about livestock in various states of physical distress. (More)

➤ Brownsville: City officials celebrated a new pavilion and bathrooms at Tony Gonzalez Park, completed with the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation for under half a million dollars. (See Photos)

➤ Fort Worth: Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at Hulen Mall on Friday night, leaving a 30-foot hole in the roof and shattered skylight glass inside the building. (See Video)

➤ Spring: A 64-year-old woman with a history of mental illness caused a nearly five-hour North Freeway shutdown during an armed standoff while sitting in a chair with a firearm. (More)

Texas Sports

➤ Texas Longhorns closer Dylan Volantis earned Baseball America’s National Freshman of the Year award Friday. (More)

➤ The Stars made six picks on day 2 of the NHL draft, owning picks 94, 126, 146, 158, 190, and 222 overall. (See Picks)

➤ Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers sank a deep buzzer-beating three before halftime in Friday’s 94-86 loss to the Indiana Fever. (See Buzzer Beater)

➤ Yesterday’s results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA | PGA | LPGA

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Et Cetera

Texas claimed 15 spots in Yelp’s top 100 food trucks, including nine in Austin, where Jim’s Smokehouse earned the highest ranking at No. 2. (See List)

El Paso listed the historic Albert B. Fall mansion for sale after $1.2 million in renovations. The 1907 home is also on Texas’ endangered historic places list. (See Photos)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his foundation launched the 15 and the Mahomies Scholarship, awarding $10,000 to 10 high school seniors in Texas and five in Kansas City. (More)

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Check This Out

Satellite time-lapse of DFW from 1984 to 2022.

The Polling Station

Do you think Austin should get its own NHL team?

  1. Yes
  2. No
 

Yesterday’s Results:

What do you think of former Gov. Perry’s proposed “Hypergrid” near Amarillo?

  1. All for it: 72%
  2. Don’t build it: 15%
  3. Build it elsewhere: 13%
Texas Trivia

Who was the first Republican to carry Texas in a presidential election?

Show me the answer

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