Good morning! On this day in 1857, Atkins Jefferson McLemore was born in Spring Hill, Tennessee. He moved to Texas in 1878 and became a newspaper publisher. He served in the Texas and U.S. Houses of Representatives and was the only member of Congress from Texas to oppose a declaration of war on Germany in 1917.
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The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals blocked the execution of David Leonard Wood on Tuesday, despite repeatedly declining previous appeals. The 67-year-old Wood, convicted of the 1987 “Desert Killer” murders of six women and girls in El Paso, has long maintained his innocence, arguing that no DNA evidence links him to the crimes.
Wood, who has been on death row longer than any other inmate in Texas, was scheduled to die by lethal injection later today. A 2009 execution was stayed when Wood claimed he was intellectually disabled, but courts dismissed that argument in 2014.
Wood’s 1992 conviction relied on testimony from a sex worker and two fellow inmates who claimed he confessed to the killings, but Wood has argued the witnesses were paid or given reduced sentences to lie for the prosecution. He has asked the state to conduct further DNA testing of the evidence collected from the crime scene, a series of graves in the desert northeast of El Paso.
Six of the nine justices ruled in favor of staying Wood’s execution “until further order of this court” without offering an explanation for their decision. The U.S. Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals both denied requests to block Wood’s execution within the past month.
Energy Leaders Descend on Houston
Thousands of energy industry power brokers are gathering in downtown Houston this week for the annual CERAWeek conference sponsored by S&P Global. Organized in the 1980s by the consulting firm Cambridge Energy Research Associates, the conference has grown to be recognized as the “Super Bowl of energy.”
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright spoke Monday about the Trump administration’s goal of expanding domestic energy production, arguing economic prosperity should not be sacrificed in hopes of averting climate change.
On Tuesday, BP CEO Murray Auchincloss discussed his company’s recent shift away from renewable energy to prioritize oil and gas production, saying it needs to “focus on fewer things, with higher returns.” Microsoft Vice President of Energy Bobby Hollis said renewable energy should be “an important part of the mix” going forward, urging executives and regulators to “add more gas when it’s necessary.”
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside the conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Monday. Police arrested eight people for blocking traffic.
Mammoth Tusk Discovered in West Texas
A mammoth tusk was recently discovered at a West Texas ranch by a hunter searching for deer, marking the second-ever mammoth find in the Trans-Pecos.
Ranch manager Will Juett initially thought the fossil was a tree stump but contacted researchers at the Center for Big Bend Studies at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, who confirmed the “very rare” discovery.
“I figured it was likely just an old stump but imagined how great it would be if he was right,” Juett said. “When they confirmed what they had uncovered, I couldn’t believe it.”
Researchers spent two days securing the tusk with plaster-covered burlap for safe transport to the university for further analysis. Carbon dating should provide an estimate of the tusk’s age in the coming months.
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➤ U.S. Rep. Keith Self (R-McKinney) went viral after referring to U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first openly transgender member of Congress, as “Mr. McBride” during a committee hearing Tuesday. When another member objected, Self abruptly adjourned the meeting. (More)
➤ Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reopening two South Texas detention centers to facilitate deportations of illegal immigrants. The Biden administration closed the detention centers in Dilley and Karnes City last year. (See Details)
➤ Fort Worth: A district court upheld the city’s ban on short-term rentals in residential areas after 114 Tarrant County operators sued to overturn the February 2023 ordinance over allegations it violated their property rights. (See Details)
➤ Killeen ISD: Following the fatal stabbing of a middle school student on Monday, Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey announced that students who engage in acts of violence, whether on or off campus, would be placed in the district’s alternative education program for at least 45 days and up to a full school year. (More)
➤ New Braunfels: Authorities arrested 25-year-old Chaopeng Huang of San Lorenzo, California, last week for alleged participation in a cryptocurrency scam when he visited the home of an elderly resident to collect cash. (More)
➤ Kilgore: City officials are looking for the perpetrator who removed the lettering from the city’s welcome sign. “While we appreciate your enthusiasm for Kilgore, we’d really like to have our missing letters back,” said a statement from the city. (See Photo)
➤ Lee County: Residents packed a local church Tuesday night to express their opposition to a proposed commercial composting facility, saying they want the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to hold a public hearing on the project before issuing a permit. (More)
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➤ The Texas Longhorns beat Vanderbilt 79-72 in the first round of the SEC men’s basketball tournament yesterday. They’ll play Texas A&M this afternoon. (More)
➤ Baylor beat Kansas State 70-56 in the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament yesterday. They face Texas Tech tonight after top-seeded Houston plays Colorado. (More)
➤ SMU played Syracuse in the ACC men’s basketball tournament last night. The winner faces Clemson tonight. (Check Score)
➤ The Dallas Cowboys signed former top-three overall NFL draft selection Solomon Thomas to a two-year, $8 million contract on Tuesday. The 29-year-old defensive tackle was acquired from the New York Jets. (More)
➤ Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will miss at least a week with a facial injury after getting hit with a puck during Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Although he avoided a fracture, he has to keep his heart rate down to avoid swelling. (More)
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➤ Plano-based Green Brick Partners plans to build 2,100 homes on a 567-acre development near Lake Ray Roberts. Plans for Burks Ranch include a nature preserve, trails, parks, a resort-style pool, and a community amenity center. (More)
➤ The University of Texas at San Antonio hosted a cybersecurity summit for industry professionals Tuesday. Gov. Greg Abbott has indicated he wants to create a Texas Cyber Command affiliated with the university to deter threats from hostile foreign actors. (See Details)
➤ Houston-based budget carrier Avelo Airlines is adding three destinations to its network: Nassau, Bahamas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Long Island, New York. Avelo, which launched in April 2021, now serves 56 cities across 23 states, Puerto Rico, and four international destinations. (More)
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➤ Athena, a great horned owl, has returned to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin to nest. She is currently sitting on two eggs, which will hatch in about four weeks. The center has set up an “owl cam” for fans to watch her online. (See Details)
➤ Houston drivers pay an average of $4,864 per year to get to work, the third-highest commuter cost in the nation. Meanwhile, drivers in Dallas and San Antonio have some of the nation’s cheapest commutes. (See Details)
➤ A recent University of Texas poll found 52% of Texas voters approve of President Trump, while 38% disapprove. Texans also approve of Elon Musk, 48% to 41%. (See Poll)
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Would you support a ban on short-term rentals in your town?
Execution Blocked
