US House Rep. Seeks to Reimburse Texas 

US House Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) has introduced the “Operation Lone Star Reimbursement Act,” legislation which will reimburse Texas for the nearly $4 billion spent on securing the southern border from 2020 through 2023.

Williams stated the federal government’s “lack of action” in securing the border has forced the state to use its own funds for a task the federal government should be paying for. The bill aims to ensure Texas doesn’t have to spend taxpayer dollars to secure the southern border continuously.

If passed, the legislation would require the Treasury Department secretary to reimburse Texas for $800 million spent on border security during fiscal years 2020 to 2021, as well as $2.92 billion for the years 2022 to 2023.

State Grants $125M to Rural Law Enforcement

Texas has launched a $125 million grant initiative to bolster rural law enforcement, particularly in the form of increased recruitment, compensation, and operational capacity.

This initiative, authorized by Texas Senate Bill 22 in 2023, addressed the long-term decline of prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies in rural Texas counties.

The grants range from $250,000 to $500,000 for sheriff’s offices and $100,000 to $275,000 for prosecutors. Law enforcement in counties with less than 300K people can reapply for the grant in 2025.

Texas Will Add More Razor Wire 

Texas officials, led by Governor Greg Abbott, have intensified their efforts to secure the state’s southern border by increasing the deployment of razor wire. 

Major General Thomas Suelzer provided a glimpse into future plans:

“In the coming weeks, we will be executing a four-phased operation to expand North and South of Eagle Pass, putting up additional barriers in order to fortify the border.” 

Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of adding the razor wire before an expected uptick of migrants in the spring. 

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➤ Statewide: Early voting begins today for both Republican and Democratic primary elections. The ballots include presidential and U.S. Senate choices, the Texas State Board of Education, and many more state-level primary elections. (More)

➤ Livingston: Authorities are continuing their search for 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, who went missing on Thursday morning. No one has been charged yet, but a person of interest was taken into custody for an unrelated offense. (Video)

➤ Keller: A trustee for the city’s school district has resigned after receiving backlash from parents for having an evangelist film crew record a documentary at Central High School without permission. (Video)

➤ Houston: Lakewood church held its first services since the shooting last week. Pastor Joel Osteen expressed gratitude for the heroic actions of the security guards who prevented a larger tragedy from happening. (Video)

➤ Midland: Five local businesses each won $100,000 after completing the Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge. The challenge lasted six months and required 62 entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into a functioning business. (Video)

➤ Austin: City Police arrested a 69-year-old man at an LA Fitness for stabbing a fellow gym member in the butt over a leg machine dispute. The perpetrator was charged with aggravated assault and is being held on a $50,000 bond. (More)

➤ The St. Thomas High School wrestling team scored its first state championship since 2013 in Argyle, Texas. Coach Michael LeHolm helped his Houston team secure 225 points. (More)

➤ Arlington: No. 21 Texas Tech baseball clinched a 6-3 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown. Nebraska ended up losing three runs in the ninth inning. (More)

➤ University of Houston basketball secured an 85-61 win against the Texas Longhorns. This came after senior forward J’Wan Roberts dislodged a backboard camera with a dunk—resulting in a technical delay. (Video)

➤ Texas A&M’s new defensive end and linebacker, Nic Scourton, has been ranked No. 2 in the nation’s top 10 highest-graded transfer edge rushers by Pro Football Focus. (More)

➤ North Richland Hills: City officials will hold public meetings on whether drone delivery through Wing Aviation will be allowed within city limits. The company has already begun delivering Walmart products in neighboring cities. (Video)

➤ San Antonio: Local pizza shop Big Lou’s was recently showcased as having the largest pizza in Texas, measuring 62 inches. The restaurant has been featured on the Texas Country Reporter and Food Network. (Photos)

➤ Austin: Tesla has begun increasing production of their Cybertrucks; drone footage shows 50 new units parked outside the Gigafactory near Austin. (Photos)

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➤ Midland: Local holiday-decor shop Miss Cayce’s Wonderland changed ownership after 40 years of family-run operations. The granddaughters of the store’s founder, Martha Cayce Bauman, handed the keys to midland-native Liz Carter. (Video)

➤ Austin: A freshman at UT San Antonio and former foster child was gifted a new car after running in the Austin Marathon. The gift was sponsored through the Austin chapter of National Angels—a nonprofit that supports foster care youth. (More)

➤ San Antonio’s Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation opened a permanent pickup location for medical cannabis prescriptions. The company is only one of three approved suppliers in the state. (More)

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 Which rodeo event is the most thrilling?

1. Bronco Riding
2. Steer Wrestling
3. Barrel Racing
4. Bull Riding
5. Tie down Roping
6. Other

Monday’s Results:

Are you working on Presidents Day?

1. No: 62.5%
2. Yes: 37.5%

What’s the official state dish of Texas?

Show me the answer