Wednesday, January 17th, 2024

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2024

Howdy! On this date in 1929, the famous comic-strip character Popeye made his first appearance in the small Texas city of Victoria. The Victoria Advocate was the first newspaper in the U.S. to publish Elzie Segar’s comic strip, initially named “Thimble Theatre,” featuring the iconic spinach-loving hero. (See the Full Story)

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Today’s edition is brought to you by LifeSafe.

State Universities Dismantle DEI

Schools in Texas are responding to a new state law that prohibits the creation and management of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices at public colleges and universities.

While some institutions are trying to work around the law by simply renaming their DEI offices, others, like the University of Texas in San Antonio, are eliminating them completely. Schools that refuse to follow the law risk losing all state funding.

The new law, Senate Bill 17, requires schools to reform their hiring practices—specifically, they must not consider the ethnicity or gender of applicants, and they may not compel employees to undergo diversity, equity, and inclusion training.

School Ratings in Limbo

Texas’s system of evaluating schools on an ‘A-F’ scale is paused after 121 school districts sued the Texas Education Agency. The school districts object to a toughening up of the evaluation system that would set benchmarks for the number of students pursuing careers after graduation.

A Travis County judge found the changes unlawful and harmful to districts, and the release of the ratings under the new system is on hold until the case is resolved.

The 6-year-old ‘A-F’ rating system has been the subject of legal challenges, with critics arguing that it places too much weight on standardized test scores. In worst-case scenarios, getting an ‘F’ could lead to reduced funding and a state takeover of school districts.

Top 10 Soups for Freezing Weather

If you’re sick of dealing with the freezing cold, you could warm up with one of these top 10 soup recipes. It’s the simple things that get us through frozen times, right?

You could try a Mexican staple with a twist, Pot Pork Pozole Blanco, or fire up something fancy like Apple-Bacon Pumpkin Soup.

Check out the whole selection here.

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West

➤ Odessa: Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is looking for real-life roughnecks to act in his upcoming show Land Man. Candidates are required to showcase their experience with a picture of them putting in real hours on an oil rig. (More)

➤ El Paso: A $618 million Veterans’ hospital will be built on 36 acres in Fort Bliss. The facility will offer ambulatory surgery, mental health treatment, and specialty care, and it will support over 54,000 veterans. (More)

South

➤ A San Antonio couple started a free electric trolley service designed to provide rides across downtown San Antonio. The service, called SaGO, was launched in response to a need for short trips that ride-share drivers tend to avoid accepting. (More)

➤ Laredo: A school counselor charged with inappropriate conduct with a minor was arrested in Mexico after being on the run since 2015. The Texas Department of Public Safety can now cross her off its Top 10 Most Wanted list. (More)

Central

➤ Texans in Hays County have been advised to boil water due to a “mechanical failure” at a water processing facility. It’s uncertain how many of the 241,000 residents have been impacted by harmful bacteria and other microbes. (More)

➤ Austin: Apple informed its 121 Siri voice employees that they must move from San Diego to Austin or face termination. Those who choose to move will be integrated into the Texas office and receive a $7,000 stipend for travel. (More)

East

➤ Bridge City: A woman escaped an RV fire thanks to her dog waking her from sleep. The fire was caused by an issue with an electric faux fireplace. (More)

DFW

➤ Forth Worth: Video has been released of rescue operations inside the Sandman Signature Hotel after last week’s explosion. Twenty-one people were injured—including Carmen Hermosillo, a hotel employee who was trapped under rubble for two hours. (Video)

➤ The Fort Worth Zoo announced that a male lion cub has been born—the first since 2015. The cub’s name is Moja, which means “first” in Swahili. (Video)

Houston

➤ Houston: The cold winter air is producing a rare weather phenomenon called “Sea Smoke,” visible from Houston. When the frigid air meets the thin, warmer layer of air above the water, fog forms and creates an eerie, beautiful spectacle. (Video)

➤ A Houston lawyer is being accused of stealing settlement checks worth tens of thousands of dollars. Three former clients have gone public with their stories, claiming that David Lee Pettus “ghosted” them and never delivered their checks. (More)

➤ The Dallas Cowboys’ early playoff exit continues to fuel rumors and speculation about head coach Mike McCarthy and his potential replacement Bill Belichick. A meeting between McCarthy and Jones is scheduled for this week. (More)

➤ Texas A&M’s Athletic Director is leaving College Station for Ohio State. It’s the latest move in a larger reboot following the Jimbo Fisher era. (More)

➤ Former Dallas Stars left winger Sean Avery made a surprising appearance in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Avery appeared as “the Weatherman” and also earned a credit in Nolan’s Tenet. (More)

➤ Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter, in conjunction with Boeing, secured a $23.3 million contract for modifications to the V-22 Osprey aircraft. The deal will cover V-22s utilized by the US Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the government of Japan. (More)

➤ The Dallas-Fort Worth area posted a record high retail market occupancy rate in 2023 with 95.2 percent. The trend is expected to continue throughout 2024. (More)

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➤ A Dallas resident visited Mark Cuban’s ghost town called Mustang and documented his struggle to find the place. Cuban bought the land for about $2 million from a friend who was dying of cancer, and he has no plans to develop the area. (Photos)

➤ Houston: On Jan 27th, Alejandro Cabrera is screening his upcoming documentary In the Lone Star Wars State. The film shows how Texans share a unique connection to the Star Wars universe. (Video)