Sarai Brinker thumbs through pages of comments she and a group of community members have gathered over the past few weeks. Brinker is a mom to two kids—10 and 11. Neither are old enough to get vaccinated, and for her, the thought of sending them back to school in person and unprotected has her uneasy. There has been a lot of confusion surrounding mask mandates across Texas due to the legal tug of war between the state and counties over Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s ban on mask requirements. Still, some local officials continue to fight back. However, that’s not the case in Lubbock—the same city ..read more

In the partisan stand-off between Texas Democrats and Republicans over Republicans priority election overhaul bill, some of the most significant changes to election law concern the expansion of access, protection, and powers for partisan poll watchers. Opponents of the bill say, if passed, the changes would put more power in the hands of potentially disruptive partisan poll watchers – and take authority away from the election workers charged with ensuring that voting goes smoothly . At the start of the second special legislative session, the Texas Senate passed the Republican-sponsored electio ..read more

With another big school in Texas leaving the Big 12 Athletic Conference, a decades-old issue is resurfacing. The multi-billion dollar Permanent University Fund, or PUF, was not officially on the agenda at Monday’s Texas Senate Select Committee Hearing on the Future of College Sports in Texas. But it was discussed several times during the almost seven-hour long meeting, with Lubbock-area legislators Rep. Dustin Burrows and State Sen. Charles Perry saying bills are in the works to address what they see as a disparity in higher education funding. The PUF generates money from millions of acres of ..read more

EL PASO -- Just ahead of the official unveiling August 3rd, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego walked through the healing garden planted to honor the victims of the 2019 Walmart mass shooting. Since the hate crime that took the lives of 23 people and left dozens more injured, Samaniego has been involved in every painstaking detail of the garden. This includes the shape — “circular, like a hug,” 23 Italian cypress trees planted by family members of the victims, and the fountains with calming cascades of water. “The sound of water always gives us a sense of healing,” said Samaniego, a former ..read more

A new partnership between Facebook and a statewide nonprofit is trying to fix a problem laid bare during the pandemic -- many in West Texas do not have access to high-speed internet. Facebook and the Lonestar Education and Research Network, or LEARN, are teaming up to ensure libraries in Muleshoe, Morton and Friona will now have faster internet. The towns are benefiting from a fiber internet system Facebook built between Albuquerque and Fort Worth. LEARN helped identify opportunities to help along the line. This new fiber access allows them to deliver services to enable 10 to 100 times higher ..read more

Months after vaccines became more widely available, there’s a new wave of COVID-19 cases sweeping across the United States and Texas. That includes Lubbock, where in the past week, new cases have been confirmed at the highest rate since February. We’re in a new phase of the pandemic, and whether you're vaccinated or nor, we all have a lot of questions about what exactly that means. Lubbock's Health Authority Dr. Ron Cook answered some of those during Texas Tech Public Media's recent West Texas Town Hall. Dr. Cook is also c hief health officer at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center ..read more

Lubbock is known for its flat, dusty skyline, surrounded by farmland. It’s been home to Texas Tech for almost a century. As well as the historic broadway road made of bricks that stretches from the university towards the city’s downtown. However, it’s not the smoothest road to drive on, but it’s this feature the city is working to preserve and market. City Councilman Jeff Griffith stood on the brick road that leads to his district. As he pointed out the flaws on Broadway, a truck drove by and hit a big bump. “That’s only going to get worse,” Griffith said. “It’s time now to do [repair] it befo ..read more

Last year’s shutdown dealt a crippling blow to businesses around Lubbock – causing many to shutter. As a result, supporting local businesses has become a big focus for many Lubbockites. One way to support local producers is through farmers markets. The Wolfforth Farmers Market was busy on a recent Saturday morning. Patrons mill around the area, speaking with vendors and purchasing goods. Mahriah Dickson, who runs the farmers market, looks on at the customers as she explains how having a local market affects a community. “It just brings the whole community together,” Dickson said. She said she ..read more

This is an initial summary of the story. Detailed coverage followed through the entire event will appear on Friday July 2nd at 9:00 a.m. After a year of canceled events, the annual 4th on Broadway celebration kicked off Thursday evening, with La Raza on the Plaza. However, there’s been a change this year that not everyone supports. Previously held outside the courthouse in downtown Lubbock, the Tejano music concert will instead be hosted at Cook’s Garage—a South Lubbock restaurant and venue known for hosting rallies in support of former President Donald Trump. Several of those events took plac ..read more

Since 2010, Lubbock’s population has grown over 10%, according to Lubbock Economic Development Alliance. It is currently hovering just over 260,000 residents. As Lubbock’s population grows, so does the demand to revitalize the city’s downtown area. With new plans to build a civic park, people hope this will draw more business to the area. Next to Lubbock’s First United Methodist Church on Broadway, cars drive slowly past the former LP&L building. The old, beige building is slated to change into a one-and-a-half-acre greenspace that will bring people downtown. The City of Lubbock has plans ..read more