Category: Public Notices

Both the Texas House and Senate have passed a mid-decade redistricting bill that positions the GOP to pick up five additional congressional seats next year. Passage came after House Democrats ended their quorum-breaking walkout while still vowing to pursue legal challenges.
The bill dismantles Democratic strongholds around Houston, Austin and Dallas and increases Republican challenges of also picking up seats in South Texas, The Texas Tribune reported.
In response, California lawmakers seeking to counter Texas’ redistricting move have approved a special election for their voters to consider a new congressional map that would likely add five Democratic seats in California.
“This fight is far from over,” Rep. Gene Wu of Houston, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said after the map’s passage in that chamber. “Our best shot is in the courts. This part of the fight is over, but it is merely the first chapter.”
Roy joins crowded race to replace Paxton
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a fiscal conservative often critical of President Trump and his fellow Republicans, has entered the race to replace Ken Paxton as Texas attorney general, The Dallas Morning News reported.
“Texas is under assault – from open-border, radical leftists, and faceless foreign corporations that threaten our sovereignty, safety, and our way of life,” Roy wrote. “It’s time to draw a line in the sand.” 
Roy, R-Austin, is in his fourth term in Congress. He joins several other Republican candidates, including state Sens. Joan Huffman of Houston and Mayes Middleton of Galveston, as well as Aaron Reitz, a former deputy attorney general under Paxton. Democrats who have announced plans to run include state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas and former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski, who ran unsuccessfully for the post in 2022.
Paxton has announced plans to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the March 2026 GOP primary.
House passes six bills providing flood disaster relief
The Texas House passed six bills last week aimed at addressing disaster relief, emergency communications systems and preparedness. The bills are in response to the catastrophic Hill Country floods over the July 4th weekend. At least 137 people were killed, primarily in Kerr County, including 27 children and staffers from Camp Mystic on the banks of the Guadalupe River.
The News reported the measures include a requirement that youth camps develop emergency management plans and submit them to the state. Legislation also calls for establishing the Texas Interoperability Council, which would create structure and grant programs for multiple agencies to communicate and coordinate on single disasters. That would include hurricanes and mass shootings.
One of the bill’s sponsors, state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, spoke surrounded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
“When I speak on this bill, for this bill, I hope I’m not just speaking for myself, but for the lost children, the grieving families who have called us, met with us and shared their heartbreak and grief with us,” Darby said.
Former speaker Dade Phelan won’t seek reelection
Former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, announced he would not seek reelection following a failed intra-party attempt to defeat him in the 2024 election and his subsequent stepping down as speaker. The Houston Chronicle reported Phelan served his district since 2015 and assumed the speakership in 2021.
In a statement, Phelan wrote on Facebook that “leading the House required tough choices, but I sought to chart a course inspired by the values we share in Southeast Texas. Looking ahead I will seek God’s path in mapping out my next chapter.”
Both Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Paxton backed Phelan’s primary opponent in 2024, following Paxton’s impeachment in the House while Phelan was speaker. Paxton was acquitted in the Senate. His successor as speaker, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, praised him.
“Dade is more than a colleague — He is a treasure to Southeast Texas, to the Texas House, and to the great Lone Star State,” Burrows said on social media.
Judge blocks law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms
A San Antonio federal judge has temporarily blocked a Texas law that would require public schools to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom, the Chronicle reported. The suit was filed by a group of families who claimed the posting would potentially harm their children’s religious development.
“Ultimately, in matters of conscience, faith, beliefs and the soul, most people are Garbo-esque,” U.S. District Judge Fred Biery wrote, referencing a line from actress Greta Garbo in a 1932 movie. “They just want to be left alone, neither proselytized nor ostracized, including what occurs to their children in government-run schools.”
Paxton, whose office represented most of the school districts named in the suit, said he planned to appeal the ruling.
“The Ten Commandments are a cornerstone of our moral and legal heritage, and their presence in classrooms serves as a reminder of the values that guide responsible citizenship,” Paxton said in a statement.
Audit finds problems with winterizing energy grid
A new report from the State Auditor’s Office concludes that state oil and gas inspectors are not doing their job to adequately verify that Texas natural gas producers and their delivery systems can hold up under severe winter storms, according to the Texas Standard.
Since Winter Storm Uri in 2021 left much of the state’s power grid paralyzed, the Railroad Commission has been tasked by law with ensuring all parts of the gas supply chain to power plants can operate adequately in severe winter weather. However, the audit concluded that current rules allow gas companies to decide for themselves what is considered adequate winterization. Of 8,732 inspections conducted by the RRC in 2024 and 2025 winter seasons, only two violations were issued.
“The Commission stated that it relies on facility operators to determine which weatherization measures are needed and whether those measures are sufficient for that facility,” auditors found. “It did not compare facilities’ actual weatherization methods to the Commission’s best practices.”
The commission contends the low number of violations reflects the “successful implementation” of the legislation passed after Uri.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
“Phone scammers have taken over $12,000 from hardworking people in Medina County in the past two weeks,” said Sheriff Randy Brown. “And I know of at least two more who were on their way to the bank when they called me.”
A frustrated Sheriff Brown reiterates that Medina County Sheriff’s Office, nor any other local police department, will ever call you to get payment to avoid being arrested.
“I tell people all of the time, I post it on Facebook, I even stood up at church and told people at church to please stop talking to these phone scammers,” Sheriff Brown said. “This needs to be on the front page, because people, intelligent people, are falling for it.”
Many of these scammers will insist you missed jury duty, have a civil case to settle, or have some other kind of warrant for your arrest.
“Just hang up immediately and block their number, because they are good at what they do,” Sheriff Brown said. “They have their phone systems set up so that if they call and you call them back, it sounds very professional. Some even have phone prompts for the different departments you want to speak to, and even have pre-recorded background noise.”
“We will not call you for that. I don’t know of a single law enforcement agency that would ever call you for that. If there is a warrant for your arrest, we will just come find you….The bottom line is do not even talk to anyone claiming you have a warrant, civil case, or missed jury duty summons,” Sheriff Brown said.

The sheriff noted, he himself, has been targeted by these scammers, and there’s little to nothing they can do.
“People keep falling for it and it is very, very sad. Once you read that card number, your money is gone, and there is nothing we can do about it. We get calls daily from people who were contacted by scammers like this.”
Most of these scammers will eventually ask you to buy a pre-paid Visa card or insert money into a Bitcoin machine to pay, he explained.
“They also use the names of local people like my name, Chris Champion, Malcolm, and many others. Someone can sit in another country and spoof the number to make it appear like it is our office calling.”
“They are good at convincing people that if they don’t take this opportunity to pay, they will be going to jail,” Sheriff said. “The only thing worse than a thief is a lying thief, and that’s exactly what these people are.”

MIDLAND — Governor Greg Abbott today signed into law key legislation to protect Texas’ oil and gas industry and promote economic growth across West Texas, including Senate Bill 494, Senate Bill 529, Senate Bill 1806, House Bill 48, and the Beacon Budget Appropriation, during a bill signing ceremony at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.
“Today is a defining moment for the Permian Basin, the future of this region, and the future of Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “We are bringing the full weight of the law to crack down on oil theft in the Permian Basin to protect the critical role energy development plays in fueling our economy. I’m also signing an item to fund an historic $123 million investment in The Beacon, a pivotal economic development project for Midland-Odessa.”
View the Governor’s full bill signing ceremony here.
Organized criminals and cartels have increasingly targeted oil pipelines and storage tanks, stealing millions of dollars from communities in the Permian Basin. Through Senate Bill 494, Senate Bill 1806, and House Bill 48, Texas will combat petroleum product theft and protect the energy industry – the lifeblood of the state economy.
Texas is investing in the future of the Permian Basin as it takes steps to improve collaboration among the energy industry and community partners to advance economic development opportunities throughout the region. Through a $123 million appropriation, The Beacon project will extend and enhance access to quality healthcare and education while also providing residential and retail space for the region’s growing population.
The Governor was joined by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, Senator Kevin Sparks, Representative Tom Craddick, Representative Brooks Landgraf, Midland Mayor Lori Blong, and other state and local officials and energy leaders.
Senate Bill 494 (Sparks/Landgraf) establishes a petroleum product theft task force.
Senate Bill 529 (Sparks/Craddick) alters the tax code for the City of Midland to divert certain collected tax revenue for economic development projects.
Senate Bill 1806 (Sparks/Craddick) provides the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with additional tools to combat oil and gas theft.
House Bill 48 (Darby/Sparks) creates an organized oilfield theft prevention unit within DPS to protect oilfield assets, support the energy industry, safeguard economic stability, and enhance public safety.
Beacon Budget Appropriation was appropriated by the Texas Legislature to the Texas Facilities Commission to support Beacon Healthcare in extending healthcare, research, residential, and retails spaces in the region.

AUSTIN — With the addition of three new properties, Texas’ 2025-26 hunting season will offer more public hunting opportunities through Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Public Hunting Program.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorized 2025-26 hunting season dates for public hunting lands and Texas State Parks that will offer 140 different public hunts in 52 State Park and State Natural Areas, totaling more than 521,000 acres of publicly accessible land.
“We are so excited to be able to continue to grow the public hunting opportunities within state parks and natural areas every year, including on some of the newest park properties,” said Greg Creacy, Texas State Parks Natural Resources program director. “The number of hunted parks has increased from 45 to 52 in the past five years. The addition of some of our newest sites, including the recent acquisitions at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Post Oak Ridge State Park, gives hunters a special opportunity to help the department with land management on these unique properties.”
The newest additions of acreage added to the public hunting program in Texas State Parks include 1,650 acres at Dinosaur Valley State Park, 1,400 acres at Ray Roberts Lake State Park– Isle du Bois Unit, 3,100 acres at Post Oak Ridge State Park, 3,100 acres at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and 1,000 acres at Government Canyon State Natural Area.
TPWD’s Public Hunting Program includes more than a million acres located throughout Texas. Access to these lands is provided by two types of permits: the $48 Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit, available beginning Aug. 15, which allows full privileges including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and other recreational uses and the Texas Public Hunt Drawing program, which issues permits for drawn hunts on both public and private lands throughout Texas.
Applications will be accepted beginning July 1 and hunters can apply for more than 60 high-quality hunt categories.
For more information about the Public Hunting Program, including an interactive map of all available public hunting lands and a how to video, visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/. The webpage also has information about daily permit hunts and mentored hunting workshops.

June 27, 2025 is my last day as your Police Chief at the City of Devine Police Department.
As I approach this next phase in my life, I reflect on my time with the Devine Police Department with great fondness and satisfaction. It has been a great honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Devine, these 9 ½ years along with the amazing officers and employees at Devine Police Department.
I have made a lot of friends, and have a lot of memories that will last a lifetime.
The success we have enjoyed at Devine Police Department is not because of the Chief but because of the dedicated officers and staff who fulfilled the mission and goals of the department.
I would like to express my sincere thanks for the opportunities I’ve had to grow and the leadership that has guided my journey. The experiences I’ve gained here are invaluable and have shaped my career in countless ways.
As I prepare to depart, I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition. Thank you all for your continued support.
Thank you once again for an unforgettable and rewarding journey.
Warm regards,
Kandy L. Benavides