A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan delivery driver shot by an ICE agent in Austin on Sept. 20, will remain in custody on a charge of assaulting a federal officer. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Garces Perez appeared in court in a wheelchair, with a bullet still lodged in his back, according to reporting from Spectrum Local News.

Prosecutors showed body camera footage of the encounter, alleging that Garces Perez struck an ICE officer with his driver’s side mirror while trying to flee. His defense argues the footage is inconclusive and notes that the officer who shot him was not wearing a camera. His lawyer says Garces Perez entered the U.S. in 2024 through CBP One and held a valid work permit. His attorneys have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop his removal from the country.

The case has renewed scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics, particularly around vehicle stops and the reliability of official accounts in shootings where camera coverage is incomplete. For North Texas communities watching these debates unfold, the core questions remain open: what gets documented, what doesn’t, and who decides what happened.

What do you think should change about how these encounters are recorded? Let us know in the comments.

Drivers heading up Highway 69 through Bullard are getting their first real taste of the lane shift that started Monday, September 28. Traffic is now one lane in each direction on the eastern side of the highway, with a center turn lane in the middle, while crews work on the western half as part of the US 69/FM 2493 overpass project. Morning commutes toward Tyler have taken the hardest hit. One driver reported a trip that normally takes 20 to 25 minutes recently stretching past an hour, and around 7:24 a.m. traffic was backed up roughly two miles. Conditions tend to improve later in the day, so midday drivers are faring better than the early crowd.

The timeline is the part worth circling. TxDOT says this lane pattern will stay in place for several months, and the broader $68 million overpass project, with East Texas Bridge, Inc. as contractor, isn’t scheduled to wrap up until Spring 2029. Local business owner John Beasley of Camp Davis Stone & Grass is among those keeping an eye on how the changes ripple through the community. For anyone who regularly makes the Tyler run, this is less a brief inconvenience and more a new routine to plan around.

For now, the practical move is simple: give yourself extra time, consider shifting your departure a little earlier or later, and test out alternate routes before you need them. If you find a back road that’s saving you time, share it with your neighbors, because that’s how small towns get through big projects. Have the Bullard backups changed your daily drive? Let us know what you’re seeing out there.

A 40-year-old man is accused of plotting a violent attack on the Texas Capitol, and the arrest came fast. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a credible tip came in Tuesday evening about a planned attack in Austin for Thursday. By roughly 3 a.m. Wednesday, SWAT officers had taken Benny Caldera Jr. into custody at a home in Converse, just outside San Antonio. He could face a felony charge of terroristic threat against a public servant and was released after posting a $75,000 bond.

The Capitol stayed open throughout, with increased security that investigators say will remain in place as the case moves forward. Governor Greg Abbott responded directly, saying Texas will not tolerate threats of violence against its Capitol. Authorities have not released specifics about the alleged plot, citing the ongoing investigation, and no attorney comments have been made public yet. Caldera is presumed innocent unless and until a case is proven in court.

For Ellis County, the Capitol is more than a headline. It’s where our state senators and representatives work on the issues that hit home here, from property taxes to water to school funding, and it’s a regular stop for school groups and families from Waxahachie making the trip up I-35. A threat there is a reminder of why security around public buildings matters, and why reporting something suspicious can make a real difference. What do you think, should the Capitol stay open during investigations like this?

Three Texas cities are moving to take César Chávez’s name off their streets after a New York Times investigation earlier this year alleged the labor leader sexually abused minors and women. San Antonio is spending more than $374,000 to restore the old Durango Boulevard name. Austin is weighing a price between $500,000 and over $1 million. Houston finished its rename in June, switching to Master Sergeant Joe E. Ramirez Boulevard.

The money is only part of the story. Residents in these neighborhoods say a street name is tied to identity, not just navigation. Estella Moncibaez-Saenz told reporters it isn’t just a name: it’s where she grew up and raised her kids. Others point to the practical side, like updating addresses, licenses, and business listings. Javier Gutierrez, who owns Del Bravo Record Shop on Historic Old Highway 90, knows that headache firsthand.

San Antonio asked residents to weigh in on the replacement name before deciding. That process is the piece many people are watching closest. Should cities survey and decide, or should the people living on the street get the final word?

If a street near you faced a renaming like this, what would you want to happen? Tell us in the comments or call in and make your case.

The Dallas Stars are keeping their goaltending tandem intact. Backup netminder Casey DeSmith signed a two-year, $5 million extension that runs through the 2028-29 season, ensuring Jake Oettinger has a proven veteran behind him for a potential five consecutive seasons. That is rare stability in a league where backup goalies change addresses almost every summer.

The numbers back up the investment. In two seasons with Dallas, the 35-year-old DeSmith is 29-16-8 with a .911 save percentage, a 2.50 goals-against average and three shutouts. He set a career-best 13-game point streak with nine wins early last season, and among goalies with at least 10 starts over the past two seasons, he ranks second in road goals-against average at 2.34 and third in road save percentage at .918.

For fans in Waxahachie and across Ellis County who make the trip to Dallas for games, the deal means no question marks in the crease heading into training camp. DeSmith sits at 99 career wins and ranks fifth all-time among American-born goalies with 13 shutouts.

What do you think: is $2.5 million per year good value for a backup goaltender? Let us know in the comments.

It’s been one year since Texas banned cell phones in public schools, and some districts are taking the next step by limiting screen time on school-issued devices. Richardson ISD now caps passive screen time on iPads at 15 to 20 minutes per class for grades 7 through 12. Superintendent Tabitha Branum says the goal is simple: if students are on the iPad, it should be productive, not passive scrolling.

Other districts are moving in the same direction. Coppell ISD and Dallas ISD are considering or adopting similar screen limits, and Lockhart ISD launched an initiative to cut back on laptops and get students playing more. In August, Governor Greg Abbott called for additional statewide limits on school screen time, which lawmakers could take up when they return in the spring.

For families here in Waxahachie and across Ellis County, the debate matters. Screen policies touch nearly every household with school-age kids, and what starts in Richardson often spreads. Whether local districts follow suit could shape what your child’s school day looks like next semester. What do you think: should Waxahachie ISD set limits on classroom screen time?

For the second week in a row, the biggest Texas Longhorns story isn’t the score. Texas beat Tennessee 20-17 on Saturday to stay perfect, but by Monday, athletic director Chris Del Conte was apologizing in his weekly blog for on-field celebrations he called “embarrassing” to the university. Defensive end Colin Simmons set a school record with 5 1/2 sacks, then drew a penalty for mimicking urinating. Running back Raleek Brown’s fourth-quarter touchdown celebration included gestures that had no business on national television.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian called the behavior unacceptable and said both players will face discipline. It’s the third controversy for the Longhorns since they took over the No. 1 ranking following their win over Ohio State on Sept. 12, and the pattern is starting to get more attention than the football itself.

Here in Waxahachie, we know a thing or two about big Friday nights and how quickly a moment can define a season. Our own kids grow up watching the Longhorns, and they copy what they see on those broadcasts. We want them to play with confidence and celebrate hard. We also want them to walk off the field the way champions do. So what do you think? Should college players face stronger penalties for vulgar celebrations, or is this all getting blown out of proportion? Let us know.

Brandon Carr spent 13 seasons in the NFL, including a long stint patrolling the secondary for the Dallas Cowboys. These days, you’ll find him on a high school practice field in South Dallas, running the football program at Uplift Hampton Preparatory. He’s in his second year, and he built the whole thing from the ground up. Some of his players put on pads for the first time as 17-year-olds. No inherited roster. No shortcuts.

Carr’s coaching style is direct and demanding. One player described it simply: gritty. If you’re going to mess up, go 100%. But the scoreboard isn’t the point for Carr. He talks about players who have lost family members, challenges that are bigger than a touchdown or a blown play. Discipline, accountability, brotherhood. Those are the wins he’s chasing now.

The program carries a deeper meaning too. Carr’s late mother taught in Flint, Michigan, for 33 years. Every practice, every lesson, every hard conversation is a tribute to her. It’s a reminder that coaching is teaching, and teaching echoes for generations.

What coach or teacher left the biggest mark on your life? Tell us in the comments.

The Trump administration may be backing away from the full scope of its planned border project through Big Bend National Park. In two court filings late Tuesday, Customs and Border Protection said it is “actively considering adjustments” that would reduce the project’s scope and avoid or minimize impacts on the landscape. A construction pause inside the park ends Wednesday, but ground-disturbing work is still weeks away, and CBP says a final decision will come the first week of October.

The pushback has been unusually broad. Environmental groups argue that building in the park means mutilating an extraordinary landscape. Along a 61-mile stretch of the Rio Grande, landowners and business owners have raised concerns about property rights and possible condemnation cases. Texas officials from both parties have also objected, which is rare for a project tied to a $46 billion border wall and surveillance plan.

For Waxahachie and Ellis County, the story is a reminder that border policy reaches far beyond the border itself. It touches private property, conservation, and how federal dollars get spent. If the administration does narrow the project, it would be one of the clearest signs yet that bipartisan pressure from Texas is moving the needle. What would you want to see happen at Big Bend? Let us know in the comments.

The Houston Astros opened their Wild Card Series at Daikin Park on Tuesday with a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox, and the story wasn’t just the score. Announced attendance was 34,011 in a stadium that holds 40,963, leaving wide swaths of empty seats in the upper deck for a playoff game. When Houston fell behind 3-0 in the first two innings, boos came down from the fans who did show up.

The players noticed. First baseman Christian Walker said it’s extremely frustrating as a home player, adding that the team needs cheers and energy, not boos. Reliever Bennett Sousa said this group laid a lot on the line to reach the postseason and wants the fans’ support. Houston finished the regular season 81-81, making it the first division winner at .500 or worse in a non-shortened season, and the club missed the playoffs entirely last year.

The crowd size also raises a league-wide issue. MLB has struggled for years to fill ballparks for afternoon wild-card games, and the combination of a workday start time and a sub-.500 home team made for a quiet October afternoon in Houston. Locally, it’s a contrast to what we see around Waxahachie, where Friday night football, the county fair, and the rodeo pull crowds without much arm-twisting.

So what do you think? Should a .500 team get a playoff berth, and is it fair to boo them when they fall behind early?

Republicans in Austin and Tallahassee redrew congressional maps with a big prize in mind: as many as nine additional U.S. House seats. The lines are drawn, the campaigns are running, and the payoff is looking smaller than advertised. Several districts, including a Rio Grande Valley seat Republicans expected to hold comfortably, have turned into genuine fights.

In Texas, Republican Eric Flores is in a closer-than-expected race, while Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy-winning musician, is challenging Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz. Democrats say the GOP counted on Hispanic and rural voters while missing how badly inflation and the deportation agenda are landing in those same communities. Republicans point to favorable maps, strong fundraising, and better candidates as reasons to stay confident. Vice President JD Vance is campaigning in Texas on Wednesday and Florida on Thursday, a schedule that says plenty about where the party sees trouble.

The stakes stretch well beyond the two states. Control of the U.S. House hinges on whether these redistricting gains hold, and voter discontent over inflation, tariffs, and the Iran war is keeping races competitive nationwide. Here in Ellis County, the cost of living keeps surfacing as the issue that crosses party lines.

What’s the one issue that will decide your vote this November?

Republicans in Austin and Tallahassee redrew congressional maps with a big prize in mind: as many as nine additional U.S. House seats. The lines are drawn, the campaigns are running, and the payoff is looking smaller than advertised. Several districts, including a Rio Grande Valley seat Republicans expected to hold comfortably, have turned into genuine fights.

In Texas, Republican Eric Flores is in a closer-than-expected race, while Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy-winning musician, is challenging Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz. Democrats say the GOP counted on Hispanic and rural voters while missing how badly inflation and the deportation agenda are landing in those same communities. Republicans point to favorable maps, strong fundraising, and better candidates as reasons to stay confident. Vice President JD Vance is campaigning in Texas on Wednesday and Florida on Thursday, a schedule that says plenty about where the party sees trouble.

The stakes stretch well beyond the two states. Control of the U.S. House hinges on whether these redistricting gains hold, and voter discontent over inflation, tariffs, and the Iran war is keeping races competitive nationwide. Here in Ellis County, the cost of living keeps surfacing as the issue that crosses party lines.

What’s the one issue that will decide your vote this November?

Republicans in Austin and Tallahassee redrew congressional maps with a big prize in mind: as many as nine additional U.S. House seats. The lines are drawn, the campaigns are running, and the payoff is looking smaller than advertised. Several districts, including a Rio Grande Valley seat Republicans expected to hold comfortably, have turned into genuine fights.

In Texas, Republican Eric Flores is in a closer-than-expected race, while Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy-winning musician, is challenging Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz. Democrats say the GOP counted on Hispanic and rural voters while missing how badly inflation and the deportation agenda are landing in those same communities. Republicans point to favorable maps, strong fundraising, and better candidates as reasons to stay confident. Vice President JD Vance is campaigning in Texas on Wednesday and Florida on Thursday, a schedule that says plenty about where the party sees trouble.

The stakes stretch well beyond the two states. Control of the U.S. House hinges on whether these redistricting gains hold, and voter discontent over inflation, tariffs, and the Iran war is keeping races competitive nationwide. Here in Ellis County, the cost of living keeps surfacing as the issue that crosses party lines.

What’s the one issue that will decide your vote this November?

Fall weather is finally rolling into Ellis County, and that means hunters, hikers, and weekend wanderers are heading back out into the woods and pastures. Before you cross a fence line, there’s a set of tree and post markings worth knowing, and one of them has real legal weight in Texas. Purple paint is the state’s version of a no-trespassing sign, and crossing it can lead to a criminal trespass charge.

Texas law is specific about how purple marks must be applied. They have to be at least 8 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 3 to 5 feet off the ground. On forest land, the marks can’t be spaced more than 100 feet apart, while on other land they can be up to 1,000 feet apart. Landowners use them because paint lasts longer than a sign and doesn’t come down in a storm.

Other colors carry meaning too. An orange X indicates government-owned property, and an orange slash means that tree is scheduled for removal, so it’s not a safe spot for a blind or stand. White-painted trunks, more common outside Texas, are a treatment that protects trees from sunscald damage to the bark. Knowing the difference takes about two minutes and can save you a lot of trouble.

Have you ever come across purple paint on a property line around Waxahachie? Tell us where, and whether you knew what it meant.

Flock Safety has spent years putting license plate reading cameras on poles at intersections, neighborhood entrances, and business parking lots. Now the company says it’s deploying camera-equipped drones, and they’re already active in Fort Worth along with many other cities nationwide. More deployments are expected in the coming months.

The timing stands out in Texas, where the ground version of the technology has hit some resistance. The state paused installation of new Flock cameras along state roads, and some constables have removed cameras from their areas entirely. That’s the backdrop as the company shifts part of its focus upward, where a drone can cover far more ground than a fixed camera ever could.

Supporters see real benefits: fewer long police chases, faster help finding a stolen vehicle, and a tool for retail theft that plagues shopping centers. Critics see a different picture, one where surveillance follows you past the public street and over the fence. Waxahachie hasn’t been named in any deployment plans, but growth has a way of bringing new technology to town before anyone holds a meeting about it. So what do you think: should drones be part of local policing, or is the pole camera enough?

Longview’s restaurant lineup is growing again, and this round covers everything from quick tacos to a full sit-down dinner with cocktails. Taco Casa is returning to 116 E. Loop 281, with construction already underway and a projected completion date of November 20, 2026. For longtime residents, that name carries some history, and the comeback has been a long time coming.

Two more projects are on the way. Twelve Kitchen + Cocktails, which already has a loyal following at its Tyler location, is expanding to 322 E. Hawkins Parkway, right near Andy’s Frozen Custard. The menu leans modern American with cocktails and whiskey, so it fills a different niche than your average fast-casual spot. Then there’s Chicken Salad Chick, planned for 3107 Nealy Way. That location will be 2,945 square feet with a drive-thru, but the timeline is the long one: construction starts December 1, 2026, and completion is set for October 29, 2027.

So the real question is where your patience runs out. Tacos on the Loop arrive first, the Hawkins Parkway spot brings the Tyler favorite closer to home, and the chicken salad fans will simply have to wait their turn. Which of these three are you most excited to try, and what chain do you wish would give Longview a look next? Tell us in the comments.