The FBI’s Dallas Field Office has released the results of Operation Summer Heat 2.0, a violent crime initiative that ran from June 1 to September 20 and resulted in 186 arrests across North Texas. Agents also identified or located 49 child victims during the four-month operation, a figure that speaks to the protective side of this kind of enforcement work.

Beyond the arrests, authorities seized 121 illegal firearms, 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, and 33 kilograms of cocaine. The operation produced 169 indictments and 71 convictions, reflecting coordinated work between federal agents and local law enforcement partners across the region. For communities in Ellis County and the surrounding area, the takeaway is that these cases are often worked jointly, with local police and county deputies supporting federal efforts.

For Waxahachie and the broader exurb corridor, where rapid growth has brought new public safety challenges, operations like this one highlight how federal resources filter down to the local level. The fentanyl seizures alone represent meaningful risk removed from North Texas communities. The child victim recoveries represent something even harder to quantify.

What do you think is the most important outcome from this operation: the arrests, the drug seizures, or the child victim recoveries? Let us know in the comments.

Toys R Us has an official opening date for its Broadway Square Mall location in Tyler: Friday, November 6. A reporter stopped by the mall and confirmed the date with the district manager while construction crews were still arranging displays and merchandise inside the storefront. That means East Texas families get a new toy shopping option just as the holiday season kicks into gear.

One detail worth knowing before opening weekend: this location is smaller than the Toys R Us stores many shoppers remember from childhood. The chain’s comeback format scales down the classic big-box experience, but for local families it also means a shorter drive than heading into the metroplex for holiday toy runs.

The return lands at a good moment for Broadway Square Mall and for parents working through Christmas lists early this year. Expect opening weekend to draw a crowd from across the region, especially with the nostalgia factor running high. Will you be there on day one, or are you waiting for the rush to settle down?

Diesel prices across Texas are running about $2.10 higher per gallon than this time last year, and school districts are feeling it where it hurts: the transportation budget. Down in San Antonio, North East ISD is spending $30,000 to $50,000 a week fueling its 205 buses, and it has already used more than half its transportation budget with over half the school year still ahead. Northside ISD locked in diesel at $4.46 a gallon through a statewide co-op and still expects to exceed its fuel budget by $1 million.

Districts are responding with practical changes. Austin ISD eliminated neighborhood bus routes for high schoolers and set up student walk-to bus hubs. San Antonio-area districts are cutting bus idling, including band programs waiting with the AC running. Fuel hedging and co-op rates help, but as Northside’s numbers show, they don’t make a district immune to a price spike this steep.

The ripple effects matter here in Ellis County, where growth debates and school budgets already compete for attention. When fuel eats a bigger share of transportation money, districts face hard choices between routes, programs, and classrooms, and taxpayers ultimately foot the bill. Have your local district’s bus routes or schedules changed this year? Tell us what you’re seeing.

Tuesday’s midterms delivered the biggest shakeup in state government power since 2010, and Texas sat right at the center of it. Democrats won control of the Texas state House for the first time since 2002 and will hold at least 28 governorships in 2027, with pickups in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. They also flipped both chambers in Wisconsin, ending a 16-year Republican majority, and broke or prevented supermajorities in nine chambers across eight states.

Analysts say the wave was fueled by anger over the cost of living, inflation and housing affordability. Rice University political science professor Mark Jones credited President Trump’s policies as the driving force, while Democratic leaders leaned on a simple message: now it’s time to deliver. State lawmakers set policy on the things closest to home, from property taxes and school funding to housing and utility costs, which is why a change in Austin matters on every Main Street in Ellis County.

So what happens next? Redistricting math changes, committee chairs change, and the growth debate here in one of the fastest-growing corners of North Texas gets a new set of players. We’ll keep following how it all shakes out at the Capitol. What’s the first issue you want the new Texas House to take up? Let us know.

Texas has a new agriculture commissioner, and the result marks something the state hasn’t seen since 1994: a Democrat winning a statewide office. Clayton Tucker, a rancher from Lampasas, defeated Republican Nate Sheets, the honey company founder who had upset incumbent Sid Miller in the primary earlier this year.

The race took some unusual turns. After losing the primary, Miller wrote an essay discouraging voters from supporting Sheets while not going so far as to endorse Tucker. Through it all, Tucker kept his campaign focused on data centers, arguing that water, farmland, property rights, and rural communities need protection from unchecked corporate expansion. That argument carried particular weight across fast-growing counties like ours.

For Waxahachie and the surrounding rural stretches of Ellis County, the result matters beyond party lines. The next agriculture commissioner will oversee the state office that touches farming, ranching, and rural interests, and the debate over data centers isn’t fading. What’s your take on growth and water here in Ellis County? Let us know in the comments.

East Texas is drying out from this week’s rain and heading into a weekend full of events across the region. The Junior League of Tyler’s Mistletoe & Magic market runs Wednesday through Saturday at 2000 W Front St, giving holiday shoppers a four-day head start. Meanwhile, the 4th annual Pilar McLemore Butterfly Run 5K takes off at 8 a.m. Saturday at 100 Grand Blvd in Longview to benefit the Texas Oncology Foundation. Wings are optional, organizers note, but welcome.

Outdoor types can join the Sabine River Challenge at 9 a.m. Saturday from the Highway 14 bridge in Hawkins, a 30-mile course finishing in Gladewater. Gators along the route may or may not be pulling double duty as race officials. Closer to town, the 17th annual Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival runs Friday and Saturday with free admission downtown, and The Long Con role-playing convention fills Longview Thursday through Sunday.

Marshall’s rain-postponed Halloween Fun & Pet Costume Contest finally happens Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Harrison County Courthouse. Kilgore’s Festival of Trees, area farmers markets, and Friday night district football round out the weekend. With milder post-front temperatures settling in, there’s no shortage of reasons to leave the house. Which event is on your calendar?

Taylor Rehmet will keep her Texas Senate District 9 seat. The Democratic incumbent defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss in their rematch, a repeat of January’s special election runoff that first sent Rehmet to Austin. The Associated Press called the race, and the result keeps a seat Democrats flipped earlier this year after Republican Sen. Kelly Hannock vacated it.

The numbers behind this one are striking. District 9 covers most of Tarrant County, a historically conservative area that Trump carried by 17 points in 2024. Winning it once raised eyebrows. Winning it twice in a single year suggests something more durable is happening in one of the country’s largest swing counties, and both parties will be studying the returns closely as they plan ahead.

For listeners across Ellis County and the DFW exurbs, the outcome is a reminder that North Texas politics is in motion, even in places long considered safe for one party. Tarrant County voters have now backed Rehmet twice since January, and Republicans are left asking what their local strategy needs to look like going forward.

What do you think this result says about the future of North Texas politics? Sound off in the comments.

Texas voters delivered a political earthquake Tuesday, handing Democrats every statewide office for the first time in more than three decades. James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat, and Gina Hinojosa unseated Gov. Greg Abbott to become the first Latina governor in Texas history. Democrats also won lieutenant governor and attorney general, ending a drought that stretched back to 1994.

The coalition behind the sweep stretched beyond the big cities. Border counties that swung to Trump in 2024 returned to the Democratic column, and several gerrymandered congressional districts flipped. AP voter polling found about three-quarters of voters under 30 and roughly six in ten Hispanic voters backed Talarico, a signal that Texas’ changing electorate is reshaping its politics.

Even national Republicans acknowledged the scale of the loss. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Texas the anchor of the modern GOP and said the sweep takes that away. For communities like Waxahachie, the question now is practical: what does new leadership in Austin mean for property taxes, schools, and growth along the I-35 corridor? What do you want to see from the new administration first?

Texas has a new attorney general, and for the first time in more than three decades, it’s a Democrat. State Senator Nathan Johnson defeated Republican State Senator Mayes Middleton, ending a Republican hold on the office that dates to 1994. The result is still being finalized as vote data is verified, but the flip is official.

The race came together in an unusual way. Ken Paxton chose to run for U.S. Senate rather than defend his attorney general seat, leaving it open. That set off runoff battles on both sides: Middleton beat Congressman Chip Roy for the Republican nod, and Johnson beat former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski on the Democratic side. Two state senators, two runoffs, one history-making outcome.

Here in Waxahachie, this lands differently than it might in Austin or Dallas. We’re a courthouse town at heart, and the attorney general is the state’s top lawyer. What this means for the legal fights ahead, and for future elections in Ellis County, is the real question. Results are still being verified, so keep an eye out for updates. What’s your take on the flip? Let us know in the comments.

Democrat Jon Rosenthal, a Houston state representative, has won a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, defeating Republican Bo French. It’s the first Democratic victory for that office since 1990 and the first statewide Democratic win in Texas since 1994, ending more than three decades of Republican dominance in statewide races.

The commission’s name is misleading: it regulates oil and gas, not railroads. That makes the seat far more consequential than it sounds, especially for a fast-growing county like Ellis, where energy and development questions are part of everyday life. French, a former Tarrant County GOP chair, had beaten incumbent Jim Wright in a May runoff but drew bipartisan criticism over a social media post about UT students. Rosenthal ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Whether this is a one-cycle protest vote or the beginning of a larger realignment is the question everyone’s asking. Statewide races rarely turn on a single moment, but thirty-two years is a long streak to break in one night. What do you think this result says about where Texas politics is headed? Let us know in the comments.

Texas politics just shifted in a way it hasn’t in over three decades. Democrat Vikki Goodwin defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, becoming the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since 1994. She’ll be sworn in when the legislative session begins in January, and results are still developing according to the AP Decision Team.

Why should a Waxahachie listener care? The lieutenant governor isn’t a ceremonial title. That office presides over the Texas Senate and sets the legislative agenda, meaning it decides which bills move and which stall. Property tax reform, school funding formulas, and the growth rules shaping DFW exurbs all pass through that gavel first. The last Democrat to hold the office was Bob Bullock, who served until 1999.

For a historic courthouse town that’s now part of the fastest-growing metro in the country, the stakes are local as much as they are statewide. Whether you’re celebrating or frustrated by the result, the person in that chair for the next session will shape the debates that hit your driveway and your tax bill. What issue do you most want the new lieutenant governor to address first?

Democrat Johnny Garcia has defeated Republican Carlos De La Cruz in Texas’ 35th Congressional District, flipping a seat that looked safely red on paper. Lawmakers redrew TX-35 last year in the Legislature’s mid-decade redistricting push, removing Austin and adding more rural and Republican-leaning communities around San Antonio. Trump carried the new district by more than 10 points.

Garcia’s victory is being read as a sign that Hispanic voters, who make up the majority of the district, may be swinging back toward Democrats after recent cycles. The race also carried a family subplot: Carlos De La Cruz is the brother of South Texas Republican Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, giving the family name a mixed night. Meanwhile, current TX-35 representative Greg Casar of Austin is now running in TX-37.

The results are still developing, and the long-term implications for next year’s midterms are an open question. Closer to home, Ellis County’s rapid growth means political shifts around the state are worth watching here too. What do you think this result signals? Let us know in the comments.

Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar won reelection in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, defeating Republican Tano Tijerina, according to the Associated Press. The district, which stretches from south of San Antonio through the Rio Grande Valley and includes Laredo, was redrawn last year during the Legislature’s mid-decade redistricting push to favor Republicans, and President Trump carried the new boundaries by more than ten points.

Cuellar has represented the district since 2005, and that longevity appears to have outweighed the new map. Tijerina, the Webb County judge, left the Democratic Party after the 2024 election and ran as a Republican. Adding to the intrigue, the Congressional Leadership Fund canceled $3 million in planned ads against Cuellar just weeks before Election Day, a signal that outside groups saw the race slipping away.

The result matters well beyond South Texas. Democrats need net gains to retake the House majority, and holding a district drawn against them is a meaningful data point. It also raises an old question that never quite goes away: how much does redistricting decide, and how much do candidates? What do you think this race tells us about 2026?

A name familiar to anyone who’s attended a South Texas wedding or quinceañera is now headed to Congress. Bobby Pulido, the Grammy-winning Tejano musician, has defeated incumbent Republican Monica De La Cruz in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. It was Pulido’s first run for public office.

De La Cruz made history in 2022 when she became the first Republican elected to the district since its creation in 1903, and she followed that up with a 14-point reelection win in 2024. The district spans from New Braunfels to McAllen, taking in parts of Edinburg and the eastern San Antonio suburbs, a region with deep cultural ties to Tejano music.

The flip carries national weight as Democrats work to reclaim the U.S. House majority, and it raises an interesting question about how much name recognition and cultural connection matter at the ballot box. What do you think: should more entertainers and musicians run for office, or is governing best left to career politicians? Let us know on our social pages.

Tyler diners get a new breakfast option on Monday, November 9, when Denny’s opens at 1226 South Beckham Avenue. The restaurant is a makeover of a former Grandy’s building, and crews are still finishing construction and staff training this week. Videos shared online show a clean, updated interior ready for the first wave of customers.

The opening comes with a change for regulars: according to employee training at the new site, the existing Denny’s on West Gentry Parkway will close once the South Beckham location opens. If West Gentry has been your usual stop, it’s worth planning a new route before your next early-morning run.

There’s a perk too. Denny’s Rewards members can claim a free cheesecake or a free simple breakfast plate for their birthday through an online account, so signing up before your big day pays off. Between the new jobs and the new dining room, it’s a notable week for Tyler’s restaurant scene. Are you planning to check out the South Beckham location on opening day, or will you miss the West Gentry spot?

Downtown Tyler has a new restaurant in a space plenty of locals already know. Brickstreet Bistro is now open at 118 West Erwin Street, the former home of Culture ETX, and executive chef Dylan Sexton is running the kitchen after years of working alongside Chef Lance McWhorter.

The menu goes well beyond one lane: New York-style pizza, pasta, and flatbreads share the page with seafood, steaks, and chops. That range means a quick Tuesday lunch and a Saturday dinner out can both happen under the same roof. Brickstreet Bistro is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.

McWhorter announced on social media that he’s stepping away to focus on other projects, while The Plaid Rabbit Social Club & Speakeasy at Heritage East remains open with no changes. It all adds up to a downtown dining scene that keeps giving people reasons to park once and walk the square. Have you tried the new spot yet, or is there another downtown address you’d love to see get a fresh start?

Texas woke up to a political landscape nobody around here has seen in a generation. Democrat James Talarico, a 37-year-old state legislator and former middle school teacher, defeated Republican Ken Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat, making him the first Democratic senator from Texas since 1993 and the youngest member of the Senate. Paxton’s legal and ethical troubles, including impeachment and a federal corruption probe, shaped a campaign with more than half a billion dollars in combined ads.

The Senate race wasn’t the only headline. Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, a result that stunned observers and raised questions about red-state politics midway through Trump’s second term. Talarico ran an economic populist campaign focused on corruption and the rising cost of living, telling voters the biggest divide in the country isn’t left versus right, it’s top versus bottom. Meanwhile, Elon Musk poured $158 million into a fund that backed Paxton, and it wasn’t enough.

For Waxahachie and the rest of Ellis County, the practical question is what changes and what doesn’t. County fairs and Friday night football won’t feel different, but funding debates, growth policy, and the state’s relationship with Washington are now in new hands. Whether this was a one-night upset or the start of a longer shift is something we’ll be watching closely. What’s your take: is this a one-off, or did Texas politics really change? Let us know on our social pages.

Texas has a new governor, and it’s a historic one. Democrat Gina Hinojosa has defeated incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, according to AP Decision Team data, ending a long stretch of Republican control over the state’s highest office. The last Democrat and the last woman to serve as governor was Ann Richards, who left office in 1995.

The race centered on three issues that matter deeply to North Texas communities: data centers and their impact on land and power, school funding for districts like Waxahachie ISD, and border security. Those debates played out in living rooms and diners across Ellis County, not just on the debate stage.

This remains a developing story as final results are confirmed, but the political shift is already clear. A new administration means a new set of priorities for school funding formulas, energy policy and more, and local leaders will be watching closely. What’s the top issue you want the new governor to address first? Let us know in the comments.

Texas politics just crossed a line nobody has crossed in over three decades. James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race, becoming the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas since 1994. The race drew national attention because Senate majority control was in play, and money poured in from both directions, including tens of millions from President Trump’s super PAC along with rallies across the state before Election Day on Nov. 3.

For context, Beto O’Rourke came within 2.6 percentage points of beating Ted Cruz in 2018, the closest recent miss. This time the margin went the other way, and the result is being read as a potential realignment in a state long treated as safely Republican.

Here in Ellis County, the practical questions matter most. Senate control affects agriculture policy, transportation funding, and plenty of federal programs that touch Waxahachie and the surrounding towns. Results and reactions are still developing, and we’ll keep covering the local angle. What’s the biggest issue you want the new senator to tackle first? Let us know on our social pages.

Texas’ 23rd Congressional District has a new representative, and the seat is changing parties. Democrat Katy Padilla Stout defeated Republican Brandon Herrera, according to the Associated Press, flipping a district that national Democrats had targeted for months.

The race was shaped by the dramatic exit of Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who resigned earlier this year and withdrew from the runoff after admitting to an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Democrats seized the opening in a district that spans parts of San Antonio, West Texas, and border communities, while Republicans fought to hold the line.

For voters here in Ellis County, the 23rd is far from home, but the flip carries weight in Washington, where control of the House remains a tight battle. The story is still developing, and we’ll follow it as more results and reaction come in.

What do you think this flip says about the direction of Texas politics? Let us know in the comments.

Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez has won reelection in Texas’ 34th Congressional District, defeating Republican Eric Flores, according to the Associated Press. The result keeps the seat in Democratic hands despite a map that was redrawn last year specifically to favor Republicans. Under the new boundaries, President Trump carried the district by roughly 10 percentage points.

The outcome echoes 2024, when Gonzalez narrowly won even as a majority of his district backed Trump, a sign that ticket-splitting remains a real force in South Texas politics. Flores, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Texas Army National Guard infantry captain, ran with the president’s backing but came up short.

With control of the U.S. House on the line, every competitive district carries extra weight, and this one had been on plenty of watch lists. The race is still developing, and we’ll bring you updates as more numbers come in. What do you make of the result? Do you split your own ticket when you vote?

If your phone has been lighting up with political texts at all hours, you’re in good company across Ellis County and the rest of Texas. Voters describe the volume this cycle as relentless, and there’s a clear reason behind it. AdImpact reports that spending on the Texas Senate race has passed $573 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential race in U.S. history. Campaigns are steering a large share of that money into text messaging because it’s one of the cheapest ways to reach voters.

The frustrating part is that there’s no easy off switch. Campaign calls and texts are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry, so even if you’ve registered your number, political messages can still come through. Americans received roughly 15 million political texts during the 2022 midterms, and with spending at record levels this year, the volume has only grown. Voters like Camille Brown and Krystal King have described the stream as all day and all night, to the point of annoyance.

So what can you do? Blocking individual senders is the most practical option, and many phones now group unknown senders so you can silence them in bulk. SMU political science professor Cal Jillson points out that this is the most expensive Senate race in American history, which means the messaging likely won’t slow down until the ballots are counted. Have you been getting flooded with political texts this week? Tell us how you’re handling it.

Federal investigators have confirmed that a Learjet 60 flying from Austin to the Bahamas came apart before it hit the ground Sunday afternoon in Greenacres, Florida. Most of the plane’s left elevator was found in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site. NTSB board member Tom Chapman said that without the elevator, the pilot could not have pulled out of the nosedive, though aviation experts note the part may have separated during the dive rather than causing it.

All nine people aboard died. They include Austin tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife and two children, their nanny Ana María Ramírez Cetina, captain Jeff Gregory, and copilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras. The copilot’s final transmissions reported ice and turbulence and ended with “We’re out of time,” and a man’s voice reciting the Lord’s Prayer was heard in the background. About 600 nearby residents remain displaced, and one person on the ground was injured.

A preliminary NTSB report is expected in about a month, with a probable cause finding likely more than a year away. For Ellis County families who routinely fly out of DFW or Austin, this story carries a particular weight. Have you been following the investigation, and what questions do you hope the NTSB answers first?

NTSB investigators say the Learjet 60 that crashed Sunday near West Palm Beach came apart in the air before hitting the ground. Part of the tail was recovered more than a mile from the impact crater, and the elevator, the control surface a pilot uses to pull out of a dive, was found in three pieces, confirming a catastrophic breakup rather than a ground impact failure.

The final cockpit transmissions add a deeply human layer. Copilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras had radioed controllers about ice accumulation and turbulence that tossed the jet more than 700 feet, and her last words included a scream of “We’re going to die.” In the background, a man’s voice recites the Lord’s Prayer, believed to be pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, remembered as a devoted husband, father, and man of faith. The flight had departed Austin bound for the Bahamas; victims included technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson and his family. About 600 residents near the crash site remain displaced, with only one ground injury reported.

The crash raises questions about ice, turbulence, and phone use in the cockpit, while the discovery of tail components miles from the crater gives investigators a rare window into how a midair breakup unfolds. If there’s one takeaway for North Texas travelers, it’s the value of a thorough preflight weather briefing, especially as we head into colder months.

Does the human story in this one change how you think about flying? Tell us in the comments.

The Houston Rockets have not lost since their opener, and Monday night they made the loudest statement yet. Behind 26 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds from Alperen Sengun, Houston went into Boston and coasted to a 109-93 win, never trailing at any point. The victory pushed the Rockets to 7-1 and into sole possession of first place in the Western Conference after Memphis dropped its first game of the season in overtime to New Orleans.

The way Houston won it says plenty. The Rockets outscored the Celtics 18-2 on the fast break and 50-34 in the paint, setting a tone that a Boston team on a five-game win streak could not match. Jayson Tatum finished with 19 points on 5-of-16 shooting, and Marcus Smart got to face his former team and keep the momentum rolling. This is Houston’s best start to a season since 2014-15.

For Waxahachie-area basketball fans, it’s a happy sight and an early-season run that’s easy to get behind. Friday nights under the lights at the high school stadium are as good as it gets around here, and the Rockets are giving folks a reason to keep the games on the rest of the week too. It’s a long season and plenty can change, but sitting in first in the West in November is nothing to shrug off.

The Rockets look to keep it rolling later this week. Think Houston holds onto first place through Thanksgiving? Drop a comment and let us know where you stand on this team.

The San Antonio Spurs are rolling, and Monday night’s 119-97 win over the Utah Jazz might be the most complete performance of the streak. Five straight now for San Antonio, which never trailed after the opening minute and put seven players in double figures. Dylan Harper led the way with 17 points, Victor Wembanyama posted 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, and Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson added 16 and 15.

The defense deserves its own headline. San Antonio held an opponent under 100 points for the first time this season, and Utah shot just 7 for 26 in the first quarter. The Jazz did trim the lead to one in the second, but the Spurs responded with a 35-20 third quarter to put the game away. Lauri Markkanen finished with 22 points and eight rebounds for a Utah team that has now lost five in a row.

For local fans tracking the Western Conference race, the Spurs are showing the kind of balance and defensive improvement that holds up over a long season. The homestand continues this week. So what’s the bigger factor in this streak: the seven-player scoring depth or the defense finally locking in? Let us know on our Facebook page.

Texas voters are staring down one of the most consequential Senate races in the country, and it’s already shaping up to be a fight over money, records, and the state’s political identity. Attorney General Ken Paxton, now the Republican nominee after defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a bitter primary, faces Democrat James Talarico in a matchup that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.

Paxton entered the race with the weight of an impeachment, corruption investigations, and a divorce that kept him in the headlines. He has framed Talarico as too progressive for Texas, pointing to past comments like Talarico’s statement that God is “nonbinary.” Talarico is betting that moderate Republicans and independents are tired of the controversy, and he’s leaned on a religion-infused populist message. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s $158 million donation to the Senate Leadership Fund paid for anti-Talarico messaging, a reminder of just how much outside money is flowing into this one race.

With grocery costs and the conflict with Iran weighing on voters’ minds, the mood in Waxahachie and across Ellis County could swing things in ways nobody predicted. Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide since 1994, and whether that streak holds could say as much about our community as it does about Washington.

What do you think this race says about the direction of Texas? Let us know in the comments.

The 39th annual Dallas Holiday Parade steps off Saturday, December 5, at 8:30 a.m. from Commerce and Houston streets in downtown Dallas. Floats, marching bands, and festive entertainment fill the route, and watching from the street is completely free. If you’d rather have a guaranteed spot, paid reserved seating is available while supplies last. National TV coverage begins at 9 a.m. and runs about two hours, so staying home in your pajamas is a legitimate option.

The parade has deep roots here. It started December 3, 1988, when employees of The Adolphus and Children’s Medical Center Dallas launched what became known as the “Miracle on Commerce Street,” drawing an estimated 70,000 people. Today it reaches 350 stations in 159 markets. Pre- and post-parade vendors and activities are planned at Main Street Gardens and Civic Gardens, so you can make more than just a morning of it.

For Waxahachie families, it’s an easy drive up I-35 and a solid way to kick off the holiday season. December weather in North Texas is a coin flip, though, so check the forecast that morning and dress in layers. Are you planning to watch in person this year, or catch it on TV from the couch?

Three shootings in Dallas’s Deep Ellum district early Sunday morning killed four people and injured 15, all within about 75 minutes. By Monday, federal and local authorities had announced “Operation Deep Cover,” an effort to flood the entertainment district with additional law enforcement. Officials said the shootings stemmed from arguments and are still investigating whether the incidents were related.

The Dallas violence unfolded during a broader wave of Halloween weekend shootings across the country, with deadly incidents reported in Birmingham, Jackson, Mississippi, and several college towns, leaving at least 10 dead nationwide. U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said everyone deserves the freedom to celebrate a night out “without fear for their safety or their children’s safety,” adding that the violence has to end.

For Waxahachie residents, the story lands close to home. Plenty of locals head up I-35 for dinner, concerts, and nights out in Deep Ellum, and the shooting comes as the county continues to grow and more people share the same roads and venues. Nationally, FBI data shows the homicide rate fell 18% in 2025 to its lowest point in 75 years, a reminder that overall trends and individual tragedies can tell very different stories. Have more patrols in nightlife districts ever made you feel safer when you’re out?

A Southeast Texas family says their oldest son, Kayson, photographed a large dark figure while setting up an audio recorder with his grandmother in a national forest. According to the account, Kayson felt a sensation on his neck, turned around, and snapped the picture. After enhancing the image and creating a negative version, the family says it shows facial features and possibly a deer being carried. The sighting was submitted October 15 to the Sasquatch Chronicles website.

There’s no independent verification, and the exact forest location and date weren’t specified, which leaves plenty of room for debate. Photographs taken in dark wooded areas are notoriously difficult to interpret — branches, shadows, and camera noise can easily look like faces and figures once you start enhancing.

Still, Bigfoot lore runs deep in the Piney Woods, and this story has all the elements of a good campfire tale: a curious kid, a grandmother, a strange feeling, and a possible deer. Believers and skeptics alike have something to chew on while the family’s photo makes the rounds online.

What’s your verdict — does the photo show something real, or is it a trick of the trees? Sound off in the comments.

Holiday weekends are supposed to be the safe ones, the ones we plan around. This Halloween weekend, at least eight people were killed and dozens wounded in mass shootings across the country, with the deadliest episode coming just up I-35 in Dallas’s Deep Ellum neighborhood. Three shootings in about 75 minutes early Sunday left four people dead and 15 injured, and federal authorities in Texas have a news conference scheduled Monday on their response as investigators search for suspects and motives.

The violence spread far beyond Dallas. Two shootings outside Legion Field in Birmingham after the Magic City Classic football game killed one person and wounded eight. A Halloween costume party at a Jackson, Mississippi nightclub ended with two dead and six injured. Seven were wounded near Indiana University’s Bloomington campus, and additional shootings were reported in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Newark, Delaware; and Bloomington, Illinois. City officials in the affected communities condemned the violence, and researchers note that gun violence historically spikes on weekends, nights, and holidays like Halloween.

For Waxahachie, the story is a reminder more than a headline. Our town runs on community gatherings, from the county fair and rodeo to Friday nights at Lumpkins Stadium to busy weekends on the courthouse square. Keeping those spaces safe takes planning, awareness, and conversations that shouldn’t wait for a crisis. What would you like to see the city do to keep our biggest community weekends safe?

A federal immigration officer is now facing a felony charge in Harris County. Mario Alberto Morales, 33, turned himself in Monday on aggravated assault, accused of driving an unmarked SUV over a median and striking a Mexican construction worker in Houston on October 10th. The worker, 48-year-old Miguel Parra Hernandez, broke his leg and is recovering at a rehabilitation facility while in federal custody.

The case hinges heavily on surveillance video. Prosecutors say the footage contradicts ICE’s original claim that Parra Hernandez ran in front of the vehicle. A grand jury indicted Morales on Friday, and a judge set bond at $30,000, lower than the $75,000 prosecutors requested. Morales’ attorney maintains his client is a good man who committed no crime.

What makes this case unusual is its rarity: federal officers are seldom criminally charged over enforcement actions, and this comes amid the broader national debate over immigration enforcement. Texans across the state are watching how the legal process unfolds. Do you think video evidence should be the deciding factor in cases like this? Let us know on our social pages.

Texas voters turned out in historic numbers for early voting this midterm cycle, casting more than 7.7 million ballots before the period closed Friday. That breaks the state’s previous record from 2018, and with registration now past 19 million, up more than 2% since November 2024, engagement is clearly on the rise. U.S. Senate candidates Ken Paxton and James Talarico both campaigned in San Antonio over the final weekend, with gas and oil costs ranking among voters’ top concerns in recent polls.

But the Senate race is only the beginning of what’s on your ballot. Texans will also decide 38 U.S. House seats, the offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, and a slate of propositions covering school taxes, city budgets and public safety. For Waxahachie voters, those local measures and down-ballot races often have the most direct impact on daily life, from school funding to neighborhood safety.

Record turnout signals that more neighbors are paying attention to these decisions than in past midterms. Whether you voted early or plan to head to the polls on Election Day, your ballot covers more than the headline race. Which issue on this ballot matters most to you, and why?

A traveling food writer recently spent two Saturdays in a row eating his way through small-town East Texas, and the report is a reminder of something we already know around here: the best breakfast is rarely off a highway exit ramp. First up was 4-Way Cafe in Flint, where the lemon blueberry pancakes were so good the writer said they didn’t need syrup. His wife ordered The Western Bowl and came away equally impressed.

The following Saturday, he pulled into Y’all Come Back Cafe in Emory for one reason: the parking lot was full. Fifteen minutes in line later, the chicken-fried chicken proved the crowd right. That’s the oldest restaurant review in Texas, and it still works. Small towns like Ben Wheeler, Chandler, and White Oak don’t always have the big chains, but they’ve got mom-and-pop kitchens with good food and friendlier service.

We’ve got the same thing right here at home. Waxahachie’s Saturday-morning spots, the ones where the regulars know the servers by name, are part of what makes this town feel like this town, even as it grows. So the next time you’ve got a free Saturday, take a drive and follow the crowded parking lot. Where do you think we should eat next?

If you spent Sunday morning resetting the stove, the car, and every clock in the house, you might have wondered why Texas bothered passing a law about this at all. Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1393 back in June 2025, establishing “Texas Time,” the state’s version of permanent daylight saving time. The catch is that federal law controls the clock, and the state needs congressional authorization before it can stop falling back. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July, but the Senate has yet to vote, so Texas joined the rest of the country in turning clocks back at 2 a.m. Sunday.

The change isn’t just about an extra hour of sleep. Evening commutes now happen in the dark, and Environment Texas notes that deer are more active during mating season, which means extra caution on roads around Waxahachie and the rest of Ellis County. Local school districts are also asking drivers to watch for students at bus stops in the morning dark and to allow a little extra commute time.

So the waiting game continues in Washington while we adjust our routines here at home. Whether you’re counting down to permanent daylight saving time or you’d rather keep standard time year-round, the advice this week is the same: slow down, stay alert, and look out for each other on the road. What’s your take: should the Senate finally vote on the Sunshine Protection Act?

A longtime Cowboys fan and columnist is making the argument plenty of North Texas fans have shouted at their televisions for years: Jerry Jones should fire the general manager. Since that’s Jones himself, the fix is a little awkward. The column points out that Jones bought the franchise in 1989 for $140 million and has grown it into a business worth more than $10 billion, so nobody questions the bottom line. The question is the trophy case. The writer credits Jimmy Johnson with building the 1990s Super Bowl teams and blames Jones’s ego for the split, then lays three decades of the same mistakes at the feet of Jerry and Stephen Jones.

The suggested remedy is straightforward. Hire a football mind to run personnel, stop the postgame press sessions and locker room visits, and let coaches do their jobs. If none of that works, the column says, consider selling. Around Waxahachie, Cowboys talk is woven into Fridays at the stadium, county fair weekends, and every Sunday get-together in between. The loyalty is real, and so is the frustration.

So what do you think? Is an owner ever the right person for the GM chair, or is this team overdue for a new voice at the top?

If the political ads in your feed have started to feel a little uncanny this midterm season, there’s a reason. AI-generated campaign ads have increased sharply across social media and television, and the tools behind them are cheap and easy enough that anyone can produce one. SMU political advertising professor Rita Kirk says the technology is accessible to everybody, which is exactly what makes this election cycle different from the last one.

Texas has had a law on the books since 2019, when it became the first state to ban AI-generated campaign ads. The catch is in the details. The ban only applies within 30 days of an election, violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine, and no state or federal law requires an AI disclaimer on political ads. Kirk notes that many of these ads are run by third parties or outside PACs, leaving virtually no way to hold anyone accountable for what they produce.

For voters here in Waxahachie and across Ellis County, the practical takeaway is simple. Before you trust or share a political ad, check who paid for it and whether the claim holds up anywhere else. Midterms are serving as a testing ground for these ads before the next presidential race, and Kirk says this is the election that will reveal whether they have real impact. What’s the strangest or most suspicious political ad you’ve seen this season? Let us know.

Dallas led Arizona by 14 points in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on Sunday. The Cowboys lost 33-30 in overtime anyway, falling to 3-5 and dropping their fifth straight game to the Cardinals, who are now 5-0 all time in Arlington. The run game that piled up 204 yards a week earlier managed just 2.4 yards per carry, and Dak Prescott finished with 195 passing yards as the defense surrendered four touchdown drives after halftime.

Afterward, owner Jerry Jones did not single out head coach Brian Schottenheimer, but he did not defend him either. “It’s an indictment of the whole show,” Jones told reporters. “At this point, talk is cheap. Telling stories is cheap. We’ve got to go write on our story.” Dallas has now spent just one of 25 weeks above .500 under Schottenheimer, though a weak NFC East keeps the season from being lost outright.

The loss followed a familiar script: a lead that looked safe, a defense that could not get a stop, and a missed Arizona extra point in the final seconds that gave Dallas a chance it could not convert. Local fans know the feeling well from Friday nights at Lumpkins Stadium, where close games get decided by exactly this kind of second-half letdown.

Do the Cowboys still turn this around, or is 3-5 the real story of the season? Let us know what you think.

No. 11 Texas leaned on Arch Manning’s arm and a defense that refused to bend Saturday night in Starkville, beating Mississippi State 31-3. Manning threw three touchdown passes, while linebacker Rasheem Biles turned in one of the best games of his career with eight tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles. The play that broke it open came just before halftime, when defensive tackle Maraad Watson returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown.

Watson’s postgame quote is already a favorite. “By the 15, I was getting tired,” he said. “I said to myself, ‘I have to make it.'” For Mississippi State, the night was costly on two fronts. The Bulldogs lost their fourth straight after a 4-0 start, and quarterback AJ Swann left the game with his arm in a sling after being injured on the fumble play.

Texas now sits at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, with three of its final four games on the road. The Longhorns visit Missouri on Nov. 7. For Waxahachie-area fans who grew up with burnt orange in the family, the question is simple: is this defense good enough to carry Texas through a road-heavy finish? What do you think?

A Learjet 60 flying from Austin to the Bahamas crashed Sunday afternoon in a neighborhood near West Palm Beach, killing all nine people on board. The jet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as a private aircraft, according to the airport. The pilot reported ice and turbulence at 35,000 feet and declared an emergency before the plane went down, leaving a crater beside the road. No one on the ground was reported hurt, though about 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community were evacuated as a precaution.

The cockpit transmissions are drawing the most attention. The pilot radioed a descent of thousands of feet per minute and warned, “We’re going to crash into the ground.” Florida’s governor described the scene as a cataclysmic crash, and the FAA and NTSB have opened an investigation. Investigators planned a Monday briefing in West Palm Beach, where the focus will likely turn to weather conditions at altitude and what the jet encountered on its climb out of Texas.

For North Texans, the story lands close to home because of where the flight began. Austin-Bergstrom is a common departure point for private and charter travel, and plenty of local families have connections on both ends of that route. We’ll follow the investigation as details emerge. If you fly out of Austin or DFW, has this changed how you think about weather and private aviation? Let us know in the comments.

A short drive east of Waxahachie, the Lillie Russell Memorial Library in Lindale is preparing for its 14th annual Santa’s Bake Shop, the library’s largest fundraiser of the year. The festivities start Friday, December 4th at 7 p.m. with a tree lighting, and the bake shop opens Saturday, December 5th at 10 a.m. at 200 East Hubbard Street. Homemade cookies are $14 per dozen, and last year roughly 900 dozen sold before the day was done.

The event is more than a cookie table. Visitors will find live reindeer, face painting, reindeer games, live entertainment, and silent auction items, with Santa available for photos from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 2 to 4 p.m. The shop stays open until 8 p.m. or until the cookies sell out, so an early arrival is the safer bet for the best selection.

Every dollar raised helps keep the library operating year-round, which means story time, summer reading programs, and computer access for families across the Lindale community. It’s an affordable holiday outing with a purpose, and it’s become a tradition East Texas families plan around. Will we see you in Lindale on December 5th, and which cookie is first on your list?

Long dogs, short legs, and a whole lot of barking. Tyler’s Weinerfest 2026 takes over Pollard Park on Saturday, November 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at 710 Amherst Drive. The wiener dog races are the centerpiece, but the event welcomes dogs of every breed, so your lab, terrier, or shelter mutt can come along for the ride.

This year brings the first annual King & Queen Coronation, along with local vendors, food, and family activities. Organizers are also looking for more vendors, and a booth runs $50, which is a low-cost way for local small businesses to reach holiday shoppers. Handcrafted leashes and specialty treats are already on the vendor list, so expect plenty of pet-friendly shopping.

From Waxahachie, it’s roughly an hour and a half up Highway 175 and I-20, an easy Saturday day trip if you’re up for a fall drive into East Texas. Race and coronation registration is available through the event website. Plan to arrive early, keep your dog leashed, and bring water for the pups.

Are you making the drive? Tell us your dog’s name in the comments and we’ll cheer for them.