The Ledger is Lubbock Lights’ daily digest of the news that matters to Lubbock and the South Plains — our reporting first, then short summaries of stories reported by other newsrooms, each linked to its source. How we build it →
The Ledger
Daily digest straight from the source
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
The lead · Sep 1
One Dead, One Seriously Injured in Early-Morning Shooting Near 19th and Elkhart
Lubbock police responded to shots fired at an apartment complex near 19th Street and Elkhart Avenue at 5:12 a.m. Tuesday, September 1, finding one person dead at the scene and another seriously injured, taken to UMC. The Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit is investigating; police say no ongoing threat.
Sources EverythingLubbock · FOX 34 · KCBD
More Local
Morton Shooting Victims Identified as Teens; 18-Year-Old in Custody
DPS on Monday, August 31 identified the two killed in Sunday's early-morning shooting on Fillmore Avenue in Morton as Noah Ornelas, 18, and Deven Ponce, 19. An 18-year-old suspect was taken into custody Monday; authorities call it an isolated incident with no further threat.
Sources EverythingLubbock · FOX 34 · KCBD
Lubbock County Proposes No-New-Revenue Tax Rate as Budget Tensions Boil
Lubbock County commissioners proposed the no-new-revenue rate of .322 on Monday, August 31, about $27 in savings for the average homeowner and roughly $1 million less revenue. Judge Curtis Parrish warned the cut "robs our future"; a public hearing is set for September 14.
No. 12 Red Raiders Open Season Saturday in Sold-Out Galaxy Stadium
Texas Tech, the Big 12's highest-ranked team at No. 12, opens its 102nd season Saturday, September 5 at 6 p.m. against Abilene Christian at sold-out Galaxy Stadium on FS1. Will Hammond takes over at quarterback after recovering from a season-ending knee injury.
Sources Texas Tech Athletics
Duffy Law Firm, PCState
Trump Rallies for Paxton, Awards Artemis II Crew in Houston Trip
President Trump was in Houston for a Thursday, August 27 fundraiser backing Attorney General Ken Paxton's Senate bid, and awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II's astronauts, The Texan reported Monday. Polls show Paxton tied or trailing Democrat James Talarico.
Sources The Texan
U.S. & World
U.S.-Iran Fighting Resumes With Strikes on Larak Island, Missiles on Jordan
U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, August 30, saying they were set to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan, eight intercepted, and the UAE downed an Iranian drone Monday.
Sources Al Jazeera · PBS NewsHour · NPR
Grand Canyon Flood Toll Rises to Two Dead With Fourteen Still Missing
Searchers have recovered two bodies, one a Texas healthcare provider, after the Saturday, August 29 flash flood that tore through Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch. At least 14 remain unaccounted for, 62 were airlifted out, and the park's damaged waterline forced water restrictions Monday.
FTC and 22 States Sue Amazon Over Hidden Ad Surcharges
The FTC and 22 state attorneys general sued Amazon on Monday, August 31, alleging it secretly inflated ad-auction prices for seven years with hidden "soft reserve" surcharges, extracting tens of billions from more than a million advertisers. Amazon calls the case misguided.
Sources Federal Trade Commission · Yahoo Finance · NPR
Pentagon Releases Surveillance Images of Suspected Drug Boats
The Pentagon on Monday, August 31 released three previously classified surveillance images of suspected drug-smuggling vessels tracked under Operation Southern Spear, which has carried out 67 strikes at sea since September 2025. Press secretary Kingsley Wilson warned traffickers the military will "hunt you down."
Sources Fox News
Karina Reaches Category 4 as El Nino Crowds the Pacific With Storms
Hurricane Karina reached Category 4 with 145-mph winds by Monday, August 31, far from land in the eastern Pacific, though swells threaten southwest Mexico and Baja California. Tropical Storm Lowell is right behind as El Nino keeps fueling back-to-back Pacific systems.
Sources Fox Weather · PBS NewsHour
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