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
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Today’s lead
Council adopts higher tax rate to fund police and fire deals
Lubbock's City Council adopted a higher property tax rate Tuesday: 50.7349 cents per $100, up from 47.5154, roughly $100 more yearly for the average homeowner, funding nearly $20 million in police and fire agreements. Mayor Mark McBrayer said it was his first budget vote above no-new-revenue.
Sources Lubbock Lights · City of Lubbock · KCBD
More Local
Council: no large data centers in Lubbock until the rules are written
Lubbock's City Council voted unanimously Tuesday for Councilman Tim Collins' resolution declaring no large-scale data center will be developed inside city limits until regulations protecting water, health and safety are adopted. Council meets with Planning and Zoning Thursday on development standards, with more discussion set for September 22.
Sources EverythingLubbock · KCBD
LPD defends its Flock cameras as council airs privacy questions
Police Chief Seth Herman defended Lubbock's Flock license plate cameras before City Council Tuesday: 12 fixed and six mobile units, more than 37,000 searches this year, data retention dropping from 30 days to seven. 'We're looking for criminals,' Herman said; Mayor Mark McBrayer voiced confidence.
Sources KCBD
South Plains Food Bank gets 140,400 eggs from the Paxton settlement
The South Plains Food Bank will receive 140,400 free eggs under the antitrust settlement Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Justice Department reached with three major egg producers, per Tuesday reports. Feeding Texas is distributing 7 million eggs to 17 food banks statewide in the coming weeks.
Sources KSST Radio · EverythingLubbock
Action PrintingRed Raiders slip to No. 13 despite the opening win
Texas Tech slipped from No. 12 to No. 13 in Tuesday's first regular-season AP poll despite Saturday's 33-10 win over Abilene Christian. The Red Raiders visit Oregon State Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on CBS; BYU, Utah and Houston also carry Big 12 rankings in the Top 25.
Sources EverythingLubbock · KCBD
State
McAllen smuggler who recruited teen drivers gets 30 years
A federal judge sentenced McAllen's Jose Manuel Silva-Lopez on September 3 to 30 years in prison for 21 smuggling runs that recruited teenage drivers over social media; one 2024 chase killed three people. The Texan reported the sentence Tuesday. Twenty of his drivers have already been prosecuted.
Sources The Texan
U.S. & World
U.S. destroys five Iranian tankers; Iran fires missiles at Jordan base
The U.S. military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island after Iran targeted Navy warships. Iran answered with ballistic missiles at Jordan's Al Azraq base, where defenses intercepted 18 of 20. Brent crude touched $99.49 early Wednesday.
Sources Al Jazeera · NPR
Trump bans Canadian dairy, motorcycles and most alcohol imports
President Trump moved Tuesday to ban imports of Canadian motorcycles, whey, molasses and most alcohol effective September 29, with 50% tariffs on Canadian cheese, steel and aluminum a day later — answering Canada's new tariffs on $20 billion of U.S. goods in the deepening trade war.
Pappas and Sununu will fight for New Hampshire's open Senate seat
New Hampshire set its marquee Senate race Tuesday: Democrat Chris Pappas won his primary with 62% and Republican John E. Sununu beat Scott Brown with 70%. They compete in November for retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's seat, a race both parties call pivotal to Senate control.
Sources Fox News · New Hampshire Public Radio · The Hill
NTSB: Amazon jet's speed brakes and thrust reversers never deployed
The Amazon Air freighter that overran a Miami runway Sunday, killing five people on the ground, showed no sign its speed brakes or thrust reversers deployed, NTSB investigator Chihoon Shin said Tuesday. Wheel brakes were applied; investigators will interview the surviving pilots next.
Sources Fox News
Duffy Law Firm, PCSOUTHCOM sinks a cartel refueling vessel in the Eastern Pacific
U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday its forces sank a floating refueling vessel that served drug-smuggling boats in the Eastern Pacific on Monday, tied to an Ecuadorian cartel newly designated a foreign terrorist organization. Those aboard were handed to local authorities; no casualties were reported.
Sources Fox News
