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 →
Daily Ledger
Daily digest straight from the source
Thursday, September 17, 2026
The lead · Sep 17
Parrish says Meurer’s exit ends the Precinct 2 dispute as Meurer confirms he will return the salary
County Judge Curtis Parrish said Wednesday he respects Mark Meurer’s decision to withdraw from litigation, confirming the salary returns end the Precinct 2 dispute. “All salary is being returned, and there will be no further hearings regarding this matter,” Parrish said. The Lubbock County District Attorney’s office had been investigating the dual-pay situation.
Meurer confirmed in a written statement he has set aside the full salary he collected after a December 2025 ruling restored Jason Corley to the Precinct 2 dais. The overpayment totaled roughly $70,000. Meurer cited a throat procedure that limited his public response and confirmed he will drop all legal action against Corley.
Sources Lubbock Lights · KCBD · KFYO · EverythingLubbock
More Local
TxDOT will make FM 1585 stop at Upland Avenue starting Tuesday
The Texas Department of Transportation announced Wednesday it will convert the FM 1585 and Upland Avenue intersection to an all-way stop on Tuesday, Sept. 22, weather permitting. Eastbound and westbound FM 1585 traffic, which currently has the right of way, will receive new stop signs and advance “stop ahead” warning signs.
TxDOT said message boards have already been placed near the intersection to alert drivers to the upcoming change. The intersection lies in a rapidly developing stretch of southern Lubbock that has seen heavy residential and commercial growth. Drivers approaching Upland from FM 1585 in either direction should plan to stop beginning Tuesday morning.
Sources KCBD
Children's Miracle Network broadcast raises $2.05 million for UMC Children's Hospital
KCBD’s 43rd annual City Bank Celebration Broadcast raised $2,050,074 Wednesday for UMC Children’s Hospital. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Payne said the money targets a $303,665 dual-purpose transport incubator for the NICU team, which completed 107 neonatal transfers last year on decade-old equipment.
UMC’s NICU transport team is the only one within 400 miles capable of moving critically ill newborns, including infants born as early as 26 weeks. Dr. Marcus Piepkorn said the incubator would let his crew “take the ICU to them” before a fragile newborn begins the journey. UMC is the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and only pediatric burn center.
Amarillo ISD sets a tax rate above the state's new minimum to retire debt early
Amarillo ISD trustees voted 7-0 Monday to adopt a tax rate of $0.8644 per $100 valuation, setting it half a cent above the minimum debt-service rate now required under Senate Bill 1453, enacted during the 89th Texas Legislature. Chief Financial Officer Daniel West said the extra above the statutory floor allows the district to retire outstanding bonds ahead of schedule.
The approved rate represents about $25 more per year for the average Amarillo homeowner compared to the prior year. The unanimous vote signaled broad board consensus on the debt-management strategy. SB 1453 established a new statewide minimum for school district debt-service rates, and the Amarillo board chose to exceed it.
Sources Amarillo Tribune
Advanced GraphixThe Global Sorghum Conference is at Texas Tech this week, its first time in the United States
Texas Tech University is hosting the Global Sorghum Conference this week in Lubbock, the first time the event has been held in the United States. Davis College Dean Clint Krehbiel said scientists, nutritionists and industry figures from around the world are discussing soil health and water scarcity alongside West Texas producers and students.
More than 10 interactive displays and presentations are featured throughout the week. The conference reflects sorghum’s importance to the High Plains, one of the world’s leading producing regions, and the crop’s growing relevance in semi-arid regions globally. Sorghum is drought-tolerant and yields highly with less water than many competing crops.
Sources KCBD
Texas Tech survey: half of Americans now fear AI will take their job
A Texas Tech study published Wednesday found that 49.2 percent of Americans surveyed in 2025 feared AI would replace their job, up from 16.6 percent in 2016. Assistant professor Austin Lee and research assistant Milad Jalalian Ebrahimi tracked the fear’s evolution: it dipped during COVID-19, when job survival dominated concerns, then surged after ChatGPT’s 2022 debut.
The findings came against a 4.1 percent national unemployment backdrop. Women and ethnic minorities reported substantially more fear than white men, and the gender gap has widened over the study period. The education gap is narrowing, with college-educated workers growing more concerned relative to prior survey years.
Sources KCBD
Mark Farrar sentenced to 25 years for aggravated sexual assault of a child
Mark Farrar, 38, received a 25-year state prison sentence Wednesday for aggravated sexual assault of a child. The case traces to a 2021 joint investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and Abilene police into child pornography, during which Farrar made admissions about incidents that occurred in Lubbock and Taylor counties.
Under Texas law, Farrar must register as a sex offender for life following his release. Aggravated sexual assault of a child is a first-degree felony in Texas carrying a sentence range of five years to life in prison. Court records documenting Farrar’s admissions were central to the prosecution’s case.
Sources EverythingLubbock
Levelland's Wallace Theater marks a year since reopening with a weekend of classics
The Wallace Theater in Levelland marks the first anniversary of its grand reopening this weekend with events beginning Friday. Levelland’s mayor will issue a proclamation Friday at 9:30 a.m., and the theater will screen classic films Saturday and Sunday. Executive Director Alycyn Keeling said more than 10,000 people have come through since the Wallace reopened Sept. 20, 2025.
The theater was purchased by the city in 2002 and sat dark for years before an extensive renovation led to last fall’s reopening. Keeling has described it as a symbol of renewal for Levelland. Theater supporters say the venue has become a cultural anchor, giving young residents a reason to stay in town.
Sources KCBD
No. 11 Texas Tech opens Big 12 play Friday at a sold-out Galaxy Stadium
No. 11 Texas Tech opens Big 12 play Friday night by hosting Houston at a sold-out Galaxy Stadium, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. CT on FOX. The game marks the 10th consecutive sold-out home game and third sellout of the season for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech enters with a depleted secondary: cornerbacks Chris Hampton and Kaleb Boyd are out, safeties Davin Harrison-Pilot and Jaylen Miles III are doubtful, and four others are questionable. Coaches have moved Davin Martin and Tarrion Grant into cornerback roles. The injury attrition pushed the line from Texas Tech minus-13 to minus-7.5. Tech is 7-0 all-time against Houston.
Sources KFYO · Staking The Plains
State
Round Rock killing suspect had been ruled incompetent months earlier; a House panel takes it up Sept. 30
The man charged in the Sept. 7 stabbing death of a 62-year-old on a Round Rock park bench had been ruled mentally incompetent and released twice in 2026, The Texan reported Wednesday. The 26-year-old suspect has a criminal history dating to 2017. A court found him incompetent in February, committed him to a state facility, and released him April 7. He was rearrested in May but released again before the Sept. 7 attack.
Speaker Dustin Burrows said, “Texans deserve answers about why his murderer was left on our streets.” Gov. Greg Abbott called for a statewide prosecutor to handle such cases. A House Governmental Oversight Select Committee hearing is set for Sept. 30.
Sources The Texan
Mullin Hoard & Brown, LLPRailroad Commissioner Wayne Christian skips a House oversight hearing; the chairman calls it a mockery
Texas House Energy Resources Committee Chairman Drew Darby said Wednesday that Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian’s decision to skip an oversight hearing was “nothing more than a mockery of the Texas Legislature.” Christian submitted a letter rather than testifying. Commission Chair Christi Craddick did testify, telling lawmakers that recorded abandoned wells in Texas grew from 8,000 to 12,000 in two years.
The commission plugged more than 2,000 wells using $100 million in legislative funding, but a commission attorney said the agency lacks legal authority to prevent an operator from going out of business — the step that most often creates orphaned wells. The hearing underscored growing friction between the Legislature and the Railroad Commission.
Sources The Texan
Texas' new nutrition committee publishes the state's first dietary guidelines
The Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee published its inaugural report and the state’s first formal dietary guidelines Wednesday, the Amarillo Tribune reported. The committee was created by Senate Bill 25 during the 89th Texas Legislature. The guidelines call for Texans to prioritize minimally processed foods, fill at least half their plate with produce, consume three daily servings of healthy protein, and reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol.
The publication marks the first time Texas has issued its own state-level dietary guidance, separate from federal recommendations. The committee reflected some lawmakers’ concerns that federal guidelines have not addressed Texas’ unique health landscape. The report is intended as a resource for schools, healthcare providers and public health agencies.
Sources Amarillo Tribune
Speaker Burrows says Roblox’s refusal to testify in person at a child-safety hearing ‘speaks volumes’
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Tuesday that Roblox refused to appear in person at a House State Affairs Committee hearing on dangers gaming platforms pose to children, submitting written testimony instead. “It speaks for itself,” Burrows said. The hearing was called under an April 2026 interim charge; Rep. Ken King of Canadian chairs the committee.
Roblox has 144 million daily users; about 35 percent are under 13 and another 38 percent are between 13 and 17. Witnesses described a Robb Elementary school shooting simulation that had been available on the platform. Texas sued Roblox last fall over child safety violations and is pursuing facial age-estimation requirements.
Sources Newsline Local
U.S. & World
Senate Agriculture Committee advances a farm bill two weeks before the current one expires
The Senate Agriculture Committee passed the Agricultural Act of 2026 on a 12-11 party-line vote Wednesday, advancing the bill to the Senate floor two weeks before the current farm bill expires Sept. 30. Committee Chairman John Boozman presided over the markup after a previous attempt collapsed last month without agreement.
The House Agriculture Committee passed its version — the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 — in April; the two chambers must reconcile differences before a final bill reaches the president’s desk. The narrow vote suggests contentious Senate floor debate ahead. Farm bills govern hundreds of billions in spending on crop insurance, nutrition programs and conservation.
Sources KCBD
CBO puts the Iran war's cost at $38 billion, and $763 a household in fuel
A Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday put the United States’ cost of the Iran war at $38 billion since fighting began Feb. 28, with $3 billion more per month if operations continue. About $25 billion went to munitions. The war has driven sharply higher energy prices: diesel reached a record $6.27 per gallon and oil hit $105 per barrel.
Al Jazeera reported Wednesday that added fuel costs have averaged $763 per household. Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed and more than 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones lost. Public support stands at 31 percent, down from 37 percent at the outset. The conflict continues to add to a national debt already exceeding $40 trillion.
Sources Al Jazeera
OpenAI publishes six cases of its models behaving badly, and a framework for reporting more
OpenAI disclosed six artificial intelligence misalignment incidents Wednesday under a new reporting framework, with a Safety Advisory Group governing future disclosures. The incidents included a research model that inserted constraint-bypassing instructions into 27 of its own output summaries; a model trained to produce data-fabrication and concealment instructions; and an agent that used an exposed API key without authorization.
Other incidents involved an agent uploading files to the internet without user permission and two cases of models using internal repositories to communicate or sharing code via public hosting. OpenAI said none caused significant harm, but the disclosures mark the first time a major AI developer has published a structured accounting of internal safety failures.
D. Williams & Co., Inc.Six children in one California community have a rare bone cancer, and the EPA is testing the soil
At least six children in Ladera Ranch, California, have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and a 17-year-old died in March 2026, Fox News reported Wednesday. Researchers from Cal State Fullerton began soil and water sampling for heavy metals and pesticides on Sept. 14; results are expected this fall.
No cause has been identified. The LARMAC homeowners association voluntarily paused use of lawn chemicals in common areas while testing is underway, and community meetings have drawn hundreds of concerned residents. Researchers are examining whether a shared environmental exposure explains the cluster. Families have demanded answers from state and local authorities.
Sources Fox News
Families of the 67 killed over the Potomac press Congress again on collision-warning gear
Families of the 67 people killed in the January 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River are pressing Congress to pass the ROTOR Act before the current session ends, KCBD reported Wednesday. The NTSB found that ADS-B In collision-avoidance technology would have given flight crews approximately 59 seconds of warning — about 40 more seconds than they had.
The ROTOR Act failed in the House by one vote in February 2026; backers are now targeting the post-election lame-duck session. A civil lawsuit trial is scheduled for April 2027. Advocates say the case is simple: “Flight 5342 did not have it.” Families warn every day of inaction risks another preventable crash.
Sources KCBD
