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
Monday, September 28, 2026
The lead · Sep 28
A flood watch covers six South Plains and southern Panhandle counties from Tuesday morning into Wednesday
The National Weather Service in Lubbock issued a flood watch at 1 a.m. Monday, September 28, for Bailey, Cochran and Lamb counties in northwest Texas and for Castro, Parmer and Swisher counties in the southern Panhandle. It runs from Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon.
Forecasters say tropical moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Polo will bring excessive rainfall that could flood creeks, low-lying ground and low-water crossings. The Amarillo office issued a separate watch covering the northern Panhandle. KCBD puts rain chances at 70 to 90 percent across the South Plains, eastern New Mexico and the Panhandle from Tuesday into Thursday.
Sources National Weather Service · KCBD
More Local
Hobbs police detail the middle school shooting that sent a teacher to a Lubbock hospital
Hobbs Interim Police Chief James Jones said at a Sunday, September 27 news conference that a 13-year-old student shot a Highland Middle School staff member outside the campus at 2500 North Jefferson shortly after 11:30 a.m. Friday. A bladed weapon found near the victim explains the first reports of a stabbing.
The teacher was taken to Covenant Health in Hobbs, then transferred to Lubbock, and remains hospitalized in stable condition with critical injuries. No students were hurt. The student was arrested after a short foot pursuit and faces multiple charges; his name is withheld. Superintendent Gene Strickland said classes resumed Monday.
Sources KCBD · EverythingLubbock
Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma cattle groups say immigration raids are delaying shipments and will raise beef prices
The Texas Cattle Feeders Association, the Kansas Livestock Association and the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association issued a joint statement on social media Friday, September 25, saying federal immigration enforcement is disrupting feedyards, dairies, processors, feed and grain companies and transportation hubs across the three states.
The groups said thousands of fed cattle bound for processors have been delayed, costing millions in lost revenue, and warned the disruptions will push beef prices higher for consumers. They asked federal officials to conduct enforcement lawfully and transparently and to communicate with affected employers. The Amarillo Tribune reported the statement Monday.
Sources Amarillo Tribune
Lubbock County commissioners take up a Public Works overhaul, volunteer fire loans and a jail mental-health contract Monday
Lubbock County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Monday, September 28, on the fifth floor at 904 Broadway, opening with a work session on reorganizing the Public Works department, including its organizational chart and job descriptions.
Also on the 29-item agenda: loan agreements with the Roosevelt and Woodrow volunteer fire departments, a second renewal with StarCare Specialty Health System for mental health services at the county detention center, the county's investment and debt management policies, the FY2027 medical examiner fee schedule, and a 10:15 a.m. hearing on a 45 mph limit for County Road 6300 in Precinct 4.
Sources Lubbock County
Duffy Law Firm, PCA 36-year-old man faces an aggravated-assault charge after his 74-year-old father was found dead near 64th and Avenue S
A 36-year-old man was arrested by the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office and charged with aggravated assault of a family member after his 74-year-old father was found dead at the 6100 block of Avenue S at 5:58 a.m. Sunday, September 27. Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit investigators determined that an altercation occurred between the two. Bond was set at $500,000.
The cause of death has not been determined and the MSCU investigation is ongoing. The suspect's name is withheld; the victim's name has not been released by authorities.
Sources FOX 34 · KCBD · EverythingLubbock
Texas Tech slips to No. 12 with the AP but holds No. 10 with the coaches before the trip to Colorado
The Red Raiders dropped one spot to No. 12 in the Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday, September 27, and stayed at No. 10 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after beating Sam Houston 49-14 on Saturday to finish nonconference play 4-0.
Texas Tech plays at Colorado this Saturday, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. Central at Folsom Field. Head coach Joey McGuire said he was proud of how his team came out in the second half but pointed to too many self-inflicted wounds in the first.
Sources Texas Tech Athletics · KCBD · EverythingLubbock
Mahon Library closed for the rest of Monday after a water main break left the building without running water
The City of Lubbock's Mahon Library closed Monday, September 28, after a water main break left the building without running water.
The library said normal operations will resume Tuesday.
Sources FOX 34
Buddy Holly Hall holds a job fair Tuesday ahead of the new event season
Legends Global, the hospitality and venue management company that operates the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, is holding a job fair Tuesday, September 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the hall, 1300 Mac Davis Lane. It is free and open to anyone.
The openings include a private event sales and marketing manager, part-time custodial staff and a custodial event supervisor, a part-time cook, food and beverage event staff, stagehands and event runners. General Manager Shannon Hall said the roles are a chance to join a world-class venue. Bring a printed resume and expect on-the-spot interviews.
Sources EverythingLubbock
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas holds a hiring event Wednesday
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas is holding a hiring event Wednesday, September 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its administration building at 715 28th Street, with interviews on the spot for full-time and part-time work.
The openings include store managers, rotating managers in training, assistant store managers, keyholders, production supervisors, donation attendants and retail associates. Pay starts at $13 an hour, and full-time jobs carry medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) with an employer match and paid vacation and sick time. Robin Raney is president and chief executive.
Sources KCBD
Lubbock Police hold their 5th annual Burgers and Badges community night October 6 at Clapp Park
The Lubbock Police Department will hold its fifth annual Burgers and Badges event Tuesday, October 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Clapp Park, offering free meals to the first 1,000 attendees.
First responder vehicles will be on display, with live music and Safety City activities planned. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome. The event is free and open to the public.
Sources FOX 34
Advanced GraphixBorden County is KCBD's End Zone Team of the Week after a 75-69 win over Whiteface
KCBD named the Borden County Coyotes its End Zone Team of the Week on Sunday, September 27, after the Coyotes beat Whiteface 75-69 to move to 5-0 for the first time since the 2023 season.
Tye Stype finished a two-minute drive by diving across the goal line with seven seconds left to win it by six points. Borden County's next game is October 9 at home against O'Donnell.
Sources KCBD
State
One week left to register to vote in Texas for the November 3 election
Texans have until Monday, October 5 to register for the November 3 general election, a week from today. An application can be started at the Secretary of State's site, but it has to be printed, signed and mailed or delivered to the county voter registrar.
Voters can also register in person at the registrar's office or while renewing a driver's license at the Texas Department of Public Safety. Early voting runs October 19 through 30. Lubbock County's elections office is still working through thousands of applications held up by a state DPS backlog.
Sources KUT · Texas Secretary of State
A Senate committee takes up transmission costs and ERCOT interconnection Wednesday
The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday, September 30, in Austin under Chair Charles Schwertner, taking invited and public testimony on improving transmission planning, construction and ratemaking to hold down electricity costs.
The committee will also review ERCOT's proposed changes to how new generation and large loads interconnect, and what guardrails should come with them, along with implementation of bills the committee passed in the 89th Legislature. Interconnection is the hinge of the data-center fight now running through Lubbock, where the City Council started a 90-day moratorium this month.
Sources Texas Senate
Dan Patrick seeks a fourth term as lieutenant governor against Democrat Vikki Goodwin
The Texas Tribune published a guide Monday, September 28, to the lieutenant governor's race, an office that presides over the Senate, controls which bills move and chairs the Legislative Budget Board. Republican Dan Patrick, first elected in 2014, is seeking a fourth term.
He faces state Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin, elected in 2018, along with Libertarian Anthony Cristo and Green Party candidate Kevin McCormick. Patrick reported $35.3 million on hand at the end of June against Goodwin's $317,571. Election Day is November 3.
Sources The Texas Tribune
About 160 people returned to the North Austin corner where a federal agent shot a man a week earlier
Roughly 160 people gathered Sunday, September 27, at Anderson Square and Research Boulevard in North Austin, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot Wilber Garces Perez on September 20. He remains in federal detention.
Christine Vo of Stand Up! Houston and attorney Paul Quinzi of the Austin Lawyers Guild were among those at the makeshift memorial, where signs called for legalization and for ICE to leave Texas. At least four people arrested at the earlier protest on resisting-arrest and rioting charges have been released, including an Austin City Council candidate whose name is withheld.
Sources KUT
U.S. & World
Five men are held over a suspected plot against a U.S. bomber base in England
Police arrested five men early Sunday, September 27, near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after a 12:45 a.m. call reporting three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base, which hosts the U.S. Air Force's 501st Combat Support Wing. Their names are withheld.
Officers set a 400-metre cordon, evacuated about 85 households and brought in bomb disposal teams. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said the investigation is at an early stage and the men remain in custody. Counterterrorism officers are examining a possible Iran link, and Fox News reported the base moved to its highest alert level.
Sources Fox News · PBS NewsHour
Mullin Hoard & Brown, LLPBaja California braces for Category 3 Polo as Nolo pulls away from Hawaii
Hurricane Polo was a Category 3 storm with 125 mph sustained winds Sunday evening, September 27, about 285 miles west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas and closing on Mexico's Baja California peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said. Landfall was expected Monday.
Forecasters warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides before Polo crosses to the Mexican mainland. Hurricane Nolo, winds near 105 mph, moved away from Hawaii's Big Island with high-wind and high-surf advisories up through Sunday evening. Polo's leftover moisture is what turns this week's South Plains rain heavy.
Sources NPR · PBS NewsHour
Trump cancels $810 million Congress approved, using a maneuver a federal watchdog calls illegal
President Donald Trump moved to cancel $810 million in spending Congress had approved, NPR reported Monday, September 28, with $567 million of it from programs serving refugees, asylees and other non-citizens. Education, housing counseling and minority business programs are also affected.
The maneuver, a pocket rescission, withholds the money until the fiscal year runs out instead of sending Congress a cancellation request with the 45 days' notice the law requires. The Government Accountability Office says it is illegal. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins and ranking Democrat Patty Murray both objected.
Sources NPR · PBS NewsHour
An 87-year-old's eviction has put tens of thousands into Madrid's streets over housing
Tens of thousands marched through Madrid on Saturday, September 26, after an 87-year-old woman was carried out of her Retiro apartment on a stretcher on September 23, ending more than 70 years in the flat.
Protesters camped overnight at Puerta del Sol and more families joined Sunday, demanding stronger tenant protections and a ban on evictions when no alternative housing exists. Spain is short roughly 550,000 homes and holds less than 2 percent of its rental stock as subsidized public housing, against an EU average of 8 percent.
Sources NPR · PBS NewsHour
Sen. John Kennedy says no living politician should have a federal building named for him
Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, told CBS News in an interview that aired Sunday, September 27, that he wants a law barring public officials from having federal buildings named after them while they are still alive, arguing public money should not be spent promoting officeholders.
He was responding to President Donald Trump's push to put his own name on the Kennedy Center and other Washington buildings. Federal courts have blocked several of those attempts, holding that only Congress may authorize the changes. The State Department added the president's name to the U.S. Institute of Peace last year.
Sources Fox News
Madonna takes Artist of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards
Madonna won Artist of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and opened the show with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX in her first VMAs performance in 23 years.
Snoop Dogg hosted. Video of the Year went to The Fate of Ophelia, Sienna Spiro won best new artist and Nirvana received the Video Vanguard award. Kacey Musgraves performed a tribute to Dolly Parton, who died in August at 80 and whom Gov. Greg Abbott honored with a Texas proclamation on Friday.
Sources Fox News
British wrestler Benjamin Satterley, known as Pac, has died at 40
All Elite Wrestling announced Sunday night, September 27, that Benjamin Satterley, who wrestled as Pac, had died at 40, a day after he challenged for the AEW National Championship at a show in Chicago. No cause has been released.
Satterley, from Newcastle upon Tyne, began wrestling in 2004, held the WWE cruiserweight title twice and won NXT singles and tag team championships before joining AEW in 2019, where he became the inaugural All-Atlantic champion and a two-time trios champion.
D. Williams & Co., Inc.Restaurants are locking up diners' phones, and calling them the new cigarettes
A growing set of restaurants and bars is taking phones out of the meal, Fox News reported Monday, September 28. Antagonist in Charlotte hands out lockable pouches at the door, the bistro Eulalie in Manhattan posts a no-phone policy on its handwritten menus, and The Saloon in Washington bans phones outright.
The Edge Harlem removed its Wi-Fi, a Verona restaurant offers free wine to patrons who hand over their phones, and Chick-fil-A runs a Cellphone Coops Challenge at some locations. Critics in the trade argue a locked pouch is the opposite of hospitality.
Sources Fox News
