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Daily Ledger
Daily digest straight from the source
Thursday, October 15, 2026
The lead · Oct 15
A freeze watch covers Lubbock County late Friday into Saturday, and flash flooding hit King and Stonewall counties Thursday
The National Weather Service in Lubbock issued a freeze watch Thursday, Oct. 15, for Lubbock and 12 other counties from late Friday night through Saturday morning, with lows as cold as 28 in the far southwestern Panhandle and 32 near the Caprock's edge. Forecasters said the cold could kill crops and sensitive plants and damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Off the Caprock, the weather service put southeastern King and northeastern Stonewall counties under a flash flood warning until 5 p.m. Thursday after 3 to 4 inches of rain. Wednesday's storms had dumped 2 to 5 inches across the Rolling Plains and closed US-83 south of Paducah, and KCBD forecasts north gusts near 40 mph into Friday.
Sources National Weather Service Lubbock · National Weather Service Lubbock · National Weather Service Lubbock · National Weather Service Lubbock · KCBD · KCBD
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Parkway Cherry Point neighbors are fighting an asphalt plant, and the city has given the operator until Dec. 7 to clear out
Residents of the Parkway Cherry Point neighborhood, east of MLK Boulevard and north of Parkway Drive, say dust from an asphalt plant that began operating this year is coating their homes, KCBD reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. Adam Pirtle, a Legal Aid of Northwest Texas attorney representing the Parkway Neighborhood Association, says the land is zoned low-density single-family and the city produced no permits for the plant.
Codes director Stuart Walker said inspectors cited the property owner after an August complaint and that Webber LLC has until Dec. 7 to remove everything. The owner has asked to rezone the land light industrial; the Planning and Zoning Commission hears the request Nov. 5 and the City Council Dec. 1.
Sources KCBD
A passenger died after apparently jumping from a moving vehicle on Idalou Road early Thursday
A passenger died early Thursday, Oct. 15, after apparently jumping from a vehicle traveling in the 4100 block of Idalou Road, Lubbock police said, EverythingLubbock reported. Officers were called at 12:24 a.m. to assist EMS.
The passenger was seriously injured and taken by EMS to University Medical Center, where the person was later pronounced dead, according to a preliminary investigation by the department's Major Crash Investigation Unit. Police have not released the person's name.
Sources EverythingLubbock
Lubbock has logged more than 43,000 crashes since 2021, with South Loop and Slide among the worst intersections
Just over 43,000 crashes have been reported in the city of Lubbock since 2021, about 18,000 of them at intersections, according to TxDOT's crash records system, EverythingLubbock reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. More than 200 happened at or near South Loop 289 and Slide Road, almost 80 near Fourth Street and Indiana Avenue and nearly 70 near 50th Street and University Avenue.
Lubbock police Lt. Brady Cross blamed driver behavior, including phone use, speeding, following too closely and careless merging, rather than the intersections themselves. He urged drivers to slow down and leave more space, call 911 when there are injuries, undrivable vehicles or a suspected drunk driver, and otherwise exchange information for insurance.
Sources EverythingLubbock
Advanced GraphixScurry County's new outdoor warning sirens are fully operational, with separate tones for fires and severe weather
Scurry County's new emergency outdoor warning system is fully operational after crews ran final siren checks this week, KCBD reported Wednesday, Oct. 14, as a second round of storms moved across the region. Snyder Emergency Coordinator Jay Callaway said residents who hear the sirens from now on should treat them as an actual warning.
The system uses two sounds: an intermittent siren for fire warnings and a continuous siren for weather alerts, which means go inside and find a safe place immediately. Snyder is urging residents to sign up for city alerts at snydertx.gov/alerts so they are notified when severe weather threatens the area.
Sources KCBD
A Lubbock man was federally indicted after agents say they found 18 kilograms of cocaine in his storage unit
A 37-year-old Lubbock man was indicted Wednesday, Oct. 14, on a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and four counts of distribution or possession with intent to distribute, EverythingLubbock reported, citing the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. He was arrested Sept. 8 after narcotics agents watched him visit a storage unit and meet someone in what appeared to be a drug deal.
Agents say they found about 18 kilograms of suspected cocaine and a gun in the unit, and a second gun and about $56,000 hidden in an appliance at his home. U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould credited federal, state and local cooperation. The man is held in the Lubbock County Detention Center.
Sources EverythingLubbock
A Lamesa ISD bus driver was arrested on assault and unlawful restraint charges involving a 13-year-old girl
The Dawson County Sheriff's Office arrested a 60-year-old Lamesa ISD bus barn driver on charges of assault and unlawful restraint of a person younger than 17 after receiving a complaint Wednesday, Oct. 14, about an incident involving a 13-year-old girl, KCBD reported Thursday.
Deputies notified the district's bus barn supervisor, kept the driver from starting his route and asked Texas DPS special agents to help with the investigation. Lamesa ISD placed him on unpaid administrative leave, and he was booked into the Dawson County Jail.
Sources KCBD · EverythingLubbock
New Mexico State Police are investigating a Hobbs police shooting Thursday that left a suspect dead
New Mexico State Police are investigating a shooting involving the Hobbs Police Department on Thursday, Oct. 15, in which the suspect was killed, KCBD reported. State police said the officer involved was not hurt.
Police said there is no ongoing threat but asked people to avoid the area of Alston and North Linam streets while officers worked the scene. No other details, including the name of the person who died or what led to the shooting, had been released Thursday afternoon.
Sources KCBD
Texas Tech researchers want producers who plan to graze cattle on failed cotton fields this fall
Texas Tech University's Department of Animal and Food Sciences is recruiting producers who already plan to graze failed cotton fields to take part in a research study, KCBD reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. The study will track what beef cows select among leaf, boll, lint, seed and stem, how much biomass is available and how forage quality changes as grazing goes on.
Researchers hope the data will help producers estimate how many grazing days a field can provide and how good that forage will be over time. Cattle and fields stay under the producer's management throughout. Interested producers can contact Dr. Whitney Crossland at Texas Tech.
Sources KCBD
Tenants of a North Quaker storage facility say thefts went on for years; new management found stolen items in other units
Renters at Caprock Self Storage, formerly AAA Storage, on North Quaker Avenue and Clovis Highway say their units were cut open and emptied, some of it over several years, EverythingLubbock reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. Lawrence Piemontese, who stored property from his closed New Deal restaurant there, filed a burglary report Sept. 6; it names a suspect, but no one has been charged.
Lisa Moore of the management group that took over in August said they found broken locks and some missing items in an unlocked unit, and evicted that unit's renter. Tenants retrieved belongings last week with Lubbock police observing. Piemontese and tenant Feathers Murray say thousands of dollars in property is still missing.
Sources EverythingLubbock
Mullin Hoard & Brown, LLPAmarillo's council weighed mandatory pet microchipping and got an update on a coming forensic audit of city books
The Amarillo City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 13, discussed a proposed ordinance requiring a registered microchip for dogs and cats older than three months, the Amarillo Tribune reported Wednesday. Brandi Bullock, interim director of Animal Management and Welfare, said nearly 79% of microchipped animals have been reunited with owners this year; Mayor Cole Stanley questioned the enforcement cost and asked for the ordinance language and court-cost estimates to return for possible action.
Stanley also updated the forensic audit, saying the city found about $43 million that had been appropriated but never spent. Councilmember Tim Reid said the goal is clean books that match annual audits, with the state deadline for this fiscal year's audit at the end of March.
Sources Amarillo Tribune
Services for former Councilman Randy Christian are set for Oct. 28 and 29
Visitation for former Lubbock City Councilman Randy Christian, who died Sunday, will be Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lakeridge Chapel, 6025 82nd St., his family announced, EverythingLubbock reported Wednesday.
His memorial service is Thursday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. at Monterey Church of Christ, 6111 82nd St., with friends sharing stories from his life. Lakeridge Chapel will livestream the service for those unable to attend and will post a link before the service.
Sources EverythingLubbock
A Hockley County man, Tyler Adrian Reid, pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges after a DPS traffic stop
Tyler Adrian Reid, 29, of Hockley County pleaded guilty Tuesday, Oct. 13, in federal court to receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, EverythingLubbock reported Wednesday. According to stipulated facts, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper found images on his phone during a consensual search after a January 2025 traffic stop in Hockley County.
DPS forensic examiners and the FBI found files depicting children under 10, and Reid later admitted receiving and viewing such material for two years. He faces five to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution, and must register as a sex offender.
Sources EverythingLubbock
New Home's volunteer fire department is rebuilding with donated gear and a donated engine
The New Home Volunteer Fire Department, operating since 1977, is rebuilding after several hard years in which some residents were unsure it was still in service, Fire Chief Toby Sanchez told KCBD in a story published Wednesday, Oct. 14. Over the last month, departments and supporters have donated bunker gear, portable air-supply systems, boots and a 1991 fire engine.
Sanchez said neighboring departments and Lubbock Fire Rescue reached out with gear, and offers came from as far away as Nacogdoches. Much of the old equipment was torn and unusable for grass or trash-pit fires, he said, and the department's priority now is reconnecting with the community and earning back its trust.
Sources KCBD
A Lubbock mother who lost her son in a March hit-and-run is leading a memorial ride Saturday before taking her cause to Austin
Melissa Bond is hosting the first Road to Austin motorcycle ride Saturday, Oct. 17, in memory of her son, Timothy, who died March 6 after a driver ran a stop sign at 42nd Street and Memphis Avenue, KCBD reported Wednesday. Riders meet at 10 a.m. in the At Home store parking lot and finish at the United Valor Motorcycle Clubhouse; everyone is welcome.
Bond founded The VALOR Project to bring together riders, survivors and families of people killed by reckless driving, and plans to meet with lawmakers in Austin next week to push for stronger traffic laws. The intersection has since become a four-way stop; no one has been criminally charged, and a civil lawsuit continues.
Sources KCBD
A new 7Brew coffee stand is planned for the 5700 block of 19th Street, with construction set for 2027
A new 7Brew coffee shop is planned for the 5700 block of 19th Street, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, EverythingLubbock reported Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The filing describes a 510-square-foot new building estimated to cost $1.5 million and privately funded. Construction is scheduled to begin June 21, 2027, and finish Nov. 12, 2027.
Sources EverythingLubbock
D. Williams & Co., Inc.Lubbock's Ronald McDonald House is now Ronald McDonald House Southwest
The Lubbock nonprofit that keeps families close to children in the hospital has dropped "Charities" from its name and is now Ronald McDonald House Southwest, KCBD reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. The change is part of a global rebranding of every Ronald McDonald House, marking 50 years since the first house opened in Philadelphia.
A representative said the new name is meant to help people better understand the organization's mission. The house lets parents and siblings stay near the hospital while children receive medical care, and it is always looking for new volunteers and supporters.
Sources KCBD
State
Texas counties have cleared the backlog of more than 500,000 voter registrations stuck by the DPS software error
Election officials across Texas appear to have cleared the backlog of more than 500,000 voter registration applications and updates that went unprocessed for more than a year because of a Department of Public Safety software error, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. The Secretary of State's Office and the Texas Association of County Election Officials said that day they know of no county still working through it.
Registrations submitted through the DPS portal before the Oct. 5 deadline count for the Nov. 3 election. Secretary of State spokesperson Alicia Pierce said a voter who registered through DPS but is missing from the rolls can cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted once the transaction is confirmed.
Sources The Texas Tribune
Abbott has renewed his border disaster declaration 21 times under Trump, even as the administration touts record-low crossings
Gov. Greg Abbott renewed his border security disaster proclamation again last month, declaring illegal crossings an "ongoing and imminent threat," even as the Trump administration reports historic lows at the border, the Texas Tribune and ProPublica reported Thursday, Oct. 15. Abbott has renewed or amended the proclamation at least 69 times since 2021, 21 of them during Trump's current term.
The declaration lets the governor shift funds, suspend regulations and award no-bid contracts without the Legislature. Since January 2025, DPS and the Texas Military Department have awarded more than $5 million in noncompetitive contracts citing the emergency, for items including a Ford F-150, rifles and apartments, state records show.
Sources The Texas Tribune
TSMC says it has sent teams to Texas to evaluate a chip plant and is open to joining Musk's planned Terafab
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is exploring investments in Texas to expand U.S. chip production, chairman and CEO C.C. Wei said during an earnings call Thursday, Oct. 15, the Associated Press reported. "We sent the teams to Texas to do all the evaluation," Wei said, adding the plan is still under deliberation and any Texas plant must be run by TSMC.
TSMC said it is in talks to be part of Elon Musk's planned Terafab chip complex in Texas; Musk has said his company will build and run that fab. TSMC has pledged $265 billion for plants in Arizona and reported a record quarterly profit of nearly $24 billion, up 69%, on artificial intelligence demand.
Sources EverythingLubbock
Nearly half of Texas nonprofit hospitals bill patients before checking whether they qualify for free care, an investigation found
Nearly half of Texas nonprofit hospitals say they bill patients before screening them for financial aid, and most will not refund patients later found eligible for free care, according to a Tradeoffs investigation published by the Texas Tribune on Thursday, Oct. 15. Hospitals can automatically screen patients through presumptive eligibility, but few state or federal rules require it.
The report cites Aimee Carlock, a self-employed house cleaner who paid Texas Health Resources $5,500 up front for surgery in August 2025, then learned she qualified for aid and could not get a full refund. Many patients do not know charity care exists, and applications can demand bank statements, pay stubs and other financial records.
Sources The Texas Tribune
A UT poll shows Democrats narrowly ahead in Texas' Senate, governor and lieutenant governor races
A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll released Wednesday, Oct. 14, shows Democrats holding razor-thin leads in several statewide races, the Texas Tribune reported. State Rep. James Talarico leads Attorney General Ken Paxton 50% to 47% for U.S. Senate, and state Rep. Vikki Goodwin leads Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick 49% to 46%.
Gov. Greg Abbott trails state Rep. Gina Hinojosa by one point, effectively a tie. The attorney general, comptroller and railroad commissioner races are also separated by a single point. The survey drew on a sample of 1,200 registered voters across Texas; early voting begins Monday, Oct. 19, ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Sources The Texas Tribune
Action PrintingTalarico courted moderates at a CNN town hall Wednesday; Paxton was invited and did not respond
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico answered questions from about 20 Democrats, 20 independents and 20 Republicans at a CNN town hall in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Oct. 14, his first major appearance after more than a week off the trail with the flu, the Texas Tribune reported. He argued that Texas has an affordability crisis because it has a corruption crisis.
Republican Ken Paxton was invited by CNN but did not respond, the network said, and has not accepted any of five TV debate invitations. Republicans said Talarico was moderating for the campaign. A Marist poll released Wednesday found 8% of Republican voters backing Talarico.
Sources The Texas Tribune
Paxton will close his Senate campaign with an 18-day 'Come and Take It' bus tour ending at the Alamo
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton will launch an 18-day "Come and Take It" bus tour Saturday, Oct. 17, in Rockwall, with more than 30 stops across Texas before a final stop at the Alamo on Nov. 2, the eve of Election Day, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday. The tour starts two days before early voting begins.
Paxton's closing message leans on his record as attorney general suing opioid companies, Big Tech and the Biden administration. In announcing the tour, he accused Democrat James Talarico of being bankrolled by national Democrats and Silicon Valley billionaires, a reference to LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman's $11.5 million to a super PAC supporting Talarico.
Sources The Texas Tribune
A transgender advocacy group says it did not send election-season texts about 'trans kids'; a GOP lawmaker wants Paxton to investigate
The Transgender Education Network of Texas said Wednesday, Oct. 14, that it did not author or send text messages that went out to Texans in recent days advertising guides on school bathrooms for transgender children and on gender-affirming care, The Texan reported. The texts linked to the group's own materials.
State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, filed a request Tuesday night asking Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate. The group sent a cease-and-desist notice to two digital messaging companies and said it has faced threats since the texts went out, the Texas Tribune reported. Recipients said many messages reached self-identified Republicans less than a week before early voting.
Sources The Texan · The Texas Tribune
National Republicans pulled $3 million in ads from Henry Cuellar's redrawn South Texas district
Congressional Leadership Fund, the main super PAC for House Republicans, is pulling $3 million it had reserved for ads in Texas' 28th Congressional District, a tacit sign that Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is hard to beat even after the Legislature redrew his seat to oust him, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. The money moves to the neighboring 15th and 34th districts.
Cuellar faces Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, the Republican nominee, on Nov. 3, The Texan reported Thursday. The redrawn district swapped San Antonio-area territory for Hidalgo County in the Rio Grande Valley, a district where Hispanic residents make up more than 75% of the population.
Sources The Texan · The Texas Tribune
U.S. & World
Inflation rose to 3.7% in September, and Social Security benefits will rise 3.6% in January, the biggest increase since 2023
Consumer prices rose 0.6% in September and 3.7% from a year earlier, driven by energy costs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday, Oct. 14, Fox Business reported. Gasoline jumped 9.1% in a month and energy prices are up 20.4% over the year; core prices, excluding food and energy, rose 2.6% annually, both hotter than economists expected.
The same day, the Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, raising the average retirement benefit about $75 a month starting with January payments for some 76 million Americans. It is the largest increase since 2023's 8.7%, following raises of 3.2%, 2.5% and 2.8%.
Sources Fox Business · Fox Business · PBS NewsHour
Houthi rebels struck Saudi Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran, damaging its top three floors
Iran-backed Houthi rebels hit the headquarters of Saudi Arabia's state oil company, Aramco, in Dhahran in an overnight strike, damaging the top three floors including the chief executive's offices, two regional officials told the Associated Press on Wednesday, Oct. 14, PBS NewsHour reported. No one was killed; Saudi Arabia's energy ministry reported a limited fire Tuesday night.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted drones and cruise and ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh, Dhahran and Al-Kharj, and debris injured one person in Riyadh. President Donald Trump has said he is weighing whether the U.S. should join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, the latest front in the Iran war.
Sources PBS NewsHour (AP)
Duffy Law Firm, PCTrump hit a record-low 36% approval in a new Fox News poll, with 77% disapproving of his handling of inflation
President Donald Trump's job approval fell to 36%, his lowest in a Fox News survey in either term, according to a poll released Wednesday, Oct. 14, less than three weeks before the midterm elections. It had held at 39% since May.
Six in 10 voters named the cost of living as their top economic worry, 74% rate the economy negatively and 55% say inflation is not at all under control. Just 22% approve of Trump's handling of inflation, a new low, while 77% disapprove. Border security was the only issue near even, at 50% approve and 50% disapprove.
Sources Fox News
Musk says the U.S. military decided new Starshield limits that disrupted Ukraine's drone defenses
Elon Musk said Wednesday, Oct. 14, that limits on speed or usage of SpaceX's Starshield service are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president, after new restrictions disrupted Ukrainian military operations and its ability to intercept Russian drones, Fox News reported. Starshield is built and run by SpaceX, but its satellites and infrastructure are government-owned.
A source told Fox News Digital that Ukraine got no warning before service was restricted overnight on platforms moving 100 mph or faster, despite a U.S.-government contract that runs until May 15, 2027. Musk did not say who authorized the change, which came amid tension over Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy sites.
Sources Fox News
The Justice Department gave California until noon Thursday to act on suspected noncitizen voters or face emergency legal action
The Justice Department has threatened emergency legal action against California election officials unless they review a list of potentially ineligible voters and set aside ballots from people whose citizenship cannot be verified by noon Eastern on Thursday, Oct. 15, Fox News reported. Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter sent the demands Tuesday to Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan.
A department spokesperson said thousands of possible noncitizens have been identified on voter rolls statewide. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Wednesday the administration is trying to intimidate voters and called widespread voter fraud a conspiracy theory.
Sources Fox News · PBS NewsHour
Hundreds of 10th Mountain Division soldiers are deploying to Latin America as the drug-trafficking campaign expands
Several hundred soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, are deploying to Latin America for training and joint exercises with regional forces, Fox News confirmed Wednesday, Oct. 14. The first troops from a roughly 600-soldier battalion are expected in Panama, where a senior U.S. official said they will be staged under U.S. Southern Command.
The New York Times, which first reported the move, said they will train at a new jungle facility before working with forces in Colombia and Honduras. More than 235 people have been killed in dozens of U.S. strikes on suspected drug traffickers since the campaign began more than a year ago.
Sources Fox News
Trump wished Pope Leo a speedy recovery from lung cancer surgery and said the prognosis seems good
President Donald Trump wished Pope Leo XIV a quick recovery Wednesday, Oct. 14, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the prognosis for the 71-year-old pontiff seems good, Fox News reported. Trump said the pope's brother is a friend and a strong supporter of his.
The Vatican announced Tuesday that Leo has lung adenocarcinoma, diagnosed from tissue removed when surgeons took out the lower lobe of his right lung at Rome's Gemelli hospital in a roughly 90-minute operation without complications. On Wednesday, the Vatican said blood tests and a chest X-ray showed his recovery progressing normally and that he had begun walking around his room.
Toyota is recalling nearly 31,000 2026 RAV4 plug-in hybrids whose power system can shut down at high speed
Toyota is recalling 30,978 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid vehicles because a software error can make the hybrid system reduce power or shut down at higher speeds, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, Fox Business reported Wednesday, Oct. 14. Regulators warned an unexpected powertrain shutdown raises the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the motor generator software free of charge. NHTSA says owner notification letters will begin going out Nov. 22, and Toyota says affected owners will be notified by early December.
Sources Fox Business
Advanced GraphixThe Brewers beat the Dodgers 6-2 at Dodger Stadium and lead the NLCS 3-0
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night, Oct. 14, and are one win from a sweep, Fox News reported. Jackson Chourio homered on Blake Snell's first pitch, and Robert Gasser threw five shutout innings.
After Will Smith's two-run double put Los Angeles ahead in the sixth, Jake Bauers hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh and Garrett Mitchell followed with a solo shot. DL Hall and Trevor Megill finished with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.
Sources Fox News
