By AUSTIN LEWTER, director Texas Center for Community Journalism

I have a friend in Muenster who is 96 years old.

Alvin Hartman has worked at the Muenster Enterprise since he graduated high school in 1948.

He has done just about every job in the building at one point or another.

He’s been a sportswriter, a composition man, a pressman, the editor and even sold ads quite successfully back in the 70s.

He still clocks in a few hours a month to sweep the floor and run a few print jobs on an old Heidelberg press.

Note: The password for accessing the Capital Highlights column changes March 1 for subscribers who renewed their subscriptions for 2024 - any subscribers who have not paid their 2024 Capital Highlights fee will lose access to the column online and be dropped from the mailing list.

Early voting ends Friday

Note: The password for accessing the Capital Highlights column changes March 1 for subscribers who renewed their subscriptions for 2024 - any subscribers who have not paid their 2024 Capital Highlights fee will lose access to the column online and be dropped from the mailing list.

Federal judge appears skeptical of new border law

Note: The password for accessing the Capital Highlights column changes March 1 for subscribers who renewed their subscriptions for 2024 - any subscribers who have not paid their 2024 Capital Highlights fee will lose access to the column online and be dropped from the mailing list.

Pitch made for new power plants

Lt. Gov Dan Patrick joined with the world’s largest investment firm to pitch investors on building natural gas power plants in Texas at a summit held last week in Houston.

By KEN ESTEN COOKE, TPA President 2023-24

We crawl into a booth or sit ourselves at a table. It can be during cold times of the year, where we can’t wait for the hot coffee to be poured, or a sweltering summer day, when we reflexively chug the complimentary water. But no matter the time of year, I value these breakfasts or lunches with Terry Collier, the retired publisher of the Fredericksburg Standard.

Note: The password for accessing the Capital Highlights column changes March 1 for subscribers who renewed their subscriptions for 2024 - any subscribers who have not paid their 2024 Capital Highlights fee will lose access to the column online and be dropped from the mailing list.

TEA annual report just released

Standoff at border continues between state, feds

A standoff at an Eagle Pass park continues as the Department of Homeland Security has sent a second letter to Gov. Greg Abbott demanding access to the Rio Grande park that is now under state control.

DOJ report on response to Uvalde shooting scathing

The U.S. Justice Department issued a scathing report late last week on the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

EDITORS: This is a bulldog edition of Capital Highlights to accommodate early press deadlines due to the upcoming winter storm. It will be updated on Sunday if events dictate.

Quakes prompt officials to limit disposal wells

The Texas Railroad Commission has suspended nearly two dozen permits that allow oil and gas companies to inject saltwater into the ground, which regulators say has contributed to increased earthquakes of greater magnitude in West Texas.

Voter registration deadline for primary approaches

The deadline to register to vote in the Texas Democratic and Republican primary elections is Feb. 5. Voters on March 5 will choose their nominees for president, U.S. Senator, all 38 U.S. House members from Texas, and a number of other state and local offices, from the Texas Supreme Court to district attorneys, sheriffs and county commissioners.