Texans urged to heed travel warnings about Mexico

This is an early bulldog edition of Capital Highlights to accommodate early holiday deadlines. It will be updated on Sunday if needed.

Paxton, Crockett leading in primary polls

If the Chinese New Year is a predictor, 2026 will be a year of remarkable change for the newspaper industry. Some even say it is written in the stars.

By Leonard Woolsey, past TPA president

“This is going to be an amazing year,” a friend and fellow publisher said. “2026 is the rare Chinese year of the Fire Horse.”

It is hard to believe that I’m in the second semester of my fifth year at Tarleton State.

It has been the pleasure of my life serving as director of the Texas Center Community Journalism. This is my dream job, and I look forward to doing it for years and decades to come.

By Austin Lewter, director, Texas Center for Community Journalism

Are you stressed out? Of course you are. We’re in the newspaper business, and stress comes with the territory.

By LISA CHAPPELL, 2025-26 TPA President 

It’s become a lifestyle for many of us — operating on coffee and fumes, burning the candle at both ends. We wear burnout like a badge of honor, always working harder and barely coming up for air. But in reality we’re only hurting ourselves, our newspapers and our employees. 

Note to editors: Due to the President's Day holiday on Monday, Feb. 16, the Capital Highlights Column for the week of  Feb. 16 - 20 will be released early Friday afternoon, Feb. 13.

Early voting begins Feb. 17

Early voting in the March 3 primary begins Monday, Feb. 17 and concludes on Friday, Feb. 27. A full slate of contested races will be on the ballots in both Republican and Democratic primaries. The deadline to request a mail ballot is Feb. 20, according to votetexas.gov.

At least 11 dead in state after winter storm

At least 11 people have died in Texas, nearly half of them children, after Winter Storm Fern swept the state last week, the Texas Standard reported. Among those killed were three young brothers who fell through ice on a private pond near Bonham, about 60 miles northeast of Texas. In the Dallas suburb of Frisco, two teens died after a sledding accident. They were riding on a sled being pulled by a vehicle.

Power grid holds up during wintry blast

The electricity grid that covers most of Texas was holding up as of Sunday during the latest winter storm, although localized power outages were reported in Deep East Texas and far West Texas.

Democrats Talarico, Crockett set first debate

The first debate in the state’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is set for Jan. 24 in Georgetown, The Dallas Morning News reported. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico of Round Rock are vying for the nomination.

As the new year dawns, we look ahead to an exciting calendar in 2026.

As we do, we are grateful for a busy 2025 and count our blessings for the relationships fostered along the way. 

By AUSTIN LEWTER, director, Texas Center for Community Journalism

We welcomed 2025 with happy news from Parker, Tarrant and Wise Counties when we learned that the Tri-County Reporter would not be closing.