Latest news with #AbileneRegionalAirport
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dan Patrick on THC ban, school choice + more in Abilene
ABILENE, Texas () – Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is touring the state following the conclusion of the legislative session, making a stop at Abilene Regional Airport. During his visit, he outlined key legislative developments and their impact on everyday Texans. GALLERY: Severe storms cause damage in north Abilene, across Big Country Patrick also took a moment to acknowledge the recent severe storms that swept through the Big Country. 'I'm glad to know that there were no serious injuries or deaths last night. I know there was some damage,' Patrick expressed. 'Some pretty bad weather rumbled through Texas, and we're glad that's behind us.' One of the top issues Patrick discussed was education, beginning with property tax relief and teacher pay raises. He explained that when school property taxes are reduced, the state must fill that funding gap. This session, the Texas Legislature will cover $51 billion in school property taxes. 'If you're over 65 and you're the average senior, you won't have any more school taxes to pay ever again as long as you live. If you're under 65, your taxes will be down about 50% on average from just several years ago,' Patrick shared. Big Country Politics: School vouchers & teacher raises under the microscope An additional $8.5 billion was allocated to public education, with nearly half dedicated to boosting teacher salaries. Rural teachers will also see a specific increase to help close the pay gap between urban and rural districts. 'The most valuable asset, the key to your child's or grandchild's education, is a great teacher. In the past, teachers just haven't been getting the benefits of all the money we spent on public education,' Patrick explained. Patrick also addressed a new law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The posters can be donated by churches, businesses, or individuals, and schools will be obligated to display them. 'The values are the basis for all Western civilization,' Patrick expressed. BCP: Lt. Governor Dan Patrick shares insight on hot-button topic senate bills In addition, legislation was passed to provide private time for students who wish to pray. 'We're not compelling anyone to pray in school, but we're giving anyone who wants to pray private time,' Patrick said. Patrick emphasized efforts to remove what he referred to as 'wokeness' from public schools. That includes a ban on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs and prohibiting individuals assigned male at birth from participating in women's sports. 'We've also continued to get the wokeness out of schools… DEI and other issues that were distracting students from the main goal to learn and to get a great education,' Patrick shared. Lambert backs $7.7B school bill, explains why he voted for vouchers Patrick also promoted the new school voucher-style program, recently signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott. The law allocates billions toward public education while allowing up to 100,000 students to apply for funding to attend the school of their choice. 'They can go into a system and apply. It'll be a lottery system where we'll accept up to 100,000 children to go to the school of their choice. The state will provide funding for that,' Patrick explained. 'A colossal mistake': Abilene ISD superintendent criticizes Texas' new education voucher law Patrick also touched on the claim that school choice undermines public education, saying that's far from the case. 'They said that about homeschooling… They said that about charter schools, and now they've said it about school choice,' Patrick said. 'Just so you have a comparison, we will spend a billion dollars on school choice per year, and we'll spend somewhere around $40 billion on public schools… There's no competition there.' Turning to student safety, Patrick expressed concern over vape and THC products sold near schools, sharing that seven students were hospitalized at a graduation after consuming gummies reportedly bought from a smoke shop. '8,000 smoke shops have opened up within 1,000 to 2,00 feet of a school… Police want it banned, every doctor that testified wanted it banned, and the testimony from parents was just horrendous,' Patrick shared. Saying Goodbye to the High: Bill could outlaw THC products in Abilene, sparking local outcry Despite concerns about a black market, Patrick stood firm on the need for a ban. 'Our job as elected officials is to ensure the health and safety of our citizens. THC, no one knows what's in it… This is not the pot that people smoked 20 years ago. It's four to five times more powerful; you can't control it. The only thing you can do is ban it,' Patrick shared. However, he clarified that Texans can still access medical THC through the state's Compassionate Use Program. 'Whether it's cancer, PTSD, chronic pain, whatever it may be, that program is the legal way to do it,' Patrick said. Patrick highlighted significant investments in infrastructure, including $3 billion for water and $5 billion for power improvements. Energy fuels Abilene's future — and it's just the beginning He also addressed law enforcement and border security, emphasizing the need for legal immigration while targeting and blocking criminal elements. 'A lot of people are coming for the American dream, but a lot of criminals and gang members are coming. We don't want those. People who want the American dream, we need a legal process for people to come here legally,' Patrick said. Additionally, $350 million was invested to raise pay for rural law enforcement officers. 'Sheriffs just couldn't make enough money to keep people who want to be in law enforcement in rural Texas, so now we've increased sheriffs' pay up to $75,000,' Patrick shared. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Abilene voters pass $20 million bond for airport upgrades
ABILENE, Texas () – Abilenians have voted in favor of a $20 million bond for airport improvements. Abilene Regional Airport pushes for $20M bond to support $70M upgrade On May 3, 2025, the Abilene community voted on a $20 million bond proposition aimed at improving the airport. The proposed enhancements include an expanded boarding area, a complete renovation of the entrance and lobby, as well as other functional modernization efforts. According to the unofficial report released from the elections office, 52% of voters were in favor of this proposition. This bond represents only a fraction of the total project cost of $70 million, which will be covered by various grants. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is leading in Abilene races in early voting? How is the bond proposition doing?
Abilene voters are having their say Saturday on two City Council races and a $20 million bond measure to improve the Abilene Regional Airport. Unofficial early voting results from Taylor County election officials show that incumbent Kyle McAlister is leading the way with just over 50 percent of the vote in the Place 5 races, and incumbent Travis Craver is outpacing his challenger. In addition, nearly 53% of voters in early voting results have cast a ballot in favor of the proposed $20 million Abilene Regional Airport bond. Check back with for updated election results. Here are the unofficial early voting results for City Council candidates: Place 5 Kyle McAlister, incumbent: 1,427 votes or 50.35% Miquel Espinoza: 1,192 or 42.06% Cynthia D. Alvidrez: 215 votes or 7.59% Place 6 Incumbent Travis Craver: 1,781 or 63.74% Tammy Fogle: 1,013 or 36.26% Here are the early voting results for the airport bond measure: For: 1,501 or 52.76% Against: 1,344 or 47.24% Abilene man indicted after alleged street-racing fatality WASP museum marks 20th anniversary in Sweetwater with reunion, fly-in and Fifi Trish Choate is the executive editor for the Abilene Reporter-News, San Angelo Standard-Times and Wichita Falls Times Record News. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@ Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia. This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Election Day voting results for Abilene May 3
Los Angeles Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Migrants spell out ‘SOS' with their bodies in a Texas detention center
S-O-S. That's what 31 male detainees in red and orange jumpsuits, all Venezuelan nationals, spelled out with their bodies on Monday as a Reuters drone flew over the immigration detention center in Anson, Texas. The image — you can see it here — quickly spread on social media. According to the news agency, the men had been handed notices from immigration officials 10 days ago accusing them of belonging to Tren de Aragua, the transnational gang founded in Venezuela, and were therefore subject for removal under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law that grants the president the authority to deport noncitizens without an immigration hearing. The last time the law was invoked was during World War II, resulting in the mass incarceration of people of Japanese descent, including American citizens. The men were then transported by bus from the Bluebonnet Detention Facility to the Abilene Regional Airport, where they were to be flown to the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. The notorious maximum security prison in El Salvador is currently housing more than 100 Venezuelan nationals sent there by the Trump administration in March. But before they could be placed on a plane, the Supreme Court intervened and temporarily blocked their removals. Several of the men being held at the Bluebonnet Detention Facility deny belonging to Tren de Aragua, and immigration officials have yet to provide any substantial evidence that proves otherwise. 'They're making false accusations about me,' Jeferson Escalona, a 19-year-old former police officer, told Reuters. 'I don't belong to any gang.' 'If I don't have a criminal record in the three countries in which I have lived in, how are they going to send me to El Salvador?' said another unidentified detainee in a recording obtained by the news agency. It's unclear what's going to happen to these men. Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to expel foreign nationals, many of whom were granted legal protections by the Biden administration, is being challenged in court. On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump team's reasoning for invoking the law was a stretch based on the statute's language, which outlines that it can only be used during wartime or when a foreign country carries out a military invasion of the U.S. 'The court concludes that as a matter of law, the executive branch cannot rely on the A.E.A., based on the proclamation, to detain the named petitioners and the certified class, or to remove them from the country,' Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., a Trump appointee, wrote in his ruling. The decision, however, applies only to the Southern District of Texas. But even if the president is barred from continuing to use the enemies act, his administration has already made clear that there many more raids are coming. Carrying out the 'largest deportation operation in American history,' it seems, is the one campaign pledge Trump is hellbent on delivering. The 30th edition of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the largest literary event in the country, took place this weekend at USC. Part of the festival included the De Los Stage in association with L.A. Times en Español, a space that featured bilingual and multigenerational programming. Some personal highlights: the appearance of former Dodgers Spanish broadcasters Jaime and Jorge Jarrín to talk about the legacy of the late Fernando Valenzuela; a panel about celebrating Black joy within the Latinx community; a conversation about using storytelling as a means to heal from generational trauma; and a somewhat unhinged discussion (I say this as a compliment) about the importance of poetry in our trying times with Ashley August, Diandra Marizet Esparza and Yesika Salgado — all three were gracious enough to read some of their wonderful work to the audience. It was so heartening to see thousands of you show up for both days, to witness you embrace and support with your dollars the featured authors who volunteered their time to be there. One of the missions of De Los is not only to cover the Latinx community, but also to be in community. It was such a joy to get to meet many of you in person and to talk about our work and efforts to make this paper be more reflective of the city in which we live. For the few hundred of you who signed up for this newsletter to at the Festival of Books, welcome! If you want to know more about why we picked that name, you can go here. One of the themes brought up multiple times by several authors was the concept of future-making, the willful act of imagining, enacting and actively shaping the future. My goal is to make this space a vehicle that facilitates and documents our collective journey to these future realities. It's a privilege to have you along for the ride. Cazzu's 'Latinaje' is her ode to América Latina After a public breakup and subsequent media frenzy, the Argentine singer Cazzu returns to her roots in a new album, 'Latinaje,' released on April 24. Bad Bunny caused chaos on set of 'Caught Stealing,' says director Darren Aronofsky Director Darren Aronofsky said Bad Bunny fans flocked to various filming locations across Manhattan to get a view of the music superstar show off his acting chops. The L.A. Latino International Film Festival announces its 2025 lineup LALIFF, which takes place May 28-June 1, will screen more than 90 films at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. Roughly half of the selected films are made by U.S. Latinx filmmakers. Fan Girl Cafe carries on the musical legacy of its West Hollywood location with coffee and good vibes Fan Girl Cafe in West Hollywood continues the legacy of its venue's predecessors, P.J.'s and Starwood, by focusing on playing music and building community. Mexico's top lawman: Ranch in Jalisco was a cartel training site, not a crematorium Mexico's attorney general said a forensic investigation found 'not a shred of proof' that corpses were burned at a ranch that was used as a training camp by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. A coach is suspected of killing a 13-year-old. Did a case backlog seal the boy's fate? A sex abuse allegation against a youth soccer coach appears to have languished for months before the coach was charged with killing a 13-year-old boy. A Mother and Father Were Deported. What Happened to Their Toddler? [New York Times] Government officials claim that Maikelys Antonella Espinoza Bernal, the 2-year-old whose parents were deported (her mom was sent to Venezuela and her father was among those flown to the CECOT prison in El Salvador), is in foster care in the U.S. Fearing deportation, a beloved music teacher gives a final lesson [Washington Post] Jesús Rodríguez, a music teacher at an elementary school in northern Virginia, said goodbye to his students before self-deporting back to Venezuela. Rodríguez had been granted a work permit because of a humanitarian parole program that's being ended by the Trump administration. Neighbors stunned by sight of man hiding in tree to escape ICE agents [KSAT] A San Antonio man climbed up a tree to avoid being detained by ICE agents. He surrendered more than eight hours later. Andor creator explains recasting major Star Wars character with Benjamin Bratt [Entertainment Weekly] This blurb contains spoilers! Imagine my surprise seeing Benjamin Bratt in the latest (and final) season of 'Andor' portraying Sen. Bail Organa, a character previously played by Jimmy Smits. After Bratt's appearance, you can't convince me that 'Andor' is not a Latinx show. Road to Coachella with El Malilla [Remezcla] The music and culture publication got behind-the-scenes access to the Reggaeton Mexa up-and-comer's debut at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival this year.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Jailed migrants create striking distress signal in bid to stop Trump sending them to El Salvador mega-prison
Migrants holed up in a Texas immigration detention center have used their bodies to send a distress signal to the outside world. The group of 31 men in the yard spotted a drone in the sky being operated by Reuters and worked together to form a message with their bodies: SOS. Detainees at the Bluebonnet immigrant detention center in the small city of Anson, Texas, were seen in the dirt yard at the facility. Some wore red jumpsuits designating them as 'high risk', while others play games of soccer in the dirt or walk laps in small groups. Relatives of detainees claim the men say they're not being given much food and are taking 'shifts' to sleep in order to protect themselves. It comes less than two weeks after dozens of Venezuelan detainees at the center were handed notices which accused them of being members of feared gang Tren de Aragua. As such, they were subject to deportation under a wartime law which the Trump administration invoked earlier this year to justify sending 238 suspected gang members to the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador. El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele has suggested prisoners 'never leave' and categorizes inmates as terrorists. The families of at least seven of the detainees maintain they were not gang members and that they refused to sign the document. In spite of their protests, these men were rounded up and loaded onto a bus on Good Friday bound for nearby Abilene Regional Airport, according to the American Civil Liberties Union and family members. Extraordinary footage captured a convoy en route to the airport before the bus was turned around and sent back to the detention center amid an intense court battle about the legality of deportations. That night, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked their deportations. Dissenting Justice Samuel Alito cited a government lawyer in another case in which the lawyer explicitly stated no deportations were taking place on Good Friday or Easter Saturday. Several courts are weighing the legality of Trump's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which had only been invoked three times in history prior to this. But the group of Venezuelans at Bluebonnet detention center are still at risk of being sent to CECOT, and live in fear that they'll be deported with a moment's notice. The wife of one of the detainees, 24-year-old Diover Millan, said the men in Millan's dorm take shifts staying awake while the others sleep. This will give them an extra moment if immigration officers do arrive to deport them to get word out to their families. One day last week, Millan told her the men in the dorm refused to go out into the yard because they were worried they would be put on another bus and sent to El Salvador. 'He is desperate,' Millan's wife said. 'He told me that when he walked out onto the field, he sat down and looked at the sky and asked God to get him out of there soon.' Millan was among the men in the yard captured by Reuters' drone. He arrived in Bluebonnet in mid-April from a separate detention facility in Georgia, where he'd been since he was picked up on March 12. According to Reuters, he does not have a criminal record, and had been working a steady job in construction. The Department of Homeland Security claim he is a 'documented' member of Tren de Aragua, which he and his loved ones dispute. Another Venezuelan, Jeferson Escalona, 19, was photographed playing soccer in the yard at the facility. The DHS also allege he is a 'self-admitted' member of the feared gang. Escalona said he had no ties to Tren de Aragua or any gang. He was a police officer in Venezuela, he said. When they detained him, US authorities took his phone and he suspects they saw photos of him making hand gestures that he said were common in Venezuela. Escalona said that he has asked to return voluntarily to Venezuela but was denied. 'They're making false accusations about me,' he said. 'I don't belong to any gang. I fear for my life here. I want to go to Venezuela.' After his arrest in January 2025 for evading arrest in a vehicle, he was sent to Guantanamo Bay, but he returned to the US and was sent to Bluebonnet in February. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have come to the United States over the past few years, fleeing economic collapse and what critics call an authoritarian crackdown under President Nicolas Maduro. Under the administration of former President Joe Biden, many were given temporary humanitarian protections that the Trump administration is trying to revoke. On April 26, an immigration official visited some of the men in their dorms to answer questions they had about the process. An audio of the meeting was shared with Reuters and captured the men frantically asking what would happen to them and why the government wanted to send them to El Salvador - a place most have never even visited. They also asked what would happen to their scheduled immigration hearings and pending court dates if they were successfully removed from the country. Many, like Millan, have pending asylum cases. He was due in court for a hearing on May 1. The official explained that the US had tried to remove them under the Alien Enemies Act, which was a separate process from their scheduled immigration court hearings. 'If he gets removed under the Alien Enemies Act, then that court date doesn't exist, he'll never have that court date,' the official said in English to someone who was translating. Several of the men wanted to know how it was possible for them to be classified as 'alien enemies' when they were not gang members and had committed no crime. 'If I don't have a criminal record in the three countries in which I have lived in, how are they going to send me to El Salvador?' one of the men in the recording asked. The official said he was not involved in the intelligence gathering.
