45 articles
Two members of the Italy City Council said publicly this afternoon that nobody told them an officer had been terminated. One of them learned about it... (read more)
Five weeks before the vote, the Italy City Council ordered staff to bring back competing bids and a priced breakdown. One bid came back, the breakdown... (read more)
Hawk Cove has an agenda item called Public Comments that nobody was allowed to comment on, a federal lender its own attorney says is done being... (read more)
Tens of millions are moving through Hubbard, Texas, a town of 1,400: data-center money into city government, a $7.6 million school bond, and municipal... (read more)
One year after bonding out of jail on the Fourth of July, I look back at the Texans I have met who were arrested for showing up, and ask a hard... (read more)
A Gun Barrel City clip has more than 244,000 views and a comment section at war. The next morning, I called the mayor in it. He talked for 55 minutes. (read more)
An update on Chief Charles Gregory and the Trinidad Police Department storyline after process service today, the side of the story most people are... (read more)
A veteran's sign outside Carthage City Hall in September 2024 ended with him being trespassed from all city property. The city manager apologized,... (read more)
Winston Wesley Noles filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Thursday over his May 12 arrest at Trinidad City Hall, alleging First Amendment retaliation,... (read more)
A connected timeline of recent Trinidad events: two arrests, on-record water-quality remarks from the city's contracted operator alongside a... (read more)
Jennifer Combs of Kerens was arrested on a state jail felony charge over a Facebook post about Trinidad's water system, with Trinidad PD's §42.06... (read more)
Italy city council candidate Shelby Browning submitted written answers to the nine-question 2026 Candidate Questionnaire. She calls for stronger... (read more)
Italy city council candidate Quentin Dean Little submitted written answers to the nine-question 2026 Candidate Questionnaire. He calls for rescinding... (read more)
A thank you to the Kerens TX Talk admins, a note on why open forums matter, and a preview of the Kerens coverage coming up: records request... (read more)
Thank you for the response. Here is what I am seeing in your accounts, where things stand with the city, and how you can help move this forward. (read more)
I think BiCARBUS is probably a good product. I also think Italy's residents deserved to know before it was connected to their water supply without... (read more)
Combs posted a public statement on Facebook after leaving a Kerens candidate forum, describing inappropriate comments directed at her and calling for... (read more)
Italy Councilmember Billy Long issued a public statement on water infrastructure, road conditions, and public safety, calling for real fixes instead... (read more)
Official Tool PD records reveal a motorcycle strike with a patrol vehicle, body camera violations, and disciplinary records that raise questions about... (read more)
Former Seven Points police officer Justin Shaffer has filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against the city, Mayor Keith Betts, and Anthony... (read more)
On March 14, the City of Italy held a cleanup day at Upchurch Fields, locked the gate with families still inside, trapped a disabled woman on a... (read more)
On March 9, 2026, Italy's city administrator read a prepared timeline to the council claiming former City Administrator Shawn Holden and 15-year EDC... (read more)
A 45-minute phone call with Trinidad P&Z and EDC member Jerry Bannister, who offered his perspective on the city's divide, the Bannister family's... (read more)
TCEQ closed a complaint about Italy's unauthorized water treatment installation, claiming the city had approval since January. But the city council... (read more)
We attended our first Kerens ISD Board of Trustees meeting and found a school board that other TOMA-regulated bodies in Kerens could learn from. (read more)
A city council candidate posted a biased video clip after Seven Points' most productive meeting in months. Updated 3/29: The deleted post claim has... (read more)
A chemical water treatment system was installed on Italy's public water supply without council approval or TCEQ authorization. The council had voted... (read more)
After 170 days without an approved budget, the Seven Points City Council passed a balanced budget on March 24, 2026. But the meeting was anything but... (read more)
The S.M. Dunlap Library in Italy announced a candidate forum with no cameras allowed. The library pays zero property taxes. And the community already... (read more)
Hubbard City Manager Jason Patrick discusses water and sewer infrastructure, the school bond election, data center jobs, Lake One questions, and the... (read more)
The ESD board voted unanimously to terminate the old contract. But termination was not the ending anyone expected. (read more)
The ESD posted performance reports at the fire station for anyone to see. I reviewed them. The data tells a complicated story, but the facts make it... (read more)
After days of interviews with people on every side of Tool's fire department fight, one thing is clear: this story is far more complex than it appears... (read more)
A three-part investigation into the battle between Henderson County ESD No. 4 and the Tool Volunteer Fire Department, where the future of emergency... (read more)
The Italy Economic Development Corporation met to discuss putting the demolition of 101 E. Main Street out for bids, but the project still needs final... (read more)
A Public Information Act request for Open Meetings Act training certificates revealed compliance gaps among Hubbard city officials. (read more)
Nine questions for every candidate running in the May 2026 city council elections. Submit your written answers by email. (read more)
I had a half-hour conversation with Brandon Torres. He left me cautiously optimistic, but the mold problem at the police department isn't going away... (read more)
A week into researching Seven Points city government, here's what the public should know heading into the May election, and a message for the voices... (read more)
With an incumbent stepping down, five candidates are set to compete for a seat on the Goodlow City Council this May. (read more)
The city called back about the candidate forum. They won't let me use city hall, and the alternative costs more than it's worth. So I'm doing it my... (read more)
Three incumbents and two challengers will compete for seats on the Hubbard City Council this May. (read more)
Italy has never hosted an open candidate forum in recent memory. I called City Hall this morning to change that. (read more)
ITXN is done. I'm not. Here's what we built, why I'm walking away from Italy, and where this work is taking me. (read more)
After attending my first Seven Points city council meeting, here are seven thoughts I can't stop thinking about, and one reason to stay hopeful. (read more)
