Kerens
Kerens ISD School Board: A Model of Transparency in Small-Town Texas
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.
Ron Helms · 8 min read
Archive · 2026
March 2026
Every story I published in March 2026, newest first.
- stories
- 10stories
- communities
- 5communities
Seven PointsOpinion
Enough Is Enough, Paul Sessions of Seven Points
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 Updated 3/29: The deleted post claim has been retracted after new information came to light. All other criticism stands.
Ron Helms · 6 min read
Italy
Italy's Council Said No to a Water Treatment System. It Got Installed Anyway.
A chemical water treatment system was installed on Italy's public water supply without council approval or TCEQ authorization. The council had voted to defer the matter twice. TCEQ has accepted a formal complaint.
Ron Helms · 17 min read
Seven Points
Seven Points Finally Passes a Budget After 170 Days of Crisis
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 smooth.
Ron Helms · 8 min read
ItalyOpinion
No Property Taxes, No Cameras, No Thanks
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 had a more transparent option on the table.
Ron Helms · 5 min read
Hubbard
Jason Patrick on Hubbard's Future: Water Lines, Sewer, the School Bond, and Lake One Questions
Hubbard City Manager Jason Patrick discusses water and sewer infrastructure, the school bond election, data center jobs, Lake One questions, and the city's future in a phone interview.
Ron Helms · 7 min read
Tool
The Community Fights the Fire
The ESD board voted unanimously to terminate the old contract. But termination was not the ending anyone expected.
Ron Helms · 11 min read
Tool
The Numbers on the Wall: What Tool's Fire Department Data Actually Shows
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 easy to follow.
Ron Helms · 8 min read
Tool
Both Sides of the Fire
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 on the surface. Part 2 of a three-part investigation.
Ron Helms · 11 min read
Tool
Tool's Fire Department Is Fighting for Its Life
A three-part investigation into the battle between Henderson County ESD No. 4 and the Tool Volunteer Fire Department, where the future of emergency services for roughly 2,000 residents hangs in the balance.
Ron Helms · 2 min read
Confidential tips
Every story here started with a tip.
If something in your town, your agency, or a business near you does not add up, send it. Documents help, but a date, a place, or a name is enough to start. I read every tip myself.
How I handle tips and protect sources →