Monday, April 27, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1983, Houston Astros ace Nolan Ryan recorded the 3,509th strikeout of his career, surpassing Walter Johnson to become Major League Baseball’s all-time leader. Ryan accumulated 5,714 strikeouts over his 27-year career, which included stints with the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers.

TxDOT has rolled out a new map feature showing where wildflowers are blooming. Find out more in Et Cetera below.

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Storms Kill Two in North Texas

Severe storms Saturday night in North Texas killed at least two people, caused widespread damage, and knocked out power to nearly 40,000 customers.

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 135 mph touched down in Wise County, where one person was killed, six were injured, and at least 40 families were displaced. Another fatality was reported near Springtown in Parker County.

"Our community is feeling the weight of that this morning," Wise County Judge J.D. Clark said during a Sunday news conference. "We stand together, and we will get through this together."

Clark has issued a local disaster declaration, but insisted volunteers are not needed at this time. Residents impacted by the storm have been asked to complete a damage survey so officials can assess eligibility for state assistance.

Another round of severe storms last night was expected to produce hail and strong winds. Springtown ISD is closed today.

Laredo Has State's Most Affordable Rent

Laredo is No. 18 among the country's most populous cities with the most affordable rent, according to a new analysis by WalletHub. Plano, Amarillo, and Brownsville also rank in the top 50.

The study compared median annual gross rent to the area's average household income. In Laredo, that ratio is 19.34%, while it’s 21.25% in Brownsville, 22.15% in Austin (No. 65), 22.78% in Fort Worth (No. 72), and 24.42% in San Antonio (No. 110).

Dallas is No. 122 with a rent-to-income ratio of 25.05%, and Houston's 25.20% is No. 126. Garland's 25.80% rent-to-income ratio ranked as the Texas city with the least affordable rent (No. 143).

Over the last ten years, average rent for a primary residence has increased more than 50%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Most Trusted Texas Brands

H-E-B, Whataburger, Buc-ee's, Blue Bell, and Dr Pepper are among the brands most trusted by Texans, according to a recent survey conducted by LSG, a public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C.

The survey asked 1,500 people in Dallas, Houston, and Austin which brands they trust and routinely buy from. Eighty-six percent of respondents said they "strongly identify with Texas culture and identity," and 52% of Texas transplants indicated a connection to local brands within a year of moving to the state.

According to the survey, H-E-B is trusted by 92% of Texans, while Whataburger, Buc-ee's, and Blue Bell are trusted by 87%, 86%, and 86%, respectively. Eighty-one percent of Texans trust Dr Pepper.

Overall, 40% of respondents trust Texas brands over national ones, and 83% said they’d be willing to pay more to purchase from a trusted brand.

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➤ The Texas Department of State Health Services sent a "notice of deficiency" to every one of the 174 summer camps that submitted an emergency plan with their license application or renewal. The camps have 45 days to submit revisions. (More)

➤ Houston: Demolition crews have begun tearing down the city's Northwest Mall, which has been vacant since 2017. The 45-acre site has been designated as the southern terminus for the proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line. (More)

➤ San Marcos: Last Thursday’s "senior skip day" at Rio Vista Park was marked by widespread illegal activity by as many as 2,200 students who participated in the event, according to police. (More)

➤ Winnie: Heather Avery, a 48-year-old reserve deputy constable from Jefferson County, was killed Friday while conducting traffic on I-10 when an 18-wheeler struck her patrol vehicle. (More)

➤ Houston: The city's police department has fired an officer who made a slew of racist remarks in a now-viral video she shared with friends on Instagram. "The behavior exhibited by Ashley Gonzalez was abhorrent, disgusting, and entirely unacceptable," Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz Jr. said. (More)

➤ Dallas: A state appeals court has rejected a petition to reinstate precinct voting for the May 26 runoff, ruling that the issue was outside its jurisdiction and the plaintiff—a Dallas County GOP precinct chair—didn't have standing. (More)

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➤ The Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 114-93 on Sunday to take a 3-1 series lead. San Antonio came back from a 19-point deficit in the first half, and Victor Wembanyama scored 27 in his return from a concussion sustained in Game 2. (More)

➤ No. 4 Texas softball beat Kentucky 11-2 yesterday to sweep their three-game series against the Wildcats. No. 10 Texas A&M lost 2-1 to No. 24 South Carolina in the rubber match of their weekend series. (More)

➤ No. 5 Texas Tech softball secured their second consecutive Big 12 regular season title with a 7-1 win over Arizona State yesterday. (More)

➤ No. 4 Texas baseball defeated Vanderbilt 4-3 yesterday in the rubber match of their weekend road series. No. 7 Texas A&M baseball beat No. 21 Florida 5-1 yesterday to win their fifth straight SEC series. (More)

➤ ESPN analyst Mel Kiper awarded the Dallas Cowboys a draft grade of A, while the Houston Texans got a C+. (More)

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➤ Bait Barn Fisheries of Bryan was recently hailed by Texas Monthly as a monument to the Texas fishing community. The family-owned shop plans to sell live fish for human consumption by the end of the year. (More)

➤ Dallas real estate developers Burk Interests and Greenway Investment have revised plans for an $800 million development, lowering the planned 28-story apartment tower to 25 stories after pushback from local residents. (More)

➤ Swiss hospitality company Aman Resorts announced plans to build a luxury resort at an unspecified location in the Texas Hill Country. Each of the resort's rentals will be situated on at least 10 acres. (More)

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➤ Houston Fire Department Captain Andrew Roseborough and his wife, Dr. Jyothi Lagisetty, jumped into action to treat injured victims during last week's shooting at the Teotihuacan pyramids in Mexico. (More)

➤ A Sumatran tiger cub at the Dallas Zoo has been named Rina after a public contest. The cub's name honors a ranger at the Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra. (See Photos)

➤ The Texas Department of Transportation recently launched an interactive map showing where wildflowers are in bloom. The department spends at least $50,000 every year to spread nearly 30,000 pounds of wildflower seeds along Texas roadways. (More)

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