Jumat, 24 Juli 2026

Panhandle Earthquake, Buc-ee's Paychecks, and a 95-Gallon Hat

Friday, July 24, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1969, Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific, and celebratory cigars were lit in Houston's Mission Control. The astronauts and the first Moon rocks soon came home to Houston's Lunar Receiving Laboratory.

Yesterday, we asked about your most memorable concert experience, and we were overwhelmed by the number and variety of the responses. Readers named venues from all over Texas (and beyond), dating back to the Beatles, Elvis, James Brown, John Denver, and Johnny Cash.

Most mentioned concerts from the 70s and 80s, including Willie, Waylon, George Strait, The Eagles, Journey, The Moody Blues, Neil Diamond, Def Leppard, and the Rolling Stones.

A reader named Mike remembers taking his high school girlfriend to see Henry Mancini and Sergio Mendes at the Texas Tech Coliseum in 1968. Mike married that girl, and they've been together 56 years now.

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Data Center Withdraws after Abbott Standards

Kansas-based Diode Ventures has withdrawn its proposal for a data center near Cedar Creek Lake in Henderson County after failing to meet Gov. Greg Abbott's standards for new data centers.

The company told county officials Wednesday that the site's proximity to the lake's rural residential community "does not meet the higher standard" it believes should guide development. Thousands of residents had signed a petition to "Save Cedar Creek Lake."

Abbott's June directive to the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT says data centers must pay their own costs for electric infrastructure, contribute to the grid's capacity rather than just its demand, and use water-efficient technology.

"Data centers that want to do business in Texas must meet a clear standard. This project did not," Abbott said Thursday.

The governor said he'll seek legislation to codify the standards, require large data centers to report annual electricity and water usage, and repeal sales tax exemptions for the industry.

Panhandle Quake Strongest Since 1900

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Texas Panhandle at 5:21 a.m. Thursday. It was the strongest recorded in the region since at least 1900, according to U.S. Geological Survey records.

The quake hit about 24 miles northwest of Miami in Roberts County at a shallow depth of 3.5 miles. Shaking was reported from Amarillo and Lubbock to Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and the northern Dallas suburbs.

"Woke us up in Mobeetie. Lasted about 20 seconds or so. A picture fell off a shelf also," Kellie Bryce May posted on the National Weather Service Amarillo's Facebook page.

No injuries or significant damage were reported, and DPS and TxDOT found no damage to area roadways. It was only the fourth quake of magnitude 4.0 or greater recorded in the Panhandle since 1900, and scientists haven't yet determined a cause.

18-Wheeler Left Dangling over Katy Freeway

A Thursday morning crash left an 18-wheeler dangling over the edge of the Katy Freeway at Highway 99 in west Harris County.

Houston TranStar cameras showed the truck's cab hanging over the overpass after the wreck, reported at 10:44 a.m. on eastbound I-10. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the crash may have involved three vehicles, and footage showed a second 18-wheeler with heavy front-end damage.

Two people were taken to the hospital, Harris County officials said. All eastbound lanes at the interchange were shut down, backing up traffic across west Harris County into the afternoon.

Investigators hadn't determined what caused the truck to come off the road.

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➤ Anderson County: Texas Game Wardens charged a woman after finding protected wildlife, including birds and otters, stored in her home freezers. The charges include unlawful possession of bird parts and possessing an alligator without a hunting license. (See Details)

➤ Austin: SNAP recipients in nine flood-hit counties, including Kerr, Kendall, and Bandera, now have until Aug. 3 to apply for replacement benefits for food lost in the July floods. Funds should be available on Lone Star Cards within 2 business days. (More)

➤ Statewide: Chick-fil-A says a June 17-19 cyberattack on its website and app may have exposed loyalty members' names, emails, and partial card numbers. The company reported the breach to the Texas attorney general and reset affected passwords. (See Details)

➤ Odessa: City officials say tap water is safe despite an unusual taste and odor caused by minerals in the supply from the Colorado River Municipal Water District. Tests confirm the water meets all state and federal drinking standards. (See Details)

➤ Waco: A federal grand jury indicted Waco Jewelers owner Michael Habern Jr., 53, and Clemond Busby, 65, on 11 felony counts each, alleging they laundered cash from jewelry stolen in robberies in San Antonio, Tyler, Austin, and other cities. (See Details)

➤ Starbase: SpaceX targeted Thursday evening for its second try at Starship Flight 13 from Starbase, a week after four engines failed to ignite and aborted the first attempt on the pad. The rocket carried 20 of the newest Starlink satellites. (More)

➤ Statewide: Nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs sold at Kroger, Brookshire's, and other Texas retailers were recalled over possible salmonella contamination. The recalled cartons carry codes P-1950 or 0840962, and no illnesses have been reported. (See Details)

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➤ Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning said he dropped 13 pounds after admitting he was "getting a little fat" while recovering from offseason foot surgery. He's down to 222 pounds ahead of fall camp. (More)

➤ The Houston Astros traded reliever Nate Pearson to the Kansas City Royals this week for pitching prospect Max Martin. Pearson posted a 3.60 ERA in 16 appearances for Houston this season. (More)

➤ Texas A&M linebacker Daymion Sanford is expected to return earlier than anticipated from the leg injury he suffered during the spring game in April. He was initially projected to miss part of the season. (More)

➤ Austin was named a nominee for USA Today's best college sports town in the publication's readers' choice awards. Voting is open through August 17. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Golf

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➤ Buc-ee's is advertising store-manager pay of up to $275,000 a year, no degree required. Buc-ee's cashiers and stockers start at $20 an hour, and food service managers earn $150,000 to $200,000. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio has lost 2,000 manufacturing jobs since 2024, per Dallas Fed data, but industry experts attribute the dip to a settling labor market. Toyota's $3.6 billion expansion and JCB's new South Side plant are expected to add thousands of jobs. (Read Story)

➤ Southwest Airlines posted record quarterly revenue of $8.4 billion and record Rapid Rewards memberships despite a nearly $900 million jump in fuel costs. The Dallas-based carrier, which laid off 75 employees in May, says it's weighing additional cost cuts to streamline its operations. (More)

➤ American Airlines offset nearly half of a $2.2 billion jump in fuel costs with higher fares and strong demand, the Fort Worth carrier said, posting the highest quarterly revenue in company history. CEO Robert Isom credited year-over-year revenue growth of more than 16%. (More)

➤ DART won a $25 million federal grant to upgrade eight Red and Blue Line stations in South Dallas with level boarding, new signage, and security improvements. Work begins in 2027 and aims to serve thousands of daily riders. (More)

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➤ Tyler-based Cavender's Boot City will dress Big Tex for the 2026 State Fair of Texas, designing a custom shirt while Garland hatmaker Resistol crafts the 55-foot cowboy's 95-gallon hat. The new outfit debuts when the fair opens Sept. 25. (See Photos)

➤ McKinney wants to become a "four-minute city," partnering with Baylor Scott & White to place GPS-tracked AEDs within four minutes of every resident. Volunteers will house the devices, with 150 deployed in the first phase and 400 planned citywide. (See Details)

➤ Austin Wildlife Rescue took in more than 270 injured and displaced animals in a week after the July floods, including baby squirrels, songbirds, and washed-out turtles. "When the storm stops, that's really when our work begins," Executive Director Jules Maron said. (See Photos)

➤ Wings of Rescue volunteers loaded 18,000 pounds of donated pet food, crates, and veterinary supplies onto a plane in Addison on Thursday, bound for Hill Country shelters overwhelmed after the July floods. The nonprofit has also relocated shelter pets and helped reunite lost animals with owners. (More)

➤ Southmayd officer Scott Barrett saved a choking, unresponsive 23-month-old girl with back blows after her mother rushed the toddler to his patrol car early Tuesday. The girl, Paisley, made a full recovery, and the 23-year veteran visited her in the hospital. (Read Story)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Medicare covers a lot, but a new estimate shows retirees still face a soaring healthcare bill that keeps climbing every year. (Hear Details)

➤ Homicide numbers in major American cities are approaching territory the nation has not seen in more than a century. (Hear Episode)

➤ Ford reportedly fired a nine-year assembly worker accused of stealing snacks he insists he paid for. (Listen Now)