Texas is at the center of the national debate over access to books in public schools, following a new report identifying it as the state with the most school book bans during the 2025–26 academic year. PEN America, a free-expression organization that opposes book censorship, reported 11,982 instances of school book bans nationwide. Texas accounted for more than 8,100, according to reporting by the Houston Chronicle. The findings were released during Banned Books Week and refl

HUNTSVILLE — A stolen generator threatened Rodeo Mexican Bar & Grill’s plans for Fair on the Square, but offers of help from the community gave the restaurant a way forward before the October 3 event. Owner Delfina Perez told Chron that residents offered assistance, including Mayor Russell Humphrey, who offered to lend a generator powerful enough for the food truck. By October 2, Perez said the business still planned to participate. She had filed a police report; the equipmen

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A fire swept through part of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum grounds early September 23, destroying two workshops and badly damaging a third. The historic cabins nearby were spared, and museum officials say operations will continue while investigators determine what caused the blaze. Huntsville firefighters were called around midnight to the museum property near 19th Street and Sam Houston Avenue. Flames had reached multiple buildings by the time crews arr

Huntsville, Texas, has long depended on two institutions: Sam Houston State University and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Both continue to shape local employment and spending. But the city’s economic outlook increasingly depends on what happens around them—new homes, retail activity, transportation improvements and the ability to attract businesses that offer a wider range of jobs. The city’s population was estimated at 49,088 in July 2025, according to the U.S. Ce