Articles by Jayme Lozano-Carver, The Texas Tribune

Texas Bills Seek to Improve State’s Response to Wildfires

A Texas lawmaker is laying the groundwork to create a statewide system that connects all first responders and government agencies to the same network. The proposal comes as a possible solution to fix communication issues the agencies have encountered during …

Texas Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Address Wildfire Risks and Ignition Sources

A year after devastating wildfires engulfed the Panhandle, killing three people and burning millions of acres, Texas lawmakers have filed a slate of legislation aimed at mitigating the risks and damage of future blazes. Three Republicans — state Sen. Kevin …

Texas Panhandle Town Grapples with Recovery One Year After Devastating Wildfire

Past the terracotta canyons and sloping hills in the Texas Panhandle is a colorful, small town center. A vibrant mural of the town’s name greets visitors, the yellow and blue paint from a historic motel can be seen in the …

First Measles Death Reported in West Texas Outbreak

A school-aged child has died in Lubbock from measles, the first death reported in an ongoing outbreak that has infected more than 120 people in West Texas since January, Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed on Wednesday. According to …

Texas Farmers Look to New Congress to Update Crucial Farm Bill

Texas farmers tepidly celebrated last month after Congress barely managed to extend a package of laws meant to aid the nation’s agriculture industry and feed low-income Americans. The clock is now ticking for federal lawmakers to pass a new, updated …

New Texas Law Eliminates Annual Vehicle Safety Inspections

Most Texas drivers will no longer be required to have their cars pass an annual safety exam after state lawmakers removed the rule from Texas code. Texas is one of 15 states that mandate annual inspections for noncommercial cars. That …

Texas Farmers and Ranchers Sound Alarm Over Languishing Farm Bill

LUBBOCK — Federal lawmakers are sounding the alarm on the economic catastrophe that could happen if a new farm bill isn’t passed by the end of this year, now that the 2018 version has officially expired. Since it was introduced …

Oil and Gas Power Lines Suspected of Causing Texas Panhandle Wildfires

When a spate of wildfires tore across the Texas Panhandle in February and scorched 20,000 acres of Craig Cowden’s ranch near Skellytown, he decided he had had enough. Cowden took on a second unofficial job: looking for possible fire hazards …

Texas Panhandle Prepares for State’s Next Big Wildfire

LUBBOCK — Spring rains have revived much of the green grass covering stretches of plains in the Texas Panhandle — the same land that, just three months ago, was black from fire and ash after wildfires burned more than 1 …

Decayed, Broken Utility Pole Caused Largest Wildfire in Texas History: Report

LUBBOCK — A decayed utility pole that broke, causing power wires to fall on dry grass in the Texas Panhandle, sparked the state’s largest wildfire in history, a Texas House committee confirmed Wednesday. And other poorly maintained power equipment sparked …