West Texas Dispatch

Early voting is underway in the runoffs for candidates trying to secure their spot on November’s ballot. We’ll check in on the race for the Republican nomination for Texas’s 19th Congressional District.We’ll also hear about the runoff in the U-S Senate race–and for the G-O-P contest for Railroad Commissioner.Today we’ve got our next installment of Minds on Trial. Today-we hear from an individual–and his loved ones–about what a difference Assisted Outpatient Treatment makes.We’ll tell you about the impact of gas prices on rural West Texas.It’s been more than a decade in the making. The doors are now open for Abilene’s new main branch library–and science center at Heritage Square. We’ll tell you all about the grand opening.And on West Texas Roots our story-teller recalls simpler times– spending childhood days in nature without digital distractions.AND another 40th birthday flashback…

We continue to dig into the way Texas has worked to improve the way the criminal justice system deals with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis..today we go all the way back to the model that the Texas system followed.After years of planning, fundraising and building–Heritage Square will open its doors this week. We’ll hear from some of the key architects of this incredible project.The rising price of oil has given rise to theft in West Texas…and it’s a much more sophisticated crime than it once was.We’ll tell you about how Texas Tech students are protesting what they say is the death of academic freedom.And we’ll hear about the unique features -including a Pecan Farm- of a world-class recording studio near El Paso.

Today we bring you the second installment of our series “Minds on Trial” with a look at how Texas has worked to solve the problem of not having enough resources for people experiencing mental health crises—and keeping those crisis from escalating into a dangerous situation.A four-way race is a hard one to win out right. We’ll wrap up the joint city and school general elections for you–and look ahead…to the runoffs.This week's West Texas Roots tells us how an airman and his wife fell in love with Abilene after being stationed at Dyess Air Force Base…and how names for certain farming equipment can cause confusion..And about a dozen West Texas high schools –including a few from the Big Country– will take their theater shows are competing for the U-I-L title in One Act Play…The lights come up on the Austin stage next week!