Opinion

First impressions count for a lot. A few weeks ago, I asked readers on Facebook a simple question: "What do you want to see in your newspaper?" Y'all answered.

Yes, we are worried about the data centers in Austin County. Data centers, like CleanSpark, are cropping up across Texas at a speed that outpaces the counties’ ability to monitor them. In many cases, communities are not even aware that the developments are taking place until the ground is broken.

TEXAS FIRST STATE TO MANDATE BIBLE READING IN SCHOOL The State Board of Education gave final approval last week to a new required reading list for every grade level and also passed a rewrite of the state’s social studies requirements for kindergarten to eighth grade, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Both plans include biblical concepts, essentially making the state the first in the nation to mandate the teaching of Christianity in public school classrooms.

RURAL COUNTIES FACE HURDLES OVER DATA CENTERS Rural counties trying to slow or even block data center construction are finding they have limited legal authority, the Texas Standard reported. Hill County, for example, rescinded a one-year moratorium on data center construction after being sued for $100 million by a company planning a large-scale data center project near Hillsboro.

GAINS SEEN IN ALL SUBJECTS ON STAAR TESTS Texas high school students showed improvement in every subject in this spring’s end-of-course State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams, the Texas Education Agency reported.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration late last week after the New World screwworm was found in two newborn calves in South Texas, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Editors note: Originally published in the Colorado County Citizen Jan. 11, 2023 and edited for the 170th celebration of the Cat Spring Agricultural Society Just listen to those Polkas! Who doesn’t love an old Texas Dance Hall? Just on the edge of Austin and Colorado County is one of Texas’ best! Barbecue and a family polka dance on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon? It just doesn’t get any better than that. The polka music may turn to the famous Texas Swing. Cat Spring has it all.

Texas will need to invest $174 billion over the next 50 years to keep up with water demand, according to a draft 2027 state water plan approved last week, the Austin American-Statesman reported. That is more than twice the projected cost in the previous state water plan published in 2022.

SUBHED: BORDER WALL THROUGH BIG BEND APPARENTLY ON HOLD After public outcry, a physical border wall through Big Bend National Park appears to be on hold, The Texas Tribune reported. In February, the Trump administration waived more than two dozen environmental laws to clear the way for a 150-mile-long wall through West Texas, including Big Bend and the adjoining state park.