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MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
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WEDNESDAY || 11/13/24
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“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
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TOP NEWS
“At Texas-Mexico border, feds seize over $30 million of meth,” San Antonio Express-News' Jeffrey Smith — “Federal authorities say they seized over $30 million of methamphetamine stashed in a shipment of serrano peppers in the Rio Grande Valley.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its officers at the Pharr International Bridge on Sunday sent a tractor-trailer coming from Mexico to a secondary inspection. Their search revealed 1,859 packages of the drug totaling 2,155.02 pounds." SAEN ($)
“Kerrville wrestles with growth, affordability as it eyes future,” San Antonio Express-News' Ricardo Delgado — “As it adjusts its long-term vision for the future, Kerrville's focus is on some of its residents' biggest concerns — namely finding ways to attract more housing options while preserving its small-town charm.
After surveying a number of residents, a consulting firm hired by the Hill Country city is recommending Kerrville's leaders work to attract denser housing and lean into the city's natural attractions. Freese and Nichols, a Fort Worth-based consulting firm, in particular identified revitalizing different sections of Kerrville near the Guadalupe River as important steps for the city's growth.
The firm’s suggestions are a part of the city retooling its Kerrville 2050 Comprehensive Plan, a set of guidelines adopted in 2018 that are intended to shape the city’s future in the decades to come.
The document states it is a "direct reflection of the values and priorities of residents, workers, business owners, students and community leaders." It's considered a policy north star for conservation, development and almost every aspect of the city's day-to-day operations. City officials say they use the 2050 plan to guide many of their decisions, with items on city council agendas often marked with a symbol indicating they are intended to push the master plan forward.
In presentations to city officials, Freese and Nichols representatives encouraged Kerrville's leaders to guide the city's growth, rather than trying to resist it.
“In Texas, we cannot stop development and we cannot control growth,” Caitlin Admire, Freese and Nichols’ project manager, said during the presentations. She pitched some of the firm's suggestions to residents during a public forum and also presented them to the city's planning and zoning commission.
Some of the firm's recommendations included incentivizing duplex and multi-family housing units in areas that are currently zoned for single-family homes.
Another recommendation suggests finding ways to better connect businesses to Nimitz Lake, which was created by damming the Guadalupe River that runs through the heart of Kerrville. The lake and the riverfront are some of city's biggest "catalyst areas," places where the city should be driving "renewed public interest," according to the presentations.
The firm's recommendations don't carry any obligations for city officials; the Kerrville City Council has the final say on any changes to the 2050 plan. Admire described the report as a “high-level statement” that could serve as a basis for future ordinances and regulations. City leaders and Kerrville residents will get multiple chances to speak their minds before any of the recommendations become policy. .
Kerrville, which currently has about 25,000 residents, hasn't grown as swiftly as some other Hill Country cities. Depending on growth trends, the city's population could be between 38,000 and 51,000 by 2050, according to estimates cited by the report.
Kerrville needs between 2,000 to 2,500 housing units to meet demand, according to a study cited by Freese and Nichols. There are 800 to 900 new housing units coming to the city soon, which could meet housing demand for the next two to three years.
The city has taken steps recently to encourage developers to build hundreds of units. Miami-based Lennar Homes is building 620 units across two developments, Assistant City Manager Michael Hornes told the Express-News in a written statement. Other projects have passed the permitting process, but have yet to break ground." SAEN ($)
HOU CHRON: “Sen. Phil King files bill to refund CenterPoint's generator costs” Houston Chronicle ($)
AAS: “Ahead of Texas legislative session, lawmakers start filing bills. Here are some proposals” AAS ($)
DMN: Editorial: “The state of Texas can't keep track of its own vehicle fleet” DMN ($)
HOU LANDING: “Sean Teare, Harris County's district attorney-elect, will 'do what I think is right'” Houston Landing
SAEN: “VIA Transit stays in-house with choice for new CEO” SAEN ($)
HOU CHRON: “Astrodome Conservancy's $1 billion plan could save landmark stadium” Houston Chronicle ($)
DMN: “Southwest Airlines CEO denied activist investor forced unwanted changes” DMN ($)
SAEN: “Patriarch of family that owns Mi Tierra in San Antonio dies at 81” SAEN ($)
TX TRIB: “Trump taps former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe to lead CIA” Texas Tribune
TX TRIB: “Ted Cruz announces he's backing Rick Scott in Senate leadership vote, snubbing John Cornyn” Texas Tribune
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> TX MONTHLY: "Gulf Coast Shrimpers Are Going Out of Business With Alarming Speed" TX MONTHLY
> TX TRIB: "Texas lawmakers target property taxes, abortion in bills filed ahead of 2025 legislative session" TX TRIB
> TX TRIB: "John Cornyn spent years preparing to run for Senate majority leader. Will it be enough?" TX TRIB
> DMN: "Texas lawmakers begin filing bills for the 2025 session of the Legislature" DMN
> TX MONTHLY: "Four Texas Barbecue Joints Now Have Michelin Stars" TX MONTHLY
> DMN: "Texas mom sentenced for leaving kids in filthy conditions as sibling’s body decomposed" DMN
> AP: "Senate Republicans are gathering behind closed doors to pick a new majority leader" AP
> DMN: "A Supreme Court ruling is reshaping how feds prosecute domestic violence cases in Texas" DMN
> TX TRIB: "A push to change a 2019 Texas law that bars certain felons from becoming social workers" TX TRIB
> AP: "Here are the people Trump has picked for key positions so far" AP
> SAEN: "Family violence charges dropped against Brad Simpson" SAEN
> TPR: "Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ media empire is up for auction" TPR
> SAEN: "How Texas' solar energy boom victimized thousands of homeowners" SAEN
> AP: "Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands" AP
> THE TEXAN: "Ripples: Voters Pass Judgement on Criminal Justice" THE TEXAN
> DMN: "Real estate developer pleads guilty to bribing 2 Dallas City Council members, feds say" DMN
> THE TEXAN: "Fourth Reading: Speaking It Into Existence" THE TEXAN
> MRT: "Diamondback Energy seeks to power data centers with natural gas" MRT
EXTRA POINTS
Last night's Texas sports scores:
> NCAAM: #12 Baylor 104, Sam Houston State 67
> NCAAM: Texas 105, Chicago State 58
> NCAAM: TCU 76, Texas State 71
> NCAAM: Rice 66, LA Monroe 50
> NCAAM: UTEP 78, TX Permian Basin 58
> NCAAM: Florida State 72, Tarleton State 52
> NCAAM: Georgia Tech 81, Texas Southern 62
> NCAAM: Abilene Christian 101, McMurry 55
> NCAAM: Bradley 85, UTSA 72
> NCAAM: Incarnate Word 84, Prairie View A&M 81
> NCAAM: New Mexico 100, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 81
> NCAAM: Stephen F. Austin 87, LeTourneau 68
> NBA: Golden State 120, Dallas 117
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 7pm: NCAAM: Louisiana at #4 Houston (ESPN+)
> 7pm: NCAAM: North Texas at Minnesota (B1G+)
> 7pm: NCAAM: Wyoming at Texas Tech (ESPN+)
> 7pm: NBA: LA Clippers at Houston
> 7pm: NBA: Washington at San Antonio
> 8pm: NCAAM: Houston Christian at #14 Creighton (FS1)
DALLAS COWBOYS: Cowlishaw: "Dak Prescott's contract was Cowboys' biggest mistake in lost season" DMN ($)
DALLAS MAVERICKS: "Curry spoils Thompson's big night, Mavs drop third straight to Warriors" DMN ($)
TEXAS FOOTBALL: "Arkansas' defense has a key weakness. Will Texas football alter its approach to attack it?" AAS ($)
SMU FOOTBALL: "SMU's Rhett Lashlee says ACC is being shortchanged in CFP rankings" DMN ($)
TEXAS MEN'S BASKETBALL: "Johnson leads Texas against Chicago State after 28-point performance" AP ($)
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