Guilty. A jury has convicted a former Dallas Police officer of murdering her neighbor in his own apartment. We’ll have reaction and a look ahead to sentencing. Also, Texas State University under scrutiny for under-reporting sexual assaults on campus. We’ll take a look at what happened and why. Meanwhile, the state’s first black city is…
Texas Standard: August 21, 2019
A major rule change for migrant families in detention just announced which some say could mean families held in detention indefinitely. We’ll have details. Other stories were tracking, a new spring in the step of Texas Democrats. A closer look at a possible shift in the political psychology of the Lone Star State. Also, water…
Tags: Blue-Green Algae, Border, Dan Patrick, death, Detention, education, El Paso, immigration, Infant, Ingersoll, Migrant, Political, Politifact, Prayer, Psychological, pyschology, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Schools, Shooting, Stories From Texas, texas, Vaccine, W.F. Strong
Remembering The Summers Of My Youth
Now that we’re in the dog days of summer, I’ve been thinking about the long summers of my youth. We had longer summers then. It’s not just an idealized memory. Schools would dismiss us in late May and we wouldn’t return until September 2nd or so, generally the day following Labor Day. What I remember…
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written by Laura Rice Comments Off on Remembering The Summers Of My Youth
Tags: boyhood, Childhood, enjoy, Generation, History, kid, memory, Rattlesnake, school, Stories From Texas, summer, texas, Weather, WF Strong, youth
Texas Standard: August 7, 2019
A presidential visit to El Paso and a rejoinder from a Texas representative: no thank you Mr. President, we don’t want to hear from you. We’ll have more on Mr. Trump’s visit to El Paso and our conversation with Texas state representative from El Paso, César Blanco. Also the latest from a city still in…
Tags: 8chan, César Blanco, Check, Donald Trump, El Paso, Fact, Free Range, gun, Hemp, illness, Industrial Hemp, Law, marijuana, Mass, Mental, Politifact, protest, Redistricting, Shooting, Stories From Texas, Violence, W.F. Strong
Texas Standard: July 24, 2019
Have you been living in the U.S. for at least 2 years? Can you prove it on demand? We’ll look at what new rules on expedited deportation could mean for Texas. Also, as Washington focuses on the Mueller report, many in Texas talking about the 18 year old Dallas born U.S. citizen, detained by border…
Tags: Border, Cancer, Check, Cooking, Dallas, Deport, Deportation, Detained, Detainee, Fact, Food Stamp, Gunsmoke, I.C.E., immigration, Lone, Operation, Patrol, Politifact, Psychosis, Rural, STAR, Stories From Texas, W.F. Strong
Gunsmoke & Texas
By W. F. Strong Ever heard of the Gunsmoke Rule? It was created several years ago by TV ratings guru Bill Gorman. He noticed that sports cable channel shows like ESPN’s “First Take” were being beaten by Gunsmoke reruns. In fact, Newsday found in a sample a few years ago that all but seven of…
Tags: Bill Gorman, CBS, cowboy, Gunsmoke, Gunsmoke Rule, James Arness, John Wayne, Matt Dillon, Ratings, Stories From Texas, television, texas, TV, TV Land, Western, WF Strong, William Conrad
Texas Standard: July 10, 2019
The Trump Administration’s so-called Remain in Mexico program expands to include Laredo. We’ll take a closer look at the impact. Also at the border, Texas National Guard troops are being deployed to help. But what are they doing exactly? We’ll explore. And remembering Ross Perot: the legacy of the self-made Texas billionaire. Plus, a Hemp…
Tags: austin, Border, Cannabis, Dyslexic, education, Fact, farming, Hemp, Homeless, immigration, National Guard, Politifact, Ross Perot, school, Stories From Texas, W.F. Strong
On Mother’s Day: Remembering Nonnie
On Mother’s Day, I couldn’t help but think of my grandmother, too, because she was also my mother. She was, and this remains true for many kids today, my second mother. She lived with us and was my back-up mom – my safety net of sanity when life got crazy. She was a grand-mother. Her…
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written by Laura Rice Comments Off on On Mother’s Day: Remembering Nonnie
Tags: grandma, grandmother, Hair, Mom, mother, Mother's Day, novel, Stories From Texas, Storytelling, texas, WF Strong, writing
The Lady In Blue
One of the most important figures in Texas’ religious history never set foot in Texas at all. She never in her life traveled beyond her tiny village in Spain, yet she stirred religious fervor from the Concho River to the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Our story begins in 1602 when Maria was born in…
Tags: bilocation, canon, Catholic, Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Tarazona, Jumano, Lady in Blue, legend, Maria de Ágredas, Maria de Jesus, nun, Saint, Spain, Stories From Texas, story, texas, West Texas, WF Strong
What Siri Can’t Tell You
The navigation apps so accessible in our cars and on our phones are to me, magical. Siri, Google Maps and the like save us collectively from hundreds of thousands of lost hours each day by saving us from, well, being lost. Siri also may have saved a few relationships by sparing couples from arguing about…
Tags: App, Apple Maps, cell phone, directions, Google Maps, Map, navigation, navigation app, Siri, Smart Phone, Stories From Texas, Technology, texas, WF Strong
What’s In A Name – The Rio Grande Valley
When some people first arrive in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas they often ask, “Where are the mountains?” It’s natural. Generally a valley is between mountains or at least hills. But the Rio Grande Valley is most accurately a delta region, as level as Lubbock. The highest roadway point is the 80-foot summit…
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written by Laura Rice Comments Off on What’s In A Name – The Rio Grande Valley
Tags: #Brownsville, Border, Edinburg, Harlingen, History, Mexico, RGV, Rio Grande Valley, Stories From Texas, story, Storytelling, Texan, texas, Texas Standard, Weslaco, WF Strong
Texas Standard: February 6, 2019
The State of the State and the State of the Union: after speeches by Governor Abbott and President Trump, what happens next? Governor Abbott issues what he calls emergency items for Texas lawmakers and President Trump calls for unity but presses for a hard line on the border, we’ll take a closer look. Also a…
Tags: age, Border, Check, children, Cost of Living, Documents, Donald Trump, economy, Fact, Foster, governor, Gregg Abbott, HISD, Houston, Identification, Labor, Mexico, Minimum, Minimum Wage, Politifact, President, school, State of the State, State of the Union, Stories From Texas, texas, Unidentified, W.F. Strong, Wage
Ranch Words In Urban Life
The other day I was trying to pull out on U.S. Route 281, and the traffic was so steady that I had to wait about three minutes for an opening. As I was waiting, my father’s voice came into my head and said, “Somebody left the gate open down there.” Dad’s been gone 30 years…
Tags: country, Farm, linguistics, phrases, Ranch, Rural, sayings, Stories From Texas, texas, urban, WF Strong, words
D.H. Snyder – Cattleman And Philanthropist
At Christmas time each year I like to tell the story about a great gift given to Texas. My favorite Christmas stories of this kind concern seeds planted long ago that are still producing abundant harvests today. You may not know the name D.H. Snyder, but you will certainly recognize his influences on Texas history….
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written by Laura Rice Comments Off on D.H. Snyder – Cattleman And Philanthropist
Tags: cattle rancher, cattleman, DH Snyder, Georgetown, History, Lonesome Dove, Southwestern University, Stories From Texas, texas, WF Strong
Time-Traveling With Frederick Law Olmsted
If I could have any wish I would choose to be a time-traveler. Some say time travel will be possible one day, and some say it is the stuff of fairy tales. So, I guess until Elon Musk invents that mythical machine, books will have to do. Books give us the next best thing. They…
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written by Laura Rice Comments Off on Time-Traveling With Frederick Law Olmsted
Tags: Architecture, book, Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape, Nacogdoches, New Braunfels, Stories From Texas, texas, time machine, time travel, Travel, WF Strong
Texas Standard: October 31, 2018
It’s a Texas contest for U.S. Congress that may add up to more than a single congressional seat. We’ll take a look at that race and why the stakes are so high. Also, signs signs everywhere signs: a conspicuous number of Texas front yards enlisted in the 2018 midterms. Signs of the times you might…
Tags: Campaign, Colin Allred, Deportations, Election, Halloween, John Lewis, Mid-term, Mosquitos, MS-13, National Zero Emissions Policy, Pete Sessions, Stories From Texas, Texas Decides, W.F. Strong, West Nile, Yard Signs
How Moms Use The Legend Of La Llorona To Keep Their Kids In Line
By W. F. Strong La LLorona (the crying woman) is a Mexican legend that is at least 500 years old. It no doubt arrived in Texas with the earliest Mexican settlers and La Llorona has haunted our rivers, lakes and streams ever since, particularly in the border regions. There are dozens of versions. Here is…
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written by Laura Rice Comments Off on How Moms Use The Legend Of La Llorona To Keep Their Kids In Line
Tags: Border, folklore, ghost, ghost story, Halloween, la llorona, Mexico, Scary, scary story, Stories From Texas, texas, WF Strong
Texas Standard: October 17, 2018
Beto O’Rourke borrows from Donald Trump as he comes out swinging in what may be his final debate against Ted Cruz. We’ll have analysis and more. Also, the alleged slaying of a journalist by the Saudi government: given the ties that bind the Saudis to Houston, what could the crisis add up to for Texas?…
Tags: art, Beto O’Rourke, Brothel, Campaign, Clock, Debate, Election, energy, Fact Check, Finance, Gas, Houston, money, oil, Politifact, prostitution, Robot, Saudi Arabia, sex, Stories From Texas, Ted Cruz, Tower, W.F. Strong
Out-Texas Me This!
About a month ago, my son went off to college with my Jeep, and I needed to get another vehicle. I had been truckless for a few years – a rare condition in my life – and I decided I wanted to fix that right away. For a long time, I had wanted a King…
Tags: Alamo, Auto, Car, Ford, History, King Ranch, Stories From Texas, texas, truck, vehicle, WF Strong, William Barrett Travis
Defenders Of The Alamo
They other day I was looking over a list of those who died at the Alamo. The one thing that struck me about the list was that the men who gave their lives there were, collectively, incredibly young. I saw John Wayne’s film, “The Alamo,” when I was a kid and for years I had…
Tags: Alamo, defender, History, Mexico, Sam Houston, San Antonio, San Jacinto, Santa Anna, Stories From Texas, texas, WF Strong