Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, February 7, 2022.
Answering your questions about voting by mail
There are just under two weeks before the deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the March primary. With confusing changes recently implemented to the program, we’re posing listeners’ questions about the process to the agency that oversees Texas elections: the Secretary of State’s office. Sam Taylor, Assistant Secretary of State for the Office of Communications, joins the Standard for this extended Q&A.
North Texas nonprofit shuttles people to warmth during a freeze, but not everyone wants to go
As ice, sleet and snow blanketed Texas last week, members of a nonprofit ministry in Dallas ramped up search and rescue efforts for people experiencing homelessness. KERA’s Bill Zeeble rode along with two staffers trying to give those on the streets a ride to Dallas’ Fair Park shelter.
Last week’s winter storm brought more than ice and cold temperatures. For many Texans, it revived memories of last year’s multi-day freeze and grid failure. This time, the lights stayed on for most of the state. How did the energy landscape hold up? For an after-action report we turn to Matt Smith, lead oil analyst for the Americas at Kepler.
A new invasive mollusk has been discovered in Texas lakes
By now, you’ve probably at least heard of zebra mussels – those tiny, invasive mollusks that have infested Texas lakes and rivers over the past decade or so. Now the Texas Parks and Wildlife department says a close cousin of the zebra mussel has also now been found in Texas: the quagga mussel. Monica McGarrity, senior scientist for aquatic invasive species with Texas Parks and Wildlife, joins us with more.
Dallas schools begin offering access to dance performances online
To counter the COVID isolation of many Dallas ISD students, Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Dallas Summer Musicals are offering schools access to online performances. KERA’s Jerome Weeks reports the first is from Dallas Black Dance.
The trauma of last year’s winter storm is still being felt
Even though we made it through this first storm of 2022 without widespread power and water issues, many Texans aren’t breathing easy. Memories of 2021’s deadly storm are still too strong and painful. Molly Wang, therapist and mental health advocate with the City of Austin, joins us to talk about where many Texans are psychologically.
There’s a street fight between city and state over this San Antonio road
In 2014, the city of San Antonio took over a portion of Broadway from the Texas Department of Transportation. Broadway is a major thoroughfare that runs into downtown San Antonio. The city planned to make it more friendly to multiple types of transit, with more bike lanes and fewer lanes for automobiles. But now, the state’s decided to reclaim Broadway again, blocking the city from making any changes. Texas Public Radio’s Joey Palacios joins us with the story.
All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.
