Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, July 11, 2022:
ERCOT calls for energy conservation amid heat wave
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is asking residents to conserve power between 2 and 8 p.m. today, as energy demand soars during a record heat wave. Bob Sechler, business and government reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, has more.
Odessa water outage underscores a larger problem
A water line break in Odessa last month left people without water for two days. Officials are still looking for the cause of the break, but what’s clear is that the problem isn’t unique to Odessa: Boil water notices are on the rise in cities across Texas. Aging municipal water systems are vulnerable to failure, but repairs can be cost-prohibitive – especially for smaller cities. Jayme Lozano, a reporter for the Texas Tribune based in Lubbock, talks about her reporting on the subject.
Brian Kyle “BK” Frizzell shares documentary on San Marcos apartment fire
Four years ago, Brian Kyle “BK” Frizzell’s sister, Haley Frizzell, was one of the five lives lost in a fire that broke out at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Two years later, BK created “The Weight of Ashes,” a new 73-minute documentary focusing on each victim’s family and Zachary Sutterfield, who suffered burns on 70% of his body in hopes that this film will bring answers to the still unsolved fire today.
Mother blames the Navy for her son’s death after SEAL ‘Hell Week’ training
The death of a Navy SEAL candidate in February is raising questions about the safety of basic training. Kyle Mullen died of pneumonia just after so-called “Hell Week.” His family recently released an autopsy that concluded he received little medical care, even though he was seriously ill. Steve Walsh reports for the American Homefront Project.
UT researchers aim to track, prevent overdoses in Texas
About 5,000 Texans died of a drug overdose last year. But researchers say up to 70 percent of overdoses – most of which are nonfatal – go unreported in the state. Researchers at the University of Texas hope to change that through a program called Texans Connecting Overdose Prevention Efforts, or TxCOPE. The idea is to track and prevent overdoses throughout the state. Kasey Claborn, the lead researcher of the TxCOPE project and assistant professor at UT’s Dell Medical School and Steve Hicks School of Social Work, shares more about the project.
You’re probably familiar with the Texas state flower – the Bluebonnet – or the state bird, the Mockingbird. But did you know there’s a state fish? Texas Public Radio’s Jerry Clayton has the story of the Guadalupe bass, and how it nearly went extinct.
Miraflores: San Antonio’s mysterious park
Every day, many San Antonians drive by a five-acre park that, even in its ragged state, is breathtaking. It’s called Miraflores, and the man who created it remains one of Texas’ most mysterious characters. Texas Public Radio’s Jack Morgan has his backstory, and a look at the park itself.
Volkswagen says Abbott could unfairly influence outcome of emissions cheating case
In 2015, German car giant Volkswagen admitted to selling millions of diesel cars worldwide, intentionally modified to cheat on emissions tests. What would follow is a series of lawsuits alleging the company, and its subsidiary Audi, sought to mislead buyers about their vehicles’ environmental performance. An estimated 32,000 modified diesels were sold in the Lone Star State alone. Texas filed two lawsuits against the company, but lawyers with Volkswagen and Audi are arguing that Gov. Greg Abbott could unfairly influence the outcome. Erin Douglas, who has been reporting on this for the Texas Tribune, joins us to discuss the case.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Michael Marks with the Talk of Texas.
