West Texas Dispatch

We’re less than a month from the mid-term elections. West Texans will help decide the future of the state, when they pick between incumbent Greg Abbott and his democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa. We’ll bring you a look at that surprisingly close race. A federal judge has blocked border construction in Big Bend National park. We’ll update you on the latest moves–and what may be ahead. The number o...

This is KACU’s fundraising week–and we know that you will hear some stories worth supporting. Americans are tired of high grocery prices. U-S officials are taking steps to reduce the price of beef, by re-opening a cattle crossing that had been closed in an attempt to keep the New World Screwworm from spreading into Texas. One of the best high school soccer players in Texas last year has joined ACU...

Who benefits from the data center boom? We’ll take a look at impacts on local economies. The economy is top of mind for voters this year. There are so many aspects…What should we be paying attention to? Texas university professors are finding themselves in a changing landscape. We’ll hear about how faculty are dealing with new pressures on their teaching. Abilene’s longtime Meals on Wheels directo...

Landowners are pushing back against plans to extend the border wall into Big Bend National park…and their own properties. They have filed a lawsuit to stop the plans, which are on hold through the end of September. Flock cameras have been sparking concern in communities across Texas. We’ll take a look at A-C-U’s new cameras — why the university installed them, how they’re being used and who has ac...

Rural parts of Texas are facing a serious shortage of obstetricians. Many drive long distances for care — or go without. We’ll tell you about the impacts on maternity care. Some Texas voters are nervous after confusion about a recent purge of voter rolls. We’ll check in with Taylor County’s new election administrator. Meteorologists say the surface water in the Pacific Ocean is even warmer than we...

With many communities organizing against data centers in their areas and politicians lining up to oppose them coming to their local neighborhoods, is there anything data centers can do to be better neighbors? We’ll have the latest installment of our series. We’ll also tell you about the community conversation in Abilene last week, where a panel addressed concerns and heard from the community. The...

Today we bring you the next installment of “The Data Center Next Door”. We’ll look at growing the laws and regulations that have led to Texas being at the forefront of the industry’s growth in America. The return to the classroom has reignited debate over what’s in Lubbock’s school libraries. We’ll hear about the battle over books this hour. We’ll hear from an archaeologist who says efforts to con...

Abilene was sold on promises that data centers would transform their local economy. But some residents are wondering when the benefits will come. Abilene is putting the finishing touches on the budget for the next fiscal year, and the city council will meet next week to go over all the details. Abilene’s city manager is here to tell us more. The new school year is underway in Abilene. Students ret...

2026 is not the year the U-S gets a new Farm Bill passed. A Senate committee failed to advance the most recent proposal. Advocates for the agriculture industry are not happy as they anticipate yet another extension. Meanwhile, Texas cotton growers are working to deal with a decline for their crops. We’ll hear how they plan to fight for their sustainability. And a plant-based protein operation is e...

Abilene voters will be asked to enter the fray between city officials and fire fighters. The firefighters want to move the contract negotiations to collective bargaining-and binding arbitration. The president of the firefighters’ association is here to tell us why. The backlash against the rapid expansion of A-I infrastructure in Texas continues–Governor Abbott issued a moratorium on new projects...

The state’s elected officials - and their challengers - are laying out their ideas about the future of A-I infrastructure in the Lone Star State. During their recent West Texas campaign swing Democrats came together to voice their concerns about the state’s A-I data center boom. City officials are seeking input on naming some of Abilene’s community spaces. We’ll hear more about the proposed new na...

Dozens of Texans have been hit by a parasite that has spread through raw produce. We’ll have the latest information on the outbreak from a West Texas expert. Democrats have been on a West Texas road trip– as they try to build excitement for their candidates heading to the November election. We’ll tell you about their stop in Abilene. Zebra mussles are invasive and continue to spread –they have rea...

Officials and communities all over Texas are pulling in the reins on the expansion of A-I Data Centers. This weekend, Texans will join with other people across the U-S to amplify a message of resistance to the wild-west approach to building America’s A-I infrastructure. The City of Abilene is working on plans to deal with forever chemicals in the water supply. Monitoring recently revealed that P-F...

As we observe the nation’s 250th birthday…we’re looking back at the history of Texas and Abilene. Last week we talked through the state’s timeline up until the 1880s…today we pick up the story with the founding of Abilene. More than 72-million Americans traveled over the July 4th holiday…and more than five-and-a-half million of them flew. We’re checking in on summer travel through Abilene Regional...

This week America celebrates its 250th Birthday. We want to look back at what was happening during that time in what would eventually become Texas. A lot of people like to celebrate July 4th with fireworks, by watching organized shows, and by experiencing the thrill of sending them up. Even though there’s no burn ban right now, there are restrictions. We’ll take a closer look. It’s an interesting...

Abilene officials are up to their elbows in budgeting for the 20-27 fiscal year. Today we’ll take a look at how they’re approaching the work…with millions of extra revenue flowing into the coffers. We’ll also talk about the local economy–which is fueling that flush-budget situation. So much new development underway…and more coming. But how are the small businesses doing? Some Abilene community mem...

The New World Screwworm made it into Texas just a couple of weeks ago–and now officials have confirmed that it’s reached West Texas. We’ll have an update. Texas Tech and A&M are collaborating to address challenges in rural healthcare. The unique approach employs not only telehealth–but shipping container clinics to expand access to medical and behavioral care in the state’s rural areas. A co-found...

The New World Screwworm has made it into Texas. Lab testing confirmed the first case in Zapata County last week. West Texas ranchers are taking note…but not panicking. Jodey Arrington is making his way toward retirement…the ballot is settled for November…and the soon-to-be former Congressman says he already feels lighter. At a time when more Texans are relying on food assistance…the Food Bank of W...

Ben Bailey and Tammy Fogle are here today. We’ll ask them how they’re going to get voters excited about showing up at the polls for this runoff — after a very low turnout for the May election. Prices are up for everything. The thing that’s fueling this hit to pocketbooks is the prices of oil. We’ll take a look at how high gas prices are hitting west Texas. Extreme weather and ‘dust events’ are lea...

Texas’s Primary Elections are finally over-after yesterday’s runoff decided the contests that didn’t produce an outright winner in March. Those candidates are now shifting the focus of their campaigns to defeating their opponents on the other side of the aisle. We’ll have the final installment of our month-long series Minds on Trial – wrapping up by looking at how society views and approaches ment...

Early voting is underway in the runoffs for candidates trying to secure their spot on November’s ballot. We’ll check in on the race for the Republican nomination for Texas’s 19th Congressional District. We’ll also hear about the runoff in the U-S Senate race–and for the G-O-P contest for Railroad Commissioner. Today we’ve got our next installment of Minds on Trial. Today-we hear from an individual...

We continue to dig into the way Texas has worked to improve the way the criminal justice system deals with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis..today we go all the way back to the model that the Texas system followed. After years of planning, fundraising and building–Heritage Square will open its doors this week. We’ll hear from some of the key architects of this incredible project. Th...

Today we bring you the second installment of our series “Minds on Trial” with a look at how Texas has worked to solve the problem of not having enough resources for people experiencing mental health crises—and keeping those crisis from escalating into a dangerous situation. A four-way race is a hard one to win out right. We’ll wrap up the joint city and school general elections for you–and look ah...

Today on the show we kick off a series looking at how Texas is trying to change the way people in crisis interact with the justice system. We start by looking at the problem that the state has been trying to solve…and is leading the way on for other states. Housing remains a hot topic in the Abilene area–even for the universities! Only some of their students live on campus–and some students withou...

He’s the mayor of Abilene. He wants to be mayor again, in this time of great change for the City. We sit down with Mayor Weldon Hurt, unopposed candidate for reelection. Inspectors recorded dozens of safety violations at a West Texas ICE detention facility. We’ll hear more about the report. Almost a third of Texas women aren’t up to date on their mammograms. A local partnership aims to provide thi...