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Austin College clergy alumnae panel to assemble for Lowe Lecture

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Austin College clergy alumnae panel to assemble for Lowe Lecture


Sherman, Texas — Austin College will welcome six alumnae, now serving as clergy, as panelists for the Lowe Lecture Series titled, “She-Preachers: Austin College Women in Ministry.” The discussion will focus on challenges and opportunities unique to female ministers, and the factors keeping them in ministry at a time when many are resigning. The panel will take place Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. in Room 231 of the Wright Campus Center. The event is free and open to the public.

“Like many other church-related liberal arts institutions, Austin College has educated men for ministry throughout its history. For decades we have also been leaders in supporting and raising up women ministers as well,” said Dr. John Williams, Chaplain and Director of Church Relations. “As part of our celebration of the College’s 175th year, we want to highlight and celebrate six women who have graduated in recent decades, facilitate conversations with and between them, and enable our students to meet them all.”

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Panel participants include Rev. Dr. Stacy Smith ’02, temporary Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn, New York; Anne Jernberg Scalfaro ’03, Senior Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church of Denver, Colorado; Kristin Austew ’07, Chaplain at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Missouri; Dr. Tanya Eustace Campen ’01, Director of Intergenerational Discipleship at Río Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas; Libby Wise Janes ’15, master of divinity student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas; and Natalie Readnour ’20, current Ph.D. candidate at the SMU Graduate Program in Religious Studies with a focus on Theology and Culture in Dallas, Texas. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Beth Gill, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty.

The R. Girard Lowe Lectureship was funded through an endowment from Rupert B. Lowe and the Lowe Family in honor of his brother, Robert Girard Lowe, who entered the ministry following his 1917 graduation from Austin College. The fund was established to bring outstanding individuals to campus to discuss religious topics across denominations. Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 44 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.





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Austin, TX

Judge Albright, who oversaw patent litigation boom in Texas, to resign

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Judge Albright, who oversaw patent litigation boom in Texas, to resign


U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, who before relocating to Austin, Texas, last year helped transform a tiny courthouse in Waco into a hub for much of the patent litigation in the United States, ​plans to resign, a person familiar with the matter said.



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Appeals court rules Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in class

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Appeals court rules Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in class


DALLAS (AP) — Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools.

WATCH: Texas school board approves new course material that includes Bible passages

It sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that the law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called the ruling “a major victory for Texas and our moral values.”

“The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day,” Paxton said.

Organizations representing the families who challenged the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that they were “extremely disappointed” by the decision.

“The court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority. The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,” the statement said.

The law is among the pushes by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, to incorporate religion into public schools. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state while backers argue that the Ten Commandments are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.

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The ruling, which reverses a district court’s judgment, comes after the full court heard arguments in January in the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana. The appeals court in February cleared the way for Louisiana’s law, requiring displays of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift a block that a lower court first placed on the law in 2024.

Texas law took effect on Sept. 1, marking the largest attempt in the nation to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools. About two dozen school districts had been barred from posting them after federal judges issued injunctions in two cases against the law but went up in many classrooms across the state as districts paid to have the posters printed themselves or accepted donations.

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Texas DMV launches authorization system for automated commercial vehicles

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Texas DMV launches authorization system for automated commercial vehicles


Waymo self-driving car navigating city traffic, San Francisco, California, August 20, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is launching a new authorization system for companies looking to operate automated motor vehicles.

A new goes into effect next month that requires companies using automated vehicles to be authorized by TxDMV with the following requirements:

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  • Complies with all applicable Texas traffic and motor vehicle laws
  • Is equipped with a recording device
  • Uses an automated driving system that complies with federal law
  • Can achieve minimal risk condition in the event of a system failure
  • Has a proper title and registration
  • Maintains motor vehicle insurance

The process allows companies to submit their applications online through the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System.

The new laws outlined in Senate Bill 2807 go into effect on May 28.

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Automated vehicles in Texas

The backstory:

Autonomous driving services are already operating in major Texas cities. Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio are all serviced by the driverless ride-share company Waymo.

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In Austin, the service has received dozens of complaints about vehicles stalling, speeding and crashing.

There have also been complaints of vehicles illegally passing school buses.

In March, Swedish company Einride announced plans to bring autonomous freight trucks to Central Texas.

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The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and previous FOX Local reporting.

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