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AgriLife Extension adds six new county agents across Texas – AgriLife Today

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AgriLife Extension adds six new county agents across Texas – AgriLife Today


The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has filled six new county agent positions across the state. They will serve as the agency’s primary connection to people in their local communities, providing hands-on education and science-based programs.

The grassroots structure of AgriLife Extension, with a presence in all 254 counties, ensures area residents can contact someone familiar with everyday solutions and emerging needs specific to their county. County offices are anchored to 12 district offices located throughout Texas, dedicated to problem-solving and addressing unique regional challenges.

AgriLife Extension county agents

Paige Bauer, agriculture and natural resources, Ward County

Bauer, of Llano, earned a bachelor’s in natural resource management from Angelo State University. She previously worked for AgriLife Extension as an intern in the Tom Green County office and with the sheep and goat specialist and district office manager at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo. Bauer said she joined AgriLife Extension because of her passion for agriculture and natural resource management and a desire to serve agricultural communities. “Through my experiences with AgriLife Extension, I value the opportunity to connect research-based knowledge with real-world applications, support producers and landowners, and contribute to meaningful education and outreach efforts that make a positive impact,” she said.

Savannah Bushkuhl, agriculture and natural resources agent, Hays County

Smiling woman with long dark hair and a black jacket covering a light patterned shirt - Savannah Bushkuhl, new agent in Hays County

Bushkuhl, of Spring Branch, earned her bachelor’s in agricultural services and development from Tarleton State University. She spent the last three and a half years as an agricultural and natural resource agent for Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension. She earned her master’s degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M University. Bushkuhl said she looks forward to serving the residents of Hays County. “I joined AgriLife Extension to help farmers, ranchers and communities turn research into practical solutions,” she said. “I’m passionate about empowering people to make informed decisions that strengthen their land and resources.”

Kyle Despain, agriculture and natural resources agent, Washington County

smiling man in a light gray patterned suit jacket with a bright red tie - Kyle Despain, new agent in Washington County

Despain, of Laramie, Wyoming, earned an associate’s in animal science from Casper College, and a bachelor’s and master’s in animal science from Texas A&M. He spent the last year as the livestock judging coach and coordinator at Texas A&M and also completed an internship with AgriLife Extension. Despain grew up exhibiting livestock at the county, state and national level. He was involved in livestock judging at every level. He said he is passionate about the livestock industry and looks forward to working with families in his county role. “AgriLife Extension has a very broad net that covers so much of our industry,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working at the county level, where production agriculture starts.”

Torri McClellen, 4-H youth development, Victoria County

smiling woman with long dark hair and a white blouse covered by a blue and white patterned jacket - Torri McClellan, new agent in Victoria county

McClellen, of Odem, earned her bachelor’s in agribusiness with a minor in business administration from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She has collected numerous hours in work experience interning with AgriLife Extension in Nueces County, the Texas FFA Foundation and with the Buccaneer Commission. McClellen grew up in San Patricio County where she was active in showing livestock and agriculture youth leadership organizations. She said she is excited to move to Victoria County to work with the youth to develop their leadership and community involvement. “I did not have the fortune of growing up in the 4-H program, but I have seen the impact and opportunities that are open to members of 4-H. I look forward to bringing those opportunities to the youth of Victoria County,” she said.

Lauren Meiwes, family and community health, Hansford County

smiling woman with long blonde wavy hair and black on black shirt and jacket - Lauren Meiwes, new Hansford County agent

Meiwes, of Del Rio, earned her bachelor’s in animal science at West Texas A&M University. She spent three years working as an embryologist before starting as an elementary school teacher in Perryton and then a family and community science teacher at Spearman. Growing up, Meiwes was active in Val Verde County 4-H, including shooting sports, food and nutrition, wool and mohair judging, livestock judging and showing pigs, lambs, angora goats, horses, meat goats and dogs. She was also involved in the 4-H Council through the junior and senior divisions and is excited to share her well-rounded passion with the youth and community members of Hansford County. “I joined AgriLife Extension because I have a passion for teaching, a passion for agriculture and a passion for helping,” she said.

Eleni Patitsas, agriculture and natural resources agent, Comal County

smiling woman with dark hair in a brown jacket over a black shirt - Eleni Patitsas, new Comal County agent

Patitsas, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, earned her bachelor’s in horticulture at Texas A&M and master’s in theological studies at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. She studied abroad with Semester at Sea and has a permaculture design certificate in international development. She previously served as the agricultural programs manager for a non-profit and has worked with farm and homestead management and consulting. Patitsas assisted with research on vineyards in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences viticulture and enology program. “I hope to equip people, build community resiliency, bring food growing skillsets and conservation agriculture, and foster environmental stewardship in Comal County and beyond,” she said.

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North Texas middle school closes after a norovirus outbreak

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North Texas middle school closes after a norovirus outbreak


A middle school in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD is closed Friday after an outbreak of norovirus.

According to the school district, they closed Creekview Middle School in Fort Worth on Friday to sanitize and clean the building. The district said they plan on reopening the school on Monday.

The district said children started to get sick on Tuesday with what appeared to be a stomach virus and that on Wednesday it spread to a larger group.

EMSISD said they reached out to the Tarrant County Public Health Department and that they recommended disinfecting and cleaning the school on Wednesday night and reopening the next day.

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More cases continued to be reported on Thursday, so the public health department then recommended that they clean again and close the campus on Friday.

Parents were notified of the district’s decision on Thursday afternoon.

The district has not said how many students and staff were sickened in the outbreak.

Officials with Children’s Medical Center said that because norovirus is highly contagious and resistant to many common hand sanitizers, it presents a unique challenge for families.

The hospital says hand sanitizer isn’t enough and recommends thorough hand washing with soap and water. They also recommend parents keep their children home for a full 48 hours after symptoms stop to prevent further outbreaks.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are approximately 2,500 norovirus outbreaks in the United States each year and that they are most common from November through April. For further tips on preventing the spread of norovirus, visit the CDC.



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Trump heads to Texas, where 3 friends are battling it out in the Senate Republican primary

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Trump heads to Texas, where 3 friends are battling it out in the Senate Republican primary


WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump just can’t seem to choose among friends in the Texas Senate Republican primary.

So when he travels to the state on Friday for his first post- State of the Union trip, where he plans to promote his energy and economic policies, Trump will have all three candidates in the competitive race join him — just days before his party casts ballots in the primary race.

Sen. John Cornyn is battling for his fifth term and is being challenged by state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in a primary fight that has become viciously personal. And all three men, missing the coveted endorsement from Trump, have been trying to highlight their ties to him as they ramp up their campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

For his part, Trump will be seeking to ride the message of his State of the Union address from Tuesday, where he declared a return to economic prosperity and a more secure America — two centerpiece arguments for Republicans as they campaign to keep their congressional majorities this fall.

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Trump’s hesitation to endorse in the Texas Senate primary speaks to the tricky dynamics of the race.

Cornyn is unpopular with a segment of Texas’ GOP base, in part for his early dismissiveness of Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign and for his role in authoring tougher restrictions on guns after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. But Senate GOP leadership and allied groups see Cornyn as the stronger general election candidate, in light of a series of troubles that have shadowed Paxton.

Paxton beat impeachment on fraud charges in 2023, and has faced allegations of marital infidelity by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, right, is joined by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, during a campaign stop in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Credit: AP/Eric Gay

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have urged Trump to endorse Cornyn. They and allied campaign groups argue that the seat would cost the party hundreds of millions more to defend with Paxton as the candidate.

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“It is a strong possibility we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee,” Scott told Fox News on Wednesday.

Hunt, a second-term Houston-area representative, was a later entry to the race, but claims a kinship with Trump, having endorsed him early in the 2024 race. Hunt campaigned regularly for Trump and earned a prime-time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

If no candidate reaches 50% in Tuesday’s primary, the top two finishers will advance to a May 26 runoff.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas,...

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, arrive before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Credit: AP/Allison Robbert

Cornyn’s campaign and a half-dozen allied groups have poured more than $63 million into the race since last fall, chiefly trying to slow Paxton but recently attacking Hunt in an effort to keep him from making it to the runoff.

Earlier this month, Trump feinted toward weighing in on the race when he said he was taking “a serious look” at endorsing in the Texas primary. He has since reaffirmed his neutrality.

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Still, you wouldn’t know it from watching TV in Texas. Cornyn has been airing ads since last year touting his support for Trump’s agenda, even though his relationship with the president has been cool at times. Paxton and Hunt both have ads airing now featuring them standing with Trump.

“I like all three of them, actually. Those are the toughest races. They’ve all supported me. They’re all good. You’re supposed to pick one, so we’ll see what happens. But I support all three,” Trump said earlier this month.

The GOP battle comes as Democrats have a contested primary of their own in Texas between state Rep. James Talarico, a self-described policy wonk who regularly quotes the Bible, and progressive favorite U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Trump hasn’t been shy about wading into other contested Republican primaries in the state. Parts of Corpus Christi fall within Texas’ 34th congressional district, where former Rep. Mayra Flores is fighting to reclaim her seat against the Trump-endorsed Eric Flores. (The two are not related.) The winner of the primary will face off against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, long a target of the GOP, whose district was redrawn to make it easier for a Republican to win.

Eric Flores will be at the Trump event at the Port of Corpus Christi, which technically is located in a neighboring district.

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Elsewhere in the state, the president has also endorsed Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is fighting calls from his own party to resign from Congress after reports of an alleged affair with a former staffer who later died after she set herself on fire. Gonzales is refusing to step down and has said that there will be “opportunities for all of the details and facts to come out” and that the stories about the situation do not represent “all the facts.”

Gonzales is facing a primary challenge from Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and gun rights influencer who Gonzales defeated by fewer than 400 votes in their 2024 runoff. The White House did not return a request for comment on Thursday on whether Trump stands by his endorsement of Gonzales.



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Man sentenced to 15 years in Texas crash that killed founding member of The Chicks

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Man sentenced to 15 years in Texas crash that killed founding member of The Chicks


EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting his reckless driving caused a head-on collision in rural West Texas that killed Laura Lynch, a founding member of the country music group now known as The Chicks, prosecutors said.

Domenick Chavez, 33, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with Dec. 22, 2023, crash in Hudspeth County, according to a news release Tuesday from El Paso County District James Montoya, who also oversees nearby Hudspeth County.

The news release said Chavez was driving a truck westbound when he tried to pass four vehicles on a two-way undivided highway and collided head-on with Lynch’s eastbound truck. Lynch, 65, of Dell City, was trapped in her vehicle and died. Prosecutors said Chavez was traveling between 106 mph and 114 mph.

Prosecutors said alcohol wasn’t a factor in the crash but that Chavez was driving on a suspended license, which had been revoked due to his failure to comply with DWI-related surcharges and penalties from convictions in 2014 and 2017.

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Lynch, along with Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, formed The Dixie Chicks in the late 1980s. Lynch and Macy eventually left the band and Natalie Maines joined the sisters. The trio hit commercial fame with their breakthrough album “Wide Open Spaces” in 1998 and have won 13 Grammys. In 2020, the band changed its name to The Chicks.

In a social media post after Lynch’s death, The Chicks said Lynch had “infectious energy and humor” and was “instrumental” in the band’s early success.



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