How come U.S. Rep. August Pfluger never condemned the $77 million welfare fraud in Mississippi back in 2022, starring an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, among others?

A few days ahead of their world record attempt — “Most People Painting Plein Air At Once In One Venue” currently held by the city of Long Getty in New South Wales, Australia since 2015 — artists spent the day teaching young painters about En Plein Air painting at San Angelo’s Museum of Fine Arts.

State Senator Charles Perry discussed his intentions for the upcoming 2027 Legislative Session, at a town hall meeting on Oct. 21 at ASU’s Mayer Hall. His talk lasted for about 30 minutes, followed by a 30 minute Q-and-A.

In Tom Green County Commissioner’s Court this week, Treasurer Diana Spieker and Matt Gilbert, consultant and attorney representing Shannon Medical Center, came up to speak about amending the county’s rules and procedures regarding the Local Provider Participation Fund, or LPPF, which is one mechanism local governments in Texas use to collect mandatory assessments from private hospitals, which represent up to 6 percent of a facility’s net patient revenue (NPR).

Council members also approved a resolution authorizing the city to apply for up to $90 million in financial assistance through the Texas Water Development Board’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund for improvements to the city’s water reclamation facility at 1898 City Farm Road.

As is the case with any viral sensation, once the free market got its grubby little mitts on him, Jimothy’s likeness became a money-making staple across animal lover platforms, and disability awareness communities.

And, of course, pet supply manufacturers, such as ThinkDog by Delca, who promptly created a Jimothy-inspired racoon chew toy that eventually made its way onto the shelves of popular retailers like Costco.

Organizers are hoping to set a record on Saturday in downtown San Angelo, and cash prizes will be awarded!

At Monday’s regular San Angelo Independent School District board meeting, trustees heard from two representatives of the community group seeking to preserve the historic George Washington Carver Elementary in San Angelo. The campus was almost set for demolition before community members spoke out against that move, and the SAISD board gave the community six months to organize. No action was taken at the meeting.

A public meeting concerning the River Parks Plan is set for Monday, Nov. 9, at McNease Convention Center.

FROM INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: FracTracker and Public Citizen identified 35 permitting actions taken by regulators in Texas in the weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a moratorium.

The folks at the Abe Street Post Office said they couldn’t tell me who sent it…

Get Out There and Vote!

Everyone is invited to the Community Launch Party on Thursday, October 29, 2026 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Fort Concho National Historic Landmark 630 S Oakes Street.

The Midland Reporter Telegram reports that the Midland City Council voted unanimously to remove the city’s network of 73 Flock cameras, ending Midland’s contract with Flock Safety.

If you think your congressional representative’s first job should be creating legislation and giving speeches in the U.S. House, we have some bad news for you…. If you were hoping they spend most of their time on a never-ending fundraising spree, you’ll be pleased by the findings in this report.

From the Texas Tribune: In recent weeks, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have adopted increasingly tough rhetoric against data centers, promising to crack down on hundreds of facilities that failed to disclose required information about their water use over the past five years.

But the law that Texas political leaders are invoking carries a maximum fine of just $500 — a potentially negligible penalty that’s just a blip for large companies.

I have to say, I’m pretty impressed by August Pfluger. If he didn’t have to spend so much time being Donald Trump’s best friend in Congress, he might be an outstanding and effective congressman for Texas’ 11th District. Which, as always, remains underpaid and underloved.

After many inmates, who were not sentenced to death, died from heat stroke while imprisoned in Texas, a Federal Court ordered Texas to begin air conditioning the blocks. The state is appealing the ruling.

The performance guides audiences through the history of math — from the basic counting of
prehistoric times, to the geometry and trigonometry used in ancient Greece and Egypt, all the
way to seventeenth-century calculus.

Beyond paying homage to that history, the choreography itself is shaped by mathematical principles, so each dance embodies the concept it celebrates. To deepen the connection for young learners, Lane will visit every SAISD elementary school this fall for a personalized lesson with each fourth-grade class.

The proposed elimination of the program, aimed at serving lower-income families, comes as Texas leadership has called on agencies to reduce budgets by 3%.

Jon Mark Hogg discusses Iran, data centers, and public approval in this opinion piece: “Every major elected leader in Texas was for data centers, until all of a sudden they weren’t. That only happened because of the people applying pressure.”

Initiative is slated to provide $50 billion throughout all 50 U.S. states from 2026 through 2030, at a cost of $10 billion per year.

The San Angelo Hispanic Heritage Museum & Cultural Center will host its Día de los Muertos festival at Bart Dewitt Park.

Study shows nine of the 15 counties with the largest five-year wage increases are in the High Plains and West Texas.

Thursday, October 8 at the Brooks and Bates Performing Arts Center, all Democratic candidates for local elections will appear for a community forum hosted by San Angelo NAACP, Minority Alliance Network Organization, and West Texas Indivisible, and SAPAC.

The Concho Observer will be leading questions for the forum, along with questions submitted by the community. To submit your question, visit this link.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSz12yQEs_uEbFi0zUYaeU2HZo3D1IXqzSzJ9UoPs0VrEQaQ/viewform

So far in 2026 there have been quite a few comments about data centers at city council meetings in San Angelo; but on Tuesday members of after school group got together to make a comment in the chamber.

The City of San Angelo has announced it’s launching the San Angelo Community Plan, a community-driven effort to create a shared vision for the city’s future.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes strong partnerships between law enforcement and the neighborhoods they serve.

If you haven’t checked up on your voter registration, today is the last day to register or update your voter information before the midterm elections. Early voting begins on Oct. 19.

Country music star Gabby Barrett will headline the 2026 West Texas Rehabilitation Dinner Show on Thursday, October 8th.