Opinion

The Wimberley View accepts Letters of Support for candidates or issues on the ballot in the upcoming November 8 election through October 16 for the October 20 issue of the Wimberley View. Any election letter after that point will be considered political advertisement. Letters are limited to 300 words. Letters can support more than one candidate but only one letter per person will be published. Letters of Support are intended to be a free avenue for readers to support candidates. Disparaging letters will not be run. Early voting begins October 24.

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, said Friday he opposes a push by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to end tenure for new professors at the state’s public universities and to revoke it for faculty who teach critical race theory, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Perhaps like me you travel Winter’s Mill Parkway regularly. If so, you may have noticed a pretty flower blooming along the guardrails. Snow-onthe- Mountain (Euphorbia marginata) graces us with its presence when most everything else is dry and faded. This tall wildflower is showy from August to October. We don’t often have snow and we’re in the hills not the mountains, but the common name of this beauty comes from the pretty white tops of the plant. The actual flowers are inconspicuous, but they are surrounded by white petal-like bracts and pale green leaves edged in white.

Reporting on Walt Smith DWI ‘Yellow Journalism’

The U.S. Census Bureau released its latest estimate, which indicates Hispanic residents in Texas make up more of the state’s population than white residents. The new population figures from the American Community Survey indicate Hispanic Texans comprise 40.2% of the state’s population last year, while non-Hispanic white Texans made up 39.4%, as reported in the Texas Tribune.

Opinion

More than threefourths of Texas teachers say they have seriously considered quitting the profession largely because of a perceived lack of respect and support, according to a new survey by the Charles Butt Foundation. Excessive workload and inadequate pay were other major reasons that teachers are considering leaving, The Dallas Morning News and other media outlets reported.

Fentanyl issues stem from the top

The Texas Department of Transportation has adopted a 10-year statewide roadway construction plan with a record $85 billion price tag, officials announced last week. The Unified Transportation Plan authorizes the distribution of construction money that is expected to be available during the next decade. Within that framework, TxDOT works with elected officials and local planning organizations, as well as the public, to pick and fund the state’s highest priority transportation projects.

Heavy rains through Texas last week caused flooding, particularly in the Dallas area, prompting Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a disaster declaration for 23 affected counties. Texans who were affected by the rain, which dumped more than 10 inches in Dallas, are encouraged to file insurance claims with their providers and to complete the voluntary Self Reporting Damage Survey issued by the Texas Department of Emergency Management by visiting damage.tdem. texas.gov. The survey helps the state identify damage across Texas to gain an understanding of what areas were affected during the recent severe weather.