STATE NEWS
Teachers: Action, not committees on safety
SCHOOL SAFETY According to a news release, the recommendations for preventing school shootings will surround the following topics:
BY HANNAH NORTON
Paso in 2019. But “schools obviously aren’t safe from mass shooters,” she said. Abbott sent a letter June 1 to Kathy Marti- nez-Prather, director of the Texas School Safety Center, asking that she ensure school districts meet over the summer to discuss safety measures and train staff. School districts are required by Texas law to create school safety and security committees, according to the letter. Before the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, the governor’s office requires that all public school districts meet and address safety needs; train staff
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on June 1 called for a review of safety measures in Texas public schools in order to maximize the safety of students in the wake of the May 24 shooting in Uvalde. But the Texas State Teachers Association wants to see more action and legislation. “We don’t need more committees on school safety,” TSTA President Ovidia Molina said in a news release in response to the governor’s call for safety. Molina said in the release that school safety was studied after shootings in Santa Fe in 2018 and El
Staff training
Police training
Mental health
Firearm safety
SOURCE: THE OFFICE OF GOV. GREG ABBOTT
Social media
and substitute teachers on safety procedures; sched- ule schoolwide safety drills; and assess all building access procedures, such as single access points and locked classroom doors.
TxDOT partners with law enforcement to reduce speed-related deaths
SUMMER GRID FORECASTS The Electric Reliability Council of Texas releases seasonal forecasts for the state’s power grid. Figures shown cover projections only and do not reflect actual seasonal conditions.
Generation capacity in megawatts
Peak demand in megawatts
BY HANNAH NORTON
minutes in 2020. Texas is home to the highest speed limit in the nation, with max- imum speeds reaching 85 mph on a portion of SH 130 between Austin and San Antonio. The stretch of highway opened in 2012. To decrease the amount of fatal crashes, officials are asking drivers to follow the posted speed limit, be aware of bad weather, exercise caution in work zones and slow down for heavy traffic. Motorists should also wear seat belts, stay off their phones while driving, and never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the release said. The department will also pro- mote safe driving throughout June with promotional materials on TV, billboards, gas pumps, social media and more. Community events will be held at Buc-ee’s locations across the state.
One-third of vehicle deaths in Texas are related to speed, accord- ing to the Texas Department of Transportation. The department is expanding its #EndTheStreakTX campaign in an attempt to enforce speed limits and keep motorists safe. The secondary campaign is called “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” According to a news release, TxDOT is collaborating with law enforce- ment agencies across the state for Operation Slowdown, which runs from June 7-21. During the event, police officers will patrol roads, write citations and demonstrate safe driving practices. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last day without a fatal crash in Texas, the department said. TxDOT’s latest annual crash report states that one person died from a Texas vehicle crash every two hours and 15
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Ahead of summer heat, regulators stress confidence in Texas power grid strength SOURCE: ELECTRIC RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
BY BEN THOMPSON
Texas, its regulator, came after a weekend that saw ERCOT issue a statewide request to conserve power after several generation facilities went offline. The briefing also followed the release of ERCOT’s seasonal summer projections for power demand and capacity throughout Texas forecasting electricity usage and supply could both reach record heights in the summer heat.
The Texas electric grid is more reliable than ever and ready to support the ever-growing state through what could be one of its hottest summers on record, regu- lators said during a May 17 briefing about the system. The update from the heads of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state grid manager, and the Public Utility Commission of
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION • JUNE 2022
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