News Roundup: Help The Texas Zoo Pick A Name For Rescued Baby Zebra

Our daily look at Texas headlines.

By Becky FogelFebruary 19, 2018 1:39 pm

The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.

The Texas Zoo in Victoria wants help naming a six-month-old zebra it rescued earlier this month. Community members donated $5,000 to help bring the male zebra to the zoo from the North Texas-Oklahoma border.

The Texas Zoo is asking people to vote on five names: Stripes, Marty, Zippy, Hank, and Jeffery. You can vote here.

The Victoria Advocate reports that as of last night the name “Marty” was in the lead. Zoo officials will announce the winning name on Friday before introducing the young zebra to the public the next day.




Vice President Mike Pence toured Texas this past weekend, as did U.S. House Minority Leader and Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Pence visited several cities, including Dallas, where he headlined a county Republican Party fundraiser.

Pence’s trip also included a stop in Hidalgo for a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border, which came just days after the White House attacked immigration and border security proposals in the U.S. Senate as too lenient. In Dallas, KERA News reports that Pence touted the administration’s heightened immigration enforcement.

“We’re going to secure our borders,” Pence said. “We’re going to fix our broken immigration system, and make no mistake about it, we’re going to build that wall.”

Speaking to a sold-out crowd, Pence promoted recent administration efforts, including a $1.5 trillion tax cut and increased military spending.




The State Fair of Texas revealed its 2018 theme earlier today: “Celebrating Texas Innovation.”

In an announcement, the fair touted many of the state inventions “from America’s first self-contained modern shopping center, stadium nachos, iconic corn chips, the frozen margarita machine, handheld calculators, to even corny dogs.” The annual event kicks off in Dallas’ Fair Park on September 28. The State Fair of Texas says it welcomed approximately 2.25 million people in 2017.




Bobsledding and speed skating are two sports with Texas ties in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Houston Public Media’s Allison Lee looks at how local athletes did over the weekend.

There are two Texas athletes on the U.S. men’s bobsled team: Justin Olsen from San Antonio and Sam McGuffie from Houston. Over the weekend, Olsen helped lead the U.S. with a 12th place finish after the first day of the two-man competition. The USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation says while 12th place may not seem like something to celebrate, just entering the race was a victory for Olsen and his teammate Evan Weinstock. After all, Olsen had an appendectomy just under two weeks prior.

Houston’s Sam McGuffie, and his teammate Codie Bascue, ended up in 25th place, after the first day.

As of Monday morning, Justin Olsen’s two-man team didn’t do well enough to medal in Pyeongchang. Canada and Germany ended up tied for gold in the 2-man bobsled race. US speed skater Jonathan Garcia, from Katy, raced in the men’s 500 meters. He placed 23rd.