The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.
Two NFL players with Texas ties had a lot to celebrate this weekend.
First, of course, is Super Bowl MVP and Austin native Nick Foles.
But the day before Foles lead the Philadelphia Eagles to their first championship title with a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots – Houston Texan JJ Watt earned a prestigious honor.
The defensive end won the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Saturday night. It recognizes a player for their excellence on and off the field.
“This award is about the inherent good that lies within humanity,” Watt said.
Watt – who raised over $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief in a mere 19 days – dedicated the award to the city of Houston.
“This award is about true heroes like police officer Norbert Ramon, who is in his 24th year on the job and he’s going through chemotherapy to battle stage 4 colon cancer,” Watt said. “When the storm hit, and there was no way to get to his station, he found a way to get to the only station he could get to. And over the course of the next three days, he and his unit helped rescue over 1,500 people by boat to deliver them to safety.”
Watt was one of multiple winners at the NFL Honors show broadcast on NBC.
February 5 is the last day to register to vote in Texas, if you’re planning to cast a ballot in the upcoming 2018 primaries. They’re set for March 6. Early voting begins on February 20. In this upcoming election, Democrats and Republicans are vying to be their party’s nominees for a number of offices, including Texas Governor, Land Commissioner, and a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Sam Taylor, a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State, explains that you can find a voter registration application at votetexas.gov, which you can then print and mail in.
“You can go to your local county voter registrar’s office to pick up an application, sometimes the county clerk or the election’s office will have voter registration applications as well,” Taylor says.
You can find more details on how to register here and the type of identification you will need to actually vote in the election here.
Here are a few things to know if you need to complete your voter registration.
–Not sure if you’re registered? You can enter some information and find out here.
–If you’re planning to mail in an application, it needs to be postmarked by February 5. Post offices have voter registration applications on hand.
–If getting to the post office seems like a pain, you can also submit you application in person at your local Voter Registrar’s office.
There are 196 major reservoirs throughout Texas, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Construction for a new one, named the Lower Bois D’Arc Creek Reservoir, should begin this spring in a spot that’s 90 miles northeast of Dallas.
From KETR in Commerce, Mark Haslett reports.
Federal officials announced approval of the plan Friday. It marked the end of a 15-year effort by the North Texas Municipal Water District and others wanting to create a reservoir to serve the needs of the eastern Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
The lake is planned to cover a little more than 16,000 acres. Planners estimate the Lower Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir will serve about 1.7 million people. Cities currently served by the North Texas Municipal Water District include Plano, Garland, Frisco, and Mesquite.
Construction is scheduled to begin this spring with completion set for 2022.