Texas Standard For September 14, 2021

We’ll bring you the latest on tropical storm Nicholas. And: A carefully crafted letter from Bell County officials to their community. We’ll listen to their heart-wrenching message. Also: Sometimes it’s hard to understand what the FCC does, but this time it’s straightforward. It’s setting aside money for people who need better Internet access. We’ll also learn about a boot camp. Not the kind where you drop down and give me 50, but a boot camp that gets soldiers ready for college. Plus: Cricket, the sport, is investing big time in North Texas. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

By Texas StandardSeptember 14, 2021 9:30 am

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, September 14, 2021.

Tropical Storm Nicholas

More than 400,000 CenterPoint Energy customers are without power and parts of Harris County remain under a flood advisory as Tropical Storm Nicholas moved through Greater Houston Tuesday. We’ll get the latest on Nicholas’ impact on the coastline from Houston Public Media’s Matt Harab.

Bell County Letter Urging Residents to Get Vaccinated

While COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations gradually decline this week, in many parts of Texas, hospitals are still inundated with COVID-19 patients. The mayors of Killeen and Temple published a letter this week pleading with residents to listen to their local doctors – and get vaccinated. Jose Segurra is the mayor of Killeen, and he joins us with more.

Worker Heat Death Series, part #6

We’ve been looking at how heat affects Texas workers in the trash industry, as part of a joint investigation with the Texas Newsroom, NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations. On Monday, Houston Public Media’s Sara Willa Ernst explained the case of Glenn White, a trash worker who died on the job in 2013. In the next part of our series, she’ll dig into what went wrong that day and whether anybody has stepped in to prevent any more workers from getting sick.

The FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Access to the internet can mean the difference between success or failure, especially for people living in poverty. Broadband internet can also be a lifeline for seniors and others in isolation. In May, as part of its COVID-19 response, the federal government kicked off the Emergency Broadband Benefit program to help low-income earners get connected. It provides $50 per household toward high-speed Internet access. The Standard’s Shelly Brisbin has been looking into the program, and who has been using it.

Major League Cricket in Grand Prairie

On the world stage, cricket doesn’t have any catching up to do. It’s the second biggest sport on the globe, after soccer. But it definitely has somewhat of a smaller presence in the U.S. That could be about to change though – with Texas playing a big part. Two groups driving the sport in the U.S. – Major League Cricket and USA Cricket – are going to be headquartered in Grand Prairie, a suburb located between Dallas and Fort Worth. Joining us now to tell us more is William Swann, vice president of corporate development for Major League Cricket.

The Sounds of Texas: Alda Dobbs on Barefoot Dreams

In 1913, during the Mexican Revolution, twelve-year-old Petra Luna and her family flee their burning village. That’s the conceit of a new book, “Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna.” We’ll hear from author Alda Dobbs today.

Academic Boot Camps

The Department of Veterans Affairs has partnered with the Warrior-Scholar Project, a nonprofit group that runs academic boot camps at major universities around the U.S. These sessions are designed to help military members prepare for college. Jay Price from the American Homefront Project has more.

Afghan Refugees at Fort Bliss

When the American military left Afghanistan at the end of August, tens of thousands of Afghans went with them – primarily people who worked with U.S. forces during the country’s 20 year war, as well as their families. Having left their home, their first stop in starting over is typically at a military base like Fort Bliss in El Paso, where a small village has sprung up in the desert to house Afghan refugees. Lauren Villagran recently got a rare peek inside the facility for the El Paso Times. She joins us today.

All this and Texas News Roundup, plus Social Media Editor Wells Dunbar with the talk of Texas.

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