For the 3,000 or so people who will sit in the stands Saturday, the Mesquite Championship Rodeo’s final championship weekend likely will look similar to any other production in its 64 consecutive years of operation. But for director Travis Wheat, bringing the city’s greatest show on dirt to life in 2021 has been a wild ride. Wheat’s fifth year leading …

AUSTIN — The GOP-controlled Texas House on Friday steamrolled past protesting Democrats, giving Gov. Greg Abbott a victory — and what’s likely to be a big check for $1.8 billion — for his border security plan. By 81-39, House members tentatively approved the money, which builds on $1.1 billion that lawmakers approved last spring, to create a state-only system of …

Royse City police are asking for the public’s help finding two people who they say burglarized 19 vehicles early Friday. Police said the burglaries were carried out during the early hours of Friday in a neighborhood bordering Interstate 30, but they didn’t give exact locations. Royse City police released these images of two people suspected in the string of car …

Latifa Sharifi, a women’s rights lawyer, frantically headed to gates at the Kabul airport to escape with her three children as the Taliban took control of the Afghanistan capital. Her 3-year-old stumbled. He was nearly trampled. Sharifi and the children never made it into the airport that Aug. 15. Now she’s without hope and in hiding, just days away from …

Roughly 8% of Plano ISD students will not have to wear a mask in school — despite a districtwide mandate — because their parents asked for an exemption. The Plano school board voted earlier this week to require masks inside schools, but left a loophole for the parents opposed to sending their children to class with a face covering. Parents were allowed …

A dozen Dallas police officers have been implicated in a pyramid scheme, the department has told the Dallas City Council in a memo obtained. In a memo to the council, the department said police Chief Eddie García had placed several officers on administrative leave Thursday afternoon. A police spokesman confirmed Friday that multiple officers were on leave but said he …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A man is suing Harris County and a deputy constable for running a red light, and crashing into his SUV last month. According to the lawsuit, filed by Emmerick “E.J.” Jacob, the deputy’s reckless actions and excessive speed are to blame for the collison. “I was crossing the intersection and it was – boom,” Jacob said. …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As U.S. forces rush evacuations before the Aug. 31 deadline, Afghans hoping to evacuate are running out of time, while their families in Houston watch helplessly. “It’s getting worse and worse,” said Afghan refugee, Naqibullah. “Yesterday was an explosion. There’s another alert from the U.S. Embassy.” Naqibullah, who asked ABC13 not to use his last name …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Deep moisture is moving from Louisiana toward Texas ahead of Ida, and that will bring widely scattered downpours to Southeast Texas Saturday morning and afternoon. Because of the widespread storms and clouds, high temperatures will only peak in the low 90s. It won’t rain all day, but you’ve got a 70% chance of crossing paths with …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Two weeks after a man was shot and killed off Westheimer Road in what investigators believe was a road rage incident, authorities have made an arrest. According to police, 26-year-old Lazarius Harper is in custody Friday after a man, who has been identified as Kevin Kirk, was shot and killed. This all happened in the 9000 …