In La Salle County, about an hour southwest of San Antonio, production in the Eagle Ford Shale is estimated to drive 90 percent of all 911 calls. Before November, there were just a handful of volunteer firefighters to respond.
Alana Rocha
Alana Rocha was the director of news partnerships for The Texas Tribune until June 2022. She was previously a multimedia reporter, after working in television and radio news for eight years. Alana covered politics for stations in Florida, Kansas and Texas and traveled the country reporting from the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaign trails. She was the lead reporter on several award-winning projects and launched “The Brief,” a daily audio update. A native of Tampa, Florida, Alana received bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from the University of Florida.
Posted inState Government
Newsreel: School Finance Déjà Vu
This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: The school finance trial part deux, gubernatorial campaigns spar over the particulars of Wendy Davis’ biography and voters head to the polls in the special election to replace Mark Strama.
Posted in
Politics
Water, Local Control Issues Fuel HD-53 Race
After re-electing Harvey Hilderbran every two years since 1992, the voters in House District 53 are vetting a group of fresh faces and hosting a slew of candidate forums to hear where the GOP primary candidates stand on issue No. 1 — water.
Posted in
Politics
Video: Abbott, Davis Biding Time Before Launching Media Blitz
In these early days of 2014, the campaigns for the likely Texas gubernatorial nominees are busy laying out policy initiatives, fundraising and avoiding a heavy dose of media appearances.
Posted in
State Government
Plans for Unemployment Drug Screening Delayed
Texas is preparing for a new drug screening procedure required of applicants for unemployment benefits, but the federal Labor Department has yet to set the parameters.
Posted in
Health care
Year in Review: Video
In Texas, 2013 featured a legislative calendar that included multiple special sessions, a filibuster that drew international attention and a multitude of filings for the 2014 elections. Here’s a look back at some of 2013’s top stories.
Posted in
Health care
In North Texas, ACA Navigators Under Fire
Organizations charged with hiring “navigators” to help the uninsured buy coverage in the federal marketplace have come under intense scrutiny, particularly in North Texas, over allegations of poor oversight and misdeeds.
Posted in
Health care
Hearing Highlights Ongoing Debate Over Navigators
As Texas considers additional rules for the workers trained to help uninsured Americans find coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the so-called navigators continue to fuel controversy among critics of the health care law.
Posted in
Health care
Video: A Hard-Copy Approach to ACA Signups
Many Rio Grande Valley residents enrolling for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act opt for the paper application, largely avoiding the federal online marketplace. But the paper process poses its own challenges.
Posted in
Politics
Women-Led Ticket Highlights Democrats’ Suburban Voter Efforts
Democrats seeking a return to the Texas Governor’s Mansion are betting on the suburbs — and, in particular, on the women there.
