Outdated technology and stricter requirements for Medicaid and SNAP food assistance have made it harder for Texas to give timely approval to applications, state officials and advocates say.
Jess Huff
Jess Huff joined the Tribune in 2023 and is based in Lufkin, Texas. She grew up in Utah and has also lived in Arizona and the Netherlands. Her latest adventure brought her to East Texas where she worked for The Lufkin Daily News, leading the publication to numerous awards for investigative reporting in the region. Jess attended Northern Arizona University on a debate scholarship and fell in love with the journalism program after a course on alternative storytelling devices. Her work has been published in the Arizona Daily Sun, The Associated Press, The Lufkin Daily News, Capital & Main and a number of local outlets across Texas.
Posted in
Energy
East Texas sits on a goldmine of lithium, but questions loom over how the state will regulate mining and production
As the U.S. pushes to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, Texas companies prepare to capitalize on the state’s emerging lithium industry.
Posted in
Economy
Texas cuts child care subsidy program. Hereโs what that means.
Inflation and federal funding cuts have squeezed Texasโ child care subsidy, causing the Texas Workforce Commission to scale back the program.
Posted in
Data Centers in Texas
East Texas data center project pulled after facing community backlash
Diode Ventures said Gov. Greg Abbott’s tougher stance on data center development in rural areas drove the decision to cancel the project
Posted in
Economy
Texarkana region embraces lithium mining potential
Texarkanaโs first lithium symposium marked a milestone for Texas lithium development, laying the groundwork for discussions on critical issues.
Posted in
Environment
East Texas counties move to protect groundwater with new conservation district
More than a dozen counties in Northeast Texas have signed resolutions to create a groundwater conservation district in a bid to protect local groundwater.
Posted in
Higher Education
Stephen F. Austin State University to close child care center due to budget constraints
The Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center will close classrooms in phases over the next few years, beginning with infants in the 2027-28 academic year.
Posted in
Data Centers in Texas
A data center proposed at a quiet corner of East Texas leaves a community bracing for a boom
Kaesha Avishai and other Angelina County residents are worried about what the data center’s arrival means for their property and their way of life.
Posted in
Environment
Battle over East Texas water rights heats up after Dallas millionaire files federal lawsuit to lift moratorium
Investor Kyle Bassโ high-capacity water wells in East Texas have been blocked by a moratorium. He says his rights as a landowner are being violated.
Posted in
Politics
East Texas county judge urges state lawmakers to help locals combat data center proliferation
A proposed data center in Angelina County will occupy more than 1,000 acres outside of Lufkin. The county judge says there’s nothing he can do to stop it.
