News from the South - Texas News Feed
Texas woman applies to change last name on passport, receives unasked for sex marker change
SUMMARY: An Austin woman, Alexis Pratchett, who is transgender, faced an unexpected issue when updating her passport to reflect her new last name. After delays in her application, she received a passport with her former gender marker. Pratchett had previously corrected her gender on official documents and provided a court order for her name change, which did not include a gender marker change. She expressed concern over the potential risk and confusion this discrepancy could cause, especially during international travel. Lambda Legal recommends transgender individuals avoid changing passports for now, amid ongoing legal challenges to the Trump administration’s policies.
The post Texas woman applies to change last name on passport, receives unasked for sex marker change appeared first on www.kxan.com
News from the South - Texas News Feed
Cy-Fair ISD Superintendent responds to book revisions
SUMMARY: Cy-Fair ISD is at a crossroads as school board members prepare to vote on next year’s curriculum, following last year’s controversial decision to remove chapters from state-approved textbooks on topics like global warming, diversity, and vaccines. The school board’s directive led to the removal of 13 chapters, sparking debate among parents and teachers. Some parents argue the changes protect students from misinformation, while teachers express concern over the quality of education. Superintendent Dr. Douglas Killian, who initially recommended approval of the textbooks without changes, was forced to implement the board’s decision, which some feel could hinder students’ college and career readiness.

Nearly a year after the Cy-Fair Independent School District made the controversial decision to remove chapters from state-approved textbooks, the debate remains unresolved.
News from the South - Texas News Feed
KHOU 11 Investigates: DA’s office may have filed wrong charges in 300 cases
SUMMARY: KHOU 11 Investigates reveals that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office may have filed incorrect charges in up to 300 criminal cases over the past five years. Defendants were sometimes charged with a higher-level offense than warranted by the facts, leading to potential over-punishment. The mistake, attributed to errors in the coding system used by prosecutors, affected cases involving criminal trespass. In half of the flagged cases, defendants pleaded guilty and may seek to correct their records. The DA’s office is reviewing additional cases for possible errors and has notified defense attorneys to address any concerns.

Harris County may have filed incorrect charges in up to 300 cases, potentially impacting convictions and punishments.
News from the South - Texas News Feed
AMBER Alert: One of the founders believes changes should be made to system | FOX 7 Austin
SUMMARY: The Amber Alert, created in 1996 by Diana Simone and Tarant County Sheriff D. Anderson, was designed for high-threat child abduction cases. Simone now believes the system is oversaturated and misused, with alerts issued for less critical situations, diluting its impact. Some law enforcement uses it as a scare tactic in custody disputes, straying from the original intent of warning imminent danger. Both founders advocate for revising Amber Alert criteria and updating its notification system, emphasizing that routine alerts reduce public attention. Simone suggests modernizing the technology to deliver alerts less disruptively and to restore the system’s effectiveness.

For nearly 30 years, the AMBER Alert has helped locate hundreds of children, but one of its founders believes changes should be made to make the emergency alert system more effective
FOX 7 Austin brings you breaking news, weather, and local stories out of Central #Texas as well as fun segments from Good Day Austin, the best from our video vault archives, and exclusive shows like the Good Day Austin Round-Up and CrimeWatch.
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