Gina Keating

A crowd of roughly two to three dozen Young County residents filled the Middle Sister restaurant in Graham last week for a come-and-go reception with representatives of Project Saltworks, the $1–1.5 billion data-center campus proposed east of town.

The Olney Chamber of Commerce marked a milestone for a business with a big presence last week, awarding Big Luv’s BBQ a commendation for its second anniversary on Main Street — and for the steady line of customers that has become a familiar sight outside the restaurant.

After nearly two years of debate, the Olney City Council voted Monday, Dec. 15, to approve the creation of a new Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, clearing a key hurdle for long-discussed economic development plans along the Main Street business corridor.

After nearly two years of debate and delay, the Olney City Council unanimously approved the creation of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2 on Dec. 22 — just under the wire to capture new tax revenue that supporters said would give the long-sought zone a crucial early boost. The vote came at the council’s final meeting of 2025 and followed months — and in some cases years — of sometimes tortuous discussion over the merits, risks and boundaries of the proposed tax zone. By contrast, Monday’s meeting was notable for its brevity. Olney Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Tom Parker was present to answer questions about the zone’s footprint and how the tax increment funds could be used, but there was little discussion from council members before the unanimous vote.

The new year arrives in Olney with the prospect of blueprints, cranes, contracts, and dirt turning over all over town. It comes with a growing sense that projects long discussed are finally happening.

A wave of new Texas laws enacted during the 2025 legislative session and subsequent special sessions is dramatically reshaping public education, altering how schools are funded, how students are grouped, what can be displayed in classrooms, how achievement is measured, and how districts navigate issues of gender, religion and parental authority.

The newly renovated Olney Community Library and Arts Center is preparing to reopen to the public with a refreshed interior, new furnishings and reimagined spaces designed to better serve patrons of all ages. The library, which closed in November for renovations, will hold a tentative grand opening on Monday, Jan. 26, from 4–6 p.m., Library Director Lori Cox said. The reopening was pushed back by about two weeks after a delay in receiving carpet slowed the rest of the installation work.

Texas lawmakers narrowed a law that allowed cities and counties to temporarily raise property tax rates to pay for debris removal after disasters, as the Trump administration seeks to shift more responsibility for disaster cleanup to state and local governments.

Young County sheriff ’s deputies seized a large amount of narcotics and cash from a Lubbock man during a Christmas Eve traffic stop on State Highway 114, according to an arrest affidavit by Deputy John Evans.

As 2026 begins, Texans will experience a raft of new laws shaping everything from local business taxes to immigration enforcement and unemployment benefits. Federal changes will also bring tax and health-care shifts for individuals and families. These new rules — the result of the 89th Texas Legislature and the 119th U.S. Congress — took effect a week ago and will directly impact residents, employers, schools, and local governments across the state.