Podcasts about Central Texas

There are moments when power hesitates — not because it's confused, and not because it's honest — but because it assumes it no longer has to explain itself.This episode of Boiler Room examines that moment.Broadcast live from Central Texas, host Bryan “Hesher” McClain is joined by Adam “Ruckus” Clark for a long-form breakdown of a week defined by narrative overreach, information saturation, and the growing difficulty of separating signal from psychological operations.From escalating rhetoric surrounding Iran and unverifiable reports of mass casualties, to the quiet normalization of AI integration into military systems, to domestic crowd-control preparations and raw political optics caught on camera, the discussion traces a single through-line: modern propaganda no longer collapses cleanly — it blinks.When credibility becomes collateral damage, saturation replaces persuasion, and consent is assumed rather than earned, the cracks begin to show.Topics covered include:Escalation narratives and information warfare surrounding IranViral imagery, casualty claims, and the credibility gap between speed and verificationGrok and the normalization of AI inside military and classified networksTechnocracy, dual-use technology, and the consolidation of powerNational Guard “response forces,” civil unrest planning, and historical precedentMedia degradation, AI-generated deception, and epistemic collapsePolitical optics unraveling in unscripted momentsDisaster narratives, pattern recognition, and the limits of skepticismThis episode is not about debunking individual headlines — it's about recognizing patterns of behavior when authority stops whispering and starts rushing.Boiler Room remains a space for critical analysis, open-source scrutiny, and conversations that resist narrative management — especially when the information environment itself is unstable.Reference Links:Ice Breaker: Matt Damon Says Netflix Wants Plots Reiterated “Three or Four Times in the Dialogue” for Phone-Distracted ViewersPentagon taps Elon Musk's AI “Grok” for military useUS Taxpayers will pay $83 BILLION to build Venezuela's oil infrastructure to benefit oil companies & Israeli billionairesThe allegedly siezed Starlink gear (Iran)Trump got pissed off at heckler with legitimate grievance and gave him the birdTrump's new defense plan quietly creates a National Guard “response force” trained for crowd control and civil unrestDavid Icke on “Wildfires Currently Raging in Argentina's Patagonia Region Could Be A 15-Minute City Arson Job Similar to Malibu and Maui”Can't Trust the internet anymore – Real time AI Deep Fake tech improves to the point of practically indistinguishable Support:Support BOILER ROOM & ACRPatreon (Join and become a member)Shop BOILER ROOM Merch Store

Most people think they know Girl Scouts because of one thing: cookies.In Episode 143 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen Garten sits down in person with Paula Bookidis, CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Texas, to talk about what the public rarely sees. Yes, the cookie program is a powerhouse. But the real story is how Girl Scouts builds courage, confidence, and character through a leadership experience that blends entrepreneurship, STEM, outdoors, and life skills.Girl Scouts of Central Texas serves more than 12,000 members across 46 counties, runs with about 75 full-time staff, and relies on roughly 10,000 adult volunteers. It is a serious operation, and it runs on a model many nonprofits talk about but few actually execute: sustainable earned revenue tied directly to mission outcomes. ---------------------------About Charity ChargeCharity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In the first episode of bigcitysmalltown of 2026, we reflect on a pivotal year for San Antonio and look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of 2026. Bob Rivard and Cory Ames examine how shifts in media—from the podcast's expansion into video to the growing influence of YouTube—are changing civic engagement and local news consumption. They discuss the impact of major regional elections, including the controversial mayoral race and the county's vote on the Spurs arena proposition, and consider their long-term implications for city governance and development.Key themes include:• The changing landscape of San Antonio politics, with a focus on Mayor Gina Jones's first year and the upcoming county judge race between Peter Sakai and former Mayor Ron Nirenberg• Regional growth and strain along the Austin-San Antonio corridor, including water, housing, and infrastructure pressures• The effect of national policy shifts on local research grants, military presence, and San Antonio's role as “Military City USA”• The critical importance of robust downtown investment, especially around UT San Antonio's expanding campus and student housing• Ongoing debates over public works delivery, infrastructure bonds, and the future relationship between city and county agenciesBob Rivard and Cory Ames also look at upcoming stories to watch: San Antonio's adaptation to climate and energy challenges, continued revitalization efforts downtown, and what the Spurs' promising season could mean for the community.RECOMMENDED NEXT LISTEN:▶️ #151. 8.3 Million New Neighbors by 2050—Henry Cisneros and Bob Rivard on the Austin-San Antonio Megaregion – If conversations about Central Texas's explosive growth and the challenges ahead grabbed your attention, this episode dives even deeper. Bob Rivard joins Henry Cisneros to unpack their new book and discuss how infrastructure, leadership, and collaboration will shape the future of the Austin–San Antonio corridor. Tune in for a compelling look at what's really at stake for our region's next chapter.-- -- CONNECT

Leading Into 2026: Executive Pastor Insights Momentum is real. So is the pressure. This free report draws from the largest dedicated survey of Executive Pastors ever, revealing what leaders are actually facing as they prepare for 2026. Why staff health is the #1 pressure point Where churches feel hopeful — and stretched thin What worked in 2025 and is worth repeating Clear decision filters for the year ahead Download the Full Report Free PDF • Built for Executive Pastors • Instant access Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're continuing our special series responding to insights from the National Executive Pastor Survey with an executive pastor from a prevailing church. Today we're joined by Eric Garza, Executive Pastor at Cross Church. Cross Church is one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, with 12 campuses across South Texas, serving both English- and Spanish-speaking congregations. In this conversation, Eric helps unpack the number-one fear expressed by executive pastors in the survey: running out of space and not knowing what to do next. Is your church growing but feeling physically constrained? Are facilities, kids' space, or parking holding you back from what God may want to do next? Eric offers practical, hard-earned wisdom from leading through rapid multisite expansion. Facilities don't just limit space—they shape momentum. // At Cross Church, growth has come through both campus planting and mergers or acquisitions of existing churches. In both cases, facilities either enable momentum or quietly choke it. Sustainable space must support all aspects of ministry—not just a worship room. Parking, kids' environments, lobbies, restrooms, storage, and office space all play a role. A building that works on paper can quickly fail if it can't support the full weekend experience. Don't rush into permanence. // One of Eric's strongest recommendations is to resist the pressure to own a building too early. Several Cross campuses began in leased spaces, which reduced operational burden and allowed the church to test viability without long-term risk. Leasing removes concerns like insurance, major maintenance, and long-term liability, freeing leaders to focus on ministry. If a campus stalls or misses the mark, leaders can pivot without being locked into a costly asset. Location matters more than you think. // Some facility lessons are learned the hard way. Eric humorously—but seriously—warns against launching next to railroad tracks or industrial zones. Visiting a facility during a Sunday morning timeframe is essential. Noise, safety, curb appeal, and accessibility all influence guest experience. Cross has launched campuses in libraries and event centers, learning to adapt acoustics and layouts while prioritizing safety and hospitality. Capital campaigns need margin. // Eric is candid about capital campaigns. Churches often believe in faith for a number that rarely materializes at full scale, especially since capital giving sits above normal tithes. Meanwhile, construction costs almost always rise. Cross learned the hard way that campaign timelines and construction timelines rarely align. Building 10–15% margin into every campaign accounts for inflation, surprises, and delays. If surplus remains, it becomes a testimony of generosity rather than a crisis averted. Remodeling vs. rebuilding requires sober math. // Acquiring an existing building can be a gift—or a trap. Before knocking down walls, Eric urges leaders to get third-party inspections and cost estimates. Some remodels quietly approach the cost of new construction while delivering less functionality. Evaluate whether a building should serve as a long-term campus, a ministry center, or even collateral for future development. Sometimes the wisest move is not to hold services there at all. Define a clear facility standard. // Over time, Cross Church developed a consistent “Cross standard” across campuses—shared color palettes, stage layouts, kids' safety ratios, and ministry flow. While floor plans differ, the experience feels familiar. This standard helps teams evaluate remodels quickly and ensures families know what to expect. It also clarifies where compromise is acceptable and where it's not. When space is tight, simplify strategically. // Not every constraint requires construction. Cross has increased capacity by adding services, adjusting service times, and consolidating kids' age groups when space is limited. Combining grades temporarily doesn't dilute quality—it preserves momentum. Eric defines excellence not as “having the best,” but “doing the best with what you have.” Obstacles are reframed as opportunities to steward growth faithfully. Communicate the season clearly. // Your people can endure inconvenience when they understand the why. Leaders don't need to share every detail, but they should frame facility strain as evidence of impact, not failure. Clear vision keeps people focused on mission rather than discomfort. To learn more about Cross Church, visit crosschurchonline.com or follow @crosschurchrgv on social media. You can also connect with Eric directly on social media at @ericpgarza. Watch the full episode below: Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Risepointe Do you feel like your church’s or school's facility could be preventing growth? Are you frustrated or possibly overwhelmed at the thought of a complicated or costly building project? Are the limitations of your building becoming obstacles in the path of expanding your ministry? Have you ever felt that you could reach more people if only the facility was better suited to the community’s needs? Well, the team over at Risepointe can help! As former ministry staff and church leaders, they understand how to prioritize and help lead you to a place where the building is a ministry multiplier. Your mission should not be held back by your building. Their team of architects, interior designers and project managers have the professional experience to incorporate creative design solutions to help move YOUR mission forward. Check them out at risepointe.com/unseminary and while you’re there, schedule a FREE call to explore possibilities for your needs, vision and future…Risepointe believes that God still uses spaces…and they're here to help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. We are in the middle of, in the in the midst of, is maybe a better way to say, these special set of podcasts where we’re responding to what you said in the National Executive Pastor Survey, which turned out to be the largest dedicated or direct executive pastor survey that we’re aware of ever, which is kind of cool. And hundreds of people were you know, logged in and told, gave us a sense of where ministry is at. And what we’ve been doing is spending time with an executive pastor from a prevailing church, and frankly, people I like, to get their ah thoughts on kind of what was surfaced. Rich Birch — And today we’ve got a big one. This is a significant issue. In fact, it was the single biggest fear that was expressed. We asked a question around, what’s your kind of biggest fear for this year? And nearly one in five executive pastors expressed fear about this. And what is that fear? It’s the whole issue of our facilities, space, capital projects, that sort of thing. Many churches are running out of kids space, parking, seating, lobby capacity. Rich Birch — You know, we’re all worried about in inflation of construction costs. If you got a building quoted on five years ago, you’re going to want to get it quoted on again, you know, renovation, building, all of this stuff. And, you know, we’re excited to have ah today a return guest, Eric Garza with us. He is from a fantastic church, Cross Church, which is located in Texas. It’s one of the fastest growing churches of ah in the country, and they have 12 campuses, if I’m counting correctly. So Eric has thought about facilities and so excited to have you back on the show, Eric. Thanks for being here.Eric Garza — Rich, thanks for having me back. Good to have an opportunity to have a great conversation about a big topic for a lot of pastors and executives across the country. Yeah.Rich Birch — Well, you’re going to solve all our problems for us today, Eric. So.Eric Garza — It’s just some nuggets of what I’ve learned and experienced. But if I can make your life and your world a little bit better, awesome.Rich Birch — That’s great. That’s good. Kind of tell us a little bit about Cross again, kind of set the context, you know, give us a bit of sense of the the church.Eric Garza — Yeah, so we’re in deep south Texas. Most of our campuses are within a half hour north of the US-Mexico border. So right at the bottom of the tip of Texas. 30 years going on 31 years as a ministry. In the last eight years, we went from one site ah to now seven locations, physical locations and 12 campuses.Eric Garza — We’re a bilingual ministry, which means we do we have English campuses and we have Spanish campuses. And we recently, last year in 2025, launched our first campus outside of our region in San Antonio, Texas. Rich Birch — Love it.Eric Garza — And you can imagine a lot of ah victories and a lot of challenges, ah you know leaving your space, your comfort area, the region where you’ve been, for 30 years and then heading out and venturing off into what we believe God called us to do in in Central Texas.Eric Garza — So ah just phenomenal growth. We’ve seen God’s hand up on our ministry and it’s come with, ah like I said, a lot of wins and a lot of challenges we’ve had to navigate. And being a a predominantly Hispanic ministry that reaches both English congregants and Spanish congregants, dealing with cultural, political issues in our region of the country ah has just been a whirlwind. But as anybody could imagine, it’s been a big learning season for us for expansion. You know, I know we’re talking about facilities going from one side to multisite and all of that that entails operationally, logistically, financially. So I wouldn’t say we know it all. We certainly don’t if we’re always learning. But man, if if we can just impart any wisdom, we’re we’re all for that.Rich Birch — Love it. Well, I would say I actually re-looked at a lot of these fears. And the overall tone, if you were to kind of summarize the the conversation that people seem to be expressing is like, there’s this sense from a lot of executive pastors, listen, our ministry could grow, but our space, frankly, is holding us back. And we’re not entirely sure what the path forward is. It’s like, we we see the physical space issues, but I’m not sure where to go from here. So I’d love to jump right in. Eric Garza — Sure.Rich Birch — How have you, as you’ve looked at your seven physical locations, 12 campuses, how do you evaluate facility limitations? And are they the things that are actually restricting growth or does the issue lie somewhere else? How do you, how are you discerning that when you look at, you know, this, this whole issue?Eric Garza — Yeah, a lot of our of our growth has come from us planting campuses, but some of our growth has come from, I guess, what the corporate world calls mergers and acquisitions, where we’ve merged or really acquired other ministries who either had an existing facility that we took over. Or where we partnered with them through the acquisition and launched a campus in a new building or a new facility.Eric Garza — So some of the things that we’ve done is, there’s a whole process, right, that that it’s entailed with going multisite. And one of those big key indicators of whether the campus or the church plant is going to succeed is whether they have a sustainable facility that can house all aspects of the ministry. And sometimes that can be difficult to find.Eric Garza — For example, you don’t just want meeting space to have services, right? You need maybe an office space, you need childcare space, you need a meeting space, you need lobby, restrooms, you need adequate parking. And all of those factors come into play when you’re looking to find the right spaces. So for us, We’ve just been blessed that ah either we’ve have you know gone through the capital campaigns, we’ve gone through the funding, the you know internal funding to build new facilities, or the acquisition that we’ve ah done over the last couple of years already had an existing facility, which is a plus. Because instead of building, we just went into a remodel phase to bring that building up to what we would call our Cross-standard to house our campus and facility. And so I mean it’s It’s a holistic approach. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah.Eric Garza — You look at parking, kids space. What you don’t want to do and what what we’ve run into in the past, is it’s okay to to launch with limited space, but if you’re launching and you already have a couple of hundred people that are gathered, you’re going to want to find a space that’s going to give you ample room to have one or two services without having to crunch yourself in the short term. And it’s going to, in in in a larger sense, going to really facilitate some challenge and some angst and frustrations early on. And you want to minimize as much of that, especially when you’re when you’re launching and you’re setting out to start a new campus or a new church.Rich Birch — Yeah, so that’s one of those kind of pinch points would be too small, right? Like I’m assuming you’ve ended up in facilities where it’s like, okay, this is this just frankly is too small. Eric Garza — It’s not going to work. Rich Birch — And so we’ve got to, it’s not going to work. We’re going have to start with three services and that, you know, or something like that. Or we’ll start with two and we’ll be pinched too quickly. Are there any other kind of tripwires that you’ve run into that are like, oh, like it might be great on these five things, but this, these, if it’s not these two or three, if these aren’t right, we were not going in there. Are there any other things to get to, as you said, a sustainable facility? Are there any kind of big no-nos that you’ve bumped into, or maybe you wish you knew before? Yeah. Tell me about that.Eric Garza — Yeah, a couple of things. Number one is don’t ah start a church next to the railroad tracks. That may sound a little funny.Rich Birch — No, tell me more.Eric Garza — You never know that during your Sunday morning message at your 10 o’clock service, roughly about 10:40 a.m., this train… Rich Birch — Oh, gosh. Eric Garza — …who’s two or three blocks away is going to come blaring out ah and just completely disrupt your sound and and your service and your message for a few minutes. So it may sound comical, but ah yeah, definitely don’t do that. Right.Rich Birch — No, that’s very good.Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — That’s well, and even going and seeing, that’s a great takeaway because even going and seeing the facility during a Sunday morning, like, cause you wouldn’t know that if you’re there to just Tuesday afternoon or something, you would have no sense of that. Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — But, but cause it might be a train, but there’s, I could see lots of things where.Eric Garza — Trains are not confined to Monday through Friday.Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.Eric Garza — They’re there every day as they need. And so you just you just never know. That has to happen a couple of times, and it’s incredibly frustrating. Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s interesting. That’s good.Eric Garza — And so you play it off the middle of the service, but man, it can it can mess it could mess with some stuff. The second thing I would say is is this when looking for a facility. There’s obviously some innate some internal perhaps pressure or self-imposed pressure as a pastor or an executive to want to get into a permanent facility right away.Eric Garza — One of the things that helped us early on with with a couple of our campuses is we actually rented. And here’s the benefit of renting or leasing, even for a year or two, as you grow that site is number one, you’re not worried about insurance, right? You’re not worried about lawsuits. You’re not worried about maintenance or you’re paying for that, right? But there’s a lot that you minimize when it comes to overloading your mind and your brain about what you have to handle.Rich Birch — Yep. Eric Garza — Alright. And so you pay a fee, but the building’s clean when you come in. And right after you set, you know, you tear down your equipment for the service in your kids area, you don’t have to worry about that because you’re leasing a space. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Eric Garza — And so if you can minimize, like I said, as much of the overload of operations and facilities on the front end, that’s that’s a great a great thing. And most spaces, right, what we did early on is if we had an event center where we would rent the main auditorium uh we would use conference rooms or or multi-purpose room for child care. We would safe proof them, right – all of our protocols in place. But that’s what we would do early on, and it would give us a chance to test and gather some data. Rich Birch — That’s so good.Eric Garza — Is this going to work long term? Right. Number one, we don’t believe we missed God. But if after a couple of years, this isn’t going anywhere. Well, thank God we didn’t buy a building… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …because now we’re you know up a creek without a paddle, as they say. And so leasing is not is not an entirely bad idea on the early outset.Rich Birch — No, that’s great.Eric Garza — But definitely the neighborhood that you’re in, right beside the town that you’re in, you want to be in a centrally as centrally as you can, centrally located as you can, and and not next to a railroad track or any industry or warehouses where there’s going to be trucks, just for safety concerns, for the curbside appeal. And so that’s why public libraries or where we had actually launched started campuses was at a public library – acoustic set because we couldn’t be so loud. So all of those facility concerns are are really things you want to keep in mind.Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. I love the idea of the rental on the front end. What a great way to, it’s good use of capital. It’s a good, you know, it it gives you a chance to test… Eric Garza — Yeah. Rich Birch — …even if you stay for a couple of years, that’s, you know, that’s fantastic. So you’ve been through multiple, you know, capital campaigns, this whole process of like, we’ve got to raise money and then get a facility renovated or, you know, you know, expanded or whatever. Rich Birch — What, what do you wish you would have known before all that? Well, are there a couple like things that either, you know, you stumbled upon, you stubbed your toe or you wish, man, I wish somebody would have told me this. Are there any things that stand out to you?Eric Garza — Number, I think the first one is this. You have an you have a number in your mind, and you of course you believe God for it. It…Rich Birch — And it’s lower. It’s going to come in lower every time.Eric Garza — …it is. Every single, unless God does a miracle, which he is more than able to do… Rich Birch — Yes.Eric Garza — …it’s going to come in lower. And so I think have have high anticipation but realistic expectations… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …because most capital campaigns are campaigns that are above normal giving.Rich Birch — Yeah. Okay. Yep.Eric Garza — Right. And so at least for us, it’s above normal giving. Rich Birch — Yep.Eric Garza — We encourage and we get people to give towards a specific capital campaign, which is for a specific campus or a specific project or or what have you. But you have this number in mind and then if you can tend to early on. It’s not coming in yet. Or maybe you’ve done it for a year or give a specific timeline.Rich Birch — I see. Okay. Yep.Eric Garza — And you can get quickly discouraged, especially with capital campaigns where you’re like, we’re halfway through this thing and not even half has come in yet, or of what we thought would come in. And so it’s easier to get discouraged. But that was a big thing is that number in your mind, it’s going to be lower. And that’s not a bad thing. Right. That’s not a bad thing.Eric Garza — People are giving to a capital campaign above giving of their normal giving, sacrificially, they’re giving by faith. They’re giving with expectation. But at the same time, for those of us on the inside, right, those of us who are managing the resources and what have you, it’s it’s about having a realistic expectation that we have the faith that God can do it. But we’re all going to budget ourselves knowing that if there’s a high probability, not impossible, there’s a high probability that the number we had in mind, is not going to be what comes in for the capital campaign.Rich Birch — Let’s talk about that there. So there’s an interesting, um so I’ve seen that for sure in churches. There’s an interesting kind of tension that pulls in two different directions. One, you can have exactly what you’re talking about, which is, you know, we thought we would go in, we we were hoping we would raise X and we raised something less than that. Eric Garza — Yeah. Rich Birch — But then the other part of it is we were hoping the project was going to cost X and it costs X plus, you know, it’s costing us more than, than we anticipated. How do you manage that tension? How have you been able to kind of navigate that? That’s a, that’s a tough tension.Eric Garza — Yeah, the longevity of the capital campaign is gonna is not always going to be exactly match, it’s not going, rather, to exactly match what the building construction cost was at the beginning. Prices fluctuate and prices change.Eric Garza — And so let’s say you have let’s use so a rough even number, a million dollar capital campaign for your church organization. And the construction is going to cost, I don’t know, $900,000, $950,000. Well, a million dollars should cover it. But by the time a million dollars or shortly or short of that comes in, well, your budget is now at 1.2 or 1.3. Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — It’s fluctuated. And so the what’s congruent at the beginning can be really a little bit financially off by the time that can…In other words, the timelines of the capital campaign and your building projects sometimes don’t align perfectly. And we’ve run into that too, where we’ve had to take from our operating budget a little bit, or we’ve had to really emphasize a certain amount during the campaign, because that’s what needs to come in. We’ve you know met with with key givers and donors of the church. And those are challenges that you navigate ah during the capital campaign process. Rich Birch — Sure. Eric Garza — And and like I said earlier, it’s it’s challenging because, well, let me backtrack and say this.Eric Garza — This is why on the front end, you should add margin into your capital campaign… Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Eric Garza — …which we didn’t do that, perhaps the first go around. But certainly the later ah seasons, we added margin in our capital campaigns to account for any fluctuation in construction costs. And if there was ever in a surplus, well, we would tell the church it’s because of your giving and because of your support and generosity that we had more than enough come in. Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — And so now we’re going to use those funds for X or they’re going to go back to the general fund or or whatever whatever the case. But I think that the key that would be to incorporate some 10 to 15% margin in your capital campaign on the outset to account for anything that might happen 12, 15, 18 months down the road.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. That’s really good. That’s good. You maybe just saved somebody a lot of headache two years from now… Eric Garza — Yeah. Rich Birch — …because of that part of the conversation. I want to go back to something you talked about earlier. You’ve had multiple buildings that you’ve acquired or you’ve merged with, and you were talking about remodeling and there’s like, that can be a blessing and a curse. Like it can be amazing. Like, wow, this is great. And…Eric Garza — You never know what you’re going to find.Rich Birch — …you know, you open up, you open up a wall and who knows what’s behind that wall. And, you know, there’s all that. And you talked about bringing it up to the Cross standard. Talk me through what how have you decided what that is? What is the Cross standard? And how do you what are the common things that you find, Oh, we’ve got to make this change. And how have you kind of defined that as you think about projects like that?Eric Garza — Yeah, so over the last few years, we’ve pretty much honed in on, I guess, the vibe and the look of what we want our campuses to to feel and look like.Rich Birch — Okay.Eric Garza — They may be different ah floor plans because some of them we built, some of them we acquired, properties we took over. But as far as color schemes, we do our very best to match wall colors, sanctuary colors. We use the same stage equipment, both branding and layout as best as possible across all of our sanctuary auditoriums, our stages. Eric Garza — Our kids spaces, ah we have an internal ratio of how many teachers or volunteers per infants, per toddlers, for school-age children we want. And so that determines our spacing. And so sometimes we’ve got to knock some walls down or build some walls in to accommodate for for what, like I said, our standard of ministry, both in appeal, but also in care for for our congregants and for our families.Eric Garza — And so when we remodel, you’re right, there’s some things that once you knock down a wall, you’re not going to know until you knock it down. And that’s where that, you know, that margin comes in. But for the most part, right, we’ve had we do inspections, we get we get third party opinions on the building, on the cost estimates, and like we would encourage anybody to do, right.Eric Garza — But that’s our Cross standard is the look, the feel, the equipment, the wall colors, you know is there enough space for our our guests, connect area, our next steps area for first impressions. Does every ministry have adequate space to store their items – all of those factors come into play in deciding how we’re going to remodel a facility. Eric Garza — And I’ll say the second thing is this is why before you break or before you knock down a wall, get an inspector or or get some people either in your church or in the construction industry or somebody that you know in in your community. Because sometimes when you have a building, your initial thought is to remodel. That may not always be the most financial financially wise decision. And here’s why. Because you may not know all that you’re going to encounter, you may in the long run end up spending just as much as if you had built a brand new facility with the exact floor plan you want.Eric Garza — And so that’s where you’re evaluating and deciding, is it more feasible to remodel this building for X amount of dollars? Or are we within 5% to 10% budget margin, where we might just say it’s it’s in the best interest of the church perhaps to use either this facility as collateral for our next building or a brand new building, or is it better to use it a multisite building, excuse me, multi-purpose building, and we end up building a new facility…Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — …for the church or for the campus. And so those cost estimates are going to help you make the best, most informed decision of where you’re going to steward the resources financially in either remodeling or in building a site.Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. One of my favorite churches, Mercy Hill Church in North Carolina, they they had a building that was given to them and they did, they weren’t entirely sure what to kind of, it was in a part of town, they weren’t necessarily sure they wanted to launch a campus and just they had a campus closer and all that. And they ended up using it turned it into a really a student center and it’s a fantastic ministry building and it’s active, you know, five, six days a week.Rich Birch — Now they don’t do Sunday morning services there, but they do all kinds of other stuff, which is fantastic. Like is a great, you know…Eric Garza — And we’ve seen that too. Yeah. They use for leadership meetings, for small chapel receptions… Rich Birch — Yeah. Eric Garza — …or gatherings or next gen events, youth, young adults, even renting it out to the community as a means to supply income to the church…Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. On a daycare or something.Eric Garza — …to like, you know aligned organizations, of course, whatever your church policy is. But yeah, sometimes the best use of that building is not for church services.Rich Birch — Have you, have you run into facilities that you’ve evaluated and then decided, no like this is going to cost way too much to renovate and we’re, so we won’t go forward with it. Have you run into that after evaluation?Eric Garza — Well, not entirely, but I’ll say this…recent… Rich Birch — I know that risk is there for sure.Eric Garza — Yeah, there is risk. There is risk. And the risk assessment is different when you’re leasing a space or remodel… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …and when you’re when you’re obviously building your own facility, as far as and including the costs associated with that. One of our campuses recently, and I mean in the last 24 months, before we moved into our new building was leasing a space and we were given the option to remodel the space we were leasing. Because though it was suitable for what we needed for the ministry, for Sunday services and and all the other ministries, parts of it were not really conducive to growth for the congregation and for the ministry.Eric Garza — So we did contemplate remodeling. I think I think what kept us from doing that number one is whatever you remodel for the landlord the landlord is going up keeping. And so the return on that investment would be short term and not long term, We were already in the midst of building our building but we were growing at a rapid rate, and so we were eight, twelve months out from from being in our building and the campus was growing, and so we needed a short-term solution. Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — So we did think, Well, we’ll spend X amount of dollars to remodel our site where we’re leasing before we get into the new building. But we found out that shifting our service times and and doing different different strategies ended up alleviating in the short term the constraints we had to give us a time to get into our new building, which is now more than enough space for us to grow for for years and years to come.Rich Birch — Right. That’s cool. Yeah. Cause I’ve said as a, I feel like I’ve been in a ton of conversations with XPs where, you know, they’re talking about this issue and you know, there’s like a building that they’re, maybe it’s another church that’s come to them and they’re having a conversation and they’re, I would say their mindset is like, I’m not sure we should do this. Like this is, they’re like, this other church came to us and statistically, actually the most likely for these mergers to succeed are when the joining church comes to the lead church. Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — So they would come to your church and be like, Hey, we’re interested. So it actually happens a fair amount. And I’ve, I feel like I’ve talked, tried to talk so many executive pastors into like, man, it’s gotta be a really bad building. If particularly if it’s like has debt or has no debt or very little debt on it, it’s gotta be a very bad building to not want to take it. Cause it’s like, you know, you can, you can take, invest, you know, a moderate amount of money. You don’t need to dump a ton into it and get something great. And like you said, as long as you’re above board with everybody, you know, five years from now, if it doesn’t work, you could take that asset, sell it and move on and use those resources somewhere else.Eric Garza — And that’s very good because when you talk about acquiring a ministry, especially if it has a low balance on their mortgage or or they don’t have much to pay off the building, and if you’re in a position to pay that off within the first year of acquiring the ministry… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …think of a collateral and the equity that your organization now has because of that new facility that’s in your portfolio.Rich Birch — 100%.Eric Garza — And I know it sounds very business-minded, but when you’re looking to expand into the future, even at another site in your church ministry organization, you now have more collateral, more resources to leverage for a better financial position in the future when you do want to actually build a building. Eric Garza — And the second thing is this, if you’re acquiring a ministry that already has an existing building, in most cases, it’s already built out for church purposes. So that’s very helpful. So at that point, you may be putting in a smaller amount and just… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …you know, refurbishing it, painting the walls, putting some new equipment, some new screens, maybe be changing out the flooring a little bit, or some of the fixtures in different spaces… Rich Birch — There’s technology or whatever, yep. Eric Garza — …because it’s already built out for a church. And so that’s the benefit of going or acquiring in a ministry if you’re going that route that already has an existing facility.Rich Birch — Yeah, we had, ah we were running, our budget was about $8 million dollars and we were, we had a church come to us and they were, they had really, they had had a tough season and the summer before we ended up merging with them or they joined us really, they had multiple Sundays where they had two people show up on Sunday. They had the person that was preaching and the guy that was opening the door, like it was, it had really atrophied down.Rich Birch — And I remember in one of those conversations, they had had a bit of a roof problem. The facility was worth just probably south of 2 million. It was like ah a great facility, but they had a roof problem. And I remember one of the the elders leader person, he said, you know, we we got a quote on the roof and it’s it’s going to cost maybe about $15,000 to fix. Do you think you guys will be able to fix that? And they had no debt and were going to give us their building. Rich Birch — Well, like I humbly had to say like, like, yeah, we’ll we’ll be okay. Like, it’s gonna it’s gonna be fine. Like, you know, I what I didn’t want to say is like, I feel like our youth guys have like wasted $15,000 this year. Like, you know, like it’s like we can, you know, the exchange just on paper. And again, that’s not why you go into those conversations. Eric Garza — Of course.Rich Birch — But a part of that is, particularly in our seats as executive pastors, that’s a part of what we have to wrestle through and think about those things. So let’s get back to the renovation thing. A lot of what churches were talking about is like, pressure of like, man, I just, our physical facilities are, are holding us back. Rich Birch — Any other thoughts around, you know, changes you’ve made to increase capacity or, um you know, things that maybe are like some low hanging fruit or creative solutions that have that, that maybe we’re not thinking about, but as a leader who’s been through this, you know, you’ve been, you’ve wrestled through that, that we, we could, you know, benefit from.Eric Garza — Yeah, absolutely. A couple of things. You can please everybody, right? Rich Birch — That’s good. Eric Garza — And so I think one of the ministry pressures well, we want to please the next gen. We also want to please the child care. We also want to please the elders of the church. And we also want to please the younger families of the church and young professionals. And when you’re when you’re in a facility that wasn’t originally built according to your specs, it’s going to be difficult to do that.Eric Garza — And so you have to focus, as we have, on the most critical areas, sanctuary and child care. If you don’t have child care, it’s going to be a barrier to growth because families or parents are not going to have the comfort level they need to come to your church on a regular basis and to be a part of the community. And so for us, when we’ve remodeled, the first things we look at are sanctuary and then the kid space. Do we have enough adequate kids space?Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — Some of the solutions when we’ve been limited in space is is launching multiple services to we have a smaller sanctuary or a smaller space, we’ll offer more service opportunities. Or when it comes to our kids ministry, we’ve evaluated with our kids directors and our our kids department of how can we best merge age groups to maximize the space that we have. So if you have right an ideal facility where you have you know your child your child care divided by grade level or age level, sometimes you have the amenity to do that and many times you don’t. And so what we’ve done is instead of having first grade on their own, maybe we’ll put you know kindergarten and first grade level kids together.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Eric Garza — We’ll put second and third together, fourth and fifth together as a way to consolidate because we don’t have the space that we prefer to have, at least in this season. And so for us, sometimes you’re not watering down in essence, the content, the quality, but you are consolidating in the short term or even medium term… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …if you will, if that’s even a term, to make adequate space for the constraints that you may have. Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — And so you have 600 members and you only have 200-seat sanctuary, 250. Well, that’s an opportunity for three services. Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — Is that is that is that Is that a strain? Well, it can be if you see it from core perspective versus a perspective of, Man, we’re so large and we have the space. You know, one of our core values at our church is excellence. And we’ve defined excellence as not having the best, but doing the best with what you have.Rich Birch — Oh, that’s good.Eric Garza — So we may not have a thousand seat auditorium for this growing congregation, but what we do have, we’re going utilize it and steward it to our best ability. So if that means two or three services, well, God give us the strength and the people to manage and to lead and to execute three strong services every weekend, or every Sunday, in order to meet the need of the congregation that we have.Eric Garza — And and I think one of the biggest things, Rich, is also communicating this. It’s keeping them current, right. You’re not going to go into all the details per se, unless that’s your preference and that’s your senior pastor’s prerogative. But to share with them the overarching theme of, hey, here’s where we’re at as a ministry. Here’s our facility. And here’s what we’re going to do to continue to offer as best a ministry as we can, while at the same time being cognizant of the challenges that we’re facing.Eric Garza — We said this to our staff and to our church many times, is we don’t look at obstacles as negatives. We look at obstacles as opportunities. Okay.Rich Birch — That’s so true.Eric Garza — If this is what we have, how can we be as excellent as possible with what we have? If that means going to a third service, well, then we’re going to give it a shot because what we don’t want to do is allow facility constraints to translate into diminished capacity or into a diminishing congregation and I’m talking about numerically. Because the diminishing congregation numerically also means a diminishing budget and revenue financially because you have less givers in the seats. And that’s those are some of the challenges that you got navigate so we don’t see it as obstacles. We don’t see obstacles necessarily as a challenge we see that’s an opportunity of okay how can we navigate around this mountain if you will to continue to provide as excellent a ministry as we can.Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. I love your example of the kids age size rooms. Because I think you’ve you’re articulating a tension that whenever we’re, particularly for launching we talked a lot about this, like renovating other spaces and new campuses and all that, where I think really is germane to our job as executive pastor to to manage this tension of we want it feel, you know, the language you used was Cross standard. It’s absolutely has got to be Cross standard, but there will be areas where we’re going to have to compromise. Like that is just true. And a part of what we have to do, we have to use our leadership and our discernment and, you know, get the right players in the room and have the conversation. And, you know, somebody using your example, somebody kids’ ministry to be like, no, we can’t combine them together. That’ll be terrible. And it’s like, we’re going to be fine. Like, we’ll figure it out, you know. Eric Garza — Yeah [inaudible].Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s going to be okay. We’ll we’ll help that navigate. And that’s one example, but there’s a ton of those that can come up in these, you know, in these renovations for sure.Eric Garza — Yeah, absolutely.Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — and And people are always going to have opinions. Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — But I’ll say this from experience. And I mean, no ill intent towards anybody in your congregation or your ministry.Rich Birch — No.Eric Garza — Most of the people that are criticizing are the people that aren’t giving anyway. And so I’m not saying ignore them by any means. They’re part of your part of your ecosystem. They’re part of your church, they’re part of your flock.Rich Birch — Yep. That’s very true.Eric Garza — But it’s always with a grain of salt because the people that are really bought into your ministry are going to walk through those opportunities alongside you, ah hopefully with the best attitude that they possibly can muster up because this too shall pass.Rich Birch — Yes.Eric Garza — Right.Rich Birch — Yes.Eric Garza — If you’ve gone out in faith to plant or to grow or to expand your congregation, this is a temporary season. It’s not a permanent season. You won’t always be at three or four services, right? Or multiple services.Eric Garza — At some point, if God is in this and you really believe He is, and I believe He is for many organizations and ministries, the timing will be right when you have a facility that can house what you need, or that can provide the amenities and space that you need. And so for parents, for givers, for guests, it is just letting them know as best you can, even subtly through announcements or even messages and say, hey, we’re in a season of growth and expansion. Growth doesn’t always look you know perfect. And so we have seasons where we’re going to navigate some some challenges and opportunities as best we can to get us to an end goal.Eric Garza — This is a means to an end. What we’re going through is a means to get us to where we want to go as a ministry. And as long as you keep it at the forefront, tying it into the vision of the house, you’re going to see that in a large sense, you’re going to have people rally behind that idea and unfocused, if you will, from the constraints of their of the facility to the broader appeal of what God is doing in the ministry.Rich Birch — Yeah, that is so good. Friends, you should go back and re-listen to what Eric just said there. That is some wise advice. And obviously from somebody that’s been in the trenches a lot, that’s been my experience as well. The people, the complainers, I’m reading through the book of Job right now. And I’m like, man, his friends are just like, this guy needs better friends.Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — And that that reminded me of the people you’re talking about. Like…Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — You know, there’s these people who are just, you know, sniping from the cheap seats and they’re not really engaged in the mission where, man, those people that are right on in the middle of it, they’re like, let’s go, let’s lean in.Rich Birch — And man, that’s the kind of person, I’m hoping as I transition into older age that I’m that person, you know, because we have a number of those people at our church that I look at that are like, these are incredible saints who have seen so much change. And who I’m sure lots of things annoy them, but they’re fired up for the mission. They’re excited in our case to reach unchurched people, to see people who far from Jesus connected.Eric Garza — If you’re not changing, you’re not making progress, right? Rich Birch — Yeah, absolutely. And the fact you the fact that your ministry is facing opportunities or obstacles rather disguised as opportunities is proof positive you’re going somewhere. Rich Birch — Yeah.Eric Garza — You’re not a stagnant ministry. You’re not a you’re not a lazy ministry, right? You’re not apathetic. You’re really out in the field of vision that God has given you or to your senior leadership. And so it’s proof positive, right? And so take that as an badge of honor in some way to say, we must be doing something right.Rich Birch — So good. Well, Eric, just as we’re coming to kind of land, this has been a great conversation, hopefully been helpful for you, friends, as you’ve have been listening in. But as we kind of come to land today’s conversation, what’s a question or two that that you’re kicking around for this year at at Cross as you’re thinking about 2026? Where’s your head at? What are the things you’re wondering? It doesn’t have to be about this, could be anything.Eric Garza — Yeah, well, ah thanks for letting me speak into that, Rich. I think for me as an executive and looking at our ministry, you know, looking at the previous 30 years and looking at the next decade, if you will, of where God is going to take our ministry, being one of America’s fastest growing churches, being the largest bilingual Hispanic-led ministry in the country. We’ve, you know, like I’ve said in a previous episode with you, we haven’t had any precedent for us in our context. And so we’ve navigated a lot of uncharted waters and learned from both wins and losses and different opportunities and struggles to get us to where we’re at now. Eric Garza — I think one of the biggest questions facing the church at large in 2026 is how the church is going to respond to the ever increasingly fast-paced changes that we’re seeing on the political front, on the cultural front. I’m not saying that the church has to be a political response. The church has to be, has to provide a biblical response to what we’re seeing.Rich Birch — Yep. Eric Garza — And with the fast paced nature of culture and society and trends, I don’t believe it’s the church’s responsibility to respond to every trend or to everything, but certainly the overarching elements of our current culture and political dynamic where there is a biblical either mandate or precedent for it, that the church would speak it into that and provide biblical perspective… Rich Birch — That’s good. Eric Garza — …and and and wisdom for how people should think about certain topics that have a biblical or moral prerogative. And so navigating that as an organization, because as a growing church and being such a large ministry, if you can imagine the opinions. We have people in our church who are conservative and who some who are not. We have people who belong to one political party over another. We’re in multiple communities. And so different communities have different demographics, different cultural contexts, different policy initiatives. There’s a lot going on.Eric Garza — And as a church ministry, especially as that we’re multisite, one of the biggest questions I’m asking myself and our team is how do we, number one, stay biblically founded, right? And unwavering in what the biblical standard is.Eric Garza — Number two is how do we address the different things and different occurrences in different communities that we’re in? If we were just one site and one community, well, then we would just be I guess you could say in our own little space and our own little focus. But we have multisites, so we have multi-focus, if you will, at how we continue to provide as excellent a ministry as possible… Rich Birch — That’s good. Eric Garza — …keeping Jesus at the forefront, above the fray, and at the same time, giving a biblical perspective so that people have the right biblical worldview for how to walk out their journey of faith their relationship with Christ, but at the same time, how to respond to what’s happening in our world. I think for many times, for for many years, really for decades, the church has abdicated its biblical responsibility, if you will, to speak into things, not from a political perspective, but from a biblical perspective.Eric Garza — And because that abdication of responsibility we’ve seen a lot of things that have happened. Thankfully, in recent seasons, in recent years, we’ve seen a a shift where faith is now at the forefront. And so though I have that question, my biggest, I guess you could say prerogative is to leverage that people are focused more on faith, that people are open to faith now more so in our country, that people are focused more on this person of Jesus and is to leverage that as an opportunity to really hone in and speak into people’s hearts and minds and into the different communities that we’re in so that they have the right biblical perspective, the biblical worldview to carry out what God has enabled them or called them to do.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. I love I love what you’re saying there. And you know I know had a friend say, you know if you’re, you know, we we all are serving in a context. We serve in a particular time, in a particular cultural context, and God’s called us to lead in that context. And if you’re not feeling the pull from, you know, multiple sides, multiple polarities, you’re like, well, everybody here agrees with me then it means you’re not actually reaching your community, you know. And the fact that you’re feeling that tension means, okay, like there’s there’s people from a wide variety of, and it can be all different political is one, but there’s lots of different ways to think of that.Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — And yeah, that’s that’s so true. I really appreciate this. Well, Eric, you’re you’re a blessing to us. I thank you so much for for giving us time today and helping us think about these things as we kick off into 2026. If where do we want to send people if they want to track with you or with the church?Rich Birch — How do we how do we want to get people connected to Cross?Eric Garza — Yeah, well, Rich, thanks for the opportunity. And it’s what a blessing for us and for me personally to be able to just share some thoughts. And if it helps anybody, well, praise God for that. I think if you want to follow the church, we’re crosschurchonline.com or crosschurchrgv on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, all of, you know, most of the social media platforms.Eric Garza — If you want to connect with me, I’d be happy to connect with you at Eric, E-R-I-C-P Garza on any of social media platforms. It’d be a h privilege for me to help you guys and to share some thoughts and even answer questions. I’d be more than happy to do that. If I can serve your ministries in any way, by all means, feel free to reach out to me on any of the social media platforms.Rich Birch — Nice. Thanks so much, Eric. Really appreciate being here today, sir. Thank you. Eric Garza — Thank you, man. God bless. Appreciate it.

On this Salcedo Storm Podcast:Michelle Evans has been a vocal advocate for the protection of women and girls' private spaces, as well as other conservative causes, for many years. She currently serves as the Chairman of the Williamson County Republican Party and in this role she has helped transform this Central Texas county from purple to bright red.

Ann talks with Susan L. Sistrunk, of Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery, Kurt Ritterpusch, Artist, about PAXCT (Professional Artists of Central Texas) and their upcoming IMPACTFUL event. Then she visits with Sid West, who is with Wreaths for Vets. We also get a new Act Locally Waco with Elizabeth Riley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ann talks with Susan L. Sistrunk, of Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery, Kurt Ritterpusch, Artist, about PAXCT (Professional Artists of Central Texas) and their upcoming IMPACTFUL event. Then she visits with Sid West, who is with Wreaths for Vets. We also get a new Act Locally Waco with Elizabeth Riley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode we're joined by Kara Escajeda from Parrie Haynes Ranch, a park in Central Texas under threat of being closed. Kara discusses the challenges facing the park, and the current state of public land in Texas. She also explains the importance of parks in general for local communities and the environment, and offers tips for how to advocate for green spaces in your area. Resources discussed in this episode: Save Parrie Haynes Ranch websiteParrie Haynes Ranch Facebook groupEnvironment Texas websiteNew state parks in Texas articleUrban Heat Islands articleEngagement with Parks reportEXPLORE ActHave an idea for an episode? You can email host Jennifer Hetzel at sustainablygeeky@gmail.com.Like the show? Support us at Buy Me a Coffee, and rate/review us wherever you listen. You can also find us on Facebook, X and Instagram.Listen and subscribe to the show on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, and YouTube.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!Maybe it's the advent of winter – or at least what passes for winter in Central Texas. But ice has been on my mind of late, and I thought I'd share. This week we'll cover climate change from a Biblical perspective; one of my favorite books of 2025 and what it tells us about human resiliency; one of the most overused metaphors in the natural world – one that somehow has escaped my attention here so far; and the quest to finish first or die trying in the only race that matters.Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.

When Jerry moved into a quiet lake cabin in Central Texas, he expected peaceful solitude, not whispers in the dark. But after filling his home with antique finds from local thrift shops, strange things began to happen. From the sound of water pouring into a long-forgotten washbasin to a disembodied voice whispering inches from his ear, Jerry soon realized that some secondhand items come with more than just history. In this episode, we explore the unsettling encounters tied to two haunted objects—and what might be quietly passing through the woods, water, and stone that surround his home. #TrueGhostStory #HauntedObjects #ParanormalPodcast #RealGhostStories #TrueParanormal #HauntedCabin #CreepyEncounters #UnexplainedActivity #GhostStories #ParanormalExperience  Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

*Congress has earmarked money to pay for electronic ID tags.  *Texas dairies produced more milk with more cattle last month.  *Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced an investment of $1.4 billion to improve rural health care across the state. *How much output per acre do organic cotton farmers produce?  *The annual Blacklands Income and Growth conference is next week in Central Texas. *USDA has released a new agricultural trade forecast.  *2026 brings a new year for Texas gardens and landscapes.  *Another medication has been approved for treatment and prevention of screwworms.  

*We have more time to prepare for the New World screwworm.   *USDA is not considering any additional aid for farmers.  *Texas teachers can sign up for a free accurate ag book. *How does the budget for organic cotton compare to conventional cotton?*Rural land sales were active this past fall.  *The U.S. has a new chief ag trade negotiator.  *The 64th annual Blackland Income Growth conference is coming up in Central Texas.  *As temperature gets colder, stress on cattle increases.  

You can spot a real cop's education in the way they build a case, not just how they make a stop. We sit down with two seasoned pros who turned years in patrol, gangs, and narcotics into a clear, step-by-step blueprint for specialized work: how to get selected without the buddy system, how to train beyond “watch and learn,” and how to carry a case from probable cause to proof beyond a reasonable doubt.We dig into the hiring signals that matter—bodycam audits from real weeks, not staged ride-alongs; 360 feedback from peers and those supervised; report samples that show articulation and judgment. Then we map the training path: drug ID and evolving slang, surveillance and countersurveillance, UC safety, entries, and the case law officers must master to survive cross-exam. On the gang side, you'll get an inside look at a modern structure—enforcement, detectives, intel, and prevention—and how intel pushes timely forecasts to keep patrol from walking into “not your average loud party.”The craft pieces are practical and blunt: why plainclothes isn't 5.11 pants and a posture, how to run safe, controlled stops with LPRs and cameras miles away from the heat, and why your network is more valuable than your gear. We talk about national information-sharing, smarter takedowns, and report writing that won't crumble in court. Just as important, we cover how to talk to people without faking it—respect first, honest questions, and the consistency that builds cooperation over time.If you care about safer streets, better cases, and a career that lasts, this conversation delivers. Check out BS Narcotics for hands-on, active-duty-led training and details on their first annual Narcotics & Gangs conference (Nov 1–4, 2026, Central Texas). If this episode sharpened your edge, follow, share with your team, and leave a review so others can find it. Your feedback powers future episodes and better policing.send us a message! twocopsonedonut@yahoo.comPeregrine.io: Turn your worst detectives into Sherlock Holmes, head to Peregrine.io tell them Two Cops One Donut sent you or direct message me and I'll get you directly connected and skip the salesmen.Support the showPlease see our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/TwoCopsOneDonut Join our Discord!! https://discord.gg/BdjeTEAc *Send us a message! twocopsonedonut@yahoo.com

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we turn our focus to the rapidly evolving corridor between San Antonio and Austin—a megaregion that is reshaping the future of Central Texas. Hosts Cory Ames and Bob Rivard are joined by former San Antonio mayor and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Henry Cisneros, to discuss his and Bob's new book, which examines the unprecedented growth, challenges, and opportunities along this urban corridor.The conversation moves beyond headlines about population booms to examine the complex realities of life in one of the country's most dynamic regions. What does steady and fast-paced growth mean for cities like San Antonio, Austin, and the many communities in between? What pressures does the region face, and how are city and state leaders preparing for the future?They discuss:• Why population growth in the Austin–San Antonio corridor is inevitable, and what's driving it• Visible strains on infrastructure—transportation, water, power—and the urgent need for regional cooperation• Lessons from other megaregions across the United States—and what Central Texas must do to stay competitive• How the region's evolving identity, economic base, and cultural strengths can be preserved as the next wave of growth arrives• The importance of building—not just roads and runways—but also new structures for cross-community collaboration and planning• What happens if local and state leaders fail to act, and why the decisions made now will shape quality of life for decades to comeThe episode provides a nuanced look at what's at stake for San Antonio and its neighbors, urging both civic leaders and residents to consider what it will take to create a livable, equitable, and sustainable future for the region.RECOMMENDED NEXT LISTEN:▶️ #144. Building the South Side — How JCB Is Bringing 1,500 Jobs to San Antonio – If today's megaregion conversation sparked your interest in economic growth and workforce opportunities, don't miss this episode. Bob Rivard sits down with JCB Texas operations director David Carver to explore how a major new manufacturing facility is transforming San Antonio's south side and what it means for local jobs, training, and the city's future.

*There may be profitable cotton prices in 2026.  *U.S. farmers bought fewer tractors and combines last month.  *The American Sheep Industry Association is asking the federal government to investigate lamb imports. *It's been about a year since avian influenza has been found in a Texas dairy herd.*New cotton varieties will be available for 2026 for the Texas High Plains.  *USDA is making some updates to federal crop insurance.  *Central Texas is experiencing a typical cool and wet December. *GastroGuard is used to treat stomach ulcers in horses.  

This week on What's Up Waco, I'm sitting down with Amy Warlick, founder of Central Texas Therapy Spot, and y'all… her story is GOOD.What started as a passion for helping kids communicate and thrive has quickly grown into one of Waco's most comprehensive pediatric therapy centers. Amy shares how her practice has expanded so fast, why specialized therapies matter, and how her team is changing lives for children and families across Central Texas.In this episode, we talk about: How Central Texas Therapy Spot grew from an idea into a thriving multi-therapist practice The wide range of specialized therapies they offer — from speech and feeding therapy to myofunctional therapy, dyslexia evaluations, and more What parents should know if they feel like their child needs extra support Amy's heart for families and her vision for the future of pediatric therapy in Waco Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, or just love hearing stories about local businesses doing meaningful work, this episode will leave you encouraged and informed.

*2026 could be another good year for Texas weather.   *U.S. corn exports are well above last years' pace.  *Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller is asking the Trump administration to consider letting Mexican rodeo calves cross the border.  *Feedyards in the Texas Panhandles have very low inventories.  *Central Texas cotton farmers have some new varieties to consider for next year.  *An important piece of milk legislation has cleared an important hurdle.  *Colder weather has arrived in South Texas.  *There are several things you can do to help your cow herd endure the Texas winter.  

What a year!In this special Year in Review episode of From Waterloo to the Alamo, we're hitting rewind on our favorite conversations from 2025 and spotlighting the Central Texas movers and shakers who helped shape the communities we live, work, and dream in.From visionary developers and industry leaders to community builders and change makers, this year's guests didn't just talk real estate, growth, and opportunity. They showed us what it truly means to invest in people, place, and purpose across the Austin to San Antonio corridor.We're revisiting standout moments, memorable insights, and the conversations that made us laugh, think bigger, and feel proud to be part of this region's evolution. If you've been along for the ride this year, consider this your highlight reel. If you're new here, welcome to the greatest hits.And because we never do anything halfway… we've got a little surprise.

It's Wednesday, December 10th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark 2,000 Christians in India protested persecution Around 2,000 Christians gathered in India's capital of New Delhi last month to protest persecution. Speakers at the event noted that attacks on Christians in the country increased 500% between 2014 and 2024. However, police investigated less than 20% of the cases.  One organizer said, “This is not a political movement, but a constitutional dialogue among Indian citizens from the Christian faith, exercising their democratic rights. The systematic and egregious violence and hostility, coupled with police inaction and lack of access to justice, requires solutions.” India is ranked 11th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most difficult countries to be a Christian.  Australia banned social media accounts for kids Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media accounts for children this week. The government now requires social media companies to deactivate the accounts of children under 16 in the country or face serious fines. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a message, calling on young people to invest in real-world activities and relationships. Listen.  ALBANESE: “Make the most of the school holidays coming up, rather than spending it scrolling on your phone. Start a new sport, learn a new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there on your shelf for some time. And importantly, spend quality time with your friends and your family, face to face.” Supreme Court allows Texas county to ban objectionable books In America, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a Texas county to keep its ban on objectionable books in public libraries. The issue began in 2021 when Llano County in Central Texas removed 17 books from libraries at the request of local residents. The disputed titles included multiple books for young adults with themes on sexually perverted lifestyles. Sadly, other residents favored access to such indecency. The Supreme Court's ruling on Monday leaves in place a ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That ruling noted, “From the moment they emerged in the mid-19th century, public libraries have shaped their collections to present what they held to be worthwhile literature. … Public libraries used to exclude most novels, which were thought bad for morals.” Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 15th county bans abortion Motley County, Texas became the 15th county in the nation to ban abortion. On Monday, the county's Commissioners Court unanimously adopted a Sanctuary County for the Unborn ordinance. Motley County is the 13th county in Texas to pass such an ordinance. It is also the 22nd political subdivision in the U.S. to pass such a measure this year. Wikipedia's #1 2025 article: Charlie Kirk's assassination Wikipedia announced its most-read articles of 2025. The online encyclopedia reported that the most popular article on English Wikipedia this year covered Charlie Kirk. The Christian activist was assassinated on September 10th of this year while speaking at an event for his organization, Turning Point USA, at Utah Valley University.  30% of U.S. adults took political/spiritual action in wake of Charlie Kirk's death The Barna Group released a new survey last week on the spiritual impact of Charlie Kirk's death.  The study found that nearly 30% of U.S. adults took action since Kirk's death. While some said they took political action, most said they took spiritual action. This was especially true among younger generations.  And nearly half of Americans said that Charlie Kirk's death will have a positive impact on Christianity among younger Americans.  Isaiah 41:10 most popular verse on YouVersion app And finally, the Bible platform, YouVersion, announced the verse with the highest international engagement this year.  That verse was Isaiah 41:10. It says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” YouVersion saw unprecedented Bible engagement this year, reaching a billion downloads.  Pastor Bobby Gruenewald, Founder and CEO of YouVersion, said, “We're witnessing a global movement. People are hungry for what's real and true. The Bible stands alone as the source of truth, carefully passed from generation to generation. It's alive and active, and relevant to our everyday lives. These numbers represent millions of changed lives—people finding hope, direction, and purpose in God's Word.” Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, December 10th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

What would you do if a snake came charging at you while you were tubing on Lake Austin?

#707 Want a business that turns fresh asphalt into a “blank canvas” — and pays well for satisfying, repeatable work? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel talks with Cinco Winston, founder of Trueline Striping in Central Texas, about how he left a stable construction career, skipped the franchise route, and bootstrapped his own parking lot striping company to cash flow within two months. He shares how he trained with an out-of-state pro, bought only the essentials to get started, and strategically targeted customers who actually value curb appeal and recurring maintenance. Cinco breaks down startup costs, pricing, profit margins, seasonality, and why he's still running lean while planning for future growth. If you've ever wondered how “unsexy” service businesses quietly generate great income and freedom, this conversation will open your eyes! What we discuss with Cinco: + Leaving construction to start striping + Choosing independent over franchise + Training with an out-of-state striping company + Bootstrapping equipment and startup costs + Hitting cash flow within two months + Discounting early jobs to gain clients + Targeting customers who value curb appeal + Door knocking and in-person sales + Managing seasonality and recurring clients + Profit margins, salary, and plans to scale Thank you, Cinco! Check out Trueline Striping at TruelineStripingTX.com. Follow Cinco on Instagram and LinkedIn. To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/training⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Ever found yourself lingering at a sports bar just to dodge a household chore? In this laugh-out-loud episode of The JB and Sandy Show, Sandy confesses: “I ain't going home any time soon. You know what that means. Tricia is on a mission right now to clean the garage and I don't want to do that.”

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: What is Governor Abbott trying to hide, if anything, related to his last moment veto of the state ban on get-high hemp THC? The Feds have now closed the very loopholes that allowed a new multi-billion get-high drug industry that was never intended to be part of hemp production but Abbott, at the last moment vetoed Texas' bill doing the same. Abbott clearly doesn't want to make it easy to know who he was protecting as he's put a cost estimate of $25,000 on providing a simple list of all of those who petitioned his office for the veto.Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.YCT endorses Don Huffines for Texas Comptroller in the GOP primary.Issa to stick with California district changing under Prop 50, rejects Texas run.Smith County Democrats withdraw from Tyler Christmas Parade in solidarity with illegal aliens. Showing that even in Texas the Democrat grassroots are more concerned with harboring illegal aliens than with the safety of citizens – that includes millions of “Hispanic” citizens.San Marcos becomes latest Central Texas city to cut ties with Flock camera. Way to go!Mentioned but not covered: Former Maduro Spy Chief's Letter To Trump Seeks To Expose Narco-Terrorist War Against U.S. Quite interesting.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates. www.PrattonTexas.com

If things are looking tough right now, here's some hope for you...According to one of my mentors - Richard Wilkins "The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence" The past may explain the present but it needn't dictate the future. Join Erin and Megan as we explore hope, healing and more as we look forward to a brighter future.Erin Argue is Heart Galleries of Texas Post-Permanency DirectorErin Argue first came to TACFS as an intern in 2022 during an MSW program at Texas State and returned as the Heart Galleries of Texas Associate Director in 2023. Before the Alliance, Erin spent her career supporting youth in foster care at member organizations, Partnerships for Children and Settlement Home for Children. There, she managed major programs, services, and projects.Originally from the Great Lakes State, Erin graduated from Michigan State University and earned two B.S. degrees in Psychology and Environmental Geosciences.Now, Erin lives in Austin. As a people person with a love for connection, she spends lots of time outside, with friends, and with her dog, Charlie the Bandit.Megan Ransom is Chief Executive Officer The Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services (TACFS).Megan joined TACFS as the Director of Community Engagement in 2019, moved into the role of Chief of Staff in 2021, and became the CEO in 2025. She came to TACFS from Partnerships for Children, an Austin-based nonprofit, where she served as the Director of Foster and Adoption Services. Megan worked closely with DFPS and many Central Texas child placing agencies and nonprofits on community education/outreach initiatives built around children in the foster care system who are waiting for adoption. She also worked at Texas CASA in the Quality Assurance Department.She has a passion for building strategic collaborations that produce results and continuously work towards improvement of practices and partnerships to lift up the children and families involved in the child welfare system.An Indiana native, Megan earned a BA in Sociology & Psychology from Indiana University and a Master's of Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She is also Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner through the Karyn Purvis institute of Child Development.Megan and her husband are parents to two boys, both adopted through the Texas foster care system.https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganshawrhoades/https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-argue-2055646/https://tacfs.org/https://www.instagram.com/txalliancecfs/https://www.facebook.com/texasalliance/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

*Rio Grande Valley citrus trees are suffering from a lack of water.  *Texas A&M is adding a new meat science and technology center in Bryan.   *The Trump administration is expected to announce an aid package for farmers next week. *What's the status of cow herd rebuilding in the Texas Panhandle? *Interest rates are moving lower.  *The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids act is moving through Congress.  *Central Texas is warmer and drier than usual this year.  *Analyzing your hay is important to determine how much hay you will need.  

Shakira BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Shakira continues to make waves as she powers through the final stretch of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. As of today, Wednesday December third, the Colombian superstar is currently performing her South American leg, with shows scheduled in Montevideo at Estadio Centenario tonight and tomorrow night. Following those dates, she'll head to Buenos Aires for multiple performances at Estadio Velez Sarsfield from December eighth through eleventh, then Cordoba on December fourteenth.Looking ahead to the holiday season, Shakira has announced an exciting intimate venue pivot. She's bringing her Up Close and Personal concert series to Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Due to overwhelming demand, a third show has been added to the original two performances scheduled for December twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth, with the additional date set for Monday December twenty-ninth at eight PM.The tour itself has shattered records globally. The twelve sold-out shows in Mexico City earlier this year generated approximately twenty thousand jobs across logistics, security, transportation, and production, according to Billboard. In her native Colombia, Barranquilla's local government estimated her performances generated nearly two hundred and seven billion Colombian pesos in economic impact, equivalent to roughly fifty million US dollars.Shakira's album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran continues its commercial dominance. The record became the most-streamed album of twenty twenty-four in its first twenty-four hours and achieved seven-times Platinum certification. The album itself won a Grammy for Best Latin Album, cementing her status as a force in the industry.Recent business developments show Shakira expanding her influence beyond music. Epson announced a new partnership with the artist as brand ambassador for the META-CWA initiative, focusing on inspiring youth creativity and innovation through accessible technology.On the charitable front, Shakira demonstrated her commitment to community causes by pledging to donate a portion of proceeds from her July fifth San Antonio concert to Hill Country disaster relief following Central Texas floods.With her net worth now estimated at approximately three hundred fifty million dollars, Shakira maintains her position as one of the most commercially successful Latin artists of all time, boasting over ninety-five million records sold worldwide and more than twenty-seven billion YouTube views.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

This special holiday edition of The Market Pulse, hosted by Aaron Fichera of SmartTouch Interactive, celebrates the season of giving by spotlighting the incredible work of Austin Habitat for Humanity. Join us as we welcome Billy Whipple, Chief Impact Officer, for an inspiring conversation about the organization's mission, the growth of attainable housing in Central Texas, and the power of community collaboration. Billy shares updates on exciting local developments, dives into the impact of HomeBase Texas, and offers meaningful ways for individuals, families, and companies to give back this season…whether by swinging a hammer, making a donation, or helping spread the word. Tune in for heartwarming stories, community insights, and actionable ways you can be part of building a better future for all.  It's not just about building homes. It's about building hope. 

This month on From Waterloo to the Alamo, host Traci Turnquist-Wilson and guest co-host/producer Travis Knight take you on a spirited, joy-filled ride through the Greater Austin area! From the eclectic heartbeat of South Austin to the twinkling traditions of the Hill Country, exploring the stories, celebrations, and downright delightful quirks that make December in Central Texas feel electric. They'll spotlight beloved holiday moments like the Trail of Lights in its iconic 60th year, the high-energy winter spectacular at COTA, and Austin's vibrant New Year's Eve celebration at Auditorium Shores, where fireworks, music, and community cap off the season in true ATX style. Whether you're a longtime Austinite or a Hill Country admirer from afar, this episode delivers the glow, the nostalgia, and the fun that define the holidays in Austin!#FromWaterlootoTheAlamo #EngelAndVolkers #AustinPodcast #AustinLife #GreaterAustin #SouthAustin #HillCountryTexas #KeepAustinWeird #TrailOfLights #AustinEvents #AustinRealEstate #CentralTexasLiving #AustinCommunity #HolidaySeasonATX #ATXHolidays #PodcastLife #TexasHillCountry #AustinTraditions #ZilkerTrailOfLights #EVAustin #TraciTurnquistWilson #TravisKnight

In this week's episode of What's Up Waco, I sat down with Dr. Christy Flick and Dr. Laura Shero — the powerhouse co-chairs behind the upcoming Women of Waco Level Up 2026 Conference, happening January 30, 2026, at the AC Hotel in downtown Waco.This is the first-ever full-day conference hosted by Women of Waco, and here's the best part — it's open to all businesswomen in Central Texas, not just WOW members.Christy and Laura shared how the event came to life, what women can expect, and why this conference is about so much more than business — it's about growth, impact, and connection.Here's what you'll hear in this episode: How Level Up 2026 was created to bring women together from every industry What it means to “level up” personally and professionally in 2026 Details on keynote speakers Dr. Linda Livingstone (President of Baylor University) and Rachel E. Pate (Vice President of the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce) Sneak peek at breakout sessions covering leadership, branding, financial growth, and balance Why this event is designed for connection — with networking, a coffee bar, lunch, swag bags, and an early happy hour Event Details:

After leaders in four member cities scheduled elections to consider leaving the Dallas Area Rapid Transit agency next May, a fifth North Texas town may join the ranks. Addison's City Council could join Irving, Plano, Highland Park and Farmers Branch if town leaders vote at a special meeting Tuesday, Dec. 2, to put its membership in DART on the ballot. In other news, Dallas police are investigating a disturbance call in downtown that turned into an officer-involved shooting early Monday; Informercial star Offer Vince Shlomi, best known as the “ShamWow guy” who hawked super absorbent towels on late-night television, is running for Congress in Texas. The 61-year old  Shlomi is vying for the Republican primary nod against 84-year old incumbent Rep. John Carter to represent a swath of Central Texas, which includes the northern suburbs of Austin, Temple and Fort Hood; and a beefy chain restaurant called Fatburger opened in Dallas' Preston Hollow Village over the weekend.  It's the first Fatburger in Dallas and the eighth in Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Elon Musk won the ear of President Donald Trump and made it his job to slash the federal government's budget, so-called Tesla Takedown groups sprouted up nationwide. Some grew less active after Musk was summoned back to his day job, but Austin's group is different. Here, a group of folks takes their job watchdogging Musk's business activities — and using very Austin-y tactics to protest them — very seriously, even if their demonstrations might make you laugh. And for good reason: Several of Musk's businesses have footprints in Central Texas, his technology is tested on Austinites, he's been active in state and local politics, and the county might owe his company millions of dollars.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don't forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this November 25th episode: DUER - Get 15% off at shopduer.com/ccaustin Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more.

Pastor Daniel and Elliot analyze this week's most controversial viral moments—from abortion testimonies to border security debates to transgender ideology in medical schools. This culture review episode gives you the biblical framework to understand what's really happening and why it matters.You'll Learn:✅ How worldview shapes life-and-death decisions on abortion✅ Just war doctrine and protecting American citizens from cartel violence✅ Why transparency on Epstein files matters beyond politics✅ The ongoing battle against gender ideology in medical institutionsPerfect for your commute or workout—get equipped with biblical wisdom that helps you navigate cultural chaos with confidence. Pastor Daniel brings pastoral insight and theological clarity while Elliot provides on-the-ground cultural analysis.This isn't just commentary—it's practical faith for the real world. Whether you're facing workplace pressure, online debates, or just trying to make sense of your social media feed, this episode gives you the tools to think biblically and stand firm.New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 AM CT. Subscribe so you never miss the biblical perspective on what matters most.Hosted by Pastor Daniel Hayworth of Vintage Church in Central Texas, joined by content director Elliot. Part of the Under God Podcast network equipping Christians to live out biblical principles in today's culture.

Send us a textThis week on The Texas HS Football Podcast Episode 131 Host Taylor Arenz sits down with Pflugerville Weiss senior Jorian Guinn Jr., one of the top defensive leaders in Central Texas and the heartbeat of a Wolves team that just pulled off one of the wildest playoff comebacks of the season. Taylor and Jorian talk through his senior year emotions, how fast this journey has flown by and Jorian walks us through that unbelievable second half against La Porte including the game changing blocked punt and scoop-and-score that tied it up and gives real insight into the mindset and toughness behind Weiss' success.Then, Taylor chats with Sulphur Springs senior playmaker Jaxson Haire, the heartbeat of an offense that just powered the Wildcats through a huge Week 11 win over Panther Creek and a dominant first-round playoff victory. Jaxson breaks down his senior season, the growth that led to more than 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns, and what it's been like leading this team during such a special year.It's a fun, genuine conversation about leadership, belief, and what it takes to shine under Friday night lights. Take a listen! 

What does it really mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? In this Q&A episode, Pastor Stephen Martin and Pastor Nate Brown explore the complete work of the Holy Spirit in believers' lives—from the moment of salvation through sanctification, spiritual gifts, and miraculous works. Discover how the New Covenant reality of the Spirit living IN you differs from Old Testament experiences, why the fruit of the Spirit proves genuine salvation, and how spiritual gifts operate biblically in today's church.You'll Learn:✅ The Trinity's role in creation and salvation✅ Why hearing God's voice is evidence of being saved✅ Salvation vs. sanctification explained clearly✅ The fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5✅ Three categories of spiritual gifts and how they function✅ Biblical guidelines for testing prophetic words✅ Modern testimonies of miraculous healings✅ Why every miracle points to God's coming kingdom

*Cotton harvest is rolling fast through the Texas southern plains and panhandle.*After more than 200 years, the Farmers' Almanac is saying goodbye.*A Texas FFA member earned National Honors at the recent National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. *The U.S. Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is up for review next year, and that was a topic of discussion at the recent U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Fall Conference.*How close is New World Screwworm to the southern US border?*Research and development and tariffs are contributing to higher seed costs.*A CEU program is coming up in Central Texas.*Scour in baby calves is common.

After surviving the Texas Legislature, the hemp industry now faces a new challenge: In one year, products like gummies and drinks that are hemp-based or hemp-derived will be prohibited. The ban was folded into the deal to reopen the federal government, despite an attempt by Sen. Ted Cruz to strip it from the final version, and some are hoping that Cruz can help reverse it before the ban goes into effect. The move comes after the Texas cannabis and hemp industry beat most attempts by the state legislature to shut business down, and would cripple businesses in Austin, Central Texas, and throughout the state. Executive Producer Eva Ruth Moravec is joined by Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, to talk about it all. If you're looking for info on the conference Fazio mentioned, check here.   Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don't forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this November 18th episode: DUER - Get 15% off at shopduer.com/ccaustin Simply Eloped Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more.

Monologue:ContestMushy SteakTown Lake ToxinsShort Mama'sCloning? Good Idea? Guest:Even young people need this info so they can make sure their parents and grandparents are in a good place. Chad Hardy is the guy who somehow makes Medicare make sense. (We know. Miracles are real.) As the founder of Oakline Benefits, he's built a reputation for guiding seniors and their families through Part A, B, C, D, and all the fine print in between, with clarity, patience, and just enough humor to keep everyone sane. A Central Texas local, Chad is known for being the guy who answers the phone, explains things twice if needed, and still asks how your grand kids are doing. When he's not meeting with clients, you'll find him at community events, coaching youth sports, or quietly proving that “doing the right thing” is still good business. Smart. Kind. And somehow… fun to talk Medicare with.Stories that deserve to be told! Based in Dripping Springs, Steve Mallett and Michelle Lewis invite you into their world of engaging conversations with guests who bring fresh ideas, humor, and wisdom to the table. They dive into everything from life's absurdities to community quirks, adding their signature twist of small-town charm and bold candor. Think of them as the funny neighbors with the best stories, the ones who always tell it like it is. With a healthy dose of Hill Country spirit, they explore local gossip and topics that connect us all—proving you don't need to be famous to be extraordinary; you just need a microphone and the courage to share your voice. Every episode is a mix of laughter, insight, and connection, making this podcast one you won't want to miss! Send us a textSupport the show Looking for the best Realtor in Dripping Springs? The #1 choice is the Mallett Integrity Team, led by Steve Mallett. Local expertise, integrity, and results-driven service— Cedric Mills, Carlisle Kennedy, Maury Boyd, and Michelle Lewis. SouthStar Bank a tradition of full-service community banking for over 100 years. Your neighborhood Bank. www.southstarbank.com The Deep Eddy Vodka Tasting Room is in the Texas Hill Country just outside Austin, TX. The venue welcomes over 75,000 visitors annually and sits within the former bottling plant. Family Friendly Fun in the Hill Country! events@deepeddyvodka.com Jovie Belterra-Nestled within the Belterra community, discover your path to joy and wellness at the exquisite 55+ apartment community. Follow us, leave a review, TELL A FRIEND!AppleInstagramWebsite...

The six-week long federal government shutdown is over, but it is still affecting the 270,000 people in Central Texas who are a part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the 74,000 federal workers in the area. Without their typical amount of food assistance or even a paycheck, folks in the Austin region have turned to organizations for help. To find out more about how Austinites have been impacted, and how locals are filling in the gaps, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Tawana Barksdale, an organizer with the ATX Free Fridge Project; and Beth Corbett, vice president of governmental affairs and advocacy for the Central Texas Food Bank.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don't forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this November 17th episode: DUER - Get 15% off at Simply Eloped

This is episode 79 of the Hidden History of Texas, Central Texas Floods of the 2000s. The Central Texas Floods of the 2000s damaged Lake Marble Falls 2002 Central Texas Floods The summer of 2002 brought storm after storm, pounding San Antonio and the Hill Country with relentless rain. By July, creeks had swollen into rivers, and the city's flood-control systems groaned under the pressure. Cars floated down highways, neighborhoods were cut off, and families had to be rescued from rooftops in San Antonio's South Side. San Antonio International Airport recorded a staggering 9.52 inches of rain on July 1 alone, setting a new record for the month Over the next week, rainfall totals in several counties reached between 25 and 35 inches, leading to widespread flash flooding. The Guadalupe and Blanco Rivers swelled beyond their banks, inundating communities and causing significant damage. The floodwaters claimed 12 lives, damaged approximately 48,000 homes, and resulted in an estimated $1 billion in damages. Twenty-four counties were declared federal disaster areas. 2015 Blanco River Flood (Wimberley & San Marcos) The event was part of a larger weather system that affected Texas and Oklahoma, producing 75 tornadoes and widespread flooding. The Blanco River, which typically flows at 93 cubic feet per second, experienced a record-breaking crest of 44.9 feet at Wimberley, Texas, with a peak flow of 175,000 cubic feet per second as a result on the night of May 23, 2015, yes it was another Memorial Day Weekend flood, and the Blanco River transformed into a wall of water. Fueled by nearly a foot of rain falling in the Hill Country, the river rose over 40 feet in just a few hours. In Wimberley, whole houses were lifted from their foundations and carried downstream like rafts, some with families still inside. In Wimberley the floodwaters rose more than 30 feet in less than three hours, overwhelming the Fischer Store Road bridge and sweeping away entire homes. The rapid rise of the river left little time for residents to evacuate, and the devastation was immense. In Wimberley alone, more than a dozen lives were lost, and the community was left to grapple with the aftermath 2025 – Kerrville & Central Texas Floods On July 4, 2025, flash floods devastated Kerrville and surrounding Hill Country communities. Late on July 3, 2025, the remnant mid-level circulation of Atlantic Tropical Storm Barry became embedded within a broader mid-level trough already containing tropical east Pacific remnant moisture This system developed into a massive thunderstorm which stalled over Central Texas. Flooding began on the morning of July 4, after significant rainfall accumulated across Central Texas. Six flash flood emergencies, which included the cities of Kerrville and Mason, were issued the same day. The Guadalupe River rose about 26 ft in 45 minutes. It surged an estimated 29 ft in the Hunt area, where more than 20 children were declared missing from a summer camp. July 5 saw more flash flood warnings for the Lake Travis area, which is part of the Colorado River watershed. In the span of a few hours, the equivalent to four months' worth of rain fell across the Texas Hill Country region, with the highest rain totals being 20.33 inches. Over 135 people died in the flood The Central Texas Floods of the 2000s, weren't the first floods to cause destruction in the region and in all likelihood they won't be the last. All we can do is try to prepare the best we can.

“Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in a town where the air itself becomes the talk of the community?” That's the question that kicks off this lively episode of The JB and Sandy Show. Join JB, Sandy, and special guest Tricia as they dive into the quirky, sometimes pungent realities of life in Central Texas. The episode opens with a hilarious debate over the ultimate workout playlist—would yacht rock really get you pumped up?—before shifting to the headline-grabbing saga of Bastrop's infamous animal byproduct rendering facility. Hundreds of residents are up in arms as the “smell of death and poop” drifts for miles, sparking memories of childhood odors and the oddities of growing up near factories and mills. But it's not all about the nose! The show takes a dramatic turn with the story of the Vandegrift High School band's semi-trailer, which was struck by a train en route to a state competition. Hear how the band community rallied, with other schools lending instruments so the show could go on—culminating in a triumphant third-place finish. Throughout, Tricia brings her signature wit and insight, sharing firsthand accounts and local news that keep the conversation fresh and relatable. Her background as a plugged-in Austinite and her knack for storytelling make her the perfect guide through these uniquely Texan tales. The hosts also riff on celebrity culture, from Glenn Powell's rise as Austin's new “ministry of culture” (with a little help from Matthew McConaughey) to the surprising roster of University of Texas alumni. Expect laughs, nostalgia, and a few unexpected facts that will have you texting your friends. Call-to-Action Love what you hear? Don't miss a moment—subscribe to The JB and Sandy Show on your favorite podcast platform, leave us a review, and share this episode with friends who appreciate a good story (and maybe a good laugh about bad smells). Your support keeps the conversation going!

This week on What's Up Waco, Erica sits down with Abigail Conrad, one of the owners of Texas Photo Bomb — the vintage photo booth trailer that's become a local favorite at weddings, birthday parties, and big events across Central Texas.Abigail shares how she and her husband, Josiah, ended up purchasing this one-of-a-kind business and what it's been like stepping into something that already holds so many special memories for people in Waco.Their 1959 Clipper trailer has been beautifully restored and turned into a traveling photo booth that instantly brings fun and nostalgia to any event. With its vintage charm, creative props, and welcoming atmosphere, it's more than just a photo booth — it's an experience people remember.We talk about: The story behind how Abigail discovered (rediscovered) and fell in love with Texas Photo Bomb The vintage trailer that started it all Why creating experiences that make people smile matters so much How to bring joy and connection into the business you run What's next for Texas Photo Bomb as they grow and serve more of Central Texas Whether you're planning a celebration, love local business stories, or just want to smile, this episode will make your day.Connect with Texas Photo Bomb:texasphotobomb.com | Instagram @texasphotobomb | Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#837 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/837     Presented by: Drifthook Fly Fishing, Fish The Fly, TroutRoutes, Patagonia Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors   In this episode, we dig into Central Texas fly fishing with guide and musician-turned-angler Alvin Dedeaux of All Water Guides. Alvin shares how his path from the music scene, where Nirvana once opened for his band, led him to become one of the top Orvis-Endorsed outfitters in the country. We dive into the incredible diversity of Texas fly fishing, from Guadalupe bass on the Colorado and Llano Rivers to sight fishing for redfish on the Texas coast. Alvin breaks down when and where to find the best action, what makes Central Texas such a special place to fish, and how fly fishing here blends both fresh and saltwater adventures like nowhere else. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/837      

Listen to the SF Daily podcast for today, October 30, 2025, with host Lorrie Boyer. These quick and informative episodes cover the commodity markets, weather, and the big things happening in agriculture each morning. The lack of results for ag from the U.S.-China trade meeting yesterday is disappointing for the industry, particularly for soybeans. The ongoing government shutdown disrupted news flow, affecting export sales and the November WASDA report. Ethanol production declined slightly, with inventories rising to 22.316 million barrels. Cattle imports from Mexico remain halted, pressuring the market. Freeze warnings were issued from Central Nebraska to Central Texas, signaling the end of the season's freeze warnings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Dedication from Nikki: I'd like to dedicate this episode to my parents, who first taught me to love the outdoors, and to my husband, who keeps me exploring and rambling our beautiful country.Episode Description:In this episode, we head to the heart of Central Texas to explore Lake Brownwood State Park with Park Superintendent Nikki from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Nikki shares her journey through the state park system, what brought her to Lake Brownwood, and the stories that make this park so special.We dive into the park's rich Civilian Conservation Corps history, including an exciting renovation of its historic cabins and lodges, and the recent 869-acre expansion that's shaping the park's future. From scenic hiking trails and lakeside recreation to efforts in conservation and community connection, Nikki paints a vivid picture of a park that's both historic and evolving.Whether you're planning your first trip or returning to relive old memories, this episode will give you a fresh look at one of Texas' most charming lakeside getaways.

In this episode of the Old Capital Real Estate Investing Podcast, Paul Peebles and Michael Becker dive into the evolving Central Texas real estate market with guest Matt Michelson, Executive Managing Director at Newmark. They discuss the growth along the I-35 corridor, the challenges posed by apartment oversupply in Austin and San Antonio, and the opportunities for investors in emerging submarkets like Kyle, New Braunfels, and Seguin. Despite current market softness, the trio highlights why now is a great time to invest in multifamily properties, emphasizing the long-term potential for value growth and rental demand in the region. To contact Matt Michelson: matt.michelson@nmrk.com Are you ready to unlock the potential of Multifamily Syndications? Discover how Michael Becker's proven real estate syndication business can open doors to financial growth and long-term success. Visit SPIADVISORY.COM today and start your journey toward smarter investing!

In this conversation, Vincent Balagia, the founder of Stallion Capital Management, discusses the current state of the real estate market, focusing on private credit and debt investments. He explains the differences between real estate debt and equity, the demand for stable investments, and the importance of networking in the industry. Balagia shares insights on market predictions, construction costs, and the future of real estate in Central Texas, emphasizing the need for adaptability and caution in investment strategies.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true ‘white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a “mini-mastermind” with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming “Retreat”, either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas “Big H Ranch”? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

From the stick-straight pines of Bastrop to an iconic dinner table in a room full of animal carcasses, Central Texas is home to dozens of creepy scenes on the silver screen. To celebrate scary movie season, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by City Cast Austin contributor Eric Webb to dish on what's filmed here, and our local horror film and TV stars. And heads up, several Austin venues are showing scary movie series right now, like the Paramount Theatre, AFS Cinema, Hyperreal Film Club, and the Alamo Drafthouse. Plus, would movies like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” installments or Robert Rodriguez's portion of “Grindhouse” be eligible for a Texas heritage grant boost under the state's new film incentives requirements? Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  And don't forget– you can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Austin Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE  Learn more about the sponsors of this October 15th episode: LBJ Presidential Library The Texas Tribune Festival Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

A little over a week after the devastating floods in Central Texas, the death toll has reached more than 130 people — and the search for the missing continues.In the aftermath of the disaster, there have been mounting questions about how local officials handled the critical hours before and after the storm. Today, we look at the missed opportunities that may have contributed to the growing tragedy — and whether anything more could have been done to save lives.Guest: Christopher Flavelle, a Times reporter covering how President Trump is transforming the local government..Background reading: Kerr County, where most of the deaths occurred, failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.Years before the floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved the removal of many Camp Mystic buildings from flood zones, records show.Eight-year-olds at camp, families in their R.V.s: These were some of the lives lost to the Texas floods.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Carter Johnston for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.