One person in the state dies every 7 hours and 41 minutes in a DUI-related crash, according to TxDOT. During spring break of 2021, Texas had 874 alcohol-related traffic crashes with 31 deaths and 107 serious injuries. TxDOT is partnering with U in the Driver Seat, a peer-to-peer program led by A&M students that is focused on saving lives by preventing DUI-related crashes. Student leaders from around the state are joining the campaign and urging fellow students to always find a sober ride.
“Our message to students is this: Help keep yourself and others safe by finding a sober ride, taking a cab, using a rideshare, or simply staying put,” said Marc Williams, TxDOT executive director.
TPWD celebrates park centennial with grants As Texas state parks mark their 100th anniversary, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is awarding the largest sum of grants in the program’s history. The agency is distributing more than $2.8 million to create 55 new grant-funded partnerships across the state to promote conservation and recreation.
The Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) was established in 1996 to introduce under- represented audiences to outdoor recreation, conservation and environmental education. Among the projects approved are students monitoring water quality along the Rio Grande, communities of color learning about the cultural history of the Buffalo Soldiers while hiking at Fort Davis State Park, and breast cancer survivors learning to fly fish in the state’s rivers.
The grants are funded through a portion of Texas’ sporting goods sales tax.
Daylight saving time starts Sunday Spring is approaching, and so is daylight saving time, which starts at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 12. Clocks jump ahead an hour, so if you forget to adjust the time you are liable to show up for church an hour late and miss the service.
The first two countries to use daylight saving time were Germany and Austria in 1916. They did so to save fuel used for artificial lights during World War I. The United States followed suit in 1918.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress. com.
