KELI From Inkwell, this is the Amarillo News Drop. I'm Keli, with Hast.
HAST Jury selection begins next week in a Canyon manslaughter case. Ulise Delao, 31, faces two felony counts in the death of Brittany Torres, 27, the mother of his child. Torres died May 27th of last year following a crash that Canyon Police responded to around one in the morning. A pretrial hearing happened Monday afternoon — both sides are ready to move to trial. The charge carries prison time if convicted.
KELI That one's moving fast. On the campus front — West Texas A&M Police identified a person responsible for sexually assaulting a minor in a residence hall on September 20th. No additional details on arrest status or the person's identity have been released yet, but WTPD has the case. That's the second serious incident on WT's campus this month.
HAST Different weight here — West Texas A&M also announced today that former football coach Bill Yung has passed away. Yung led the Buffaloes football program in 1977 and 1979, won Missouri Valley Conference titles, and was inducted into the WTAMU Hall of Champions in 2003. The university didn't announce the cause or age at his passing.
KELI Sticking with Texas — the state attorney general is launching an investigation into Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas over prior authorization delays. The AG's office says reports show BCBS-TX may have denied or delayed coverage for procedures doctors deemed medically necessary or urgent. That's a direct hit on Panhandle patients trying to get care approved. The investigation is active.
HAST On primary rules — a federal judge has paused the Texas GOP's lawsuit to close primaries to registered party members only. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled Monday that he expects Republicans will succeed in restricting primaries when the legislature meets next session. For now, the pause holds the case; the political fight isn't over.
KELI Before we close, a history note. Fifty-six years ago today, Alexander Fleming noticed a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory dish — the discovery that would become penicillin and reshape medicine.
HAST That's the Amarillo News Drop. Full script and sources at inkwell.wiki/news/amarillo.
KELI Before we close, a word from Inkwell. The same workshop behind this drop just published the Magnificat — the song Mary sings in Luke, where the powerful are pulled down from their thrones and the hungry are filled.
HAST It reads less like a carol than a manifesto. Find it at inkwell dot wiki, slash giv.
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