Reporting Texas
News and features from UT-Austin's School of Journalism
byErika Gonzalez
In the weeks leading up to December 2025, Cortena Williams, owner of a Burleson water damage restoration company, was reviewing proposals and preparing agreements she said could help build up her business. After years trying to establish herself in an industry dominated by larger contractors, she had moved closer to contracts with major […]
byIsabel Neumann
When one Austin parent began researching private schools after Texas introduced its new voucher program, the parent expected more options for their child with disabilities. But many schools, including some that specialize in autism, would not accept students with emotional or behavioral needs. “I spent hours searching private and microschools in the Austin area,” the […]
byOISAKHOSE AGHOMO
Near a nondescript building in North Austin, if you listen hard, you can hear Mimi and Rodolfo falling in love.
As the Austin Opera prepares for its upcoming opening of “La Boheme,” it’s on the upswing into a new era – despite the recent turbulence surrounding the classical arts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. And while the actor Timothee Chalamet recently said “no one cares about” opera and ballet, Austin Opera is building its future.
byNoemi Castanon and Max Mazoch
Illene Barrera has taught social studies at Lehman High School in Kyle for nine years. Though the job can be challenging, Barrera has kept a positive attitude while preparing her students for the future.
“My goal for them is to be able to understand the world around them,” Barrera said, “and knowing the history of the country and then how it affects them, hopefully inspires them to be civic participants.”
But the way Barrera teaches is about to change.
