Better Business Bureau Torch Awards Announced

A woman was arrested for driving while intoxicated early Wednesday. A Brazos County Sheriff’s Deputy reported seeing a vehicle speeding and drifting between lanes on Highway 6 near Peach Creek around 2:30am. Arrest reports say 23-year-old Hayley Michelle Euhlinger was clocked doing 99 MPH in a 75 MPH zone. Officers say her speech was slurred and smelled of alcohol. She denied consuming alcohol, but failed a field sobriety test. Breathalyzer tests administered as she was being booked into the Brazos County Jail showed results of  0.168 and 0.170, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. Euhlinger was charged with Driving While Intoxicated with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.15 or greater. She is free on $9,000 bond. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

(AUSTIN, TX) — Texas Comptroller Don Huffines today announced an executive order barring any business that demands proof of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery from its customers from receiving a Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts contract or grant. Under the order, every contractor and grantee must certify that it complies with Section 161.0085, Texas Health and Safety Code, and does not require customers to show COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery documentation to enter, gain access to, or receive service from its business. “The government has no authority to demand medical papers from Texans just so they can access basic services,” Huffines said. “Forcing someone to disclose private health information to receive help from a state‑funded program is an outrageous invasion of privacy. Texans should never have to choose between their medical freedom and their ability to participate in public life. “It is very rare for government to restore liberty once it has taken it. That is exactly what I am doing at this agency. During COVID, Texans had their liberty taken from them one mandate at a time. This order is one more step in an ongoing effort to give Texans back the freedoms that were taken from them, and there is more to come.” Texas law already makes a business that imposes such a requirement ineligible to receive a grant or enter into a contract payable with state funds. Under the order, contractors and grantees must certify that they: Comply with Section 161.0085, Texas Health and Safety Code, for the full term of the agreement. Do not require customers to provide any documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery to enter, gain access to, or receive service from the business. Acknowledge that requiring such documentation makes the business ineligible for a state-funded contract or grant. These requirements will be standard terms in future contracts and grants administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The agency will incorporate the vaccine passport certification into its solicitations and agreements going forward. The Comptroller’s office is writing immediate-termination authority into its agreements to enforce the certification. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

(AUSTIN, TX) — Prospective students submitted more than 400,000 applications to Texas public colleges and universities during Free College Application Week last week, marking a 47 percent increase over the program’s inaugural year in 2025. Students who apply to college during Free College Application (FCAW) week can save up to $75 per application fee, which translates to hundreds of dollars if they apply to multiple colleges. They are also able to get their applications into the queue early with admissions officers. “The strong participation in the second year of Free College Application Week underscores the aspirations of Texas students to earn a postsecondary certificate or degree. We are grateful to the many advisors, counselors and administrators at high schools, colleges and universities who helped raise awareness of this opportunity,” said Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser. “Texas is home to an extraordinary pool of talented students eager for an education that sets them on a thriving career path, and Free College Application Week is one way we help them get a good start.” This year Free College Application Week ran from Oct. 12 to Oct. 18. During that time frame, any Texas resident submitting an eligible undergraduate admission application as a first-time, transfer, visiting or returning student could receive the fee waiver from the state’s public colleges and universities as long as they applied through the official ApplyTexas website. This year, 402,583 applications were submitted, nearly a 47 percent increase over 2025, the first year of the program, when 273,579 applications were submitted. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board oversees the FCAW program and maintains a full suite of online programs that help prospective higher education students. Those include: My Texas Future, a website created by the state that helps students explore careers, discover education and training programs that match their interests and skills, and learn about ways to pay for school. Students can start building their profiles in middle school as early as age 13, making the application process easier. Direct Admissions, a feature of My Texas Future that further streamlines the college application process. By entering basic information like GPA, class rank, and test scores, students instantly receive a personalized list of Texas public universities where they could qualify for admission—before even starting the application. ApplyTexas, the state’s online tool for applications to Texas’ public higher education institutions, must be used to qualify for application fee waivers during Free College Application Week. Available year round, ApplyTexas.org serves first-time college students, returning students, visiting students, transfer students, and graduate applicants. Its application guide helps students understand all the documents and resume items they will need. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.