Matt Dotray
A-J Media
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Past articles by Matt:
Dotray: A difficult farewell from a local reporter and fan of local news
In this opinion piece, veteran A-J reporter Matt Dotray reflects on his career in the newsroom as he prepares to embark on a new chapter of life → Read More
City Council discussing what goes to voters in November
The Lubbock City Council's two main initiatives of late, a road bond and updating the city charter, met when council members started discussing the potential November ballots this week. Both initiatives have been in the works all year, and they could be on the ballot together, although there's some reservation from several council members in having both in the same election just a few months… → Read More
City breaks ground on new police headquarters
Three patrol division stations nearing completion. → Read More
South Plains is currently drought free
Drought conditions plague the West, but the South Plains has benefited from recent rainfall. → Read More
Lubbock school districts are increasing teacher pay in adopted 2021-22 budgets
Adopted 2021-22 budgets are including salary increases for teachers and staff members → Read More
Lubbock's new 50th and Indiana water tower going up this week
Citizens are welcome to observe from a safe distance from the active construction site at 50th Street and Joliet Avenue in Central Lubbock → Read More
Lubbock airport travel is slowly bouncing back
Travel out of Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport is way up from last year, but still below pre-pandemic numbers. Part of the reason it hasn't fully bounced back is that not all the flights have returned, including Lubbock's direct service to Austin. In April of 2020, the first full month of COVID-19 in Lubbock County, saw the fewest passengers out of the Lubbock airport. Just 2,345… → Read More
City Council pursuing $174 million bond election for road projects
Proposed Lubbock bond election would be in November 2021 → Read More
One person dead in Sunday night crash near Tahoka
The Texas Department of Transportation says James Dean Levasseur, 58, of Williston, North Dakota, was killed in a vehicle accident that occurred Sunday night near Tahoka. The accident happened at about 10:30 p.m. on Highway 87 just five miles south of Tahoka, according to a news release from DPS. According to the accident report, Levasseur's pickup drifted right onto the road shoulder, where a… → Read More
Vehicle crash forces southbound I-27 to close
Southbound lanes on Interstate 27 between the Marsha Sharp Freeway and 19th Street were closed Monday afternoon after a collision that resulted in injuries. LPD's Major Crash Investigation Unit is currently at the scene, according to a news release. The call came in at 12:01 p.m. → Read More
County residents are starting to notice groundwater depletion
County residents may need to start thinking about alternatives to groundwater → Read More
Within reach? Open Door says they're closer than ever to ending chronic homelessness in Lubbock
Lubbock's Open Door always says the solution to homelessness is a home, and for decades, the organization has worked to provide homes for the homeless. About five years ago, they settled on a main mission: to end chronic homelessness in Lubbock. At the time, 85 people were identified as experiencing chronic homelessness in the city. With a new annual grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and… → Read More
COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Southcrest Baptist Church every Wednesday this month
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available. → Read More
Charter review committee recommends slight salary increase for city council
Recommendation keeps notion that being on city council is still mostly a volunteer position. → Read More
Gov. Abbott signs bill allowing Midwestern State to join TTU System
MSU will officially become a member institution at the start of fiscal year 2022. → Read More
55 new COVID cases in Lubbock County this past week
No new deaths linked to COVID-19 this past week. → Read More
Area grape growers file lawsuit against Bayer-Monsanto and BASF over herbicide damage
The lawsuit says some family-owned vineyards report losses of more than 90% due to herbicide drift. → Read More
Lubbock Health Department hosting several vaccination clinics at schools
School vaccines, and COVID vaccines, are available. → Read More
Buffalo Lake not awarded grant to upgrade dam
There’s a rejuvenated effort to make improvements to McMillan Dam at Buffalo Springs Lake, but the first shot fell short. The McMillan Dam at Buffalo Springs Lake has been deemed at high-risk by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for more than a decade. The dam that was built in the 1970's keeps the water level flat at Buffalo Springs Lake, and the overflow spills downstream into the… → Read More
City, county to decide how to spend $116 million in COVID recovery funding
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included $350 billion in funding to state and local governments for economic recovery. → Read More