Starrs

The bracted twistflower , a Texas wildflower threatened by growing urban sprawl, was declared a threatened species Monday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The tall, bright purple flower, which has seen significant decline across its range in the rapidly developing I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio, will receive protection under the Endangered Species Act. Close to 1,600 acres across four Texas counties — Uvalde, Medina, Bexar and Travis — have been designated critical habitat for the plant. The protection, which comes after the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the federal agency, will lead to the development of a recovery plan to reintroduce the plant and prescribe conservation actions. It will also make removing, cutting, digging up or harming the plant illegal. “Very few busy Texans in the world today pause to think about these plants … but they still play an absolutely essential role in our world,” said Michael J. … [Read more...] about A rare Texas wildflower gets protection under the Endangered Species Act

Brandon Jones ’ wreck on the next-to-last scheduled lap sent the race into a two-lap overtime and Justin Allgaier quickly powered to the lead. On the final lap, Same Mayer went high to get around Allgaier and Hill hit him from behind, which sent Mayer’s No. 8 flipping in the air and bringing out a caution, which froze the field. Following a video review, NASCAR ruled Hill was the leader at the time the caution was called, which handed him his second straight Daytona win. Hill, who drives the No. 21 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing , had won the pole for the race but was forced to pit before the green flag to fix a radio issue. He essentially went from the back to the front in the race. “I have no idea (what happened). When I chose the outside line, I didn’t feel like the inside line was that great all day for the most part,” Hill said. “I just wanted to choose the top (on the final restart). I knew (Anthony Alfredo) would stay with me. “When I saw (Mayer) … [Read more...] about Austin Hill takes Daytona Xfinity win as Mayer flips in dramatic finish