A twin-engine propeller plane crashed onto a Texas highway and split in two Wednesday afternoon, scattering debris across the road and sending four people to hospitals, authorities said. The Piper PA-31 with just the pilot aboard crashed about 3 p.m. near a highway overpass in Victoria, some 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Houston, the Federal Aviation Administration said. A police video statement on Facebook said three vehicles were damaged and images showed the aircraft split at the fuselage with part of the wreckage resting atop a car. Victoria Police Deputy Chief Eline Moya said three people had non-life threatening injuries, one was transported to an out-of-town hospital for higher level treatment, and the pilot was being evaluated. Moya did not specify if the pilot was among those taken to a hospital. “This is not something we see every day, but we are glad that people seem to be OK and they’re getting checked out,” Moya said. The pilot’s name and condition were not immediately released. The FAA said it would investigate the crash. Tony Poynor said he was approaching an intersection when he started hearing the sound of a small plane engine very close to him. “To…

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steve McCraw said goodbye to personnel Wednesday as he left Texas DPS Headquarters in Austin for the final time. McCraw announced in August he planned to retire by the end of the year after 15 years leading the department. “Serving as the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety has been the greatest honor of my life,” McCraw said in a statement. “I leave knowing that the future of this department is in the best possible hands. The continued efforts and commitment to excellence by those that work at DPS have made, and will continue to make, a profound difference in the lives of the people of this great state.” The Texas DPS said McCraw’s lifetime of service to law enforcement has been honored and recognized in many ways since he announced his retirement, including in a video series chronicling his impact on the DPS called “Honoring a Lifetime of Service.” Earlier this week, employees said goodbye to the director by lining the driveway at headquarters as he left campus. The tribute included a flyover. McCraw, a native of El Paso, began his career in law enforcement in 1977 as a state…

Texas is offering a parcel of rural ranchland along the U.S.-Mexico border to use as a staging area for potential mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump. Texas originally purchased the 1,402-acre property last month. It is located in rural Starr County in the Rio Grande Valley. Republican Dawn Buckingham, the Texas Land Commissioner, sent a letter on Thursday to Trump extending the offer. The letter is embedded at the bottom of this article. The land offer is the latest illustration of a sharp divide between states and local governments on whether to support or resist Trump’s plans for mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. illegally. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted to become a “sanctuary” jurisdiction, limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities to carry out deportations. Texas leaders have long backed aggressive measures on the border to curb crossings, including installing razor-wire barriers and passing a law last year that would allow law enforcement to arrest migrants who cross the border illegally. “By offering this newly-acquired 1400-acre property to the incoming Trump Administration for the construction of a facility for the processing, detention, and coordination of what will be the largest deportation of violent criminals…

Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says private school voucher legislation will be his top priority in the upcoming legislative session. Patrick has reserved Senate Bill 2 for the proposal, which has not yet been authorized. He also said that he hoped Republican Gov. Greg Abbott would declare school choice one of his emergency items for this session. By law, no bills can be passed within the first 60 days of the session unless the governor has deemed them emergency items. “School Choice” is frequently used to describe school vouchers and programs that use taxpayer money to help pay for private schools. “A one-size-fits-all approach to education in a state with a population of 30 million, 254 counties, 1,200 school districts, and over 8,000 campuses simply cannot possibly meet the needs of every student,” Patrick said. The proposal for school choice has been made five times since 2015. The Senate would pass it, but once it reached the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, it would be shut down every time. SCHOOL CHOICE Education May 30 Gov. Abbott says he's got the votes for…