Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed James Hicks of Abilene to serve as criminal district attorney for Taylor County until the November general election. Hicks is the GOP nominee for the post, which is open after the James Eidson stepped down after 28 years in order to run for district judge.
Abbott has named Roger Cox of Amarillo to the post of Canadian River Compact Commissioner for a term to expire Dec. 31, 2021, and has named S. David Deanda Jr. of Mission to be presiding officer of the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2018.
Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tom Mechler has added another lawmaker to his re-election endorsement list: U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan.
Rick Figueroa, who is running for the post of Republican National Committeeman, has received an endorsement of his candidacy from the Hispanic Republicans of Texas.
SD-24 runoff candidate Dawn Buckingham collected endorsements this week from Bedford state Rep. Jonathan Stickland and three Brown County Commissioners — Gary Worley, Wayne Shaw and Larry Traweek.
In other SD-24 runoff endorsement news, the political arm of the Texas State Rifle Association noted over the weekend that it has given its endorsement to Susan King in the race.
The political arm of Texans for Lawsuit Reform said on Monday that it has endorsed Ernest Bailes in the GOP House district runoff election to find a successor to John Otto, the outgoing Appropriations chairman, to represent HD-18.
Annie’s List, which has its mission statement electing more progressive women, has endorsed Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee to represent the open HD-49 seat based in Austin. She does not have a Republican challenger in the fall.
Dallas surgeon Don Read was installed as president of the Texas Medical Association at the medical society’s annual conference held last week. TMA also installed as president-elect Edinburg gastroenterologist Carlos Cardenas, who’s perhaps better known in the Capitol as the chairman at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance.
Austin environmental attorney Kinnan Golemon has been included in an oral history project created by the Environmental Law Institute to spotlight 24 pioneers in the field of environmental law.
Eminent domain law firm Barron & Adler LLP announced that it has named Christopher Clough and Christopher Oddo as managing partners. To reflect their new leadership positions, the firm is changing its name to Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo.
Deaths: Ken Towery, 93, who, among other things, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, an aide to Texas Sen. John Tower, chairman of the board for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Texas campaign manager for Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign and deputy press secretary for Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign. Funeral services are pending with Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Homes.
Disclosure: The Texas Medical Association, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance and Kinnan Golemon have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.