Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Alejandro “Alex” Cestero of Houston and Scott Salmans of McGregor to the Judicial Compensation Commission for terms to expire Feb. 1, 2021. Abbott also reappointed Bill Strawn of Austin, who will continue to serve as the commission’s chairman, for a term to end Feb. 1, 2021. The commission recommends the proper salaries to be paid by the state for all justices and judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, Courts Of Appeals, and state district courts.

Texas Republicans have decided to hold their 2018 convention in San Antonio. The State Republican Executive Committee voted Saturday to stage their biannual gathering in the Alamo City. The committee heard presentations from Houston and San Antonio. Fort Worth has already been selected as the site of Texas Democrats' 2018 convention.

The Dallas Morning News endorsed on Thursday Mark Miller, the Libertarian candidate for Railroad Commissioner. The DMN is the second major metropolitan newspaper to endorse the third-party candidate in the race, following the Houston Chronicle, which endorsed Miller last week.

The Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin announced on Wednesday the hire of S. Gail Eckhardt as the first director of LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes. She additionally carries the title of associate dean of the medical school. Eckhardt previously led the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado Denver’s Anshutz Medical Campus.

Deaths: Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Barbara Culver Clack, 90, who passed away over the weekend in Midland. She became the second woman to serve full time on the Court after being appointed to the bench in 1988 by then Gov. Bill Clements. She lost an election to keep the seat later in the year to Jack Hightower.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin and the LIVESTRONG Foundation have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.