The March 3 primaries in Texas are the first round of contests ahead of the all-important midterm elections in November. Your primary ballots include a slate of county, judicial, state and federal races. The winners will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram sent candidate questionnaires to everyone running in challenged races on Tarrant County ballots. Below are their unedited responses. The races include Tarrant County government, the Texas Legislature, Congress and a U.S. Senate seat.
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription
Rachel Royster is a news and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, specifically focused on Tarrant County. She joined the newsroom after interning at the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald and Capital Community News in DC. A Houston native and Baylor grad, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading and being outside. She welcomes any and all news tips to her email.
Schieffer, a Fort Worth native and a TCU grad, was sent to talk to young servicemen and relay messages to their families back in Texas.
Star-Telegram photographer Harry Cabluck sent Schieffer to Vietnam with a 35mm Nikon film camera. He arrived in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in December 1965, and spent four months talking to and photographing soldiers — some barely older than 20.
When Schieffer returned to the United States in 1966, he went on to become an anchor at Channel 5, and later a CBS correspondent and the moderator of “Face the Nation.”
Now, a collection of the photos that Schieffer took in Vietnam are on display for the first time at UT Arlington, in a special collection called “Our Man In Vietnam,” in addition to paintings that Schieffer created based on photographs he took of Texas soldiers serving in the war.
On Feb. 7, Schieffer was joined by friends and family, and one of the veterans he photographed, to celebrate the opening of the exhibit. He spoke to the crowd about his long career and what he hopes others can gain from seeing his work.
“Tonight, I’m going to give myself the same advice that I would give when people would ask me, ‘What’s the secret to moderating a presidential debate?’” Schieffer said. “Don’t forget that it’s not about you. It’s about them.”
He was referring to the soldiers that he originally photographed during his time in Vietnam, then painted decades later. During his time in Vietnam, Schieffer located 235 soldiers deployed from Texas, and interviewed dozens of them for the Star-Telegram.
“I’ve covered a lot of stories, but I never got the response that I got when I would ask kids, ‘Hi, I’m Bob Schieffer from the Star Telegram, and your mother asked me to find out how you were doing,’” Schieffer said. “I remember kids that would absolutely break into sobbing tears. They were lonesome. They were in a place that many of them had never heard of… I’ll never forget the looks on their faces when they saw me.”
Schieffer said that his time in Vietnam for the Star-Telegram altered the course of his career.
“I can’t think of any particular organization that I owe more to than the Star-Telegram,” Schieffer told the crowd.
After his remarks, Schieffer toured the exhibit and spoke to attendees along the way.
Marine Cpl. Joe Beaver Jr., an Arlington native, was in attendance Saturday night. He was one of the servicemen photographed and painted.
Beaver served for eight years in the Marines, and spent four years in Vietnam. He was wounded three times, he told reporters, and said how lucky he was to make it out of the war alive.
“This is about Bob Schieffer, not me,” Beaver said. “I just happened to be one that got shot all the time.”
As Beaver reminisced about the war, surrounded by his family, he spoke of those who never came home.
“I am the luckiest person in the world to come out of that country,” Beaver said.
Sara Pezzoni, the archivist at UT Arlington Libraries’ Special Collections department, was a major force behind the exhibition.
Schieffer reached out to Pezzoni in March 2025, she said, asking about photos he had taken in Vietnam. UTA also stores the Star-Telegram’s photo archives.
Pezzoni knew that UT Arlington didn’t have the photos he was talking about — but it turned out that Schieffer had, after all, held on to some of his notes and negatives.
Pezzoni visited Schieffer at his home in Washington, D.C., and discovered a trove of photographs, notes and letters that Star-Telegram readers had sent asking about their sons who were fighting in the war.
After a months-long search, Pezzoni and her team tracked down family members for all four of the soldiers Schieffer painted. Three of those families were present Saturday night.
The exhibition represents what Pezzoni and Schieffer both said is a top-of-mind goal — preserving American history for future generations.
“This exhibit has several intentions,” Pezzoni told the crowd. “It serves as a reflection of Bob’s career and how his time in Vietnam shaped who he became and is today, it celebrates Bob’s legacy of honoring service members and their families, and it brings more awareness to the history of the Vietnam War and its many complex layers.”
The free exhibit of Schieffer’s photos, titled “Our Man in Vietnam,” will be held in the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries’ Special Collections area at 702 Planetarium Place. Visit libraries.uta.edu/schieffer for more details. The exhibit is on display until April 4.
This story was originally published February 7, 2026 at 11:08 PM.
H-E-B announced in July it will build a second grocery store in Fort Worth.
H-E-B newsroom
Our Star-Telegram newsroom published nearly 8,000 stories this year, not to mention more than 2,000 photos and videos.
But these 25 stories were among those that resonated with our readers the most.
Take a look back at our top headlines of 2025 — and thank you for reading the Star-Telegram!
Kneeland’s death on Nov. 5 sent shockwaves through the league and reminded us of the struggles so many people face with mental health. Star-Telegram Cowboys reporter Nick Harris remembered conducting Kneeland’s first interview after he was a second-round draft pick.
“If today teaches us anything,” Harris wrote after Kneeland’s death, “it’s that this life we live is so very precious. Things like an underperforming defense or a sub-.500 record going into the bye week feel so trivial now. Somewhere amid all of that noise, there was a person struggling, and that person is no longer with us.”
A Dallas Cowboys warmup shirt honoring Marshawn Kneeland. Ian Maule Getty Images
Reporter Brayden Garcia has written hundreds of headlines about the popular Taylor Sheridan TV series — from one-on-one interviews with the actors to all the Fort Worth scenes and cameos that appear in episodes. His stories are among the Star-Telegram’s most-read this year.
“Say this much for Joe Biden’s farewell address to the nation Wednesday,” wrote Opinion editor Ryan J. Rusak on Jan. 17. “It neatly reflected the failure and incoherence of his miserable four-year presidency.”
President Joe Biden delivers his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Jan. 15, 2025. Mandel NGAN
Texas lawmakers say squatting has become a growing problem, frustrating owners and leaving police with few options. Gov. Greg Abbott signed two new laws this summer that make it easier to clear squatters from private property and add tougher penalties for fraud and trespassing.
David Zalubowski McClatchy Media file photo
On Sept. 24, a sniper opened fire on ICE agents and detainees outside a facility near downtown Dallas. Two people were killed before the shooter turned his gun on himself.
FBI agents at the scene where a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility occurred in Dallas on Sept. 24, 2025. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
A passenger who said she fainted because of a lack of oxygen on a flight that made two emergency landings filed a negligence lawsuit against Fort Worth-based American Airlines. “I now have massive anxiety towards flying,” she said.
American Airlines ground workers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Max Faulkner Star-Telegram
President Trump made history as the first sitting commander-in-chief to attend a Super Bowl. His military salute to the flag during the national anthem got the attention of viewers who wondered whether presidents are supposed to do that. Service journalist Tiffani Jackson provided the answer.
President Donald Trump with New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson, left, and Ivanka Trump, right, during the national anthem at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com
A North Texas bakery went viral after selling cookies depicting Washington National Cathedral’s Bishop Mariann Budde, who pleaded with President Trump to have mercy in a Jan. 21 sermon. “What she did was legendary,” baker Haley Popp said. “People need to see that, so putting her face on a cookie, it served that purpose.”
Haley Popp, the owner of Flower Mound’s Hive Bakery, poses in her shop. Courtesy of Hive Bakery
As the WNBA expands and more money pours in, there will be a push for players to have the ability to leave college early, wrote sports columnist Mac Engel on March 21.
“Hailey Van Lith is your case study example of why a player should stay in school for as long as humanly possible. A.) It’s the best time of your life. B.) A player, like Van Lith, can make considerably more money as a college player than as a pro,” Engel wrote.
Hailey Van Lith with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the 11th overall pick by the Chicago Sky during the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 14, 2025. Elsa TNS
A new H-E-B always gets readers’ attention, as did this announcement in July of a second H-E-B in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth’s first H-E-B, in Alliance. Tom Johanningmeier tjohanningmeier@star-telegram.com
There’s no slowing down in Fort Worth’s booming film and TV industry, wrote Brayden Garcia, our service journalist and expert in all things Taylor Sheridan. In August, we learned that we’ll soon be home to the largest production studio in Texas.
A behind-the-scenes look of “Yellowstone” filming at Billy Bob’s Texas. Courtesy of Billy Bob’s Texas
Our stories explaining various Texas laws regarding roads, highways and driving always resonate with readers, including this one.
Traffic on Interstate 35 West near the Heritage Trace Parkway overpass on July 5, 2025. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com
The saga of Gov. Greg Abbott’s push for school vouchers came to an end in May when he signed the bill he had long strong-armed lawmakers to adopt. The Star-Telegram’s Eleanor Dearman, who covers state politics from Austin, wrote about every twist and turn, including when these Tarrant County Republicans pleaded to kill the bill.
Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Fort Worth brothers granted clemency by Trump after 30 years
Decades after they were sentenced to life in prison on drug-related charges, two Fort Worth brothers were freed in May by President Trump.
Brothers Edward and Joe Sotelo with former congresswoman Kay Granger at their family’s restaurant, Tia’s On The Bluff. Tia’s On The Bluff via Facebook
He spent $20K fixing up his Fort Worth home. City hall told him to tear it up
This story about a hard-working handyman who learned the hard way about city regulations and permitting got a lot of attention.
Rodolfo Martinez extended the driveway and built a fence surrounding of his new Carver Heights home to provide more parking space for his work vehicles as well as a safe place for his 5-year-old old son to play. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com
The Texas legislature passed a sweeping ban on consumable hemp products in May, but Gov. Greg Abbott took his time in deciding whether to sign the bill or veto it. He did the latter, and issued a more regulatory approach through an executive order.
Gummies have become a popular consumable hemp product since a 2019 Texas law legalized the cultivation of hemp. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com
Thousands of North Texans in June filled courthouse squares and parks, marched on downtown streets or held up signs along sweltering highways as part of the nationwide “No Kings” rallies in protest of Trump administration policies.
On a day of celebration in Washington for the Army’s 250th birthday, including the largest military parade in the nation’s capital since 1991, the No Kings demonstrations were billed as peaceful displays of dissent.
A crowd during the “No Kings Day” protest in downtown Fort Worth on June 14, 2025. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
‘New Texas town’: 5,000-acre development south of Fort Worth hits big milestone
Reporter Elizabeth Campbell gave us an update in August on a massive master planned community taking shape in far southern reaches of Grand Prairie, just southeast of Mansfield.
It is just one of several mega-developments in the pipeline on our side of the Metroplex, from the Azle area in southern Denton County to Walsh west of Fort Worth.
The “downtown” area of Goodland, a 5,000-acre master planned community on the southern edge of Grand Prairie Provident
Why a Texas Longhorns legend chose Fort Worth to set up his post-NFL life
For every college football coach in America, Colt McCoy should be studied on “How To Football,” wrote sports columnist Mac Engel in January.
Earned a scholarship at the University of Texas. Sat behind Vince Young. Excelled when given the chance. Made an NFL roster for 12 years. Retired with his health, and head, intact to have a life when his game ended. Saved his money. Add, “Using his name/fame that came from success in football to propel a new career.”
Former University of Texas Longhorn and long time NFL quarterback Colt McCoy has retired and resides in Fort Worth where he is starting his own real estate company. Photo provided by Slater Strategies
This Fort Worth soul food restaurant is now a national culinary landmark
Drew’s Place Restaurant has been a fixture in the Como neighborhood since 1991, serving up fried chicken, spicy catfish and smothered pork chips to its loyal customers. (Our readers voted it “Best fried chicken in Fort Worth” in 2022.)
In August, the Star-Telegram’s Kamal Morgan reported that Drew’s Place was named one of 50 U.S. historic small restaurants that will receive $50,000 from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Drew Thomas holds up a fried chicken plate at Drew’s Place on Horne Street in Fort Worth. Yffy Yossifor yyossifor@star-telegram.com
Reporter Matt Adams uncovered quite of a bit of drama in this story about City Market in Burleson, pitting shopper against shopper over who is to blame for the store’s demise.
Burleson’s independent grocery store City Market. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com
Mycayla Orona cleans a table in the dining room during the post lunch rush at Buffalo Bros restaurant near TCU in Fort Worth on Dec. 3, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Remember when a carton of eggs was $6 or more in February — if the shelves weren’t empty? With out-of-control prices, we found that our local egg farmers were doing brisk business. (And their eggs taste much better!).
Michael Jimenez, owner of JMZ Farms, stands among his hundreds of hens and guard dog Apollo on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, near Bridgeport in Wise County. The farm offers a subscription-based service for pasture-raised eggs available to costumers throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com
New owner to reopen ‘Christmas wonderland’ restaurant Campo Verde
Eats Beat columnist Bud Kennedy reported in February that Arlington chef “Moose” Benhamacht would remodel and reopen Campo Verde, the landmark restaurant attraction known for its thousands of Christmas lights.
It wouldn’t last. The restaurant closed Dec. 24. Benhamacht said he plans to reopen in 2026 as a completely different concept.
A arch of holiday lights greets customers returning to Campo Verde, now a general bar-and-grill in a location long known as a “Christmas wonderland” Mexican restaurant. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
Finding a snake in a garage, toilet or under the foundation of an old house is common because those are the places most rodents tend to be. Handout Big Country Snake Removal
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 3:08 PM.
Matt Leclercq is senior managing editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He previously was an editor at USA Today in Washington, national news editor at Gatehouse Media in Austin, and executive editor of The Fayetteville (NC) Observer. He’s a New Orleans native.
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