Best Thing In Texas
July 6, 2022
It Takes a Village: San Antonio Shows Up to Celebrate a Local Teen’s Birthday
For Demauriae Bennett, turning fourteen has never looked better.
Best Thing In Texas
Best Thing In Texas
June 28, 2022
The Little Turtles That Could: 45 Endangered Sea Turtles Hatch in Texas
“It really is one of the greatest wildlife-conservation successes of our time here in Texas.”
Best Thing In Texas
May 6, 2022
A 19-Year-Old Arlingtonian Might Be the Best Chef in the World
At the World Food Championships’ Final Table last weekend, Dallas College student Preston Nguyen took the top prize.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
April 4, 2022
We Loved Every Second of This Spurs Fan’s Epic Jumbotron Lip-synch
San Antonio’s Briana Saldaña brought her A-game (with a little help from Kelly Clarkson).
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
March 28, 2022
The Teen Who Drove Through a Tornado Got a New Truck (and a Job Offer From Whataburger)
Elgin's Riley Leon survived a harrowing encounter with a tornado. Now the community is getting him back on his feet.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
February 11, 2022
An NFL Star Took a Grieving Pflugerville Girl to the Father-Daughter Dance
Philadelphia Eagles safety Anthony Harris flew to Austin to help lift the spirits of eleven-year-old Audrey Soape on a difficult day.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
February 1, 2022
The Secret Story of the Texas Philanthropist Who Helped Solve Math’s Toughest Riddle
Fermat’s last theorem went unsolved for more than 350 years—and the role of the Tyler oil heir who funded its 1994 solution was largely unknown until this week.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
January 10, 2022
A Rio Grande Valley Woman Just Broke the U.S. Record for Most Birds Spotted in a Year
Tiffany Kersten saw 726 species in 48 states, setting a new record for the mind-boggling achievement birders call a Big Year.
Best Thing In Texas
December 17, 2021
Diego the San Marcos Tortoise Comes Home After 38 Days on the Lam
This is a reunion we all can shellebrate.
By
Cat Cardenas
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Best Thing In Texas
December 9, 2021
In West Texas, a 1,400-Member Marching Band Honored a Fallen Teacher
After a tragic crash killed Andrews High band director Darin Johns, it was unclear if the school’s ensemble would perform in the town’s Christmas parade—until it got a lot of help.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
November 16, 2021
Texas Tech Just Won Its Third Straight National Championship in Meat Judging
Students, many of whom go on to work in food science, train by spending as much time as possible in a meat locker studying beef carcasses.
Best Thing In Texas
November 2, 2021
Mariah Carey Armors Up Against a Dallas Bar’s War on Christmas
A bar decreed “All I Want for Christmas Is You” non grata, and the queen of Christmas isn’t happy about it.
Best Thing In Texas
October 26, 2021
A Divine Presence Could Propel the Astros to a World Series Title
Houston is 2-0 in the MLB postseason with local furniture magnate Mattress Mack's "Rally Nuns" in attendance.
Best Thing In Texas
December 16, 2020
The Best Things in Texas, 2021: H-E-B’s Charles Butt
During a very tough year, no Texas CEO did more—for customers, students, and voters.
By
Mimi Swartz
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Best Thing In Texas
October 19, 2020
The Best Thing in Texas: An Austin Teen Is One of the First Girls in the Nation to Earn the Rank of Eagle Scout
Abby Winkelman, 14, says she hopes her achievement will inspire other girls.
News
June 5, 2020
The Best and the Bums: Streets of Rage
A little girl responds to unspeakable loss, the governor de-escalates, black trail-riders take Discovery Green, Ted Cruz’s craven response to military force, and a guy with a sword in Deep Ellum.
Best Thing In Texas
April 27, 2020
The Best Thing in Texas: Willie Nelson Is Autographing the Face Masks People Send Him to Raise Money for More Face Masks
The redheaded stranger is socially distancing—thank you for your concern.
By
Dan Solomon
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Sports
January 6, 2020
The Best Thing in Texas: Deshaun Deshaun Deshaun Deshaun
The Texans quarterback won his first playoff game in spectacular fashion.
By
Dan Solomon
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Border & Immigration
December 18, 2019
The Best Things in Texas: The New Freedom Riders
Volunteers from across Texas, the U.S., and abroad have been making the trek to the border to help immigrants trapped in legal limbo.
Best Thing In Texas
December 18, 2019
The Best Things in Texas 2020
Last year, countless Texans acted in ways that brought honor to our state—or just made us grin. Here's a look at a few dozen of them.
Best Thing In Texas
December 11, 2019
The Best Things in Texas: The Year of Lizzo
The flute-playing, body-positive, take-no-prisoners breakout star transformed our ideas of what a pop icon looks and sounds like.
Best Thing In Texas
February 14, 2019
The Best Thing in Texas: A Baker Made Valentines Out of a Canceled Order
When life handed Mary Lee of Magnolia Lee Baking dinosaurs, she made dino-valentines.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
February 7, 2019
The Best Thing in Texas: A Scottish Mountain Man Was Rescued—After His Distress Signal Was Picked Up in Houston
70-year-old Ken had been living off the grid for 25 years when he fell ill.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
January 29, 2019
The Best Thing in Texas: Thousands Showed Up for Burial of Unaccompanied Veteran
When no next of kin could be located, Texans showed up en masse to make sure this veteran’s service was honored at his burial.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
October 30, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: An Austin Couple Transform Their House Into a Whataburger for Halloween
We guess our Whataween invite got lost in the mail.
The Culture
September 5, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: Meet Emotional Support Alpacas Willie, Waylon, and Tex
The cowboy hat-wearing trio warmed hearts at the Texas Rural Health Services center in La Grange.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
July 23, 2018
The Best Thing In Texas: Limestone County Deputies Installed a New AC Unit for an Elderly Couple
Truly refreshing news.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
July 6, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: Former Longhorns Receiver Marquise Goodwin Surprised His Mom With a Dang House
We’re not crying, you’re crying.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
June 4, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: Watch Barton Springs Pool Cheer on a Little Girl as She Jumps In
She’s so brave!
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
June 1, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: A Texan Wins the National Spelling Bee
What: The 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee.Who: Karthik Nemmani, a fourteen-year-old from McKinney.Why It’s So Great: On Thursday night, a Texan took home the championship title from the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Karthick Nemmani, an eighth grader at Scoggins Middle School, knew he had it
The Culture
May 23, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: Drivers Rescue a Horse on the Highway
No horses were harmed in the filming of this video. In fact, one was saved.
Music
May 4, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: What a Week For Texas Music
Willie Nelson, Leon Bridges, Post Malone, Shakey Graves, and Okkervil River all put out new records in an eight-day span.
By
Dan Solomon
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Sports
April 23, 2018
The Best Thing In Texas: ‘Friday Night Lights’ is Streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime
Texas forever, again.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
April 13, 2018
The Best Thing In Texas: Meet the Seven-Year-Old Who Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
Montannah Kenney became the youngest girl to climb the mountain two months before her eighth birthday.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
April 9, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: Micheal Brown Gets Into Twenty Top Universities
The Lamar High School senior gets his pick of Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and seventeen other universities.
Art
March 23, 2018
The Best Thing in Texas: The Oldest Man in America Smiling
Richard Overton, 111-year-old Austin resident, is still loving life.
By
Dan Solomon
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Sports
November 11, 2017
The Best Thing In Texas: José Altuve’s Letter To J.J. Watt
A mashup of Houston sports icons to warm your heart.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
October 15, 2017
The Best Thing In Texas: St. Vincent’s ‘Masseduction’
The Dallas guitar hero’s expansive sixth release is a strong album of the year contender.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
September 16, 2017
The Best Thing In Texas: ‘Madden NFL 18: Longshot’
The most interesting sports video game in years tugs on some specific Texas heartstrings.
By
Dan Solomon
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Best Thing In Texas
April 1, 1985
The Best of Texas
We’ve gone from one end of the state to the other to bring you the best-ever list of Texas Bests.
Best Thing In Texas
July 1, 1980
The Best Strikes Back
Four years ago we brought you the Best of Texas. Now we do it again— only better.
Best Thing In Texas
June 30, 1976
The Best of Texas
You may disagree, but we know we’re right.