June 2022 NEWS

Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth, has been losing Black residents for decades

GALVESTON—Island natives don’t have to be told that their hometown has lost Black residents. Sharon Batiste Gillins sees it every time she goes to church. Leon Phillips feels it when he drives down Church Street, and sees vacant lots where Black-owned businesses used to be. Galveston is... Read More >

Community researchers call for equitable parks in Galveston

    Communities with green spaces tend to be healthier and that’s part of the reason Galveston ought to invest more in making public spaces accessible to all, a panel of experts said during a recent discussion. The online panel on June 7 was part of an... Read More >

Texas has paths to reach net zero by 2050 — report

AUSTIN—Texas could achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 via several different routes, according to an analysis — and each of those could boost the state’s gross domestic product. The report, released by the University of Texas in April, traces four different pathways toward... Read More >

Editorial: It's time for the state to step up on mental health care

Felicia Jeffery, center, CEO at the Gulf Coast Center, talks with Galveston Mayor Craig Brown about the availability of mental health beds on Thursday. A roundtable discussion was held including Galveston Police Chief Doug Balli, left, to announce the launch of a multi-disciplinary response team for... Read More >

Galveston celebrates new mental health unit, hurdles remain

Tony Fabelo, left, a senior fellow of justice policy at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, moderates a roundtable discussion at Galveston City Hall. Galveston officials announced the launch of a multi-disciplinary response team to respond to 911 calls involving people with mental health or... Read More >

Galveston to introduce mental health response unit

GALVESTON—When someone calls 911 in Galveston, three services stand by to respond to the emergency — police, fire and emergency medical services.Under a new program scheduled to officially be announced today at city hall, a fourth option will be added — a unit dedicated to... Read More >

Galveston Island introduces an innovative health-first, paramedicine model to navigate behavioral 911 emergencies

Galveston, Texas  (June 2, 2022)— City of Galveston officials announced plans for a multi-disciplinary response team approach involving its city police, fire, and local mental health authorities, an innovative health-first model to respond to 911 emergency calls involving people with... Read More >