Fort Hood Renamed After Korean, Vietnam War Hero

APITAL Highlights

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It’s official. Fort Hood, named for a highranking Confederate officer in the Civil War, has been renamed Fort Cavazos, in honor of native Texan Richard E. Cavazos, the country’s first Hispanic four-star general.

Fort Cavazos is the Army’s largest armored, activeduty military installation, according to a report in the Austin American-Statesman. It is one of nine that are being renamed around the country, based on recommendations from a naming committee commissioned by Congress to remove the names, symbols and displays that honor the Confederacy.

Cavazos was widely decorated for his service during the Korean and Vietnam wars, receiving two Distinguished Service Cross medals during his military career. He died in 2017 at 88.

State Rep Expelled from Texas House

The Texas House voted 147-0 to expel state Rep. Bryan Slaton after an investigating committee determined he engaged in inappropriate behavior with a 19-year-old legislative aide. Slaton, R-Royce City, was found to have had sexual intercourse with the aide, who works in his office, and to have supplied alcohol to an underaged person on at least three occasions, the Statesman reported.

Slaton resigned the day before the vote to expel him but would have remained an officeholder and been paid until a successor was elected through a special election. “Expulsion of a member of this body is rare,” House Speaker Dade Phelan said. “Mr. Slaton’s predatory behavior merits such a consequence. I am proud of my colleagues for holding each of us accountable.” Slaton is the first House member to be expelled since 1927, according to the Statesman.

Texans Enjoy a Cooler-Than-Average April

The state enjoyed somewhat cooler temperatures in April than in years past, according to Dr. Mark Wentzel, a hydrologist with the Texas Water Development Board. The eastern half of the state experienced above-average rainfall, though drought conditions persisted in the central part of the state, from Laredo to the Panhandle.

“Precipitation varied considerably, with half the state, East and coastal Texas, experiencing well-above-average rainfall, while the other half, West Texas and the Panhandle, received well-below-normal precipitation,” Wentzel wrote.

Drought conditions dropped 12 percentage points compared to the end of March, with 55% of the state now under drought. The arrival of the El Niño weather system by fall is forecast to bring above-average rainfall to the state and lead to widespread drought relief by the end of 2023.