santa fe strong

Extra security and counselors on hand as Santa Fe High School students return to class

Santa Fe High School return to class support

Families gathered to show support to high school students returning to class.

Photo courtesy of ABC13

It's expected to be an emotional day for students as they return to Santa Fe High School.

It will be the first time they've stepped back on campus for classes since the May 18 shooting that killed 10 people and injured 13 more.

Santa Fe ISD says security will be tight. State troopers and extra officers will be at every campus in the district. Crisis counselors will be available for staff and students. The district says counselors will stay as long as needed.

Meanwhile, some students say they have mixed emotions about going back to the school.

"It'll help us have closure because I don't think our last day of high school should be such a bad memory," says student Katie Oldham.

"That day should not be the defining moment of our senior year. It shouldn't be the last memory before we graduate. I definitely have mixed emotions about going back, but it will help to move on and be stronger than this," student Kaitlyn Richards tells ABC13.

Santa Fe students are also on the minds of other students and school districts. Alvin students and their parents will be at Santa Fe High School to welcome back everyone as they return to classes. Alvin High School students were encouraged to wear green and gold and bring signs bearing messages of support.

Santa Fe ISD has resources for families and staff if they have questions about returning to the campus. You can read more about the plans on the Santa Fe ISD website.

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For more on this story, visit our content partner ABC13.

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share the road

Texas is one of the least cyclist-friendly states in the nation

Photo by Danist Soh on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Houston, you already know how true this is.

In what will come as no surprise to cyclists around Houston, the state of Texas is not a good place for bicycle riding. According to a new report of the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S.," Texas comes in at No. 47 — meaning that only three other states are worse.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

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