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Houston-based media group establishes new bureau in Galveston County

Josh Adams, Houston Public Media association vice president and general manager announces the bureau launch at a reception at The Bryan Museum in Galveston, Texas

Photo by Houston Public Media

A Houston-based media company is expanding its coverage of the greater Houston area. Houston Public Media (HPM) announced the creation of the Galveston County News Bureau on Tuesday, May 26.

“This bureau allows us to deepen our connection to Galveston County and provide the kind of community-focused journalism our audiences have told us they value and trust us to deliver,” said Josh Adams, associate vice president and general manager, Houston Public Media. “Galveston County is an important and growing part of Southeast Texas, and we are committed to covering the issues, people and developments shaping its future.”

This endeavor is the second news bureau launched by HPM outside of Harris County. The organization created a Fort Bend County News Bureau in 2023 as a way to keep up to date on one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. The Galveston County News Bureau will follow suit. Not only is Galveston County a hub of news and culture, it has the third-largest listener population for HPM's news and talk station, News 88.7. Located just south of Houston, what happens on the island is often deeply connected to the Bayou City.

“Stories emerging from Galveston County have an impact on the entire region,” said Scott Flannigan, senior director of news, Houston Public Media. “We will focus on stories that hold elected and appointed officials accountable, examine how transportation, health care, infrastructure, and job growth are being managed, and highlight the people who live and work in the county.”

HPM reporter Julianna Washburn will serve as the the embedded journalist. Though she just joined HPM in November 2025, Washburn has been a journalist since graduating from the University of Georgia in 2023. Previously, she worked for KAMC News in Lubbock and Community Impact covering education.

The expansion is a welcome sign of health for HPM. Like many public broadcasters, it was hit hard by the elimination of federal funding passed by the U.S. Congress in 2025. However, it rallied through donations from companies like H-E-B earlier this year, raising $3.2 million. HPM reaches a combined audience of nearly 3 million people across 19 counties, making it one of the largest public media organizations in the United States.

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Texas ranks 20th on 2026 list of best states for military retirees

Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

Texas is now among the top 20 best states for military retirees to live.

A new WalletHub report ranking the "Best and Worst States for Military Retirees" has revealed the Lone Star State has continued to improve its livability for retired veterans. Texas now ranks as the No. 20 best state for retirees transitioning into civilian life.

The personal finance website's experts compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on each state's capability of providing a comfortable lifestyle for the nation's military veterans. States were ranked across 28 key metrics related to healthcare, quality of life, and economic environment.

South Carolina retained its status as the best state for military retirees for another consecutive year, and the remaining top five states are Maryland (No. 2), New Hampshire (No. 3), North Dakota (No. 4), and Virginia (No. 5).

Texas has the sixth-best economic environment for retired veterans nationally, the report found. This category was determined based on Texas' housing affordability, cost of living, the lack of state tax on military pensions, the number of job opportunities for veterans, and other factors.

Meanwhile, the state only ranked 32nd for its quality of life (based on the share of veterans, homeless veterans, the "idealness" of weather, among others). Texas' healthcare rank for veterans is only the 37th best in the U.S., which has slipped one spot since last year. The healthcare rank considered the number of VA health facilities per number of veterans in Texas, the quality of VA hospitals, the number of physicians and mental health counselors per capita, and more.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the best states make military retirees' transition to civilian life "as smooth as possible" with generous resources available for seeking physical and mental healthcare.

"Military families are accustomed to moving, but when it comes time to retire, it can be difficult to decide where to put down roots," the report said. "For example, veterans must consider state tax policies on military benefits, along with the relative friendliness of different job markets and other socioeconomic factors, when choosing a state in which to settle down."

WalletHub additionally found that retired veterans won't receive as much support in New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; Vermont; Washington; and Oregon, which respectively comprised the bottom five worst states for military retirees.

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