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The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Texas fell to 6.8 percent in September, down more than one point from last year.

Andres Alcantar, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, said the Texas economy has been showing steady job growth for the past two years and seven major industries expanded in September.

"The highest growth came from the Professional and Business Services industry, which grew by 13,600 jobs in September. This industry has added 47,200 jobs over the past year," Alcantar said.

Harley Eagle is of Dakota and Anishinabe decent. He is the co-coordinator of Indigenous work for the Mennonite Central Committee Canada, a Restorative justice practitioner, and dismantling racism/oppression trainer. Harley will look to his Dakota traditions and experience in working with Indigenous and diverse communities in both Restorative Justice and dismantling oppression to explore what it might mean to address racial harms using Restorative concepts that embrace a fuller Indigenous worldview.

Big Tex is 60 years old this year, but instead of birthday candles to blow out, firefighters had a fully engulfed fire to extinguish.

State Fair Vice President of Marketing Mitchell Glieber said the fire ran up the electrical line to his jaw, destroying the 52-foot icon of the Texas State Fair.

"Probably within 5 minutes or so, all of his clothes were pretty much on fire," said Glieber. "It happened fairly quickly, but there weren't a lot of people in the park."

Drivers looking for a bargain will want to buy gas in San Antonio this week. AAA reports that prices fell a nickel per gallon in the Alamo City, more than the decrease statewide. A gallon of gas is averaging $3.46 in San Antonio, comparing to the national average of $3.74 per gallon and the statewide average of $3.51.

The Texas Legislature will be back in a few months facing a budget deficit. Will the next round of state budget cuts clip Texas high school football? Or could expanded gambling in the state help solve education funding shortfalls? Nate Silver writes the New York Times political blog about polls and political probability, Five Thirty Eight, and talks about how useful (and reliable) pre-election opinion polls can be.

Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev on tap

An easy description for the Mid Texas Symphony program at Brauntex Theatre Sunday afternoon is, 'music just right for children of all ages.'

"Every time I hear it, there is just such passion," says director David Mairs. "Whether I was playing it (on french horn), or conducting it, or even just listening, I think Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony is such a masterpiece, with hummable melodies!"

Throwing spaghetti against the wall may be a good metaphor for San Antonio filmmakers Taylor James Johnson and Dylan Cody Altman.  The act itself would likely find a welcome home in one of the duo’s short films, which often take the form of pop culture parodies, full of outrageous behavior.  Whether it’s a mash-up of “Taken” and Stephen Spielberg’s “Hook,” or lending a hand as an actor in a fellow filmmaker’s sci-fi genre film, the camera loves Johnson, and he loves working with the camera. And the duo are prolific, releasing over a dozen films online this year so far. 

Thursday the field narrowed to eight competitors and will go down to five pianists for the finals at the San Antonio International Piano Competition.

There are 20 military training instructors are now under investigation for inappropriate relationships with trainees at Joint Base San Antonio; five have already been court-martialed. This week, the Air Force set up a special hotline for trainees and others to report cases of sexual abuse.

Utility smart meters  help you and the electric company save money, but are they hazardous to your health and part of a sinister plot? The latest story in the NAFTA series examines the environmental impact that the monumental agreement has had over the past 20 years.  Sheriff Joe Arpaio looks to still be in the lead heading into the final weeks before the election, but the challengers are making it interesting.