Abbott declared disaster in seven Texas counties hard hit by this week’s winter storm. Austin has been the epicenter of a power crisis as tens of thousands wait for electricity to be restored.

Eager to bring new jobs to their towns and boost their tax base, rural Texas counties are courting companies that produce cryptocurrencies.

An 18-wheeler and a train collided on Tuesday morning in Milam County, resulting in a large fire, an explosion and a thick plume of smoke that could be seen miles away. The crash happened just before 7 a.m. near Farm to Market Road 2095 in the city of Cameron, according to media reports. Milam County Judge Steve Young told TV station KBTX that the truck hit the train, causing 14 train cars to derail. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but homes surrounding the explosion were evacuated as a precaution. Milam County Sheriff Chris White said the train was carrying coal and gasoline, which caused the large fire.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of their own after a senior deputy was killed in a motorcycle crash after driving home from Louisiana. The crash happened in Milam County, Texas, which is about two and a half hours northeast of San Antonio. The deputy’s body will be escorted to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office by TCSO deputies. He worked night shift patrol in western Travis County for over 10 years before moving to the Motors Unit in Dec. 2018. RELATED: Harris County sheriff’s office reports deputy dies of COVID