Matthew Tresaugue

English degrees translate into … farming?

houstonchronicle.com — Kearney and Dorsey are owners of Skull Creek Farm, a mini-truck operation south of Columbus that mixes old and new styles of agriculture with healthy doses of idealism and idiosyncrasy. From the tepee pitched near the farm's two-acre field to the farm mascot, Frenchy, a border collie who charges up trees with feline aplomb, it's immediately clear that Skull Creek is no ordinary place.

Severe drought returns to Houston

houstonchronicle.com — According to the Texas Water Development Board, as of Thursday the state's water supply reservoirs are at 66 percent of capacity. "The situation is certainly something that demands the attention of our public officials," said Victor Murphy, a climate forecaster with the Fort Worth-based Southern Region of the National Weather Service.

Sperm whales may get new protection in Gulf

houstonchronicle.com — The Gulf of Mexico's isolated population of sperm whales may be different enough from sperm whales worldwide to qualify for new protections under the Endangered Species Act - a designation that would boost scrutiny of human activities that could harm the species, including oil and gas development, ship traffic and use of chemicals.