🏈Seattle defense is Super stifling. Stock Show champ gets record $$$; Element3 success breaks 50-year drought.

The Jr. Sale of Champions auction at the 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo raised approximately $10,193,000. Trico Electric in Azle bid a record $550,000 for the Grand Champion Steer, a European Crossbred owned by Caiman Cody from Tolar, Texas. The Reserve Grand Champion Steer was shown by Cash Goretska, a 4-H member from Abilene. Goretska’s steer was purchased by Hillwood, a Perot Company, for $300,000. (Image: FWSSR)

A stifling Seattle defense, including a touchdown off an interception and six sacks, and a record five field goals from Jason Meyer, led Seattle to a 29-13 Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. The Most Valuable Player was Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III, who totaled 161 yards. By the way, the Seahawks are for sale. 

Fort Worth-based TPG signed definitive agreements to acquire a majority stake in Alvarado-based Sabre Industries. Funds managed by Blackstone Energy Transition Partners, which first invested in Sabre in 2021, will retain a significant minority stake. Sabre, founded in 1977, provides critical infrastructure solutions for power utilities, telecom and data centers, and designs, engineers and manufactures advanced electrical transmission and distribution structures, wireless towers and associated components, and integrated electrical enclosures.

Element3, a Fort Worth-based critical minerals company, announced the successful production of lithium carbonate from Permian Basin produced water in its 3,000 ton-per-annum lithium carbonate facility in Midland. Element3 said it is the first lithium carbonate produced at scale in commercial equipment in the Permian Basin and the first new domestic lithium mining project to market in the U.S. in half a century.

The Texas Education Agency’s takeover of Fort Worth ISD may move forward, a state administrative panel ruled. Fort Worth ISD had appealed to fend off the takeover. The decision clears the way for Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to replace the district’s elected board of trustees with a hand-picked board of managers. More than 150 residents have applied, taken classes and been vetted for the new board. Morath also could replace Superintendent Karen Molinar, but he hasn’t indicated whether he plans to do so.

Denton County approved a 10-year tax abatement if MP Materials decides to build a facility in the county. The offer allows MP Materials to incur a 10-year tax break of 50% of real and personal property taxes, which will total $9.3 million, according to the county. MP Materials has a large presence in Fort Worth and a second one, potentially in Northlake, would be an investment of more than a billion dollars. 

CEO James Sellers founded Sellmark more than 25 years ago to provide innovative outdoor and tactical products.The company’s brands are available in more than 5,000 locations globally. What's next is Verdexium, under construction in Mansfield. It is a 450,000-square-foot manufacturing center that "aims to accelerate the commercialization of American-made products" by startups and small manufacturers.

Uh-oh! The Dallas Fed says Texas’ employment was flat last year, which contradicts the state's numbers.

A TCU team of MBA team students won the VCIC (Venture Capital Investment Competition) regional final at Rice University in Houston. Representing TCU's M.J. Neeley School of Business were Blake Baldwin, Colby Clark, Jack Stein and Ken Seals. You may remember Seals as the quarterback who stepped in to lead TCU to its recent Alamo Bowl victory.

Lockheed Martin received a $47,753,808 modification award that increases the ceiling to provide for the ongoing development, installation, integration, testing, training and delivery of the F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System and Operational Data Integrated Network, to include new capability development and current software modifications. The work primarily will be during 2026 in Orlando, with some in Fort Worth.

A MESSAGE FROM DAVID LEWIS BUILDER:

Now that’s a horse barn. Say hello to the Equine Division of David Lewis Builder. For over four decades, we’ve been bringing architectural integrity and legacy construction to luxury homes and ranches across Texas. Now, we’re applying that same passion for quality and craftsmanship to the equine world — building barns, arenas, and facilities designed for horsemen who expect the best. See the details that set this build apart.

What??? Tandy Leather Factory declared payment Feb. 24 of a special cash dividend to its common stockholders of $0.75 per share. Because the dividend amount is more than 25% of the current market price of the common stock, the ex-dividend date will be February 25. On that date, the common stock will begin trading without the right to receive the special dividend, and the price will be adjusted accordingly.

The War Department has severed academic ties with Harvard University. Secretary Pete Hegseth: "For too long, this department has sent our best and brightest officers to Harvard, hoping the university would better understand and appreciate our warrior class. Instead, too many of our officers came back looking too much like Harvard — heads full of globalist and radical ideologies that do not improve our fighting ranks."

Fort Worth-based Vadzo Imaging launched its Vajra Series USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 UVC cameras powered by 20 Gbps USB Type C interface. The bandwidth leap allows designers to stream higher resolutions and frame rates, support multiple sensors over a single link, and reduce end-to-end latency. The Infineon FX20 USB controller delivers sustained, 24/7 image transfer for applications in industrial automation, robotics, medical imaging and edge AI. 

Panther Island Brewing is closing after 11 years. In a Facebook post, owners Ryan McWhorter and family wrote: "We’re endlessly proud of the beers we brewed, the stories we shared, and the people who made it all meaningful...You’ve made Panther Island Brewing more than a business, you made it a family." They said there will be a Farewell Event on Friday, Feb. 13 from 6–10PM.

Portland, Oregon ice cream cult favorite Salt & Straw -- which started in 2011 in a push cart -- is headed to Fort Worth. The location is the former Great Harvest Bread Co. at 1305 W. Magnolia in the Near Southside. Permits suggest a June completion date, according to Fort Worth Projects. 

For nearly 50 years, research has shown that having a bachelor’s degree or higher led to better employment prospects, from higher pay to greater job security. That’s beginning to change. The unemployment gap between workers with bachelor’s degrees and those with occupational associate’s degrees — such as plumbers, electricians and pipe fitters — flipped in 2025. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s the first time trade workers have had a leg up since the BLS started tracking this data in the 1990s.

Significant stat: A study at George Washington University found that “people who regularly consume a lot of local news reported being 32% less lonely than people who almost never read or watch local news.”

Daily digit: $2,300 = Approximate value of a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, more than double its value at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Insider news: Both sets are primarily composed of silver (92.5%) and not solid gold.

Snippets:

• The house that Post Malone lived in after moving to Grapevine is for sale. Candy's Dirt gives us a tour.

• American Airlines adds caviar to its Business Class service and unveils temporary 1920s menu that celebrates its 100 years in business. 

• The Lam House in central Arlington -- which looks like a giant concrete well -- receives local landmark designation. 

Announcements:

• Lockheed Martin: Promotes Amanda Davis to Supply Integration-Senior Manager in Sustainment.

• SEGG Media: Hires Simon Lewis to executive team to lead Concerts.com and the company's entertainment portfolio strategy. 

• Higginbotham: Promotes Keaton McCarthy to Director of Finance & Partnerships. 

• Mack Trucks: Names Bruckner's Truck & Equipment in Fort Worth its Southwest Region Dealer of the Year.

• Fierce Biotech: Hires D CEO writer Will Maddox. 

• Investar Bank: Names Brad Wenzel Southlake Market President.

• Hancock Whitney Bank: Hires Jon Tyree as Sr. Vice President of Commercial Banking. 

• FWISD: Wallace Bridges resigns from the Board of Directors, which awaits new appointees by the Texas Education Association.

• National League of Cities: Appoints Fort Worth council member Michael Crain to its 2026 Information Technology and Communications Federal Advocacy Committee.

• Rainwater Charitable Foundation: Adds Sarah Cotton as Senior Vice President of Programs.

• North Texas LEAD: Appoints Stephanie Valadez to its Advisory Council.

• Girls Inc.: Honors Texas Wesleyan University President Dr. Emily Messer as its 2026 Bold Woman. 

• Fort Worth: Honors Hunter Eagle with the 2025 Trailblazer Award from the Public Events Department.

• Texas Municipal Library Directors Association: Honors Fort Worth Public Library with a 2025 Achievement of Excellence in Libraries Award, which is top 20%.

• The Rev Partnership: Hires Rachel Kreidler as External Affairs and Development Director.

• Meriton: Hires Chelsea Vallilee as Lead University Relations & Early Career Talent Acquisition Partner.

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