Strangest State
Strangest State: Dispatch From the Great Candy War
Weird news from far-flung Texas.
WACO // A candy factory created the world’s largest chocolate bar, only to have the title stolen by a rival. Workers at the Mars Wrigley Confectionery in Waco...Read More
A Real Quackmire: This Month in Weird Texas News
From Muscovy ducks in Pearland to a detective agency devoted to cooking grease theft in Irving, it's been another weird month, y'all.
PEARLAND // An abundance of invasive ducks is ruffling feathers in this Houston suburb. Flocks of Muscovy ducks roam the streets, waddling in front of cars, tea...Read More
It’s Been Weird, Y’all: Our 10 Favorite Strange Texas Stories of 2019
A monkey on the loose, a sharpshooting great-grandmother, activist witches, and more quirky news stories that caught our eye this year.
The Observer is best known for longform investigations on serious subjects. Our reporters and editors spend months immersed in heavy topics like rural suicide a...Read More
Strangest State: 18-Hole Hog, Spike the Poodle’s Big Adventure, and Fowl News
Weird news from far-flung Texas.
SAN ANTONIO // A 400-pound feral hog roamed free on a South San Antonio golf course—until management called in the big guns. Wyatt Walton is co-owner of Lone ...Read More
Strangest State: No, You Can’t Bring Your Missile Launcher on the Plane
Plus: Weirdness abounds at Wichita Falls Walmarts.
HOOD COUNTY // A man was surprisingly calm upon realizing that a rattlesnake was crawling out of his pickup’s air vent. Instead of crashing in a panic, as thi...Read More
Strangest State: This Month in Gator News…
Plus: a matchmaking scam, a thief’s Beto O’Rourke cover story, and a footlong shrimp.
POLK COUNTY // An alligator stopped traffic while it lounged on a highway near Lake Livingston. KFDM reports that the gator was so comfortable, Texas Parks and ...Read More
Strangest State: May 2019
Weird news from far-flung Texas.
ATASCOCITA // A man tested the limits of Petco’s “all leashed pets allowed” policy by walking his 1,600-pound steer into the store. A Facebook video shows...Read More
Strangest State: February 2019
Weird news from far-flung Texas.
Drue Wagner WICHITA FALLS // A woman was banned from Walmart after drinking wine from a Pringles can while astride an electric shopping cart. The Wichita Falls ...Read More
Strangest State: October 2018
Weird news from far-flung Texas.
SAN ANTONIO // Thieves smuggled a shark out of the San Antonio Aquarium by hiding it in a baby stroller. The San Antonio Express-News reports that Miss Helen, a...Read More