| No Images? Click here   The bus tour crew spent yesterday at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa, where Emily McCombs heard a touching love story from Katie Richards, the coordinator of special events at the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute.Like a lot of residents of the Odessa/Midland area, many of whom are drawn by the oil and gas industries, Katie is from elsewhere in the country. She was raised in Colorado, then lived in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to El Paso, Texas, for college. Blake, the man who would one day become Katie’s husband, was stationed at Fort Bliss Army post at the time, and the two hit it off when they met at a bar.About nine months later, Blake was getting out of the Army and had plans to try his luck at his cousin’s oil company in Odessa. Katie had already been accepted to UT Dallas, five hours away, for a master's program.“We had this point in our relationship where I was like, ‘OK, I’m moving to Dallas,’ and he was like, ‘OK, I’m moving to Odessa,’” Katie said. “I said, ‘Well, if we can stick it out for these next couple years, maybe I’ll move to Odessa.'” Image by Krystal Gorrell of KDG PhotoFor the next two and a half years, the couple got by with visits and near-constant texting. Despite the struggle of a long-distance relationship, Katie said she and Blake never seriously considered breaking up. When she graduated, she packed up her stuff and moved to Midland. It was a perfect fit for the couple and Blake's 8-year-old son — it feels like a small town to Katie and like a big city to Blake, who’s from a tiny town in Oklahoma.Katie and Blake got married seven months ago.“About two years ago, on our three-year anniversary, we were sitting in bed and we were just laughing and I said, ‘Do you think anybody has as much fun as we do?’" Katie said. "And he said, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ He makes me smile and laugh constantly. And it’s so easy to love somebody like that and to feel loved by somebody like that.”  Kate Hansen (left) is a 31-year-old mental health case manager who lives in Ferndale, Washington, with her husband and 3-year-old son. Erica Robbins is a 35-year-old community organizer and advocate for the homeless who lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her 9-year-old son. In the wake of President Donald Trump’s election, they both decided to run for city council in their communities.They told HuffPost what it’s like to run for elected office for the first time during such a contentious political moment, how being a woman affected that experience, and why they think so many women are stepping up and taking risks right now.
 Rick Wilking/ReutersDickinson, Texas, which is about 30 miles southeast of Houston, suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Harvey. Half of the city’s 20,000 residents were affected, and the storm caused serious damage to more than 7,000 homes and 88 businesses, according to local police reports.Last week, the city posted a three-page application for grant money on its website. It requires residents to commit to using the money to repair their damaged homes or businesses, and to follow all building codes.There’s one more thing: They must also verify that they do not boycott Israel. If you’re in the area tomorrow, come hang out with us in Midtown Park! In the meantime, take a look at this map of places we’ve been.Plus: It’s your last chance to test your knowledge about the U.S.! Check out this week’s quiz. Thanks for joining us on the road!The tour will end on Halloween, and so will this newsletter. But we have great news — you'll continue to receive our reporting on the issues that matter every weekday via our morning briefing. If you don't want to receive those emails, simply unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of the email.
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