HOUSTON (AP) — Fans of the Buddy Holly crosswalk in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, with a painted depiction of the rock and roll legend’s iconic glasses, will soon have to say goodbye to it. That'll be a day that will possibly make them cry.
Lubbock City Council members said this week they have no choice but to remove it, to comply with a directive from the Trump administration and Republicans to rid the public roadways of any political messages or artwork.
Laredo, in South Texas, removed a mural in October that protested the border wall along the southern border with Mexico. In August, Florida officials removed a rainbow-colored crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub where 49 people were gunned down.
Lubbock's crosswalk was first installed in 2020 and is near the Buddy Holly Center, a downtown museum with exhibits honoring Lubbock’s most famous native son.
"It's such a tasteful cross section and people like it. But what do you do?” said City Council Member Christy Martinez-Garcia, who was among those questioning why it had to go.
Lubbock received a letter from the Texas Department of Transportation with “some harsh wording” that threatened the possible loss of state or federal funding for road projects if such artwork was not removed, David Bragg, Lubbock’s interim division director of public works, told council members on Tuesday.
“This was very broad letter. I don’t think it was intended to go after, say, the Buddy Holly glasses. Unfortunately it did,” Bragg said.
Mayor Mark McBrayer said the city had no choice but to comply.
“Probably everybody here got some communication from people wanting that not to be the case,” McBrayer said. “But I don’t really feel like we have the wherewithal to do anything about that without trying to litigate it and I don’t think there’s any appetite here anyway." Bragg said the removal will happen during normal maintenance next year.
On Oct. 8, Abbott directed the department to ensure that all Texas cities and counties are in compliance with federal and state guidelines on roadway safety and that symbols, flags and other markings conveying social or political messages are prohibited, as well as any signage and signals that don't directly support traffic control or safety.
“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott said in a statement.
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Friday.
Abbott’s directive came after Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy sent letters to all U.S. governors in July saying that intersections and crosswalks must be kept free from distractions.
“Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,” Duffy's statement said.
Holly was born and raised in Lubbock, located in northwest Texas. He decided to play rock and roll music after seeing Elvis Presley perform in 1955. His best known songs include “That’ll Be the Day,” ’’Rave On” and “ Peggy Sue.”
Holly was only 22 when he died in a Feb. 3, 1959, plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, that also killed Ritchie Valens and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson. The three rockers’ deaths were immortalized in Don McLean’s 1971 song “American Pie,” and became known as “the day the music died.”
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This photo provided by City of Lubbock on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, shows the Buddy Holly Crosswalk in Lubbock, Texas. (City of Lubbock via AP)
This photo provided by City of Lubbock on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, shows the Buddy Holly Crosswalk in Lubbock, Texas. (City of Lubbock via AP)
McLaren driver Lando Norris held his nerve but could not hold back the tears after clinching his first Formula 1 title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.
Red Bull driver and defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in second, which allowed Norris to finish two points ahead of Verstappen in the season-long standings.
“It's incredible. It is pretty surreal. I've dreamed of this for a long, long time,” said the 26-year-old Norris, who started his F1 career as a test and reserve driver with McLaren. "I feel like I did my part for the team this year and I'm very proud of myself for that. I’m even more proud for everyone who I hopefully made cry.”
Norris became Britain's 11th F1 champion, a racing journey that began with kart racing when he was eight years old. The first of his 11 F1 race wins came last year, when he finished second overall in the standings.
Piastri was also in contention for his first F1 title and finished third in the standings, 13 points behind Norris, who ended the season with seven wins and 423 points.
Norris became the first British champion since Lewis Hamilton won his record-equaling seventh title in 2020, and also denied Verstappen a fifth straight title.
“Oh God. I’ve not cried in a while. It’s a long journey. First of all, I want to say a big thanks to my guys, my parents," Norris said a few minutes after the race. “I now know what Max feels like a little bit. I want to congratulate him and Oscar, too. It’s been a long year but we did it."
Norris entered the three-way battle 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 ahead of Piastri, who also won seven races but none since the Dutch GP on Aug. 31.
Verstappen started from pole position for with Norris on the front row beside him and Piastri third on the grid. Verstappen needed Norris to be fourth or lower and Norris had to finish outside the top five if Piastri won.
Verstappen's astounding late-season charge came close to unseating both McLaren drivers after they had shared the lead throughout the season and then were undone by driver and team-strategy errors.
Verstappen’s title chances were dramatically improved with two races to go after Norris and Piastri were disqualified in Las Vegas.
But even Verstappen's season-leading eighth win and 71st of his career could not stop Norris, who kept his composure on Sunday, having been under severe pressure in recent weeks.
“Oscar and Lando have been awesome all year,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown told broadcaster Sky. “This Max guy is pretty hard to beat.”
The McLaren motorhome erupted with joy when Norris clinched it and Brown congratulated Norris on the team radio in his usual jovial manner.
“Lando, this is Zak from McLaren. Is this the world champion hotline? You did it! You did it! Awesome," Brown said.
Norris didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He did both.
“Oh my God, thanks so much. I love you guys. Thanks for everything,” Norris said and then broke down in tears.
After crossing the line, Norris stayed in his car for a few moments, visibly emotional. His parents were on the side of the track and he went over to hug them before celebrating with his McLaren engineers and mechanics.
Piastri was looking to become the first Australian champion since Alan Jones in 1980, but his failure to win a race after Zandvoort cost him.
Pole position was crucial on the 58-lap circuit in Abu Dhabi, where overtaking is hard, and so it proved again as Verstappen joined the long list of race winners from pole since 2015.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari ahead of George Russell in a Mercedes and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso in sixth.
Verstappen made a clean start with Piastri overtaking Norris at the end of Lap 1, while the slick Leclerc was soon behind Norris.
Norris was the first of the contenders to change tires when he came in on Lap 17. But he was caught behind some traffic and had Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda ahead of him in third spot, which in turn allowed Leclerc to gain some ground on Norris.
Norris overtook Tsunoda on Lap 23 but went very wide and off track limits but race stewards gave Tsunoda a 5-second time penalty for zig-zagging in front of Norris, who was cleared of wrongdoing.
Tsunoda, who is being replaced at Red Bull next year by Isack Hadjar, reacted angrily when informed he had moved more than once in front of Norris when defending his position.
“This pace is mega,” Ferrari told Leclerc over team radio.
Norris pitted again on Lap 41, with Verstappen overtaking Piastri moments later to move into the lead. Piastri came in a lap later for his one and only change but Norris still held the cards because both McLarens had covered an eventual second tire change for Verstappen.
The main threat for Norris was Leclerc and he was about 4 seconds behind him with 10 laps left.
“Is Charles catching him or not?” Verstappen asked his race engineer.
Leclerc couldn't get closer, meaning Norris could coast to the title barring any mishap or a late safety car.
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Race winner Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, center, poses on the podium with second placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, left, and third placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain smiles after becoming a world champion after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates after becoming a world champion after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain reacts after becoming a world champion after the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain reacts after becoming a world champion after the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia steers his car during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain crosses the finish line to become the wprld champion during the Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Andrej Isakovic, Pool via AP)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain crosses the finish line to become the world champion during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates after becomin a rold champion after the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car followed by McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car followed by McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, left, and McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, center, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands attend the drivers parade ahead of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia watches his team mate Lando Norris of Britain speak to media before the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, left, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands talk before the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
