FEMA reopens Disaster Recovery Centers

FEMA reopens Disaster Recovery CentersAUSTIN – FEMA has reopened Disaster Recovery Centers in Henderson, Lamar, Smith and Van Zandt counties. The centers were closed temporarily after Hurricane Beryl.

The DRC locations are: In Smith County, R.B. Hubbard Center “The Hub”, on East Ferguson Street in Tyler.

East Texas Senior Living, serving Henderson County, on Highway 31 in Athens.

In Lamar County, at Chisum Elementary School in Paris, on South Church Street.

In Canton and Van Zandt County, Canton Intermediate School on West State Highway 243.
  Continue reading FEMA reopens Disaster Recovery Centers

Texas-born soldier murdered at Fort Campbell

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Fort Campbell soldier found dead in her home earlier this year died of nearly 70 stab wounds, according to an autopsy report.

No arrests have been made in the death of 23-year-old Pfc. Katia Dueñas Aguilar, whose body was found in her Tennessee home in May near the Army post.

Clarksville Police said Wednesday that no arrests have been made.

An autopsy report from the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office said Dueñas Aguilar suffered 68 stab wounds to her neck and upper body, The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle reported.

The medical examiner ruled the cause of death a homicide as a result of sharp force injuries of the neck, the newspaper reported.

Dueñas Aguilar, of Mesquite Texas, enlisted in the Army in 2018 and a year later came to Fort Campbell, on the Tennessee-Kentucky border. She was a member of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.

Her family and The League of United Latin American Citizens have offered a reward of $55,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Clarksville Police and Army criminal investigators are working together on the investigation.

During a news conference in May in Texas, Dueñas Aguilar’s family asked for justice for her family. They said she was a mother with a 4-year-old son.

More counties added to FEMA eligibility list

AUSTIN – More counties added to FEMA eligibility listHomeowners and renters in Anderson, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk and Sabine counties are now eligible for FEMA assistance after the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred April 26 – June 5. Eligible applicants may qualify for serious needs assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other eligible expenses related to storm damage. Previously, Texans in Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties were approved for assistance.

Man arrested in Palestine, accused of abusing child

PALESTINE – Man arrested in Palestine, accused of abusing childA man was arrested in Palestine last week for sexual assault of a child, and is accused of assaulting the child at a local motel. According to our news partners at KETK, on June 28, authorities received a reported that a child had been assaulted at the Express Inn and Suites Motel at 1100 E. Palestine Ave. Officials said that the man was identified as Tanner Bradshaw, 34 of Omaha, Neb. after an investigation, and on July 3, a search warrant was obtained for his motel room and an arrest warrant for sexual assault of a child was issued. Bradshaw was arrested the same day, and officials said a “small amount of narcotics and other evidence” was found inside the motel room and additional charges are pending. He was booked into the Anderson County Jail where his bond was set at $850,000.

Tyler Fire Department to do door-to-door fire safety

Tyler Fire Department to do door-to-door fire safetyTYLER-The Tyler Fire Department is joining forces with the American Red Cross to go door-to-door on July 12, 19 and 26 to check smoke alarms, replace batteries and install free smoke alarms in homes that need them. Firefighters will concentrate on houses near Woldert Park and the Caldwell Zoo due to a recent house fire with no smoke alarms.
 
City officials encourage residents to test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button. You should hear three beeps, letting you know the alarm is working. If you don’t hear anything, it’s time to change the batteries if your model needs them. If your smoke alarm is 10 years old, you need to get a new alarm, because the sensor becomes less effective over time.
 
To schedule a free smoke alarm installation, call the Tyler Fire Department at (903) 535-0005.

Missing Jefferson man found dead

JEFFERSON – Missing Jefferson man found deadUPDATE: Donovan Byrd, who was last seen on June 20, was reportedly found dead on Monday, according to our news partners at KETK. The Jefferson Police Department and the Marion County District Attorney’s Investigator found Byrd dead. Information is limited at this time. “The manner of his death and circumstance are still being investigated. Nothing further will be released at this time given that it is still an open investigation,” JPD said. “We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Byrd’s family and friends during this very difficult time.”

North Texas recorded one of its hottest summers in 2023

DALLAS – KERA reports that north Texans should feel some relief from the heat after the Fourth of July. Daniel Huckaby, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the persistent heat dome that set over Texas since June will break down over the top of the Dallas-Fort Worth area after the holiday. “It’s rare that it’s persistent throughout the season,” he said. “It tends to come and go over the course of the season.” Texas has recorded some of its hottest summers in recent decades. According to a report by the Texas Tribune, 19 summers since 2000 have been warmer than the 20th-century average as of 2023. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, seven of the last 30 years have ranked among the top ten years for the greatest consecutive 100 degree days in the summertime. National Weather Service data records show that 2023 and 2022 were in the top ten years for greatest consecutive 100 degree days for the region. But one difference between this year and the past two years is rain.

While 2023 and 2022 had some of the highest number of 100 degree days in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, there was also lower precipitation in April and May of those years compared to this year. Huckaby said this year’s spring rainfall could contribute to a milder summer. “Now that’s not to say that it won’t be hot, it’s always hot here in Texas in the summertime,” he said. “But, we do tend to mitigate those high temperatures just a bit.” During this year’s heat wave, Huckaby said temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth area hit 100 degrees a few times, but a lot of the days peaked at 90 degrees. “If we were in drought like we were the last couple summers, those probably would have all been triple digit days,” he said. “So that’s where the difference comes in.” However, Huckaby said the outlook is for the area to have a warmer summer than normal overall for June, July, and August due to a trend toward warmer summers. While this summer may not compare to last year — its second hottest on record — higher temperatures recorded in recent decades are still cause for concern.

Food banks struggle to keep up post-pandemic

AUSTIN – KUT reports that drivers line up down the street to grab groceries from a small, white house in the Dunbar neighborhood of San Marcos. For some time, the renovated house worked for the Hays County Food Bank, but as more and more people rely on it, the food bank has outgrown the space. Executive Director Lisa Young said overhanging tree branches and telephone wires also don’t allow trucks to bring in larger quantities of food. Now, the food bank is moving to a bigger building. “It’s going to be transformational for us,” Young said. The food bank distributes leftover produce, meat and baked goods from local grocery stores. Young said the volume of food the bank sends out has gone up every year since the pandemic. “In 2023, we distributed 1.3 million pounds of food through this little carport here,” she said. “That was a miracle.”

Sari Vatske, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank, said more than 16% of adults and 25% of children in the region are food insecure. This means they don’t know if they will have enough food or where their next meal will come from. At the end of 2023, food insecurity in the 21 counties the Central Texas Food Bank serves — including Travis, Hays and Williamson — was at 14%. That’s slightly higher than the national average, according to Vatske. The phasing out of COVID-19 assistance, like stimulus checks and temporary food stamp programs, has increased reliance on food banks. Inflation has added to the strain. The USDA reports the cost of groceries should go up by about 2.5% each year, with some items like beef and eggs getting even more expensive annually. But prices increased overall by 11.4% in 2022 and another 5% in 2023. “We are surpassing the number of individuals that we’re serving now, beyond at the height of the pandemic,” Vatske said.

Victim in bus stop crash has died

Victim in bus stop crash has diedTYLER – Tyler PD Public Information Officer Andy Andy Erbaugh released a report that authorities are investigating a pedestrian crash on S. Broadway Ave that occurred Tuesday afternoon. A vehicle traveling northbound on Broadway left the roadway and struck the bus stop. The female victim, identified as Sandra Abrego, 43, of Tyler, was at the bus stop when she  was struck by the vehicle. Officials say she died as a result of her injuries. The vehicle that struck the pedestrian remained on scene. This case remains under investigation.

Polk, Trinity among counties affected in mass boil water notice

Polk, Trinity among counties affected in mass boil water noticePOLK COUNTY – The Lake Livingston Water Supply Corporation said 44 Polk County and 16 Trinity County systems are under a boil water notice due to Beryl. According to our news partner KETK, the following are under a boil water notice until repairs to a line break are complete and water is restored to full pressure. List of areas affected can be found here or below. Customers are urged to boil water before consuming it, washing their hands or face and brushing their teeth to ensure the destruction of harmful bacteria and other microbes. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two additional minutes.

People are also encouraged to purchase bottle water or obtain water from another source. When the notice is rescinded, the public water system officials will notify customers, a release said.

For more information people can contact the water supply company at 936-327-3107 or 800-744-9283. Continue reading Polk, Trinity among counties affected in mass boil water notice

SWEPCO releases estimated power restoration times

SWEPCO releases estimated power restoration timesTYLER — According to our news Partner KETK, SWEPCO released estimated restoration times as they work to restore power to East Texas cities affected by severe damage from Beryl. The electric company said as of 7 p.m., power has been restored to nearly 36,000 customers so far. You can find the SWEPCO estimated restoration times for areas impacted by the storm here. Or sign up for email or text alerts for direct updates on estimated restoration time at their home or business. To sign up, customers can visit the SWEPCO website. Continue reading SWEPCO releases estimated power restoration times

NWS: a record 67 tornado warnings issued Monday

NWS: a record 67 tornado warnings issued MondayTYLER – The National Weather Service in Shreveport Monday reported a record number of tornado warnings in their storm coverage area, including East Texas. According to our new partner KETK, 67 tornado warnings were issued due to tropical storm Beryl moving up from the Texas coast.

NWS Shreveport said that the amount of tornado warnings Monday “are further proof that inland tropical impacts can also be quite extreme.”

Before Monday, the most tornado warnings in a day for the area was recorded on Dec. 27, 2015 with 36 tornado warnings.

Golf tournament raises more than $125K for UT Tyler scholarships

Golf tournament raises more than 5K for UT Tyler scholarshipsTYLER – The 2024 BMW of Tyler Patriot Golf Classic raised $126,900 that will go toward student scholarships at the University of Texas at Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the golf tournament has been one of the university’s largest fundraising events since 1986, having raised a total of nearly $3 million.

UT Tyler President Julie Philley said in a release, “The money raised from this event will help our deserving students attain their academic goals. We are grateful to our community partners for their continued support.”

One injured in Jacksonville shooting

JACKSONVILLE – One injured in Jacksonville shootingA man is injured after a shooting early Tuesday morning in Jacksonville. According to our colleagues at KETK, police received a call about a shooting in the 700 block of Elm Street around 6:56 a.m. where they found a man with a gunshot wound. “The Jacksonville Police Department has identified the shooter and are working diligently towards apprehending the suspect,” authorities said. Jacksonville PD, Fire and EMS responded to the scene.