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Musk gets his Texas wish. SpaceX launch site is approved as the new city of Starbase

McALLEN (AP) — The South Texas home of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket company is now an official city with a galactic name: Starbase.

A vote Saturday to formally organize Starbase as a city was approved by a lopsided margin among the small group of voters who live there and are mostly Musk’s employees at SpaceX. With all the votes in, the tally was 212 in favor to 6 against, according to results published online by the Cameron County Elections Department.

Musk celebrated in a post on his social platform, X, saying it is “now a real city!”

Starbase is the facility and launch site for the SpaceX rocket program that is under contract with the Department of Defense and NASA that hopes to send astronauts back to the moon and someday to Mars.

Musk first floated the idea of Starbase in 2021 and approval of the new city was all but certain. Of the 283 eligible voters in the area, most are believed to be Starbase workers.

The election victory was personal for Musk. The billionaire’s popularity has diminished since he became the chain-saw-wielding public face of President Donald Trump’s federal job and spending cuts, and profits at his Tesla car company have plummeted.

SpaceX has generally drawn widespread support from local officials for its jobs and investment in the area.

But the creation of an official company town has also drawn critics who worry it will expand Musk’s personal control over the area, with potential authority to close a popular beach and state park for launches.

Companion efforts to the city vote include bills in the state Legislature to shift that authority from the county to the new town’s mayor and city council.

All these measures come as SpaceX is asking federal authorities for permission to increase the number of South Texas launches from five to 25 a year.

The city at the southern tip of Texas near the Mexico border is only about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers), crisscrossed by a few roads and dappled with airstream trailers and modest midcentury homes.

SpaceX officials have said little about exactly why they to want a company town and did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

“We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders wrote to local officials in 2024 with the request to get the city issue on the ballot.

The letter said the company already manages roads and utilities, as well as “the provisions of schooling and medical care” for those living on the property.

SpaceX officials have told lawmakers that granting the city authority to close the beach would streamline launch operations. SpaceX rocket launches and engine tests, and even just moving certain equipment around the launch base requires the closure of a local highway and access to Boca Chica State Park and Boca Chica Beach.

Critics say beach closure authority should stay with the county government, which represents a broader population that uses the beach and park. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr. has said the county has worked well with SpaceX and there is no need for change.

Another proposed bill would make it a Class B misdemeanor with up to 180 days in jail if someone doesn’t comply with an order to evacuate the beach.

The South Texas Environmental Justice Network, which has organized protests against the city vote and the beach access issue, held another demonstration Saturday that attracted dozens of people.

Josette Hinojosa, whose young daughter was building sandcastle nearby, said she was taking part to try to ensure continued access to a beach her family has enjoyed for generations.

With SpaceX, Hinojosa said, “Some days it’s closed, and some days you get turned away,”

Organizer Christopher Basaldú, a member of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas tribe, said his ancestors have long been in the area, where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf.

“It’s not just important,” he said, “it’s sacred.”

Election results are in for northeast Texas

TYLER – With voting Saturday May 3, 2025 complete, results are available. Our news partner KETK has the complete list. You can find it here.

Driver of Ctour Holiday van involved in Idaho crash was licensed in California

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (AP) — Idaho State Police said Saturday that the driver of the tour van involved in a deadly collision with a pickup truck was licensed in California and the company that organized the trip was Ctour Holiday LLC, a large tour operator that provides international travel services.

The pickup truck driver and six people in the Mercedes van were killed in the crash, which occurred Thursday evening on U.S. Highway 20 near Henry’s Lake State Park in eastern Idaho as the tour group was headed to Yellowstone National Park.

Police identified the pickup driver as 25-year-old Isaih Moreno of Humble, Texas. They have not said whether the driver of the van was among the dead.

Ctour Holiday did not immediately respond Saturday to messages seeking comment.

The van passengers included 12 people of Chinese nationality and one Italian. Police said they were working closely with Ctour Holiday and in contact with the two countries’ consulates.

The Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco said via email that five Chinese citizens were killed and eight were injured.

The consulate “immediately activated its emergency mechanism to provide consular protection and assistance to the injured and the families of the victims,” it added.

The crash remains under investigation, and police said the bodies would be taken to the Ada County Coroner’s Office for autopsies and formal confirmation of their identities.

Three people were seriously injured: Two were flown to an Idaho Falls hospital and one to a hospital in Bozeman, Montana, according to police. Information on their conditions was not released, and the hospitals did not immediately respond to messages seeking updates.

Others were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

“Due to privacy considerations, no information regarding the medical status of the injured will be released,” police said in a statement.

Texas governor signs $1 billion voucher bill in milestone for school choice

AUSTIN (AP) — Texas will implement a $1 billion school voucher program, one of the largest in the country, that uses public dollars to fund private school tuition under a bill Gov. Greg Abbott signed Saturday, capping off a yearslong effort by Republicans.

School voucher supporters have long targeted the state, where past efforts buckled for decades against resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. Last month President Donald Trump called lawmakers before a key vote needed to finally get the bill to Abbott’s desk.

Texas joins more than 30 other states that have implemented a similar program, of which about a dozen have launched or expanded their programs in recent years to make most students eligible.

School vouchers have been Abbott’s primary focus this year, coming off a 2024 election cycle in which he led a campaign to oust GOP lawmakers who voted against a similar bill last session.

Republican lawmakers and bill supporters say it will give parents more choice by letting them pull their children out of poor-performing public schools.

“Gone are the days that families are limited to only the schools assigned by government,” Abbott said before signing the bill at the governor’s mansion. “The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that is best for their child.”

Democrats and Republicans in rural districts have criticized the program, saying it will drain financial resources from Texas’ more than 5 million public school students and subsidize the private education of wealthy families.

Beginning next school year, Texas families can receive $10,000 per year to help pay for students’ private school tuition. Children with disabilities can qualify for as much as $30,000 a year. The program will be capped at $1 billion for the first year and cover up to 90,000 students but could cost up to $4.5 billion a year by 2030.

RFK Jr. calls for ‘new’ vaccines to undergo placebo-controlled trials

(WASHINGTON) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will require new vaccines to undergo placebo testing, marking what a department spokesperson called "a radical departure from past practices."

The policy change would force vaccines, in order to be approved for human use, to undergo studies in which half of individuals in a study receive a placebo – typically a saline shot – to compare results against the vaccine.

Placebo-controlled trials are already used to test new drugs or vaccines for safety and efficacy, but some experts consider it unethical to conduct such trials when a vaccine or treatment is already considered safe and efficacious. For example, they say, giving half of the kids in a trial a placebo for the measles vaccine when an already proven vaccine exists would put those participants unnecessarily at risk for the virus.

It remains unclear what HHS considers a "new" vaccine and whether that includes the flu and COVID vaccines, which are updated on an annual basis to better protect against currently circulating strains.

"FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary has indicated that significant updates to existing vaccines—such as those addressing seasonal strain changes or antigenic drift—may be considered 'new products' requiring additional clinical evaluation," the department spokesperson told ABC News.

But the spokesperson indicated the yearly flu vaccine might not be affected by the policy, calling it "tried and tested for more than 80 years."

It appears, instead, that the policy could impact the rollout of future COVID vaccines, which are updated annually.

When asked to elaborate on what the department considers a "new" vaccine, the spokesperson said that federal health agencies would follow the "Gold Standard of Science".

Kennedy has long questioned the safety of vaccines and argued that placebo-based trials are needed to ensure vaccines aren't doing more harm than good.

Even as thousands were dying during the COVID-19 public health emergency, COVID vaccines still underwent placebo-controlled studies with more than 100,000 volunteers from diverse populations. Experts say the practice is necessary to determine if a vaccine is not only effective, but also safe.

Many childhood vaccines were originally tested with placebo trials. Others have been available for decades, providing data from millions of people showing those vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and effective.

Once a vaccine for a disease is approved safe and effective, future versions of the shot are tested in clinical trials against the already approved shot. Clinical trials test whether the updated vaccines generate an immune response that's comparable to or better than previous versions of the vaccine.

Even after vaccines are made available to the public, scientists continue to monitor them for safety. They also review any reports of side effects or reactions and share these facts with the public.

‘Cult following’: Why automakers are still making wagons in the SUV era

"We're seeing lots of customer demand for the M5 Touring," said Juliana Ochs, a manager of business development for BMW Luxury Class and M. Image via BMW.

(NEW YORK) -- Think your giant sport-utility vehicle is cooler than the middling station wagon? Think again.

German automaker BMW recently entered the U.S. "super wagon" category with its high performance M5 Touring, a ludicrously fast family hauler (starting price $121,500) that can smoke a two-seater sports car on a racetrack -- again and again. This is the wagon you wish your parents drove.

The wagon's turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 packs 717 horsepower and BMW claims a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.5 seconds. Bonus: the M5 Touring is a plug-in hybrid and gets about 25 miles of pure electric range, allowing owners to cruise through town (almost) unnoticed.

"We're seeing lots of customer demand for the M5 Touring ... customers don't want to sacrifice utility and performance," Juliana Ochs, a manager of business development for BMW Luxury Class and M, told ABC News. "The Touring is the new kid on the block. There was a strong ask for it here in the U.S. and we listened to our customers."

The M5 Touring, which has been on sale in Europe, is just starting to arrive at U.S. dealerships. Few enthusiasts have ever seen one in person.

"People are definitely calling in about the M5 Touring," Jordan Bray, a sales adviser at BMW of Latham, New York, told ABC News. "There's a cult following when it comes to wagons -- not just BMW, but all manufacturers. We're super excited to see it."

Bray said interested buyers may have trouble getting access to one.

"I don't know how many dealers want to give up allocations for that car," he said.

Tyson Jominy, vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power, said wagons, like the forgotten minivan, have been unfairly maligned by U.S. motorists.

"There are excellent minivans out there and excellent wagons," he told ABC News. "They both have a stigma that is long out of date in my opinion. Wagons are a sleeper agent -- you can probably get away with a lot of stuff that may be frowned upon by your local police."

Jominy noted that the market for premium, six-figure wagons like the M5 Touring and Audi RS6 Avant caters to a very niche customer -- one who may also have a Ferrari parked in the garage.

"A 'super wagon' is fan service to your most loyal owners," he said. "Your most loyal owners know about your global portfolio and the forbidden fruit that exists out there. And one of the secrets in the auto industry is that wagon buyers spend real money. Premium luxury wagon buyers typically get zero incentives."

Plus, there are many other reasons to own a wagon, Jominy argued.

"They will drive better because they're lower to the ground and keep their center of gravity," he noted. "They're better handling vehicles and drivers should get better fuel economy than an SUV."

When Audi introduced enthusiasts to its RS6 Avant in 2019 (starting price $126,600), the wait time to get one was two to three years, according to Mark Dahnke, an Audi spokesperson. The automaker sells about 1,000 units in the U.S. and interest is still strong -- including with families.

Like the M5 Touring, the RS6 Avant's performance credentials match or exceed sports cars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more: 621 hp, 627 lb.-ft. of torque, 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds. And unlike low-slung, compact sports cars, the menacing RS6 doubles as a stylish people mover that can go just about anywhere and perform capably on dirt trails and and slippery roads.

"It is a very special car for which its buyers receive applause from every fellow enthusiast," Dahnke told ABC News. "Everyone from Bugatti to R8 owners applaud your decision to buy an RS6 Avant Performance."

Mercedes-Benz recently said the 2026 E53 Hybrid wagon heads to U.S. dealers later this year. The company's last high-performance wagon, the E63 S, immediately won over wealthy enthusiasts' hearts and wallets. Mercedes is expecting a similar reaction to this model, which makes 577 hp from a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and an electric motor.

"As a performance plug-in hybrid, it combines the best of both worlds: exhilarating driving dynamics and performance with the efficiency of all-electric driving for daily commutes," a Mercedes spokesperson told ABC News. "The wagon also benefits from the numerous advancements introduced with this new generation E-Class, including all-new electronic architecture, third-generation MBUX infotainment, greater connectivity and expanded comfort features."

The U.S. wagon market has been shrinking, however. Volvo recently ended production of its well-liked V60 Polestar Engineered plug-in wagon. The new Subaru Outback, which was unveiled at the New York International Auto Show in April, looks more like, well, an SUV.

But Tony Quiroga, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver, said the options available for this niche segment are "pretty cool."

"I think the RS6 Avant sort of proved that there is a market and BMW wants to tap into that," he told ABC News. "The M5 Touring is a halo car ... it's for the enthusiasts who maybe are disappointed that BMW built so many SUVs. A wagon works just as well as an SUV in so many cases. And it's more fun to drive."

Patrick Lalewicz, a product manager at BMW, acknowledged that BMW owners can get a thrill from other M vehicles on the market, like the M5 Sedan and X5M SUV. The M5 Touring, however, grabs all the attention.

"New and young customers coming into the brand with the M5 Touring," he told ABC News. "They car is so rare and sought after. Customers want something special."

Officials say Harrison County child has measles

HARRISON COUNTY – The Marshall-Harrison County Health District confirmed a case of measles in a child younger than five years old on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, officials with the MHCHD, suspect the exposure date and location is April 27 at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Hallsville. Investigators are seeing if this case is connected to the west Texas outbreak.

“Now that measles has made its way into our country, we must remain diligent in preventing its spread,” Harrison County Health Authority and MHCHD Medical Director Dr. Ricky Paul said. “The best protection against measles is to receive the Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine.”

Officials add that measles is highly contagious and spreads through coughing, sneezing or being near an infected person. People can spread measles from four days before and four days after a rash appears. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, watery or red eyes and a rash typically starting on the face and spreading downward two to five days after initial symptoms.

University of Texas chancellor is named president of the University of California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — James B. Milliken, who has led major public university systems in New York and Texas, was named president of the University of California on Friday.

Milliken comes to the role from the University of Texas, where he has served as chancellor since 2018. He has also held leadership roles at The City University of New York, the University of Nebraska and the University of North Carolina.

The UC system has 10 campuses, including Berkeley, Los Angeles and Davis. Milliken starts on Aug. 1. He will be paid nearly $1.5 million a year.

“The University of California is universally regarded as the preeminent public research university in the world, and I am deeply honored to have an opportunity to join the many talented faculty, staff, and campus leaders in their vital work,” Milliken said in a UC press release. “It is more important than ever that we expand the education, research, health care, and public service for which UC is so widely admired and which has benefited so many Californians.”

The announcement comes at a time when the Trump administration is targeting federal funding at universities in an attempt to get them to comply with the Republican president’s political agenda.

The University of California, Berkeley, is among dozens of colleges under investigation by the U.S. Education Department over its ties to The PhD Project, a group aimed at diversifying the business world and higher education faculty. The Trump administration is also investigating Berkeley over allegations of antisemitism linked to pro-Palestinian protests against the war in Gaza that broke out last year across campuses nationwide.

In response, Berkeley said it has “an unwavering commitment” to fighting antisemitism.

The Trump administration also launched probes into three University of California campuses over their admissions policies to determine whether they comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in college admissions.

Milliken succeeds Michael V. Drake as UC president. Drake was the first Black person to serve in the role in the system’s more than 150-year history. Drake announced last year that he would step down after serving as president since 2020, leading the system through the coronavirus pandemic, a graduate student strike and various campus protests.

His announcement last July that he planned to step down followed a particularly tumultuous spring. Over several days last April and early May, counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA that had grown on campus and law enforcement waited hours to step in. The next day, authorities in riot gear dispersed more than 1,000 people who had gathered to support the encampment.

Drake said Milliken “has the depth of wisdom and experience” to deal with the challenges that come with leading one of the nation’s largest public university systems.

“I have great confidence in both his leadership and his commitment to the University’s enduring values,” he said in a statement. “I’m excited about his appointment and look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish at the University.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that he was excited to see Milliken selected for the role to “drive the next chapter of innovation, talent, and progress that will shape California and the country for generations to come.”

The US has more than 900 measles cases and 10 states have outbreaks

(AP) — One-fifth of states have active measles outbreaks as confirmed cases nationwide keep ticking up, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC’s confirmed measles case count is 935, more than triple the amount seen in all of 2024. The three-month outbreak in Texas accounts for the vast majority of cases, with 683 confirmed as of Friday. The outbreak has also spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

Other states with active outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

North America has two other ongoing outbreaks. One in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 1,243 cases from mid-October through Tuesday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 844 measles cases and one death as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry. Health officials in Mexico and the U.S. say all three outbreaks are of the same measles strain.

Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

As the virus takes hold in U.S. communities with low vaccination rates, health experts fear that spread could stretch on for a year. Here’s what else you need to know about measles in the U.S.
How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico?

Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 20 new cases of measles since Tuesday, bringing the total to 683 across 29 counties — most of them in West Texas. Three counties recorded their first cases: Hardeman has one, Eastland has two and Upshur has five. The state also added two hospitalizations to its count Friday, for a total of 89 throughout the outbreak.

State health officials estimated about 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — are actively infectious.

Sixty percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 396 cases since late January — just over 1.5% of the county’s residents.

The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials in Texas said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February — Kennedy said age 6.

New Mexico added one case Friday for 67 total cases. Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state’s cases are in Lea County. Three are in Eddy County, two in Don?a Ana County and one in Chaves County.
How many cases are there in Indiana?

Indiana confirmed two more cases April 21 in an outbreak that has sickened eight in Allen County in the northeast part of the state — five are unvaccinated minors and three are adults whose vaccination status is unknown.

The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health has said.
How many cases are there in Kansas?

Kansas added nine cases Wednesday for a total of 46 across eight counties in the southwest part of the state. Gray County is up to 15 cases. The state also reported its first hospitalization.

Kansas’ health department didn’t elaborate Wednesday about a discrepancy in the number of new cases at the state and county levels beyond noting that case counts are “fluid as the outbreak progresses.”

The state’s first reported case is linked to the Texas outbreak based on genetic testing.
How many cases are there in Michigan?

Montcalm County, near Grand Rapids in western Michigan, has an outbreak of four cases that state health officials say is tied to the Ontario outbreak. The state had nine confirmed measles cases as of Friday, but the remaining five are not part of the Montcalm County outbreak.
How many cases are there in Montana?

Montana state health officials announced five cases April 17 in unvaccinated children and adults who had traveled out of state, and later confirmed it was an outbreak. All five are isolating at home in Gallatin County in the southwest part of the state.

They were Montana’s first measles cases in 35 years. Health officials didn’t say whether the cases are linked to other outbreaks in North America.
How many cases are there in Ohio?

The state has two outbreaks. Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases. And Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 — 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors.

The Ohio Department of Health on Thursday confirmed 33 measles cases and one hospitalization. That count includes only Ohio residents. Defiance County in the northwestern part of the state has logged its first case.

Allen and Holmes counties have had one case each.
How many cases are there in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma had 13 confirmed and three probable cases as of Friday. The first two probable cases were “associated” with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said. The department is not releasing which counties have cases, but Cleveland, Custer, Oklahoma and Sequoyah counties have had public exposures in the past couple of months.
How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?

There are eight measles cases in Erie County in far northwest Pennsylvania, officials said Friday. The county declared an outbreak in mid-April. The state has said it has 13 cases overall in 2025, including international travel-related cases in Montgomery County and one in Philadelphia.
How many cases are there in Tennessee?

Tennessee had six measles cases as of last week. Health department spokesman Bill Christian said all cases are the middle part of the state, and that “at least three of these cases are linked to each other” but declined to specify further. The state also did not say whether the cases were linked to other outbreaks or when Tennessee’s outbreak started.

The state health department announced the first measles case March 21, three more on April 1 and the last two on April 17, but none of the news releases declared an outbreak. However, Tennessee was on a list of outbreak states in a CDC report April 17.
Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?

North Dakota health officials on Friday announced that state’s first measles case since 2011. Cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.
What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?

The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.

Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from “killed” virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.

People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don’t need the shots because most children back then had measles and now have “presumptive immunity.”

In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”

But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60.
What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.

The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.

Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
How can you treat measles?

There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.

Houston County authorities search for 16-year-old’s killer

UPDATE: The Crockett Police Department has recovered the body of a missing teenager they believe to be Michael Ortiz. Police said they found the body Friday night on County Road 4020, near Box Creek, in Crockett. The investigation is being treated as a homicide. The Houston County Sheriff’s Office along with the Texas Rangers and Crockett Police Department are investigating the case. If you have information, you can contact 936-544-2862. Anonymous tips can also be left at 639TIPS.com.

CROCKETT – The Crockett Police Department is searching for a missing 16-year-old last seen on Tuesday evening. According to our news partner KETK, Michael Martin Ortiz was wearing black jogging pants and a black hoodie when he was last seen. If you have information on the location of Michael Martin Ortiz, your asked to contact Crockett Police Department Detective Humberto Gonzalez by calling 936-544-2021 or emailing him at gonzalezh@crocketttexas.org

Marshall ISD bus involved in Tyler crash, students onboard

TYLER – A Marshall ISD school bus in Tyler was involved in an accident late Friday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, the accident happened around 5:30 p.m. at the Pilot Travel Center on FM 14. Officials from the district said a car ran into the side of the bus. The elementary school students on board the bus were on a field trip. Another bus was sent to Tyler to pick up the students and staff involved in the accident. They returned to Marshall around 8:15 p.m. No injuries were reporting

Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East boat ramps reopened at noon on Friday

TYLER – The city of Tyler in a release said that the Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East boat ramps have reopened. Officials say because of the current high water levels, Tyler Water Utilities urges all boaters to use caution. Boat operators are reminded to stay alert for potential navigation hazards in the area and be aware of their wake to ensure the safety of other boaters and protect nearby properties.

Measles cases surpass 900 in US as infections confirmed in 29 states, CDC data shows

(NEW YORK) -- Measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed 900 as outbreaks continue to spread across the county, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data published Friday.

A total of 935 cases have been confirmed in 29 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

At least six states including Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas are reporting outbreaks, meaning three or more related cases.

The CDC says 13% of measles patients in the U.S. this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19.

Among the nationally confirmed cases, CDC says about 96% are among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

Meanwhile, 2% are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 2% are among those who received the required two doses, according to the CDC.

Dr. Conrad Fischer, chief of infectious diseases at One Brooklyn Health in New York City, told ABC News he is concerned about the growing number of cases in the U.S.

"This is a disease that was at the level of complete eradication; this should not be happening," he said. "It's very sad to have an enormously safe vaccine that has been used in billions of people and to have a sort of cultural societal amnesia about what these illnesses were like in the past."

In the decade before the measles vaccine became available, the CDC estimates that 3 to 4 million in the U.S. were sickened by measles every year, about 48,000 were hospitalized and about 400 to 500 people died. About 1,000 people suffered encephalitis, which is swelling of the brain.

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. But vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years, leading to an increase in cases.

In Texas, where an outbreak has been spreading in the western part of the state, at least 663 cases have been confirmed as of Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Meanwhile, officials in Denton County -- in the eastern part of the state outside Dallas and Fort Worth -- reported its first measles case this week in a patient who attended a Texas Rangers game.

The infected individual, an adult with unknown vaccination status, visited Globe Life Field and a handful of restaurants and other locations, Denton officials said.

Additionally, Chicago reported its first measles cases this week, one in a suburban Cook County resident with unknown vaccination status and another in an adult Chicago resident who traveled internationally and received one dose of the MMR vaccine, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health and Cook County Department of Public Health.

It comes as a WHO report this week found that cases in the Americas are 11 times higher this year than they were at the same time last year.

Six countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Belize and Brazil, have reported a total of 2,318 cases so far this year. Last year had 205 cases at the same time.

Fischer said measles is not a benign virus and can cause serious complications, especially among vulnerable individuals such as young children and immunocompromised people.

"Measles has a chance to literally destroy your brain, to cause pneumonia, ear infections and, although it is only fatal in a relatively small number of people, it spreads so amazingly easily that even if it's only a few percentages, it's something extremely dangerous," he said.

Fischer emphasized that measles is the most contagious infectious disease known to humans, even compared to other dangerous diseases like tuberculosis.

"For instance, tuberculosis will spread only to two or 3% of the people exposed," he said. "But if you are not vaccinated and you're exposed to someone with measles, you have a 90% chance of getting that infection."

Dr. Whitney Harrington, a physician in the division of infectious diseases at Seattle Children's Hospital, told ABC News the U.S. is at risk of measles becoming endemic again unless vaccination rates increase.

The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.

"We really know that vaccines are the single most important public health intervention for preventing infectious disease," Harrington said. "And we know that they've dramatically decreased really the number of cases and the severity of cases of many infections, including measles."

She encouraged parents who have not vaccinated their children yet to speak with a doctor or a health care provider about vaccination and the benefits of vaccination.

ABC News Youri' Benadjaoud contributed to this report.

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Man arrested after stabbing, killing relative

NACOGDOCHES – Our news partner, KETK, reports that a Nacogdoches man was arrested on Thursday night after a person was found dead lying in the street with stab wounds.

According to the Nacogdoches Police Department, around 10:45 p.m., police and fire responded to the 2220 block of Maybell St. between Sweetgum St. and Fourth St., and found Sirveorge Deron Jones, 40, of Nacogdoches lying dead in the street with several stab wounds.

Officials said that officers found a large amount of blood and the location of the incident at a nearby home. Officers then spoke with Emar’ian Nikhy Trezmin Jones, 23, of Nacogdoches, who told them that he had stabbed Sirveorge during a family argument.

Emar’ian was arrested for murder, and booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail on Friday. The department said that this incident is not related to the murder that occured at Eastwood Terrance Monday evening, and more information will be released as it becomes available.