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Gov. Abbott announces $200 million in energy grants for Northeast Texas

Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday the second agreement under the Texas Energy Fund (TxEF) Outside-ERCOT Grant Program (OEGP) with Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO). The grant, administered by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), funds a project that will upgrade approximately 700 miles of power equipment in Northeast Texas, ensuring electric reliability for more than 192,000 Texas consumers.

“Reliable electricity powers every part of Texans’ daily lives,” said Governor Abbott. “As our state grows, we will ensure families, businesses and communities have the reliable, affordable power they need. Through these investments to upgrade power line infrastructure, Texas will remain the energy capital of the world.”

“The TxEF is producing tangible results for Texans,” said PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson. “This project will modernize critical electric equipment, strengthen reliability for more than 192,000 consumers, and ensure Northeast Texas communities have the dependable power they deserve. This is exactly the kind of lasting improvement the TxEF was created to support.”

“This TxEF grant allows us to accelerate critical infrastructure improvements while minimizing the financial impact on our customers,” said SWEPCO president and chief operating officer Brett Mattison. “It’s a win for reliability, affordability and the communities we serve. Across SWEPCO, our teams are united in our shared mission to serve customers, and we work diligently to pursue state and federal grants that help improve service while minimizing customer costs.”

The project will upgrade approximately 700 miles of powerline infrastructure and improve nearly 200 circuits in Northeast Texas. Upgrades include replacing aging copper wire with stronger aluminum alloy conductors and replacing existing utility poles. The project will improve the reliability and resilience of the electric distribution system and improve storm resilience in SWEPCO’s territory.

The PUCT approved a grant award of approximately $200 million for the project through the OEGP, which provides funding for electric infrastructure projects that improve reliability and resiliency for Texans served by electric utilities outside the ERCOT region.

SWEPCO’s project is expected to be completed by early 2031.

The OEGP is one of four TxEF programs. More information about these programs is available on the PUCT’s website.

Cannons lost underwater during the American Revolution will soon go on display at a Georgia museum

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A museum in Georgia’s oldest city on Wednesday welcomed a truckload of treasures from the earliest period of U.S. history — 17 cannons that experts believe sank to the bottom of the Savannah River during the American Revolution and remained undiscovered for nearly 240 years.

Workers carefully hoisted the big guns one-by-one from the back of a truck and wheeled them inside their new home at the Savannah History Museum, which will put them on display just in time for the Fourth of July celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

“They look brand new,” said Andrea Farmer, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers archaeologist who was part of the team that researched and preserved the cannons. “They could pretty much be fired if someone wanted to.”

The artifacts were discovered in 2021 when a dredge scooping sediment from the riverbed as part of an Army Corps project to deepen Savannah’s shipping channel pulled up a cannon in its metal jaws. The crew soon dug up two more.

In the course of just over a year, a total of 19 cannons were hoisted from the location just downstream from Savannah, which is where Georgia was founded in 1733 as the last of Britain’s 13 American colonies.

After being pulled from the river, most of the cannons left Georgia for several years to undergo cleaning and preservation work at a Texas lab.

Archaeologists initially assumed the cannons likely dated to the Civil War. But further research indicated they’re likely almost a century older and sank during the buildup to the American Revolution’s bloody siege of Savannah.

Savannah was under British occupation in the fall of 1779, when colonists planned an attack to retake the city with help from French allies.

When French ships carrying troops were spotted off the Georgia coast, British forces scuttled at least six ships in the Savannah River downstream from the city to block the French vessels.

The land battle that followed was one of the bloodiest of the war. British forces killed nearly 300 colonial fighters and their allies, and wounded hundreds more.

The Savannah History Museum sits right next to the battlefield. Its staff on Wednesday hoisted the cannons, weighing up to 1500 pounds (680 kilograms) apiece, onto custom display mounts that staffers likened to giant wine racks.

The cannons will be part of a new exhibit on Savannah’s role in the American Revolution, which is scheduled to open Fourth of July weekend, said Samantha Moss, the museum’s curator.

“Our great team has been prepping for months — building mounts and planning how we can safely display these very large, very special artifacts,” she said.
Cleaning the crusty cannons took years

Each of the iron cannons emerged from the river covered by a thick crust of mud and minerals.

Two were left in that raw state and put on display at the museum. The other 17 were sent to Texas A&M University, which has a lab that specializes in preserving underwater artifacts. Its staff spent years painstakingly cleaning the big guns and coating them in paint and wax to prevent rusting and corrosion.

“A lot of them have scour marks on the side from anchors or dredging, so there’s some scarring on the cannons,” said Chris Dostal, a professor of nautical archaeology who leads Texas A&M’s Conservation Research Lab. “But most of them look pretty exceptional.”

Most of the cannons arrived with wooden plugs still sealing their bores, which remained packed with cannonballs and gunpowder charges.

Dostal said radiocarbon dating of the wooden stoppers placed them roughly in the late 1700s. His team shared the cannons’ measurements and other details with experts in London, who concluded three of them were very likely forged by the British military.

The rest appeared to be of French design but bore no telltale markings. Dostal said he suspects those guns may have been cast in America around the time of the war.

Other artifacts found with the cannons included pieces of anchors and a portion of a ship’s bronze bell. Like the cannons, none of them bore engravings indicating which ship they came from.

That means many details of the cannons’ origins remain a mystery.

“You don’t have all of the information,” Farmer said. “You’re trying to piece it together as best as you can.”

Metal recycling business is nixed

TYLER – The North Tyler Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to deny a zone change for a proposed metal recycling business. The change would have converted areas designated as light commercial and single-family residential into an industrial district. According to our news partner KETK, the board’s decision came after 90 minutes of public comment at a public hearing, during which the majority of speakers expressed opposition to the proposed development. The site for the planned business was located near the southwest intersection of Loop 323 and West 34th Street. Continue reading Metal recycling business is nixed

Pet risks in Texas heat

TYLER — The Texas summer heat doesn’t just take a toll on people; it can be dangerous and even deadly for pets. A 2024 report from the SPCA of Texas shows the state ranks number one in the nation for heat?related pet deaths, a statistic that worries veterinarians across East Texas. Our news partner KETK talked to Dr. Gary Spence of Spence & White Veterinary Hospital in Tyler. Dr. Spence says the extreme temperatures seen across the region each summer put all dogs at risk.

“Hot weather, particularly in Texas, is a big challenge because we get such heat extremes,” Spence said.

While any dog can suffer from heat stroke, he says, overweight, elderly and long-haired dogs are especially vulnerable. Warning signs can appear quickly. Continue reading Pet risks in Texas heat

ETBU nursing students back from Costa Rica

MARSHALL – Students and faculty from the East Texas Baptist University Teague School of Nursing recently returned from a medical mission trip to Costa Rica, where they served local communities through healthcare clinics and patient education.

Led by Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dr. Kelly Arraf, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dr. Britney De La Rosa, and Assistant Professor of Nursing, Dayna Davidson, ETBU nursing students partnered with local churches, translators, and healthcare providers to deliver compassionate care in multiple communities. Students assisted with triage, patient education, pharmacy services, and clinical support while gaining firsthand experience in global healthcare missions.

On the first day of ministry, students established a clinic inside a local church and immediately began serving patients with a variety of needs. Among the memorable experiences were witnessing a mother see her baby on an ultrasound for the first time, assisting during a tooth extraction, and teaching patients non-pharmacological methods for pain management and wellness. Continue reading ETBU nursing students back from Costa Rica

Mason Thames joins cast of ‘John Wick’ spinoff film ‘Caine’

Mason Thames attends the premiere of 'Black Phone 2' at TCL Chinese Theatre on Oct. 8, 2025, in Hollywood, California. (Kayla Oaddams/WireImage via Getty Images)

Mason Thames has joined the John Wick universe.

The actor is set to star in the upcoming Lionsgate film Caine, ABC Audio has confirmed. Caine will be a John Wick spinoff directed by and starring actor?and martial artist Donnie Yen as the titular fan-favorite character from John Wick: Chapter 4.

As previously announced, Rina Sawayama has also been cast in Caine. She will reprise her role as Akira. Also part of the cast is Stranger Things actor Dacre Montgomery.

Thames' role is currently being kept under wraps, as is the film's logline. According to Lionsgate, it will continue Yen's story arc through the events of John Wick: Chapter 4, "as Caine has been freed from his?obligations to?The High Table."

The film is currently in production, with John Wick star Keanu Reeves producing.

The Batman Part II?writer Mattson Tomlin, who also wrote the adaptation of the Reeves-created comic book? BRZRKR, wrote the screenplay with Michael McGrale.

Lionsgate says Caine will be "shaped by Yen’s signature approach to action filmmaking, blending precision choreography with emotional storytelling."

Thames recently finished production on the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon 2. He will appear in the upcoming Green Day inspired film Nimrods as well as the Dave Franco and O’Shea Jackson Jr. starring film Idiots.

Downtown traffic changes

TYLER – There are some traffic changes to note in downtown Tyler. The intersection of North College Avenue and West Erwin Street is now open. Both College Avenue and West Erwin Street in that area will operate as two-way streets. Drivers heading northbound on North Broadway Avenue are now able to turn left onto West Erwin Street. Drivers are encouraged to exercise caution at the intersection due to the new traffic patterns.

College Avenue is operating as a two-way street from West Ferguson Avenue to West Front Street. West Erwin Street is operating as a two-way street from Bois D’Arc Avenue to North Broadway Avenue. The intersections of North College Avenue and West Erwin Street, North College Avenue and Elm Street, and West Erwin Street and Bois D’Arc Avenue are operating as four-way stops. Continue reading Downtown traffic changes

Man allegedly had explosive device in his carry-on bag at California airport: TSA

Federal authorities say this explosive device was found at a TSA checkpoint at the Sacramento International Airport on May 30, 2026. (TSA)

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- A man was arrested and faces a federal charge after an explosive device was allegedly found in his carry-on bag at a California airport, federal authorities said.

Kimani Osayande Jones, 49, was detained at the Sacramento International Airport on Saturday after attempting to go through a security checkpoint, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Jones was "wearing a scarf covering his face and latex gloves on his hands" at the time, TSA said in a press release on Wednesday.

In his carry-on bag, he had an M-type explosive device -- meaning an improvised explosive -- and a "torch lighter capable of lighting the explosive," TSA said.

His carry-on bag also contained a knife, scissors, scissor blades, an aerosol can and zip ties, according to an affidavit in support of the complaint.

He was traveling with five cellphones, one of which had a 15-minute timer ready to start and another with a message from an unidentified number on the screen stating, "we will be awaiting your call," according to the affidavit.

Bomb technicians safely removed the device, and upon further examination, its powder and fuse were found to be "viable and energetic," TSA said. If it had detonated mid-air near a window on a plane, the device had the "potential to damage the aircraft and cause a possible loss of cabin pressure," the agency said.

Jones, of Sacramento, has been federally charged with unlawful possession of explosive material at an airport. If convicted, he faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

He is being held without bail at the Sacramento County Jail on a federal hold, online jail records show. Online court records do not list any future court dates or any attorney information for him.

Jones' luggage was also screened at the airport prior to being loaded onto an American Airlines flight headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, and did not trigger anything suspicious, according to the affidavit. Upon arrival in Charlotte, a search of his bag and an inspection of all luggage from the plane using specialized canines found nothing concerning, it said.

According to the affidavit, local authorities had prior contact with Jones, who "had a history of being paranoid." A man believed to be Jones had previously reached out to the FBI tip line 13 times this year, including the day of his arrest, to report that he was being threatened and intimidated, according to the filing.

‘Backrooms’ crosses $100 million, becomes highest-grossing A24 film at domestic box office

Backrooms is now the highest-grossing A24 film at the domestic box office.

The Kane Parsons-directed film crossed $100 million in the North American box office on Wednesday, A24 confirmed to ABC Audio.

This makes it the studio's first film to reach such an achievement. It surpassed the Timothée Chalamet film Marty Supreme's domestic total of $96 million in only six days.

According to the studio, Backrooms' global box office number stands at $144 million as of Wednesday. This means Backrooms is close to surpassing the best picture Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once's worldwide total of $148 million to become A24's second highest grossing movie. Marty Supreme is currently A24's highest grossing movie worldwide with a total of $191.3 million.

Backrooms opened in theaters on May 29. It brought in more than $81 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, off a $10 million budget. This made it the biggest debut in history for an original horror film, as well as the biggest debut for a first-time filmmaker on a non-franchise film. At 20 years old, Parsons is the youngest director to have a #1 film at the box office.

The horror film is based on Parsons’ popular YouTube series. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve as two people who enter a secret doorway into a maze of seemingly endless rooms.

Man accused of sexual assault

SMITH COUNTY – A man was taken into custody in Smith County on Tuesday on suspicion of sexually abusing a fifteen-year-old girl. Tony Rincker, 60, was placed in the Smith County Jail on a $500,000 bond after being accused of sexual assault of a minor. An arrest affidavit states that a student claimed to have seen a video on the teen’s Snapchat account showing the alleged victim being sexually assaulted. What looked to be a child’s bedroom was shown in the video. Continue reading Man accused of sexual assault

Comedian Marcello Hernández to host 2026 ESPY Awards

Marcello Hernandez attends the 2025 Night of Too Many Stars at Beacon Theatre on March 31, 2025 in New York City. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

The 2026 ESPY Awards are almost here and this year, the annual awards ceremony honoring the best in sports will feature a new host.

Comedian Marcello Hernández will present the star-studded evening, which is returning to New York City this year. Hernández is taking over duties from comedian Shane Gillis, who hosted last year from Los Angeles.

"It is an honor, and frankly feels crazy to be hosting the ESPYS this year in New York," Hernández said in a statement Wednesday. "I'm sure the energy is going to be great."

Hernández is described by ESPN as an "avid sports fan" who played soccer at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio.

The ESPYS, which first began at New York City's Madison Square Garden in 1993, will take place on Wednesday, July 15 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

The 2026 ESPYS will air live at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream on the ESPN app. The awards ceremony will also be available to stream on Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App, and ABC Video on Demand on July 16.

Craig Lazarus, executive producer of the ESPYS, called Hernández a "natural fit" to serve as this year's ESPYS host.

"Marcello is one of the most electric, young comedians today. His genuine enthusiasm for sports and his ties to New York City make him a natural fit to host this year's ESPYS," Lazarus said in a statement. "We are excited to partner with him to celebrate the best moments in sports and look forward to the fresh take he'll bring to the show."

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News, "Good Morning America," and ESPN.

Sexual abuse conviction upheld

HENDERSON COUNTY – A Scurry man who was found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a child in Henderson County, and given a life sentence, was upheld by an appeals court. Manuel Lynn Tijerina, 42, appealed his conviction to the Twelfth Court of Appeals, claiming the trial court had improperly admitted testimony from the victim’s relative, according to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office. Testimony revealed Tijerina exposed the victim to pornography, touched her inappropriately, and made sexual remarks to her. Continue reading Sexual abuse conviction upheld

Citing ‘critical issues,’ SEC, Big Ten withhold support for bipartisan college sports bill

AUSTIN (AP) – The two biggest conferences in college sports released a statement Tuesday saying they do not support the current version of a bipartisan bill designed to regulate an industry struggling for answers in a quickly changing era in which some players make millions.

The Southeastern and Big Ten conferences said the “bill leaves critical issues unresolved,” including not “meaningfully” preempting state laws with a federal one, which has long been considered a key element for a measure to get support from the NCAA and the conferences.

In an interview last week, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who drafted the bill with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told The Associated Press “the bill is drafted to preempt state laws that conflict with the provisions in this bill.”

The SEC-Big Ten statement came out less than 24 hours before a scheduled hearing about the bill in front of the Senate Commerce Committee. Cruz chairs the panel and Cantwell is the ranking Democrat.

The legislation has received support from the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences, but the Big Ten and SEC, as the two richest leagues that also have decision-making power over the future of the College Football Playoff, hold the biggest cards.

One of the bill’s key provisions would give conferences an option to pool their media rights — an idea the Big Ten and SEC have long claimed would not result in a financial windfall that proponents suggest. The leagues’ statement did not speak to that issue.

A spokesperson for the Commerce Committee that Cruz chairs acknowledged the Big Ten-SEC position.

In brief: ‘Onslaught’ gets official trailer and more

A sequel to War Machine looks to be in the works. Deadline reports that Netflix is moving forward with a second installment with director Patrick Hughes back at the helm. Hughes will produce and co-write the movie with James Beaufort. The outlet reports that star Alan Ritchson is likely to return for the sequel to the original film, which follows the final recruits of a Special Ops boot camp as they encounter a mysterious deadly force ...

You can now watch the trailer for A24's upcoming film, Onslaught. The action movie stars Adria Arjona as an army sniper and a mother who lives in a desert trailer park and fights to protect her family from genetically engineered super soldiers. Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard helmed the film, which also stars Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Eric Wareheim and Dan Stevens. It arrives in theaters on Sept. 4 ...

The official trailer for America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders season 3 has arrived. The Netflix documentary series returns for its third season on June 16. It follows the 2025–2026 squad through auditions, training camp and the NFL season, offering a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the iconic cheerleading team ...

As NYC’s Tribeca Festival turns 25, co-founder Robert De Niro wants it to go on ‘forever’

Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal speak during the 25th Tribeca Festival Bloomberg reception on June 1, 2026 in New York City. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

The 25th anniversary edition of New York's Tribeca Festival kicks off Wednesday night with a screening of a new Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, followed by a performance by the legendary band. The festival, which runs through June 14, features TV, movie and documentary screenings, plus premieres, panels, reunions and stars galore. Not bad for an event that started as a one-off.

The festival was founded in 2002 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal as a way to revitalize downtown New York City after the 9/11 terror attacks. "It was only, how could we bring people back downtown, how we could give our neighbors something to look forward to. As far as I was concerned, it was one and done," Rosenthal told ABC Audio. "Bob always believed we were gonna do it again, though."

"I felt very positive about it once it happened," De Niro said. "My feeling was it'd be great if it could be part of the fabric of New York, a New York tradition that just goes on forever, you know?"

De Niro will also appear at one of this year's special events: a 50th anniversary Taxi Driver screening and conversation with him, director Martin Scorsese and co-star Jodie Foster. De Niro said celebrating any of his films — even a classic like Taxi Driver — after the fact isn't something he ever thought would happen.

"When you're doing a movie, a project, you don't ever think that it would be received in the way you're saying Taxi Driver's been received, ever," he told ABC Audio. "You just don't think that. So it's nice, but you just don't ever expect it ... it's just, you do the project and that's it."

The festival will close with the documentary Alicia Keys: Girl from Hell's Kitchen; Keys will appear after the screening.