Today is
Sunday July 19, 2026
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It’s been six months since Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney publicly called out Ole Miss for engaging in what he called “blatant” tampering to lure away transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
He has heard nothing back despite providing an alleged timeline, evidence and receipts to the NCAA.
Swinney said Thursday he doesn’t regret pointing the finger at Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and general manager Austin Thomas. And he again pushed for change and accountability on Thursday for what he called “rampant” tampering in college football.
“We’re probably gonna need some congressional help for that,” Swinney said during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason football media days. “There has to be some type of order put in place. The tampering is a problem. So there needs to be consequences or you just say to heck with it, don’t worry about it, and let’s just call it like it is — the wild, wild West.”
Swinney suggested fines, suspensions and even firings should be considered to discourage tampering, which has been a frequent topic of concern in multiple sports.
“There is lots of things that can be put in place,” Swinney said. ”(Tampering) is rampant because there hasn’t been consequences and I don’t know there has been much fear of consequences. So you’ve got to get some order.”
Golding defended Ole Miss in April, explaining there are “two sides to every story” referring to Ferrelli, who abruptly transferred to Ole Miss 20 days after beginning classes and team meetings at Clemson in January.
Ferrelli played last season at Cal before originally transferring to Clemson.
In March, Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey called NCAA language covering tampering rules “archaic,” but stopped short of urging the oversight body to halt tampering investigations.
Sankey said the new landscape in college sports calls for the rules language to be changed.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips on Wednesday urged coaches and administrators to go public with information if they see potential tampering.
Other ACC coaches have expressed support for Swinney for speaking out.
“I agree with Dabo,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “He should have been upset. To me that type of tampering shouldn’t happen. It goes back to there needs to be more guardrails. There needs to be a system in place where there’s consequences for doing things you’re not supposed to do, and that’s not in college football right now.”
Brohm said it’s one of the reasons he wants to see the Protect College Sports Act passed in Congress.
The bill that top lawmakers and athletic leaders have described as the best hope to stabilize college sports cleared a key vote in the Senate in June following weeks of input from schools, conferences and athletes.
It is now currently in the House for a vote.
The bill would address many areas, including tampering.
“It may not be perfect for everyone, but I’m all for it,” Brohm said. ”I think it’s important that we do something to try to help the game overall and then make adjustments along the way. Until there’s consequences for cheating and tampering, people will continue to skirt the edges.”
Syracuse coach Fran Brown said he’s not sure any rules will change how some teams conduct business behind the scenes.
“Some people just gonna be certain ways,” Brown said. “There’s still crime in America, right? It’s just certain things that you’re not gonna ever be able to stop.”
Swinney said that despite not receiving an update from the NCAA, he doesn’t regret going public with the allegations against Ole Miss — despite receiving some public criticism.
“They don’t owe me an update,” Swinney added. “I did my part. The NCAA, ask them for an update. No idea.”
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Jackson Suber got his first taste of links golf — on his first trip to Europe — when he arrived at Royal Birkdale. Three days later, he proved to be a quick study with a superb par save and a 6-foot eagle late in his round for a 5-under 65 to lead the British Open.
Bryson DeChambeau might be getting the hang of this, too, no matter what three-time British Open champion Nick Faldo thinks about his strategy.
An opening round lasting some 15 hours included just about everything during a warm and breezy start. Five of the leading 12 players were playing the British Open for the first time. Rory McIlroy missed three 4-foot putts in a four-hole span and had six bogeys in his round of 72. Scottie Scheffler opened with four birdies in six holes and didn’t make another the rest of the way for a 68.
Most startling was Suber, a 26-year-old American who has yet to win anywhere since leaving Ole Miss and is playing in only his third major. He made a tough par save on the new par-3 15th with slopes off severely on both sides. He followed with a 6-foot birdie on the 16th and then choked up on a 4-iron from 233 yards and hit it to 6 feet for eagle.
Not bad for his seventh round in any major, and first on a links course as tough as Birkdale.
“Just kind of kept the ball in good spots and didn’t put much pressure on my game to make pars,” Suber said.
He led by one shot over Sungjae Im and Dan Brown of England. The nine players at 67 include four Open debutants — Alex Smalley, Ryan Gerard, M.J. Daffue, Pierceson Coody.
And then there was DeChambeau, who has missed the cut in all three majors this year and has chosen not to speak to the media since Friday at the Masters, except for on LIV Golf.
Turns out he had enough strategy to get in the mix, often ripping driver to take the fearsome bunkers out of play and doing enough right for a 67 that left him two shots behind.
Strategy became a talking point when Faldo told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast this week, “DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy. He said last year, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links’. Well, I’ve never attacked a links. You thread it, don’t you? You feed it down the fairway. … You don’t think, ‘Oh, I’ll just blast it down there.’”
DeChambeau hit only four fairways but missed only three greens, though he was rarely in big trouble when he wasn’t in the short grass.
He twice blasted tee shots over the trouble and close to the green at the par-4 second and the par-4 10th, the latter a blind shot. He made birdie on both. And while Jon Rahm was among those who said going long can lead to trouble at some point, the only two shots DeChambeau dropped came from his putting (the par-5 14th) and chipping (the par-4 18th).
He was tied for the early lead until going from wispy rough over the back of the 18th, chipped weakly to 8 feet and missed the putt. He missed three birdie chances from around 10 feet or under, one of them on redesigned, 321-yard fifth hole, when he drove it just over the green.
DeChambeau agreed to take a few questions from the R&A and said, “I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places. Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.”
Cameron Young, one of the hottest players in the spring but quiet the past two months, also was at 67 along with Robert MacIntyre, Thomas Detry and Francesco Molinari, the 2018 Open champion at Carnoustie, which also featured a baked links course.
Scheffler had few complaints after a 68, even not making a birdie over his last 12 holes, playing the two par 5s in 1 over and making a pair of soft bogeys. He also missed a 5-foot birdie putt. Whether he could have gotten more out of his round was of little concern.
“If I continue to strike the ball the way I did today and just keep giving myself looks, that’s part of it,” Scheffler said. “Golf is played over 72 holes, and I definitely liked what I saw today.”
Smalley, who took a two-shot lead into the final round at the PGA Championship, was leading until his drive on the 18th was fading with the wind and then the luck of links golf took over. One wild bounce sent it further right and out of bounds. He finished with a double bogey for a 67.
“Got up to where the ball was supposed to be and was told it hit a spectator fence and kicked another 15 yards right out of bounds. All three of us in our group actually hit it over there, and mine just got an unlucky break,” Smalley said. “Poor tee shot, poor break. Sometimes that’s how it goes.”
Scheffler played in the group with DeChambeau and they traded birdies early. For six holes, the world’s No. 1 player had total control of his shots and looked as though he couldn’t miss. He got to 4 under when he gave a leg kick as his 40-foot birdie putt dropped on No. 6.
But then he missed the seventh green — 139 yards, downhill — to the left between a pair of bunkers, and his pitch was so strong it flirted with going in a bunker on the other side. He missed a 5-foot birdie chance on the 11th, and then made a mess of the par-5 17th when his ball was buried so deep in the grass he thought someone might have stepped on it during the search.
“Sometimes you hit it over there and you get a clean lie and you’re able to give yourself a look, and then other times like today, you pay a pretty severe price,” he said. “But I guess don’t hit it offline.”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
LONDON (AP) — The British government on Thursday urged FIFA to investigate Argentina’s team after players celebrating their 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semifinals posed with a banner that claimed sovereignty over the contested Falkland Islands.
During post-match celebrations Wednesday in Atlanta, Argentine players held a banner handed over by fans, reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday. “Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
Starmer supported calls for FIFA to investigate, the spokesperson said, after U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the players’ behavior was “entirely inappropriate.”
FIFA can prosecute Argentina’s players and soccer federation because its disciplinary code prohibits at stadiums any “message that is not appropriate for a sports event” including those of “a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.”
The FIFA fines for political messaging range from around $5,000 to $20,000. FIFA was approached for comment Thursday.
Argentine President Javier Milei described the players’ celebration with the banner as “perfectly valid,” saying the message “reflects a sentiment shared by all Argentines.” But he said he expected FIFA to sanction the team with a fine.
“What the players do is understandable; they get carried away by their emotions, they act on impulse, and that will likely lead to discussions about a fine,” Milei told a local Buenos Aires radio station.
Vice President Victoria Villarruel was more vocal in her support, posting a photo on social media of the players raising the banner with the caption: “The Malvinas are Argentine! They banned us from bringing (signs) into the stadium, forgetting that we carry them in our blood and in our hearts.”
A FIFA disciplinary case under previous leadership banned a South Korea player for two 2014 World Cup qualifying games because he held up a similar banner about a territorial claim against Japan at the 2012 London Olympics. Park Jong-woo took a fan banner with the slogan “Dokdo is our territory” after South Korea beat Japan in the men’s bronze medal game.
On Wednesday, Argentina player Lisandro Martínez was asked if the banner could have stirred deep emotions for veterans of the conflict.
“We couldn’t let the Argentine people down” said Martínez, who has played in England for the past four years with Manchester United.
Argentina-England soccer rivalry
The sporting rivalry between the two countries is heightened by political tensions over the South Atlantic archipelago. It is a British overseas territory with a population of around 3,500 people located about 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) from the U.K. and 300 miles (480 kilometers) from Argentina.
Argentina argues the islands were illegally taken from it in 1833. Britain, which says its territorial claim dates to 1765, sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.
The war in 1982 killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service personnel and three islanders.
That conflict ended during the 1982 World Cup in Spain where Argentina, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all played. British television networks declined to broadcast Argentina playing in the tournament’s opening game, when the defending champion lost to Belgium.
“Sadly, it is a sad part of our history,” Argentina player Leandro Paredes said in Atlanta about the banner, “for everyone involved in that chapter of, I repeat, our history. And it hurts. We knew we were playing for them, too.”
Politics in soccer
British government minister Kyle told the BBC “politics needs to be separate from football.”
“In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football,” he said. “That is now a matter for FIFA.”
FIFA’s statutory political neutrality has been questioned at this World Cup after its president, Gianni Infantino, and disciplinary process — which could now judge Argentina — seemed to cave to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump in allowing United States forward Folarin Balogun to play Belgium in the round of 16.
Balogun was shown a red card in the previous round and FIFA disciplinary rules mandated he should be banned from his team’s next game. FIFA deferred that suspension for one year of probation, provoking an all-time controversy in modern World Cup history. Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Infantino is expected to sit with Trump at the World Cup final Sunday. Argentina plays Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Previous cases
Argentina players showed the same “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” slogan at a warm-up game in June 2014 in Buenos Aires for the World Cup that started days later in Brazil.
FIFA’s disciplinary panel ruling in that case was published after the tournament finished and fined the Argentina federation 30,000 Swiss francs ($37,000).
In the 2012 London Olympics case, FIFA’s ruling said the conduct of the South Korea player “cannot be tolerated.”
At the 2022 World Cup, FIFA fined the Serbia federation 20,000 Swiss francs ($24,800) for hanging a political banner about neighboring independent state Kosovo in the locker room before playing Brazil. It showed a map of Serbia that included the territory of Kosovo, which has been an independent state since 2008, and the slogan “No Surrender.”
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Dunbar contributed from Geneva. Associated Press writer Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
Myles Garrett has been the NFL’s dominant defensive player for years, leading to his record-setting campaign with 23 sacks last season before being traded in June from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams.
Garrett’s performance helped him earn the honor of being named the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at edge rusher, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Garrett got all eight first-place votes and won the voting with 80 points. Green Bay’s Micah Parsons was the only other player named on all eight ballots and was second with 27 points. Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. was third, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt was fourth and Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson was fifth.
Brian Burns of the New York Giants, Baltimore’s Trey Hendrickson, Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, San Francisco’s Nick Bosa and Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen also received votes.
1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
Garrett won his second AP Defensive Player of the Year award last season and earned All-Pro honors for the fifth time after breaking the single-season sack record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. His 125 1/2 career sacks are the second-most to Reggie White among players in their first nine seasons in the NFL and Garrett is the only player with five straight seasons with at least 14 sacks.
Now after playing in only three playoff games in his career with the Browns, Garrett could have a chance to deliver in the postseason following the trade to the preseason Super Bowl favorite Rams.
2. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
Parsons was dealt from Dallas to Green Bay before last season and delivered 12 1/2 sacks in 14 games while earning his third career All-Pro honor. Parsons’ season ended early following a torn ACL in Week 15 that is expected to sideline him for at least the start of this season.
But Parsons has performed at a high level every year in the NFL and is the only player ever to start his career with five straight seasons with at least 12 sacks.
3. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Anderson is the anchor of one of the NFL’s top defenses and earned his first All-Pro honor last season when he had 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He turned that performance into a three-year, $150 million contract extension in the offseason.
In three seasons with the Texans, the 24-year-old Anderson has piled up 30 sacks and 136 tackles, including 46 for loss. He also has 64 quarterback hits in his career and has forced four fumbles and recovered three.
4. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt’s production has dipped a bit in recent years but he still remains one of the game’s top pass rushers. He had seven sacks in 14 games last season when he earned his eighth straight Pro Bowl bid.
He has led the NFL in sacks three times and has 115 for his career.
5. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft bounced back from an injury-shortened 2024 campaign to record a career high last season with 14 1/2 sacks to make his second Pro Bowl and be named a second-team All-Pro.
Hutchinson has 43 sacks, 100 quarterback hits, 44 tackles for loss and five INTs in 56 career games.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
TYLER — Two men pleaded not guilty on Thursday after an ICE and FBI operation in June, after being accused of transporting illegal immigrants. Arturo Alcantar-Perez and Guillermo Limon-Sanchez pleaded not guilty today in federal court in Tyler to charges including conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, trafficking in false identification documents and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to our news partner KETK, the two men were arrested on June 2 during an FBI and ICE operation at Ximena’s Furniture Store in North Tyler.
The charges stem from an alleged conspiracy to harbor and transport undocumented immigrants that began in May 2023. Alcantar-Perez and Limon-Sanchez remain in the custody of U.S. Marshals following their court appearance.
Two women, Virginia Valdivia and Keyla Valdivia, were also charged in connection with the case, facing the same three charges as Alcantar-Perez and Limon-Sanchez. Read the rest of this entry »
TRINIDAD – Trinidad City Administrator Cynthia Dosier resigned from her position on Wednesday as the city continues to deal with their ongoing water system issues. Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws announced both Dossier’s resignation and the resignation of city employee Sandra Rojas on Wednesday. In a social media post, Haws said that he’s contacted the Texas Municipal League (TML) for advice on how to work through these resignations.
“I want to make you aware that this will undoubtedly create some issues at City Hall as we transition through this and I apologize for any inconveniences,” Haws said on Thursday. “I have contacted TML this morning to get their guidance on working through this, we will seek interim staffing through organizations they are associated with so that we can have qualified individuals that can start working through issues immediately.”
Dosier’s and Rojas’s resignations came after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently found that Trinidad’s public water system has three alleged violations, which were only found after multiple residents submitted complaints to the state because of unclean drinking water. Read the rest of this entry »
LUFKIN, Texas (KETK)– Lufkin city officials are asking residents to help keep squatters away from abandoned properties near their homes, as fires have allegedly been started by homeless people recently.
According to Lufkin Fire Marshal Ozzie Jarman, since 2025, 12 structure fires have been reported at vacant or abandoned homes and it is believed that the fires were started by homeless individuals squatting on the property.
Officials said that the majority of the fires occurred in the middle of the night or early in the morning. It was also reported that 25% of the structure fires that have taken place in Lufkin since 2025 occurred at vacant homes.
“These fires are unpredictable and extremely dangerous,” Lufkin Police Chief Travis Brazil said. “It is only a matter of time before a firefighter, occupant, or member of the public is seriously injured or killed in one of these fires.”
Lufkin residents who see individuals squatting in homes are being asked to call 911 so officers can remove them from the home before a fire may start.
“We want to save the homes, lives and the possibility of nearby homes burning,” Brazil said. “Our police officers will take care of the individuals before a fire can be started. Any assistance from our residents is appreciated.”
ANDERSON COUNTY – The Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District took no action during a public hearing today on proposed rule changes to drilling permits. The proposed changes are being considered as Dallas investor Kyle Bass is suing the District for access to drill in Anderson County.
According to our news partner KETK, the District is considering six proposed rule changes, including potential updates to water permitting, emergency planning and overall groundwater use. The hearing also provided an opportunity for District board members to hear additional public comment.
State Sen. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville attended the hearing as she looks to clarify the current permitting rules. Bass applied last year to drill 21 high-capacity wells in Anderson County. These proposed wells could potentially extract 10 billion gallons of water per year from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer.
HOUSTON – Two people were in critical condition after shots were fired inside a Kroger supermarket outside Houston, Texas on Wednesday afternoon, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office said.
The incident took place at the Cypresswood Drive location in the Cypress around 2:50 p.m. CT., Capt. Juan Flores of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office told reporters.
Law enforcement on the scene of a shooting at a Kroger store in Cypress, Texas, July 15, 2026.
Officers discovered two men shot at the scene, Flores said. Investigators are looking into reports that one of the victims was the shooter, according to the constable’s office.
One of the people shot walked out of the store with injuries and was transported to the hospital, according to Flores.
The other person was found inside the store with multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to the hospital, Flores said.
Both were listed in critical condition Wednesday evening.
No other bystanders were hurt during the incident, Flores said.
The scene was closed off as investigators searched searched the area.
In a statement, Kroger said it was “deeply saddened,” by the incident and the store would remain closed while the police investigation continues.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ATHENS — A man could be facing up to 50 years in prison after entering an open plea on Wednesday to the murder of his roommate at a sober living home in February. According to an arrest affidavit, the family members of Derris Reynolds reported him missing in February after last being seen at a sober living residence and asked the property owners to review security footage.
The security footage found that 38-year-old Nicki Lee Gibby, who was also a resident of the home, had entered Reynolds’ bedroom and had a verbal altercation. Later on, the affidavit details that Gibby walked in and out of the bedroom with a mop, bucket and folded towels. Investigators said the video captured Gibby dragging a long, heavy object that appeared to be a human body wrapped in what appeared to be a tarp. The object was dragged down a hallway and out a side door of the home, according to our news partner KETK.
After obtaining a warrant, the Athens Police Department arrested Gibby for murder on March 4. On Wednesday, Henderson County court records say Gibby entered an open plea agreement, with his sentencing hearing set for Oct. 8. He could face up to 50 years in prison if found guilty.
CANTON – Water has been shut off to The Old Mill Marketplace and business owners have 30 days to leave. The land where the businesses operate has new ownership and on July 8th, their water was shut off by the city as the land transferred hands. Business owners said the new owner tried to reconnect the service, but told our news partner KETK there were several violations that had to be fixed before water could be restored.
“He said it’s too expensive. They want him to redo the entire infrastructure,” Buffalo Girls Hotel, Susan Matasse said.
For thirty years, Matasse has run the Buffalo Girls hotel. She now has to tell her loyal customers that they will no longer have a place to stay.
KETK spoke with the new owner on the phone. He did not confirm whether he tried to reconnect the water but said he bought the land as an investment and plans to sell. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — All across East Texas, counties are being asked to consider joining a possible groundwater conservation district in hopes of securing the rights for concerned residents by the next legislative session. On Tuesday, Gregg County Commissioners Court unanimously agreed to become a part of the district, if and when it’s formed. The decision to join came after a proposal by Brian Sledge, of Sledgelaw Group, who detailed the benefits of being a part of the district as others look to put a stake in East Texas water.
In Texas, there are over 100 groundwater conservation districts, which Sledge says are the only way, under state law, that water drilling and wells can be regulated. Sledge presented a color-coded map of the districts in the state, but East Texas’s top right corner is glaringly white and empty.
Without a district to protect the area, a large part of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer stands without protection from companies and people looking for water resources. Sledge says it’s probably the biggest area in the state with a substantial water resource without a conservation district. Read the rest of this entry »
CROCKETT (KETK) — A car is stolen or broken into every 23 seconds, according to FBI crime statistics, with an experienced car thief taking less than a minute to steal the average vehicle.
In Texas, more than 65,000 cars and trucks are stolen and almost 200,000 are burglarized every year. On Monday night, the Kilgore Police Department reported that they received 8 calls regarding car burglaries, an unusual uptick for the city with a population of less than 14,000.
The police department is advising residents to stay alert and take proactive measures to protect themselves from becoming victims.
Anyone who may have security video footage or any information regarding the incident is asked to call Detective Torres at 903-983-1559.
Vehicle Theft Prevention
Ensure all windows are closed and your car doors are locked. Always take your keys with you.
Choose to park in well-lit areas for added safety.
Store packages and valuables out of sight; it’s best not to leave them in your vehicle at all. Always make sure to lock your trunk.
Keep your license and registration in your wallet or purse to prevent identity theft; thieves could use them to impersonate you and sell your car.
If you have a garage, remember to lock both your car and the garage door for extra security.
Drone used to capture a suspected car thief in Crockett
Over in Deep East Texas, the Crockett Police Department said that on Tuesday at around 2:30 p.m., law enforcement responded to a vehicle burglary at the J.H. Wotters Crockett Library. The caller said that someone was going through her vehicle before leaving the scene.
Second of three wanted suspects arrested in East Texas car burglary case
When officers arrived, they began a search of the area and deployed a drone to use thermal imaging. They located the suspect attempting to hide between a bush and a nearby church.
As the drone moved overhead, police said the suspect attempted to flee again, but was surrounded by law enforcement and taken into custody. Police were able to recover the victim’s stolen wallet from the suspect’s pocket.
The suspect, identified as Trent Omar Shedd of Crockett, was then taken into the Houston County Jail and charged with burglary of vehicles and evading arrest.
Mugshot of Trent Omar Shedd, courtesy of the Crockett Police Department.
Sentencing for burglarizing a vehicle
For a first-time criminal offense of vehicle burglary, a person can be charged with up to one year in county jail. However, if evidence of prior burglaries is presented, the offense can be punishable by a term in prison no less than 180 days but not more than two years, along with a fine of up to $10,000.
If the suspect stole a firearm or a controlled substance, they may face a third-degree felony, which carries a sentence of two to ten years in prison.
HOUSTON (AP) — Janice S. McNair, who alongside her late husband Robert “Bob” McNair brought the NFL back to Houston after the Oilers left for Tennessee by founding the Texans, has died. She was 89.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce Houston Texans co-founder and senior chair Janice S. McNair passed away peacefully in Houston this afternoon with her family by her side,” the Texans said in a statement on Tuesday.
After her husband Bob died in 2018 following a battle with both leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma, Janice took over the Texans organization as owner. McNair’s son, Cal, was approved as primary owner of the team in 2024.
“Mom was exceptional. She exuded kindness, radiated joy, had an endless amount of hope and love, and lived an incredible life centered around faith, family, philanthropy and football,” Cal said in a statement.
“I remain honored to lead this franchise and build on the foundation my parents set when they brought football back to Houston. Mom leaves an indelible mark on our family, our team and our community, and her giving spirit will always be embedded in the fabric of our organization. While I’m heartbroken, I take great comfort in knowing she is now reunited with my dad, her favorite teammate.”
Janice McNair grew up in South Carolina, and moved to Houston with Bob in 1960. Bob McNair made his fortune as the founder of Cogen Technologies, an energy company which was sold to Enron in 1999 for $1.5 billion.
The couple was committed to charity in the city, including causes such as The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, The Robert and Janice McNair Educational Foundation in Forest City, North Carolina, and the Houston Texans Foundation.
Janice is survived by four children, 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, according to the team.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
UVALDE (AP) — Slow-moving storms with heavy rain were drenching a large swath of South Texas on Wednesday, a day after downpours washed out roads and farmland and led to dozens of high-water rescues.
Warnings of potentially dangerous flash flooding were posted in some areas as the deluge was expected to continue through Thursday evening. The National Weather Service said 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain was possible in some areas by the time the storms move out.
There have been no reports of deaths or injuries.
Flash flood warnings were posted Wednesday morning for several counties near the Mexico border including parts of Kerr County, where catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River last year killed more than 100 people. Kerr County officials said they have been in contact with summer camps and retreat centers where river flooding could happen.
The highest rainfall totals so far have been in Uvalde County — up to 16 inches (40 centimeters) in some areas, the weather service said.
“This is called a typical mid-summer tropical weather pattern that happens in Texas,” said Monte Oaks, a meteorologist with the weather service. “About once every five years, we’ll get socked in with a daily recurrence of heavy rain chances that’s generally produced by a stagnant kind of a pattern with a low-pressure center that’s just not moving very fast.”
Oaks said the rain is being fueled with tropical moisture, mostly from the Gulf of Mexico and some from the Pacific Ocean.
The highest level of concern for potentially dangerous flooding Wednesday was for areas west of San Antonio and north of Route 90, he said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued disaster declarations for dozens of counties.
Authorities posted videos on Tuesday showing a rescue crew in a boat navigating flooded streets and a vehicle being swept away by fast-moving waters. Five people were rescued by the Texas Game Warden Search and Rescue Team and four were rescued by a local game warden, said Maggie Berger, a Texas Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman.
The weather service said the city of Uvalde has been hardest hit. Officials there said there had been at least two dozen water rescues, and a local event center was open for anyone displaced by flooding. In Sabinal, officials were also making plans for a shelter.
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Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
Update: Former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo was due to appear in federal court Tuesday, but the hearing was abruptly postponed due to heavy rain and flooding in parts of Texas, and a new date has not yet been scheduled, according to ABC News.
UVALDE ABC) — Former Uvalde, Texas, school police chief Pete Arredondo is due in federal court Tuesday as part of his push to compel federal agents to testify at his trial for allegedly endangering students during the response to the Robb Elementary School mass shooting.
Arredondo is charged with 10 counts of endangering students for allegedly failing to quickly respond to the May 24, 2022, shooting, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed.
Arredondo filed a civil lawsuit this year to compel 19 U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees to testify during his criminal trial, which is set to begin on Feb. 22, 2027.
Arredondo’s attorneys have argued the testimony is vital for him to have a fair trial.
“The testimony will not only be material to determining whether he alone is responsible for the delay, it will also be helpful to show that Mr. Arredondo is not personally responsible for many shortcomings or any delay of CBP agents as part of the law enforcement response,” defense attorney Paul Looney wrote in a court filing.
This year, Looney filed a formal request to make the agents available to testify at trial, arguing that the accounts of the agents who stormed the classroom where the shooter was barricaded is necessary to prove Arredondo was not responsible for the botched response. Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell has sued to compel similar testimony, but CBP declined the requests to facilitate the testimony.
CBP Chief Counsel Andrew Block said in court filings that the testimony is not necessary for Arredondo’s defense, could be sought through other means, could impact CBP operations, and may result in the disclosure of “confidential law enforcement techniques and procedures.”
“You seek testimony from 19 CBP employees, which would require CBP to make all 19 officers available before and during the trial, pulling them off duty, incurring travel costs, and lost work hours, which negatively impacts CBP operations and national security,” Block wrote.
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MABANK – A boil water notice has been issued for a portion of the City of Mabank following a storm on Monday morning that disrupted a pump station. According to the city, residents within the Elm Grove Pump Station jurisdiction are subject to the boil water notice and are asked to bring any water intended for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before use.
In lieu of boiling their water, the city said residents may also purchase or obtain water from an alternative source until the notice is revoked. A notification will be sent out by the public water system once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, according to our news partner KETK.
Those with questions regarding the boil water notice can contact the City of Mabank Water Department at 903-887-241.
ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas (KETK)– A Lufkin city attorney was appointed on Monday by Gov. Greg Abbott as the new judge of the 217th Judicial District Court in Angelina County
Kristi Skillern will be entering the position, replacing Judge Robert Inselmann, who recently announced his retirement after serving as the 17th District Court judge since 2015.
Skillern enters the position after winning the Republican Primary runoff this past May against Stephen Walker and will begin her tenure once Inselmann’s officially concludes at the end of 2026.
Family still searching for missing Gilmer man after 20 years
Prior to becoming a city attorney, Skillern served as in-house counsel for State Farm Insurance and as defense counsel for Stradley & Wright and Smith and Knott PC. Skillern also holds a law degree from St. Mary’s School of Law and is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the American Bar Association.
Outside of her judicial career, Skillern is an active member of the Lufkin community, serving as a volunteer for the Salvation Army and the First Baptist Church of Lufkin.
BROWNSBORO — During a town hall meeting for the City of Brownsboro on Monday evening, city officials discussed the possibility of their police department entering the 287 (g) program. The 287(g) Task Force Model is a partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that allows increased local law enforcement to enforce U.S. immigration laws, including identifying and processing immigrants with pending or active criminal charges.
Our news partner KETK reports that during the meeting Brownsboro residents were given the chance to ask questions and share their thoughts on the city’s consideration of entering the 287(g) program.
Brownsboro Police Chief Scott Myntti was also present at the town hall, where he provided residents with more details about the program and discussed the possibility of Brownsboro becoming the newest East Texas city to enter into 287(g). A decision on whether or not Brownsboro will enter the program has not yet been made, and it is uncertain at this time when that decision will be reached.
BULLARD – A man was sentenced to serve 30 years in state prison on Monday after he was arrested for uploading pornographic images of children as young as one year old to his Google account in February. Dakota Reece was arrested after a Cybertip was received by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 8 from Google Inc. The tip reported Reece had uploaded 61 files of child pornography to Google Photos in 2025, according to our news partner KETK.
“All 61 media files were photos or videos of nude children ranging in age from approximately 1 year old to approximately 14 years old in provocative positions […] as well as adults engaging in [sexual acts] with children as young as 1 year of age,” Reece’s arrest documents read.
Reece’s phone was searched under a warrant on Feb. 2. Law enforcement learned from an email on the phone that their account had been disabled after it was flagged for containing harmful content. Read the rest of this entry »
POLK COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — The Texas Department of Public Safety is seeking any victims of a person who allegedly impersonated law enforcement and conducted traffic stops in Deep East Texas.
DPS is actively investigating reports they’ve received of a police impersonator in the area. The person allegedly conducted traffic stops while driving an unmarked black 2022 Jeep Gladiator on U.S. Highway 190 in Walker, San Jacinto and Polk counties.
DPS told KETK News that they are still working to identify the suspect.
Anyone who believes they have been pulled over by a person driving the 2022 Jeep is asked to contact the Conroe DPS Criminal Investigations Division by phone at 346-260-9824 or by email luke.williams@dps.texas.gov.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposed legal settlement with the U.S. government would require the Keystone Pipeline system’s operator to pay a $26.9 million civil penalty over a major oil spill in Kansas in December 2022 and spend about $40 million more to prevent future accidents.
The agreement would resolve allegations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Kansas that South Bow, based in Canada, violated U.S. and state clean water laws. The rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of heavy crude oil into a creek running through a rural pasture in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.
The accident was the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in the U.S. in nine years and surpassed all 22 previous ones on the same pipeline system combined, according to a 2021 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The total amount of oil spilled would have nearly filled an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
South Bow also would pay Kansas more than $3 million for environmental restoration projects under a proposed decree filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas. A judge would have to approve the proposed decree after a 30-day public comment period.
“The oil spill blanketed land and water, rendering the waterway lifeless and useless and requiring extensive cleanup and remediation,” Jeffrey Hall, the EPA’s assistant administrator for its enforcement office, said in a statement. “The substantial penalty reflects the seriousness of the environmental harm.”
South Bow spokesperson Sara Hunter said in an emailed statement Sunday that the company “proactively” launched its response to the spill before receiving formal directives from government officials, including “comprehensive environmental remediation” completed in February 2024. She also said that since the spill, the company has done more than 12,000 miles (19,312 kilometers) of pipeline inspections and 400 excavations to examine pipe and make repairs where necessary.
“This work reflects our ongoing commitment to the safe, reliable operation of our pipeline system and to continuously strengthening pipeline integrity,” she said.
The company that built the pipeline, TC Energy, spun off South Bow as a separate firm in 2024, after the Kansas cleanup was done.
No pipeline workers or area residents were injured in the spill, and officials said public water supplies weren’t affected. However, a complaint filed Friday by the U.S. government along with the proposed settlement said more than 2,700 animals were harmed or killed. The area is home to an endangered species, the long-eared bat.
In a May 2023 report for the U.S. government, an engineering consulting firm said that a bend in the Keystone system where the spill occurred had been “overstressed” since its installation in December 2010 — likely because construction activity itself altered the land around the pipe. The complaint filed Friday in court said soil under the pipe had been “improperly compacted” and that while the company re-excavated the site in 2013, it did not replace that section of pipe.
The 2,689-mile (4,327-kilometer) Keystone system carries thick, Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.
In April, President Donald Trump gave the go-ahead for South Bow and another company to build a second pipeline from Canada to Wyoming, a smaller version of a massive $8 billion pipeline project known as Keystone XL blocked by former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021 over environmental concerns.
UPDATE: The Longview Police Department said Tommy Madewell was found on Monday after he was last seen on July 8.
LONGVIEW – Longview PD is currently searching for Tommy Madewell, a white man, who was last seen leaving the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center at around 4 p.m. on July 8. When he was last seen, Madewell was wearing a button down shirt, khaki shorts and a brown pair of shoes.
Anyone with information about his location is asked to contact Longview PD at 903-237-1199.
NACOGDOCHES (KETK) — A Nacogdoches elementary school hosted a vigil on Sunday to honor the life of a fifth-grade student who was shot and killed over the Fourth of July weekend.
Community mourns 5 victims of Highway 155 crash near Lake Palestine
The vigil for 12-year-old Redarion Davis took place at 6 p.m. on Sunday in the Emeline Carpenter Elementary school parking lot where fellow students, staff, family and friends gathered together to honor his memory.
“It’s not easy to hurt. It won’t go away. The pain won’t stop taking place but it lets the family know that the community, his school and friends are there for them and with them,” Zion Hill Baptist Church pastor Donald Lacey said on Sunday.
Davis sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head after being involved in a shooting on the fourth of July and later died from related injuries, the Nacogdoches Police Department confirmed.
The Nacogdoches Police Department said 19-year-old Zamarion Douglas has since been arrested and charged with injury to a child in connection to the shooting.
TYLER – United States Congressman Nathaniel Moran of Tyler mourned fellow Republican and United States Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, after the senator died on Saturday night. Graham, a four-term United States Senator, was 71 when he died of a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday evening. Moran said he was saddened by Graham’s death and lauded the senator’s support for the American military around the globe.
“Saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham. He gave more than two decades of incredible service to the people of South Carolina and to this country,” Moran said on Sunday. “As a staunch defense and foreign policy hawk, he correctly understood the critical role America plays in defense of the cause of freedom. My prayers are with his family, his staff, and all who loved him.”
As Moran noted, Graham was a prominent supporter of the United States’ foreign military aid to countries like Ukraine and Israel. Graham had visited both Ukraine and Israel several times over his four terms in the United States Senate and had just returned from his most recent visit to Ukraine this week when he died. Read the rest of this entry »
SAN AUGUSTINE (KETK) – The San Augustine Rural Water Supply issued a boil water notice for all of their customers on Sunday after a water line break happened in the City of San Augustine.
East Texas Rep. Moran mourns death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham
Anyone on the San Augustine Rural Water Supply should bring any water for cleaning or consumption to a vigorous rolling boil for at least two minutes before use.
“Children, Seniors and Persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions,” the San Augustine Rural Water Supply said. “To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.”
The supply said when when the notice is no longer necessary they’ll notify customers that they can go back to normal water use.
Anyone with questions is asked to contact the San Augustine Rural Water System in person at 220 W. Columbia Street in San Augustine or by phone at 936-288-0489.
LINDALE – At least 8 people were injured in crashes on Interstate 20 Sunday after an 18-wheeler rolled over, blocking traffic on the roadway. According to the Lindale Fire Department and our news partner KETK, firefighters were working on a first crash on Interstate 20 when they got word about a rollover crash.
The rollover crash happened at around 2:45 p.m. on Sunday in the westbound lanes of Interstate 20, just before the interstate reaches the Highway 69 bridge near mile marker 557 in the southern part of Lindale. Luckily no injuries were reported from either of those two crashes. Several vehicles then piled up nearby, while other vehicles swerved off the roadway to avoid the crash. Smith County Emergency Services District 2 (ESD2) said they’ve responded to several crashes that happened along Interstate 20, after the rollover.
One crash involved a grey Chevrolet Silverado heading eastbound that crashed and rolled over near Interstate 20 mile marker 569, leaving the truck’s driver injured. A driver in a passenger car that was also heading east was injured when the Chevrolet rolled in the median. Both of those drivers were then transported to local hospitals for treatment. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A driver and two Taco Bell workers were hospitalized on Sunday after a car crashed into the Taco Bell on West Gentry Parkway in Tyler. The Tyler Police Department reported that traffic at West Gentry Parkway between MLK Boulevard and Van Highway was being rerouted at around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday because of a major crash.
Officials with Tyler PD told our news partner KETK that a woman was leaving church on Van Highway when she had a medical issue causing her to lose control of the vehicle and cross W Gentry Parkway before crashing into the Taco Bell’s drive-thru window.
The woman was injured in the crash along with two Taco Bell workers, one was burnt by oil and the other was injured by debris from the crash, according to Tyler PD. All three people involved have been transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Tyler PD has since reopened all nearby lanes to normal traffic flow.
TEXAS – A widespread and dangerous heat wave was building across the U.S. on Saturday, with triple-digit highs expected in the Southwest and Great Plains this weekend before spreading eastward under a dome of high pressure that meteorologists say could trap oppressive temperatures for a week or more.
Forecasters advised people to stay hydrated and find places to cool off, warning of temperatures 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 14 degrees Celsius) warmer than normal in many areas, including at night — especially bad for people’s health because their bodies won’t have a chance to recover. The heat dome was expected to affect as much as two-thirds of the continental United States.
“The heat doesn’t necessarily stop when it’s dark out,” said Josh Adam, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck, North Dakota, where temperatures will surpass 100 F (37 C) until Tuesday, a dramatic spike for a state where summer temperatures are typically in the 80s.
Tynika Smith of Bloomington, Minnesota, handed out frozen towels and wash cloths along with battery-operated fans at encampments of homeless people in nearby St. Paul and will continue next week, when temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid- to high 90s. The residents put the ice packs around their necks and on their heads.
“They can’t get into a car with air conditioning or go into a house,” said Smith, who also distributed water, freezer pops, food and hygiene supplies.
The encampments are so secluded that it’s difficult for the residents to walk or bicycle to cooling centers, she said. There also is little outside shade, while the temperature inside their tents gets even hotter than outdoors.
“I can only do so much,” Smith said, “but at least I can help them stay cool for a little bit.”
Temperature records expected to be broken
The National Weather Service predicted that more than 90 U.S. local temperature records will be tied or broken through Wednesday — with two-thirds of those being overnight heat records. Temperatures were not forecast to drop below 80 F (27 C) at night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami; Tampa, Florida; Galveston, Texas; and Charleston, South Carolina.
The heat dome — formed when high pressure traps hot air while blocking cooling winds and rain — is one of the strongest to affect the Dakotas in 25 years, said Chad Merrill, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.
Record triple-digit highs were forecast for the weekend in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas.
In Helena, Montana, where temperatures were expected to creep above 95 F (35 C), Last Chance Splash Waterpark & Pool was holding a swim meet for hundreds of swimmers.
The timing couldn’t be better, as it’s uncommon for Helena to get so hot, said Sean Swingley, assistant manager.
“It’s certainly a hot day, but the pool is nice and cool,” Swingley said. “Usually in the summer we have a couple 95 degree days, but it mostly hovers around 85 to 90 in June and July.”
Nevada, a state accustomed to hot weather, was even hotter than normal, said Andrew Gorelow, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. The temperature there was expected to hit 111 F (48 C) on Saturday, Gorelow said.
Hydrating and finding cool spaces is critical, experts said.
They also warned that the heat could spike fire risk in some parts of the country that already are dry, including the Rockies, where Merrill said dry thunderstorms could develop.
Climate change is supercharging heat
Climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is causing more intense and longer-lasting heat waves that cover larger areas, scientists say.
This year’s temperatures also are expected to be affected by El Nino, a natural warming of the equatorial Pacific that alters weather patterns and spikes temperatures across the globe.
The current El Nino — which formed last month and is too young to have affected this heat wave much — is expected to rank as among the most intense since the weather service began tracking the phenomena in 1950, experts said.
By fall it has an 81% chance of becoming “very strong” — the top category — according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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HENDERSON COUNTY — A Dallas-area company, which is attempting to install dozens of high capacity water wells in East Texas, is suing a groundwater conservation district for their “deliberate scheme” to allegedly stop the company from drilling. As the fight for groundwater rights continue in Texas, the owners of Redtown Ranch Holding, LLC and Pine Bliss, LLC filed a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday against the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District. This stems from a years long dispute, as they attempt to obtain permits to drill 43 water wells on their properties in Anderson and Henderson counties.
Since then, the plaintiffs have faced several obstacles after the district suspended their permits and allegedly blocked them from filing new applications under a new moratorium that was adopted in May.
The Background
In 2024, Redtown Ranch Holdings and Pine Bliss sought 43 permits from the state for high-capacity water wells on their properties, which span an approximate total of 11,500 acres across Anderson and Henderson Counties.
Shortly after passing through a few application processes, the NTVGCD voted to suspend all 40 permits after numerous East Texas public officials began to speak out against the proposed wells and their potential impact on the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, which supplies water for the ranches’ groundwater and much of the counties. Read the rest of this entry »