Today is
Thursday June 04, 2026
LUFKIN – A man is dead following an argument and shooting in a residential neighborhood on Chester Street early Friday morning. Lufkin Police arrested and charged 42-year-old Alex Dewayne Walker, with murder in connection with the death of 43-year-old Korsah Lemar Simmons, of Lufkin.
Early Friday morning, police were sent to a disturbance call. As officers arrived, one individual at the home was yelling, “he shot my uncle.”
Walker was standing outside the home and when officers approached, Walker laid on the ground, face down with his hands on his back. Officers found a 9mm gun in Walker’s front pants pocket.
As officers made their way into the home, they found Simmons on the floor in the bedroom with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers began lifesaving measures waiting for EMS to arrive. Simmons was pronounced dead at a hospital later in that morning.
Walker was booked into the Angelina County Jail, charged with murder. Bond has been set at $500,00
BIG BEND (THE TEXAS TRIBUNE) – In February, the Trump administration waived over two dozen environmental laws to clear the way for a 150-mile-long border barrier through West Texas, including Big Bend National Park and the adjoining state park, a rugged and scenic stretch with unscalable canyons along the Rio Grande.
But as word spread that the Trump administration planned to erect a 30-foot-tall barrier to deter people from crossing the border illegally, people and officials from both political parties have made their opposition clear.
“A border wall in the Big Bend region is an absurd, wasteful, counterproductive idea that is loathed by nearly every person who has ever lived or visited there,” said Isaac Saul, who writes a political newsletter called the Tangle and has a home in Brewster County, where Big Bend is located.
The sheriffs of Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Presidio and Terrell counties — a mix of Democrats and Republicans — wrote an open letter that said: “Based on decades of combined experience working with this terrain, we believe that construction of a continuous physical border wall in the Big Bend region would not represent the most practical or strategic approach to border security in this area.”
Local officials in nearby Alpine, along with Presidio and Hudspeth counties, have approved resolutions opposing the wall.
After strong opposition, the Trump administration apparently changed its plans: a map on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website no longer indicates that a border wall will be constructed in the Big Bend region from the state park to the Amistad National Recreation Area in Del Rio, as of April 2.
A spokesperson for the Border Patrol’s Big Bend Sector told Marfa Public Radio last week that there are “currently no plans for border wall construction” in the state park, which borders Big Bend National Park.
While the Trump administration hasn’t made any official announcement about its plans, the CBP website now shows the agency instead plans to install “virtual wall” technology through the rugged region that would alert Border Patrol agents when people cross the border.
It’s unclear if these plans are final, since the map legend has continuously changed in the past few weeks.
The Best of the Tribune in your Inbox
Advocates and residents say they are happy their efforts have apparently helped halt the plans to build a border barrier through the state park. But the fight isn’t over, they say.
“I don’t consider this a win yet because there’s still a lot of unanswered questions,” said Anna Claire, 29, a photographer who lives near Terlingua and led an online petition with more than 100,000 signatures opposing a barrier. “I would say a win is no border wall, period. The whole basis for this wall is that there is a crisis, but there isn’t a crisis and their own data doesn’t back that up.”
Documents obtained by Inside Climate News show the Border Patrol has sought access to Big Bend Ranch and other state parks to lay the groundwork for border barrier construction. Letters sent by the Border Patrol to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department included detailed maps of where the border barrier would go within Big Bend Ranch, Seminole Canyon and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley state parks.
The Border Patrol’s Big Bend Sector, which encompasses 517 miles of the 1,950-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border, has historically been the least busy of the nine sectors. In fiscal year 2025, Border Patrol recorded 3,096 apprehensions in the Big Bend sector — accounting for just 1.3% of the 237,538 apprehensions recorded across the entire U.S.-Mexico border.
Last year, Congress approved $46.5 billion for the Trump administration to erect border barriers and add detection technology in different parts of the 2,000-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border. Contractors have started construction in parts of California, Arizona and New Mexico. But in Texas, where land along the border is privately owned, the administration has faced obstacles and opposition.
The government has sent letters to some landowners along the river, threatening to condemn some of their land through eminent domain if owners don’t willingly allow the federal government access to their land.
Luis Armendariz, 83, who owns about 1,000 acres of farmland and a hardware store in Presidio, about 100 miles upriver from Big Bend, said he received one of those letters and doesn’t see the need for a barrier in the area. He worries that a barrier would cut off his access to irrigation water from the river..
“If the wall is going to get in my way, I don’t want it,” he said.
To read this article in its original form, go to The Texas Tribune.
PAYNE SPRINGS — More than 12 hours after a boat carrying three people capsized on Cedar Creek Lake, emergency crews continue an intensive search for a missing man feared to have drowned, according to our news partner KETK.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said three men were fishing on Cedar Creek Lake near Payne Springs on Thursday at around 10:30 p.m. when their boat took on water and capsized. Two men made it to shore and contacted emergency crews.
The third individual, a 42-year-old man, tried to swim to shore. Witnesses reported hearing him call for help, but he could not be found.
The Payne Springs Fire and Rescue said a resident assisted by launching a pontoon boat, transporting firefighters and other residents to begin an initial surface search while additional rescue boats were on their way. Payne Springs Fire and Rescue conducted a surface and an underwater search before being assisted by the Texas Game Wardens. Search efforts continued until 2 a.m. Friday morning.
Search crews, including Texas Game Wardens, are on the lake on Friday looking for him. However, the search is being hindered by weather conditions and water depth, the department stated.
FORT WORTH (AP) – Nuchi Nashoba grew up looking at a photograph of her great-grandfather Ben Carterby inside her grandmother’s Oklahoma home. But, she didn’t know much about the man in the frame other than that he was a World War I veteran.
It wasn’t until 1989 — when Nashoba was in her late 20s — that she learned a deep secret about her ancestor.
Carterby was one of the Choctaw code talkers — a group of 19 Native American soldiers who used their language to transmit encrypted messages to the Allies during campaigns in northern France. The soldiers were sworn to secrecy and hid details of their service from families for decades.
Over the past 20 years, Nashoba has led advocacy efforts to spotlight the group’s hidden legacy as president of the Choctaw Code Talkers Association. Now, the soldiers’ contributions are recognized in Fort Worth through a new plaque at the city’s Veterans Memorial Park.
The Choctaw Code Talker Historical Marker was unveiled during an April 1 ceremony hosted by the Oklahoma tribe, the Texas Historical Commission and the city’s parks and recreation department. Several descendants of the Native soldiers attended.
“Seeing the marker really brings me a lot of joy,” Nashoba said. “This is what preserves the history for generations to come.”
Choctaw code talkers’ ties to Fort Worth
Members of the Choctaw code talkers were men who volunteered to fight for the U.S. in World War I at a time when Native Americans were not recognized as citizens. Indigenous communities wouldn’t receive citizenship until 1924.
While in the battlefields in France, some of these men were overheard speaking their Choctaw language and were trained to use their words as “code.” They were placed on front lines and command posts so that messages could be transmitted to headquarters.
The soldiers shared words like “tanampo chito” for artillery and “tvshka” for warriors, according to the historical marker. The Germans famously failed to decipher these Choctaw transmissions within 24 hours throughout the war.
The Choctaw group is widely considered to be the first Native American code talkers to serve in the U.S. military. Their work paved the way for the Navajo code talkers during World War II.
“Their story is a testament to the resilience and patriotism of the Choctaw Nation,” Col. Brent Kemp, commander of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the National Guard, said at the unveiling. “Their ingenuity and bravery reminds us of the power of cultural heritage and the importance of preserving Indigenous languages.”
The Native American soldiers were in the 36th Infantry Division at Camp Bowie, a westside training site for more than 100,000 soldiers during World War I.
Council member Macy Hill, who represents Camp Bowie, said it was only fitting for Fort Worth to honor the legacy of the code talkers since they walked on the site’s grounds.
“This is where the Choctaw code talkers were initially trained and where they will forever be remembered,” she said.
Descendants carry the torch
As Ta’Na Alexander — the great-great-granddaughter of Carterby — watched the marker’s unveiling in Fort Worth, she couldn’t help but feel proud that her family’s history is slowly spreading across the U.S.
“It’s pretty monumental to realize that more people are starting to recognize the significant part of these men who were sworn to secrecy,” said Alexander, who is Nashoba’s daughter. “This marker connects the past to the future.”
She credits her mother’s leadership for widespread education about the work of Native soldiers.
Last May, the Choctaw Code Talkers Association led the charge to place a bronze sculpture honoring the group at the Choctaw Cultural Center in southern Oklahoma. The artwork depicts three soldiers in the middle of battle.
The organization also advocated for 23 Oklahoma bridges to be renamed after the code talkers and other Native veterans.
The Fort Worth marker was the group’s first venture into Texas, Nashoba said. The group is exploring other statewide recognitions, she added.
For now, Alexander invites Fort Worth residents to stroll through the memorial park to learn that her ancestors’ stories aren’t just about being Native. They’re about what it means to be American, she said.
“You might not be Native or Choctaw, but what we do share in common is that we have the right to vote,” she said. “We have a voice. We have a freedom that exists here that doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
——
This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
How would like to have your old junk make you some cold cash? Go find David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Vinted. Download Vinted in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
LONGVIEW – The Longview Parks and Rec Department is seeking community input as they begin early planning for a new inclusive playground. According to our news partner KETK, The playground will be at Teague Park and aims to be a facility that supports children with physical or developmental disabilities. As planning for the park begins, the city is looking to connect with organizations that support children with disabilities.
“Please share any contact info or group names in the comments so we can send them our planning survey,” Longview Parks and Rec Department said. “Help us make sure every kid in Longview has a great place to play.”
Those wanting to share input on the construction of the new park can contact the city by email at [email protected].
DALLAS (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Thursday accused rapper Pooh Shiesty and eight others of robbing three men at gunpoint and kidnapping them earlier this year in Texas following a contract dispute involving rapper Gucci Mane ‘s record label.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dallas declined to name the victims and an indictment only refers to them by their initials. One victim, R.D., is described as the owner of 1017 Records, the label belonging to Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Delantic Davis.
Publicists for Gucci Mane didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
The alleged confrontation happened Jan. 10 after the three victims came to Dallas for what they thought was a business meeting, according to the federal indictment filed in the Northern District of Texas. Prosecutors said Pooh Shiesty, whose legal is name Lontrell Williams Jr., arranged the meeting, allegedly to discuss the terms of his contract with 1017 Records.
Once the three victims were inside the studio, Williams allegedly produced an AK-style pistol and forced one of them to sign a release from the recording contract. The other defendants then displayed firearms and robbed the victims of watches, jewelry, cash and other items. One victim was choked to near unconsciousness, prosecutors said.
Another defendant barricaded the door with his body to stop the victims from leaving.
Williams did not immediately return an emailed request for comment. He was on home confinement for a prior firearms conspiracy conviction out of Florida at the time of the alleged confrontation in Texas.
Bradford Cohen, an attorney for Williams during that firearms case, did not immediately reply to an email and phone call for comment from The Associated Press.
In Tennessee, the FBI in Memphis said Wednesday that it went to a home in the suburb of Cordova to serve court-ordered warrants. Property records show it is owned by Williams.
Gucci Mane is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta rappers T.I. and Jeezy. He emerged in the mid-2000s with his breakout single “Icy” and went on to build a vast catalog through a steady stream of mixtapes and albums. He has also helped launch or develop artists including Young Thug and earned a Grammy nomination for his appearing on Lizzo’s song “Exactly How I Feel.”
Gucci Mane has remained active with new music and business ventures, including his 2025 album “Episodes” and his 2017 memoir, “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane,” which reflects on his evolution as a music artist and personal struggles such as being diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In recent years, he has also publicly emphasized sobriety and stability.
TYLER – To help restock the Pet Food Bank, for the month of April, Tyler Animal Services is waiving adoption fees for dogs and cats with the donation of at least six bags of dog or cat food 15 lbs. or smaller. The Pet Food Bank was established in 2015 so that families in need or those who could not afford to feed their pets would have a safety net to keep pets in their homes. Many times, people who want to surrender a pet only need time to get over a short-term financial hurdle.
The Pet Food Bank provides assistance through donated food and cat litter. Over the years, more than 36,000 pounds of food and litter have been distributed. All donated items go back into the community and are not used by the animals kept at the shelter.
Read the rest of this entry »
Are you not only a plant person, but, a Texas plant person? Get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called wild thumb. You can download wild thumb in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
LONGVIEW – After pleading guilty to possessing child pornography, a Longview eye doctor was sentenced to 40 years in the Texas Department of Corrections Institutional Division on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, 51-year-old August Wallace, was arrested on Oct. 10, 2025, following an investigation that revealed he had sent multiple explicit images of himself to a 16-year-old girl living across the country.
According to John W. Moore, the criminal district attorney of Gregg County, Wallace requested that the girl send explicit pictures of herself, too, while threatening to kill himself if she didn’t. Law enforcement was contacted by the victim’s family after Wallace sent a screenshot of her home and delivered letters to her location.
After being arrested for online solicitation of a minor, a forensic examination found numerous files on his phone that contained explicit or pornographic images of children. Wallace was then additionally charged with possession of child pornography.
Wallace appeared in court on Thursday, receiving his concurrent sentences of 40 years for child pornography and 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for online solicitation of a minor.
EL PASO (AP) – A recent inspection at the nation’s largest immigration detention facility found dozens of violations of national standards that potentially exposed detainees to excessive force, disease, and other unsafe conditions.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Detention Oversight performed a congressionally mandated inspection over three days in February at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, according to a report posted online by ICE this week.
The report documents 49 deficiencies, which it defines as violations of detention standards or policies, in areas including the use of force and restraints, security, medical care and more. It was the first inspection released by that office since Camp East Montana was hastily built and opened last summer.
Attorney calls inspection findings ‘scathing’
The number of deficiencies at the camp is highly unusual. The most found in any other inspection by the oversight office so far this year was 13.
“This report is scathing. Camp East Montana gets an F,” said attorney Randall Kallinen, who represents the family of a 36-year-old detainee who died there in January — one of at least three deaths since its opening. “It’s very dangerous. Not only are the detainees in danger of excessive force, they are also in danger of improper or negligent medical care and mental health care, as well as danger from other detainees.”
The report comes as ICE’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, is pausing the purchase of warehouses intended to house up to 7,000 or more immigrants at a single location. ICE data through Feb. 5 shows that Camp East Montana has been the largest detention site, housing nearly 3,000 detainees per day, the majority of whom are men who have not been convicted of crimes.
The inspection was conducted before ICE moved last month to replace the prime contractor, Acquisition Logistics LLC, amid intense scrutiny over conditions at Camp East Montana. The company had been awarded a contract worth up to $1.3 billion to build and operate the camp, even though it had no experience in the field. The company and its president, Ken Wagner, didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.
Lawmaker calls ICE ‘uninterested’ in improving conditions
A more experienced contractor, Amentum Services, took over operations at Camp East Montana on March 12. A federal database says its nearly $453 million no-bid contract to provide detention, transportation and medical services runs through Sept. 30.
Detainees usually live at Camp East Montana for several days or weeks while they are awaiting deportation or before they are transferred elsewhere.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat who has toured and met with detainees at the facility several times, said the inspection findings were “a drop in the bucket of what is so profoundly wrong with that facility.” She said detainees have consistently complained of medical neglect and other problems.
She said conditions have not improved and wonders whether that is by design to pressure detainees to agree to self-deport.
“ICE is completely uninterested in really creating any change or holding the contractor accountable,” she said.
An ICE spokesperson said the new contract will result in improved medical care, more staff on site and stricter oversight by ICE.
Report documents safety issues
The inspection report documented a series of safety lapses found during Acquisition Logistics’ tenure. Camp staff didn’t document whether they were conducting required checks to prevent self-harm and suicide, which 911 calls show have been a major problem at the facility.
Acquisition Logistics refused to provide information about staffing levels to ICE, which made it impossible to determine whether they were sufficient to maintain security, according to the report. In one instance, a detainee escaped when there was no staff assigned to watch the perimeter fences.
Inspectors found that tools and equipment were “unsecured and unaccounted for throughout the facility” and that staff did not maintain an accurate inventory of its ammunition.
Security guards who used and witnessed the use of force and restraints such as handcuffs failed to file written reports as required in some instances, the report said.
Supervisors also didn’t document their observations, staff failed to record or preserve video recordings in some cases, and the facility did not review incidents afterward to examine whether chemical agents or other types of force were used appropriately.
Medical staff failed to isolate a detainee who had symptoms consistent with tuberculosis, which spreads through the air, and did not notify ICE of the case.
The camp also acted slowly in response to a dozen grievances filed by detainees about medical care, taking between six and 14 business days to respond, the report said.
Despite the problems, the report gave the camp an “acceptable/adequate” rating and recommended ICE work with the new contractor “to resolve the deficiencies that remain outstanding.”
It pushed back on one of the most common complaints from detainees: that the food portions were too meager. It said the food service program, run by subcontractor Disaster Management Group, provided certification from a dietitian that the “average daily caloric provision of the menu” met federal recommendations.
KILGORE – After 50 years, a long-standing mystery at the Kilgore Public Library has finally come to an end.
Since the mid-1970s, the identity of the owl bandit and the location of the wooden “Owl of Wisdom” have remained unknown. The entire city has been curious about who took the owl that once sat at the library’s east entrance.
“In the 1960s, we’d go to the library, study and have things going on, and I remember we all talked about the owl out there. It was just one of those things that was there. Then one day it disappeared,” T. Anderson, a former Kilgore Bulldog, said.
The man who reportedly stole it, Steve Blunt, died a few years ago, but it was his wish for the owl to be returned to the library. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – A documented gang member has been charged in the ongoing investigation which took place at Club Exotic on Highway 64 West in Smith County early Sunday morning, March 22nd. As previously reported, Andru Azo-Gene Davis of Tyler was arrested in Houston, Texas last week and charged with Capital Murder in which four individuals were shot, two fatally, at Club Exotic.
On March 31st, a second suspect was charged with Capital Murder in this investigation. The person charged is identified as 18 year old Brandon Joseph Young of Tyler. Young was originally arrested in Houston on March 24th. At that time, Young was charged with the criminal offenses of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity with a bond of $750,000 and Deadly Conduct with a bond of $50,000. Young was charged yesterday with the additional charge of Capital Murder.
Bond was set by at $1,000,000. Young remains in the Smith County Jail at this time. This investigation is continuing.
TROUP – A Troup ISD student was arrested after a weapon was found inside their vehicle on Tuesday afternoon. According to our news partner KETK, the district said,while an officer was patrolling campus after school dismissal, they noticed suspicious activity, which led to a search of a student’s vehicle. During the search, a weapon was found inside a backpack in the vehicle.
The student who owned the weapon was taken into custody by the Troup Police Department.
“The safety and security of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to maintain a safe learning environment,” the district said.
Troup police said they will continue to investigate the case.
(AP) – As climate change intensifies droughts, disrupts rainfall patterns and fuels wildfires, more regions are turning to the sea for drinking water.
Desalination, which is the process of removing salt from seawater, offers a way to produce freshwater in regions that lack sufficient rain, rivers or groundwater to meet demand. Today, it supplies water to hundreds of millions of people worldwide, from the Middle East to the U.S., and its use is growing as water scarcity deepens.
How it works
Most modern desalination plants rely on a process known as reverse osmosis. Seawater is forced at high pressure through a semi-permeable membrane that allows water molecules to pass through while blocking most salts and other impurities. The result is freshwater on one side and a highly concentrated salt solution, known as brine, on the other.
Before the water reaches the membrane, the seawater is typically filtered to remove debris and microorganisms that could clog equipment. Afterward, the freshwater is treated again to meet drinking water standards, often including the addition of minerals.
An older method, thermal desalination, involves heating seawater until it evaporates, then condensing the vapor back into liquid, leaving the salt behind. While still used in some regions, it is generally more energy intensive.
Where it’s most commonly used
Carlsbad desalination plant’s intake lagoon is visible on the right and the discharge canal on the left, Dec. 2, 2025, in Carlsbad, Calif. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
Carlsbad desalination plant’s intake lagoon is visible on the right and the discharge canal on the left, Dec. 2, 2025, in Carlsbad, Calif. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag, File)
In the Middle East, countries such as Kuwait and Oman source more than 85% of their drinking water from desalination, according to a 2022 report by the French Institute of International Relations think tank.
It’s also widely used in parts of Africa and Australia, as well as in the U.S., particularly in drought prone coastal areas like California and Texas. In some Pacific Island nations, where rising seas have contaminated groundwater with salt, desalination is becoming an increasingly important source of freshwater.
More than 20,000 desalination plants now operate worldwide, and the industry has been expanding at about 7% annually since 2010, according to the International Desalination and Reuse Association.
The process is energy intensive, with plants worldwide producing between 500 and 850 million tons of carbon emissions annually, according to a 2025 study published in the journal Water Research. That’s nearing the roughly 880 million tons emitted by the entire global aviation industry, an estimate from industry group Air Transport Action Group.
The byproduct of desalination, highly concentrated brine, is typically discharged back into the ocean, where it can harm seafloor habitats and coral reefs by increasing salinity and introducing chemicals used during treatment. Meanwhile, intake systems can trap and kill fish larvae, plankton and other organisms at the base of the marine food web — losses that can ripple outward, reducing populations of fish and larger predators that depend on them.
Efforts to reduce environmental impacts
Some companies are powering plants with renewable energy, while others are developing more efficient membrane technology to reduce energy consumption. Others are experimenting with moving the process into the deep sea, where natural ocean pressure can help drive reverse osmosis, lowering the need for additional energy.
Many experts say water recycling and conservation should come first, noting wastewater purification typically uses far less energy than seawater desalination and can substantially reduce impacts on marine life.
environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment