State Headlines
Former FedEx driver sentenced to death for killing 7-year-old girl
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:28 amDALLAS (AP) — A former FedEx driver was sentenced to death on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to killing a 7-year-old girl he took from her Texas home while delivering a Christmas gift. Jurors in a Fort Worth courtroom decided on Tanner Horner's punishment after hearing about a month of testimony and evidence that included audio of Athena Strand's last moments from inside his delivery van. Horner, 34, pleaded guilty to capital murder last month in the 2022 killing just as his trial began. Athena's body was found two days after she was reported missing from her home in the rural town of Paradise, near Fort Worth. Horner didn't visibly react when the judge read the sentence, according to a livestream of the court proceedings. ... Read More
Man accused of attacking OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home pleads not guilty to attempted murder
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of attempted murder and attempted arson. Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama, wearing an orange jail uniform, did not speak as his attorney entered the pleas during his arraignment in state court. The 20-year-old also faces federal charges. Moreno-Gama, of Spring, Texas, hurled the flammable bomb at Altman’s home last month, setting an exterior gate alight before fleeing on foot, authorities allege. Less than an hour later, he went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles (5 kilometers) away and threatened to burn down the building, they say. After an initial court appearance last month, his lawyer, Diamond Ward, said Moreno-Gama ... Read More
Dan Patrick eyes closing ‘gambling loophole’ for prediction markets. The feds stand in Texas’ way.
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amAUSTIN (THE TEXAS TRIBUNE) — In March, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick directed state senators to explore ways to close “gambling loopholes” that allow online prediction markets to operate in Texas, raising concerns that state elections and sporting events could be manipulated for profit. Patrick’s directive was the first time a state leader officially acknowledged the existence of rapidly growing prediction markets, which let users wager on outcomes tied to anything from the weather to election winners and sports scores. Most prediction markets didn’t operate in the U.S. before 2025. Texas Lottery intensifies campaign against harmful gambling habits Any attempts by the Texas Legislature to restrict prediction operators, however, would run into federal roadblocks as the Trump administration insists that oversight belongs to a U.S. agency, ... Read More
Suspect arrested after Carrollton shooting, multiple deaths reported
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amCARROLLTON - A suspect has been arrested after gunfire was reported at the Ktowne Plaza located on the intersection of State Highway 121 and West Hebron Parkway in Carrollton. Police evacuated nearby businesses and urged the public to avoid the area as officers searched for a suspect who remained at large. The Carrollton Police Department announced that two people were killed, and three others were injured during the shooting. The suspect, who was identified as 69-year-old Sung Ho Han, was later arrested after a short foot chase. ... Read More
Man gets 99-year sentence for 2022 East Texas crossbow murder
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amSAN AUGUSTINE, Texas (KETK)– An East Texas man was sentenced to 99 years in prison on Thursday after committing murder with a crossbow in 2022. Lorenza White was arrested in December 2022 after deputies from the San Augustine County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding an unresponsive and bloodied man lying in the front yard of a house on FM 711. Once on the scene, deputies found the victim dead from injuries he sustained after being shot by a crossbow in the back. White was later arrested in Lufkin after he was seen driving in the victim’s truck, which had been reported stolen. After being placed under arrest, White admitted to officials that he had shot the victim with a crossbow and then stole his ... Read More
Crockett man arrested after stolen gun, illegal drugs found in vehicle
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amCROCKETT (KETK) - A man was arrested in Crockett on Saturday evening after a stolen firearm and illegal drugs were found inside his vehicle during a traffic stop. According to our news partner KETK and the Crockett Police Department, at around 10 p.m., an officer initiated a traffic stop of 25-year-old Jeremy Frizzell after police said he was seen recklessly driving his Dodge Charger on East Loop 304, across from Los Ranchos Mexican Restaurant. During the traffic stop, Frizzell was taken into custody and charged with reckless driving. Following the arrest, a probable cause search of Frizzell’s car was conducted and officers said they discovered multiple firearms, one of which was confirmed to be stolen from a recent burglary in Houston County. Officers also discovered what is suspected ... Read More
Chemicals illegally dumped in East Texas creek, investigation opened
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amTRINITY COUNTY, Texas (KETK)— The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation after gallon barrels of chemicals and paint were illegally dumped into a local creek. According to the sheriff’s office, 55-gallon barrels containing chemicals, paint and unknown substances were dumped from a white rental truck into a creek near the Port Adventure subdivision, less than half a mile from Lake Livingston. “Dumping chemicals into our waterways can harm wildlife, contaminate drinking water, and create long-term environmental damage that affects this county for years to come,” Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said. A cleanup effort to remove the chemicals from the water has begun and crews from Lone Star Hazmat are currently on the scene. The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who witnessed the ... Read More
Spirit Airlines has stopped flying. Here’s what happens next
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amNEW YORK (AP) - Lawyers for Spirit Airlines returned to a U.S. bankruptcy court in New York on Tuesday to seek approval for dismantling the once-busy budget carrier and turning its parts into cash for creditors. The liquidation marks a dramatic turn for Spirit, which filed for bankruptcy protection in August 2025 hoping to escape financial ruin. The airline’s parent company was attempting to restructure the business for the second time since November 2024 when it abruptly stopped operating flights over the weekend. Since the going-out-of-business announcement early Saturday, lawyers filed a series of court motions laying out a rapid wind-down plan centered on selling off every possible Spirit asset, from airplanes and engines to spare parts — and limiting additional payroll, leasing and other ... Read More
Restaurants celebrate authentic Mexican culture and history this Cinco de Mayo
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amNayomie Mendoza has become accustomed to how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the U.S.: the platters of tacos, the pitchers of margaritas and the jubilant sounds of mariachi bands. She is among a number of Mexican American business owners who've become more vocal about also honoring Mexican history and the significance of the holiday, as a way to combat anti-immigrant sentiments amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts that have targeted Latino communities. Mendoza, owner of Cuernavaca’s Grill in Los Angeles, said she prefers a celebration that reflects “everything that as a community we’re enduring today.” So, Mendoza will host Cinco de Mayo festivities at her restaurant that, along with traditional mariachi and Mexican cuisine, will include a nod to Mexican perseverance over the French in ... Read More
USPS unveils Route 66 centennial stamps, born from a photographer’s 42 trips
Posted/updated on: May 6, 2026 at 4:26 amSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — You're standing in the middle of an empty highway, staring off into the fading, golden light of Arizona's high desert. The soundtrack playing in your mind? Depeche Mode. Industrial-leaning synth-pop strains might seem incongruous with such a vista, but it was the alternative rock band's homage to Route 66 that seduced David J. Schwartz. With camera in hand he has made 42 trips over two decades along the celebrated highway, qualifying himself for the job of creating postage stamps commemorating the Mother Road's centennial. The U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday is releasing eight stamps marking significant parts of the road in each of the states it traverses, passing by vintage diners, gas stations and motels — many since preserved or restored ... Read More
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