Escaped convicted murderer fought with 2 officers, drove off in a prison bus
Authorities released new details on Wednesday about how a 46-year-old convicted murderer from Hidalgo County escaped while on his way to Huntsville for a medical appointment last week. Lopez was being taken from the Hughes Unit in Gatesville to the Estelle Unit in Huntsville for medical reasons. On the road, Lopez managed to escape the restraints and cut through “expanded metal,” the release said. Once both officers were off the bus, Lopez went inside the vehicle again and “began driving down the road,” the release said. The officers at the scene then shot at the bus and eventually stopped it by shooting its back tire.
myrgv.com🔒Texas executions: KPRC 2′s Robert Arnold shares details of the death chamber, stories from his extensive coverage of state’s harshest penalty
KPRC 2 investigative reporter Robert Arnold has covered multiple executions throughout his career in journalism. Here are some recollections of his coverage, from the details of the death chamber to the strangest moment he's ever experienced watching an execution.
Photo Gallery: Following stay of execution, Melissa Lucio advocates press for her release
For months, Wednesday was set to be the day in Huntsville when Texas executed the state’s first Hispanic woman on death row. Yet, following a stay of execution Monday from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Melissa Lucio’s plight returned to Brownsville as her supporters converged instead outside the Cameron County Courthouse.
myrgv.comVaqueros back on right track, Sam Houston next
The Vaqueros look to stay in a groove as they travel to face Sam Houston for a three-game Western Athletic Conference series beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville. Game 2 of the three-game series is slated for 3 p.m. Saturday, with the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday. “It’s going to be tough on the road at Sam Houston, so we got to be ready to play every week. LOOKING AHEADAfter this weekend’s three-game series against Sam Houston, the Vaqueros will shift their focus towards a nonconference game against No. The Longhorns are also on the road this weekend playing a three-game series against Big 12 rival Oklahoma.
myrgv.comMore heat = more water
One year ago today, as we all remember, turned out to be one miserable, cold day with temperatures ranging from 1° in Huntsville to 13° in Houston to 20° in Galveston. I’ve talked before about that kind of arctic blast being ‘generational’ or something we can expect every thirty years. For climate study, thirty years is a good benchmark to get an indication of how the climate is changing (or not changing, for that matter). Climate Central has just published a study comparing average precipitation from 1981-2010 and 1991-2020. Granted there is an overlap there, but interesting to note how much more precipitation (in green) is being recorded across our part of Texas to the north and northeast, while southwest and western areas are seeing less (in brown). Take a look at this map.
KPRC 2 Investigates: Thousands of dollars missing from man’s bank account
Thousands of dollars were allegedly stolen out of a Huntsville man’s bank account and the bank said he may not get the money back. KPRC 2 Investigates is looking into check washing fraud and what you can do to protect your money.
Cold Conroe Explained
It seems like every time we show the morning lows, Conroe looks to be the coldest spot around and sometimes colder than ten degrees than other places nearby, like Tomball and Huntsville. For instance, this morning Conroe came in at 48° while Huntsville reported 61° and Tomball reported 53°.
Woman gets life sentence for helping husband plan killings
An Alabama woman received a life sentence Wednesday for helping her husband plan the 2015 killings of his estranged pregnant wife, her unborn child and three others. Rhonda Carlson, 48, avoided the death penalty in a deal with prosecutors in exchange for testifying against her husband, Christopher Henderson, prior to his trial. A jury in July convicted Henderson in the shooting and stabbing deaths of Kristin Smallwood; her unborn daughter; her 8-year-old son Clayton Chambers; her 1-year-old nephew Eli Sokolowski; and her mother, Carol Jean Smallwood.
news.yahoo.comProduction begins at new Alabama auto plant; hiring ongoing
Production has begun at a new auto plant in north Alabama and the companies running the facility continue to hire workers at a brisk pace. Work on the first 2022 Corolla Cross vehicles began with the press of a button at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, a joint venture between Mazda Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. In 2018, the Japanese automakers selected Huntsville, Alabama, for the mammoth facility that will eventually have the capability to produce up to 300,000 vehicles per year, split evenly between Mazda and Toyota.
news.yahoo.comEx-officer sentenced to 25 years for killing suicidal man
A judge sentenced a former Alabama police officer to 25 years in prison Friday for the shooting death of a suicidal man who was holding a gun to his own head. Former Huntsville police officer William “Ben” Darby was convicted in May of killing Jeffrey Parker in 2018. Darby shot Parker while responding to a call after the man phoned 911 saying he was armed and planned to kill himself.
news.yahoo.comAlabama jury recommends death for man convicted of killing 5
Jurors recommended the death penalty on Tuesday for a man convicted of killing his wife, her unborn child and three other people in 2015 in a scheme with another woman to whom he was married. News outlets reported that the Madison County jury which convicted Christopher Henderson, 46, of multiple counts of capital murder last week voted 11-1 that he should die for the slayings. A judge will decide whether Henderson should be given the death penalty or sentenced to life without parole at a hearing set for Oct. 14.
news.yahoo.comTexas distorts its past to defend Confederate monuments
Walker County Commissioners explained their Dec. 21 decision only by saying that the monument “does not belong to us,” suggesting it is a piece of local history. So rejecting the Confederacy is Texas history, too. The modern city of Houston is named for him, as is the university in Huntsville, Texas, where we teach American history. When Texas legislators met in 1861 to consider seceding from the United States, Houston made clear his opposition to the move. This is the preferred version of Texas history promoted by the state’s conservative leadership, the version that appears in Texas schools’ textbooks.
chron.comInspector general reviews Trump relocation of Space Command
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)DENVER – The Department of Defense's inspector general announced Friday that it was reviewing the Trump administration's last-minute decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. “Moving Space Command will disrupt the mission while risking our national security and economic vitality,” the senators said in a joint statement. We fully support the investigation.”Among other duties, the Space Command enables satellite-based navigation and troop communication and provides warning of missile launches. The Space Command differs from the U.S. Space Force, launched in December 2019 as the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947. The Space Command is not an individual military service but a central command for militarywide space operations.
Celebrate Black History Month at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum in Huntsville
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Sam Houston Memorial Museum is celebrating Black History Month with a special exhibit for the month of February. According to the museum website, the exhibit features photos, documents and artifacts never featured in the past. The museum hopes to continue honoring their legacy to Sam Houston and those who lived to contribute to his story. You can see the exhibit now until Feb. 28 at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum located next to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Admission is $9 for adults, $4 seniors 65 and older, and $3 for children ages 3-12.
Send some love: How to give to local isolated seniors this Valentine’s Day
CONROE, Texas – Two local Firehouse Subs locations hope to bring smiles to nursing home residents isolated during the coronavirus pandemic. Both locations, 235 I-45 South, Suite A in Huntsville and 3021 I-45 North in Conroe are running the Silver Valentine Donation Drive from now until Valentine’s Day, inviting guests to donate traditional Valentine’s gifts and comfort items. “We wanted to continue this support for our local senior citizens especially, and show them they’re cared for even if they are unable to spend quality time with others right now,” said Jill Jackson, Firehouse Subs franchise manager in a news release. Guests can drop off items at either or both restaurant locations during business hours between 10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Items accepted are blankets, activity books, socks, slippers, and traditional Valentine’s Day gifts such as teddy bears.
Wind Advisory Expanded for all of Southeast Texas Until 6 p.m.
HOUSTON – A Wind Advisory that has been expanded for all of Southeast Texas starts at 9 a.m. and will last through 6 p.m.Wind AdvisoryWith gusty northwest winds and temperatures close to 60 degrees it will fee cool Friday. Expect winds to relax Friday night but cooler temperatures will be sticking around. Seasonably cool weather will continue through the week. 10 day forecastPast the holiday weekend weather becomes unsettled. Enjoy our quiet weather before the rain arrives next week!
US Space Command site to be located in Huntsville, Alabama
The U.S. Air Force is expected to announce Huntsville, Ala. as the location for the U.S. Space Command headquarters, according to Gov. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday that the new U.S. Space Command headquarters will be in Huntsville, Alabama, after the state was selected over five others competing for the project, including Colorado, where Space Command is provisionally located. The role of Space Command is to conduct operations such as enabling satellite-based navigation and troop communication and providing warning of missile launches. That is different from the Space Force, which is a distinct military service like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. “I couldn’t be more pleased to learn that Alabama will be the new home to the United States Space Command,” Alabama Republican Gov.
Snow day in Texas: Huntsville residents wake up to landscape dressed in white
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – As we cruised around Huntsville late Monday morning, no snow was falling from the sky, but much of the area was covered in white powder. Two words came to mind: snow day. Morales wanted to film a Huntsville landscape dressed in white. It seemed most people had their fun Sunday night as the snow was falling. However, whether you came out Monday or made your snowman Sunday night, this snow day will long be remembered.
VIDEOS: See what KPRC 2 reporters saw as snow fell across Texas
A winter blast swept across central and southeast Texas, including parts of the Houston-area. This marked the first taste of the winter season this year. In College Station, residents are dealing with slippery roads and nearing record snowfall for today’s date. Some people pulled over on the side of the road to build a snowman, start a snowball fight or take photos. Here is what some of KPRC 2 reporters saw as snow fell across Texas:TomballHuntsvilleMadison CountyCollege StationSpring, Texas
Texas had fewest executions since 1996 due to pandemic
Texas juries also issued their fewest new death sentences since 1974, as the pandemic shut down trials, according to a year-end report by the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. The number of death sentences and executions in Texas and across the U.S. has been steadily decreasing over the last two decades. Texas executions peaked in 2000, when 40 people were put to death. Garza has pledged to not seek death sentences and to review all post-conviction death penalty cases for any legal or evidentiary issues. Black people, who account for about 13% of the state’s population, make up more than 44% of Texas death row inmates.
Walker County man facing up to 30 years for child porn and cyberstalking, authorities say
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – A Walker County man is now in custody after an investigation led authorities to find child pornography in his possession, according to a news release. Officials said a criminal complaint was filed against Huntsville man, Kody Nicholas Bohac, 22, that says he was stalking a woman in another state. When she did not respond, Bohac followed through on his threat and shared the images, authorities said. The criminal complaint said that officials had executed a search warrant in connection with a related matter, during which authorities found images and videos of child pornography on Bohac’s cell phone. Bohac was taken into custody and charged with cyberstalking and possessing child pornography and receiving child pornography.
Bracket Breakdown: VYPE's Favorites in Class 5A
We start in Class 5A where Fort Bend Marshall will try and make it to a third-straight title game. Class 5A Division II – The FavoritesFort Bend Marshall– The Buffs enter the playoffs with a 9-0 mark on the season and have absolutely obliterated their competition. The group is led by Joshua Ulmer (58 tackles), Tristin Drones-Mouton (43 tackles) and Laurence Tillman (36 tackles). Defensively, Trevon King led the group with 81 tackles (14 tackles for loss), followed by McCoy Casey's 68-tackle, 18-tackle-for-loss performance. Class 5A Division I – The FavoritesManvel Mavericks– Manvel reached the state quarterfinals a year ago before losing to Fort Bend Marshall.
Federal court orders Texas prison system to provide hand sanitizer for some geriatric inmates during pandemic
A federal judge ordered the Texas prison system on Tuesday to provide more protective measures against the coronavirus, like hand sanitizer for wheelchair-bound prisoners, at a prison for geriatric inmates. Texas has had more inmate deaths related to the coronavirus than any other prison system in the nation. Its death toll of at least 162 inmates outranks every other state as well as the federal prison system. More than 20 Texas prison employees have also died with the virus. The trial included testimony from several inmates, TDCJ officials and experts on health and prison conditions.
US Supreme Court halts Texas execution over clergy question
The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Ruben Gutierrezs execution about an hour before he could have been executed. The Texas prison system last year banned clergy from the death chamber following a Supreme Court ruling that halted the execution of another inmate, Patrick Murphy, who had requested a Buddhist adviser be allowed in the chamber. Six executions scheduled in Texas for earlier this year were postponed by an appeals court or judges because of the outbreak. Gutierrezs attorneys had also sought a coronavirus-related delay but were turned down Friday by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has filed a brief with the high court in support of Gutierrez.
Statue of Confederate general at Texas A&M, Confederate monument in Huntsville vandalized
HOUSTON – A statue of a Confederate general in College Station and a Confederate monument in Huntsville have been vandalized in the past 24 hours. According to The Eagle, red spray paint was used to scrawl the word “racist” and the acronyms “BLM” and “ACAB” on the statue of Sul Ross on the campus of Texas A&M University. Ross was a Confederate general who went on to serve as the school’s president from 1891 to 1898. The Ross statue was dedicated in 1918 and is the oldest on campus, The Eagle reported. The paint was used to cover a Confederate flag and the words engraved into the stone, The Item reported.
Blue Origin opens new rocket engine factory in Alabama
Blue Origin is excited by how this new facility and new testing will advance their spaceflight capabilities. "At the core of every successful launch vehicle program are the engines that power those vehicles to space," Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith said in a statement . Congressman Mo Brooks, Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith, U.S. "The major facility modification being funded by Blue Origin is to add liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant capabilities," he added. "Blue Origin does plan to 'piggyback' parts of the lander that interface to the BE-7 engine to reduce vehicle integration risks and mature the vehicle parts with engine interfaces along with the engine," he said.
space.comAlabama police officer killed in drug-related shooting
"I am grieved to hear of the Huntsville Police Officer killed in the line of duty and extend my deepest sympathies and prayers to his family for their unimaginable loss. It has been an exceptionally tough year for our law enforcement community, and this will be felt across our state," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.
chicagotribune.comShould we expect a cold Houston winter?
Houston, TX - So, how'd you do this morning with the cold weather? Given our normal low for today is 53F, what might this November cold snap mean to January? In fact, the Polar Vortex is strong right now which means it is locking up a lot of cold air over the Arctic. But any weakening this winter would allow a surge of cold air. The summer wasn't crazy hot, as we had a July cold snap dropping lows to 65F and 68F on the 20th/21st.
Teeming with engineers, Alabama's Rocket City USA is luring hot new industries to town
NASA rockets including the V-2 rocket and Saturn I rocket are seen at Rocket Park on July 17, 2019, at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. As the U.S. ratcheted up its space race with the Soviet Union, NASA established the Marshall Space Flight Center next door, developing the giant Saturn V rockets that would make Apollo moon missions possible. Huntsville has been "Rocket City" ever since. As a government town Redstone Arsenal is its own Census-designated place the high-tech hub has benefited from the recent resurgence in defense spending as well as new civil and commercial initiatives for human space flight. The highly educated and highly skilled workforce those roots have helped establish have also become a selling point to other industries.
cnbc.comFORECAST: Perfect Fall Friday and an even better weekend
Clear, crisp and cold with widespread low to mid 30s from Houston northward to Huntsville, upper 30s into the 40s south along the coast. Later today, sunny and warmer, highs will climb back into the upper 50s and low 60s as high pressure is moving into Texas for the weekend. Once that high pressure arrives, we're in store for a nearly perfect fall weekend! Great weather for the Lone Star Rally in Galveston as temperatures will also sit in the mid 60s and sunny skies! You can find an hour-by-hour forecast and radar information on the KPRC Weather page.
One-tank trips: 5 spots perfect for the whole family in Huntsville
Huntsville, TXDistance from Houston to Huntsville: 73 milesLocated just an hour outside of Houston, Huntsville provides some educational fun that makes for a great day trip. Sam Houston Memorial MuseumThis 15-acre complex celebrates the life of General Sam Houston with traditional buildings, museums and its grounds. Huntsville State ParkWith better fall temperatures getting here soon, Huntsville State Park provides 21 miles of outdoor trails along with playgrounds, a nature center and a bird blind. The shops at Huntsville State Park offer camping and fishing supplies, ice cream, shaved ice, groceries and more for park guests. According to Midtown University Living , Huntsville also has a lively nightlife scene for Sam Houston State University college students including bars and good college eats.
College student's killer executed in Huntsville
HOUSTON - After 19 years of appeals, stays of execution and claims of innocence, Larry Ray Swearingen was executed by the state of Texas for the 1998 murder of Melissa Trotter. Larry Swearingen needs to be removed from the annals of history as far as I'm concerned.Trotters mother, father, brother, uncle and grandfather also witnessed Swearingens execution. They chose not to speak publicly but had the Texas Department of Criminal Justices Jeremy Desel read a statement from the family. Swearingen was arrested on outstanding misdemeanor warrants Dec. 11, 1998, and was considered a suspect in Trotters disappearance. Desel said Swearingen donated his body to the UT Health-Science Center for medical research.
4 people sent to hospital after massive crash involving Huntsville fire truck
Images captured of the Huntsville fire truck crash involving another vehicle on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019. HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A Huntsville Fire Department firetruck and another vehicle crashed Sunday morning on FM 2821 near Highway 247. Huntsville police tell KPRC2 it happened around 9:30 a.m.Luciano Rodriguez Images captured of the Huntsville fire truck crash involving another vehicle on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019. Its unclear at this time how many people were in each vehicle, nor whether any fire department personnel were hurt. Copyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.
Marshall Space Flight Center to lead Artemis program's lunar lander development
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama will lead the Human Landing System Program for NASA's return to the moon by 2024, the agency announced Friday. Copyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.
Marshall Space Flight Center to lead Artemis program's lunar lander development
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama will lead the Human Landing System Program for NASA's return to the moon by 2024, the agency announced Friday. Copyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.