Area News

TYLER, Texas – A Tyler man previously convicted of a child pornography violation, has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.   John Matthew Emerson, 42, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on July 21, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.  …

July 21, 2026 As the flesh-eating parasite edges back into the United States, public health experts explain who is most at risk and what safety habits can prevent transmission By SADDIE SMITH for VITAL RECORD   BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Reports of the New World screwworm returning to the United States have raised concern. Driven northward from Central…

By Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach FALLON, Nev. – Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 2nd Class Mason Wright, this story has ties to Whitehouse, Texas, where Wright’s mother resides. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mitch Meppelink Skills and values learned in Whitehouse are foundational to…

Texas Skeleton Plant – Credit: Wendy Anderson/iNaturalist July 21, 2026 Four Texas cities rank in the top 10 for most observations during global competition AUSTIN — For the fifth year in a row, several Texas cities ranked in the top ten globally during the City Nature Challenge (CNC), one of the world’s largest community science…

Additional CenterPoint preparations underway as the hottest temperatures of the year so far may impact equipment in some areas on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of any potential tropical impacts later in the week   Key actions taken to date: activating Emergency Operations Center, mobilizing approximately 1,050 frontline workers with an additional 1,100 available if needed, conducting outreach to customers, and coordinating with local…

By Katlyn Ma, The Texas Tribune July 20, 2026 Swift-moving floodwater destroyed or heavily damaged 135 homes in Kerr County, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday from Kerrville after taking a helicopter survey of affected areas and receiving a briefing by state and area officials. Water that surged over the banks of the Guadalupe River last…

By Uriel J. García, Alex Nguyen and Apurva Mahajan, The Texas Tribune July 21, 2026 On an early April morning, two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents approached Y.R. in the parking lot of her Dallas-Fort Worth area apartment as she was about to head to her construction job. Y.R., a 37-year-old undocumented Honduran immigrant…

By Berenice Garcia, The Texas Tribune July 21, 2026 McALLEN — U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat from McAllen, is trying to protect the name of a beloved South Texas beach that was on the verge of losing its historic name earlier this month. Boca Chica Beach, which has gained national recognition as the site…

By Jared O. Bell When word came down that USAID was being dismantled in Nicaragua, I was sorting through old documents amid the chaos of the mission close-out. On the desk next to mine sat a book abandoned by a colleague: The Dictator’s Handbook, by political scientists Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith, which lays…