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Residents jump from window to escape fire that destroyed 16 units at Corridor at Westchase apartments

29Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Houston

Residents jump from window to escape fire that destroyed 16 units at Corridor at Westchase apartments

HOUSTON, TX – More than 100 firefighters responded to a massive apartment fire that destroyed an entire building and displaced multiple residents early this morning. https://youtu.be/rKe6x2Ywg-g Crews were dispatched around 8:33 a.m. to the Corridor at Westchase apartments, located at 11201 Olympia Drive in west Houston. The first units arrived on scene at 8:37 a.m. and discovered heavy flames coming from Building 34, which housed 16 units. The fire quickly escalated to a 2-11 alarm, prompting a large-scale response from the Houston Fire Department. According to officials, the entire building was a total loss. Five of the 16 units were reportedly unoccupied at the time. The blaze was fully contained and extinguished by 10 a.m. Apartment management is working to rehouse displa...

Two suspects arrested in Berkeley shooting after international search

29Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

Two suspects arrested in Berkeley shooting after international search

BERKELEY, CA – The Berkeley Police Department announced significant progress in its investigation into a shooting that occurred on October 12, 2025, in the 1000 block of Addison Street. Police responded around 6:19 p.m. to reports of gunfire following an altercation between a group of people on the street. According to investigators, surveillance footage and witness statements identified the suspected shooter as 44-year-old Ernest Portlock, who allegedly fired a handgun into a residence before fleeing in a white Honda SUV driven by 41-year-old Lanika Connors. Automated License Plate Reader cameras helped identify the suspect vehicle, which was registered to Connors. Detectives later learned that Portlock had traveled to Jamaica. In coordination with the San Francisco Police Depar...

Court upholds conviction of Tennessee nurse practitioner for prescribing opioids to pregnant patient

29Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Tennessee

Court upholds conviction of Tennessee nurse practitioner for prescribing opioids to pregnant patient

MEMPHIS, TN – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of nurse practitioner Jeffrey W. Young Jr., who was found guilty of illegally prescribing controlled substances to hundreds of patients, including six prescriptions to a pregnant woman. Young owned Preventagenix, a medical clinic in North Jackson, Tennessee, that operated from 2014 to 2017. Although initially marketed as a family medicine practice, the clinic shifted toward pain management and addiction treatment, where approximately 80 percent of patients received controlled substance prescriptions. Prosecutors presented evidence that Young prescribed opioids to a woman during her pregnancy, despite knowing her addiction history and the risks to her unborn child. Expert testimony indicated the ...

Firefighters respond to rescue call at airport radar tower near IAH

28Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Houston

Firefighters respond to rescue call at airport radar tower near IAH

HOUSTON, TX – The Houston Fire Department responded Tuesday afternoon to a high angle rescue at the IAH ASDE Tower located at 18210 Aldine Westfield Road near George Bush Intercontinental Airport. https://youtu.be/k8gKFfsqZRU Firefighters were later seen climbing down the tower and leaving the area with rescue equipment. Details about the nature of the incident remain unclear, and there has been no official word regarding any injuries at this time. More information will follow if it becomes available.

Texas sues Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue over alleged deceptive Tylenol marketing to pregnant women

28Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Texas sues Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue over alleged deceptive Tylenol marketing to pregnant women

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, accusing the companies of deceptively marketing Tylenol to pregnant mothers despite knowing of links between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and an increased risk of autism and ADHD in children. File Photo (September 2025) According to the complaint, the companies violated Texas consumer protection laws by promoting Tylenol as safe for pregnant women while ignoring scientific evidence to the contrary. The suit also alleges Johnson & Johnson violated the Texas Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act by transferring Tylenol-related liabilities to Kenvue in an effort to shield assets from future claims. Attorney General Paxton said the companies “betrayed America by profiting off of p...

Who killed Emilio Lee Vargas? Family still searches for answers almost one year later

28Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Houston

Who killed Emilio Lee Vargas? Family still searches for answers almost one year later

HOUSTON, TX – Emilio Lee Vargas was killed almost one year ago, and his family is still searching for answers. https://youtu.be/XKSDN5stsbM According to his sister, Emilio was leaving a party on Chadwick Street in the Jacinto City area when he was shot once in the head. She states a neighbor near the home said he was left on the ground for more than 30 minutes without receiving any help before being transported to the hospital. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased just eight minutes after arriving. His sister believes he was targeted, not the victim of a drive-by shooting as initially reported. She says surveillance video supports her belief, showing that only one shot was fired. Emilio was a father-to-be at the time of his death, and his son was born on ...

Man killed in Cass County crash after crossing centerline and striking truck trailer

28Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Michigan

Man killed in Cass County crash after crossing centerline and striking truck trailer

CASS COUNTY, MI – A 42-year-old man was killed in a two-vehicle crash Monday evening near the intersection of US-12 and M-217 in Porter Township, according to Sheriff Clint Roach. The Cass County Sheriff's Office was called to the scene at approximately 6:02 p.m. on October 27, 2025. The investigation determined that James Hettmansperger of Vandalia was driving a Jeep Liberty eastbound on US-12 when he lost control, crossed the centerline, and struck the rear end of a westbound GMC Sierra pickup and trailer. The GMC was being driven by 44-year-old Brett White of Elkhart, Indiana. The Jeep collided with the front of the trailer before veering off the roadway and coming to rest near a utility pole. Emergency crews from SEPSA Ambulance and SEPSA Fire Department attempted life-sav...

Member of violent extremist network ‘764’ charged in sexual exploitation of a minor, animal crushing, cyberstalking and interstate threats

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Member of violent extremist network ‘764’ charged in sexual exploitation of a minor, animal crushing, cyberstalking and interstate threats

The Department of Justice announced today that a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of California returned a six-count indictment charging Tony Christopher Long, 19, of Porterville, California, with two counts of animal crushing, sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor, cyberstalking, and transmitting an interstate threat. Long, also known by the online aliases Inactive, Inactivee0 and inactivecvx, is currently in state custody on related charges, officials said. According to the indictment returned Oct. 23, 2025, Long, a member and associate of the Nihilistic Violent Extremist network known as “764,” engaged in alleged criminal conduct in late 2024 that included animal crushing, the sexual exploitation of a juve...

School bus driver killed during emergency drill at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School in Newark

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Delaware

School bus driver killed during emergency drill at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School in Newark

NEWARK, DE – A school bus driver was fatally struck by another bus while preparing to conduct an emergency exit drill at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School. File Photo (November 2022) The incident occurred around 7:00 a.m. on October 23, 2025, in the drop-off lane of the school located at 50 Gender Road. A 54-year-old woman from Wilmington was behind the first IC 300 school bus when a second bus, also an IC 300 model, drifted forward and struck her. The reason for the movement remains under investigation. The victim, identified as Wanda Montalvo of Wilmington, was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. Her identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The driver of the second bus, a 53-year-old woman from New Castle, was not injured. Both...

Paxton to speak at UT Austin Turning Point USA event on Nov. 3

27Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Paxton to speak at UT Austin Turning Point USA event on Nov. 3

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is scheduled to speak at a Turning Point USA event hosted by the University of Texas at Austin chapter on Monday, November 3. File Photo (September 2025) The event will take place in the Auditorium of the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center (WCP Room 1.402) at 2201 Speedway. Doors will open at 6:20 p.m. CT, and the program will begin at 7:00 p.m. CT. Paxton, who has recently spoken at other Turning Point USA events in Houston and Lubbock, will address topics related to freedom, Texas values, and youth leadership. The event is open to the public, with preferred seating for students.