Memorial Day weekend records most boating while intoxicated charges in 5 years
TYLER, Texas (KETK) — Texas game wardens saw the highest number of boating while intoxicated charges and responded to several boating collisions this past Memorial Day weekend, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) said.
Disturbance call at Cascades subdivision leads to officer-involved shooting in Tyler
Memorial Day weekend is a holiday meant to honor and celebrate the lives of military personal who lost their lives while fighting for our freedom.
However, some Americans can take the celebration too far and when alcohol is combined with getting behind the wheel of a boat, it sometimes leads to bad outcomes. The Texas game wardens witnessed these outcomes this past Memorial Day weekend.
48 packages of hydroponic marijuana seized during East Texas traffic stop
'Our wardens don't just patrol the water, they serve wherever they're needed,' TPWD law enforcement director Colonel Ron VanderRoest said. 'This weekend was a good example of the depth of their commitment to public safety, responding in severe weather, major fire incidents and high-risk law enforcement situations.'
The Texas game wardens took care of business as they conducted over 10,000 vessel checks along with issuing more than a thousand warnings and citations.
Wardens also saw more serious charges including 53 boating while intoxicated, seven driving while intoxicated and 21 other arrest. Six boating collisions were reported with one them resulting in a death at Grapevine Lake.
Two drownings were reported at Red River and Elmendorf Lake along with a 5-year-old girl who was recued after being blown away on an inflatable tube at the Falcon International Reservoir, according to TPWD.
Online East Texas predator sentenced after sexual relationship with out-of-state minor
'When alcohol, crowded waterways and severe weather are in the mix, the risk of incidents can rise fast,' Texas Parks and Wildlife Department assistant commander for marine enforcement Cody Jones said. 'That's why we prioritize presence, visibility and swift response. We can't be everywhere at once, so we need the public to meet us halfway by boating responsibly. We are thankful for everyone who did over the holiday weekend.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Don't be fooled: DMV text scams expand to more states
Don't be fooled: DMV text scams expand to more states Show Caption Hide Caption Americans reported losing $470M to text scams In 2024, Americans reported losing $470 million to scams that started with text messages, according to new data from the Federal Trade Commission. Scripps News More states are cautioning residents to be wary of text message scams claiming to come from DMVs. The texts scams pose as messages from state Departments of Motor Vehicles, or DMVs. As of Friday, June 6, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota, California, Michigan and North Carolina have warned residents about the scam. llinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, Georgia and New York previously issued advisories. The new DMV scams come hot on the tail of a string of text scams that threatened folks with unpaid toll charges. Here's what to know about the latest scam and how to report, if you receive one. More news: Over 183,000 Mazda vehicles recalled. See impacted models. What do the DMV scam texts look like? While the texts vary state to state, the underlying message is the same: Residents are at risk of losing their vehicle registration and driving privileges, receive a toll booth charge increase, or see their credit score impacted, if they go not pay an outstanding traffic ticket to the state's DMV. The text message sent in Indiana includes a date penalties will begin, a fake administrative code and a list of consequences that the receiver will face if they don't pay an outstanding bill. The message also includes a link that appears to be the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles website. What should you do if you receive a DMV scam text? If you receive a text message from a DMV, demanding money, the Federal Trade Commission suggests the following: Do not respond to the text or click any links. State DMVs would not ask for your information or money by text. If you think the message might be real, contact your state's DMV using a trusted phone number or website. Copy the text message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM). This will help your wireless provider spot and block similar messages. Report the text on the messaging app you use. Look for the option to report junk or spam. Report the text to the Federal Trade Commission at and/or file a compliant with the FBI's Internet Crime Compliant Center at What is 'smishing'? The DMV text scam is an example of smishing. "Smishing" is a social engineering attack that uses fake text messages to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information or sending money to hackers, according to IBM. The term is a combination of "SMS" or short messaging service" and "phishing," an umbrella term for social engineering attacks. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Wildfire smoke, shark pardons and lost 401(k) accounts: Your week in review
Wildfire smoke, shark pardons and lost 401(k) accounts: Your week in review Show Caption Hide Caption Smoke drifting into US from Canada wildfires could impact health Smoke from wildfires in Canada has drifted into Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Midwestern and East Coast states, and as far south as Florida. Canadian wildfire smoke hangs over U.S. Skies were looking milky across much of the United States for days as smoke from wildfires raging in Canada drifted into northern and Midwestern states and dipped even as far south as Florida. The Dakotas, Iowa and most of Minnesota and Wisconsin were under air quality alerts, and the haze hung over major cities including New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. More than 200 wildfires were burning in Canada as of June 3, and more than half were classified as "out of control," Canadian forest fire authorities said. More news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. Trump pardons Florida divers who freed sharks Presidential pardons have often sparked controversy, but Donald Trump's latest gesture had some teeth to it. Trump granted full clemency to two Florida divers, John Moore Jr. and Tanner Mansell, who were convicted of theft for cutting 19 sharks free from a fisherman's longline in 2020. They had assumed the gear was illegal; it turns out it belonged to a vessel permitted by the federal government to harvest sandbar sharks for research. "Whether people believe in his politics or not, he chose to pardon me ... and only ever wanted to help," Mansell said in a text. "I can't help but feel extremely grateful." A fortune sits in 'lost' 401(k) accounts You might think it would be hard to forget almost $60,000. But at least $1.7 trillion is wasting away in forgotten 401(k) accounts, the financial firm Capitalize found, and the average lost balance is $56,616. How does that happen? People who leave a job "usually have a bunch of things going on,' said David John of the AARP Public Policy Institute, and simply lose track. (More than 47 million Americans quit their jobs in the Great Resignation of 2021.) And someone who leaves a job after only a year or two might be especially prone to overlook a modest balance − which, thanks to the magic of tax-free investment growth, eventually turns into a big balance. Loretta Swit, 'M*A*S*H's beloved 'Hot Lips,' dies Fans, friends and co-stars were remembering Loretta Swit, who starred as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan through all 11 seasons of TV's hugely popular Korean War dramedy "M*A*S*H" and gave depth and strength to a character who began as an oversexed blond stereotype. Swit, 87, died May 30. "More than acting her part, she created it," star Alan Alda, 89, posted on X. Jamie Farr, 90, who played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, told USA TODAY she was his "adopted sister … as close as family can get." The cast was a tight-knit group through the years, Swit once said: "We might as well be joined at the hip." Close isn't good enough for the New York Knicks Some teams just want to win NOW. Maybe that's why the New York Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau, stunning much of the basketball world, just days after the franchise flirted with the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years before falling to the Indiana Pacers. Not bad for a team that had won just 21 games in the 2019-20 season before Thibodeau took over. The Knicks might be forgiven for being a little impatient after their magical run, however: They have not won a title since 1973. (The NBA Finals, with the Pacers facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, tipped off June 5). − Compiled by Robert Abitbol, USA TODAY copy chief
Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Plymouth cafeteria director charged with ordering lobster, stealing kitchen equipment equipment, for use at his Cape Cod snack shack
His bail was set at $50,000. If he posts it, VanCott must stay away from all Plymouth schools and storage facilities if released, the statement said. He is due back in court July 21. VanCott has been employed as the food services director for Plymouth Public Schools since 2003, according to his Advertisement He was first flagged by authorities on May 30 after they received an anonymous tip that someone was stealing food and equipment from Plymouth Community Intermediate School. Since VanCott was the only person authorized to place cafeteria orders, he was quickly identified as the suspect, the statement said. A review of purchase records revealed premium Angus burgers, hot dogs, lobster, and other items that were never served students or staff, according to the statement—and all of which appear on the Snack Shack's Advertisement Investigators also spoke with cafeteria employees, who said that for years, once a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day, VanCott had them pack bags of deli turkey and ham marked with his initials, for no apparent school use. They also said that he routinely took condiments, snacks, paper goods, coffee and other supplies from the kitchen, according to the statement. Additionally, VanCott allegedly purchased more than $8,300 worth of kitchen equipment which was not found in the cafeteria or school storage, the statement said. This includes under-counter refrigerators and freezers, a refrigerated sandwich table, convection oven, microwave, bagel warmer, coffee maker and two fry pans. Surveillance footage from a Saturday allegedly shows him loading one of those under-counter refrigerators onto a town-owned truck and later returning in his personal pickup to transport a second unit. Additional video from the State Police Fusion Center then shows his pickup crossing the Sagamore Bridge with the stolen refrigerator secured in its bed, bound for Cape Cod, the statement said. The investigation is ongoing. Rita Chandler can be reached at
