Latest news with #FOX26
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticizes media in push for THC ban
The Brief Lt. Governor Dan Patrick tongue lashes Texas media, claiming they failed to report the danger of THC products. Lt. Gov. Patrick claims the THC industry is mounting a pressure campaign to the reverse the ban. Senate Bill 4, banning most over-the-counter THC products, heads to Gov. Abbottt's desk following legislative approval. TEXAS - Lt. Governor Dan Patrick delivered a public tongue-lashing to the Texas media which he claims has failed to adequately report the hazards associated with potent synthetic marijuana products. The criticism comes after passage of Senate Bill 3 which, if signed by Governor Greg Abbott, will ban most THC products on September 1. RELATED: SB3 sent to Gov. Abbott for approval What they're saying Critics of SB-3 say the ban will bankrupt businesses, eliminate thousands of jobs and drive consumers into the unregulated criminal black market. Patrick rejected those arguments, insisting the THC ban will save lives and protect millions of Texans from a life-time of drug abuse. "This is to save an entire generation from being hooked on drugs. Nothing is more important than stopping a kid from getting ahold of this junk!" said Patrick. To underscore his contention the Lieutenant Governor conducted a "show and tell" session surrounded by Senate colleagues and law enforcement officers. Patrick's display included gummies, lollipops and breakfast cereal laced with high doses of THC. "This is serious business. This is not Dan's folly. This is not Dan's priority. This is to save an entire generation from being hooked on drugs," said Patrick. Patrick says he's speaking out to counter an intense pressure campaign by the $8 billion THC industry aimed at reversing the ban. What's next SB-3 won't become law until the measure is signed by Governor Abbott. Patrick says he's confident in Abbott's judgement. What we don't know Patrick says he's anticipating legal challenges by the THC industry and is uncertain whether those lawsuits will delay implementation or undermine SB 3. The Source FOX 26 political reporter Greg Groogan listened to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's press conference on Wednesday.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Cause of death revealed for Texas Renaissance Festival founder 'King George'
The Brief Texas Renaissance Festival founder George "King George" Coulam was found dead at his home last Wednesday. Coulam was the founder and longtime owner of the festival. He previously served as mayor of Todd Mission for more than 40 years. TODD MISSION, Texas - Grimes County Precinct 3 officials announced the cause of death of Texas Renaissance Festival founder George "King George" Coulam. What we know According to the Todd Mission city manager, police were called to Coulam's home at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21. He was found deceased in his home. Officials with Grimes County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Mark Laughlin say Coulam died by suicide. What we don't know No other details are available at this time. Dig deeper Coulam is the founder and longtime owner of the Texas Renaissance Festival. He started the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974, and it has grown into the largest of its kind in the United States. In addition to being the festival's leader, Coulam served as mayor of Todd Mission for more than four decades, but lost the most recent election on May 3. In 2024, the HBO docuseries "Ren Faire" focused on the festival's succession and Coulam's eventual retirement, highlighting the tension between his desire to find a romantic partner and his need to choose a successor. It also highlighted Coulam's strict leadership style. There have been ongoing legal disputes and potential sales of the festival, with a recent judge's order in early May mandating the sale of Coulam's properties, including the festival. The Source Previous FOX 26 reporting and Grimes County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Mark Laughlin's office
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Marine ‘slammed' passenger who tried to open door mid-flight: ‘He was up to something crazy'
A hero Marine has told how he 'slammed' a crazy-looking passenger to the ground to stop him from opening their plane's door mid-flight, then zip-tied him to a seat while the flight made an emergency diversion. Jody Armentrout, a sergeant major who has served more than 20 years in the US Marine Corps, said the unidentified passenger caught his attention on Saturday morning's All Nippon Airways flight from Japan to Texas when he took down his backpack and went aimlessly from bathroom to bathroom. 'He came out of that one and began pacing up and down the aisle, so that just threw my radar on,' the 50-year-old Marine told NBC News. 'His eyes — you could definitely tell there was something going on.' 3 Sgt. Maj. Jody Armentrout said he tackled a passenger who tried to open an airplane door midflight. U.S. Marines Keeping a close watch on the crazed-looking passenger, Armenault said he watched him start to eye up the emergency exit beside him. The Marine stood up and blocked the door — just for the other passenger to turn around and burst through the galley toward the door on the opposite side. 'He grabbed a strap around the door, pulled it off, and about that time is when I took him and slammed him, put him on the ground,' Armentrout told the outlet. 3 Officials said the man was suffering a medical crisis and he was taken to a hospital in Seattle. FOX 26 'And then there was an older gentleman sitting on that side [who] woke up, and he got up and kind of helped me.' Armentrout then used zip ties to secure the troubled passenger to his seat as the Houston-bound flight was instead diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington. He sat next to him for the remainder of the flight from Japan, where the Marine is based. The unidentified passenger was experiencing a medical crisis, officials have said. He was taken to a hospital and had not been charged as of Wednesday. The Marine said he felt compelled to act to save others onboard — including babies — with some of the other passengers later thanking him for his potentially life-saving response. 'I just knew he was up to something crazy, and at the end of the day, I was willing to take the risk of him saying 'I'm not doing anything' and then just them making him go sit back down than me allowing him to do anything that's going to put anybody at risk,' Armentrout told NBC News. It was not the end of the drama on the flight. When the plane landed in Seattle, another passenger ' frustrated at the flight diversion' punched a bathroom door, according to the FBI's Seattle field office. 3 The Marine zip-tied the man to a chair as they diverted to Seattle. FOX 26 That person, not publicly identified, was also removed by the Port of Seattle Police from the flight, but hjas likewise not been charged as of Wednesday. 'It was a weird flight,' said Armentrout, who will be heading back to Japan next week.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Homeowner in NW Houston shares harrowing moments when tree fell during Monday nights storms.
The Brief Ms. Penny, the homeowner, says she was asleep when a tree fell on her home during Monday night's storms. She says the tree partially came through her roof, and now she is working with insurance to start a claim. Richard Johnson, Director of Communications with the Insurance Council of Texas, discusses how homeowners should prepare ahead of the Hurricane season. HOUSTON - A northwest Houston homeowner is speaking with us about the storms Monday night that left a tree on top of her home. The homeowner, who wants to be known as Ms. Penny, tells FOX 26 she is still in shock. The backstory "It's still mind-boggling, mind-blowing and, of course, it's raining and, around midnight, I heard this extremely loud boom, but I assumed it was a transformer or something. Then seconds later, my daughter ran downstairs, and she was like, mom, the roof collapsed," said Ms. Penny. "So I went to the stairs. When you look straight up the stairs, the ceiling is still intact, but as I got up the stairs, I could see to the right, which is the game room. My grandson plays his PlayStation there." Thankfully, he was not sitting there, she says. She called 911 and officials came who told her it was not safe to stay Monday night, so she reached out to her insurance. "This is one of those times where an automated system did not work. I needed a live person to talk to because me and my family was displaced last night," said Ms. Penny. "So for this to happen and to be in the house and to live that, yeah, that was definitely an experience. I am still shaken. Ms. Penny said she has been in the home for three years, and she thought about cutting down her pine trees, but after this storm she says she is getting rid of all of them. The tree that fell on her roof was taken down just after 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Why you should care Richard Johnson, Director of Communications Insurance Council of Texas spoke with us about what you need to know. "The first thing is to go ahead and check your insurance policies, make sure that everything is up-to-date, check your deductibles, make sure that you can afford them, make sure you have the right coverage," said Richard Johnson, Director of Communications, Insurance Council of Texas. Johnson adds that Houstonians need to look into getting flood insurance, but also start doing a home inventory. That means taking pictures of your belongings and keeping a record of them should the worst happen. So, for wind insurance, do you need a TWA policy, which is the Texas Wind Association, or a Fair Plan Policy. Right now in the Houston area and along the coast, you may need that other policy for wind and hail coverage. If you don't, and if it's your typical homeowners' policy, ask about your deductible. You might have a different deductible for fire than you do for wind and hail," Johnson added. Johnson adds if you find yourself in a situation like this homeowner, and you need a contractor, be careful because contractors use opportunities like this to prey on homeowners. "Sometimes, deals could be too good to be true. Get with friends, family and roofers to ask for recommendations and if they ask you or tell you they can wave your deductible, that is a huge red flag. It's something that we can't do in Texas, so if somebody starts talking to you like that, you should move onto the next contractor," Johnson said. The Source FOX 26 Reporter Leslie DelasBour spoke with the homeowner about the incident.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
José Griñán, longtime Houston Fox 26 news anchor, dies at 72
José Griñán, the longtime Houston news anchor for Fox 26, has died. He was 72. The Houston affiliate, where Griñán worked for 30 years, announced his death in a news report Monday. No cause of death was revealed. "Beloved former FOX 26 Houston anchor José Griñán has died," Fox 26 wrote Monday on social media. "Though José may no longer be with us, his legacy will continue to shine brightly in the stories he told, the lives he touched, and the city he loved." In 1993, when Griñán began working with the station, he became the first male anchor of the channel's morning show. He anchored his final broadcast for Fox 26 in June 2023. Read more: KABC's Ellen Leyva signs off after 30 years in moving final broadcast: 'I'm really lucky' The news anchor took an extended break from the station in 2022 after getting diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica — an inflammatory condition mostly affecting people over 65 that causes stiffness and pain in the joints and muscles, according to the Mayo Clinic. Reflecting on his time at Fox 26 at the end of his broadcast career, Griñán told Houston's in 2023 that he deeply valued how his job helped him help others. "Working at the station has allowed me to, in a sense, provide life saving information for someone who was searching, and comfort someone who may have thought that the world was coming to an end, but letting them know that things are under control," he said. Read more: Aaron Brown, news anchor who helped CNN viewers through Sept. 11 attacks, dies at 76 Griñán was born on July 24, 1952, in Tampa, Fla., to a Cuban father and a first-generation Cuban American mother. Before appearing on-screen as an anchor, he worked as a cinematographer and documentary filmmaker for the U.S. Army. His first anchor role came in 1975 at a news station in El Paso, Texas. From there, Griñán held jobs in his hometown of Tampa, Miami, New York City and Dallas before landing in Houston in 1993. He held decades-long memberships to both the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Griñán is survived by his wife, Kathy Griffin Townsend Griñán, his two daughters and three stepdaughters. Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
