Latest news with #Fox4KDFW
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Flash Flooding In Ruidoso, New Mexico Leaves Three Dead
Just days after catastrophic flash flooding claimed the lives of more than 100 people in Central Texas, another flash flood event has taken the lives of three people in Ruidoso, New Mexico. A man and two children, ages 4 and 7, were swept downstream during a torrential rainstorm on Tuesday that caused the Rio Ruidoso to rise to a record-breaking 20 feet. Heavy monsoonal rains began falling around 2 p.m. MDT over areas still scarred from 2024's South Fork and Salt fires. The river rose more than 19 feet in less than an hour, reported AccuWeather. The previous wildfire burn scars proved catastrophic, reducing vegetation and soil stability that would normally slow water runoff. This created the perfect conditions for the historic flooding that followed. Emergency crews performed between 50 and 60 swift-water rescues as the crisis unfolded. The National Weather Service issued a rare flash flood emergency while residents watched homes wash away and urgent rescue operations unfold throughout their community. More than 50 people were ultimately rescued during the disaster. Search and rescue operations continued as the community began assessing the devastation that had been left behind. The river crested at over 20 feet, surpassing the previous record by five feet. Local officials repeatedly described the flooding as historic and unprecedented for the area. Public works crews worked through the evening, clearing debris and recovering stranded vehicles. The scale of destruction prompted immediate calls for federal disaster relief. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham quickly declared an emergency and requested federal assistance. 'Tonight, I signed an emergency declaration request to get federal response teams and repair resources on the ground immediately,' she said, per Fox 4 KDFW. 'We're encouraged to learn that additional federal resources are already on the way. New Mexico is mobilizing every resource we have, but the Village of Ruidoso needs federal support to recover from this disaster.' Mayor Lynn Crawford expressed the community's grief in a statement following the tragedy. 'Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy,' she said. 'The entire Village of Ruidoso extends our deepest sympathy and compassion to these grieving families during this unimaginably difficult time. We are united in our sorrow and our commitment to supporting one another as we face this devastating loss together.'
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Textbooks, Not Texts: Texas Bans Cellphones To Boost School Focus
A new law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend will prohibit students in Texas public schools from using cellphones and other personal communication devices during school hours. House Bill 1481 mandates that public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools adopt policies requiring devices like cellphones, tablets, smartwatches, and other telecommunication-enabled electronics to be stored securely and out of sight during the school day. Schools must either ban students from bringing devices to campus or provide storage options, such as locked pouches, to ensure a safe and secure environment. The law requires disciplinary measures for students found using prohibited devices, with exceptions for school-provided devices, those needed for educational programs, doctor-prescribed devices, or those required for health or safety protocols. Several North Texas districts, including Richardson ISD, have already implemented cellphone restrictions, citing distractions and bullying as reasons. Richardson ISD utilizes Yondr pouches, magnetic locking devices that enable students to carry their phones without accessing them. The district's superintendent reported 85% of teachers noted increased instructional time after the policy's adoption, Fox 4 KDFW reported. Dallas ISD, which has tested various approaches, must now develop a district-wide policy this summer. Piper Freeman, who just completed eighth grade at Dallas ISD's Robert T. Hill Junior High, where cellphones have been banned for several years, told Fox 4, 'It made a lot of people mad because they could not have their phones.' However, she added, 'It can be distracting when you see other kids on their phones.' Piper's mother, Megan Freeman, credited the pouches for reducing fights and improving social skills, recalling her son's observation: 'He said, 'Mom, you can tell the kids who have not had Yondr pouches because all of us Highlanders, we are talking at lunch. Everyone else is like this on their phone. They don't know how to communicate.' I love it.' Some opposition has emerged, with students in Houston staging a walkout last year against a cellphone ban and parents citing safety concerns, referencing the Uvalde school shooting, where victims used phones to call for help. Megan Freeman acknowledged these concerns, saying, 'I have had that frustration. I wish I could text my son or Piper. It's made me more proactive. Or I message the teachers.' Law enforcement experts advise students to avoid using their phones during emergencies and follow instructions quietly, noting that all Texas classrooms have desk phones for making 911 calls.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Tragic End For Wylie Boy: Beaten, Drugged, And Left In Wheelchair For Hours Before 911 Call
An 11-year-old boy in Wylie died after his family allegedly beat him, gave him sleeping pills, and waited more than nine hours to call 911, according to police and court documents. On the evening of June 8, the boy was subjected to physical 'discipline' at a home in the 1600 block of Long Meadow Road. Arrest warrant affidavits state that Sadie Hope, 28, and Sade Hope-Johnson York, 30, restrained the boy while their grandfather, Clifford Johnson, 67, struck his back, legs, and buttocks. The three adults also hit the boy's head, legs, back, and bottom, leaving bruises across his body. 'Sadie stated after the physical discipline, she gave [him] approximately two Tylenol PMs and two Benadryl pills to make him go to sleep,' the affidavit notes, per Fox 4 KDFW. By 8 a.m. the next morning, Sadie Hope was called to the boy's room and realized he was deceased. A family member told investigators they feared consequences due to the boy's condition. Instead of contacting authorities, the family attempted CPR, cleaned his body, placed him in a wheelchair for about four hours, and later moved him back to his bed. They delayed calling 911 until just before 5:30 p.m. on Monday, more than nine hours after discovering his death. Emergency responders found the boy unconscious, attempted to revive him, and transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Wylie police arrested Clifford Johnson, Eunice Johnson-Lightsey, Sadie Hope, and Sade Hope-Johnson York on Wednesday, charging them with injury to a child and abandoning and endangering a child. The suspects are the boy's grandfather, aunt, and two cousins, respectively. Investigators noted inconsistencies in the family's statements and visible injuries on the boy, prompting a deeper probe. 'It's tragic that a child lost his life at the hands of family,' said Wylie Police Sgt. Donald English. 'Other kids in the home may have seen this and will carry that trauma forever.' Eunice Johnson-Lightsey denied knowing the boy was dead before the 911 call, per the affidavit. Other children in the home have been removed, though their ages and numbers are undisclosed. The boy's identity has not been released, and the medical examiner is still determining the exact cause of death. On Tuesday, police executed a search warrant at the residence, leading to the arrests of all four suspects.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Dallas Chase, Head-On Collision Leaves One Suspect Dead; Two Officers, Two Suspects Injured
One suspect is dead, two others are seriously injured, and two Dallas police officers are hospitalized following a high-speed chase that ended in a head-on collision early Friday, police said. The incident began around 1:30 a.m. when Dallas police responded to an armed carjacking in the 9800 block of Dale Crest, where three men allegedly stole a Mustang, Fox 4 KDFW reported. Officers located the vehicle and observed the suspects stopping at a gas station. When police attempted to make arrests, the suspects fled, initiating a brief pursuit. The chase ended when the suspects' Mustang, traveling on the wrong side of Northwest Highway, collided head-on with a police SUV just north of Dallas Love Field Airport. One suspect died at the scene, while the other two were hospitalized in serious condition. The two officers in the SUV were also taken to a nearby hospital. One officer sustained serious injuries, while the other's injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Authorities have not released the identities or ages of the suspects or the officers involved, nor have they provided specific details about the officers' injuries. The investigation is ongoing.
