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Workplace injuries rise after marijuana legalization Original Author Link click here to read complete story.. … Read More
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A man from Houston overheard his work-from-home spouse talking business, and used that information to make over $1.7 million in an insider trading scheme, federal authorities said.
Tyler Loudon, 42, pleaded guilty Thursday to securities fraud for buying and selling stocks based on details gleaned from his wife’s business conversations while both were working from home. He made $1.7 million in profits from the deal, but has agreed to forfeit those gains, the Justice Department announced in a news release.
Things might have turned out differently had Loudon or his wife decided to work from, well, the office.
Loudon’s wife worked as a mergers and acquisition manager at the London-based oil and gas conglomerate BP. So when Loudon overheard details of a BP plan to acquire TravelCenters, a truck stop and travel center company based in Ohio, he smelled profit. He bought more than 46,000 shares of the truck stop company before the merger was announced on February 16, 2023, at which point the stock soared almost 71%, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Loudon then allegedly sold the stock immediately for a gain of $1.76 million. His spouse was unaware of his activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Loudon will be sentenced on May 17, when he faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. He may also owe a fine in addition to other penalties in order to resolve a separate and still pending civil case brought by the SEC.
“We allege that Mr. Loudon took advantage of his remote working conditions and his wife’s trust to profit from information he knew was confidential,” said Eric Werner, Regional Director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office. “The SEC remains committed to prosecuting such malfeasance.”
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John Turner plays a round of bingo at a recent gathering of the TCU student outreach group, “Bingo in the Park.”
egonzales@star-telegram.com
John Turner counts down the days until Friday every week. Turner can’t wait to see his “P and J,” his “pride and joy.”
For years, he has hiked down to a church on Hemphill Street in Fort Worth’s southside, rarely missing a fellowship with a committed group of students from nearby Texas Christian University. The gathering used to be called “Bingo and Bagels” back in 2010, long before the TCU-funded group took over. It is now known as “Bingo in the Park.”
“They are not my biological kids, but for 45 minutes they are,” Turner tells the Star-Telegram.
Sure, a game of bingo is played on the grounds of the Southside Church of Christ. But breakfast is also served, which on most Fridays consists of coffee, tacos and doughnuts. But what really drew most of the nearly 20 individuals — who are either homeless, trying to get free from addiction or simply struggling — on a recent winter morning was the uplifting sense of community, a human connection.
“They have access to local housing communities and job resources, but one of the things they feel like they do not have access to is relationships with people in stable situations,” said Kate Marshall, the student group’s leader.
Many have been coming to the park for years knowing the warmth of personal connections would be available, Marshall explained, looking around at the recent gathering under live oaks on the grassy grounds of the stone church on 2101 Hemphill St.
Without this fellowship, Turner said, he’d still be wallowing in his misfortunes — crediting the group for pulling him out of hard times.
He said he watched his family fight, breaking blood bonds. His two sisters fought constantly, until one recently died, he added.
Times were tough for Turner. The stress of it all dragged him into a cycle of addiction, he said.
He wrestled to find equilibrium in his life. But he loved the rush of whatever gave it to him at the moment. He thought he was addicted to dopamine, but he just wanted out of all of life’s hassles.
And he is not alone.
Grace, who did not want her last name to be used, quietly told the group how grateful she was for their support.
“We’re family, and [the students] prove it by them all coming to [her friend’s] memorial. Blessed people bless us.” she said, remembering her friend, Dean, who recently died.
She said she met him on a bus in 2015, and from that meeting on their friendship blossomed. The only memento Grace has of Dean is a scooter a church gifted to him.
“He rode that thing all over the place,” she said.
These stories simply spilled out from the people gathered around picnic tables next to the church.
“If it weren’t for these kids I don’t know where I’d be,” said a grateful Ruby Turner, John’s sister whom he guided to the fellowship in the park. The group led Ruby to want to be baptized.
“We acknowledge that we are a family and then we pray,” Marshall, the student leader, said of the period of reflection they have each week.
This outreach by TCU students was started to “provide some sort of emotional and mental service, and we do that by creating a community that allows for empowering relationships to take place,” said Charlie Newsome, who helped get the ball rolling back in 2021.
The group’s mission dovetails nicely with the university’s Christian ethos — as a partner of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) — that pushes its campus community “to become a force for the greater good.”
“As a senior, I have been involved with ‘Bingo in the Park’ for three years and I can truly say the butterfly effect is real,” Marshall said. “Not only has it impacted my life, and those that come, but it has introduced the topic of homelessness further into TCU’s community, creating opportunity for discussion, initiative, and change.”
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Ella Gonzales
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A father was shot to death in front of his wife and children during a home invasion in Houston, Texas, police say.
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A Texas father was shot and killed in front of his family during an overnight home invasion, Houston police told news outlets.
The deadly break-in happened at a home on Houston’s southwest side at about 3 a.m. Feb. 25, police told KPRC.
Investigators say multiple people made their way into the house while the man was home with his wife and children, KTRK reported.
The man told his wife to stay hidden in their bedroom and, as he stood up, an intruder in the hallway opened fire, police told the station. His wife and children were not hurt but witnessed their father be shot to death, according to officials.
Officials told KHOU that the children were “small kids.”
Police said there were three intruders, believed to be male, all wearing ski masks, KHOU reported.
Police don’t have a description of the suspects or a suspect vehicle, but “it’s early on in the investigation,” Detective David Higgs told KPRC.
Officials have not said why the intruders targeted the home.
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Peanuts–that may be what George Washington Carver is best known for, but that was just one part of his work. Arguably more important? He was an advocate of sustainable agriculture before the concept even had such a name.
Carver was the first Black student admitted to the Iowa Agricultural College, now known as Iowa State University. He went on to be an educator and researcher at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama from 1896 to 1943.
He even took weather observations there for over 30 years as part of a “cooperative observers” program, which the National Weather Service still uses today.
George Washington Carver’s daily weather reports for February 1923. (NOAA Central Library Data Imaging Project)
Carver knew the issues that Southern farmers faced. He encouraged efforts that went against the grain of agricultural science at the time, according to Mark D. Hersey, a historian at Mississippi State University. His efforts didn’t result in much change then, but he was certainly on to something.
“They were farseeing–and many of the things he called for became vital threads in what came to be known as the organic agriculture movement in the mid-20th century… in essence, Carver was a prophet of sustainable agriculture,” says Hersey.
Instead of growing only cotton, Carver recommended crop rotation that included peanuts so those crops could replenish the soil’s nutrients.
Carver’s holistic approach also encouraged composting manure, rather than simply adding chemical fertilizers. This was a cheaper solution that also made the soil more resistant to erosion, Hersey adds. The South gets deluges that drop a few inches of rain in a day, which can wash away the dirt and leave behind ruts.
Photograph of erosion in one of Carver’s bulletins, published in 1908. (Tuskegee Experiment Station Bulletin No. 11/U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library)
In one of the many bulletins he wrote, Carver noted some farmers’ belief that the moon influences the weather, along with other superstitions. He said to focus instead on actual conditions, since he knew seeds need some number of frost-free days and a certain soil temperature.
“My work is that of conservation,” Carver believed. We still hear echoes of that work a century later in sustainable farming.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Meteorologist Justin Gehrts
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“Oppenheimer” continued to steamroll through Hollywood’s awards season on Saturday, winning the top prize, for outstanding cast, along with awards for Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., at the 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards.
As the Academy Awards draw closer, Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic — already a winner at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs — has increasingly looked like the run-away favorite. The SAG Awards, streamed live on Netflix for the first time, will only add to the momentum for “Oppenheimer,” the lead Academy Awards nominee with 13 nods.
The night’s most thrilling moment, though was Lily Gladstone winning female actor in a leading role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” No category has been more hotly contested, with analysts evenly split between Gladstone and Emma Stone for “Poor Things.”
But Gladstone won Saturday and the crowd erupted. Stone, too, vigorously applauded. More is riding on Gladstone than perhaps any other Oscar contender this year. Her win would be a first for Native Americans.
“We bring empathy into a world that so much needs it,” said Gladstone. “It’s so easy to distance ourselves. It’s so easy to close off, to stop feeling. And we all bravely keep feeling. And that humanizes people. That brings people out of the shadows. It brings visibility.”
The SAG Awards don’t always signify Oscar success. Two of the last five winners from the guild (“The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Black Panther”) lost at the Academy Awards. But in the past two years, all five of the top SAG prizes — best ensemble and the four acting winners — have corresponded with the eventual Oscar winners, including the ensembles for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “CODA.”
Saturday’s SAG Awards on Netflix was the first major Hollywood award show to be exclusively streamed. That made for some significant tweaks to the age-old traditions of such ceremonies. There were no ads. Profanity was permitted. (“Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in front of Oprah,” said Idris Elba.) And winners were occasionally interviewed backstage by red-carpet co-host Tan France — sometimes awkwardly, sometimes charmingly.
The SAG Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles, might have also previewed another potential nail-biter.
Murphy and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) have also been seen as neck-and-neck. But Murphy, who won his first SAG Award, has now triumphed at the SAGs, the BAFTAs and Globes, suggesting he has the clear edge heading into the Academy Awards.
Downey Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph each won for their supporting performances, likewise solidifying their status as Oscar favorites.
“Why me? Why now? Why do things seem to be going my way?” said Downey Jr., accepting his first SAG Award for a film performance. “Unlike my fellow nominees, I will never grow tired from the sound of my own voice.”
Randolph’s performance in Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” has been a breakthrough role for the 37-year-old actor. Now, she appears poised to win the Academy Award.
“To every actor out there still waiting in the wings for their chance, let me tell you: Your life can change in a day,” Randolph said. “It’s not a question of if but when. Keep going.”
After more than two decades airing on TNT and TBS to dwindling viewership, Netflix acquired telecast rights to the SAG Awards in early 2023. Netflix, a dominant force for years in awards season, turned host, too.
“Personally, I can’t wait to get home and have Netflix recommend this show to me based on all the other stuff that I watch myself in,” joked Elba, the night’s de facto emcee.
The TV awards went largely to the same shows that have cleaned up at the Emmys and Golden Globes: “The Bear” (best comedy series ensemble, Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri ); “Beef” (Ali Wong, Steven Yeun); and the cast of “Succession.”
One exception was Pedro Pascal, who won best male actor in a drama series for “The Last of Us” over a trio of “Succession” stars.
“This is wrong for a number of reasons,” said a visibly stunned Pascal. “I’m a little bit drunk. I thought I could get drunk.”
This year’s SAG Awards follows a grueling months-long strike in which the SAG-AFTRA union fought a bitter battle over a number of issues. Much of the work stoppage was prompted over changes in the film and TV industry brought on by streaming and a sea change led by Netflix.
“Your solidarity ignited workers around the world, triggering what forever will be remember as ‘the hot labor summer,’” said Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA. “This was a seminal moment in our union’s history.”
The new streaming platform was sure to put even more of a spotlight on one of the most closely-watched predictors of the Academy Awards. Oscar voting wraps Tuesday.
Barbra Streisand held the audience in rapt attention while accepting a lifetime achievement award, presented by Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper.
“I remember dreaming of being an actress as a teenager sitting in my bed in Brooklyn with a pint of coffee ice cream and a movie magazine,” said Streisand, who recalled being transfixed by “my first crush,” Marlon Brando.
Streisand also took a moment to celebrate the Jewish pioneers of Hollywood.
“Now I dream of a world where such prejudice is a thing of the past,” she said.
Saturday’s show was one of Netflix’s most significant forays yet into live streaming events. Netflix has previously hosted a live Chris Rock comedy special, a celebrity golf tournament and a live reunion “Love Is Blind” episode that was marred by technical difficulties. But Netflix is gearing up for more, including an upcoming live tennis event.
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Dr. DaNa Carlis is breaking barriers as the first African-American to lead NOAAâs National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma.
The laboratory studies severe weather, from tornadoes to winter weather. The National Weather Service uses their research to warn us and keep us safe from disruptive weather events.
NOAA appointed Carlis to the role in January 2023. Carlis is the first Black man named as a lab director.
We spoke to the NSSL director in 2023 about his historic appointment, his future for the NSSL and how he plans to inspire more Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) in meteorology.
âIt feels amazing! I am humbled by the opportunity to serve in this capacity as director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory,â said Carlis, describing his accomplishment.
A few years ago, the NSSL Director didn’t think he’d be taking this path in his career. However, he said he was striving for an opportunity to be a leader of science within NOAA.
Carlis is excited to inspire the next generation of science leaders.
âIâm looking forward to continuing to uplift others with the BIPOC community that can serve in this capacity. Itâs been a passion of mine to help and develop the next generation workforce,â said Carlis.
Over his 20-year career, Carlis led efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within NOAA. Heâs the co-founder of NOAAâs Diversity and Professional Advancement Working Group (DPAWG).
Eight members of NOAA’s Diversity and Professional Advancement Working Group in 2023. Clockwise from the top left: Vankita Brown, John Moore, Terence Lynch, Maddie Kennedy, DaNa Carlis, Lonnie Gonsalves, Ashley Turnbull, and Janae Elkins. (NOAA)
Carlis knows how big of a deal it is to be the first African-American to lead this agency.
âIâm a firm believer that there are more talented people than me out there that will deserve this opportunity and probably have deserved it in the past. So, that Iâm the first is humble… but you know I got to continue to strive for change and NOAA is right behind me in terms of diversity, inclusion and equity in our senior leadership ranks,â Carlis told Spectrum News.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. supports Carlisâ mission. Spinrad gave this statement in a news release: âNOAA is fortunate to have a leader with deep scientific expertise and the strong skills to elevate diversity, equity and inclusion into all aspects of NSSLâs culture.â
The role is a homecoming for Carlis, who grew up in Tulsa. Carlis is happy to be back in his home state and doing what he loves.
âI am going to full circle, returning to my roots of being in Oklahomaâ¦. I have kept myself grounded on who I am and where I come from,â said Carlis.
The Tulsa native says his upbringing made him the man he is today.
The NSSL director credits his mentors with sparking his passion for science.
âIt was mentors that really drew me in and after that first course in atmospheric science I fell in love with it because it was so applicable to peopleâs everyday lives,â Carlis recounted.
He also takes great pride in graduating from Howard University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Washington D.C.
âThe main thing that really helped me⦠that I really needed was the support system. I needed to believe in me, I needed to be supported by people that was going to help raise me up and make sure and hold me accountable for being excellent, being a high achiever⦠thatâs what Howard University gave to me,â Carlis told us.
âI got to go in and learn the organization. So, Iâll sit back and listen for a few months and try to figure out⦠where we need to improve weather that is on the business side or science and technology side,â said Carlis.
The severe storms lab is a busy place, with its PERiLS project, radar improvements, field campaigns and much more.
The NSSL director says his mission for the agency is to meet their goals and make sure they’re successful. One of his priorities is to increase the engagement between the underserved communities and the NSSL.
âThe integration of social science and physical sciences like in meteorology and atmospheric is going to be really key to us being able to engage and serve those folks that are from underserved communities even better,â said Carlis.
In addition, Carlis thinks this is an opportune time for aspiring meteorologists to get into the field. He has this advice for them.
âI would love to see more African-American, Black meteorologists or just BIPOC meteorologist coming into this field because it just such a gratifying field of work that we do because of the impact that we have on peopleâs lives⦠so we need you.â
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Meteorologist Keith Bryant
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Many of the conditions that cultivate a robust wildflower season seem to be happening this year. While generous rainfall means more flowers, when they bloom depends on when we start getting warmer days.
dmontesino@star-telegram.com
Nothing says spring has sprung in Texas with a prettier flourish than fields full of bluebonnet blooms, and according to experts at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, this season will not disappoint.
Apparently a combination of last summer’s drought conditions and a wetter-than-normal fall and winter season — brought on by the transition to the El Nino climate pattern — seeded and fed the meadows of wildflowers that will be sprouting from roadsides and fields all over Central and North Texas in the coming weeks.
“On a scale from one to 10, this year looks like it could be an eight, for bluebonnets in particular, if not even better,” says Andrea DeLong-Amaya, the Center’s Director of Horticulture. “This fall and winter we’ve enjoyed adequate rainfall that’s been well-spaced, which is really key to wildflower development.”
And the drought conditions we experienced during the oppressive heat of last year’s summer withered the competition from plant species in the wild, said Matt O’Toole, Director of Land Management for the Wildflower Center.
“When we have extreme weather the prior summer, we see some plant mortality, which reduces competition in the soil and creates space for spring blooming wildflowers,” O’Toole said.
Many of the conditions that cultivate a robust wildflower season seem to be happening this year. While generous rainfall means more flowers, when they bloom depends on when we start getting warmer days.
In this Texas is blessed. Earlier in the week, North Texas recorded its first 90-degree day. Hopes for an early spring were buoyed as the Dallas-Fort Worth area began to enjoy warmer days. Questions, nay, demands, of winter’s demise have even been thrown out into the ether of late.
The purple blooms are the pride of Texas, adopted by the 27th Texas Legislature as the state flower on March 7, 1901. Bluebonnets get their name from the flower’s individual bloom’s resemblance to the sunbonnets women wore to guard against the grueling Texas sun.
“The Bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland,” historian Jack Maguire wrote. “It’s not only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat.”
Local lore suggests the lupines were brought over to the New World by Spanish priests because observers noticed how the priests would care for the blooms around mission houses. But American Indian mythology contradicts that telling, planting the beautiful bluebonnets front-and-center in the telling of their stories and referring to the blooms as “a gift from the Great Spirit,” according to the Texas State Historical Association.
Bluebonnets come from a few species of lupines that include the Texas bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis, sandyland bluebonnet, Lupinus subcarnosus, and the Big Bend bluebonnet, Lupinus havardii. The three species along with the rarer Lupinus concinnus and Lupinus plattensis comprise the state flower of Texas.
The blooms thrive on poor, rocky soil under a full sun, which is why they thrive in Texas on pastures that have been heavily grazed, experienced recent fires and land that have been mown, such as roadsides.
In North Texas, finding bluebonnets is as easy as driving most highways or a detour into nearby rural farm towns. Really. It’s that simple. But if you’re looking for an awe-inspiring excursion with the purple blooms as your star, here are seven places that need to be on your must-visit itinerary. Do not leave your camera at home. It will be a shutterbug’s paradise.
1. Kingsland
Each spring, this town nestled near Llano explodes in bluebonnet blooms that can last for two months. Follow a trail of the flowers from Llano to Kingsland on Texas 29, then south on Ranch Road 1431. This peaceful town is not typically flooded with tourists, making it an ideal spot to view the pretty purple blooms.
2. Marble Falls
This picturesque town on the Colorado River is where you will find President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch. Marble Falls takes pride in this, extolling the fact the when Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of the 36th president of the United States, planted bluebonnet seeds across America, they love to point out that they got a little more love in the process. ts proximity to Kingsland and Burnet makes for a convenient trio of stops.
3. Burnett
Recognized as the “Bluebonnet Capital of Texas,” Burnet is a must-visit. Its annual Bluebonnet Festival, held from April 12-14, is a major attraction. Thousands converge on this Hill Country hamlet on the intersection of Texas 29 and U.S. 281 each spring, mostly because of the bluebonnets.
4. Brenham
This town in Washington County is located in the heart of bluebonnet country. The town watches for the first signs of the purple blooms, anticipating a spring full of flowers. Brenham is located halfway between Houston and Austin, and is known for its picturesque countryside and charming historic downtown.
5. Ennis
Only an hour drive from Fort Worth, Ennis is a convenient destination for folks from the Metroplex looking to view bluebonnets. The town is home to the Ennis Bluebonnet Trail and Festival, Ennis. The Ennis Garden Club meticulously tracks flower growth, making it a reliable source of bluebonnet sightings.
6. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
This wildflower park is home to nearly 900 species of native Texas wildflowers and plants. The Center also offers educational programs for adults and children.
7. Big Bend National Park
Though not on the traditional Texas bluebonnet trail, Big Bend National Park offers a unique bluebonnet experience. The tallest of the bluebonnet species is named after the area: Big Bend bluebonnet, Lupinus havardii. It grows thickly along the park’s paved roads. We may see a superbloom this year, which could paint the hillsides blue.
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David Montesino
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A Black high school student’s monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, a judge ruled on Thursday.Video above: Clarified: What is the CROWN Act?Darryl George, 18, is a junior and has not been in his regular classes at his Houston-area high school since Aug. 31 because his school district, Barbers Hill, says he is violating its policy limiting the length of boys’ hair.The district filed a lawsuit arguing George’s long hair, which he wears in tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates its dress code policy because it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows or earlobes when let down. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.After just a few hours of testimony in Anahuac, state District Judge Chap Cain III ruled in favor of the school district, saying its ongoing discipline of George over the length of his hair is legal under the CROWN Act. For most of the school year, George has either served in-school suspension at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu or spent time at an off-site disciplinary program.Dozens of people filed into the courtroom in Anahuac, outside Houston, where George and his mother, Darresha George, told reporters they were hopeful his punishment would soon end allowing him to return to regular classes.“We’re going to get justice today,” Darresha George said. “I’m nervous but I’m happy.”Video below: Darryl George makes comment as hair discrimination trial beginsThe CROWN Act, which took effect in September, prohibits race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including Afros, braids, locs, twists or Bantu knots.Attorneys for the school district did not present any witnesses. Attorney Sara Leon told Cain that the Barbers Hill dress code “is consistent with the CROWN Act” and that the policy “is race neutral.”Allie Booker, Darryl’s George’s attorney, presented only two witnesses: Darresha George and Democratic state Rep. Ron Reynolds, one of the co-authors of the CROWN Act.Reynolds testified that hair length was not specifically discussed when the CROWN Act was proposed but “length was inferred with the very nature of the style.”“Anyone familiar with braids, locs, twists knows it requires a certain amount of length,” Reynolds said.Pressed by Cain if there was anything in the legislation that talks specifically about length, Reynolds said no, but that it is “almost impossible for a person to comply with this (grooming) policy and wear that protective hairstyle.”After Reynolds’ testimony, both sides rested their case.George, an 18-year-old junior, has not been in his regular classroom at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31. He has instead served in-school suspension and spent time in an off-site disciplinary program.In court documents, the school district maintains its policy does not violate the CROWN Act because the law does not mention or cover hair length.In a paid ad that ran in January in the Houston Chronicle, Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole wrote that districts with a traditional dress code are safer and have higher academic performance, and that “being an American requires conformity.”George’s family has also filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with the school district, alleging they failed to enforce the CROWN Act. The lawsuit is before a federal judge in Galveston.Barbers Hill’s hair policy was also challenged in a May 2020 federal lawsuit filed by two other students. Both withdrew from the high school, but one returned after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction, saying there was “a substantial likelihood” that his rights to free speech and to be free from racial discrimination would be violated if he was not allowed to return. That lawsuit is pending.
A Black high school student’s monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, a judge ruled on Thursday.
Video above: Clarified: What is the CROWN Act?
Darryl George, 18, is a junior and has not been in his regular classes at his Houston-area high school since Aug. 31 because his school district, Barbers Hill, says he is violating its policy limiting the length of boys’ hair.
The district filed a lawsuit arguing George’s long hair, which he wears in tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates its dress code policy because it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows or earlobes when let down. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.
After just a few hours of testimony in Anahuac, state District Judge Chap Cain III ruled in favor of the school district, saying its ongoing discipline of George over the length of his hair is legal under the CROWN Act. For most of the school year, George has either served in-school suspension at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu or spent time at an off-site disciplinary program.
Dozens of people filed into the courtroom in Anahuac, outside Houston, where George and his mother, Darresha George, told reporters they were hopeful his punishment would soon end allowing him to return to regular classes.
“We’re going to get justice today,” Darresha George said. “I’m nervous but I’m happy.”
Video below: Darryl George makes comment as hair discrimination trial begins
The CROWN Act, which took effect in September, prohibits race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including Afros, braids, locs, twists or Bantu knots.
Attorneys for the school district did not present any witnesses. Attorney Sara Leon told Cain that the Barbers Hill dress code “is consistent with the CROWN Act” and that the policy “is race neutral.”
Allie Booker, Darryl’s George’s attorney, presented only two witnesses: Darresha George and Democratic state Rep. Ron Reynolds, one of the co-authors of the CROWN Act.
Reynolds testified that hair length was not specifically discussed when the CROWN Act was proposed but “length was inferred with the very nature of the style.”
“Anyone familiar with braids, locs, twists knows it requires a certain amount of length,” Reynolds said.
Pressed by Cain if there was anything in the legislation that talks specifically about length, Reynolds said no, but that it is “almost impossible for a person to comply with this (grooming) policy and wear that protective hairstyle.”
After Reynolds’ testimony, both sides rested their case.
George, an 18-year-old junior, has not been in his regular classroom at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31. He has instead served in-school suspension and spent time in an off-site disciplinary program.
In court documents, the school district maintains its policy does not violate the CROWN Act because the law does not mention or cover hair length.
In a paid ad that ran in January in the Houston Chronicle, Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole wrote that districts with a traditional dress code are safer and have higher academic performance, and that “being an American requires conformity.”
George’s family has also filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency and a federal civil rights lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with the school district, alleging they failed to enforce the CROWN Act. The lawsuit is before a federal judge in Galveston.
Barbers Hill’s hair policy was also challenged in a May 2020 federal lawsuit filed by two other students. Both withdrew from the high school, but one returned after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction, saying there was “a substantial likelihood” that his rights to free speech and to be free from racial discrimination would be violated if he was not allowed to return. That lawsuit is pending.
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Here is a look at the life of former US Secretary of Energy and former Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Birth date: March 4, 1950
Birth place: Paint Creek, Texas
Birth name: James Richard Perry
Father: Joseph Ray Perry, a farmer
Mother: Amelia (Holt) Perry
Marriage: Anita (Thigpen) Perry (November 6, 1982-present)
Children: Sydney and Griffin
Education: Texas A&M University, B.S., 1972
Military Service: US Air Force, 1972-1977, Captain
Religion: Methodist
Is an Eagle Scout.
Met his wife, Anita, in elementary school.
Has devoted years to supporting psychedelic-assisted therapies.
Is the longest-serving governor in Texas history.
1972-1977 – Serves in the US Air Force flying transport planes.
1977 – Returns to Texas to live and work on his father’s farm.
1978 – Forms JR Perry Farms with his father.
1985-1991 – Member of the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat from the 64th District.
1989 – Switches to the Republican Party.
1991-1999 – Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture.
1999-2000 – Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
December 21, 2000 – Perry is sworn in as governor after George W. Bush resigns to become president of the United States.
November 5, 2002 – Perry is elected to a four-year term.
November 7, 2006 – Is reelected governor.
2008 – Perry’s book “On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For” is published.
November 2, 2010 – Perry is elected for a third term in office.
August 13, 2011 – Declares his candidacy for president during a speech in South Carolina.
January 19, 2012 – Suspends his presidential campaign and endorses Newt Gingrich.
July 8, 2013 – Announces that he will not run for reelection as Texas governor in 2014.
August 15, 2014 – A grand jury indicts Perry on charges of coercion of a public servant and abuse of his official capacity. He allegedly threatened to veto funding for a statewide public integrity unit run by Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned following her arrest on a drunk driving charge. She stayed in office, and he later vetoed the funding.
August 19, 2014 – Perry voluntarily appears at the Travis County Court house to be booked and fingerprinted and to have his mug shot taken. He pleads not guilty to charges of coercion of a public servant and abuse of official capacity. The next day he makes the first of six campaign style stops across New Hampshire.
November 18, 2014 – A state district judge in Texas denies a defense motion to have two felony charges dismissed against Perry.
January 15, 2015 – Delivers his farewell address as governor.
June 4, 2015 – Announces he is running for president at a rally in Addison, Texas.
July 24, 2015 – A Texas appeals court dismisses one of two criminal charges against Perry. The court agrees with the argument from Perry’s legal team that a Texas law concerning “coercion of a public servant” violates Perry’s First Amendment freedom of speech rights. The court is allowing a charge related to abuse of power to move forward.
September 11, 2015 – Suspends his campaign for the presidency.
January 25, 2016 – Perry endorses Ted Cruz.
February 24, 2016 – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals drops charges against Perry alleging he abused his power while in office.
August 30, 2016 – Perry is revealed as one of the members of the upcoming 23rd season of reality television dance competition “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC.
September 27, 2016 – Is eliminated from “Dancing With The Stars.”
November 22, 2016 – Returns to “Dancing With The Stars” for the season finale. Perry dances with Vanilla Ice during a live performance of “Ice Ice Baby.”
December 13, 2016 – President-elect Donald Trump announces he has selected Perry to be his nominee for energy secretary.
January 19, 2017 – Perry says that he regrets recommending the elimination of the Department of Energy during a presidential debate in 2012.
March 2, 2017 – Perry is confirmed as energy secretary with a 62-37 vote in the Senate.
July 26, 2017 – Perry’s office acknowledges that he was the target of a prank call on July 19. During the 20-minute call from Russian pranksters, real names Vladimir Krasnov and Aleksey Stolyarov, respectively, one pretends to be Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
February 5, 2019 – Is named the designated survivor for Trump’s second State of the Union address. As the one member of the Cabinet remaining outside the House chamber during the speech in case disaster strikes, Perry will remain in an undisclosed location.
October 10, 2019 – House Democrats issue a subpoena to Perry for documents related to the Trump administration’s contacts with Ukraine as part of the ongoing House impeachment inquiry.
October 17, 2019 – Perry says he plans to resign in a video posted to YouTube.
November 20, 2019 – Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland testifies that he, along with special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker and Perry, worked with Giuliani on Ukraine at the “express direction” of Trump and against their better judgment. Sondland also tells lawmakers that he had discussed the investigation in a July 19 email sent to several top US officials, including Perry. In response, the Department of Energy releases a statement denying Sondland’s claims, saying he “misrepresented both Secretary Perry’s interaction with Rudy Giuliani and direction the Secretary received from President Trump.”
December 1, 2019 – Perry resigns as US Secretary of Energy.
January 1, 2020 – Perry is appointed as a director of the general partner that controls Energy Transfer LP, a pipeline company.
February 17, 2021 – In a blog post on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s website, Perry is quoted as saying “partly rhetorically,” that “Texans would be without electricity for longer than three days to keep the federal government out of their business.” Millions of Texans lost power as the state experienced a massive failure brought on by a historic freeze and a power grid that – unlike the other 47 contiguous states – is separated from the rest of the country and is not under federal regulatory oversight, which prevents Texas from being able to borrow power from other states.
December 17, 2021 – January 6 House committee investigators believe that a November 4 text pushing “strategy” to undermine the presidential election came from Perry, three sources familiar with the investigation tell CNN. First presented on the House floor December 14, the text was included in about 6,000 documents turned over to the committee by former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Perry denies being the author.
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HOUSTON – Today’s cover photo arrived on Click2pins yesterday with fog engulfing those wind turbines down in Mathis, Texas. If you don’t know where Mathis exactly is, just take Highway 59 south to I-37 and turn left — it’s a few miles from Corpus. And while fog down there won’t surprise you, perhaps all those wind turbines will!
I always think of California or the fields of Iowa as having all the wind turbines in this country but they aren’t even close to what we have in Texas.
In fact, the largest wind farm in the country is the Roscoe Wind Farm out near Abilene — I’ve circled them both for easy reference:
Texas leads the way in this country for wind farms and, thus, wind energy with enough to power 3.5 million households.
Occasionally, we create so much wind energy we can’t use it all and ERCOT has to throttle back on production!
You can see below that we are way ahead of second-place Iowa and even California comes in 3rd.
All this puts Texas in a World Class given that the United States is in second place only to be outdone by China, which generates almost three times the wind turbine energy that the U.S. does.
RELATED: First Offshore Wind Leases Off the Texas Coast Offered for Bidding
Of course, the reason Texas is so far ahead is pretty obvious — we have a lot of land and lot of wind with a pretty good tax-structure incentive. Turbines can create wind at only 6 mph speeds and we get plenty of that!
While most of the wind farms are in the Hill Country and West Texas or south toward the Valley, get ready for more wind projects including one near Galveston, which we reported on last year.
You may also note that Texas is second in SOLAR Energy falling only behind California.
To that end, expect a lot of sunshine in the forecast through the weekend and into next week and with an approaching front tomorrow, it’s going to get a bit breezy! More power to us!
RELATED: TODAY’S WEATHER REPORT
Frank
Email me with questions and comments.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
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Frank Billingsley
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A family friend of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham was in jail Wednesday as prosecutors say they plan to charge him in the girl’s death after her body was found in a river near her rural Texas home. Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said the body of the young girl — who went missing last week — was found Tuesday during a search in the Trinity River in a rural area north of Houston. Lyons said cell phone data was used to help identify places to look and that the local river authority slowed down the outflow of a reservoir to help search teams that were in the water. Cunninham’s body was found about 10 miles from her home near Lake Livingston.”My heart aches with this news,” Lyons said.Audrii’s family had reported her missing on Thursday after she failed to return after school to her home in Livingston. After she was reported missing, investigators discovered that she never got on the bus to go to school that morning.Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton said officials were preparing an arrest warrant for Don Steven McDougal, 42, on a recommended charge of capital murder. She said they do not yet know if they would seek the death penalty in the case.Lyons said there is “substantial evidence” in the case, and that cell phone data and videos helped identify places to search. He added that the Trinity River Authority lowered water levels on the river, which led to the discovery of her body.Authorities have said McDougal is a friend of the girl’s father and lived in a camper on the family’s property. Audrii lived with her father, grandparents and other family members, authorities said.Lyons has said that in the past, McDougal had taken Audrii to the bus stop or would take her to school if she missed the bus.A backpack that authorities believe belonged to the child was found Friday near the dam on Lake Livingston, one of the state’s largest lakes.As authorities investigated Audrii’s disappearance last week, they had named McDougal as a person of interest and he was arrested Friday on an unrelated assault charge. He remains in jail on that charge. Jail records did not list an attorney for him.Court records from Brazoria County, south of Houston, show McDougal pleaded no contest to two felony counts of enticing a child stemming from a 2007 incident and was sentenced to two years in prison.The sheriff said that the girl’s body has been taken to the Harris County medical examiner’s office in Houston to determine the cause of death.___Associated Press writer Sean Murphy contributed to this report from Oklahoma City.
A family friend of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham was in jail Wednesday as prosecutors say they plan to charge him in the girl’s death after her body was found in a river near her rural Texas home.
Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons said the body of the young girl — who went missing last week — was found Tuesday during a search in the Trinity River in a rural area north of Houston. Lyons said cell phone data was used to help identify places to look and that the local river authority slowed down the outflow of a reservoir to help search teams that were in the water.
Cunninham’s body was found about 10 miles from her home near Lake Livingston.
“My heart aches with this news,” Lyons said.
Audrii’s family had reported her missing on Thursday after she failed to return after school to her home in Livingston. After she was reported missing, investigators discovered that she never got on the bus to go to school that morning.
Polk County District Attorney Shelly Sitton said officials were preparing an arrest warrant for Don Steven McDougal, 42, on a recommended charge of capital murder. She said they do not yet know if they would seek the death penalty in the case.
Lyons said there is “substantial evidence” in the case, and that cell phone data and videos helped identify places to search. He added that the Trinity River Authority lowered water levels on the river, which led to the discovery of her body.
Authorities have said McDougal is a friend of the girl’s father and lived in a camper on the family’s property. Audrii lived with her father, grandparents and other family members, authorities said.
Lyons has said that in the past, McDougal had taken Audrii to the bus stop or would take her to school if she missed the bus.
A backpack that authorities believe belonged to the child was found Friday near the dam on Lake Livingston, one of the state’s largest lakes.
As authorities investigated Audrii’s disappearance last week, they had named McDougal as a person of interest and he was arrested Friday on an unrelated assault charge. He remains in jail on that charge. Jail records did not list an attorney for him.
Court records from Brazoria County, south of Houston, show McDougal pleaded no contest to two felony counts of enticing a child stemming from a 2007 incident and was sentenced to two years in prison.
The sheriff said that the girl’s body has been taken to the Harris County medical examiner’s office in Houston to determine the cause of death.
___
Associated Press writer Sean Murphy contributed to this report from Oklahoma City.
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A Texas mother is speaking out after alleging that Child Protective Services (CPS) removed her two-year-old son from her care without a court order.
According to Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Joslyn Sanders took her son, Josiah, to the Children’s Medical Center Dallas due to a rash he developed. Sanders reportedly believed the rash was caused by her son’s skin reacting to a new laundry detergent.
“I realized his foot was swelling and took him to the hospital at the advice of a pediatrician,” she explained to the outlet.
However, Sanders disagreed with the medication doctors prescribed her son.
“I was not ok with clindamycin since that antibiotic is reserved for more severe infections,” she added.
Sanders left the hospital. Then, CPS officers visited her apartment the next day, accompanied by officers from the Corinth Police Department.
Corinth Police Chief Jerry Garner reportedly spoke with Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth about the visit.
“They did not observe anything that would indicate the child was in imminent danger,” Garner explained.
However, CPS officers reportedly explained that they visited Sander’s residence on reports from the hospital that Josiah was malnourished.
“They observed the child would eat, and drink. They saw a rash, but they did not see an emergency,” Garner continued. “They did not see anything obvious to indicate the child was malnourished.”
Upon their visit, Sanders reportedly informed CPS that she would take her child to another medical professional. However, the CPS officials then informed her that it would not be needed and that they would be removing her son from her care.
“The child had a skin infection and a nutritional deficiency. Mother Joslyn Sanders provided no explanation about the child being malnourished. The doctor said the child is at severe risk of becoming septic due to serious infection,” a court affidavit filed by CPS reportedly reads, per Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth.
A spokesperson for CPS has reportedly confirmed with the outlet that a judge ordered the child to be in the organization’s care.
According to the outlet, Sanders alleges that CPS’s affidavit failed to acknowledge that Josiah has been receiving treatment for “feeding difficulties.” The outlet reports that the child is being treated by his nutrition therapist and primary care provider.
Now, after spending at least sixty days away from her son, Sanders is speaking out.
“I’ve never been away from my son for more than a few hours; it’s now been 60 days,” she reportedly explained. “I think about him every moment.”
According to Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Josiah was placed into a foster home on Tuesday, February 19. Furthermore, a hearing for his mother to present her side of events has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 28.
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Jadriena Solomon
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In honor of Black History Month, we are taking the opportunity to look back on and celebrate the life and work of meteorologist June Bacon-Bercey.
A woman of many “firsts,” Bacon-Bercey broke many barriers and paved the way for others, particularly for women and African Americans in meteorology.
Noted as the first African American and first female degreed broadcast meteorologist, Bacon-Bercey is considered a pioneer in the field of meteorology. Born in 1928 in Wichita, Kansas, ever since she was a kid, she knew she wanted to follow a path of math and science.
In 1954, she became the first African American female in the United States to earn a bachelor of science degree in meteorology from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
According to her official biography provided by her daughter, Dail St. Claire, when she arrived at UCLA, a counselor suggested she major in home economics instead of meteorology.
Bacon-Bercey once said, “when I earned an ‘A’ in thermodynamics and a ‘B’ in home economics, I knew my decision was the right one.”
Her biography also states that her career extended well beyond television weather. Before retiring from a position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1993, she held positions as a weather forecaster, weather analyst, radar meteorologist, aviation meteorologist, broadcast journalist, public administrator and educator.
She had a lasting impact on the field of broadcast meteorology, especially during a time when weather broadcasts within local newscasts were considered more entertainment-based than science-focused.
June-Bacon Bercey on set at WGR-TV in Buffalo, N.Y. (Courtesy: Dail St. Claire)
In 1972, she became the first African American and first female to earn the AMS Seal of Approval for Excellence in Television Weathercasting.
Her daughter recalled the day that her mother got the news of this accomplishment. “She was beaming. We sat down over tea, as she often did with me to discuss life matters. Upon sharing the significance of the Seal, she said, ‘no greater honor can come to me than earning the respect of my colleagues.’”
This came after joining WGR-TV in Buffalo, New York, in 1970, where she became the chief meteorologist after just four months at the station. This was a remarkable feat for the era.
Nearly five decades later, a 2018 study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society revealed that only 8% of chief meteorologists are female.
Bacon-Bercey became a role model to many African American aspiring meteorologists, including Janice Huff, Chief Meteorologist at WNBC in New York.
“When I was a child, I never saw anyone who looked like me delivering the forecast on television, so I never thought of broadcasting as an option for a future career. I wanted to be a scientist and work behind the scenes, and I was on my way to doing just that. Then I learned of June Bacon-Bercey, and I was certain that any and all things were possible,” said Huff.
Alan Sealls, Chief Meteorologist at WPMI-TV in Mobile, Alabama also has been moved by the life of Bacon-Bercey. He described her as “a woman who likely opened doors for women, African-Americans, and degreed meteorologists in broadcast meteorology.”
Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, Director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia who served as the second African American president of the American Meteorological Society, shared his appreciation for Bacon-Bercey. “I cannot imagine the struggles that Mrs. Bacon-Bercey faced as she trailblazed on behalf of women and people of color,” he said.
Women’s issues and racial equality were of the highest importance to Bacon-Bercey. She helped launch the AMS Board on Women and Minorities in 1975, which continues to operate to this day. It was renamed the Board on Representation, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Diversity (BRAID) in 2020.
In 1977, it wasn’t weather, but her music knowledge that awarded her $64,000 on the game show “The $128,000 Question.” She used her earnings to launch the June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship through the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for women pursuing careers in meteorology and atmospheric sciences.
She felt the scholarship could help women become meteorologists. “I was discouraged from becoming a meteorologist. If women feel they have some money behind them, it might be better,” she stated according to her official biography.
AGU offered this scholarship from 1978 to 1990. It became reestablished in 2021 through the generosity of her daughter, Dail St. Claire, and other family and friends.
June Bacon-Bercey speaking at a luncheon. (Photo Courtesy: Dail St. Claire)
Bacon-Bercey also funded the meteorology lab at Mississippi’s Jackson State University (JSU) in 1980. At the time, JSU was the only historically black university or college with a meteorology program in the United States.
Janice Huff remarked on her achievements. “She showed great strength and determination to study in a field where there were so few who looked like her. She persevered despite the odds against her, and for that, I am eternally grateful.”
Bacon-Bercey passed away in July 2019 at the age of 90. Her legacy will live on for generations to come through the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) June Bacon-Bercey Award for Broadcast Meteorology.
The AMS renamed the Award for Broadcast Meteorology in her honor. Since 1977, this award has annually recognized broadcast meteorologists “for sustained long-term contributions to the community through the broadcast media, or for outstanding work during a specific weather event.”
Since its inception, three Award for Broadcast Meteorology recipients have been female. By honoring Mrs. Bacon-Bercey’s legacy, women and minorities might be encouraged to strive for this award and submit future nominations.
Her daughter, Dail St. Claire, reflected on this honor. “My family and I are grateful to the AMS for honoring my mother, June Bacon-Bercey. There is no greater honor for an on-air meteorologist to serve the public. The field of meteorology will one day fully represent the rich diversity of all people.”
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Meteorologist Maureen McCann
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Officers responded after learning that someone had brought a gun to the Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy’s Oates campus, the Mesquite Police Department wrote on Facebook.
“Officers responded and attempted to negotiate with the subject,” the police department wrote. “During the process of negotiating, an officer involved shooting occurred. No students or officers were injured. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for injuries sustained during the incident.”
Following the shooting, the local police and the Mesquite Fire Department began a reunification plan. Parents were directed to receive their students at a nearby Baptist church.
Officers had been dispatched to the campus at around 8:49 a.m., according to Mesquite police. At some point, the initial “person with a gun” notice was switched to an active shooter call.
Statement from PTAA below.
Identifies suspect as a student. pic.twitter.com/sPC77DANhO
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) February 19, 2024
The Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy issued a statement letting community members know that, aside from the student suspect, no injuries had occurred.
“Everyone on campus is safe and secure,” district Superintendent Shubham Pandey wrote.
Pandey also noted that an investigation will be launched. After review, the academy may decide to bolster its security procedures.
“We’re just thankful a tragedy was avoided and nothing worse occurred,” Mesquite Fire Department Capt. Travis Block said during a news conference, according to The Dallas Morning News.
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Simone Carter
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Becoming an astronaut is hard enough, but one woman overcame obstacles to become the first African American woman in space.
Born in the 1950s, Jemison would let nothing stop her from becoming one of the most accomplished African American women in history.
She was born in Decatur, Ala. but grew up in Chicago, and from a very early age, she knew she wanted to study science.
She worked hard and graduated from high school when she was just 16. At that early age, she traveled across the country to California to attend Stanford University.
Being one of the few African Americans in her class, she experienced racial discrimination from students and teachers, but that didn’t stop her from graduating with two degrees in four years, one in chemical engineering and one in African American studies.
Jemison didn’t start her career in space. She first attended Cornell Medical School, where she got her doctorate in medicine and practiced general medicine.
Her talents also didn’t stop in science. Jemison is fluent in Japanese, Russian and Swahili. She used this and her medical studies to her advantage and joined the Peace Corps in 1983 to help people in Africa for two years.
Jemison with the rest of the Endeavour Crew in 1992. (AP Photo/Chris O’ Meara)
After the Peace Corps, Jemison opened her own private practice as a doctor, but not too long after, she decided she wanted to go to space, something she had wanted to accomplish for a long time.
Jemison applied for the astronaut program at NASA in 1985. Unfortunately, NASA stopped accepting applications after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986.
Jemison tried her luck again in 1987 and was one of the 15 people chosen out of 2000 applicants. Nichelle Nichols, who starred as Uhura in the original Star Trek series, recruited her. Jemison later starred in an episode of the series after being a fan since childhood.
In Sept. 1992, she joined six other astronauts on the Endeavor for eight days, making her the first African American woman in space. On her mission, she made 127 orbits around the Earth.
Mae C. Jemison on board the Endeavour in 1992. (Photo by NASA)
Jemison left NASA the year after she went to space and accomplished many more things.
She started her own consulting company, became a professor at Cornell, launched the Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries, created an international space camp for teens and much more.
She currently leads 100 Year Starship through DARPA, United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which works to ensure humans will travel to another star in the next 100 years.
With all her accomplishments, it’s no surprise Jemison was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the National Medical Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Science Hall of Fame.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
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Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade
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File photo.
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One man is dead after he was stabbed and then showed up at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth Friday evening, according to Fort Worth police.
Police were called to the hospital after the man, identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office as 36-year-old Armando Garcia, showed up around 5:40 p.m. Friday.
He died about 40 minutes later from stab wounds, according to the ME’s office. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Garcia was “the life of the party,” his family wrote in a GoFundMe.
“Our lives have changed in an instant, our loved one has departed from us due to a senseless murder,” the family wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “Always so goofy, his laugh will surely be missed.”
Police have not announced any arrests or publicly identified any suspects in the killing.
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File photo.
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One man is dead after he was stabbed and went John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth Friday evening, according to Fort Worth police.
Police were called to the hospital after the man, identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office as 36-year-old Armando Garcia, showed up around 5:40 p.m. Friday.
He died about 40 minutes later from stab wounds, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’soffice. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Garcia was “the life of the party,” his family wrote in a GoFundMe.
“Our lives have changed in an instant, our loved one has departed from us due to a senseless murder,” the family wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “Always so goofy, his laugh will surely be missed.”
Police have not announced any arrests or publicly identified any suspects in the killing.
This story was originally published February 18, 2024, 4:56 PM.
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James Hartley
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