HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Authorities are investigating a MetroRail train crash that injured several people Wednesday morning.
The Houston Police Department said the train and a car collided at about 8:30 a.m. along Fulton and Crosstimbers.
According to HPD Lt. Wiggins, 15 people were on the MetroRail, three of whom went to the hospital with minor injuries.
Wiggins said the train operator wasn’t hurt.
A man told ABC13 he saw the incident happen.
“I was at the washateria. I was faced down Fulton,” he said. “He was face up Fulton – when I looked to his left and saw the car get smacked by the front of the train.”
Video from the scene shows the car involved heavily damaged. HPD said the driver of that car is hospitalized, though their condition is unknown.
Federal investigators are collecting evidence at a Houston Housing Authority complex for a second day after toxic ash w…Show more
Northern, on the other hand, said in that statement that the move by the board and the investigation into his performance are “warrantless.”
The board has hired an outside consultant to review Northern’s performance. An interim president has yet to be named.
Read Northern’s full statement:
“I’m confident this warrantless investigation to try to remove me from my position will turn up nothing. The Board has taken this step to try and fabricate a reason to remove me because they do not have one. This decision stems from the coordinated opposition from anti-affordable housing and special interest groups who view affordable housing as a threat to their pocketbooks.
Regardless, I remain committed to the vital mission of providing affordable housing to Houston families, despite the attacks my team and I have faced. Since 2024 alone, we’ve secured over $60 million in federal funding that will lead to an anticipated $750 million dollar investment into some of Houston’s historically underserved communities. And we’ve launched innovative programs that make real differences in people’s lives including programs that help families access thriving neighborhoods, support seniors aging in place, and expand services for our most vulnerable residents. Furthermore, my administration has systematically resolved the HUD deficiencies identified before I took over as President & CEO, and caught the agency up on its 3-year audit backlog. And several weeks ago, I proposed an independent audit – unanimously approved by the Board – to ensure complete transparency of our contracts and procurement process.
I am deeply concerned about the weaponization of our housing authority and the negative impact that this has had on the morale of HHA staff and our ability to serve our constituents. Nevertheless, I will keep fighting to protect both our mission and the truth. At the heart of this issue, it is Houston’s most vulnerable residents who stand to lose the most.”
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A surge of tropical moisture blows into Houston on Wednesday, and this will bring up rain chances for the next several days.
Temperatures Wednesday morning will be mild, most starting in the mid 70s with widespread clouds developing ahead of sunrise. As temperatures warm back into the low 80s, scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead of the noon hour. These showers and thunderstorms will be capable of producing heavy rainfall, wind gusts over 40 mph, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. The highest rain chances will occur between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain chances drop off north and west of Houston, where high temperatures could again reach toward 90. Where it does storm, temperatures will peak in the low-to-mid 80s then cool off into the 70s when the rain begins.
How much rain could we get?
We expect totals of 1-3″ to be fairly common through the weekend. Any storm that develops could drop a quick inch of rain. The highest rain chances are Thursday and Saturday, both at 70%. That’s because a cool front will blow through on Thursday, which will momentarily push the tropical moisture into the Gulf of Mexico. Then on Saturday, that front will lift back northward with all the tropical moisture pushing back through Houston.
What kind of weather can we expect for trick or treat time on Halloween?
It will almost certainly be a humid Trick-or-Treat time this Halloween, but there is a fair chance the rain will occur earlier in the day and come to an end for most by the time the candy is filling up bags and buckets. The ground will likely be wet even if the sky is dry at that time. Temperatures will likely be rain-cooled in the 70s.
When can we expect temperatures to really cool off again?
Our confidence is growing that our next strong cold front will arrive on Wednesday or Thursday of next week. This front should bring temperatures down to seasonal levels with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. It’s even possible we catch a morning or two in the 40s.Skip Adding
There is now a region in the southwestern Caribbean that has 40% development odds over the next 7 days. While we’ll be keeping a close eye on this region for any storms, the general pattern over Texas and the Gulf should steer any potential storms away from us over the next two weeks. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for a complete look at what we’re covering in the tropics.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston ISD is boosting security at one of its high schools after two students allegedly brought weapons to campus.
Lamar High School sent out a message to parents on Monday saying a student attempting to bring a gun to school was detained after a short pursuit off campus.
HISD said police were able to locate the weapon and detain the student.
Administrators said they also suspected another student of having a weapon. That student was also detained, and the gun was confiscated. The district said everyone is safe.
“I’m definitely thankful to be here now and safe,” student Feben Degefa said. “The only thing to do now is thank God. Like, God is so good for keeping us safe the way that He has (Tuesday).”
“I’m shocked, and I hate that this is becoming normalized,” student Ealeynah Epps said. “It’s happening so much.”
13 investigates asked for the data from HISD to see how often guns are found on campuses. During the last school year, HISD said it found 17 guns district-wide and 10 BB guns.
So far this year, through mid-September, one BB gun and eight guns were found.
According to HISD, both students will face felony charges and “will be assigned disciplinary actions aligned with the Texas Education Code.”
Court records show charges of possession of a prohibited weapon were filed against 17-year-old Clifton Skillern.
Documents state Skillern “concealed handgun with an extended magazine while at Lamar High School on Oct. 28, 2024.”
Skillern appears to be in custody and is expected to appear in court Wednesday. His bond was set at $50,000.
District officials said heightened security would be added as a precaution.
A video obtained by ABC13 shows long lines outside the school Tuesday morning.
Students at the school were forced to go through a security checkpoint with metal detectors.
“I have mixed feelings about it because it wasn’t efficient (Tuesday) because so many students were late, and I don’t know how they intend on searching 3,000 students every day,” Epps said.
“I felt safer that they were taking the precautions necessary to make sure were safe in class,” Degefa said.
“HISD takes every threat to campus safety seriously and works closely with local law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate and take necessary actions to ensure the safety of all students and staff,” the district said in a release.
Airlines in the United States are now required to give passengers cash refunds if their flight is significantly delayed or canceled, even if that person does not explicitly ask for a refund.
The Department of Transportation says the final federal rule requiring that airlines dole out refunds – not vouchers – went into effect Monday. The major change is being implemented only a month before the start of what is likely to be a huge holiday travel season.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the announcement on X after he first presented the proposed rule back in April. “Today, our automatic refund rule goes into full effect,” Buttigieg posted. “Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them-without headaches or haggling.”
The new rule mandates that refunds are automatically processed by an airline if a passenger’s flight is “canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept the significantly changed flight, rebooking on an alternative flight, or alternative compensation.”
The Department of Transportation says airlines must then refund a passenger within seven business days if they bought a ticket on a credit card and within 20 calendar days if they used another form of payment.
The move has faced pushback from the airline industry. In July, Buttigieg told airlines that they must make clear to passengers when they are entitled to a refund.
In a statement, industry lobby Airlines for America said, “we support the automatic refund rule and are happy to accommodate customers with a refund when they choose not to be rebooked.”
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — More information was revealed in court overnight about two of the five suspects involved in an alleged scheme related to teacher certification tests.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said the million-dollar scheme placed 200 unqualified teachers in classrooms over the course of four years — including two child predators.
In court overnight, a judge set bond at $200,000 for two of the suspects.
Authorities announced charges in an alleged cheating scandal that led to illegally certified teachers working in Houston-area school districts.
The DA’s office said the scheme involved people paying money to have someone else take their certification test for them.
The following people are accused of being part of the operation:
Vincent Grayson, 57, the head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD, is accused of organizing the cheating scheme.
Tywana Gilford Mason, 51, the former director/VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center, was a test proctor, which officials said allowed her to keep the proxy scheme undetected.
Nicholas Newton, 35, an assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School, allegedly participated in the scheme as the proxy test-taker.
Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22, a proctor at TACTIX, is accused of taking bribes to allow Newton to act as a testing proxy.
LaShonda Roberts, 39, an assistant principal at Yates High School in HISD, is accused of recruiting nearly 100 teachers to participate in the cheating scheme.
The alleged ring leader, Grayson, is one of three Houston ISD employees facing charges. He has not yet appeared in front of a judge.
However, probable cause was found in the case against the two other suspects who worked for the district.
Former HISD assistant principals Newton and Roberts are both facing two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity. Their respective bonds were set at $200,000.
Newton is accused of taking the certification tests. Roberts, whose charges were read even though she did not appear in front of the judge, is accused of recruiting participants.
“The allegation being that Ms. Roberts was involved in a scheme, whereby she was responsible for recruiting people that were going to be taking their teaching certificate exams, to pay her a sum of money to get access to a scheme whereby these people were essentially having proxies take their certification exams on their behalf,” prosecutors read in court.
HISD said the three employees involved are no longer with the district but will be paid until the legal process plays out.
Customers who allegedly withdrew money fraudulently from Chase Bank ATMs using an illegal scheme that blew up on TikTok over the summer could soon have to cut hefty checks back to the bank.
These people were able to withdraw funds by writing checks to themselves and immediately withdrawing funds before the checks bounced. Normally, the bank follows the industry standard of making a portion of any check available to customers before the funds clear. However, a temporary glitch allowed customers to withdraw more substantial amounts than typically allowed before a check clears.
Now the bank is suing four customers who allegedly owe the bank nearly $662,000, according to four lawsuits JPMorgan Chase Bank, Chase’s parent company, filed Monday in three federal courts.
One case in Houston involves a “masked man” who allegedly deposited a $335,000 check to a defendant’s account. Chase says the defendant owes it $291,000 – the most across all four of the cases – the bank said Monday in a Texas filing.
In all four cases, Chase said it reached out to the defendants demanding they “pay the amount of any overdraft along with any fees that apply.” However, the defendants have so far failed to do so, which the bank claims is a violation of the deposit agreement customers have to sign when they open an account.
Now, in addition to returning the funds they allegedly accessed illegally, Chase is demanding the defendants cover the bank’s legal fees and other expenses related to the cases.
JPMorgan also filed lawsuits in Florida and California federal courts.
“Fraud is a crime that impacts everyone and undermines trust in the banking system,” Drew Pusateri, a Chase spokesperson, said in an emailed statement to CNN. “We’re pursuing these cases and actively cooperating with law enforcement to make sure if someone is committing fraud against Chase and its customers, they’re held accountable.”
Pusateri added that the bank is “open to pursuing other individuals or entities we believe engaged in bank fraud.”
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A surge of moisture is on the way to Houston, and this will bring us our best rain chances in over 5 weeks! In fact, the last time we had measurable rain at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport was on September 24th.
Get ready for a very mild morning with temperatures Tuesday starting off in the low 70s, well above the average low of 56 degrees. Why will it be so warm? That’s because a strong Gulf breeze will blow in bringing back low clouds and plenty of Gulf moisture along with them. Despite the warm start to the day, temperatures will only warm about 15 degrees to make it back into the upper 80s. Isolated heavy rain showers are possible as the Gulf moisture increases throughout the day, but the rain chance will climb even more for Wednesday and Thursday.
How how do rain chances go this week, and how much rain could we get?
Rain chances look to peak at 70% on Halloween, with a secondary peak of 60% odds on Saturday. We recommend carrying an umbrella around as soon as Wednesday with the chance of heavy showers climbing to 40%. As for how much rain could fall, we expect totals of 1-2″ to be fairly common through the weekend.
What kind of weather can we expect for trick or a treat time on Halloween?
It will almost certainly be a humid Trick-or-Treat time this Halloween, but there is a fair chance the rain will occur earlier in the day and come to an end for most by Trick-or-Treat time. We still need another day to nail down the timing of the rain, but at a minimum prepare for the ground to be wet even if the sky is dry at that time. Temperatures will likely be rain-cooled in the 70s.
What are you tracking in the tropics?
There is now a region in the southwestern Caribbean that has 40% development odds over the next 7 days. While we’ll be keeping a close eye on this region for any storms, the general pattern over Texas and the Gulf should steer any potential storms away from us over the next two weeks. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for a complete look at what we’re covering in the tropics.
HOUSTON – As a nationwide shortage of firefighters continues, the Houston Fire Department (HFD) is taking action to fill gaps in its ranks. Chief Thomas Munoz has highlighted HFD’s robust recruitment efforts, which include outreach to colleges and partnerships with high schools, to attract new talent.
“Recruiting has become very aggressive,” Munoz explained, describing the department’s efforts to engage individuals who feel a calling to serve.
HFD, which handles an average of 1,200 emergency calls daily—85% of which are EMS-related and 15% fire-related—is looking to onboard dedicated individuals ready to respond to emergencies where every second counts.
Among the new recruits is Morgan Holman, a 31-year-old cadet who will graduate from the academy in April 2025. Driven by her sense of purpose, Holman expressed her goal of not only becoming a firefighter but also serving as an instructor in a predominantly male field. Currently, women make up only 2% of HFD’s membership, below the national average of 3.5%.
Another cadet, Hunter Reed, represents a legacy within HFD. As a third-generation firefighter, Reed follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who contributed significantly to the department’s history.
Recruitment is a top priority for HFD, with the department facing a shortfall of approximately 600 firefighters. Initiatives include rehiring firefighters who left in recent years, a step Assistant Chief of Professional Development Mike Brown says has already drawn interest. Brown added that staffing and a paramedic shortage are among HFD’s biggest challenges.
With over a thousand HFD members eligible to retire, the department aims to expand its workforce to around 4,500. HFD, currently the third largest fire department in the United States, continues to update facilities and equipment, recently putting several new apparatuses in service and remodeling two stations.
For those interested in joining HFD, opportunities for advancement are available, with up to six academy classes held each year.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Authorities in Houston announced charges against five people allegedly involved in a million-dollar teacher certification cheating scandal on Monday.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and prosecutors spoke during a 2 p.m. press conference detailing the alleged cheating scandal that they say led to illegally certified teachers working in area school districts.
The DA’s office provided the following names of the people believed to have been part of the operation:
Vincent Grayson, 57, the head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD, is accused of organizing the cheating scheme.
Tywana Gilford Mason, 51, the former director/VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center, was a test proctor, which official said allowed her to keep the proxy scheme undetected.
Nicholas Newton, 35, an assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School, allegedly participated in the scheme as the proxy test-taker.
Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22, a proctor at TACTIX, is alleged to have taken bribes to allow Newton to act as a testing proxy.
LaShonda Roberts, 39, an assistant principal at Yates High School in HISD, is accused of recruiting nearly 100 teachers to participate in the cheating scheme.
According to officials, they all face two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity.
Investigators said they suspect as many as 400 tests were taken, and at least 200 teachers were falsely certified.
“This scheme goes back as far as our investigation can take it – to May 2020,” Ogg said during Monday’s press conference. “We know that the co-defendants collectively profited in the amount of at least $1 million.”
Ogg said among the several hundred people who were illegally certified, two of them were child sexual predators, adding that it was through this false certification that allowed them to commit the crimes.
“It’s very troubling,” Mike Levine, a felony chief in the DA Office’s Public Corruption Division, said. “Because teachers – especially teachers and coaches who help influence children’s behavior – we count on them for their moral compass. A part of what they do goes beyond their mastery of their subject matter.”
The DA’s office urges anyone with information about these certifications to contact local police or Crime Stoppers.
