FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Was Fort Bend County Judge KP George trying to wipe his cell phone before investigators seized it? Additional details emerging from a warrant last week suggest the county’s top elected official may have attempted to erase evidence implicating him in an alleged fake racism scheme.
On Thursday, a grand jury indicted George on a misdemeanor count of misrepresentation of the identity of a candidate.
The indictment alleges that on Sept. 26, 2022, he posed as a Facebook user named “Antonio Scalywag” in a campaign communication posted on his Facebook page “with intent to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election.”
At the time, George, a Democrat, was running for re-election as county judge against Trever Nehls, the twin brother of Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls.
In the warrant, investigators wrote that they arrived at George’s home on Sept. 17 to seize a Samsung device from the county judge, who investigators told him to relinquish his hold on the phone.
The document states that a Texas Ranger at the scene observed George manipulating the device, which a special Texas DPS agent found had more than 15 unsuccessful passcode attempts. According to the warrant, the DPS agent explains that Samsung devices have a security setting enabling a factory reset after 20 unsuccessful passcode attempts.
A grand jury also indicted Patel earlier this month on four charges of online impersonation and four charges of misinterpretation of identity. Authorities allege Patel also used the “Antonio Scalywag” alias to make racist posts to help him in his race for county commissioner.
Even though there’s no indication that any evidence was successfully destroyed, attorney Michael Wynne said any attempt to do so is still criminal.
“He’s still clearly trying to do it and in front of the agents. This should be a slam dunk,” Wynne said after reviewing the search warrant. “Rarely is it this blatant and this stupid.”
George has not been charged with obstruction or tampering with evidence. Eyewitness News asked the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office whether additional charges were possible, but they declined to comment.
Wynne suspects a new indictment will be handed down at some point.
“I don’t know if it’s become a grand jury investigation yet or not. Likely, so you’ve just handed them a felony,” he said.
Friday’s revelation conflicts with a statement George released last week when he was first publicly implicated in the racist posts scandal.
“I have fully complied with the search warrant executed, during which my cellular devices and computer were seized,” the statement read.
Eyewitness News emailed George’s office to ask if he stood by that statement and what he had to say about the suggestion that he tried to factory reset his phone. His office never responded.
In his most recent statement released Thursday, George expressed disappointment that charges were filed against him but said he was confident that “when all the facts are presented, justice will prevail.”
“In this country, you are innocent until proven guilty, and I fully intend to prove my innocence in court,” he continued.
The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office said it expanded its investigation of Patel to include George and the county judge was indicted “as a party to the offense for which Taral Patel was indicted.”
Frank Yeverino, an attorney for Patel, did not immediately reply to a call seeking comment.
At least one Fort Bend County commissioner, Vincent Morales, called for George to resign following his indictment. He was joined by a plethora of other elected officials from around Fort Bend County.
“I have no intention of stepping down,” George said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. For news updates, follow Luke Jones on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Travis d’Arnaud hit the biggest home run of the season for the Atlanta Braves. Fans of the New York Mets are in a state of panic. Paul Skenes delivered two more scoreless innings to cap off his stunning rookie season with a 1.96 ERA. Saturday is in the books. We have one full day of the regular season left — plus the Braves-Mets doubleheader Monday.
Here’s what to watch, starting with the National League wild-card race, where the Braves now have a one-game lead over the Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks as the three teams battle for two spots.
The Brewers shut out the Mets 6-0 on Saturday, handing the Mets their first three-game losing streak since Aug. 11. When the Braves beat the Royals 2-1 later, it dropped the Mets behind the Braves in the standings for the first time since Sept. 4.
The Mets will start David Peterson on Sunday. The lefty has allowed five runs in two of his past three starts, although he has generally been effective since July, with a 2.90 ERA over his past 15 starts. The Brewers are locked into the third seed and will certainly rest all their top relievers as they get ready for Tuesday’s wild-card series. Colin Rea gets the start for Milwaukee, but expect a heavy bullpen game with the secondary relievers getting the action.
The Mets used their top three starters in this series: Sean Manaea on Friday, Jose Quintana on Saturday and now Peterson. That means Luis Severino and Tylor Megillare the likely starters for Monday’s doubleheader. The Braves do have a righty-heavy lineup and have an OPS nearly 70 points higher against lefties, so at least the Mets will have their two right-handed starters going Monday.
The Braves beat the Royals on d’Arnaud’s walk-off home run. Reynaldo Lopezreturned from the injured list to make his first start for Atlanta since Sept. 10 and allowed just two hits and one run in six innings. The 2024 All-Star finishes the season with a 2.00 ERA in 25 starts (although he didn’t pitch enough innings to qualify for the ERA title).
The Braves’ gamble to hold off on starting probable Cy Young winner Chris Sale until absolutely needed has paid off. Sale could have started Friday, but the Braves have said they were going to hold him back until facing potential elimination. With a one-game lead in the wild-card race, the earliest that now could come would be the second game of the doubleheader against the Mets. The best-case scenario, of course, is that they clinch before using Sale and having him ready for Game 1 of the wild-card series.
As of Saturday night, manager Brian Snitker said the team hadn’t decided on a Sunday starter. Charlie Morton would be the starter with the most rest, but the Braves might want to save him for the Mets. That could leave Grant Holmes to face a slumping Kansas City offense.
Remember as well: The Braves lead the season series 6-5 over the Mets, meaning the tiebreaker between the two teams is still up for grabs.
The Padres blanked the Diamondbacks 5-0 on Saturday — the second shutout in four games for the high-powered Arizona attack and their fifth loss in six games as a wild-card spot that looked pretty safe a week ago is suddenly in jeopardy. Indeed, the key to remember here is the Diamondbacks lose the tiebreaker to both the Mets and Braves.
Sunday now feels like a must-win for Arizona. If they lose again, one win by the Mets on Sunday or in Monday’s doubleheader would eliminate the Diamondbacks.
With Zac Gallen in line to start the wild-card opener after pitching Wednesday, Brandon Pfaadt will start Sunday against Martin Perez. Pfaadt has been all over the place lately, getting knocked out in the third inning of his last start and in the second inning two starts ago, but sandwiched around a 12-strikeout game.
All of the NL wild-card scenarios
So what does it all mean for Sunday (and Monday)? ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passantweeted out all of the scenarios heading into Sunday’s games:
Outcome: Braves are in and at least one game is necessary Monday. If the Mets win the first game, they are in — and would be tied with Atlanta in record and head-to-head. The likelihood is they would not play the second game, as it would be for seeding purposes only. If the Mets lose Game 1 and win Game 2, they are in. If not, the Diamondbacks are in.
Outcome: Braves are in and at least one game is necessary Monday. If the Mets win both doubleheader games, they are in. If the Mets lose either game, Diamondbacks are in.
Outcome: Braves are in and at least one game is necessary Monday. If the Mets win either game, they are in. If they lose both, the Diamondbacks are in.
Outcome: Both games will be played Monday. The winner of Game 1 is in. If the loser of Game 1 wins Game 2, it is in as well. If a team is swept, it is out and the Diamondbacks are in.
Outcome: Diamondbacks are in and at least one game is necessary Monday. If the Braves win either game, they are in. If the Mets win both doubleheader games, they are in and would face San Diego.
Outcome: Braves are in and at least one game is necessary Monday. If the Mets win either game, they are in. If they lose both, the Diamondbacks are in.
American League wild card
Lots of this was settled Friday night: First, before a boisterous crowd of 44,435 fans at Comerica Park, the Tigers beat the White Sox 4-1 to win their sixth straight game and clinch their first playoff spot since 2014. They had been tied with the Angels for the longest active playoff drought in the majors.
The Royals backed into their first postseason since 2015 when the Twins lost.
The Orioles clinched the fourth seed in beating Minnesota. The Tigers are one game up on the Royals for the fifth seed, but the Royals hold the tiebreaker in case they finish with the same record. The fifth seed will play at Baltimore while the sixth seed will play at Houston in the wild-card series (the higher seed gets all home games). The good news for both the Tigers and Royals is they can save Tarik Skubaland Cole Ragans for the first games of the wild-card series, rather than having to start them Sunday.
Battles for the best record and top seed
The Dodgers clinched both the top seed in the NL and the top seed overall (the fourth time in eight seasons the Dodgers finished with MLB’s best record). That leaves the Phillies as the No. 2 seed in the NL.
Despite a 9-4 loss to the Pirates as Luis Gil served up four home runs, the Yankees clinched the top seed in the AL when the Guardians lost, making Cleveland the No. 2 seed.
The No. 5 and No. 6 seeds in both leagues remain unsettled. The Tigers have a one-game lead over the Royals in the AL, but the Royals hold the tiebreaker if they finish with the same record.
The man is not slowing down. You thought we were done with Ohtani milestones after he cleared 50/50? No way. He went 2-for-5 with his 58th stolen base in Saturday’s blowout win over Colorado — his 35th consecutive stolen base without getting caught. Going back to his 6-for-6 game, he’s an incredible 26-for-39, a .667 average.
What can he do if he plays Sunday? He’s at 99 extra-base hits; the last players to reach 100 did it in 2001. And the Triple Crown is in play. Ohtani raised his average to .310. League leader Luis Arraez didn’t play Saturday, so remains at .314. It will be interesting to see if Arraez sits again on his .314 average and forces Ohtani to have a big day to catch him.
If Ohtani goes 4-for-5, he would be hitting .31397. Arraez is currently at .31388.
Other statistical races at play
Can Aaron Judge get to 60 home runs? Judge was back in the lineup Saturday after a day off, but went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts. That dropped his slugging percentage to .701 as he tries to become the first player to slug .700 since Barry Bonds in 2004. The last player to do so outside of the 1994 to 2004 window was Ted Williams in 1957.
Ohtani already passed 400 total bases, the first time that was done since 2001. Judge is at 392 so would likely need a two-homer finale to get there.
Bobby Witt Jr. now looks like a lock for the AL batting title. He has held the lead all summer, and when he peaked with a .352 average on Aug. 16, he held a comfortable 19-point lead over Judge (and 33 points over Vladimir Guerrero Jr.). After sitting Saturday, Witt remained at .332, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0-for-4 to fall to .324 while Judge dropped to .322 (which also eliminates his chance of a Triple Crown).
Jose Ramirez hit his 39th home run Saturday, so needs one more to join the exclusive 40/40 club, which has just six members: Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr. (2023), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Barry Bonds (1996) and Jose Canseco (1998).
Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals has 49 saves; 50 saves has been achieved 17 times, the last by Edwin Diaz in 2018.
Saying goodbye
Joey Votto, who didn’t play in the majors this season after signing a minor league contract with the Blue Jays, announced his retirement a few weeks ago, and his next stop will eventually be receiving a Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown. Two longtime outfielders have also officially announced their retirements at the end of the season:
Los Angeles Dodgers CF Kevin Kiermaier: It’s not clear whether Kiermaier will make the Dodgers’ playoff roster as a backup outfielder (he has hit .164 with the Dodgers and has started just two games in September), so this could be it for one of the best defensive center fielders of all time. Yes, all time. Kiermaier has won four Gold Gloves, displaying incredible lateral range during his heyday with the Tampa Bay Rays. His 38 defensive runs saved in 2015 is the best single-season total for a center fielder since DRS began in 2003, and his career total of 173 is the most for any outfielder since 2003 (and third most at any position, behind only Andrelton Simmons and Adrian Beltre). Kiermaier’s defensive excellence is reflected in his career WAR of 36.1. Not bad for a 31st-round pick from Parkland Community College.
Colorado Rockies DH/OF Charlie Blackmon: Blackmon has spent his entire 14-year career with the Rockies. It took him a while to get situated in the big leagues — his first full season didn’t come until he was 27 years old — but he went on to become a four-time All-Star and finished fifth in the 2017 NL MVP voting after leading the league in batting average (.331), hits (213) and runs (137). His power declined after that 2016 to 2019 peak, but he’s one of the most popular players in Rockies history and will finish with more than 1,800 hits in the majors.
There might be a few other veterans playing their final games who just haven’t yet announced their retirements. Matt Carpenter comes to mind here. Kyle Hendricks wants to pitch in 2025, but he heads into free agency, and his start Saturday at Wrigley Field will likely be his final one after 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Let’s hope Andrew McCutchenreturns to the Pittsburgh Pirates for another season after he put up solid numbers in 2024. If these guys don’t return — thanks for the memorable careers.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Relief and rescue efforts are underway to help the victims of Hurricane Helene as millions in the southeast are without power.
Many families are getting a helping hand from volunteers here in the Houston area.
Hurricane Helene has ravaged several states in the southeast. Many homes are demolished along with buildings submerged in water.
More than 50 people are dead and millions have been left in the dark.
Now, the American Red Cross’ Texas Gulf Coast Region is stepping into help pick up the pieces by sending 20 people to help with disaster relief efforts.
Nine of them are from Houston’s metro area.
“When we have a hurricane, people come from Florida. The Carolinas help us with recovery efforts. And just like that, we want to be able to go lend a helping hand. Our knowledge and our experience to those families as they are going through that recovery process,” American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Regional Disaster Officer Jack Peters said.
Those volunteers have been sent to Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida to help. The first person was deployed this past Monday.
“They are supporting and sheltering in feeding missions, helping with logistics, supplies, caseworks, and helping the needs of those families that have been impacted,” Peters said.
They’re also expected to stay in the region for a minimum of two weeks but often stay longer depending on what the need is. At this point, the Red Cross is still recruiting volunteers for Helene and any possible disaster that could come later.
“Hurricane season is not over. We still have hurricanes that potentially could be coming our way and other areas of the country,” Peters said.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
The capsule rocketed toward orbit to fetch the test pilots whose Boeing spacecraft returned to Earth empty earlier this month because of safety concerns. The switch in rides left it to NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Since NASA rotates space station crews approximately every six months, this newly launched flight with two empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams won’t return until late February. Officials said there wasn’t a way to bring them back earlier on SpaceX without interrupting other scheduled missions.
By the time they return, the pair will have logged more than eight months in space. They expected to be gone just a week when they signed up for Boeing’s first astronaut flight that launched in June.
NASA ultimately decided that Boeing’s Starliner was too risky after a cascade of thruster troubles and helium leaks marred its trip to the orbiting complex. The space agency cut two astronauts from this SpaceX launch to make room on the return leg for Wilmore and Williams.
Williams has since been promoted to commander of the space station, which will soon be back to its normal population of seven. Once Hague and Gorbunov arrive this weekend, four astronauts living there since March can leave in their own SpaceX capsule. Their homecoming was delayed a month by Starliner’s turmoil.
Hague noted before the flight that change is the one constant in human spaceflight.
“There’s always something that is changing. Maybe this time it’s been a little more visible to the public,” he said.
Hague was thrust into the commander’s job for the rescue mission based on his experience and handling of a launch emergency six years ago. The Russian rocket failed shortly after liftoff, and the capsule carrying him and a cosmonaut catapulted off the top to safety.
Rookie NASA astronaut Zena Cardman and veteran space flier Stephanie Wilson were pulled from this flight after NASA opted to go with SpaceX to bring the stuck astronauts home. The space agency said both would be eligible to fly on future missions. Gorbunov remained under an exchange agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Agency.
“I don’t know exactly when my launch to space will be, but I know that I will get there,” Cardman said from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where she took part in the launch livestream.
Hague acknowledged the challenges of launching with half a crew and returning with two astronauts trained on another spacecraft.
“We’ve got a dynamic challenge ahead of us,” Hague said after arriving from Houston last weekend. “We know each other and we’re professionals and we step up and do what’s asked of us.”
SpaceX has long been the leader in NASA’s commercial crew program, established as the space shuttles were retiring more than a decade ago. SpaceX beat Boeing in delivering astronauts to the space station in 2020 and it’s now up to 10 crew flights for NASA.
Boeing has struggled with a variety of issues over the years, repeating a Starliner test flight with no one on board after the first one veered off course. The Starliner that left Wilmore and Williams in space landed without any issues in the New Mexico desert on Sept. 6, and has since returned to Kennedy Space Center. A week ago, Boeing’s defense and space chief was replaced.
Delayed by Hurricane Helene pounding Florida, the latest SpaceX liftoff marked the first for astronauts from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX took over the old Titan rocket pad nearly two decades ago and used it for satellite launches, while flying crews from Kennedy’s former Apollo and shuttle pad next door. The company wanted more flexibility as more Falcon rockets soared.
TEXAS CITY, Texas (KTRK) — Former Texas City Commissioner Dee Ann Haney made her first court appearance overnight after her latest arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated, according to court records.
Haney, 61, was held in jail without bond since Friday, where prosecutors have vehemently stated that they plan to keep her there.
During the hearing, Haney told the judge that she didn’t have “financial means” and relied on her parents. She also said she is unsure if she could hire an attorney.
The ex-official also had trouble signing documents, saying she didn’t have glasses or contacts. Haney then told the court that she was on anti-seizure medication and was on a C-PAP machine and inquired if she would have access to those while in jail.
The Texas City Police Department said Haney was arrested early Friday morning in the 1700 block of Bay Street North. Police said Haney told them she was following a reckless driver before three people allegedly attacked her after stopping at a park.
A witness reported seeing Haney rolling down the street and screaming before getting into her truck and driving off.
The witness did not report seeing anybody else with her during the incident.
Haney then told officers that she had taken medication, drank beer, and had a shot of alcohol. She was detained shortly after failing a field sobriety test.
Haney found herself in this position seven months into her court-ordered probation after being found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in 2017. Haney was sentenced to 10 years of probation for a crash that killed a father and son on the Galveston Causeway.
Haney was denied bond for the charge of probation violation for criminally negligent homicide. For the new charge of DWI, her bond was set at $100,000.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — It’s not unusual to find Delta-8 products inside smoke shops in the State of Texas these days. They’re pretty common in gas stations too.
You might be surprised to learn that the Texas Department of State Health (DSHS) Services attempted to ban Delta-8 in 2021.
The ban didn’t go into effect due to legal opposition, but it’s made its way to the Texas Supreme Court.
That court will decide whether or not DSHS has the right to enact such a ban.
Chris Tomlinson has covered the issue with ABC13’s partners at the Houston Chronicle.
“The Texas Supreme Court does not follow any particular schedule,” Tomlinson said about when a decision could be reached. “But we should expect one in the next few months.”
Tomlinson said Delta-based products such as gummies and oils would be banned if DSHS is allowed to follow through with their original plan.
“Basically anything you ingest through your mouth or nose that makes you feel any kind of pleasant sensation would be illegal,” Tomilson said.
Tomlinson said that does not include CBD-based products.
Hemp-derived cannabis products, which include Delta-8, have an annual economic impact of $8 billion in Texas according to research from the Texas Hemp Business Council.
A smoke shop employee who spoke to ABC13 said many shops like his would close if this plan from DSHS came to fruition.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — It finally feels more like fall in Southeast Texas!
With the low humidity and dry air in place, temperatures Friday morning dropped in the low to mid 60s!
Sunshine and the abundance of dry air will make for a “dry heat” in the afternoon with highs just clearing 90 degrees. All things considered, it will still feel pretty nice with that northwest wind and low humidity.
How long will the dry air stick around?
This lovely dry air should hang around for the rest of September. We’ll still have highs in the low-to-mid 90s, but the mornings will be refreshing with crisp lows in the mid 60s. Late next week, humidity levels are expected to sharply rise as tropical moisture rolls back in to bring back chances for rain.
What are you tracking in the tropics?
We are tracking tropical storm Helene as it brings flooding rains and damaging winds to parts of Georgia and Carolinas. We are also watching a low risk development area in the Caribbean. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for the latest on what’s happening in the tropics.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Residents in areas surrounding Houston have sounded the bell about an unpleasant smell and funny taste in their water, but officials say it’s still safe to drink.
On Thursday, the City of Deer Park posted on platform X that they were aware of the complaint and that crews were beginning to flush the system to get rid of the odor and correct the taste.
Deer Park officials said they purchase their untreated water from the city of Houston and tested their water once the detection of the minerals, geosmin and MIB, was found.
Houston Public Works notified the public that routine testing at one of the city’s main water plants revealed the naturally occurring compounds that can cause a “musty or earthy” taste and color.
Officials said the two minerals are harmless, and the water remains safe to drink.
Houston Public Works said that those experiencing it should follow these steps to improve the taste of the water:
Chill the water or add ice
Add a slice of lemon or lemon juice
Use a carbon filter, such as a Brita
There are no orders for residents to boil water at this time.
ATLANTA — Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 43 people in four states, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said dozens of people were still trapped in buildings damaged by the Category 4 hurricane. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) when it made landfall late Thursday in a sparsely populated region in Florida’s rural Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where Florida’s Panhandle and peninsula meet.
But the damage extended hundreds of miles to the north, with flooding as far away as North Carolina, where a lake used in the movie “Dirty Dancing” overtopped a dam. Multiple hospitals in southern Georgia were without power, and one in Tennessee was closed.
Authorities were “having a hard time getting to places” so teams with chainsaws were “working to free up roads,” Kemp told a news conference.
Helene’s devastation comes as climate change exacerbates conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful hurricanes and typhoons, sometimes in a matter of hours.
“Thank God we’re both alive to tell about it,” Rhonda Bell said after a towering oak tree smashed through the roof of her home in Valdosta, Georgia.
A patron looks at the flooding from Hurricane Helene in the Paces neighborhood, Friday, Sept 27, 2024, in Atlanta.AP Photo/Jason Allen
All five who died in one Florida county were in neighborhoods where residents had been told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St. Petersburg area. He said people who stayed because they didn’t believe the warnings wound up hiding in their attics to escape the rising water.
“We tried to launch boats, we tried to use high-water vehicles and we just met with too many obstacles,” Gualtieri said. He said the death toll could rise as emergency crews go door-to-door in the flooded areas.
Deaths also were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas.
Video on social media sites showed sheets of rain coming down and siding coming off buildings in Perry, Florida, near where the storm arrived. One news station showed a home that was overturned, and many communities established curfews.
“It’s really heartbreaking,” said Stephen Tucker, after the hurricane peeled off the brand-new roof of a church in Perry that had to be replaced after last year’s Hurricane Idalia.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appeared to be greater than the combined damage of Idalia and Hurricane Debby in August. “It’s demoralizing,” he said.
President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors as the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency has deployed more than 1,500 workers, and they helped with 400 rescues by late morning.
In Tampa, some areas could be reached only by boat. Officials elsewhere warned that the water could contain live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.
“If you are trapped and need help please call for rescuers – DO NOT TRY TO TREAD FLOODWATERS YOURSELF,” the sheriff’s office in Citrus County, Florida, warned in a Facebook post.
More than 4 million homes and businesses were without power Friday morning in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.
The hurricane came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River on Florida’s Gulf Coast. That location was only about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of where Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity, causing widespread damage.
Cities as far inland as Atlanta were drenched, with just car roofs poking out of the water in some neighborhoods.
As the hurricane’s eye passed near Valdosta, Georgia, a city of 55,000 near the Florida line, dozens of people huddled early Friday in a darkened hotel lobby. “We heard some rumbling,” said Fermin Herrera, 20, cradling his sleeping 2-month-old daughter in his arms.
Helene is the third storm to strike the city in just over a year. Tropical Storm Debby blacked out power to thousands in August, while Hurricane Idalia damaged an estimated 1,000 homes in Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County a year ago. Now some downtown storefront windows were shattered and store awnings mangled.
Soon after it crossed over land, Helene weakened to a tropical storm, with its maximum sustained winds falling to 70 mph (110 kph). At 11 a.m. Friday, the storm was about 105 miles (165 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta, moving north at 32 mph (52 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.
Forecasters expected the system to continue weakening as it moves into Tennessee and Kentucky and drops heavy rain over the Appalachian Mountains, with the risk of mudslides and flash flooding.
Even before landfall, the storm’s wrath was felt widely, with sustained tropical storm-force winds and hurricane-force gusts along Florida’s west coast. Officials begged residents to evacuate.
“Please write your name, birthday, and important information on your arm or leg in a PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified,” the sheriff’s office in mostly rural Taylor County, Florida, warned those who chose not to evacuate in a Facebook post. The dire advice was similar to what other officials have dolled out during past hurricanes.
In North Carolina, forecasters warned of flooding that could be worse than anything seen in the past century. Evacuations were underway in several areas of the state Friday, and around 300 roads were closed. The Connecticut Army National Guard sent a helicopter to help.
“It’s terrible. I don’t know if I will ever see anything like this again,” said Spencer Tate Andrews, of Asheville, North Carolina.
School districts and multiple universities canceled classes. Airports in Florida that closed were to reopen Friday, and inspectors were out examining bridges and causeways along the Gulf Coast to get them back open to traffic quickly, the state’s transportation secretary said.
A day before hitting the U.S., Helene swamped parts of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, flooding streets and toppling trees as it brushed the resort city of Cancun and passed offshore. In western Cuba, Helene knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses as it brushed past the island.
Helene was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.
Payne reported from Tallahassee, Florida, and Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press journalists Seth Borenstein in New York; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Russ Bynum in Valdosta, Georgia; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Andrea Rodríguez in Havana; Mark Stevenson and María Verza in Mexico City; and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.
Esmeralda Obispo, is a Latina influencer taking over the food scene one “antojo” (craving) at a time. Credit: Edward Saenz
By Indira Zaldivar & Edward Saenz
Since leaving behind the corporate world, food enthusiast Esmeralda Obispo has built a full-time career for herself, reaching tens of thousands of viewers with crave-triggering videos about food spots in Houston and Pasadena. Her mouth-watering content is shared under her notable social media account,“antojoshouston.”
Transition from Corporate Worker to Independent Influencer.
From working in corporate roles including as a business developer for a social media management company, Esmeralda has found career fulfillment by fully transitioning into her role as a successful food influencer.
“I was used to gray and cold…sitting behind a computer for eight hours a day,” Obispo told Que Onda Magazine in an exclusive interview.
“The most interesting thing that would happen was wondering what was for lunch today.”
“Now, I get to meet so many wonderful people through what I do.”
She now finds herself visiting new places, attending events, learning more, and “feeling a lot more connected with everyone in Houston.”
Filling in Cultural Gaps, One Video at a Time
With more than 110,000 followers on Instagram and more than 60,000 on TikTok, this Latina food influencer in her 20s living in Pasadena, Texas fulfills a more meaningful purpose: addressing the lack of content that represents her Hispanic culture.
“At some point, influencers only looked and sounded a certain way,” Obispo said. “Every single post that I saw was representing some other culture that wasn’t Hispanic or Latino. It was mostly everything else but Hispanic.”
“All of the audio was the same,” she said while explaining the cultural gap in content.
“I want someone that sounds like me, I want the music that I listen to. I want someone to take a picture of some really good tacos with some ‘corrido’ in the background.”
Her Mexican heritage, rooted from her parents, is heard loudly through her videos which are narrated in her native Spanish, English, or sometimes “Spanglish.” The Latino music she plays as audio on her reels resonates with those who appreciate Latino musicians beyond trends.
While she showcases Hispanic food insightfully, Esmeralda has also caught the attention of restaurateurs from different backgrounds who want to connect with her and showcase their cuisines from around the world through her powerful platforms.
Overcoming challenges
However, her success story is not without challenges.
“Once I started creating, going to those events, and running into those circles where other influencers were, it was very difficult for me to be accepted,” she shared.
“It was very difficult for them to take me seriously or see me as a serious influencer because I didn’t sound like them, because I didn’t produce the same type of content as them.”
She credits her family—parents, husband, sister, and brother—for encouraging her to grow from the process and move past the negative feedback.
As someone who’s championed through cultural barriers, Esmeralda is thrilled to see so many other Spanish-speaking influencers take over the food scene and influencers from diverse backgrounds branching out into Hispanic food scenes.
To anyone aspiring to follow in her footsteps as a food influencer, she advises to “just get it done.”
“Just go out there and actually get it done because it’s the only way that it will get done.”
“You won’t stop being embarrassed about taking content in front of people unless you practice it. You won’t get better at creating that content unless you practice it. If your fear is that you’re only going to get a couple of views or that it’s not going to give you the results that you want, I’d like to remind them that there is an audience for everything.”
Inspiration Behind Her platform
Esmeralda’s Mexican immigrant parents are also the inspiration behind her successful platforms. From appreciating the culinary knowledge from her chef father who studied in Mexico City, to understanding the importance of food and customer service learned from her mother, who worked as a waitress, Esmeralda has valued the function of food in both the household and beyond from a young age.
The Work Behind the Screen
In roughly 30 seconds, her videos, filled with dynamic shots and mouth-watering visuals can trigger cravings in anyone watching through a phone screen.
That captivating engagement per post is a product of multi-hour work behind the scenes. For this food star, capturing the content is the easiest part and the voiceover is the most fun and time-consuming part of the post-production process.
Although she confessed that this niche started out of boredom, her thoughtful selection of restaurants is now a key, yet evolving, part of the process.
“At the beginning I was bored,” she said. “My sister and I would get in the car and just drive. Whatever we encountered, that’s where we would go in, and I would make a video.”
Later she tried research, which proved to be less helpful due to information overload. Now, she mainly selects restaurants from “DMs” in her inbox.
The Person Behind the Screen Star
Beyond the glamour from her life as a food enthusiast, Esmeralda enjoys being a mother to her beautiful daughter, spending time with her supportive husband and family, and engaging in casual leisure activities such as movies, books, and crossword puzzles.
“Family, antojoshouston and then me,” she said about the order of her priorities.
For anyone interested in connecting with Esmeralda’s antojoshouston, she re-assures that it’s not a long process.
Simply message her directly on Instagram or TikTok, or send an email to start a conversation.
