Tony Cammarota, an associate pastor at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, was terminated on Sunday following his confession of a moral failure to church leadership. According to a letter addressed to members, the church stated that while Cammarota expressed deep remorse, his actions disqualify him from continuing in his role as a pastor on their staff. The letter, obtained by Southlake blogger Amy Smith, urged members to refrain from unnecessary speculation and discussion about the matter, cautioning against allowing such conversations to potentially harm the church further. The nature of Cammarota’s moral failure was not disclosed in the letter, and…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
Under a canopy of pink balloons, a gathering convened outside the Tree of Life Funeral Home in Fort Worth on Friday evening. Chardae Mills, attempting to address the assembled crowd in remembrance of her daughters, 4-year-old Ivy Pierce and 15-month-old Wynter Thouston, was overcome with tears. “My home is so quiet now,” Mills managed to express, struggling to articulate the profound loss she has endured. On the Fourth of July, the family had gone to the Crystal Clean Car Wash on Cleburne Road to enjoy fireworks when a confrontation erupted into gunfire, tragically claiming the lives of both girls and…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — If Hurricane Beryl has affected your income, you might be eligible for disaster unemployment benefits. Hurricane Beryl made the start of the work week challenging as the Category 1 storm hit early Monday morning. The storm caused flooding, power outages, and structural damage, preventing many from working. Before receiving disaster unemployment benefits, individuals need to report their impact to the state. Juliet Stipeche, Executive Director of Workforce Solutions, emphasized the need for at least 800 households in the affected area to report damage. A dedicated website has been set up for impacted individuals to fill out…
HOUSTON, Texas — Federal aid is now available to residents and business owners affected by Hurricane Beryl in 15 Texas counties. In a news release, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that individual assistance was added to Texas’ federal disaster declaration after officials assessed storm-damaged homes. Patrick is serving as governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is on a pre-planned trip to Asia. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved aid on July 12 for affected individuals in Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker, and Wharton counties. FEMA’s individual disaster assistance program may…
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office reports at least three heat-related deaths as hundreds of thousands remain without power for the fifth consecutive day. One victim, a 76-year-old man, died of hyperthermia inside his home near Pasadena High School on Wednesday. Another, a 50-year-old woman, succumbed to hyperthermia due to environmental heat exposure following power loss from Hurricane Beryl. The third victim, a 78-year-old man, also died of hyperthermia after losing power in his home during the storm. In total, there have been at least 12 confirmed deaths in the Houston area related to Hurricane…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As Hurricane Beryl downed power lines across southwest Texas, some utility poles remained standing, thanks to their advanced design. Edgar Castro, plant director at Resilient Structures, noted that the company’s composite poles, previously sold to CenterPoint, withstood the storm’s impact. These poles, made from woven fiberglass, are hollow, allowing equipment and wires to be stored inside, protected from the elements. “We don’t know what kind of hurricanes or storms we will get in the future, but up to now, they have withstood all the recent hurricane activity and inclement weather that Houston has seen,” Castro said.…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Sharan Gahunia, her sister Kiran, and their mother Resham have been without power for five days. Kiran has cerebral palsy, and Resham is battling cancer. “God help us not get more storms,” Resham said. Their restaurant, Raja Sweets in southwest Houston, has also been without power for five days, forcing Sharan to throw away all the food inside. “You can handle a day of losing power,” Sharan said. “You can’t handle five days of losing power in this type of temperature.” Just before their interview, the electricity came back on, but so did the rain. “I’ve…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The days following a major storm are always busy for roofers in the Houston area. Carlos Elizondo II, president of Sugar Land Premier Roofing, is feeling the pressure following Hurricane Beryl’s arrival on Monday. “I’ve probably been going to sleep around 1 a.m. and waking up at 5 a.m.,” Elizondo said. With nearly a decade of experience in the roofing business and two decades for his father, who co-runs the company, Elizondo emphasizes the importance of using local and trusted contractors. “Storm chasing is a big thing here,” he explained. “You’re going to have people coming…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — For those with chronic illnesses or elderly family members who rely on electricity for medical needs, the state of Texas offers a form that can be submitted to electricity providers. This form, signed and approved by a physician, is intended to prioritize households with critical medical conditions during power outages. This is what 100-year-old Abe Schnitzer was counting on when Hurricane Beryl struck on Monday morning. Schnitzer, a World War II veteran, has lived with his 74-year-old daughter in Meyerland for over 30 years. Every year, Dinah Schnitzer ensures that the necessary forms are properly submitted…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — CenterPoint Energy announced Friday night that they expect to restore power to 85% of customers affected by Hurricane Beryl by the end of the weekend. The updated estimate was accompanied by a revamped restoration map featuring eight color codes. These include forest green for areas already energized and seafoam green for areas pending review. Other colors represent dates ranging from July 12 to July 19. As of 9:30 p.m. Friday, 678,931 customers remained without power, while power had been restored to around 1.5 million customers. Despite ongoing storms and expected rain on Saturday, CenterPoint stated that…
