SANTA FE, Texas — A man accused of fatally shooting 10 people at a Texas high school in 2018 will continue receiving treatment in a state mental health facility as doctors say he remains incompetent to stand trial. Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 21, has been at the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon since early December 2019. He was initially committed for 120 days. But he has remained at the hospital since because doctors say he is not competent to be tried. On Friday, Judge John Ellisor ordered that Pagourtzis stay another 12 months at the facility. It was the third time Ellisor ordered…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has acknowledged that the U.S. government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threat. The surprise suspension was confirmed late Saturday on the eve of the Super Bowl, the biggest sales opportunity of the year for Mexican avocado growers — though it would not affect game-day consumption since those avocados had already been shipped. Avocado exports are the latest victim of the drug cartel turf battles and extortion of avocado growers in the western state of Michoacan, the only state in Mexico fully authorized to…
Ivan Reitman, the influential filmmaker and producer behind beloved comedies from Animal House to Ghostbusters, has died. He was 75. Reitman passed away peacefully in his sleep Saturday night at his home in Montecito, Calif., his family told The Associated Press. “Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” children Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement. “We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world. While we mourn privately, we hope those who…
AUSTIN – After months of pounding Attorney General Ken Paxton over his legal troubles, the incumbent’s Republican rivals are finding their attacks may not be motivating GOP voters as they’d hoped. Just 15% of Republican voters say Paxton lacks the integrity to serve a third term as the state’s top lawyer, according to a Dallas Morning News/UT-Tyler polling. The number has barely budged since last fall, even as Land Commissioner George P. Bush, U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert and former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman ratcheted up their attacks. Voters’ apparent apathy about Paxton’s legal woes is another boon to the…
Volunteers who collectively gave more than 13,000 hours of their time during the past year were recently honored by the Plano Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association. The association is made up of graduates from the Plano Citizens Police Academy program. Volunteers serve by performing tasks such as filing paperwork and patrolling the streets through the Citizens Assisting Plano Police program. During the annual awards ceremony, the following volunteers were honored for their service in 2021 Top awards President’s Award – Michelle Curtis Rookie of the Year – Gopi Keertinagar Volunteer of the Year – Don Lasher Volunteers with more than 1,000 hours…
Santos’ mother, Bessie Rodriguez, 78, sat in a front row at the hourlong event, wrapped in a blue fleece blanket to ward off cold winds as she gazed at the statue against a horizon of skyscrapers. She had pressed for years for justice. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks to the crowd in front of the sculpture celebrating the life of 12-year old Santos Rodriguez at Pike Park.(Rebecca Slezak / Staff Photographer) The now-deceased police officer, Darrell Cain, was convicted of murder with malice — even more of a rarity then than it is now. But Rodriguez did not receive an…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — One person died in a hit-and-run crash that started as a two vehicle accident on the West Sam Houston Tollway around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Investigators say one car rear ended the other before both vehicles pulled over to the side of the freeway. One car pulled over on the right shoulder and the other stopped partially in a lane, deputies say. Officials say one driver got out of his vehicle to look at damage that happened from the initial crash and was fatally struck by a third car that was driving erratically. The victim’s wife survived…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Fire Department responded to a house fire flamed by strong winds Saturday night in northeast Houston. Officials say a couple was inside the home watching TV with a firepit flaming outside at Camden Cove Lane near West Lake Houston Parkway. HFD says the fire started to extend into the home with the help of heavy wind around 9:30 p.m. “Just be careful. Make sure your fire is extinguished when you leave it alone, or when you go to bed,” said HFD District Chief Joseph Leggio. “I think in this case, they still had some…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 9-year-old girl who was shot in apparent road rage incident in southwest Houston appears to be improving, according to the family. Ashanti Grant, who is a fourth-grader at Savannah Lakes Elementary in Brazoria County, has been in a medically induced coma for several days since having surgery after the shooting. “We hadn’t seen any changes up until this morning,” says Ashanti’s grandmother Elaine Grant-Williams. The shooting happened at 9 p.m. at 9800 Southwest Freeway, as a family of four — Ashanti, her mother, her father, and her 11-year-old brother — were in a Tahoe headed…
LOS ANGELES, California (KTRK) — Former NFL running back Adrian Peterson was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport Sunday morning on board his flight back to Houston, according to police. Peterson, who is from Palestine, Texas, and currently lives in the Houston area, was arrested at about 8:30 a.m. when police received a call about a possible domestic violence on board a plane, according to statement from LAX police. Peterson was having a verbal and physical altercation with his wife, Ashley, forcing the plane to return to its gate, according to the statement. Airport police took Peterson into custody…
