Health authorities are closely watching an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19. Here are the answers to key questions about the outbreak: What is the virus? Scientists have identified the virus as a novel, or new, coronavirus. The name comes from the Latin word for crowns or halos, which coronaviruses resemble under …

A Fort Worth police officer was terminated because of “racially insensitive and inappropriate” posts on the officer’s social media, the police department announced Tuesday. Officer Chadwick Hughes was fired for violating the department’s general orders related to social media use, the department said. Another officer found the posts on Jan. 30, police said, leading to an immediate internal-affairs investigation of …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — It was a wild night on Houston roads as authorities were involved in at least four chases across the city. In what may have been the most dangerous chase, deputies say a driver robbed a northwest Harris County gas station around 2:30 a.m. and led them on a chase on Highway 290. It began at a …

As more rounds of COVID-19 vaccine doses make their way to the Houston area, local county leaders and health officials are working to implement the best plans possible for distribution. Here’s a county-by-county vaccine distribution breakdown. Montgomery County Updated: Feb. 10, 2021 The county health department says you can sign up for the vaccine waitlist by calling 936-523-3916. The county …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Arctic air is moving down the Plains, and we are now predicting the coldest February temperatures in 70 years to reach Houston next week. The leading edge of cold air has already moved through Houston and will push into the Gulf by sunrise. Temperatures will be stuck in the 40s with widespread showers and thunderstorms off-and-on …

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Ten teens have been killed in Harris County this year, which is higher than the last five years during the same time period. Organizations have found that teens are being pushed to the streets as a result of the pandemic. On Jan. 9, Vegas Blate, 16, was shot and killed outside a daiquiri shop in …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Grady Gaines, the Houston-based blues tenor saxophonist whose career brought six decades of backing for a wide range of musicians, has died at 86. Gaines died Thursday night in his sleep, his management company said. “Grady was a big man, with a big sound, but with an even bigger heart,” Susan Criner with Gulf Coast Entertainment …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The family of a former member of a popular 90’s R&B group, who was stabbed to death in southwest Houston, is pleading for the suspect to turn himself in. Delores Floyd is facing what no parent should – having to bury her child. Her son, 46-year-old Cedrick Cotton, was killed in broad daylight at a place …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — For some students and teachers, online learning continues to pose unique challenges. Our partners at Community Impact Newspapers reported this week that Cy-Fair ISD officials voiced concerns after its district’s diagnostic tests revealed it could take up to two years to get students back on track after losing school days following March 2020, and for those falling …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston’s known for its heat, but those hot summers have a flip side. When it comes to winter, sometimes Houston hits freezing or below, and occasionally has memorable ice or snow While snow in Houston doesn’t happen every winter, it does indeed happen. In the video, take a look back at the major snow days in …