Dallas County reported 23 more COVID-19 deaths and 327 new coronavirus cases Thursday. Across the state, hospitalizations for the virus continued to decline, falling below 3,000 for the first time since June. The latest Dallas County victims were 14 men and nine women who were in their 40s and older. Of the latest victims, 17 were from Dallas, two from …

A 12-year-old girl was shot Thursday evening while she was doing cartwheels in her front yard in South Fort Worth. Officers were called just after 7 p.m. to a home in the 3200 block of Knox Street, near Wichita St., after a 911 caller said their granddaughter had been shot, according to an incident report. Police said people in two …

Seven Collin County detention officers have been fired after an investigation into Marvin D. Scott III’s death last month after he was in custody at the county jail. An eighth officer resigned during the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. The officers’ names were not released. Civil-rights attorney Lee Merritt comforted LaChay Batts, sister of Marvin Scott III, during a …

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 …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A train passing through Washington Heights crashed into a semi-truck Thursday afternoon, causing traffic delays. The crash happened at around 3:20 p.m. on Roy Street just west of Shepherd Drive. The train involved belongs to the Kansas City Southern Train Company. The company said its train was operating on trackage rights over the Union Pacific line …

BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) — The Harris County Sheriff’s deputy seen on video punching a 16-year-old last week was also investigated in the death of a man in police custody back in 2002. Baytown police have confirmed to the man seen in the GoPro video is Bert Dillow, who spent more than a decade as a Baytown police officer. On Jan. …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Governor Greg Abbott will announce the expansion of Operation Lone Star to include efforts to crack down on human trafficking related to illegal border crossings Thursday. New numbers show the border patrol is on track to encounter more than 2 million people before September, which is a new record. Bus loads of migrant children are expected …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Elaine Ebner is a University of Houston alumna who has supported the school’s athletics department for decades. So when the Cougars’ basketball coach Kelvin Sampson arrived at UH in 2014, she was asked to help start an annual fundraising dinner for the men’s basketball program. Ebner agreed to organize the banquet, but knew she’d need some …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Edwin Mascorro arrived at the University of Houston as a freshman in the fall of 2014, which happened to be the same time Coach Kelvin Sampson arrived at the school. Mascorro did attend some basketball games that season, but it wasn’t due to a major love of the team, the sport, or the new head coach. …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — One of the enduring images of the University of Houston’s run to the NCAA men’s Final Four took place following the team’s win over the Oregon State Beavers in the Elite Eight. After the game, Kelvin, Kellen, and Lauren Sampson shared a long embrace on the court. Kelvin is the head coach, his son, Kellen, is …