iur 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 …

Activists and experts are sounding alarms on what poor air quality reported in Dallas-Fort Worth in mid-June means for the summer, as the hottest months on average lay ahead. Since heat is a key factor in forming ground-level ozone, a gas that can trigger lung and heart problems, Melanie Sattler, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A man accused of ramming a stolen pickup truck into a security gate at the FBI’s Houston office faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 38-year-old Nestor Mariano Vidal Batista was arrested on a federal charge of willfully injuring or committing any depredation exceeding $1,000 against U.S property. Prosecutors connected …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A mother in Houston has been charged for allegedly hitting her child with a skillet. Melanie Harleaux, 35, has been charged with injury to a child. According to court documents, Harleaux hit her child several times with what was described as a heavy frying pan. It’s unclear what led up to the incident and details surrounding …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — LaTonya Floyd described the sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s as “a slap in the face,” after a year has passed since her brother George Floyd was murdered. Every court hearing and every television interview is emotionally draining for LaTonya. And on Friday afternoon, she watched Chauvin’s sentencing at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 6-year-old boy who witnessed his dad die in a road rage encounter said he didn’t understand what was happening and thought the driver fired a confetti cannon at his father. The shooting happened Saturday around 7:30 p.m. near Alief Coldine and Highway 6 in west Harris County The shooting killed 49-year-old David Owens. Investigators said …

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crime Unit has now released video showing the vehicle of the suspect wanted for firing a bullet that struck a 6-year-old boy on Monday. Investigators are still asking for the public’s help in identifying the person behind the wheel of a black Chevrolet Camaro that can be seen on …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The man who has helped lead volunteers in the search for missing persons across southeast Texas is back home after being hospitalized due to a serious health condition. Tim Miller, the founder of Texas EquuSearch, was in the hospital since Saturday, June 19. EquuSearch posted on Facebook earlier this week, saying Miller has a “serious health …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 16-year-old suspect was arrested Friday afternoon for the deadly shooting of Elsa Mikeska, a 62-year-old grandmother, outside of a southeast Houston gym last week, Houston police said. HPD homicide detectives will not be releasing the suspect’s name or photo due to his age. “I want to commend our detectives for their diligent efforts in this …

Rush hour traffic has returned, and downtown bars are loud, crowded and rowdy again. But the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic also means economic safety nets are vanishing – and Texans struggling to make ends meet may soon fall even further down a financial hole this summer. Federal unemployment benefits end for Texans on Saturday. Their electricity can be cut …