Texas
Search for missing man at Benbrook Lake slowed by high winds, rough water, officials say
Texas Game Wardens are searching Benbrook Lake for a missing man in a possible drowning, but high winds and choppy water are slowing rescue efforts, an official said Saturday.
The call about the potential drowning came in around 1 p.m.
“It’s still very early, and I don’t have much shareable information yet,” said Maggie Berger, a spokesperson for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, just after 3 p.m.
Berger said updates would be released as soon as they become available.
State urges safety awareness
She said the possible fatality at Benbrook Lake is one of several that Texas Game Wardens are working on this weekend across the state.
As a result, she said the department is urging the public to review water and boating safety guidance.
In 2025, Texas recorded 178 reportable boating incidents that led to 50 deaths and 77 serious injuries.
Eighty‑four percent of those who died were not wearing a life jacket, and Texas Game Wardens made 223 Boating While Intoxicated arrests last year.
Basic precautions for boaters
Texas Game Wardens urge boaters to follow basic safety steps before heading out:
- Wear a life jacket – it must be U.S. Coast Guard–approved, and children under 13 must wear one while the boat is moving.
- Stay sober on the water – never operate a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Use the engine cut‑off switch – if your boat has one, the operator needs to wear the lanyard or keep the fob on their person.
- Travel at a safe speed and keep a lookout for other boats, swimmers, and hazards.
- Complete a boater education course – required for anyone born on or after Sept. 1, 1993.
- Check the weather and be ready for sudden changes.
- Share a float plan with someone you trust.
- Avoid overloading the boat – too much weight can make a vessel unstable.
Rules for paddlers statewide
State rules require anyone in a paddlecraft to have a life jacket that meets U.S. Coast Guard standards, and kids younger than 13 must keep theirs on at all times.
Paddlers also need to carry a whistle or another device that can make a loud sound, and they must display a white light visible from every direction when they’re on the water after dark, during low‑light hours or in poor visibility.
Anonymous tips encouraged
The department is also asking the public to quickly report any unsafe or illegal activity on the water, noting that tips can be submitted anonymously. Rewards of up to $1,000 are available for information that leads to convictions for violations of boating, fishing, or wildlife laws.
People can send a tip by texting TXOGT and their information to 847411, using the Texas OGT app on iOS or Android, or calling the anonymous hotline at 800‑792‑GAME (4263). Tipsters are encouraged to include any details, photos, or videos that could help investigators.
CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Beekeeper Christie Ray arrived at the scene and was stunned. She knew a swarm of honeybees had escaped after a truck overturned on a Texas road, but nothing prepared her for what she saw.
About 20 million bees were flying in groups so large they resembled dark clouds. So many sat on a tree branch that it broke. The air smelled like honey, beeswax and bananas, the odor bees release when they sting.
Westland church prepares for changes to mass schedule
Father Sean Bonner: ‘Once upon a time, just about every parish had two or three priests, now just about every priest has two or three parishes’
The Texas Board of Education on Friday approved mandated reading lists for public school children that include passages from the Bible – the latest effort by leaders there to infuse the education system with conservative and religious ideals.
The Republican-dominated board, in a 9-5 vote with one member absent and not voting, approved the reading lists for over 5 million public school students beginning in 2030.
Texas had already mandated that the Bible’s Ten Commandments be displayed in all public schools, a decision that was upheld by a federal appeals court earlier this year, following on the heels of other Republican-led states seeking to infuse public education with Christian teachings.
Critics say these decisions are at odds with the Constitution’s “establishment clause,” long understood by courts as separating church and state. Supporters say the measures restore basic Judeo-Christian teachings to school systems, which many have said are historically significant.
The required reading list is wide-ranging and includes mostly non-Biblical and classical texts, such as Aesop’s fables, tales about Native Americans, and a children’s versions of Don Quixote. Critics have noted that much of the list comprises texts written by white male authors, in a state with a majority of Latino and Black students.
Rachel Laser, the head of the advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said in a written statement that the Texas board of education’s decision sought to “misuse public schools to impose one narrow set of religious beliefs and indoctrinate a new generation of Americans in the lie that America is a Christian country.”
Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by David Gregorio
LEAKEY, Texas – A giraffe that escaped a ranch in the Texas Hill Country two weeks ago has been located, according to the manager of the ranch.
The giraffe named Gracie disappeared from the Cedar Hollow Ranch on June 12.
What’s new:
Vick Jones, who manages the ranch, told FOX Local on Friday that Gracie was spotted by a helicopter about 7:30 a.m. nearly 4 miles away from the ranch.
According to Jones, she is in a heavily wooded and brush-filled remote area. He said Gracie was in good shape and had lots of trees to eat and water to drink.
Jones said there are no roads leading to where she is, so a veterinarian is assembling a team to figure out the best way to get her back to the ranch. She’ll have to be tranquilized and loaded onto a trailer, which will take “the better part of a day.”
Gracie the giraffe is seen from a helicopter in rough terrain in the Texas Hill Country on June 26, 2026. (Real County Sheriff Nathan T. Johnson/Facebook / FOX Local)
What they’re saying:
According to Jones, the exotic-animal ranch has had giraffes for about 30 years. He said Gracie ventured into an area most of the giraffes don’t go and was able to get out of a gate.
“We released her into the canyon,” Jones said. “She actually started going up and feeding in an area we’d never had giraffes feed in before. It’s up on a rock slab, just a limestone slab, and she goes up the hill and went up over the mountain.”
An image of Gracie the giraffe was shared by authorities after the animal went missing June 22, 2026. (Real County Animal Rescue-Shelter/Facebook / FOX Local)
What’s next:
Gracie should be back at the ranch within the next day or so, Jones predicted.
The Source: Information in this story came from Vick Jones and previous FOX Local reporting.
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