Texas
East Texas teens share account of witnessing Florida shark attack
MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas (KLTV) – On Tuesday, a group of recent Mount Pleasant and Sulphur Springs high school graduates shared firsthand accounts of a brutal shark attack on the Gulf Coast in Walton County, Florida that happened on June 7. Many in the group jumped into action to help the terrified and injured swimmers, crediting instinct and God’s plan for their quick response.
“No one wants to witness that, but I know that we were there for a reason,” said Mount Pleasant graduate Ella Cross.
What was supposed to be a relaxing last day on their senior beach trip quickly turned into chaos as the group of beachgoers heard screams erupt from the water and saw an ominous fin splashing right in front of them.
“I look up and I see all these girls just, like, rush towards us or just, like, just rushing, and I’m like, ‘what is going on?’ and then the next thing I see is, like, the little, like, shark tail going, like, back-and-forth, back-and-forth,” said Mount Pleasant graduate Abigail Gutierrez.
Soon after, Gutierrez said she saw blood spreading in the water. Two of the girls in the group, Kate Monk, a Sulphur Springs High School graduate, and 21-year-old nursing student Carson Zachry ran into the water to offer help.
It was there they were approached by one of the victims of the attack.
“She just kind of lifted her foot up out of the water and that’s when we saw that she had been bitten on her lower leg and on her foot, and so I just think that was when we knew we had to act,” said Monk, who is also a certified clinical medical assistant.
“I just remember, like, yelling, ‘someone get me a towel!’ I just knew that we had to wrap her leg up just to kind of contain the bleeding.”
Others in the group recalled a strong urge to offer comfort through prayer.
“There was one girl who was coming out of the water – first girl I made eye contact with – and she was panicking, and it was really scary, and I just remember I wanted her to know to know I was talking to her, so I, like, reached for her face and I grabbed her face, and I was like, ‘if you will let me, I would love to pray over you, like, let’s pray,’ and she was like, ‘yes, yes,’” said Mount Pleasant graduate Ali Fair Cheek.
Amanda Hutchings, the CTE Health Science teacher at Mount Pleasant High School, taught several of the young ladies in the group.
“This generation gets such a bad rap for entitlement, and ‘they don’t care,’ and they could do whatever, but this – what they did – it definitely tells about their character more than anything,” she said, exuding pride for the quick thinking of her students.
When asked what was the biggest lesson learned from that day, Ali Fair Cheek said, “I do think tragedy leads to community. I think when something happens that makes you realize something is more important than yourself and you can help other people, I think it, like, leads to community.”
As soon as the survivors of the attack, including Lulu Gribbins, are well enough to see visitors, the group of young East Texans plan to visit Birmingham for a happy reintroduction.
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If you want to get into the FIFA spirit, all you have to do is look up.
Dallas’ Reunion Tower unveiled a new series of FIFA‑themed light shows Thursday night, kicking off a monthlong celebration as North Texas prepares to host nine FIFA World Cup matches at AT&T Stadium.
The displays are the work of Scott Ingham, who has spent the last four months designing graphics that will transform one of Dallas’ most recognizable landmarks into a tribute to the world’s biggest sporting event.
“That’s where the magic happens,” Ingham said from the control room where he programs the tower’s displays.
While most people see Reunion Tower as part of the Dallas skyline, Ingham sees hundreds of lights and millions of possibilities.
Bringing soccer energy to Dallas
Throughout the tournament, the tower will display FIFA graphics, soccer‑inspired animations, and, on match days at AT&T Stadium, the flags of the competing nations. Special displays are also planned whenever Team USA takes the pitch.
“The idea is that we can put Japan and Argentina and put their flag up and show it up,” Ingham said. “And so we can kind of maybe generate a little bit of excitement that way for the match.”
The displays are powered by a lighting system installed last year, representing one of the most advanced upgrades in Reunion Tower’s history.
“It is fun because we can do more,” Ingham said.
Years of planning behind upgrades
The project took years of planning and included about 13 prototypes before the final system was selected.
“We designed them, built them … and then we shipped the lights here, installed them,” he said.
The upgraded system features nearly nine miles of wiring. The fixtures themselves are also significantly lighter than their predecessors.
“The new one is half the weight and twice the size,” Ingham said.
The last major lighting upgrade at Reunion Tower came in 2012. The new technology allows for smoother animations, expanded color capabilities, and more detailed displays.
FIFA accelerates the transformation
Reunion Tower Vice President of Operations Shawn Miller said FIFA helped accelerate the project.
“We see guests from all corners of the earth every day, every month,” Miller said. “So with FIFA on the books, nine matches, we really, really wanted to show what Dallas is all about.”
Miller said visitors can expect to see nearly two dozen FIFA‑themed shows throughout the tournament.
“You’ll know when the tournament’s kicking off. You’ll know when there’s a match,” Miller said. “When the U.S. team’s playing, I would imagine you’ll see upwards to a dozen and a half, two dozen shows throughout the tournament.”
For Dallas, the displays represent more than entertainment. As the city prepares to welcome visitors from around the globe, Reunion Tower’s lights have become another way to say: Welcome to North Texas.
June schedule of light shows
Reunion Tower FIFA Light Show Schedule
- June 11: World Cup Kickoff
- June 12: USA World Cup Game
- June 14: Flag Day / Dallas World Cup Game: Netherlands vs. Japan
- June 17: Dallas World Cup Game: England vs. Croatia
- June 18: Red for the RedBall Project in partnership with the Dallas Arts District
- June 19: USA World Cup Game
- June 21: Father’s Day
- June 22: Dallas World Cup Game: Argentina vs. Austria
- June 25: Dallas World Cup Game: Japan vs. Sweden and USA World Cup Game
- June 27: Dallas World Cup Game: Jordan vs. Argentina June 30: Dallas World Cup Game
Additional June light shows include Pride‑themed displays on June 5, June 6 and June 7.
Events planned on the Geo‑Deck
Reunion Tower is also hosting a series of events throughout June, many of which are included with general admission to the Geo‑Deck.
Upcoming activities include Lotería nights, silent discos, family programming, music bingo, painting classes, fitness events and special appearances from local guests.
A full list of events, ticket information, and the latest schedule updates can be found on Reunion Tower’s website.
Landen Williams-Callis hasn’t been discussed a ton in the last month or two. Real information as it relates to Texas’ chances has been a bit tougher to come by on the elite running back from Richmond Randle. Today, Inside Texas was able to confirm that he’ll take an official visit to Texas next weekend. We’ve long known Texas wanted LW-C, but we haven’t had a good gauge on his interest in Texas.
The New World screwworm outbreak in Texas has reached five confirmed cases, prompting state agencies to establish infested zones aimed at containing the parasite’s spread.
Federal help is now involved as officials respond to the threat posed by the parasite, whose fly larvae burrow into the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, causing severe tissue damage and potential death.
“We know this development is a serious threat,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said. “We’ve increased the trapping for flies along the border and ramping up surveillance.”
The Texas Animal Health Commission has established four 12.5-mile infested zones where officials believe the parasite is located and reproducing. The closest zone to Austin is Zone 3, which includes Gillespie, Kerr, and Kimble counties.
Zone 3 was created after New World screwworm was found in a goat in Harper, Texas, on Monday. Rollins also said, “Over the past week and a half, USDA has confirmed 6 cases of the new world screw worm within the US, all but 1 in the South, uh, South of Texas.”
ALSO| New World Screwworm case confirmed in Texas, bringing total of cases in the U.S. to six
State officials say the zones are used to prevent the spread of the parasite and restrict the movement of livestock and other warm-blooded animals through the area.
In Fredericksburg, some residents said the infested zone is a necessary step. Joan Smith, who lives in Fredericksburg, said, “It’s a good thing to protect people. It needs to be done.”
Smith said pet owners should take precautions and consult their veterinarians.
“Many of our neighbors, we called our local veterinarians. They told us as long as we were using certain medications, your pet is covered,” she said. “Definitely talk to your local veterinarians because they can update you.”
Some businesses in the area said the county’s infested-zone label is not expected to impact tourism this summer.
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