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Texas camps push back against pending laws banning cabins in floodplains

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Texas camps push back against pending laws banning cabins in floodplains


Texas lawmakers are facing pushback from some youth camps as they craft new laws in the wake of July’s deadly flooding.

Three camps sent lawmakers a letter, saying they can’t afford to make the changes the legislature is considering.

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Texas camp flood bill pushback

Rep. John McQueeney (R-Fort Worth) spoke with FOX 4 over the phone about the pushback Monday afternoon.

House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 would ban camps from getting a license to operate if they have housing in a floodplain. Both bills have been passed in their respective chambers.

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McQueeney says he’s personally seen the camps’ letter, and he is remaining firm on the issue: these cabins must be moved or rebuilt away from the river bank.

The lawmaker says he’s confident this vital legislation will become law.

Three Texas camps speak out

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Three Kerr County camps are asking Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for financial help with the new and stricter flood safety requirements contained in two bills, according to the Texas Tribune.

The camps, Camp Waldemar, Vista Camps, and Camp Stewart, say the devastating July 4th flooding plus the financial burden proposed under state regulations pose an impossible challenge.

The letter signed by the three camps, obtained by the Texas Tribune, reads in part:

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“Collectively, our camps would face millions of dollars in mandated rebuilding costs for cabins subjected to the prohibition that did not sustain damage by recent flooding. These additional burdens would come on top of already significant flood repairs, operational expenses, and existing loans.”

‘For future generations of Texans’

What’s next:

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McQueeney tells FOX 4 he’s adamant children cannot go to bed in a flood plain.

His statement in response to the letter from the three camps reads:

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“I am confident it will get figured out for those camps. Whether through investment by the camps, their families, the community at large, or the state of Texas. All options should be on the table. We must do this for these families and for future generations of Texans.”

Both HB 1 and SB 1 need to clear another chamber before they are sent to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

Texas Hill Country flooding

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The backstory:

In the early morning hours of July 4th, the Guadalupe River raged out of its banks.

More than 130 people were killed. This includes 25 campers and two counselors at Camp Mystic who were asleep.

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Last month, Texas lawmakers heard testimony from victims’ families, including the parents of children at Camp Mystic.

Families back the camp safety bills, pointing out the failures of the camps and local government.

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The Source: Information in this article came from public statements made by Texas lawmakers and summer camp representatives. 

Texas PoliticsNatural DisastersFort Worth



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Warm Saturday in North Texas ahead of severe weather chances later for Mother’s Day

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Warm Saturday in North Texas ahead of severe weather chances later for Mother’s Day



Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.

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CBS News Texas


Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River. 

A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.

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CBS News Texas

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CBS News Texas


Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned! 

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CBS News Texas

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North Texas father mourns wife, unborn son days before Mother’s Day

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North Texas father mourns wife, unborn son days before Mother’s Day


Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”

“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.

Nearly two decades together

The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.

Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.

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A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.

“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.

A celebration turned to heartbreak

Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.

“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.

A crisis affecting Black mothers

Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.

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Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.

“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”

Honoring Tiffany’s legacy

Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.

“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”

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Pentagon releases UFO files with Texas sightings going back to 1948

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Pentagon releases UFO files with Texas sightings going back to 1948


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Ever look up at the vast Texas sky and see something move across it? It could be a shooting star, a satellite — or a UFO.

The Pentagon released several documents Friday, May 8, detailing sightings of unidentified flying objects, or “bogeys,” in U.S. airspace, including reports from Texas.

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The documents were released by the U.S. Department of Defense at the directive of President Donald Trump, marking the release of government files related to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” and UFOs.

“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a statement.

Here’s a look at the files related to Texas.

UFO spotted in 1948 above Abilene, Texas

A DoD incident summary shows that on Jan. 1, 1948, a man identified as “Mr. A. Schroeder” reported a UFO in the 1100 block of Highland Ave in Abilene, Texas.

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Schroeder reported seeing a stationary bright blue-green bell-shaped object in the western sky above Abilene at 1:25 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.

Fort Worth man sees UFO above Alaska

Also in 1948, Lt. Aytch Johnson noticed a silver flat disk in the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska.

According to the incident report, the Fort Worth man observed the object flying over Alaska at around 1:06 p.m. on April 18, 1948, at an estimated speed of 250 to 300 miles per hour.

The report also noted that the sighting “may have been the reflection of sun from wings” of aircrafts flying in the area at the time.

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Possible UFO sighting during the NASA Gemini 7 space launch

The DoD released the transcript and audio file of NASA’s Gemini 7 mission in 1965 when astronaut Frank Borman reported to NASA mission control in Houston his sighting of an unidentified object, which he referred to as a “bogey.” 

While the launch didn’t take place in Texas, the report came back to space control in Houston.

The conversation occurred on Dec. 5, 1965 — 4 hours and 24 minutes into the flight — when Borman notified space control that there was a “bogey” on their left-hand side.

When asked to clarify what they are seeing, Borman said he was seeing “hundreds of little particles” on their left, about three to four miles away.

As NASA Public Affairs clarified, the bogey was an unidentified object, along with the particles.

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Pentagon documents report of other possible sightings in Texas

Some documents have connections or reports of possible UFO sightings in Texas, but are missing details to understand the situation.

For example, the DoD received a clipping from the Yoakum Times-Record reporting UFO sightings by Mrs. Anna Banys in 1947, but it is unclear why she was writing to the DoD.

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.

Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.



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