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Wednesday morning storms further impacts power restorations in East Texas

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Wednesday morning storms further impacts power restorations in East Texas


EAST TEXAS (KLTV) – The latest rounds of storms that have swept through East Texas early Wednesday morning has led to further power outages and continues to complicate restoration efforts.

Electrical providers have struggled to restore and maintain customers power on throughout the relentless weather events the past couple of weeks.

At last check, providers in East Texas were reporting over 80,000 outages, the majority of which are coming out of Smith County.

ONCOR is reporting a total of 42,929 outages as 6:06 a.m., over 25,000 of them are in Smith County alone. The second most outages are coming out of Hopkins County with a reported 4,952 outages. Henderson County is reporting over 1,500 outages meanwhile Van Zandt County is reporting over 1,100.

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SWEPCO is reporting a total of 32,284 outages across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Hardest hit regions include Gregg and Harrison counties with a combined total of 8,935 reported outages. Panola and Rusk counties have reported over 2,000 outages each and Franklin County has lost power to 1,614 homes and businesses.

Upshur Rural Electric Co-Op is reporting over 9,000 outages across the region most of which are coming out of Gregg and Camp counties with 1,800 outages each. Harrison County has reported over 1,600 outages meanwhile Marion County is reporting over 1,300 outages. Smith, Morris, Cass, Upshur, and Wood counties are reporting a combined total of 1,800 outages.

Wood County Electric Co-Op is a harder hit provider with over 25% of their customer base in the dark. Over 8,500 outages are coming out of Wood County alone. Franklin County is the second hardest hit area with over 1,200 customers out of power. Titus and Van Zandt counties are reporting a combined 1,500 outages meanwhile Camp, Smith, and Hopkins are reporting a total of over 1,200 outages.

Debris from the storms has also led to a long list of road closures. Officials are advising commuters to watch for trees and downed power lines across roads in East Texas and to not attempt to move power lines. Also, intersections without power are to be treated as 4-way stop.

Tyler residents are reporting tree and power line damages throughout the city while roads in Longview have been reportedly flooded.

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ONCOR officials stated yesterday that restoration was going to be a “slow process” and Pct. 2 Commissioner John Moore has already asked frustrated residents to remain patient and civil.

“Please remember that the folks who work at the county are human beings and they are overloaded and bombarded,” Moore said.

The power outages have also affected some county operations, including Pct. 5 Justice of the Peace and constable offices in Lindale which are currently closed.

For a full list of traffic conditions and road closures click here. You can also view road conditions reported by TxDOT here.

Oncor asks residents to report down power lines to the Tyler Police Department’s non-emergency line at (903) 531-1000 or 911.

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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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AMBER Alert girl last seen in Texas after Louisiana abduction

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AMBER Alert girl last seen in Texas after Louisiana abduction


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An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl abducted from Louisiana who was last seen in North Texas.

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Merlin Chirinos-Argueta was last seen around 7:10 p.m. May 7 in Allen, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Authorities say the teen was abducted from Keithville, Louisiana, and may be traveling in Texas

Chirinos-Argueta is described as a 13-year-old Hispanic girl with black hair and brown eyes. She is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds, officials said.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said Merlin was reported missing Thursday. May 7 from the 6200 block of Bain Boulevard in Keithville. Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. said investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating the teen.

Investigators believe she may be with 18-year-old Daniel Vasquez Mejia, who has black hair and brown eyes.

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Merlin has not been in contact with her family, which has raised concerns for her safety and well-being, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.

Authorities say they may be traveling in a white Chevrolet SUV with Texas license plate VML6061. The vehicle is believed to have a skull sticker on the rear driver’s side back window and a “mojo” sticker on the passenger side rear window.

Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-675-2170.



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