Southwest
Washington doctor dies during Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike at age 74
The National Park Service recently identified a hiker who died in the Grand Canyon last week as a beloved 74-year-old Washington state doctor.
Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center staff received a report on May 15 of an unresponsive hiker on the North Kaibab Trail, about half a mile below the North Kaibab Trailhead.
Dr. Dennis Smith, of Olympia, Washington, was attempting a rim-to-rim hike from the South Rim to the North Rim when authorities and friends said he collapsed on the trail.
Dr. Dennis Smith pictured on a hike in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Tom Helpenstell)
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Though there is limited cell phone service in the canyon, the incident happened close enough to the top that they were able to call for a park service helicopter. Medics restarted his heart, but it later stopped again, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His cause of death is under investigation by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to the park service.
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Fellow doctor, Tom Helpenstell, who worked with Smith for more than 30 years, told Fox News Digital the pair ran across the canyon when it was hotter, and he believes it was a “freak” accident.
“I think it was 100 degrees or close to it, but he’s really good about hydrating,” Helpenstell said. “He’s always drinking fluids. … He’s way too smart to be pushing beyond his limits. I think this was just a freak thing.”

Dr. Dennis Smith worked in general orthopedics. (Photo courtesy of Tom Helpenstell)
After doing a short stint in the Navy, Smith, a former family practice doctor, became an orthopedic surgeon. He then started his own practice, Olympia Orthopaedic Associates, where he met Helpenstell in 1994.
“We worked together in the same office and assisted each other every Tuesday in surgeries for 30 years,” Helpenstell said. “He and I have run across the Grand Canyon three times, doing Ultra Trail-type running. Probably two years ago, he decided not to do running [anymore], so he was hiking with a group out of Tucson, Arizona, where he spends the winters.”
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Before deciding not to keep running, the pair ran up Mount Whitney together, completed full Iron Man competitions and Olympic-distance triathlons together, and climbed Mount Rainier.
“He’s super active, super fit,” Helpenstell said. “This was not even a run, this was a hike. I don’t want to downplay it. Grand Canyon’s a big day, for sure, but this was completely out of the blue.”

Dr. Dennis Smith was described as someone who was “super fit.” (Photo courtesy of Tom Helpenstell)
In addition to Smith’s athletic feats, Helpenstell said he was highly respected in his community for his work in general orthopedics, where he did trauma, hip and knee replacements.
“He would jump in and take care of anyone at any time. Really, really great,” Helpenstell said. “Within the surgeon community, we’re the carpenters. … Even when he retired from his regular work [in 2021], he stayed on and took call for us and stayed up at night doing cases. He kept his hand in it, until just about a year and a half or two ago. He was an amazing man.”

Dr. Dennis Smith started a practice in Washington state in the late 1980s. (George Rose/Getty Images, Olympia Orthopaedic Associates)
“He read like crazy,” Helpenstell said. “He was like an encyclopedia. We would always joke, we don’t need Google, we have Dennis. He was really into health and nutrition, and what diets are the right ones to take, and what supplements. I mean, the guy was crazy about staying healthy. He had switched to playing pickleball because he thought it would make his brain learn new things, which would keep him from getting Alzheimer’s or anything like that. He was more focused than anyone I know about staying healthy and living long, which makes this hard.”

Dr. Dennis Smith runs a race, is pictured standing on the first place spot on the podium. (Photos courtesy of Tom Helpenstell)
Smith leaves behind his wife, Evelyn, who would have celebrated their 50th anniversary on Sunday, and four children.
He also leaves behind numerous grandchildren who he enjoyed hiking and running with.
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The NPS urged all visitors to Grand Canyon National Park, particularly those planning to hike or backpack in the inner canyon, to prepare for extreme heat.
Park rangers strongly advise against hiking in the inner canyon during the hottest part of the day, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Hikers and backpackers attempting rigorous distances, such as rim to rim, through the inner canyon, are encouraged to be self-reliant to prevent emergency situations for themselves and responders.
“Be aware that efforts to assist hikers may be delayed due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, and employee safety requirements,” according to the park service.
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Southwest
Pritzker says Trump ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, Oregon and other locations
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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced on Sunday that President Donald Trump will deploy 400 members of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, Oregon and other locations.
The deployment came as protests against federal law enforcement ramp up across the country, particularly in Portland and Chicago.
In the Windy City, multiple people were arrested in recent days for reportedly ramming their vehicles into DHS and ICE agents’ cars.
After announcing Trump’s deployment on X late Sunday, Pritzker wrote that “no officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate.”
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker criticized President Trump’s decision to deploy 400 Texas National Guard troops to Illinois and Oregon. (Getty Images)
“We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion,” the Democratic governor wrote.
“It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.”
Pritzker also disclosed that he called Texas Governor Greg Abbott to “immediately withdraw any support for this decision and refuse to coordinate.”
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Police clash with demonstrators during a protest outside an immigrant processing and detention center on Oct. 3, 2025 in Broadview, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation,” the governor added.
“The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props. This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.”
In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defended his decision, writing on X that he had “fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officials.”

Law enforcement officers stand in tear gas outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility during a protest on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
He then added that federal and state leaders must “either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let the Texas Guard do it,” while praising the Guard’s “training, skill and expertise.”
Abbott also noted that thousands of Texas National Guard troops have remained along the southern border to assist with security operations.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed the U.S. is “on the brink of martial law.”
In recent days, large numbers of protesters have rioted against immigration enforcement actions across the country. ICE shared a video of a Portland protester being wheeled into custody on Sunday.

ICE shared a video showing a suspect being rolled away on a flatbed cart in Portland, Oregon. (@ICEgov via X)
In Broadview, Illinois, on Friday, more than a dozen people were arrested by federal agents during protests at an ICE processing facility. Agents were seen firing pepper balls, tear gas and rubber bullets to clear crowds.
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Southwest
Dallas train shooting leaves 1 dead, second homicide on DART transit system in a week
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One person is dead after a shooting on a Dallas Area Rapid Transit train Sunday night, marking the second deadly incident on the Texas train system in the past week.
The shooting happened near the Pearl/Arts District Station on Bryan Street around 7 p.m., according to FOX 4.
DART police responded after a caller reported an active shooter at the station, the outlet reported. One person was found dead from a gunshot wound on the train.
Details surrounding the incident are limited, but FOX 4 reported a suspect is in custody.
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Police responded to the DART train near Pearl/Arts District Station on Bryan Street after a passenger was shot and killed. (Jordan Bickerstaff via FOX 4)
Fox News Digital reached out to DART for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
The deadly shooting comes less than a week after a man was killed on the DART train last Monday. DART police responded to the Market Center Station on Harry Hines Boulevard at around 10:15 p.m., FOX 4 reported on Wednesday.
Daniel Tom Gormley, 53, was found inside a train car with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders attempted life-saving measures.
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One person is dead after a shooting on a DART train in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (Jordan Bickerstaff via FOX 4)
Gormley was a Marine veteran, according to a GoFundMe page aimed at helping the family pay for funeral costs.
“He was a victim of a senseless act of violence while aboard a train in Dallas, Texas, and was taken from us far too soon,” the fundraiser reads. “Our family is heartbroken and completely unprepared for the financial burden of planning a funeral and managing the associated costs. We are reaching out to our community for support during this devastating time.”

Daniel Tom Gormley, 53, was shot and killed on a DART train in Dallas on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (GoFundMe)
A DART rail operator reported to police that Gormley told the suspect to get off the train before the suspect fired a gun three times, according to FOX 4. It’s unclear what led to the exchange.
Gormley’s accused killer was identified as Christopher Clemson Akins and was taken into custody quickly, police said.
DART Police Chief Charles Cato said last Wednesday that such incidents are “extremely rare” and “taken very seriously.”
“DART Police remain deeply committed to the safety of our riders, employees, and the communities we serve,” Cato said, via FOX 4.
DART is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, offering multiple travel options: Light Rail, Trinity Railway Express commuter rail, bus routes, GoLink on-demand services and paratransit services.
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Southwest
Army veteran-turned-MAGA rising star jumps into fiery GOP Senate primary as polls tighten
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Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas announced Monday that he’s running for the Senate, jumping into an already bitter battle between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and primary challenger Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“The U.S. Senate race in Texas must be about more than a petty feud between two men who have spent months trading barbs,” Hunt said in a statement as he launched his campaign. “With my candidacy, this race will finally be about what’s most important — Texas.”
Hunt’s entry into the race turns up the heat on an already combustible battle between Cornyn, who’s running in 2026 for a fifth six-year term representing red state Texas in the Senate, and Paxton, the MAGA firebrand who’s an ally of President Donald Trump.
Hunt, a West Point graduate who flew Apache helicopters during his Army service and a rising MAGA star who is in his second term representing a safe Republican district in the Houston-area, emphasized in his statement, “My record speaks louder than words. I am the most consistently conservative legislator representing Texas in Congress.”
IS CORNYN CLOSING THE GAP WITH PAXTON IN THE GOP’S MOST COMBUSTIBLE 2026 SENATE PRIMARY?
Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 15, 2024. (Mike Segar – Reuters)
Cornyn, who is backed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, trailed Paxton by double digits at the beginning of the summer.
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But Cornyn has narrowed the polling gap in recent weeks, thanks in part to a massive ad blitz by allies that spotlighted the numerous controversies that have battered Paxton over the past decade.
Trump, whose endorsement would make a major impact in the Texas primary battle, has remained neutral to date.

Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas opens a Trump 2024 campaign field office in Philadelphia, on June 4, 2024. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )
Hunt, pointing to his backing of Trump as the then-former president launched his 2024 White House comeback, touted that “I was the first person in the nation to endorse President Trump, and I have remained steadfast in my commitment to the people of Texas.”
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Hunt had been mulling a Senate run for months and sources confirmed to Fox News earlier this year that the congressman had made his case to Trump’s political team that he’s the only person who could win both a GOP primary and a general election.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is running for re-election in 2026 for a fifth six-year term in the U.S. Senate. (Reuters)
And an aligned super PAC spent big bucks this summer to increase Hunt’s name recognition across the state of Texas.
Paxton adviser Nick Maddux, in a statement to Fox News, said that “Primaries are good for our party and our voters, and Paxton and Hunt both know that Texans deserve better than the failed, anti-Trump record of John Cornyn.”
But Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak argued in a statement that “Rep. Wesley Hunt is a legend in his own mind. No one is happier this morning than the national Democrats who are watching Wesley continue his quixotic quest for relevancy, costing tens of millions of dollars that will endanger the Trump agenda from being passed.”
Hunt’s entry into the GOP nomination race could prevent the winner of next March’s primary from winning a majority of the vote, which would trigger a runoff election two and a half months later.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, seen at the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, is primary challenging GOP Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 election. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Democrats are hoping for a Paxton victory in the primary, which they believe would make next year’s general election more competitive.
It’s been nearly four decades since a Democrat won a Senate election in Texas. You have to go back to the 1988 re-election victory by then-Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.
Former Rep. Colin Allred, who lost last November’s Senate election in Texas to conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz by over 8 points, is running for the 2026 Democratic nomination, along with rising star Texas state Rep. James Talarico and former astronaut Terry Virts.
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