Jumat, 25 September 2026

Ugly Houses Scammer Sentenced, Flocks Unplugged, and an Owlet Flies

Friday, September 25, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1922, San Antonio's WOAI radio station signed on with a 500-watt transmitter and daily violin and piano selections. Founder G.A.C. Halff is said to have launched it so that buyers of his giveaway radios would have something to hear.

Something was afoot at the Circle K yesterday, as revealed in Business. The chain was selling gas for 40 cents per gallon less in exchange for joining its rewards club. Our Poll asks how far out of your way you would drive for gas that was 40 cents per gallon cheaper.

Today’s sponsor is Curated Gift Guides, rounding up 37 of the most useful and ingenious gadgets of 2026 designed to solve everyday problems and make great gifts.

Man Shot by ICE Needs Surgery

A Venezuelan man shot by an ICE officer in Austin on Sunday needs surgery to remove a bullet still lodged near his spine, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar said Wednesday after visiting him at a South Texas detention center.

Casar, D-Austin, said Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was in a wheelchair, his left arm in a sling, and received his first pain injection an hour before the visit.

DHS called that account a "shameless fabrication," saying Garces Perez is receiving around-the-clock care and pain medication and that medical decisions rest with the hospital, not ICE.

Garces Perez's attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, says he was making a DoorDash delivery when an unmarked truck sideswiped his car, and agents shot him. ICE says there was a foot chase. Police video appears to show a pursuit before the shooting.

DNA Identifies Missing Texas State Student

DNA testing has identified skeletal remains found near Luling as Jason Landry, the 21-year-old Texas State University student who vanished nearly six years ago while driving home for Christmas.

Landry was driving from San Marcos to Missouri City on Dec. 13, 2020, when he wrecked his Nissan Altima on a rural road outside Luling. Searchers found his phone and wallet inside the car and his clothing scattered nearby, but no sign of him.

A man clearing land near the crash site spotted what he took for a ball on Sept. 8, then realized it was a human skull. Investigators say the remains reveal nothing about how Landry died and no sign of foul play.

'Ugly Houses' Franchisee Gets 15 Years

A Dallas real estate executive who used the "We Buy Ugly Houses" brand to defraud more than 80 investors of nearly $40 million was sentenced Wednesday to 188 months in federal prison.

From 2018 through 2024, Charles Carrier, 67, told investors that their money would buy and renovate specific homes and that their loans would hold the first claim on those properties. Often, he never filed the paperwork.

Carrier pledged the same houses to multiple lenders, sold properties without telling the investors who funded them, and forged lien releases to close those sales, prosecutors said. He spent the money on personal expenses and payouts to earlier investors.

Carrier pleaded guilty to wire fraud in October 2025 and owes $24,416,911 in restitution. He "preyed on Main Street families, retirees and small business owners," U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said.

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The 37 Best Gadgets of 2026 You Won’t Find in Stores

The best gadgets aren’t just cool... they solve real everyday problems. From clutter-busting tools to clever tech upgrades, these picks are making waves for their usefulness and ingenuity. We’ve rounded up the most talked-about items that people can’t stop adding to their carts.

Each one combines practical function with a touch of genius, making them perfect for your home, office, or even as gifts. But be warned... demand is skyrocketing, and these top gadgets are already selling out faster than expected.

Learn More

➤ Laredo: Voters will get a nonbinding say in May on spending $1 million a year to keep the city's 165 Flock cameras running. At least 900 license plate readers have gone dark statewide since Gov. Greg Abbott cut state funding. (More)

➤ Cameron County: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected a lower court's finding that death row inmate Melissa Lucio is innocent in her 2-year-old daughter's 2007 death. Four judges dissented. Her lawyer will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. (More)

➤ College Station: A Texas A&M student group invited Ken Paxton and James Talarico to a 90-minute Senate debate Oct. 14 at Rudder Auditorium, five days before early voting opens. Neither campaign has committed. (More)

➤ Houston: A University of Houston student's parked Nissan was hit by about 40 bullets in July when officers fired on a stolen-car driver beside it. The city initially denied her $20,000 repair claim, citing governmental immunity. (More)

➤ San Antonio: A Bitters Road sushi restaurant owes $81,308 in back wages to 33 workers after federal investigators found it shared tips with company executives and failed to pay overtime to some salaried workers. Sushi Haya also received a $1,980 penalty. (More)

➤ Harris County: Thieves have hit at least six area collectibles shops in two weeks, hauling off Pokémon cards and cash. One crew cleared more than $20,000 from a Cypress store in under four minutes, and some cut power first. (See Break-Ins)

➤ Statewide: Inmates with a gender dysphoria diagnosis will keep receiving hormone drugs under a revised prison policy, which also requires weaning inmates under 18 off the medication under the state's 2023 ban on such treatment for minors. (More)

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➤ The Dallas Wings beat the Seattle Storm 103-91 in their regular-season finale Wednesday, completing a WNBA-record 17-win improvement over last season. (More)

➤ FC Dallas plans to build a $1 billion entertainment district around Toyota Stadium in Frisco, with restaurants, a hotel, and a small soccer pitch. Developers expect construction to begin next year. (More)

➤ Former San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich married Mary Barth Budenholzer, the former wife of longtime Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer. (More)

➤ Atascocita visits North Shore tonight in a matchup of two ranked Houston-area high school teams. North Shore has won 11 straight against Atascocita. (Preview)

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➤ Stop cutting into your steak to guess if it's done. The MEATER Plus tracks internal and ambient temp from your phone, wirelessly, so you can walk away from the grill without walking away from a perfect cook. Find yours at Ace Hardware.

➤ Circle K stations across Texas knocked 40 cents off every gallon all day yesterday, but only for drivers who signed up for their rewards program. (More)

➤ Greenspoint Mall comes down in October after nearly five decades at Interstate 45 and Beltway 8. Lincoln Property plans a $150 million industrial park on the 80-acre site, with 1,200 full-time jobs. (See Plans)

➤ Record beef prices are squeezing Texas barbecue joints, some cutting menu items or closing. Brisket that used to cost Broken G BBQ in Lacy Lakeview $4 a pound now runs $6 a pound, but owner Anthony Walton said he's not raising prices to match. (More)

➤ Caesars Entertainment shareholders approved a buyout by Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta's gaming company Tuesday, 133 million votes to 4 million. Fertitta is paying $5.7 billion and taking on nearly $12 billion in Caesars debt. (See Deal)

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Genius Gadgets: The 37 That Actually Earn Their Keep

Smart shoppers know the secret: the best gadgets earn their keep. These 37 picks prove it. They aren't gimmicks or dust collectors, they're practical innovations that deliver real value every single day.

Whether you're organizing your space, upgrading your routine, or getting a head start on gifts, this list highlights what's genuinely worth buying right now. The catch? These popular items are selling faster than anticipated, so availability won't last.

Click Here

➤ Athena's surviving owlet is officially on its own. The young great horned owl, once thought dead after its mother left the nest, was released Wednesday at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center after months of rehab, including hunting lessons from Eddison, a veteran foster owl. (More)

➤ The original director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders died Wednesday at 96. Dee Brock started the squad in 1961 with high school students and is credited with helping integrate it. The boots-and-fringe uniforms arrived in 1972. (More)

➤ A Temple cemetery for formerly enslaved people has 236 new headstones after a Belton teenager's two-year Eagle Scout project. Josh Hogue, 17, raised more than $16,000 and rallied 39 volunteers, earning scouting's top rank Monday. (More)

➤ Red Wagon BBQ in Waco drew a surprise visit from Texas Monthly's barbecue editor, who called its oak-smoked brisket well-seasoned and the brisket-trim cheeseburger a "show stopper." Pitmaster Michael Cunningham says business is up about 20%. (More)

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