A Texas man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attacking an Asian family in 2020 because he thought they were Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to federal court records Jose Gomez III, 21, of Midland, was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to three counts of committing a hate crime. When pleading guilty in March, Gomez admitted that he used a knife to slash Bawi Cung and his 6 and 2-year-old sons inside Sam’s Club in Midland because he believed they were Chinese and spreading the coronavirus. Bawi Cung is from the southeast Asian nation of Myanmar. The March 2020 attack occurred as Asians faced verbal harassment and physical assaults across the United States after the virus began spreading nationwide. Gomez did not know the family when he followed them inside the store, federal authorities said in a statement. He followed them for several minutes because he perceived them to be a “threat” because they were “from the country who started spreading that disease around,” according to the statement. Gomez then purchased a serrated steak knife and slashed the three before a Sam’s Club employee intervened, stopping the attack as Gomez yelled “Get out…

The principal of the Texas elementary school where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers says the principal was placed on administrative leave Monday, her attorney said. Robb Elementary School Principal Mandy Gutierrez was placed on paid administrative leave by Uvalde school Superintendent Hal Harrell, said attorney Ricardo Cedillo of San Antonio in a terse statement to The Associated Press. Cedillo did not provide any further information on the reason for the move or any other comment. A message to a spokeswoman for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District was not immediately returned. A legislative committee blamed Gutierrez and an assistant for knowing a lock to the classroom where the killings happened on May 24 wasn’t working and not having it repaired. Also Monday, the district school board approved a three-week postponement of the start of the district school year until Sept. 6 so district officials can replace Robb Elementary’s classrooms and other educational resources. Courtesy of Texas News – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth …

Some hospitals in Texas have reportedly refused to treat patients with major pregnancy complications for fear of violating the state’s abortion ban, the Texas Medical Association said in a letter this week. The association did not name the hospitals but said it’s received complaints that hospitals, administrators and their attorneys may be prohibiting doctors from providing medically appropriate care in some situations, The Dallas Morning News reported. Texas law bans most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. A total ban — that includes exemptions if a woman’s life or health is in danger — will take effect in the coming weeks following last month’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. The letter, sent Wednesday to the Texas Medical Board, cited several examples in which medical care was delayed. In one case, a central Texas hospital reportedly told a physician not to treat an ectopic pregnancy until it ruptured, the letter said. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attached outside of the uterus, is not viable. “Delayed or prevented care in this scenario creates a substantial risk for the patient’s future reproductive ability and poses a serious risk to the patient’s immediate physical wellbeing,” the letter said….

Alexandria Aniyah Rubio was opinionated like her mother, and she played basketball and softball like her father. When she got older, she wanted to go to college on a softball scholarship and to become an attorney. Lexi, as she was known to family and friends, was among the 19 children and two teachers who were shot to death during the May 24 attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Her family asked mourners to wear bright colors to Lexi’s funeral on Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Uvalde because Lexi loved them. Lexi wanted to major in math one day at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where her mother is a student, the family said in an obituary posted on a funeral home’s website. They described her as “sarcastic, but caring, giving.” Gun violence March for Our Lives Jun 11 March for Our Lives Rallies Call for New Gun Laws After Shootings gun violence Jun 11 Governors Forming Task Force to Address Mass…

The special Tony Award that honors educators will go to a drama teacher in Texas who argues that “musical theater has a unique way of bringing people together.” Roshunda Jones-Koumba, the theater director at G.W. Carver Magnet High School in Houston will receive the 2022 Excellence in Theatre Education Award on June 12 at the Tony Awards in New York City. The annual education award bestowed by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University recognizes U.S. educators from kindergarten to 12th grade who have “demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.” “In theater we accept all, so you’re not afraid to be yourself. And that gives you confidence to do anything you want, enables you to work with different people, and to be a better all-around person,” Jones-Koumba said in a statement. “Theatre is Life. I’m very grateful to The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University for this honor.” The award includes a $10,000 prize and a pair of tickets to the Tony ceremony and gala. A panel of judges comprised of the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, Carnegie Mellon and other leaders from the theater industry selects the winner,…

Authorities in Texas have been searching for a woman accused of fatally shooting an elite cyclist after discovering the athlete had been romantically involved with her cyclist partner. The U.S. Marshals Service said it was looking for Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, 35, in the May 11 killing of Anna Moriah Wilson, 25. Armstrong was last heard from on May 13, the affidavit says, according to NBC affiliate KXAN of Austin. Austin police issued a homicide warrant for Armstrong on Tuesday, the Marshals Service said. It came nearly a week after police say a friend of Wilson’s found her body at an Austin home on May 11. The cyclist had traveled to Texas for a race in Hico, southwest of Fort Worth, according to the cycling outlet Velo News. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KXAN, Armstrong had been in a relationship with professional cyclist Colin Strickland for roughly three years. But during a break in their relationship, Strickland had begun seeing Wilson, the affidavit says. Based on a search of Wilson’s phone, investigators said messages indicated Wilson believed she was “still in a romantic relationship with Strickland even though he was currently dating Armstrong,” the affidavit says, according to KXAN. Read the…

A Texas woman faces drug possession charges after stealing a 52-foot yacht and taking it on a joyride in Galveston. According to a report by KPRC-TV, 45-year-old Renee Waguespack took the Jefferson Monticello “Loyalty” yacht for a ride on Monday. Galveston police told KPRC-TV that they received a call that the yacht had sailed away from where it was docked at 6130 Heards Lane shortly before noon. The United States Coast Guard and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office assisted in locating the stolen boat. It was found roughly an hour later at a pier at 7509 Broadway, police said. Police told KPRC-TV they found Waguespack on board the yacht along with four grams of a controlled substance that was presumed to be methamphetamine and required further testing. Waguespack was charged with possession of a controlled substance as well as unlawful use of a motor vehicle, police told KPRC-TV. She is currently being held in the Galveston County Jail. Courtesy of Texas News – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth …

A suspect in the fatal shootings of a young woman and teenage girl at a Casa Grande apartment complex has been arrested in Texas, according to authorities. Casa Grande police said 18-year-old Terrance Xavier Santistevan was taken into custody Saturday night in Pflugerville, which is 18 miles north of Austin, Texas. Police said Santistevan is facing two counts of first-degree murder. He’s being held in the Travis County jail awaiting extradition to Arizona. It was unclear Sunday if Santistevan has a lawyer yet who can speak on his behalf. Authorities said 17-year-old Danielle Murrieta and 18-year-old Leslie Cota were found shot multiple times on April 24 with nearly 30 bullet casings recovered at the scene. The two were rushed to a hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. A possible motive for the shootings remains unclear, authorities said. Police said detectives developed leads in the case through tips given by community members. They’re still searching for Santistevan’s vehicle, which police said has been connected to the fatal shootings. Courtesy of Texas News – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth …

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke was in Dallas Wednesday to discuss his plan to lower property taxes for Texans. O’Rourke has proposed making more housing accessible, paying for more public schooling (reducing the burden on homeowners), closing commercial property tax loopholes and expanding Medicaid in the state to reduce the property tax paid to local hospitals. Video from O’Rourke’s address will be added to this story Wednesday afternoon. In a statement prior to his address, O’Rourke said Texans are paying $20 billion more in property taxes since Gov. Greg Abbott took office. Abbott’s office released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying the governor has reduced taxes by $18 billion since taking office and that O’Rourke, as an El Paso City Councilman, twice voted for property tax increases in 2007 and 2010. This week, many North Texas homeowners have experienced sticker shock as they receive their property tax assessments from their local county appraisal offices. In some cases, homeowners are reporting market value increases of more than 50%; homestead exemptions can limit the increase in the appraised value to 10% annually. Courtesy of Texas News – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth …

A man serving a 25-year prison sentence for rigging computers to win lottery jackpots has had his parole revoked after he got into trouble in prison just before his scheduled release. Eddie Tipton was approved for release by the Iowa Board of Parole on Jan. 20 because of good behavior. He had served nearly five years of his 25-year sentence. The board reversed its decision and rescinded his parole on March 10. “He incurred a major discipline or major report within the institution after we granted the parole but before he was physically released,” said Iowa Board of Parole Chairman Andrew Boettger. The Iowa Department of Corrections notified the board of the incident, the board reviewed it and “based on the nature of the discipline decided to rescind the parole grant,” Boettger said. Boettger declined to specify what Tipton did before his release to deserve disciplinary action. A spokesman for Department of Corrections referred questions to Boettger. The prison system spokesman also denied a request to talk with Tipton at the state medium security prison for men in Clarinda. Tipton had worked for an organization in Urbandale, Iowa, that provided random number drawing computers to several states with lotteries. Investigators said…