GALVESTON

A toxic red tide bloom appears to be killing fish and sharks in some areas along the Texas coast.

A man who fell off a tanker 10 miles off the shore of Galveston had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard last week.

Texas health officials are warning people about fatal Vibrio infections after a Galveston County man died from eating raw oysters.

Offshore wind advocates blame Texas’ antagonistic political climate for the lack of offers. A lease off the coast of Louisiana received two bids.

The coastal county faces a drawn-out trial over claims of intentional discrimination in its 2021 redistricting of commissioners court precincts. The only district in which Black and Latino voters could meaningfully influence elections was dismantled.

Some oil companies have expressed interest in bidding to build wind turbines off the Texas coast, which could help reduce emissions that cause climate change but still come at an environmental cost.

A 4-year-old boy drowned over the weekend after he fell into a pool at the Moody Gardens Hotel in Galveston.

A man who filed a lawsuit in Texas against three women he said helped his now-ex-wife obtain medication for an abortion is accused in a new court filing of using the lawsuit as an extension of the manipulative, controlling and emotionally abusive behavior he displayed toward her during their marriage.

A surfer had to be rescued after heavy winds pushed him off Bolivar Beach over the weekend, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 93-year-old woman who fell ill on the Carnival Vista cruise ship about 90 miles off the Texas coast.

A group of sea turtle patrollers stumbled upon a surprise beach visitor earlier this week when they spotted an alligator sunning in the sand.

Galveston Island State Park is celebrating its grand reopening following a years-long renovation due to damage from Hurricane Ike.

A federal judge has paused the Biden administration’s waterway protections in Texas and Idaho.

A second body was recovered amid the search for twin boys who disappeared in the water off Pleasure Pier in Galveston, according to media reports.

A gastrointestinal illness spread to over 300 people on a cruise ship out of Galveston, and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the cause.

Authorities in Galveston are searching for two twin boys who disappeared in the water off Pleasure Pier on Sunday.

There was a gruesome scene in Galveston Sunday morning after someone reportedly found headless animal carcasses on the beach, according to police.

Oyster harvesters on the Texas coast are facing twin threats to their way of life: The state shut down reefs to prevent overfishing and following recent reports of illness after people ate Texas oysters.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the National Defense Authorization Act and it includes authorizations for a $34 billion plan to protect residents and the petrochemical industry near Galveston and Houston in Texas.

A Galveston bartender was arrested after authorities said he overserved alcohol to a driver involved in a crash that killed four people last month.

The greatest challenge in recent years for the only surviving battleship that served in both world wars has been a leaky hull that's raised concerns it could sink.

Authorities in Texas say a grandfather, two of his grandchildren and a niece were the four people killed in a weekend collision involving a golf cart in the island resort area of Galveston.

Police say four people riding in a golf cart were killed — including two juveniles — when an allegedly intoxicated man driving an SUV ran a stop sign at an intersection in Southeast Texas.

Schlitterbahn is helping Texans beat the record-breaking heat with unlimited access to the New Braunfels and Galveston water parks.

The U.S. Senate voted to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning for a massive coastal barrier project in Galveston Bay meant to protect against hurricanes’ storm surge. Funding is not yet secured.

Two proposed wind farms off the Texas and Louisiana coasts would join offshore oil drilling rigs in the gulf as the Biden administration tries to boost the country’s clean energy supply.

A man already sentenced to death for an Oklahoma cold-case killing has pleaded guilty to murder in the deaths of two girls and a young woman whose disappearances also went unsolved for decades.

The beach side of Galveston Island State Park reopened on Monday with new campsites and amenities — a renovation that was years in the making after Hurricane Ike damaged structures there in 2018.

Several artists including Bun B, Lupe Fiasco and 6LACK have recorded songs honoring Juneteenth for Apple Music.

Republicans dismantled the only Galveston County commissioners precinct in which voters of color held political clout. It’s a major blow for Black and Hispanic voters who had been building political momentum.

A woman took a yacht for a joyride around Galveston on Monday — which wouldn’t be a big deal except that the yacht was not hers.

Police in San Antonio arrested an 18-year-old woman they say was a passenger during the hit-and-run death of a prominent Galveston doctor.

A 21-year-old man accused of fatally striking a prominent Galveston doctor as she rode her bicycle last week has been arrested in Seguin.

Sealy and his family have donated more than $1 billion over the past 100 years to UTMB and its medical institutions.

In a story published March 9, 2022, about a standoff in which a suspect died, The Associated Press erroneously reported that officers found the suspect dead in his house.

A man accused of fatally shooting 10 people at a Texas high school in 2018 will continue receiving treatment in a state mental health facility as doctors say he remains incompetent to stand trial.

A 58-year-old woman has died after falling from the top of a historic ship in Galveston, according to Port of Galveston police.

The offer is more than $3 billion, according to a Bloomberg report.

The federal infrastructure bill’s passage renewed hopes that Texas would finally get a coastal storm barrier. But Galveston and Houston could still get hit by a hurricane before it is built.

Dickinson police in the Galveston area are searching for a missing 78-year-old man with a diagnosed cognitive impairment who was last seen Wednesday morning, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Another Carnival cruise ship will sail into Galveston starting in 2023.

As Halloween approaches, it’s not unusual to see people dressed up as the legendary movie murderer, Michael Myers. But, the last place you’d expect to see the Halloween killer is in a Texas courthouse.

We know it’s the spooky season but a tongue-eating parasite is apparently a real thing and it was recently found inside a fish at Galveston Island State Park.

A new Norwegian Cruise ship with the largest racetrack on the ocean is going to be sailing from Galveston in late 2023.

A man dressed up as Michael Myers was spotted walking along a Texas beach during Tropical Storm Nicholas this week.

“I think we fared well,” said one official in Matagorda County, where Nicholas made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Tuesday morning.

Tropical Storm Nicholas has weakened to a tropical depression as it slowed to a crawl over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as its heavy rains continued to drench the area, maintaining a flood threat.

A few Texas State Parks along the coastal areas have temporarily closed due to Tropical Storm Nicholas, which is expected to make landfall on Monday afternoon.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have long threatened to sue school districts that defy Abbott’s ban on local mask mandates. On Friday, Paxton made good on that threat.

A woman who tested positive for COVID-19 while aboard a Carnival cruise ship from Galveston has died, according to reports.

Be careful not to get yourself in a sticky situation this week if you’re visiting some Texas beaches.

An unvaccinated Galveston couple died from COVID-19 complications just weeks apart in an area hospital, but not without leaving a message behind for their four children.

Did you know there are animals known as shrimp eels and that they’re actually super common along the Texas coast?

A Carnival cruise on which 27 people tested positive for COVID-19 just before the ship made a stop in Belize City this week is headed back to Galveston, Texas.

Days after Congress passed a law proclaiming Juneteenth a federal holiday, Texas Tribune photographers captured how Texans celebrated June 19.

The United States will soon have a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

The bill was passed in both chambers with wide support.

It’s an occasion that’s recognized in most states and the District of Columbia, but it’s not as of yet a federal holiday.

Two of Carnival’s massive cruise ships have returned to the Port of Galveston after a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Are you looking to visit a Texas beach, but are a little hesitant due to the expected crowds?

Not only did they see a huge pod of orca whales swimming in the Texas gulf, but some of those orcas swam right up to the boat to check them out. AdHardeman said the encounter lasted about 30 minutes until the group of orcas got bored and swam back to join their pod. Orcas do live in the Texas Gulf but are rarely sighted. Hardeman started his career 17 years ago in Alaska and has been working on offshore fishing boats in the Texas gulf for about 10 years. Hardeman said he’s happy he can share the video of his orca encounter so others can enjoy it too.

Police identified the woman in the video as Terry Wright. GALVESTON, Texas – An Oregon woman who was recorded on police body camera video refusing to wear a mask at a Texas bank last week was arrested Wednesday after declining to wear a mask inside another Texas business. Terry Wright, 65, already had a warrant out for her arrest after she refused to wear a mask in a Bank of America branch in Galveston, Texas, last Thursday. Terry Wright was charged with resisting arrest and criminal trespass last week after refusing to wear a face mask inside a Galveston bank. In the widely seen video of Wright's confrontation with the officer at the Galveston bank, Wright stands in the bank’s lobby, surrounded by other customers, all of whom were wearing masks.

GALVESTON, Texas – An arrest warrant was issued for a woman who refused to wear a mask at a Texas bank, saying to a police officer: “What are you going to do, arrest me?”Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Terry Wright, 65, of Grants Pass, Oregon. Police say they've obtained an arrest warrant on resisting arrest and criminal trespassing charges. In the video, Wright can be seen standing in the middle of the bank’s lobby, surrounded by other customers, all of whom were wearing masks. Wright told the officer she had come to the bank to make a withdrawal. Wright told The Washington Post that she has never covered her face inside stores, even when the statewide mandate was in place.

This Aug. 7, 2018, photo provided by the Galveston, Texas, County Jail shows Suzanne Rivera. Rivera has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the death of her 4-year-old son, whose body was found on a beach in Galveston in October 2017. Court records show Rebecca Suzanne Rivera was sentenced Thursday, Fev. (Galveston County Jail via AP)GALVESTON, Texas – A 37-year-old Texas woman has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the death of her 4-year-old son, whose body was found on a beach in Galveston in 2017. Rebecca Suzanne Rivera was sentenced Thursday following her conviction on a charge of injury to a child by omission, according to court records.

Rebecca Rivera is seen in this mug shot released Feb. 4, 2021. GALVESTON, Texas – A 37-year-old Texas woman has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the death of her 4-year-old son, whose body was found on a beach in Galveston in 2017. Rebecca Suzanne Rivera was sentenced Thursday following her conviction on a charge of injury to a child by omission, according to court records. The records show Rivera, who had pleaded not guilty, has filed notice to appeal both her conviction and sentence. Prosecutors said the boy's body showed signs of being tortured, malnutrition and pneumonia, and that a cause of death could not be determined.

Meet Fox, a chinstrap penguin at Moody Gardens in Galveston. This makes her the facility’s oldest chinstrap penguin and the second oldest in North America. Meet our Texas Golden Girls starring “Fox” the Chinstrap penguin. Like Rose and Betty White, she is spunky, loves walking, visiting with her other 37 and 34-year-old Golden Girl gal pals and brings joy to all,” Moody Gardens said in a Facebook announcement. You can visit Fox at the Moody Gardens or through the live penguin webcam.

GALVESTON, Texas – A Black man who was led by a rope by two white officers on horseback has sued a southeast Texas city and its police department for $1 million, saying he suffered humiliation and fear during his arrest. Photos of the August 2019 encounter showed Neely being led by the officers on a rope linked to handcuffs — reminiscent of pictures showing slaves in chains. In body-camera video, one officer could be heard twice saying that leading Neely by rope down city streets would look “bad." A Texas Rangers investigation determined the officers didn’t break the law. City officials declined to comment on the lawsuit to news outlets.

Carnival cruises won’t sail out of Galveston — or most U.S. ports — anytime soon. The company said it is canceling sailings from all ports except its home ports of Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida. The CDC said it knows of 3,689 reported coronavirus cases and 41 deaths linked to cruises in U.S. waters between March and September. Even before the CDC announced its decision, the cruise industry had voluntarily suspended U.S. sailings through Oct. 31. Carnival rival Norwegian Cruise Line said Thursday that it hasn’t canceled any scheduled cruises and remains optimistic it can resume U.S. operations soon.

SAN ANTONIO – A portion of the 61st Pier in Galveston completely detached and floated away Sunday night due to rising water from Tropical Storm Beta. Here is a video of the end of the 61st Pier breaking off and floating away shortly after 10pm tonight. #HOUwx #GLSwx #Beta #txwx(webcam from @SaltwaterRecon) pic.twitter.com/x2cUUkssxj — NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) September 21, 2020The 61st Pier is located along Galveston’s main strip, Seawall Boulevard, and is about three miles away from Pleasure Pier. You can also find your local forecast anytime - including potential impacts from Tropical Depression Twenty-Two - on the KSAT Weather page. The latest on Tropical Storm Beta:

HOUSTON – As Tropical Storm Beta neared the Texas coast Monday, the biggest unknown was how much rainfall it could produce in areas that have already seen their share of damaging weather during a busy hurricane season. Rain from Beta was already coming down Monday in the Houston area. Earlier predictions of up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) in some areas were downgraded Monday to up to 15 inches (38 centimeters). Forecasters and officials reassured residents Beta was not expected to be another Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Imelda. Harvey in 2017 dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain on Houston, causing $125 billion in damage in Texas.

Forecasters said Beta was not expected to bring the same amount of rainfall that Texas experienced during either Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or Tropical Storm Imelda last year. The first rain bands from Beta reached the Texas coast on Sunday, but the heaviest rain wasn't expected to arrive until Monday into Tuesday. If the system makes landfall in Texas, it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda. Wilfred, which had been a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression earlier Sunday.

MIAMI – An exceptionally busy Atlantic hurricane season was churning along Saturday as the Texas coast prepared for a tropical storm that could strengthen into a hurricane before breaching its shores in the week ahead. Both the city of Galveston and Galveston County on Saturday issued voluntary evacuation orders ahead of Tropical Storm Beta, as did the city of Seabrook to the north of Galveston. Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning from Port Aransas, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana. Beta had maximum sustained winds at 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 2 mph (4 kph) Saturday night. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda.

A sign in Galveston as Hurricane Laura approached. Credit: Julio-Cesar Chavez/REUTERSThursday's biggest developments:Hurricane Laura downgraded to Category 2Hurricane Laura downgraded to Category 2[7:12 a.m.] After battering the Gulf Coast shortly after midnight Thursday, Hurricane Laura has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm as it moves northeast through the Texas-Louisiana border. Cassi Pollock, Matthew Watkins and Brandon FormbyHurricane Laura intensifies and is close to becoming Category 5 hurricane[8:27 p.m., Wednesday] As Hurricane Laura barreled toward the Gulf Coast on Wednesday night, the National Hurricane Center reported that the storms maximum sustained winds had reached 150 mph just 7 mph short of becoming a Category 5 hurricane. The storm is expected to bring "catastrophic" storm surge, winds and flash flooding. The storm, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to hit land just east of the Texas-Louisiana border by Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

GALVESTON, Texas – Mandatory and voluntary evacuations have been ordered for several Texas cities and counties ahead of Hurricane Laura. Get the latest tracking on Hurricane Laura here from the KSAT meteorologists, Your Weather Authority. San Antonio is helping out those that may be impacted by the storm. According to the San Antonio Fire Department, 1,458 evacuees have arrived at the city’s evacuation center since it opened at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. San Pedro Manor, a nursing home facility near San Antonio College, also received 57 evacuees from a sister nursing home in Galveston early Tuesday morning.

GALVESTON, Texas Forecasters Hurricane Laura is now expected to rapidly power up into a 'catastrophic' Category 4 hurricane an even stronger storm than previously expected as it churns toward Texas and Louisiana, gathering wind and water that now covers much of the Gulf of Mexico. Satellite images show that Laura has become a formidable hurricane" in recent hours, threatening to smash homes and sink entire communities. It has undergone a remarkable intensification, and there are no signs it will stop soon, with shear remaining low-to-moderate over the deep warm waters of the central Gulf of Mexico," the National Hurricane Center said in a briefing early Wednesday. Lauras maximum sustained winds have increased to near 110 mph (175 kph) with higher gusts, forecasters said early Wednesday. Homes and businesses will be damaged," said Donald Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which is near the bullseye of Laura's forecast track.

The Latest on Hurricane Laura (all times local):GALVESTON, Texas The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Laura has become an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane packing 140 mph winds, clocked by an Air Force hurricane hunter airplane flying into the storm. Tropical storm winds reached the coast of Louisiana Wednesday afternoon. Forecasters expect up to 20 feet (6 meters) of storm surge. -GALVESTON, Texas Texas Gov. Abbott said storm surge was going to be a big problem and it was expected to rise 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) in the Jefferson County area.

GALVESTON, Texas Not only are people preparing for Hurricane Laura in Texas, law enforcement officials closed the High Island Bridge in Galveston County, Texas, in order to allow ranchers to move cattle to higher ground in preparation for the storm. Ranchers on horseback and in pickup trucks moved a herd of nearly 1100 livestock to a location near the town of Winnie, Texas, about 52 miles north of Galveston. Hurricane Laura sets sights on Texas/Louisiana coastForecasters say Hurricane Laura is rapidly intensifying and will become a "catastrophic" Category 4 hurricane before landfall. It's churning toward Texas and Louisiana, gathering wind and water that swirls over much of the Gulf of Mexico. Follow KSAT Meteorologist Justin Horne as he reports from the Texas Coast ahead of Hurricane Laura

The mayor of Galveston called for a mandatory evacuation of the city Tuesday morning after Tropical Storm Laura strengthened into a hurricane and its path shifted westward, increasing the chances that it could strike the Houston area. Galveston residents have until Wednesday morning to evacuate, but city services will be suspended Tuesday at noon, according to a city Facebook post. Voluntary evacuation orders are in place for Chambers County, Galveston County and the City of Seabrook. Laura is bearing down as the coronavirus pandemic remains a major concern in Texas, especially in cities like Houston. Laura could become the second significant storm to impact Texas during the 2020 hurricane season.

GALVESTON, Texas – A mandatory evacuation has been ordered for the city of Galveston ahead of Hurricane Laura. Galveston Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown signed a mandatory evacuation Tuesday which instructs residents to leave the island and suspends city services at noon on Tuesday. Watch beach cams in Galveston as Hurricane Laura approaches“Overnight models shifted the landfall of Hurricane Laura westward,” according to the evacuation order from the city. Hurricane Laura “is predicted to make landfall late Wednesday to early Thursday as a Category 3 Major Hurricane. Those who do not follow the evacuation order should not expect public safety services once conditions worsen, city leaders said.

SAN ANTONIO San Antonio is helping out those that may be impacted by Hurricane Laura. San Pedro Manor, a nursing home facility near San Antonio College, received 57 evacuees from a sister nursing home in Galveston early Tuesday morning. The staff said San Pedro Manor can accommodate 125 residents and with the evacuees there will now be a total of 123 residents. An administrator with San Pedro Manor, Andy Dalbergo, said that this was part an evacuation order from the city of Galveston. He said all residents at San Pedro Manor and the evacuees have been tested for COVID-19 and there were no positive cases.

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS A special session of the Minnesota Legislature ended Saturday without agreement on remaking policing in the state where George Floyd was killed. I'm deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans ended the special session before our job was done," Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent tweeted. Were not walking away from Minnesota here, but I think we could all benefit from a breather, Gazelka said just before adjournment, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. The special session was necessary for Democratic Gov. If Walz seeks to extend his emergency powers an additional 30 days, he's required to call another special session for July 12 to let lawmakers object.

Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, originated 155 years ago. (Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News via AP, File)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. YOUNG IMMIGRANTS STILL FACE UNCERTAINTY The Supreme Court rejected Trumps effort to end legal protections for 650,000 young immigrants, but activists say legislation giving them a path to U.S. citizenship remains elusive. SINGAPORE OPENS GYMS, DINING OUT The latest relaxation in the city-state comes as reopenings in many places around the world are touching off fresh spikes in coronavirus infections. BIDEN SEIZES ON BOLTON BOOK The Democrats top aides say Trump kowtowed to Xi Jinping and ignored human rights abuses while trying to get the Chinese presidents assistance with domestic politics.

The date - June 19th - is not a federal holiday, and many non-black Americans have only recently become of aware of the day. Several of her employees are spending the day volunteering for the Juneteenth Freedom Phonebank, an initiative encouraging Census participation. Declaring the date a federal holiday would add considerable momentum, and there is growing support for the idea. Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, introduced legislation Thursday to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. In contrast, 93% of employers close on Independence day, with similar rates for Labor Day, Christmas Day and Thanksgiving.

SAN ANTONIO President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it wasnt until June 19th, 1865, that Union soldiers landed at Galveston with news that the enslaved were free. Now that day, Juneteenth, is a nationally celebration commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Its a history of our lives and where we have come from, said friend of the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAACAM) Charla Hutchens, and it reflects our joyousness of being free, to be a free person, to not be enslaved.There are some business people here in San Antonio on the East Side that organize a parade. It usually starts over on Houston Street past East Sam Houston High School, Susan Glosson, friend of SAACAM, said. You can find more information on how San Antonio is celebrating Juneteenth 2020 in this article.

“I freaked out,” said Prince, who plans to quarantine for two weeks and get tested if COVID-19 symptoms arise. Also Tuesday, the state reported that at least 2,000 Texans have died from the COVID-19 disease caused by the new coronavirus. "They still have to be practiced because COVID-19 hasn't suddenly magically left the state of Texas," he said. More than 680,000 workers in the restaurant industry have lost their jobs during the pandemic, according to the Texas Restaurant Association. Disclosure: Steve Adler, a former Texas Tribune board chairman; Texas A&M University; and the Texas Restaurant Association have been financial supporters of the Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

SAN ANTONIO Juneteenth, also know as Freedom Day, is the annual celebration commemorating Major General Gordon Grangers announcement in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil war was over and that all slaves were officially free. This news came nearly two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincolns famous Emancipation Proclamation. Heres a list of some online celebrations happening in the San Antonio area this Friday, June 19th. The UTSA Student Union in collaboration with the African American Studies and Multicultural Student Center for Equity and Justice will be hosting a panel discussion and feature poet Christopher Michael Brown. UTSA Juneteenth (KSAT 2020)Huston-Tillotson University in Austin will be hosting Juneteenth 2020: Growing Your Roots During a Global Pandemic Using Genealogy as a Progressive Tool. The event is open to the public and will focus on ancestry and genealogy.

SAN ANTONIO The hottest, coolest time in Texas" has set a reopening date following coronavirus-forced closures. Schlitterbahn will reopen its New Braunfels and Galveston parks on Saturday to season pass holders. The park will open in phases, and its website does not state when parks will open to the public. As Texas businesses reopen, COVID-19 case totals are rising. Both indoor and outdoor waterparks can operate at 50% capacity, as allowed in Abbotts Phase 3 of reopening Texas.

GALVESTON, Texas – Update:The Silver Alert issued for Donald Hopkins has been discontinued, as of around 7:15 p.m.We’ll bring more updates as they become available. Original:The Galveston Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing 77-year-old man. Authorities issued a Missing Senior Alert for Donald Hopkins Sunday afternoon. Hopkins has a diagnosed cognitive impairment and was last seen Sunday in the 3400 block of Stella Mare Lane in Galveston. Hopkins is described as being six-feet-tall with gray eyes and was last seen wearing a dark gray “Magellan” hat and gray pajamas.

A Galveston boat captain spotted something swimming in the water Saturday that he says he doesn’t see very often - an alligator. Derrick Greene with In the Zone Fishing Charters posted a video and several photos of the alligator, seen near the north jetty in Galveston, to his Facebook page on the day he and his charter guests spotted the unusual swimmer. It looked like a big log just below the water maybe 5 feet away," he said. “It wasn’t moving, but looked suspicious obviously, so I decided to get video. When I probed it with my fishing rod, the log came very much to life as you can see in the video."

Published: May 4, 2020, 6:54 am Updated: May 4, 2020, 11:48 amGALVESTON, Texas – A 10-year-old Arkansas boy drowned while swimming with his family in Galveston County, authorities said. Micah Batson of Little Rock disappeared shortly before noon Saturday while swimming with his family in waters off Crystal Beach, Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said. The boy's father told authorities that he and his son were in waist-high water when a wave crashed over them and separated them, the Galveston County Daily News reported. Padre Island National Seashore to allow overnight beach campingFirst responders found the boy’s body several hours later, authorities said. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.

Galveston beaches are open beginning Monday, but don’t pack the car with chairs and an umbrella too soon. Beginning April 27, the public beaches will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily for exercise only and other non-stationary activities. The Galveston City Council voted to allow people to surf, swim, wade fish, and access the rock groins during the designated hours. Public beaches will be closed outside the hours of 6 a.m. - 9 a.m., violation of a Class C misdemeanor and will carry a $500 fine, Galveston City Council says. As of April 25, Galveston County reports 255 active cases of COVID-19.

GALVESTON, Texas – Despite all the warnings and worry about the coronavirus, at the Port of Galveston on Thursday, it looked like business as usual. Thousands of people were seen boarding the Carnival cruise ship Dream, bound for Mexico. Ann Bedford and her husband Michael took their two daughters on the cruise and are not concerned about the coronavirus appearing on their cruise ship. The latest: What you should know about coronavirus cases in Texas“I am not afraid. Track live coronavirus updates with real-time map of confirmed cases, deathsOnly time will tell what the economic outlook for Galveston will be, in the coming weeks.

GALVESTON, Texas – If you’re planning on heading down to the Gulf Coast for your Spring Break, you’ll want to check this list. The Galveston County Health District teamed up with the General Land Office to test 52 sites in Galveston County for bacteria levels, officials said. To view advisories and bacteria levels, click the link here. A map of all Texas beaches tested as of Friday, March 6. (Texas Beach Watch)Texas beaches with medium-level fecal bacteria count:

SAN ANTONIO – David Elder joins Leslie, Justin and David Sears to talk about a new episode of “Texas Eats,” which showcases some great seafood from Galveston. Elder also challenges Sears to open a container of shrimp while wearing lobster gloves.

HOUSTON – Beginning March, Royal Caribbean will offer seven-day long cruises that will sail from Galveston to its private island, CocoCay, in the Bahamas for prices as low as $564. Cruise-goers will embark on an adventure on the “Enchantment of the Sea” ship, which will also make stops in Key West, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas, before reaching “Perfect Day” at CocoCay. Royal Caribbean says CocoCay has beach areas that make the island the ultimate sun-soaking escape and offers lots of activities to make the perfect beach day. The cruise’s lowest rates range from $564 to $920, with trips beginning on March 30 until Sept. 25. Here’s a list of all the dates available on the site:March 30April 6May 29June 5June 12June 19July 10July 17August 7August 14September 18September 25For more details on what the cruise offers, go here.

Two fishermen are missing and one is dead after a pair of boats collided off the coast of Galveston. Two Coast Guard vessels responded immediately and were assisted by a “good Samaritan” vessel in pulling two fishermen from the water. One man was unresponsive when he was pulled out of the water and he later died, KPRC reported. The cause of the crash also remains unclear, but the area was covered in heavy fog Tuesday. Authorities are waiting for the fog to clear to resume their search for the two men, according to KPRC.

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) – GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says a boater who had been believed to possibly be missing near Galveston along the Texas Gulf Coast was never actually missing. The Coast Guard and the Tiki Island police department became concerned after receiving a call around 2 a.m. Saturday about an unmanned 21-foot boat found near the east side of Jones Bay, located northwest of Galveston. Officials were unable to contact the boat’s owner and began searching for the individual. Small plane makes emergency landing, collides with road signThe owner of the boat learned of the search on social media and contacted officials, telling them his boat had broken away from where it had been secured during severe storms that swept through Texas and other parts of the U.S. South Friday night. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip Woods says his agency treats cases of adrift vessels the same as a man overboard until “we can be certain the owner or operator is accounted for."

GALVESTON, Texas – While it doesn't have much to do with Turkey, a waitress at a Denny's restaurant in Galveston, Texas, has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Almost every day, Adrianna Edwards walks over four hours to and from work. The Texas couple finished their meal, left the restaurant, and came back with a 2011 Nissan Sentra and handed Edwards the keys. All the couple asked in return for the car was for Edwards to simply pay the good deed forward. Every two hours, I come look out my window and see if there’s still a car there.

The suit, filed in district court Sept. 3 by Precinct 2 Deputy Constable Chris De La Cerda, claims that Barrientes Vela retaliated against him and another deputy constable from the agency, Leonicio Moreno, after Moreno refused sexual overtures from Barrientes Vela. The suit claims that De La Cerda was in a hot tub with Barrientes Vela and Moreno during the incident in question. Tumultuous work relationshipIn January 2018, months after the hot tub incident, Barrientes Vela accused De La Cerda and Moreno of falsifying agency training records. Late last year, after the filing of the first hot tub lawsuit, Barrientes Vela released a statement claiming she had witnesses who could disprove Moreno's version of what happened. Barrientes Vela responded to a request for comment late Tuesday evening with the following statement:AdMichelle Barrientes Vela response 9/10/19