Category: CNN Regional

By Francis Page Jr.

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    September 11, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Fort Bend County’s months-long courthouse showdown reached another defining moment Thursday as Commissioners Grady Prestage and Dexter L. McCoy returned to Commissioners Court for a consequential tax-rate vote — but not before joining state lawmakers at a morning press conference questioning Daniel Wong’s continued leadership and demanding greater transparency and accountability in county government.

The return mattered. Texas law required at least four commissioners to be present for the tax-rate action, and Thursday’s motion ultimately passed 4-0. ABC13 reported that county officials warned failure to approve a rate could jeopardize millions of dollars supporting employee compensation, roads, parks and other services.

But getting four votes into one courtroom did not end the larger argument over who belongs in the county judge’s chair.

Wong was temporarily appointed county judge in April following the suspension of K.P. George. After the civil proceeding connected to Wong’s appointment was nonsuited June 17, County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson concluded that Wong’s temporary authority had ended. Wong disagreed, maintaining that his appointment continues until a lawful successor qualifies. The disagreement subsequently moved into court.

Importantly, that legal dispute remains unresolved on its ultimate merits. During an August proceeding, Judge Edward Krenek indicated Wong could continue functioning as county judge while the quo warranto litigation proceeds; the hearing did not constitute a final determination that Wong ultimately has the lawful right to the office. Fort Bend County’s official website currently lists Wong as county judge.

That distinction has not quieted McCoy and Prestage.

The commissioners argue that decisions made under Wong’s leadership have moved beyond a disagreement over one office and into questions about the independence of county institutions. Their criticism intensified after an August 27 Commissioners Court meeting in which Wong and Republican Commissioners Vincent Morales and Andy Meyers voted 3-0 to fund five associate judges for FY2027, ending funding for three additional positions after December 31, and to establish a separate civil legal department under Commissioners Court.

Critics — including judges and County Attorney Smith-Lawson — warned those actions could create heavier court dockets, delays in family-law matters and diminished independence for the elected County Attorney’s Office. Supporters of the restructuring argued during the public meeting that Commissioners Court needed independent non-litigation legal advice and tighter fiscal accountability.

The associate-judge controversy may still evolve: reports this week indicate Wong and representatives of Fort Bend’s judges were discussing a possible agreement to restore the three positions subject to performance measures.

For McCoy, the broader pattern amounts to what he has repeatedly described as a “hostile takeover” of county government — language he has used publicly while campaigning on transparency and preservation of county services.

Thursday therefore became more than another partisan courthouse collision. It offered Fort Bend residents a front-row civics lesson: democratic government depends not merely on winning votes, but on clearly defined authority, independent institutions, transparent budgeting and public officials willing to have their decisions examined.

Those stakes are particularly significant in a county approaching the one-million-resident mark. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Fort Bend’s population at 975,191 in 2025, up 18.3 percent from its 2020 estimates base.

In a county growing that quickly, political drama may grab the microphone — but functioning courts, accountable spending and public confidence must ultimately command the room.

More Information Here – Fort Bend Commissioners Court

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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By Francis Page Jr.

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    September 11, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — In health care, the best victories are not measured simply by trophies on a shelf. They are measured by prescriptions filled on time, chronic conditions managed more effectively, and patients who can actually obtain the medicine their doctors prescribe. That is why Legacy Community Health’s latest statewide honor carries special weight.

Legacy’s Pharmacy team has received the Texas Pharmacy Association’s 2026 Excellence in Patient Outcomes Award, an honor recognizing an organization that has made outstanding contributions to helping pharmacists improve patient outcomes. The award was presented during the 2026 TPA Conference & Expo, held July 24–26 in The Woodlands.

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For Houston Style Magazine, a proud community partner of Legacy Community Health, the recognition feels especially fitting. Legacy has spent more than four decades building a health-care model centered on access, dignity and continuity of care. Today, the organization operates more than 60 locations across the Texas Gulf Coast region, is recognized as Texas’ largest Federally Qualified Health Center, and has been affiliated with United Way since 1990.

The pharmacy operation is an increasingly important part of that mission. Legacy pharmacists work alongside physicians and other providers to help patients understand medications, manage chronic illnesses and stay on treatment plans. Services include medication counseling, medication therapy management, specialty pharmacy support, immunizations and programs designed to make prescriptions more affordable and accessible.

And this is where Legacy’s pharmacy story becomes bigger than the traditional image of a counter, a bottle and a receipt.

Legacy provides free prescription delivery within a 70-mile radius of Houston, statewide shipping, medication labels in more than 120 languages and voice-enabled technology for patients with visual impairments. Through federal 340B-supported affordability programs, the organization also works to reduce financial obstacles that can cause patients to delay or abandon treatment.

For patients balancing work schedules, transportation challenges, disabilities, language barriers or tight household budgets, those conveniences are not extras. They can be the difference between having a prescription and actually benefiting from it. In that sense, pharmacy access becomes a front-line public-health tool.

That combination of clinical expertise and practical problem-solving is what makes the TPA award meaningful. The association’s Excellence in Patient Outcomes honor specifically recognizes organizations advancing public awareness, patient counseling and pharmacy services that empower people to improve their health.

“This award belongs to every member of Legacy’s Pharmacy team,” said La Vonia Cannon, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy & Financial Support. Cannon credited the team’s innovation, collaboration and commitment to patient care while emphasizing Legacy’s vision of “Pharmacy Without Borders.”

CEO Robert Palussek echoed that point, noting that outcomes improve when patients can obtain their medications, understand how to use them and receive support to stay on track.

The recognition also arrives during a period of expansion. Legacy Pasadena Southmore opened in April 2026, with pharmacy services added in August, bringing integrated care closer to Pasadena families. Legacy Acres Homes opened in July with pharmacy prescription delivery among its services, while a full on-site pharmacy is planned for 2027.

Legacy is also helping cultivate the next generation of pharmacists through internships that expose students from institutions including the University of Houston and Texas Southern University to patient care, immunizations, screenings, community outreach and quality-improvement work. That investment matters because tomorrow’s pharmacists will increasingly serve not simply as dispensers, but as accessible members of coordinated care teams.

For Houston, Fort Bend County, Beaumont and communities across Southeast Texas, the award is more than applause for a job well done. It is recognition of a philosophy: health care works better when access is treated as part of the prescription.

Houston Style Magazine proudly congratulates Legacy Community Health’s Pharmacy team on a statewide honor earned one patient, one conversation and one healthier outcome at a time.

More information on the LEGACY PHARMACY – CLICK HERE

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3465287733

By Maddie White

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — They’re loud, playful and one of San Francisco’s most recognizable icons. But this summer, sea lions along the Central California coast are also signaling a troubling change in the ocean.

Rescuers are responding to a surge in sea lions sickened by domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by naturally occurring harmful algal blooms. The Marine Mammal Center says it has already rescued more than 150 sea lions with domoic acid poisoning this year — more than twice its typical annual total.

At San Francisco’s Pier 39, where sea lions have become a tourist attraction, the animals appear healthy and energetic.

But elsewhere along the coast, many are struggling. That includes the animals that are brought into Sausalito’s Marine Mammal Center, the world’s largest marine mammal hospital and a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing sick, injured, or abandoned marine mammals.

“They’re telling a story,” said Giancarlo Rulli, who has worked at the Marine Mammal Center for 22 years.

That story, he said, is about a severe outbreak of domoic acid poisoning — and potentially about changes taking place in the ocean.

“We’re in the midst of a severe outbreak of domoic acid poisoning,” Rulli said. “And how, in turn, that can also have implications for us as humans as well.”

One sea lion found at San Francisco’s Crissy Field this week was displaying symptoms including head weaving and bobbing before it eventually died from domoic acid poisoning.

The toxin is produced by certain algae and enters the food chain when fish consume the algae. Sea lions then ingest the toxin when they eat contaminated fish.

“It can cause lesions on the brain,” Rulli said.

The effects can include lethargy, twitching and seizures.

Researchers are studying what may be contributing to the current outbreak.

Dan Costa, a distinguished professor of ecology at UC Santa Cruz, has been tracking sea lions and their movements. He said warming associated with El Niño may help create conditions favorable for harmful algal blooms.

“Because of the El Niño you have warming, which probably helps the harmful bloom,” Costa said. “And then that domoic acid gets released, fish eat it, and then it biomagnifies in the fish.”

Costa has also found sea lions moving farther north, where colder waters can provide more favorable conditions for the fish they depend on.

“The conditions are more favorable up here for fish,” he said.

But that movement can create another problem: when mothers travel north to feed, their pups can be left behind in Southern California.

“Then so you’ve got these poor little pups sitting on the beach starving to death,” Costa said.

He said the larger lesson extends beyond the animals themselves.

“The best thing we can do is to reduce human activities that put pollutants in the water,” Costa said.

The California Department of Public Health told CBS News Bay Area that an increase in sick or stranded marine mammals can be one indicator that a harmful algal bloom producing domoic acid may be present, though it is not the only measure the state uses. The agency monitors seafood for the toxin year-round and increases testing when risk indicators are present.

The health department spokesperson added that serious illness or death can result if contaminated seafood is consumed by humans. They advise consumers to check current seafood advisories and fishery closures before eating locally caught seafood.

Meanwhile, the influx of sick sea lions is putting enormous pressure on the people trying to rescue them. At the Marine Mammal Center’s call center in Sausalito, staff are fielding hundreds of reports.

Justin Hodges said the number of calls involving sick sea lions has increased three to six times in recent weeks.

“Last year was about 60 to 100 calls a day and now we’re looking at 300 to 600 calls per day,” Hodges said.

Each rescue can require a team of four to six people, sometimes moving an animal weighing more than 300 pounds.

“It’s extremely labor intensive and physical,” Rulli said.

With more calls than responders can immediately handle, the center has been forced to triage cases based on the animal’s condition, location and available personnel.

For sea lions suffering from domoic acid poisoning, treatment can include anti-seizure medication and fluids to help the body process the toxin. But many animals do not survive.

“It always hits home. It’s disturbing. It’s highly emotional,” Rulli said. “You can feel quite helpless, especially when there’s an outbreak happening of this magnitude.”

Still, there are moments of hope.

On Thursday, the center released three rescued sea lions back into the wild.

For Hodges and the volunteers who clean carriers, care for animals and answer the seemingly endless calls, those releases are reminders of why they keep showing up.

“This work can be challenging yet incredibly rewarding,” Hodges said.

For rescuers, each successful release is a small victory during an overwhelming season — and one more sea lion given the chance to return home.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Nicole Comstock

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Chino Hills family is demanding answers after their beloved dog died from heatstroke at a home-based dog boarding facility.

Kimberly Gebala said that she and her husband, Robert, were on a family vacation with their children in Hawaii when they got the gut-wrenching call that Herschell was dead.

“I had an anxiety attack before getting on the plane because I didn’t want to come home knowing that he wasn’t gonna be here,” Kimberly Gebala said.

Hershell, a 5-year-old Australian shepherd, was boarded at a dog training business called Critical Thinking Dog Services, where the Gebalas had boarded him several times over the years when on vacation.

“He died from heatstroke and he suffered cardiac arrest, shock,” Kimberly Gebala said, citing the paperwork from Herschell’s necropsy.

She says that the heatstroke was determined as the most likely cause of death since it was 97 degrees in Chino Hills on the day he died, just one of several severely hot Southern California days in the midst of a massive heatwave.

When CBS LA reached out to the Inland Valley Humane Society, they said that they are “unable to comment as this is an ongoing investigation.”

Upon contacting the owner of Critical Thinking Dog Services at his home, he said that he doesn’t have a legitimate dog boarding business, and that he watches dogs for friends while they’re out of town.

He said that he considers the Gebalas as his friends, and that he considered Herschell as one of his own dogs. He also said that on the day Herschell died, he was at his mother’s house and that he was being kept inside with fans on.

The Gebalas say that he reached out to them mid-vacation asking for money.

“His words was like, ‘Hey Rob, can you get some payment in advance because my sister’s worried she’s not gonna get paid,'” Robert Gebala said. “That was out of the ordinary.”

They think that Herschell may have already been dead when the request was made. After researching the business, they learned that it was not licensed to board dogs. They’re hopeful that no one else makes the same mistake.

“We just don’t want any other family to feel this, because it’s awful. You have no closure,” Kimberly Gabala said. “You feel guilty.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Frankie McLister

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — A 45-year-old man is critically injured after a fight at the Minnesota State Fair on Saturday night. Now, his fiancée is pushing for answers.

“You don’t want to see somebody you love in a situation like this,” said Heather Hoffman, fiancée of Sammy, who’s also a stepfather and was involved in the incident. “We have a wedding we’re supposed to be planning. That’s my other half; he’s my partner,” she said.

Hoffman says she was inside the Grandstand Saturday when her fiancé, Sammy, was roaming around the fair with two friends. Those friends say Sammy bumped into a teen.

“That bump in from my fiancé to a teenager escalated,” said Hoffman. She says several others joined into an attack on her fiancé.

“[They] kicked and stomped on his face, which resulted in reconstructive jaw surgery and his jaw being broken in multiple places,” Hoffman added.

Although Sammy’s loved ones or WCCO haven’t obtained video of the incident, the State Fair Police Department confirmed it happened.

State Fair police said officers were dispatched to the area of Carnes and Nelson on Saturday at 9:48 p.m. No known weapons were used. The assault was a result of a confrontation with another group of fairgoers. No suspects are in custody and it is currently under investigation.

State Fair police said officers were dispatched to the area of Carnes and Nelson on Saturday at 9:48 p.m. No known weapons were used. The assault was a result of a confrontation with another group of fairgoers. No suspects are in custody and it is currently under investigation.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Erika Gonzalez

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — 25 years after responding to Ground Zero following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, retired City of Miami firefighter Arturo Gomez will mark the anniversary by watching his daughter begin her own career as a first responder.

Giuliana Gomez is set to graduate from the fire academy Friday at the City of Miami Fire Rescue Training Center, joining the same department where her father served for 32 years.

Arturo Gomez retired in 2024 as an assistant fire chief and chief of training.

He was on duty in downtown Miami on Sept. 11, 2001. Days after the attacks, Gomez deployed to New York with Florida Task Force Two, spending roughly two and a half weeks at Ground Zero searching through the rubble.

Among his most emotional memories is helping recover fallen New York City firefighters. Gomez recalled initially stepping aside so FDNY firefighters could recover their own.

Now, 25 years later, this date will carry a new meaning for his family.

Giuliana, 23, grew up around the fire service and hearing about her father’s experiences. Now she is preparing to wear the same uniform.

For Gomez, Sept. 11 remains a day to remember those who died and the first responders who sacrificed their lives.

Her graduation on Sept. 11 is a coincidence with special significance for Gomez, who was himself hired on Dec. 7, the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Friday’s ceremony will mark a new beginning for the Gomez family and a new opportunity for the next generation to carry on a family legacy of public service.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.