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Monday, December 23, 2024

Good morning! On this day in 1949, Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple became a nonprofit hospital foundation. In 2013, it merged with Baylor Health Care System to form the largest nonprofit healthcare system in Texas.

Christmas and Hanukkah are only a few days away, and The Texas Flyover will be adjusting its coverage a bit so that our team members can spend time with their families. Beginning Christmas Day, we'll be publishing shorter editions until the weekend and then be back on Monday with our regular publication.

Today's sponsor is the Voice of Martyrs, who are helping provide aid to Christians in hostile territories.

Drunk Driver Plows Through Killeen Mall

A Kempner man drove his vehicle through the Killeen Mall Saturday evening, injuring five people before police fatally shot him.

John Darrel Schultz, 53, was identified as the driver of the black truck that crashed through the JCPenney entrance, traveling several hundred yards inside the mall before he was stopped. He was being pursued by a Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Five people, ranging in age from 6 to 75, sustained injuries and were treated at local hospitals. The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident. The mall will be closed until further notice.

"Turning around and seeing the crowd, then trying to grab my son in a sea of people. That was insane, and it keeps replaying in my head," said a shopper.

Rep. Kay Granger Living in Retirement Home

Outgoing U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) is living in a dementia care facility, a local newspaper reported Friday. The congresswoman's whereabouts have been in question since her last vote in July, sparking debate about the age of elected officials.

Granger, 81, announced her retirement in November of last year, and current State Rep. Craig Goldman was elected to fill her seat. Her last vote was cast on July 24 on an amendment to a measure to fund the EPA.

After constituents asked questions about Granger's position on the recently passed federal spending bill, the Dallas Express tried to contact Granger's office, but it had closed before Thanksgiving. The newspaper followed up on a tip to confirm that Granger moved into an assisted living facility after she was found wandering a local neighborhood in a confused state.

The revelation has elicited frustration from Granger's constituents and criticism from pundits and elected officials who contend that politicians are often too reluctant to leave office when they can no longer perform their duties.

Granger was first elected to Congress in 1997, becoming the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House. She was also the first woman from her party to chair the House Appropriations Committee, a post she held from January 2023 to April of this year.

9.1 Million Texans Traveling for Christmas

According to projections from AAA Texas, 9.1 million Texans plan to travel 50 miles or more between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1. That figure is 2.2% more than last year but still 3.9% lower than the last pre-COVID-19 holiday travel season.

Of those 9.1 million Texans traveling for the holidays, 8.5 million are traveling by car, 413,000 are flying, and 268,000 are using another form of transit. Air travel is up 8% over last year.

AAA Texas Vice President Galen Grillo said that with Christmas falling on a Wednesday, many families are flying to international destinations or going on a cruise in addition to taking road trips.

For Texans driving to their Christmas destinations, the statewide average price for gas is $2.65 per gallon, about four cents lower than last year.

Be Inspired by Bold Believers

For 25 years, Todd Nettleton, the host of VOM Radio, has ventured into some of the world's most hostile and restricted nations.

His mission? To meet the courageous men and women who have faced persecution for their unwavering faith in Christ. Todd has traveled far and wide to hear their powerful stories firsthand and to bring their voices to the world, sharing their extraordinary testimonies of faith and resilience.

In his new book, When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians, Todd invites you to meet these bold believers.

Each stop on this journey will challenge you to reflect on your own walk with Christ along the sometimes-difficult path toward our heavenly home.

Through their incredible stories of courageous faith, we pray you will be inspired to a deeper, bolder walk with Christ.

This compelling book is free for you with any gift—simply request your copy today!

➤ Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next U.S. ambassador to Italy. This follows earlier reports that the Houston Rockets owner was being considered for the post. (More)

➤ Kleberg County: A French bulldog named Chula was reunited with her family after authorities discovered her traveling with suspects carrying more than $250,000 in cash, which was determined to have been obtained through illegal activity. (See Photos)

➤ San Antonio: The University of Texas at San Antonio received permission from the Texas Historical Commission to demolish the downtown Institute of Texan Cultures building, a State Antiquities Landmark, to redevelop and expand its Hemisfair campus. (More)

➤ Van Zandt County: Residents have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the construction of a 100 MW lithium battery energy storage facility, citing concerns over fire and environmental contamination risks. (More)

➤ El Paso: Two men were arrested on charges of aggravated kidnapping after a nine-day ordeal in which they allegedly demanded $600,000 to release their captive. (More)

➤ Atascosa County: The San Miguel Electric Cooperative will receive a $1.4 billion grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to convert a coal-fired power plant into a solar power and battery storage facility. (See Details)

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➤ The Dallas Cowboys defeated a strong Tampa Bay Buccaneers team 26-24 Sunday night for their fourth win in the last five games—despite learning they'd been eliminated from the playoffs hours before the game. (More)

➤ High school football state championships wrapped up this weekend. In one of Saturday's biggest games, the North Crowley Panthers toppled the Westlake Chaparrals 50-21 at AT&T Stadium to take the UIL 6A Division I title and finish the season 16-0. (More)

➤ The Houston Texans star wide receiver Tank Dell suffered a severe knee injury on a touchdown catch in Saturday's 27-19 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Dell was rolled out on a stretcher and spent the night in a hospital. (More)

➤ The Texas Longhorns advanced to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals with a 38-24 win over Clemson. The Longhorns will face Arizona State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1. (More)

➤ The SMU Mustangs fell to the Penn State Nittany Lions 38-10 on Saturday, bringing their first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference to an end. (More)

Yesterday's results: NFL | NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | PGA

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➤ Florida-based Duos Technologies Group plans to build a data center on 500 acres at an industrial park in Pampa, using 500 MW of self-generated natural gas power and up to 200 MW of wind energy. (More)

➤ Local developers have purchased a 60-acre site in Tyler to build a 600,000-square-foot shopping and entertainment destination. (See Rendering)

➤ The state's $300 million citrus industry, based exclusively in the tropical Rio Grande Valley, is suffering amid an ongoing drought and setbacks caused by severe natural disasters in recent years. (More)

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Be Inspired by Bold Believers

For 25 years, Todd Nettleton, the host of VOM Radio, has ventured into some of the world's most hostile and restricted nations.

In his new book, When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians, Todd invites you to meet these bold believers.

Each stop on this journey will challenge you to reflect on your own walk with Christ along the sometimes-difficult path toward our heavenly home.

Through their incredible stories of courageous faith, we pray you will be inspired to a deeper, bolder walk with Christ.

This compelling book is free for you with any gift—simply request your copy today!

➤ Four Texas cities—Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Austin—landed on a FincanceBuzz list of the "Grinchiest" in the country. The ranking was based on factors such as holiday shopping and charitable giving data during the holidays, Google Trends scores for "Bah Humbug" and "I Hate Christmas," and the prevalence of ice skating rinks and Christmas tree farms. (See List)

➤ Waco Police Chief Sheryl Victorian wrote a children's book, The Me I See, to inspire young girls to become police officers when they grow up. (More)

➤ News 4 San Antonio meteorologist Chris Suchan shared a fancy chart forecasting the odds of a white Christmas in Texas, humorously using two different colors to declare "no chance." (See Forecast)

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