Happy Tuesday, Texas!
Several parts of the state are experiencing a rain today with possible scattered thunderstorms. This is your friendly reminder to be extra cautious while driving in the rain. Texas officials encourage drivers to slow down, increase following distance and keep headlights on.
Here are some of the top stories of the day in the Lone Star State:
Body found in Louisiana believed to be man reported missing in East Texas
Authorities discovered the body of a deceased male in Sabine Parish Louisiana, near the Texas-Louisiana border. The Lufkin Police Department announced Monday evening that investigators believe the body, which was found that afternoon, is connected to the case of a man who was reported missing in Angelina County about two weeks ago.
The department said it would share further information once a positive identification of the body is made and the family is notified.
The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office reported Monday that a suspect is in custody. No further information was disclosed as the case remains under investigation.
However, Sabine Parish Sheriff Aaron Mitchell assured the public, “There is no reason for the citizens of Sabine Parish to be alarmed at this time.”
Lufkin police, SPSO, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Rangers are working together on the case.
Officials encourage anyone with direct information about the case to contact their local law enforcement.
Alarming Wi-Fi hotspot name sparks bomb scare on Texas flight
An American Airlines flight was grounded for several hours at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport last week as authorities investigated a possible bomb threat. A passenger from the Feb. 7 flight told ABC News the flight was fully boarded when a man showed a crew member his tablet that someone had reportedly named their Wi-Fi hot spot: “There is a bomb on the flight.”
A spokesperson for the airport confirmed to DailyMail.com that the aircraft and its luggage were swept for explosives, and all passengers were “re-screened by the Transportation Security Administration prior to being allowed to board again.” The flight eventually left the tarmac around 6:15 p.m. local time, according to airport officials, more than four hours after its scheduled departure.
1 dead after flight from Austin crashes into jet at Arizona airport
One person is dead and several others injured after two private jets collided at the Scottsdale Airport in Arizona on Monday. A private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil was landing at the airport when it veered off the runway and crashed into a parked plane, Worrick Robinson IV, a spokesperson for Neil, stated.
According to Associated Press, there were two pilots and two passengers on Neil’s plane, which was arriving from Austin, Texas. Neil was not on the plane. One person was reportedly in the parked plane, which was on private property nearby.
The Scottsdale Fire Department reported that at least three people were injured in the crash – two were taken to trauma centers and another is in stable condition at a hospital. Scottsdale Airport officials said the runway has been closed and will remain as such “for the foreseeable future.” The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Possible record-breaking fish caught in Central Texas lake
A largemouth bass recently caught in Austin may have broken a water body record. A 14.05-pound largemouth bass was caught by Austin resident Willie Pipkin in Lady Bird Lake, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department .
Pipkin’s catch is third Legacy ShareLunker of the 2025 season. This status is given to anglers who catch and loan a largemouth bass weighing 13 or more pounds to TPWD’s Toyota ShareLunker selective breeding program. Between January 1 and March 31, TPWD breeds the largest bass caught in Texas waters and releases them to create bigger, better bass in the Lone Star State.
Pipkin’s catch is also the heavies of the 2025 season so far, according to TPWD. The fish is the pending water body record for the heaviest largemouth bass caught in Lady Bird Lake, surpassing the second Legacy ShareLunker of 2025 – a 13.64-pound largemouth caught in the Richland-Chambers Reservoir.
Google Maps updates name of Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
Google has officially updated the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in its Maps app.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month declaring the Gulf of Mexico be renamed to the Gulf of America. Google previously noted that it would only update the map to reflect Trump’s order when the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, a subdivision of the U.S. Geological Survey, approved the name change.
Maps in Mexico will continue to label the gulf as the Gulf of Mexico, while maps in other parts of the world will display both names.
The USGS has a notice on its maps indicating that the name of the Gulf of Mexico has been changed and the agency is in the process of updating its map applications to reflect the change. The maps currently still have the body of water labeled as Gulf of Mexico.
Apple Maps has not updated its maps to reflect Trump’s order.
