Texas Briefly
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tests positive for COVID-19
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Friday afternoon that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement, Turner said he felt ill overnight but thought allergies or a sinus infection were the cause. As a precaution, though, he had himself tested Friday morning before beginning his daily schedule, then canceled his schedule for the day and through the weekend. He said his positive test results came back Friday afternoon.
Turner said he was experiencing mild symptoms and would spend the next several days isolated and resting.
Turner was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and received a vaccine booster, according to his spokeswoman.
City employees in frequent contact with the mayor, such as his security detail, executive office staff and a handful of others, are tested with Turner every two weeks, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Turner was to tour environmentally blighted neighborhoods Friday with EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
Texas school bus crash kills aide, hurts driver, 3 students
A school bus crashed on a rural southeast Texas road Friday, killing an adult bus aide and injuring the driver and three students, one seriously.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says the Hempstead school district bus with four students and two adults aboard crashed at 12:10 p.m. Friday. Sgt. Erik Burse said the bus rolled over on Farm-to-Market Road 1887, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Hempstead or about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of Houston. It was not immediately clear what caused the rollover, Burse said.
A high school girl was airlifted to a Houston hospital in serious condition, while two students went by ambulance to a hospital in Katy, 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of the crash site, Burse said. One student was not injured.
NTSB: Small plane clipped treetops before crash killed 2
HOUSTON (AP) — A small plane appeared to have clipped treetops before crashing west of Houston, killing both people aboard, federal investigators reported Friday.
The Dec. 8 crash of the single-engine Piper PA 28-140 aircraft happened in a heavily wooded area shortly after takeoff from West Houston Airport. The Texas Department of Public Safety identified those killed as student pilot Solomon Babalola, 23, of Katy, and passenger Apesin Oluwafunmilayo, 20, of Houston.
In a preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board said there were no witnesses.
Radar showed the single-engine Piper PA 28-140 aircraft took off about 8 p.m., flew south-south-westward for 1.5 miles before making a series of left and right ascending and descending turns. The last descending turn increased the plane's descent before radar lost contact.
The National Weather Service reported low clouds and fog were found in the area and that instrument flight rules were ordered.
