An aircraft with 21 people onboard crashed Tuesday in a field near an airport in Brookshire, injuring one person, authorities said. The McDonnell Douglas MD-87 rolled through a fence and caught fire in a field while attempting to depart from Houston Executive Airport in Brookshire near Katy, the Federal Aviation Administration said. All 21 people aboard -- 18 passengers and three crew members -- were evacuated safely. Officials said two people were transported from the scene. "Anytime you have plane that doesn't make a landing on the runway like its supposed to, we're always expecting the worst and hoping for the best and today, we absolutely, positively got the best outcome we could hope for," said Tim Gibson, Emergency Service District Director for Waller-Harris Emergency Service District 200.  

Ray Chesson was a longtime justice of the peace in Jefferson County. He also was a volunteer firefighter, a first responder of the first rank and a "man's man" who stuck his hand out to all and loved his community as much as his family. The well-loved community servant died Friday from an overwhelming cancer. He was 66. "He was a fantastic human being," said Chris Gonzales, fire chief of Jefferson County Emergency Service District No. 1, who served on the Local Emergency Planning Committee with him. "He was a man's man and said what he meant and meant what he said," Gonzales continued. "He attracted people. He'd coach young people in trouble, but he'd be firm with them. He'd help them straighten their lives out."  

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: One person was killed and another flown to the hospital after a fiery head-on crash in west Texas. The drivers of a Ford F-150 and an Acura SUV collided about 7:20 a.m. on Hwy. 36., three miles east of Cross Plains. People driving past the accident - along with Bobby Schroedter, who is temporarily staying at a home on Hwy 36 - tried to help the victims. They called 911 and pulled the driver of the F-150 out of his truck and away from the flames. Schroedter said the man's pants were on fire. An air evac helicopter flew him to the hospital. Schroedter said he checked to see if the other driver — who was trapped in the wreckage — had a pulse, but couldn't find one. "I don't think we could have gotten the door open, but once I felt that there was no pulse, I just didn't try to do anything else," Schroedter said. Schroedter then grabbed jugs of water and attempted to douse the flames.  

A Frisco firefighter was taken to a hospital after battling a house fire Monday evening but has since been released home and is OK, officials said. Firefighters responded about 5:30 p.m. to a fire in the 4900 block of Voyager Drive, near Lebanon Road and Legacy Drive. When they arrived, they found a large amount of smoke coming from the back of a two-story home, according to a news release from the fire department. Firefighters found the fire in the garage and the attic area above it. They put out the fire in the attic and in the rooms around and above the garage. The fire was under control by 6:30 p.m., officials said. No one inside the home was injured. The one firefighter had non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital. By Tuesday morning, the firefighter had been released home from the hospital.  

The Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) announced last Monday that a new dual credit high school firefighting academy/emergency medical technician program is now a reality after a nine-month long planning period. This is a partnership between LIT's Workforce Education, the City of Jasper, Jasper Economic Development Corporation (JEDCO), Jasper County Emergency Services District No.4 and seven Southeast Texas school districts. Jasper, Newton, Burkeville, Kirbyville, Spurger, Woodville and Brookeland high school juniors will have an opportunity to take dual credit classes that provide them with an opportunity to take the state certification test as a firefighter or EMT at the end of their senior year. Those who complete the program will be eligible to graduate from LIT in May of their senior year with the Basic Fire Academy Certificate.  

Two people were taken to a hospital after a house fire in McAllen on Monday. A call regarding a possible house on fire on 32nd St. came in around 12:30 p.m., according to the McAllen Fire Department. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke and fire, and learned that people were possibly inside.An elderly couple, their son and three pet rabbits self-evacuated, according to the McAllen Fire Department. The couple was taken to a local hospital. The fire remains under investigation.  

Boulder Fire-Rescue (BFR) tweeted Tuesday morning that they are working a large apartment fire in the 2300 block of Pearl Street. BFR said that multiple agencies are helping put out the fire that has affected 83 units in three buildings of the apartment complex. Two minor injuries were reported, BFR said, but those injuries did not require either person to be hospitalized. Fire crews said they were able to knock down most of the fire since they first called to the scene shortly after 3:30 a.m. Video from SKY9 showed heavy smoke in the surrounding area. BFR said the fire was considered under control at about 5:40 a.m. The Red Cross is working to help residents affected by the fire. Fire crews are asking people to avoid the area as they work to knock out hot spots from the fire.  

It looks something like a cross between a robot, a bus and an RV. Until it lights up and moves. Then it's a fire truck. An electric-powered fire truck. Empire Emergency Apparatus of Lockport Road in Niagara Falls hosted a demonstration of the pumper on Old Falls Street in Niagara Falls for firefighters from Niagara Falls, Buffalo and North Tonawanda on Friday. Todd McBride of Rosenbauer America showed off the advanced technology on the truck, a 7-year old demo model. LED lights ringing the back light up work areas with glare-free, shadow free illumination. Ladders and hoses are stored internally. North Tonawanda Fire Chief Joe Sikora was there for the demonstration. "It is quite a change from what we are used to," Sikora said. "Times are changing. Fire trucks have been the same for a long, long time."  

The historic rise of calls for service from first responders across the country has opened the door for deeper training for law enforcement in Greensboro to help EMS and firefighters identify medical-related situations. Guilford County EMS and Greensboro firefighters reported that they have seen a sharp increase in calls related to people having a stroke, seizure, dealing with dementia or another unknown medical problem. Those calls have begun to bleed over into the Greensboro Police Department with citizens calling for police assistance when someone begins to act out. Greensboro firefighters explained to a group of rookie police officers on Monday that "a lot of people are either delaying or postponing or canceling medical diagnosis or treatments that they need…the chances have never been higher that you will have to respond to a scene that is actually caused by a medical-emergencies."  

The types of places that carry the biggest risk for COVID-19 transmission have changed over time - partly because experts have learned more about how the virus works and partly because the virus itself has changed. The delta variant is more than two times as contagious as previous strains, which has obvious implications for transmission. Also, nearly 60% of the population in the United States is now fully vaccinated, which impacts the virus's spread. Fully vaccinated people are not only less likely to become hospitalized or die, they're also far less likely to spread the virus (despite some confusing public health messaging around this second point). So here's what we know about the places where transmission is the highest right now, and places where the spread isn't as bad as people might think.