Latest news with #DentonCounty
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
North Texas veterans find healing through horse therapy
For many military veterans, the most difficult battles begin after their service ends. As the nation marks National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day on Friday, one North Texas nonprofit is helping veterans heal invisible wounds through an unexpected method: horse therapy. At a ranch in Denton County, veterans like Tech. Sgt. Jay Mulford are learning to connect with horses—and themselves. "F-16s don't move when you're trying to get in them," Mulford joked while mounting a horse named Teddy. "They're about the same height, though." Confidence and connection Mulford, who is transitioning out of the U.S. Air Force Reserve after more than 15 years, said working with horses requires a similar kind of confidence as flying jets—but with a deeper emotional component. "These are 1,500-pound animals," he said. "You be calm around them, they'll be calm around you. That helps with my communication skills and feeling my emotions more—and relaying that to my family, like, 'Hey, I'm feeling this way.'" CBS News Texas Finding purpose again One of the hardest parts of returning to civilian life, veterans say, is losing the camaraderie and sense of purpose that comes with military service. "It was difficult. I mean, it's still difficult now," said Miranda Limon, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. "But not as difficult as it used to be, due to going to different therapies and trying to figure out what's going to help me." Limon said being around horses helps her reconnect with the person she was before her four years in the Marine Corps. "I feel happy after I leave here," she said. "I don't have to worry about anything else. It's just me and the horses and the veterans that were here with." Freedom Reigns program The equine therapy program, called Freedom Reigns, is an eight-week course designed specifically for military veterans. It's offered at no cost through a partnership between the Denton County Military Veteran Peer Network and Riding Unlimited, Stable Strides Farm and GallantFew. "There are things that they struggle with that you can't see," said Becca Hobby, the network's community engagement director. "What we get to do is bring them together and see them come into community and heal those wounds together." Fighting isolation with community Casey Brown, executive director of the Denton County Military Veteran Peer Network, said the goal is to reduce isolation — a major risk factor for suicide and substance use among veterans. "If we can get them out of isolation, get them around other people, get them on horses, start building that community, then that's going to reduce that isolation," Brown said. Freedom Reigns is one of the Veteran Impact activities funded by a recent $300,000 grant from Texas Health Resources. Veteran Impact is a collaboration between Denton MHMR and Military Veteran Peer Network to increase access to mental health care, peer support, and long-term recovery for veterans by hosting peer events, providing mobile counseling services, and offering transportation A source of hope "Seeing and hearing the stories of the veterans, where they have just completely changed the way they approach issues, or that they don't feel alone anymore—that's what we want to see," said Julie Wright, with Texas Health Resources Community Hope. "It's really about developing a source of hope for the community."
CBS News
19-06-2025
- CBS News
Body recovered in Lewisville Lake as search for second missing boater continues
Searchers have recovered the body of a man from Lewisville Lake, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Meanwhile, the search continued Thursday for a second missing person, described as female, as the effort entered its third day, TPWD said. Advanced sonar joins search The Texas Game Warden Underwater Search and Recovery Team joined the effort, deploying advanced sonar technology to help locate the two missing boaters, a TPWD spokesperson said. Maggie Berger, public information officer for law enforcement at TPWD, said the agency is not identifying the two boaters "out of respect for their family's wishes." She added that the Denton County Medical Examiner's Office "may be able to release his name." Boat found abandoned Tuesday Texas Game Wardens were initially dispatched to the scene on Tuesday after receiving a report of an abandoned vessel. Despite initial efforts, the boaters were not located before nightfall, TPWD officials said. Multi-agency effort continues The search resumed early Wednesday morning, with Game Wardens joined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as they combed the area. Efforts continued Thursday with the addition of the Underwater Search and Recovery Team, according to TPWD. Officials said the investigation is ongoing. Updates to follow CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Yahoo
Little Elm Murder Update: Victim Identified, Woman Held On $1M Bond
An apparent fentanyl overdose in January that claimed the life of a 32-year-old Grapevine man has now led to a murder charge. According to a police report released on June 18 by the Little Elm Police Department, Ryan Alexander Schultz died on January 13, 2025, at a residence on East University Drive. The report lists the offense as murder and identifies Ysabel Natividad Marquez, 26, as the suspect. She was arrested on June 17 and remains in the Denton County Jail on a $1 million bond. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner Schultz's death an accident, citing 'fentanyl toxicity' as the cause of death. But police now believe Marquez was the person who supplied the drugs that killed him. Schultz, born June 15, 1992, was mourned in an online obituary describing him as a beloved figure whose 'spirit ascends to join the cosmic dance of stars.' In a statement to CBS News, Little Elm Police spokesperson Drew Bailey confirmed the case is tied to the January overdose. 'Through the investigation, detectives identified the individual arrested today as the person who supplied the drugs to the victim,' Bailey said. 'As this remains an ongoing investigation, no further information is available at this time.' This new detail sheds light on the arrest that sparked concern earlier this week. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Marquez was booked into the Denton County Jail shortly after 12:00 AM on June 17. The arresting agency was listed as the Little Elm Police Department, though no initial information about the victim or the nature of the alleged crime had been released. Under Texas law, murder is a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison. Prosecutors may elevate charges to capital murder in qualifying cases. Public records reviewed by The Dallas Express indicate that Marquez may have a criminal history. A previous mugshot published by Mugshot Zones shows her arrested on a high-BAC DUI charge. In 2022, The Denton County Chronicle reported that a 'Ysabel Marquez' who was the same age as the newly arrested Ysabel had been indicted for possession of a controlled substance in a case involving The Colony Police Department. Social media profiles that appear to belong to her include photos matching her mugshot and show images of her with a young child. Authorities have not commented on whether Marquez's previous offenses are connected to the current case. It is unclear how the victim and the alleged suspect knew each other. The investigation remains active. The Dallas Express was the first outlet to report on the arrest at 4:30 PM on June 17.
CBS News
18-06-2025
- CBS News
North Texas woman held on $1M bond in Denton County murder case, records show
Ysabel Natividad Marquez, 26 Denton County Jail A Dallas woman is being held in the Denton County Jail on a murder charge. Ysabel Natividad Marquez, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday by the Little Elm Police Department and booked into the Denton County Jail, according to records. Her listed address is a motel at 1550 Empire Central Drive in Dallas. Her bond is set at $1 million. Authorities have not released details about what led to the charge or the circumstances of the alleged crime. CBS News Texas has reached out to officials in Little Elm for more information and will update this story as new details become available.
CBS News
16-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Longer freight trains are more than just a nuisance. They're increasingly costing Texans their time and safety
Five years ago, the average Union Pacific freight train was 8,000-feet long. Today, it's more than 9,000 — with many extending as long as 15,000-feet. Nicknamed 'monster trains,' these freight haulers can carry in a single trip what would take two or three shorter trains to move—saving railroad companies millions of dollars. Union Pacific told the CBS News Texas I-Team the addition of rail cars to an already scheduled train is both safe and good for the environment. But longer trains also mean longer waits at crossings. And when a monster train stops, it often becomes more than an inconvenience. Monster trains in texas The CBS News Texas I-Team found nowhere is the problem bigger than in Texas. Data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows more than 7,000 reports of trains blocking crossings across Texas in the past year — that's more than three times as many as any other state. Many of the most problematic crossings are in Tarrant and Denton Counties. When Fort Worth firefighters get a call from an address near train tracks, dispatch sends two trucks — one from each direction. If the route includes the train crossing on Avondale-Haslet Road in the far northwest corner of the city, the most frequently reported blocked crossing in North Texas, trucks roll from both the Fort Worth and Haslet fire stations. "That way we know that we're coming from two different directions," said Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek. "So, a stopped train is not going to stop our response time." The Federal Railroad Administration said it's focused on the safety of all train lengths, but that there is "no empirical evidence that clearly implicates train length in a reduction of safety." A 2024 study of the relationship between train length and derailment risk determined longer trains do have a greater risk of derailment. Trapped in Jeff Kennedy, resident of the Vista Ranch neighborhood in north Fort Worth, calls his subdivision a lollipop neighborhood: "Only one way in and out." To get out of Vista Ranch, residents have to cross the tracks on Tinsley Lane. If a train blocks the crossing, there's no other way in or out. In May, the I-Team witnessed the problem up close when a train lost power and blocked the crossing for more than four hours. "It's a danger, unnecessarily," said Kennedy. Tarrant County construction crews began work last month on a new road that will give neighbors in Vista Ranch another way out without having to cross the train tracks. "That will be good, but it's going to take a while," said Kennedy. "Four to six months. Hopefully, in the meantime, we won't have another train stoppage." Bad for business Chad Beavers, owner of Cold Springs Processing, knows firsthand that blocked train crossings can be more than just a minor inconvenience — they can be bad for business. The grease disposal facility just north of downtown Fort Worth sits between two sets of train tracks, and at times trains block both at once. In fact, Beavers said it happens anywhere from three to eight times a day. "My main goal with our customers is we get you in and we get you out," said Beavers. "And when that doesn't happen, that hurts our bottom line." The I-Team witnessed workers from the factory across the street walking between train cars so they wouldn't be late for work. It's illegal to cut through a train, but workers said it happens all the time. "It's dangerous, but you need a job," said Carson Brown, a forklift operator. "You don't want to lose a job because of a train." Costly Solutions Texas lawmakers filed a House bill during the most recent legislative session to cap the length of a train at 8,500 feet. The bill was never voted on by lawmakers. But even if it had passed, the state can't enforce it. Train length is regulated by the federal government, and there are no federal limits. Building roads around, or bridges over, train tracks is a costly solution. In January, the federal government gave Texas $80 million in rail safety grants. That covered just six projects. This year, Texas also set aside an additional $250 million in a grant program to fund railroad grade separation projects. Despite the investments, with 9,000 train crossing statewide, the funding will not address all the problematic crossings.
