Two people are dead and two others are injured after a natural gas explosion Monday afternoon in Collin County, officials say. The explosion happened at about 3:35 p.m. in the 14000 block of Farm-to-Market 2756, just north of Farmersville, Collin County Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Nick Bristow said. Bristow said Atmos Energy subcontractors, employees of Bobcat Contracting and Fesco Petroleum Engineering, were doing pipeline maintenance when the explosion took place. Two people were confirmed to have died at the scene and have been identified as 22-year-old Ethan Knight of Mesquite, Texas and 35-year-old Deric Tarver of El Campo, Texas. Two other people were taken to area hospitals, Bristow said.  

VIDEO: Scrambling to stay alive, residents rushed out of a burning northwest side apartment complex early Monday morning. People who lived in eight apartments are now without homes. Arson investigators are looking into what ignited the fire at the 'Residences at Medical.' Frank Jimenez said he was with family at a bar across the street after midnight, when they noticed the flames. He said his nephew Matthew ran across the street first, and Jimenez didn't hesitate following right after him. "When we kicked one of those doors open, we saw the roof completely falling down," he said. "Falling down. The fire just bringing it down. I said there's people in there man, there's people." The two ran across Babcock Road after seeing the fire at the 'Residences at Medical'. "We just ran up the stairs," he said. "And we just started pounding on doors."  

Del Mar College Regional Fire Academy fall cadets can now complete certification program in two semesters starting Aug. 9. The Del Mar College (DMC) Regional Fire Academy has reworked its fall scheduling to get cadets through even faster. Beginning Aug. 9, the academy will hold courses Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., making DMC's firefighting certification program just two semesters for those individuals who start in August. Cadets can complete their fire training during the fall and then finish required Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training through the College's Emergency Medical Services program during the spring. "We're still holding two fire academies each year with the second academy starting in the spring and running through summer," says Mike Schmidt, DMC instructor and program director of Fire Science with the DMC Public Service Department.  

A city of Pharr Firefighter, and author, is hoping the subject of his latest children's book will help make a difference in the perception of law enforcement officers. Many Valley residents are familiar with the questionable but sometimes effective form of discipline that inspired Santos Vallejo's, 32, new children's book titled ‘Protect and Serve'. Oftentimes, many well-meaning parents will tell their children that they will turn them into the police if they do not behave. While many can laugh at the empty threat in retrospect, Vallejo is using this example to teach children the lesson that police do not need to be feared. Vallejo often uses children's books to communicate messages to his own children. "It's an easy way to start developing their minds because a lot of the times they like to play video games, watch cartoons, and I feel like we're straying away from reading," said Vallejo.  

A young Big Lake girl lost her life following a house fire this morning in Big Lake. Reagan County Fire Chief Larry Miles said the fire started shortly before 7 a.m. at a residence located at 1005 N. Utah Ave. Fire personnel were able to reach the girl through a front window of the home. Miles confirmed the girls passed away due to her injuries at Reagan Memorial Hospital. Miles said there were some minor injuries sustained by family members who attempted to reach the girl, but those injuries appeared to be non-life threatening. Miles said the investigation into the cause of the fire will be turned over to a State Fire Marshal due to the fatality involved. Fire and EMS crews from Big Lake, North Reagan County, Irion County and Rankin assisted with the fire.  

One family in Texarkana, Texas is left with nothing after a fire destroyed their home. According to the Texarkana, Texas Fire Department, the fire happened around 11:00 a.m. on Monday near north and south circle drive off Richmond Road. The homeowner tells says she was inside when she smelled smoke and when someone else opened the door to another room, the fire quickly spread. Fortunately, no injuries are reported. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the family with alternative housing. Fire officials say they have seen an increase in house fires recently. This fire is the fifth in the general area within the last 3 weeks.  

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: A woman has been taken into custody as a person of interest after several homes and construction site in Ogden were destroyed in a fire Monday night. Fire officials believe the fire was human-caused, but did not provide any details as to why the woman is considering a person of interest. A total of five nearby houses are considered a complete loss following the fire as the American Red Cross of Utah provides assistance to those affected. Five businesses close by were also damaged. Two people were originally unaccounted for following the fire at 28th Street and Grant Avenue, but Ogden police later said that no one was believed to be missing. No one was seriously injured in the fire. The fire was first reported around 10:30 p.m. at the three-story, wood-framed complex under construction.  

PHOTOS: The town of Daytona organized its volunteer fire department in 1909. It took some work, though. "Daytona needs a fire department; Daytona wants a fire department and Daytona will have a fire department. But the citizens must awake to the fact that the matter needs their cooperation. 'Tis time to get busy," The Daytona Daily News exhorted on Dec. 7, 1909. The department bought a LaFrance hose truck in 1913 that was the pride of the city. "Pictures of it include nearly all the prominent men of that time. It was housed in the former railroad freight house between the old City Hall and the river," wrote local historian Ianthe Bond Hebel. This was superseded by a 1,000-gallon pumper bought in 1919. By 1925, the department was housed in the stucco Fire Station No. 1, still in use on South Beach Street.  

The stress and trauma that first responders experience can build up if it isn't addressed. The city of Huntington, West Virginia, is focusing on this concern with COMPASS, a wellness program that provides first responders and their families with mental and physical health services. It began with a grant of a million dollars through the Bloomberg Philanthropies' 2018 U.S. Mayors Challenge. The city also received additional funding from private organizations such as AT&T and non-profits like the Pallottine Foundation and the Tri-State Foundation. The COMPASS Wellness center was established on the 5th floor of the Jean Dean Public Safety Building, the same building housing the Huntington Police Department. Today, the program provides first responders a gym, lounge, sauna, meditation room, and a robust kitchen.  

A city of Pharr Firefighter, and author, is hoping the subject of his latest children's book will help make a difference in the perception of law enforcement officers. Many Valley residents are familiar with the questionable but sometimes effective form of discipline that inspired Santos Vallejo's, 32, new children's book titled ‘Protect and Serve'. Oftentimes, many well-meaning parents will tell their children that they will turn them into the police if they do not behave. While many can laugh at the empty threat in retrospect, Vallejo is using this example to teach children the lesson that police do not need to be feared. Vallejo often uses children's books to communicate messages to his own children. "It's an easy way to start developing their minds because a lot of the times they like to play video games, watch cartoons, and I feel like we're straying away from reading," said Vallejo.  

The face mask that you wear in the future could alert you of a coronavirus diagnosis, thanks to researchers at Harvard University and MIT. Researchers have created wearable biosensors that can detect the presence of the virus in a person's breath. These button-activated masks give COVID results within 90 minutes in a simple-to-read format similar to an at-home pregnancy test. The mask can diagnose COVID at accuracy levels comparable to standard diagnostic tests, according to the researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and MIT. The sky's the limit for this technology. It can be customized to detect a wide variety of other viruses, bacteria and toxins. "