Oregon tops K-State

A man was arrested for public intoxication and unlawful carrying of a weapon after College Station police received a report of someone stumbling toward traffic on Southwest Parkway. According to the arrest reports, officers responded to the intersection of Southwest Parkway and Welsh Avenue around 10:00pm on October 12th. Officers located 24-year-old Mikel Scott Luedke near Southwest Parkway and Welsh Avenue. Police say he had glassy eyes, slurred speech, difficulty maintaining his balance, and smelled of alcohol. Luedke told officers he had been drinking at a pool party and admitted consuming numerous alcoholic beverages. He was carrying a large, nearly empty, bottle of Royale Club whiskey. According to the arrest report, Luedke admitted pushing traffic barrels into the roadway and agreed that his actions could have created a traffic hazard. During his arrest, officers found a loaded handgun. Luedke was also charged with Public Intoxication and Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon. He remains jailed on $5,300 bond. Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on Facebook or Twitter/X.

(Washington, D.C., October 13, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is awarding $86.6 million in grant funding to support the specialty crop industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The program funds innovative projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. “Today I am proud to announce USDA will be investing more than $86 million across 56 states and territories through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. These 609 state projects represent the Trump Administration’s commitment to innovation, marketing, and research—ensuring specialty crop businesses are at the forefront of markets all around the world,” said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. “Putting farmers first will continue to drive economic growth and strengthen the fabric of rural communities across America.” States and territories are providing subawards to projects that address the needs of U.S. producers of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops. The funded projects help businesses throughout the specialty crops distribution chain by enhancing food safety, supporting research, developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops, fighting pests and diseases, educating communities about healthy eating, and making it easier and more affordable to get specialty crops to market. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is investing $86.6 million in approximately 609 state projects across 56 states and territories. Projects include: Michigan will use over $2.64 million through subawards to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops including apples, asparagus, beans, blueberries, Christmas trees, herbs, mushroom, and grapes throughout the state. Georgia will use over $1.7 million across 2 research projects, 9 education and outreach projects, and 2 marketing projects in support of the state’s pecan, blueberry, pepper, strawberry, peach, apple, Vidalia onion, and citrus growers. Ohio will use over $800,000 for projects to enhance competitiveness of apples, leafy greens, brassicas, herbs, maple syrup, honey, and nuts throughout the state. Pennsylvania will use over $1.1 million on research, education and outreach, and marketing of mushrooms, potatoes and apples. Texas will use over $2 million for projects to enhance competitiveness of grapes, watermelons, pecans, onions, and spinach. Florida will use over $4.3 million on research, education and outreach, and marketing of mangoes, blueberries, sweet corn, and muscadine grapes. North Carolina will use over $1.5 million to enhance competitiveness of sweet potatoes, fir trees, tomatoes, blueberries, apples, canary melons, and centipede grass seed. For more information and to view a complete list of funded projects, visit the AMS SCBGP webpage. AMS supports U.S. food and agricultural product market opportunities, while increasing consumer access to fresh, healthy foods through applied research, technical services, and congressionally funded grants. To learn more about AMS’s investments in enhancing and strengthening agricultural systems, visit www.ams.usda.gov/grants.

Press Release 10/14/2026:   (AUSTIN, TX) – Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Gerber Products Company (“Gerber”) and Nestlé USA, Inc. (“Nestle”) for deceiving Texas parents about toxic heavy metals in Gerber baby food. Gerber told parents its food is safe, rigorously tested, and recommended by pediatricians. But Gerber’s own test results showed dangerous levels of arsenic and lead.   From 2017 through 2019, Gerber used 67 batches of rice flour with more than nine times the arsenic that the federal government allows in bottled water. Its carrots had up to 17 times the bottled-water limit for cadmium. Its sweet potatoes had nearly 10 times the limit for lead. Gerber rarely tested for mercury. For most of that time, it tested selected ingredients rather than the finished food that a baby actually eats.   These metals are neurotoxins. Federal health agencies rank arsenic, lead, and mercury first, second, and third among substances posing the most significant potential threat to human health. There is no established safe level of lead or inorganic arsenic for a baby. In 2021, Alaska’s state laboratory found two samples of Gerber rice cereal that exceeded the federal arsenic limit. Beech-Nut’s cereal tested lower on average, yet Beech-Nut recalled it and stopped selling infant rice cereal. Gerber issued no recall or warning and continued selling its products. Gerber has recalled products for plastic and choking hazards, but never for heavy metals.   “Gerber promised parents its food was safe and rigorously tested. Its own tests showed toxic metals in the food. When a company makes promises about what parents feed their babies, I will hold it accountable to ensure those promises are kept,” said Attorney General Paxton.   Gerber now posts test results behind a QR code on its labels. But the heavy metals in the food did not change, and neither did the safety claims on the front of the package. A code on the back of the jar does not cure a false promise on the front.   Attorney General Paxton brings claims under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“DTPA”). Gerber and Nestle engaged in false, misleading, and deceptive acts and practices by representing to Texas consumers that Gerber baby food is safe, pure, rigorously tested, and recommended by medical professionals when, in fact, the products and their ingredients contained dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals. This lawsuit follows Attorney General Paxton’s settlement with Plum that legally affirms the company’s commitment to testing for dangerous heavy metals, ensuring strict limits, and publishing publicly accessible testing results.   To read the lawsuit, click here.