Not long ago, Polk County’s biggest draw was citrus.

Officials said Jahmall Le’Sean Thomas, 39, was a teacher at Hardin ISD and was involved in a relationship with a female student at a Polk County School District.

More Southeast Texas school districts are heading back to class this week.

A forensic portrait of Audrii Cunningham, the 11-year-old Polk County girl who was murdered in February, has been unveiled at Livingston Junior High.

Students at several Southeast Texas school districts will be heading back to class this week.

When disaster strikes, Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy takes command of her county’s emergency communication channels, including a text service and Facebook page.

One of the most wanted sex offenders in the state of Texas has been captured in Polk County, officials announced.

More than 1 million Texans still don’t have electricity. For those hardest hit by Beryl, the wait will stretch into next week.

Power companies and Texas officials say restoration efforts could take days. Experts say Texans without electricity are facing a dangerous situation.

The associate pastor of Life Vine Church in Livingston gives KPRC 2′s Reporter Rilwan Balogun and Photojournalist Wlad Moquete a tour of the church’s fellowship hall.

Nearly a week after the Trinity River Authority declared a “potential failure watch” for the Lake Livingston Dam, we’re learning about the damage done during flooding earlier this year.

The plans, which are required by the federal government to access certain grants after a natural disaster, are laborious to assemble — especially for rural counties.

A man accused of shooting someone in Trinity County early Tuesday afternoon has been captured following a brief manhunt.

Don Steven McDougal, indicted for the capital murder of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, was mistakenly reported as released by Texas VINE when he was actually transferred to Tyler County Jail for visitation purposes.

An arrest warrant is revealing what happened before a 25-year-old mother of five was allegedly killed by her boyfriend in Polk County.

On Sunday, Bowman learned her daughter was reported missing. Her boyfriend, 23-year-old De’Andre Wright, called his mother to pick him up.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is asking the community to be on the lookout for a wanted murder suspect.

Floodwaters in the Houston area and parts of Southeast Texas are starting to recede, allowing residents to begin returning to their homes and assess damages after days of heavy rainfall.

Dozens of evacuees, including the elderly and barefoot children, crowded in an old school building Friday, praying for clear skies on Monday.

Since Sunday, multiple rounds of rainfall have soaked the region, causing rivers and creeks to swell and rise out of their banks.

Thousands of residents have either evacuated or are now under shelter orders.

Parts of Harris County, including The Woodlands, were under flood warnings Thursday.

East Texas has been hit by several severe rainstorms this spring, and several counties have declared disasters.

Heavy rains and severe flooding have prompted officials in Polk County to issue a mandatory evacuation for certain low-lying areas along the Trinity River. One family says they learned the hard way this morning. They say they could’ve lost their lives if it wasn’t for the help of their furry companion.

Heavy rainfall and increasing discharge from the Lake Livingston dam has prompted officials in Polk County to issue a mandatory evacuation order.

The accused killer of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham has been indicted in Polk County.

The Polk County Office of Emergency Management says a boil water notice has been issued for several neighborhoods near Lake Livingston due to maintenance repairs.

Three New York City boroughs have lost almost 80,000 residents from people moving away last year.

The family of Audrii Cunningham, the 11-year-old Livingston girl found dead in the Trinity River, says the man they let stay on their property lied to them while Audrii was missing.

The family of Audrii Cunningham, the 11-year-old Livingston girl murdered by a family friend, is now working to propose a law in her name.

Audrii Cunningham's family sat down with KPRC 2 for the nearly hour-long interview, where they talked about Audrii’s life, who she was, what she liked to do and who she wanted to be.

Polk County primary election results for March 4, 2024.

KPRC 2 has obtained an audio recording of the Polk County Sheriff, appearing to admit the ball was dropped in a previous criminal investigation involving Audrii’s suspected killer, Don Steven McDougal.

Those who have kids in the Livingston Independent School district might be interested in a refresher on what the district’s bus safety policies are.

Authorities said a person of interest in the disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham was arrested Friday on an unrelated charge.

The five-day search for missing 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham ended Tuesday when her body was found in the Trinity River. The Polk County Sheriff's office says they're building a capital murder case against the prime suspect in her death, Don Steven McDougal.

Audrii Cunningham hasn’t been seen since Thursday morning, and investigators said 42-year-old Don Steven McDougal is likely the last person who saw her that day.

Investigators in Audrii Cunningham’s disappearance have zeroed in on a person of interest who has spent time in prison for enticing a child, a third degree felony, after being indicted by a Brazoria County grand jury for attempted indecency with a child.

KPRC 2, KPRC 2+, and click2houston.com sent out a form to all area school districts. We wanted to know districts’ policies for notifying a parent/guardian when a child is absent from school.

Authorities said a person of interest in the disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham was arrested Friday on an unrelated charge.

The mother of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, whose disappearance Thursday prompted the issuance of an Amber Alert, shared what she knew about the search for her daughter Friday.

There are several areas along some major rivers that will need to be watched even once the rain is over.

Residents stranded as a beaver’s engineering escapade turns a road into a river, leading to an unexpected shelter-in-place order in Livingston’s Crystal Lakes West.

Voluntary evacuation orders have been issued in San Jacinto and Polk counties due to rising waters underneath the Lake Livingston dam.

Two men have been charged in connection with the death of another man who was found outside in Polk County, according to detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

A burglary suspect who barricaded himself inside a San Jacinto County mobile home was taken into custody after a hours-long standoff.

A shelter-in-place has been lifted after a fire at a chemical plant in Shepherd Wednesday, the Polk County Office of Emergency Management said.

Thompson Williams is remembered as a spiritual leader and educator who “liked seeing what the possibilities were.”

A Polk County man is facing charges after authorities said he tried to meet a 15-year-old girl he had been communicating with online.

There's a low-tech remedy for the nitrate pollution affecting waterways in Iowa and elsewhere in the United States.

Two Iowa teenagers charged in a fatal shooting at a Des Moines school will be tried separately so one of the teens can testify in defense of the other.

Intense bodycam footage was released of the capturing of a kidnapping suspect wanted in Leon County on multiple felony charges, according to the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office.

A pilot is injured after a plane crashed in Lake Livingston Tuesday afternoon while responding to wildfires in Polk County.

Polk County has issued a water boil notice for residents due to loss of pressure in its system caused by a main line break, according to a release.

A suspect is in custody after leading officers on a chase from Polk County, ending in a standoff that caused a shutdown on the Eastex Freeway.

The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up a long-running legal dispute between the state of Texas and two Native American tribes: the Alabama-Coushatta tribe in Polk County and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe near El Paso.

The family of Kyle Rugg is asking for the public’s help. He was reported missing seven years ago on March 4, 2015 when he was 20 years old.

Here are things to know for Friday, Dec. 31:

Two Polk county sheriff’s deputies were given lifesaving awards during a ceremony on Wednesday. The pair were credited with saving the life of a disabled man who became trapped in a burning house.

The all-new Peppa Pig Theme Park will open as a certified autism center, leaders announced Tuesday at the IAAPA Expo at the Orange County Convention Center.

A Florida sheriff says a man wearing full body armor fatally shot four people, including a mother and the 3-month-old baby she was cradling, and engaged in a massive gunfight with police and deputies before getting wounded and surrendering.

An Iowa woman has pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes for intentionally driving her SUV into two children in 2019 because she said she thought one was Mexican and the other was a member of the Islamic State group.

ONALASKA, Texas – The Onalaska community is still reeling from the devastation caused by an EF-3 tornado that touched down and destroyed several neighborhoods on April 22. “It’s been two weeks and every time we pull up it’s a different flood of emotions,” said resident Debbie Robins. Robins said she was home when the tornado hit and only had a few seconds to find shelter. Onalaska Assistant fire Chief TD Jennings was working the night the tornado hit and gave KPRC 2 a look at some of the hardest-hit areas in the Yaupon Cove subdivision. Officials asking anyone who can donate their time or money to please call the city of Onalaska or Polk County Emergency Management at (936) 327-6826.

ONALASKA – Polk County officials gave an update two days after a tornado ripped through Onalaska, leaving devastation in its wake. Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy said that the number of damaged homes increased to 306. The American Red Cross provided shelter to about 100 residents who were displaced by the tornado, Murphy said. Instead, people can go to the Polk County Emergency Management Facebook page for instructions on how to properly sort their debris so it will get picked up by the county’s contractor. “Up until this point Polk County has done a great job,” Murphy said.

ONALASKA – The damage across Onalaska in Polk County from Wednesday's violent tornado was widespread. One of his best friends, Taylor Holbert and Taylor's girlfriend, Brooke Ivey, were both killed. Billy Price said he is thankful to be alive, considering he was driving down the highway when the tornado hit. Like so many small knit communities, Price also knew the couple that was killed. Less than 24 hours after the deadly tornado struck, the entire community is coming together to start rebuilding while remembering those lost.

Very little warning.”This is the sixth tornado Farrows said he has lived through. Mayra couldn’t recall too much of the moments the tornado hit but does remember waking up, pinned beneath her trailer. “I was expecting rain and hail and maybe a little wind, but not a full Wizard of Oz tornado,” Jimenez joked. Reilly told us preliminary findings indicated the tornado that descended on this little community had caused EF-2 damage. Reilly told us NWS has crews surveying the damage from this tornado all the way into Louisiana and their findings would be compiled into a complete report.

POLK COUNTY, TEXAS – Residents of the Canyon Park Subdivision were left trying to pick up the pieces after a tornado touched down and left a trail of destruction on Tuesday. I was praying, thank God we’re blessed and unscathed,” Aryana Manning said. Manning considers her family lucky to be alive after a tree split their mobile home in half. “My mother-in-law said, ‘Is that a tornado siren?’ I said, ‘No that’s the tornado.’ It sounds like a siren or a train,” Manning said. The Manning family said they aren’t sure what they’ll do next but will stay with family until they can figure it out.

ONALASKA, Texas – Residents were fearful and in shock after a tornado ripped through multiple neighborhoods in Onalaska in Polk County Wednesday evening. Y'all please keep Onalaska Texas in your prayers. this is yaupon cove drive pic.twitter.com/18QusOTPV7 — Joe Smith SDK (@JoeSmithSDK) April 23, 2020my dads entire neighborhood in onalaska tx just got completely destroyed by a tornado. 2020 is out for blood pic.twitter.com/948AqfVF5V — kasey (@eattmyshorts_) April 23, 2020Please pray for everyone who lost everything here in Onalaska, TX. A command post was set up at the Onalaska Fire and Rescue as first responders worked to rescue trapped residents and assess the damage.

ONALASKA, Texas – Three people lost their lives, and several communities were devastated by a tornado that plowed through Polk County Wednesday. People are in need of basic items like food, water clothing and other miscellaneous household items. The PCEM shared a post on how you can help those impacted by the tornado. VolunteeringDue to COVID-19, Polk County Emergency Management will not be setting up a physical volunteer reception center. People who were displaced by the tornado and need clothing can also call the Oasis at 936-327-1208 or 936-327-8467.

ONALASKA, Texas – The National Weather Service said Thursday that preliminary information shows the tornado that ripped through Onalaska in Polk County Wednesday evening, caused between EF1 and EF3 damage with a peak wind of 140 miles per hour. NWS officials said the tornado caused EF1 and EF2 damage with winds of 135 miles per hour for the most part. However, in Paradise Acres Subdivision of Onalaska, the peak winds were at 140 miles per hour which caused EF3 damage. See the path of a deadly tornado that ripped through Polk County on April 22, 2020. “Up to this point, Polk County has done a really good job of sheltering at home,” Murphy said.

HOUSTON – KPRC 2 Chief Meteorologist tracked the storm that moved through the Houston-area Wednesday evening. A tornado ripped through four neighborhoods in Polk County at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, bringing wind and hail damage to the surrounding areas. PHOTOS: Tornado rips through trees, buildings in Seven Oaks area Wednesday eveningIn the video above, Billingsley breaks down the dynamics and trail of the tornado and the damage it left in its wake.

ONALASKA, Texas – At least 20 people were injured and three people were killed after a tornado ripped through multiple neighborhoods in Onalaska in Polk County Wednesday evening, according to the Polk County Office of Emergency Management. Polk County subdivisions hit hardest by tornado (Polk County Emergency Management, Texas)National Weather Service storm spotter Ian Shelton told KPRC 2 he started chasing the storm in the early afternoon. Multiple agencies including the Texas Department of Public Safety, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office are enforcing blockades, assessing damage and helping residents in the area, Shelton said. VIDEO: Residents describe terrifying moments they saw a tornado touch down in Polk County WednesdayShelters:Polk County Emergency Management said anyone who might need shelter is asked to go to Dunbar Gym in Livingston as the schools in Onalaska have lost power. Posted by Polk County Emergency Management, Texas on Wednesday, April 22, 2020Gov.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – George Zimmerman is suing Trayvon Martin’s family, prosecutors and others for $100 million. Zimmerman, a Sanford neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012, was acquitted of homicide in the fatal shooting of Martin, who was 17 years old. The lawsuit, filed in Polk County, where Zimmerman now lives, cites information in a documentary about the case that accuses the Martin family of engineering false testimony. The suit seeks $100 million in civil damages, alleging defamation, abuse of civil process and conspiracy. This story was originally published on our sister site at WKMG.