Brits Investigate Texans

Daily Mail unearths horrifying information about family of affluenza teen Ethan Couch

New developments have emerged on the family history of Ethan Couch, the 16-year-old from Burleson who got probation for driving a truck that killed four people and left two others critically wounded.

The probation sentence given by Judge Jean Boyd to Ethan, whose blood-alcohol concentration was three times the legal limit at the time of the crash, has provoked international outrage. The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office is now pursuing jail time for two intoxication assault charges, to which Ethan pled guilty.

Ethan's parents, Fred and Tonya Couch, have their own arrest-ridden path of destruction.

According to the Daily Mail, Ethan's parents, Fred and Tonya Couch, now divorced, have their own arrest-ridden path of destruction. The couple has been accused of more than 20 crimes and traffic violations including theft, speeding, evading arrest and assault.

Neither have served jail time. Fred Couch paid out at least nine driving citation fines, and Tonya Couch paid a $500 fine for reckless driving after she ran another vehicle off the road. Fred has twice been caught writing hot checks — for a pair of shoes and a tank of gas — and has 22 criminal and traffic violations on his record.

The Daily Mail also tracked down teens who claimed to have partied with Ethan at his home on Burleson Retta Road, where the 16-year-old reportedly lived alone and unsupervised. One said that he was at the home only three days before the deadly accident and observed Ethan drinking vodka out of the bottle and boasting about his partying ability.

Judge Boyd sentenced Ethan to 10 years probation on December 10. He could have faced up to 20 years in jail. Clinical psychologist G. Dick Miller testified that Couch suffered from "affluenza," a condition that apparently causes wealthy kids to believe their actions have no consequences.

Ethan will be placed at a troubled teen home in Southern California called Newport Academy, at a cost of $450,000 per year, which his parents will pay.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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