BLUE BELL

Can anything stop H-E-B? Plus: a recap of the bracket's tightest matchup yet, between Schlitterbahn and Austin City Limits.

Eight years after the listeria crisis, the Brenham-based brand continues to win folks like me over with new flavors and old memories.

The United States government agreed on Wednesday to dismiss all fraud charges against former Blue Bell CEO Paul Kruse, with parties agreeing to a misdemeanor fine instead.

Miller's Lonnie Adkism, Veterans Memorial's Luke Johnson each earned Class 5A first-team all-state honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association.

Taft receiver Josh Suarez led six Coastal Bend players honored on the BlueBell/TSWA Class 3A all-state football team

Four players from Refugio and one from Three Rivers earned first team nods on the 2022 Blue Bell/TSWA Class 2A All-State Football team.

Blue Bell is out with a new flavor, y'all.

Texas-based Blue Bell announced the return of a verry merry ice cream flavor, Christmas Cookies.

Texas-based Blue Bell is bringing back two winter holiday flavors this season: peppermint bark and eggnog – and both are now available at Houston-area stores.

Blue Bell has release a new seasonal flavor. Salted Caramel Brownie Ice Cream.

CLASS 6ATSWA All-State Second TeamCatcher – Julius Ramirez, PSJA High. Outfielder – Stone Gomez, Weslaco High. TSWA All-State Honorable MentionChristopher Casares, Shortstop, Weslaco High; J.C. Gutierrez, Pitcher, La Joya High; Josh Muñoz, Shortstop, Los Fresnos; Dylan Garcia, Third baseman, Weslaco High. CLASS 5ATSWA All-State First TeamThird baseman – Gael Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview; Oscar Serna, Sharyland Pioneer (Tie). TSWA All-State Honorable MentionJuan Castaneda, Pitcher, La Joya Palmview; Carlos Garcia, Pitcher, Sharyland High; Alex Solis, Pitcher, Weslaco East; Josiah Gonzalez, Catcher, La Joya Palmview; Diego Zuniga, Catcher, Sharyland High; Juan Rivera, Shortstop, Sharyland Pioneer; Marlon Rodriguez, Third baseman, Brownsville Veterans.

The Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) unveiled the Blue Bell/TSWA Class 5A all-state baseball teams Friday with several Rio Grande Valley standouts earning statewide recognition. CLASS 5AFirst TeamThird baseman – Gael Gonzalez, La Joya Palmview; Oscar Serna, Sharyland Pioneer (Tie). Third TeamCatcher – Antonio Balboa, Weslaco East; David Benitez, Sharyland Pioneer (Tie). Honorable MentionJuan Castaneda, Pitcher, La Joya Palmview; Carlos Garcia, Pitcher, Sharyland High; Alex Solis, Pitcher, Weslaco East; Josiah Gonzales, Catcher, La Joya Palmview; Diego Zuniga, Catcher, Sharyland High; Juan Rivera, Shortstop, Sharyland Pioneer; Marlon Rodriguez, Third baseman, Brownsville Veterans. CLASS 4AHonorable MentionCaleb Laster, Pitcher, Rio Hondo.

London pitcher Kade Budd was named Player of the Year on the TSWA Class 3A All-State Team, plus a look at other area athletes who made the team.

Texas’ favorite ice cream brand is adding a new flavor to the mix, just in time for National Ice Cream Month!

Brenham-based Blue Bell Ice Cream is now selling koozies to keep your ice cream cold.

Blue Bell has released a new flavor just in time for summer.

For this writer, there’s little better on a warm Texas day than a cool, sweet scoop of Blue Bell ice cream. On that, many Texas ice cream addicts can agree. Much more divisive, though, is this -- Which Blue Bell Ice cream flavor is best?

Blue Bell is bringing back two fan favorites this month in addition to a new limited time flavor for chocolate and peanut butter lovers.

Fans of chocolate and peanut butter -- this one’s for you!

Blue Bell, the Brenham, Texas-based business, has rolled out a new peach-flavored ice cream now available in stores.

Just in time for the holidays, Blue Bell Creameries has a new addition to its seasonal flavors.

The Brenham, Texas-based business is out with its Christmas Cookies flavor.

Beloved Brenham-based ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell released a new flavor, Coconut Cream Pie, in celebration of National Ice Cream Month.

Did someone say ice cream? Just in time for the hot summer days, Blue Bell announced a new ice cream that is sure to keep you warm.

Blue Bell will debut its newest flavor, Cookies ‘n Creme Cone, in stores starting on Thursday. (Blue Bell)HOUSTON – How about a throwback for lovers of Blue Bell’s Cookie Cone? Texas’ favorite ice cream unveiled a new flavor, Cookies and Cream Cone, inspired by the Cookie Cone served at school cafeterias since the late 90s. Our new Cookies ‘n Cream Cone Ice Cream arrives in stores beginning... Posted by Blue Bell Ice Cream on Thursday, February 25, 2021According to a Facebook post, the flavor is a creamy vanilla ice cream combined with chocolate crème-filled cookie crumbles, chocolate cone pieces, dark chocolate and a chocolate fudge sauce. Blue Bell’s Cookie & Cream Cone is available in half-gallon and pint-sizes for a limited time in stores.

Today, we’re featuring the iconic Texas-born ice cream company who some say makes the “best ice cream in the country” — Blue Bell Creameries. Ice cream flavors include 25 classic year-round options like homemade vanilla, cookies ’n cream and moo-llenium crunch. It wasn’t until the 1980s when Blue Bell ice cream was available in stores outside of Texas. However, the company says it was quick to claim a spot as one of the country’s go-to ice cream brands. What’s your favorite Blue Bell ice cream flavor?

HOUSTON – A federal court in Texas sentenced Brenham-based Blue Bell Creameries L.P. to pay $17.25 million in criminal penalties for shipments of contaminated products linked to a 2015 listeria outbreak, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Blue Bell pleaded guilty in May 2020 to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream products. Two weeks after receiving notification of the first positive listeria tests, Texas state officials informed Blue Bell that additional state-led testing confirmed Listeria in a third product. Blue Bell again chose not to issue any formal notification to customers regarding the positive tests. Food safety is our highest priority, and we know we must continue to be vigilant every day.

BRENHAM, Texas You cant buy love or happiness, but you can buy ice cream (which is pretty much the same thing)! The Texas-based creamerys new flavor, Fudge Brownie Decadence, is a luscious chocolate French ice cream with fudge brownie chunks and a whipped topping loaded with chocolate flakes. Fudge Brownie Decadence is a French ice cream, which gives it a silky texture. Add in brownies, a whipped topping and chocolate flakes, and you will know why we put decadence in the name. And, if you love chocolate this is the perfect flavor to indulge your cravings.Fudge Brownie Decadence is available in the half-gallon and pint sizes for a limited time.

There’s a lot Texans are known for, from Whataburger and Dr. Pepper to H-E-B and more.

In no particular order, here are some of the food brands, restaurant chains and food-related what-have-you that Texans love to love. A big Texas toast to Shiner BeerMade in Shiner, Texas by the Spoetzl Brewery, the oldest independent brewery in the Lone Star state, Shiner beer is practically the de facto beer of Texas. Here in the Lone Star State, we start our morning hustle on a high note with Shipley’s donuts. Texans, yours truly included, love Buc-ees and we love talkin’ ‘bout how much we love Buc-ees. There’s almost nothing more Texas than Texas’s love for Texas and when it comes to dining here in the good ol’ Lone Star State, we don’t just value Texas-sized servings, we like our food Texas-shaped too.

HOUSTON The criminal case against former Blue Bell Creameries CEO Paul Kruse has melted. In May, Kruse was charged with seven felonies including conspiracy, wire fraud and attempted wire fraud in the 2015 listeria outbreak that killed multiple people. In 2010, a Blue Bell quality control employee formed a meeting with other Blue Bell employees and plant management to discuss condensate and (roof) leak concerns in all facilities noted in government agency inspections. In 2011, a Blue Bell quality control employee created a program to periodically test Blue Bell finished product with high coliform results, which is used as an indicator of the sanitary conditions of the manufacturing facilities. That same month, the FDA, CDC and Blue Bell all issued public recall notifications on March 13, 2015.

Blue Bell Ice Cream is celebrating National Ice Cream Month by bringing back their milk and cookies flavor. The flavor is a combination of their vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookie pieces. This celebratory treat is available in either a pint or gallon.

HOUSTON University of Texas students will return to campus for the fall semester with classes from late August until Thanksgiving, and finals to be conducted online after the holiday, the school announced said Wednesday. Under the new plan, campus will be open for the regularly scheduled Aug. 26 start of the fall semester. Students will not return to campus after the Thanksgiving break and will instead take finals online. Texas reported 1,411 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as the total cases reported since the states first one was reported March 17 climbed to 51,323. BLUE BELL WORKER INFECTEDAn employee for a popular Texas ice cream maker has tested positive for COVID-19, the company said.

A local first-grader is spreading a little bit of happiness to local nurses and doctors on the frontlines. On May 1, Houston-natives London and her brother TJ Boyce provided hundreds of staff members at LBJ Hospital with Bluebell Ice Cream mini sandwiches, which London is the new face of. London works closely with her siblings on their family’s Boyce Ice Cream Truck. According to a release, London has a passion for making others smile, so this idea to serve ice cream to health care workers came about when she saw on the news how hard medical heroes have been working to keep our community healthy. London and TJ will give out free ice cream and popsicles to nurses and doctors on Monday at Houston Methodist Hospital.

If you love Blue Bell’s cookie dough or cookie two-step ice cream, then you might want to try the newest flavor. Blue Bell is debuting ‘Cookie Dough Overload’ ice cream. Blue Bell describes the new flavor as “a tasty vanilla ice cream with hints of brown sugar, loaded with chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter cookie dough and fudge cookie dough pieces.”Cookie Dough Overload is available in stores beginning today.

Holiday deals around Houston: Whataburger, Blue Bell, Shiner Bock and more>>>Check out notable holiday specials from some of your favorite stores and brands in Houston, Texas and across the country. >>>Check out notable holiday specials from some of your favorite stores and brands in Houston, Texas and across the country. Photo: Blue Bell Photo: Blue Bell Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Holiday deals around Houston: Whataburger, Blue Bell, Shiner Bock and more 1 / 24 Back to GalleryThe Black Friday and Cyber Monday rushes are almost in the books. Which begs the question: what are the best limited time offerings for this 2019 holiday season? Above, you can check out some of the best holiday specials from some of your favorite stores and brands in Houston, Texas and across the country.

HOUSTON - Another Blue Bell licker is being investigated and could possibly not face charges. The Port Arthur Police Department is investigating if charges could be presented after a man was seen licking a gallon of uncovered Blue Bell ice cream inside a Walmart Monday, according to KFDM News. During the investigation, the accused man and his father came back to the Walmart and showed a receipt that confirms he purchased the ice cream and did not put it back into the freezer, according to reports. The man told KFDM that he did not do the stunt to be malicious and only to get likes on Facebook. Copyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

Blue Bell could add more protection to ice cream cartons after Texas licking incidentAfter an online a video surfaced that showed a woman removing a carton ice cream from a grocery freezer, licking it and putting it back, Texas-based Blue Bell Ice Cream said it is considering adding more protections to its cartons. Online, a video surfaced that showed a woman removing a carton of Tin Roof ice cream from a grocery freezer. The brazen Blue Bell licker inspired a series of copy cat criminals. On Monday, Police charged a 36-year-old man in Louisiana for the latest act of ice cream insolence. Now the Texas-based ice cream company is doing something about it.

BELLE ROSE, La. -- A 36-year-old man inspired by video of a teen licking a tub of Blue Bell ice cream has been arrested for the same crime, according to police in Louisiana.Lenise Martin III was arrested Saturday after deputies in Assumption Parish received a tip from a local grocery store.Someone recorded Martin opening a carton of Blue Bell, licking it, poking it with his finger and putting it back on the shelf.Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office Commander Lonny Cavalier told CNN Martin was seeking his 15 minutes of fame.In fact, Martin showed detectives receipts suggesting he actually bought the contaminated ice cream after the video stopped recording.Cavalier said that doesn't absolve Martin of his crime. He was still arrested on charges of criminal mischief as well as posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity. "He puts it on Facebook to gain this notoriety and at the end of the day, it gives other people ideas that are not the best interest of public health," Cavalier said.

BELLE ROSE, La. -- A 36-year-old man inspired by video of a teen licking a tub of Blue Bell ice cream has been arrested for the same crime, according to police in Louisiana.Lenise Martin III was arrested Saturday after deputies in Assumption Parish received a tip from a local grocery store.Someone recorded Martin opening a carton of Blue Bell, licking it, poking it with his finger and putting it back on the shelf.Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office Commander Lonny Cavalier told CNN Martin was seeking his 15 minutes of fame.In fact, Martin showed detectives receipts suggesting he actually bought the contaminated ice cream after the video stopped recording.Cavalier said that doesn't absolve Martin of his crime. He was still arrested on charges of criminal mischief as well as posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity. "He puts it on Facebook to gain this notoriety and at the end of the day, it gives other people ideas that are not the best interest of public health," Cavalier said.

The image posted to the Bellaire Police Officers' Association. HOUSTON - Bellaire police are joining the fun over the Blue Bell ice cream licker incident, posting a photo on a Facebook page showing officers guarding a store's freezers. The post has been shared nearly 600 times. Authorities in Lufkin, Texas, have identified the young woman in the video as a juvenile from San Antonio. Copyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

Police in Lufkin, Texas, have identified a juvenile who was seen licking a tub of Blue Bell ice cream in a now-viral video. The juvenile could be seen licking the ice cream at a local Walmart before putting it back into the freezer. The case will now be turned over to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Jessica Pebsworth, a spokesperson with the Lufkin Police Department said. pic.twitter.com/T8AIdGpmuS Optimus Primal (@BlindDensetsu) June 29, 2019In a statement, Blue Bell said the ice cream that was licked was never sold. Blue Bell creameries said they notified police as soon as an employee was able to identify the store where the incident took place.

Police ID Blue Bell licker as San Antonio juvenileOptimus Primal @BlindDensetsu Jun 29 More What kinda psychopathic behavior is this?! Photo: Twitter Photo: Twitter Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Police ID Blue Bell licker as San Antonio juvenile 1 / 8 Back to GalleryAuthorities have identified and spoken with a teenager believed to be the person shown on a viral video opening a carton of Blue Bell, licking the ice cream and putting it back in the freezer. Detectives Friday morning announced they had spoken with the alleged licker, who they said was a juvenile from San Antonio. "The safety of our ice cream is our highest priority, and we work hard to maintain the highest level of confidence of our customers," Blue Bell ice cream said in a release Wednesday. Out of caution, Blue Bell said it has removed all Tin Roof half-gallons from the Lufkin store.

Police in Lufkin, Texas, have identified a juvenile who was seen licking a tub of Blue Bell ice cream in a now-viral video. The juvenile could be seen licking the ice cream at a local Walmart before putting it back into the freezer. The case will now be turned over to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Jessica Pebsworth, a spokesperson with the Lufkin Police Department said. pic.twitter.com/T8AIdGpmuS Optimus Primal (@BlindDensetsu) June 29, 2019In a statement, Blue Bell said the ice cream that was licked was never sold. Blue Bell creameries said they notified police as soon as an employee was able to identify the store where the incident took place.

A Walmart employee stands guard over a freezer containing Blue Bell ice cream in a photo posted to Facebook on July 3, 2019. CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - One Texas store is poking a little fun at the video that went viral this week, showing a woman in a store opening a container of Blue Bell ice cream, licking it and then putting it back in the freezer case. pic.twitter.com/T8AIdGpmuS Optimus Primal (@BlindDensetsu) June 29, 2019While what the woman did in the video is no laughing matter, a Walmart store in Corpus Christi decided to have a little fun with the situation. In a photo posted on the Saratoga Road stores Facebook page Wednesday, an employee armed with a water pistol stands guard over a freezer case containing gallons and gallons of Blue Bell ice cream. Were guarding our Blue Bell ice cream for your weekend party, the post read.

Lufkin Police Department released a surveillance camera image of the person believed to have licked a carton of ice cream and returned it to a store freezer. LUFKIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Lufkin police say they will not rest until the now infamous Blue Bell licker and a man she is pictured with on surveillance video are caught, even if it means working through the July 4 holiday.Detectives tell ABC13 Eyewitness News they are working to verify the identity of the woman who went viral when video posted to Twitter showed her licking the inside of a Blue Bell Ice Cream tub, only to place it back into a grocery store freezer.The woman will face a charge of second-degree felony tampering with a consumer product when she is arrested, police say.Detectives also want to know the identity of the man in the green shirt who entered the store with her.Blue Bell Creameries said they tracked down where the viral video took place with the help of law enforcement.On Wednesday, the Brenham-based company posted on its website that the the compromised product was at a Walmart store in Lufkin.In a statement, Blue Bell said:Late Wednesday afternoon, Lufkin PD released a surveillance camera image of the person they believe licked the carton.The video of the woman licking the top of the filled carton surfaced on Twitter over the weekend.In a statement on its website immediately following the posting, Blue Bell said concerned customers should notice any tampering, because their half gallon ice cream lids are frozen tightly to the carton with a natural seal.

HOUSTON - In the wake of the Blue Bell ice cream licker incident, we decided to see whether people in our newsroom in an unscientific survey could tell whether a half-gallon of Tin Roof ice cream had been tampered with. KPRC 2's Robert Arnold opened one of the containers and licked the ice cream in one of the containers and then replaced the lid and placed it back into the newsroom freezer with the label "LICKED." Our newsroom staff members opened the containers and tried to determine which one had been licked. Blue Bell responded to the original licking incident by saying they will attempt to identify the woman and that consumers could tell the difference in packaging if the ice cream had been tampered with. The company says the ice cream in its containers should freeze to the lid, creating a natural seal.

KPRC news staff try to determine whether Blue Bell ice cream had been licked in this unscientific survey.

A tweet mentioning the licking incident involving Blue Bell ice cream, as published on Twitter on July 1, 2019. HOUSTON - Social media is raging after a video surfaced of a young woman licking an opened carton of Blue Bell ice cream, replacing the lid and returning it to a store freezer. Brenham-based ice cream producer, Blue Bell, has responded to their fans, saying it is working to attempt to identify the woman. On social media, many Blue Bell fans cited their concerns over the need for a seal on the ice cream containers. They need to start sealing their ice cream... AmberLenez (@iamAmberLenez) July 2, 2019Y'all do realize that MANY ice cream manufacturers don't use sealed containers, right?

A tweet mentioning the licking incident involving Blue Bell ice cream, as published on Twitter on July 1, 2019. HOUSTON - Social media is raging after a video surfaced of a young woman licking an opened carton of Blue Bell ice cream, replacing the lid and returning it to a store freezer. Brenham-based ice cream producer, Blue Bell, has responded to their fans, saying it is working to attempt to identify the woman. On social media, many Blue Bell fans cited their concerns over the need for a seal on the ice cream containers. They need to start sealing their ice cream... AmberLenez (@iamAmberLenez) July 2, 2019Y'all do realize that MANY ice cream manufacturers don't use sealed containers, right?

EwwwBlue Bell responds to viral video of woman licking ice cream, returning it to store shelfBlue Bell ice cream is working with law enforcement officials and retail partners to track down a woman seen licking ice cream and then placing the container back on store shelves. Read moreBaseball tragedy2019 Getty Images Tyler Skaggs pitches in the first inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 29, 2019, in Anaheim, California. Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs dies in TexasLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday in Texas, according to the team. Read moreTraffic headacheHouston Public Works A hole is seen in the deck of the Brazos Bridge near Houston's Midtown neighborhood July 1, 2019. Part of Spur 527 bridge closed near Midtown for monthsPart of the Spur 527 bridge was closed Monday near Midtown while crews conduct repairs that are expected to take months.

EwwwBlue Bell responds to viral video of woman licking ice cream, returning it to store shelfBlue Bell ice cream is working with law enforcement officials and retail partners to track down a woman seen licking ice cream and then placing the container back on store shelves. Read moreBaseball tragedy2019 Getty Images Tyler Skaggs pitches in the first inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 29, 2019, in Anaheim, California. Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs dies in TexasLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday in Texas, according to the team. Read moreTraffic headacheHouston Public Works A hole is seen in the deck of the Brazos Bridge near Houston's Midtown neighborhood July 1, 2019. Part of Spur 527 bridge closed near Midtown for monthsPart of the Spur 527 bridge was closed Monday near Midtown while crews conduct repairs that are expected to take months.

Blue Bell ice cream is working with law enforcement officials and retail partners to track down a woman seen licking ice cream and then placing the container back on store shelves. The video has gone viral, but it's not known where the incident took place or when. Blue Bell responded to the video by saying they will attempt to identify the woman. The company says the ice cream in its containers should freeze to the lid, creating a natural seal. *** WARNING - Video post contains graphic language some may feel to be inappropriate ***What kinda psychopathic behavior is this?!

CBS News has learned the justice department is looking into Blue Bell after their ice cream was linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak earlier this year. Jim Axelrod reports.

FDA records show the agency found Listeria in a Blue Bell ice cream plant 2 years prior to an outbreak that killed 3 people and sickened several more. New food safety laws will grant the FDA greater power to make food safer, reports Jim Axelrod.

CBS News MoneyWatch's Jill Wagner has today's CBSN business headlines: Blue Bell plans to ship ice cream again, Quaker Girl Scout cookie granola bars could be coming to a grocery store near you, and the stock market takes a dive with China's devalued surprise.

Nissan will soon sell driverless cars; Alibaba is being sued; and Blue Bell says it's forced to layoff a third of its workforce. CBS Money Watch's Jill Wagner has the day's business headlines on CBSN.

Honda is recalling nearly five million cars, Seattle is becoming Shell's base for arctic drilling, and Blue Bell will now be required to notify health officials whenever its products test positive for listeria. CBS News MoneyWatch's Jill Wagner has those stories and more.

The CDC says 10 people in four states have contracted listeria as part of an outbreak linked to Blue Bell ice cream. The company traced the bacteria to two factories -- one in Texas, the other in Oklahoma. Elaine Quijano reports on the company's response.

Deadly bacteria outbreak prompts Blue Bell ice cream recall Health officials say three people have died after eating ice cream tainted with Listeria. Mark Albert explains the victims all ate the ice cream while they were patients at a Kansas hospital.