Texas Republican Convention delayed
Day one of the Texas Republican Party’s virtual conventions is marred by technical glitches. Texas GOP party chair James Dickey announced the bad news that the convention would be delayed till noon Friday.
“I’m sorry for this unexpected delay. This was not the kickoff that I was expecting for the convention that we’ve been working for and planning on for three years, and that one Democrat mayor worked to unravel,” says Dickey.
He is referring to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who canceled the in-person convention due to the pandemic. Texas Democrats responded saying, if they can’t run the convention, it’s no wonder they’re terrible at running this state.
Abbott says there is no need for a lockdown
A lot of Texans continue to wonder whether or not Texas might go back under a lockdown. Governor Greg Abbott says it’s a very last resort. It’s something he doesn’t want to see, and it’s something he believes can be avoided. The only way that happens is by wearing a mask.
“There is no need for a lock down if everyone will adopt this best practice and that is exactly why I go on TV every single day,” says Abbott.
Abbott’s been facing growing criticism for many in the GOP over his mask mandates. Some accused him of going beyond the scope of the Constitution, but Abbott says that’s not true at all, and he would never abandon the US or Texas constitutions.
COVID-19 update
Travis County’s hospitalizations have swung back in the right direction of the past day, dropping by 13 from yesterday morning to a total of 479 currently. Almost 17,000 cases have been confirmed since March, resulting in 189 deaths. More than 13,300 people have made recoveries within that same time.
80 fewer cases are active in Williamson County this morning than there were 24 hours ago. The total today is 1,033 and 104 of those are patients in the hospital. Since March, 65 people have died and 3,322 have recovered. The recovery number for today is almost 200 higher than the same time yesterday.
Hays County moves first day of classes
The Hays school district opts to move the first day of class to September 8th. That’s the Tuesday after Labor Day. Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright says that date is still subject to change if necessary.
“We felt compelled to protect our community, and so it was an overwhelming majority that wanted to move the start date.
The first 3 weeks of class will be online-only after that, Dr Wright says, the plan is to shift to a hybrid model, and parents will get to decide whether their kids go to campus or stay home to learn.
The Austin school district will again hand out Chromebooks to students who need them this fall. 10,000 WiFi hotspots will also be doled out, and 24,000 iPads are being purchased for kids in pre-K through second grade.
Looming risk of lower vaccination rates
Vaccination rates are plummeting in Texas because of coronavirus. Dr. Valerie Smith with the Texas Medical Association says some parts of the state have seen vaccine orders for routine child vaccinations drop by 50%. That could become a big issue when kids head back to campus.
“As children begin to return to school and as we decrease our social distancing, we’re setting ourselves up to have an outbreak of vaccine preventable disease,” Smith says.
The state’s already seen a recent outbreak of measles and whooping cough. In fact, back in December and January, Travis County reported its first cases of measles and rubella in two decades.
Restaurants industry continues to suffer
The Independent Restaurant Coalition is predicting very dark days ahead unless major relief is approved soon by congress. Here in Austin, Kevin Fink owns several restaurants. He tells CBS Austin he estimates 95% of every restaurant in the nation is hemorrhaging money every single month.
“You’re about to watch a wave crush a lot of what we all worked so hard for,” says Fink.
The Independent Restaurant Coalition is calling on congress to pass the Restaurants Act. It would provide Texas, specifically the hospitality and lodging industries, with $15.3 billion combined in economic relief.
Alligator spotted in Ladybird Lake
If you grew up in Central Texas, you probably heard an urban legend in your childhood about alligators in a body of water near you, like Lake Travis, for example. At least for this month, the urban legends became a reality for Ladybird Lake. A kayaker has reportedly spotted one recently near Longhorn Dam. Texas Parks and Wildlife confirms that while very uncommon, alligators have been seen in the area before. It’s believed it’s either a pet or was dumped or displaced by flooding elsewhere. If you see one, report it immediately.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-7-17-20
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