Month: March 2020

When Gov. Greg Abbott closed schools on March 19 to slow the spread of COVID-19, he kicked off an unprecedented push to educate students remotely in Texas. Kenneth Thompson has been running nonstop for weeks, and he is tired. The Chief Information Technology officer for the San Antonio Independent School District is trying to put a device in each students’ hands — 4th through 12th grade.   “We’re doing in three weeks what we have planned…

The streets of downtown Laredo, Texas, are deserted. For decades, this dense retail district has catered to Mexican shoppers coming across the bridge from Nuevo Laredo. But these days, stores like Cindy’s Electronics, Classic Perfumes, and Casa Raul Mens’ Clothes are shuttered. “Now our business has dropped 80 to 90%,” says Natividad Dominguez, leaning on a glass case full of empanadas, turnovers and donuts at Pano’s Bakery. “People would come across the bridge and pick…

From Texas Standard: When it comes to disaster, no one beats Texas. Federal Emergency Management Agency records show that since 1953, Texas has filed more federal disaster declarations than any other state: a total of 355. And few Texas retailers have been as battle-tested by the state’s natural disaster history as H-E-B, the San Antonio-based grocery chain that began as a single store in 1905 and has grown to more than 300 stores in Texas…

The agency that handles Texas’ unemployment benefits system says the situation unfolding because of the COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything it has ever dealt with before. On a normal day, one of the Texas Workforce Commission’s four call centers gets around 13,000 calls. But on March 22 alone, one of the centers received 100,000 calls, Executive Director Ed Serna said during a Facebook Live video Wednesday.  RELATED | COVID-19 Is Costing People Their Jobs. Here’s How…

Updated at 10:51 a.m. ET A record 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country. The Labor Department’s report for the week ended March 21 was one of the first official indicators of how many people have suddenly been forced out of work nationally. In the prior report, for the week ended March 14, initial claims totaled 282,000. “This marks the highest level of…

From Texas Standard: As of Monday morning, there is no statewide shelter-in-place order in Texas like the ones in New York and California. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order last week requiring bars and gyms to close and restaurants to limit service to takeout orders. But he said expanding that to shelter in place would be up to local officials. Abbott is also looking to grow the state’s supply of safety equipment for…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is trying to knock down a series of rumors and falsehoods that have been spreading along with the coronavirus pandemic. It launched a page on its website called Coronavirus Rumor Control to fight the misinformation, as officials work to assure the public there is, in fact, no “national quarantine,” nor has FEMA has deployed “military assets.” “No, FEMA does not have military assets,” the site notes. Acting DHS Secretary Chad…

Businesses shuttered. People trapped in their homes. Normal life grinding to a halt. Neighbors helping neighbors, knowing that help may not be coming.  To Houstonians like me, this is all starting to feel very familiar. In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey dumped 1.2 trillion gallons of water on Harris County over the course of just four days, turning highways into rivers, parks into lakes, and downtown skyscrapers into moated citadels surrounded by fetid brown slurry. Around…

Federal and state governments have important roles when it comes to fighting COVID-19 in the United States, but the rubber really meets the road at the local level. In a 22 county region that includes San Antonio, that work is done by STRAC — the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council — a network of 35 hospitals and first responders. Eric Epley is STRAC’s Executive Director, and right now he’s running the show at the Regional…

This spring was supposed to be an exciting time for Xander Christou. He’s a senior in high school in Austin, Texas, and was looking forward to all the fun: prom, senior skip day and of course, graduation. But all that’s now out the window. “There’s a sense that it’s incomplete,” says Christou. The school district has closed until April 3rd and Christou says he has this feeling that a unique chapter in his life —…

Published 6:32 pm CDT, Thursday, March 19, 2020 FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A tornado is to blame for damage in parts of rural North Texas, the National Weather Service confirmed Thursday. A weather service survey team ex amined damage caused by the storm late Wednesday night south of Graham, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth. Team members concluded the damage caused was consistent with a tornado with winds of 105 to 110…

In an interview with NPR News, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie said the VA stands ready to back up the nation’s health care system, but has not yet been asked to deploy resources by the Department of Health and Human Services. “We have been preparing for what has been coming for a while now,” Wilkie said. “In war and in case of natural disaster or an epidemic, we are the surge force.” The VA…

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for 11 North Texas counties. A Tornado Watch is in effect until 10 PM Thursday night across the northeast portion of North Texas. Isolated tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail will all be possible with the strongest storms. #txwx #dfwwx pic.twitter.com/rnQ8Gtukmb — NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) March 19, 2020 The tornado watch is in effect until 10 p.m. Mar. 19 for the following…

Updated at 5:20 a.m. Thursday with additional forecast information.  A tornado formed in Wise County at 9:25 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.  It started near Chico, Texas, and continued northeast at 35 mph toward Alvord, according to the NWS. Power flashes were reported in the area around that same time.  RELATED: Check the current severe weather alerts here The tornado then crossed U.S. Highway 287 near Alvord, causing damage, according to officials. At 10:38 p.m.,…

Published 10:35 pm CDT, Wednesday, March 18, 2020 DALLAS (AP) — At lease one unconfirmed tornado tore through part of rural North Texas on Wednesday night, damaging numerous roofs and outbuildings, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Storm spotters reported that a suspected tornado tore through a rural area just south of Graham, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth. The storm moved northeastward toward Lake Bridgeport and on to the…

In an unprecedented move, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday he would waive testing requirements for this year’s STAAR exam, as many schools expect to be closed at least through the April testing window due to the new coronavirus. He also said he would ask the federal government to waive this year’s federal standardized testing requirements, which apply to all states. According to the state, as of Sunday afternoon, 569 school districts had announced closures due to coronavirus concerns. Texas…

Published 10:31 pm CDT, Friday, March 13, 2020 PECOS, Texas (AP) — An unconfirmed tornado tore through a remote West Texas recreational vehicle park Friday night, leaving a dozen RVs on their side and injuring one person, officials said. The injury was not thought to be life-threatening, said Jerry Bullard, Reeves County emergency management director. The suspected tornado struck the Highway 285 RV Park near Orla, Texas, about 22 miles northwest of Pecos, about 8 p.m….