DALLAS (AP) — The potential jurors popped onto the screen one by one. They confirmed their names and told the judge how they were connecting to the court: on laptops, tablets and iPhones. There were some wireless issues and camera problems, but eventually 26 Texans in separate boxes raised their hands for the judge and
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EL PASO, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott is directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to expand coronavirus testing to all patients, residents and staff members at the 23 state-run homes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and state-run psychiatric hospitals. Among the state hospitals in Texas is the El Paso Psychiatric Center, where
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas driver’s license offices will gradually reopen with limited services starting May 26, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday. The first reopening phase includes Northwest and West Texas offices (includes El Paso area) followed by South and Central Texas offices on May 29 and North and Southeast Texas offices on June 3, according to
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EL PASO, Texas — In an effort to help businesses owners, public health experts were joined by two El Paso business owners as guest panelists for a webinar series aimed at developing best practices for businesses of all kind to reopen. “Reopen Texas: Return to Work the Right Way” is a webinar series hosted by
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HOUSTON, Texas — An employee for a popular Texas ice cream maker has tested positive for Covid-19, the company said. The employee, who works at Blue Bell Creameries’ facility in Brenham, has been quarantined and is under medical supervision, according to a company statement. Brenham is located about 70 miles (112.65 kilometers) northwest of Houston.
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — A federal appeals court Wednesday quickly put on a hold a ruling that paved the way in Texas for a dramatic expansion of mail-in voting due to fears of the coronavirus. The move by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans came less than 24 hours after a federal judge
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AUSTIN, Texas — 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. The school’s 50,000 students were scattered from campus in March and classes were moved online for the rest of
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Mental health is more important now than ever, as the pandemic has drastically impacted the daily lives of nearly all individuals. A new telehealth project being launched from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso aims to improve access to that care in the Borderland. The Child Psychiatry Access Network
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HOUSTON, Texas — A church in Houston has canceled mass indefinitely after one of its priests died and five others subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston confirmed the death of Father Donnell Kirchner, a 79-year-old priest who worked at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, according to a statement issued by the Archdiocese
Continue Reading FORT WORTH, Texas — Pier 1, the seller of wicker chairs and scented candles, said it will go out of business and permanently close all 540 of its stores, including its three El Paso locations: Sunland Park Mall, The Fountains at Farah and Las Palmas Marketplace. The Fort Worth- based company said Tuesday that it
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday afternoon that he will delay further reopening in El Paso County as well as the Texas Panhandle because of spikes in infections in the two areas that he described as a “meaningful outbreak.” Abbott also said Monday that El Paso’s hospital capacity is “too close for
Continue Reading PLANO, Texas — J.C. Penney will permanently close nearly 30% of its 846 stores as part of a restructuring under bankruptcy protection. The Texas-based retailer said Monday that it plans to close about 192 stores by February 2021, and then 50 additional stores in the year after that. That would leave the company with just
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Some gyms in Texas begin the process of reopening Monday, but business won’t look as usual. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered gyms and exercise facilities could reopen Monday if operating at 25 percent capacity. The governor also issued minimum recommended health protocols for these facilities. The guidelines state that equipment
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EL PASO, Texas — El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego on Sunday night said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott still had not responded to his request made a week ago asking the governor to halt the reopening of El Paso until the coronavirus curve flattens. Samaniego told ABC-7 he also sent a follow up letter to
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DALLAS, Texas — Another 785 Texas residents have tested positive for Covid-19 and there have been 31 more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus, according to the state’s health agency. On Sunday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported a total of 47,784 confirmed cases of the virus and 1,336 deaths associated with it.
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POTEET, Texas — A statewide Amber Alert was issued Saturday for a 14-month-old Texas boy allegedly abducted by a woman and believed to be in “grave danger.” According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, little Edgar Nataniel Jesus Collins was last seen around 10 a.m. at a mobile home in Poteet, about 30 miles
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HOUSTON, Texas — More than 3,000 nursing home residents in Texas have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to newly-released data from the state. The 3,000 positive tests represent about 4% of the estimated number of Texans living in nursing homes, the Houston Chronicle reported on Saturday. By comparison, about 0.15% of Texas residents have
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court late Friday blocked a lower-court order that had allowed residents to vote by mail if they cite concerns about catching the coronavirus at polling places. Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioned the court for the stay after an appeals court upheld a lower-court ruling last month that
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AUSTIN, Texas — Two weeks into the reopening of Texas, coronavirus cases are climbing. New outbreaks still crop up. Few states are rebooting quicker than Texas, where stay-at-home orders expired May 1. With cases still rising, including single-day state highs of 1,458 new cases and 58 deaths on Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has defended
Continue Reading CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A dozen law enforcement employees in Corpus Christi are in quarantine after arresting and detaining a suspect who tested positive for Covid-19, the city said. “Out of an abundance of caution, the five police officers and seven CDC (City Detention Center) staff members who came in contact with the individual will
Continue Reading HOUSTON, Texas — Bob Watson, a former MLB player and general manager, has died. He was 74. The two-time All-Star died Thursday in Houston, according to the Astros. “This is a very sad day for the Astros and for all of baseball. Bob Watson enjoyed a unique and remarkable career in Major League Baseball that
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EL PASO, Texas — Texas saw its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic so far, with state officials reporting 58 deaths during a time span between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, according to state tabulations. The Associated Press said the biggest increase in Covid-19-related deaths was in El Paso County, which it indicated reported eight new
Continue Reading HOUSTON, Texas — Art Howe, a former Major League Baseball manager and player, is hospitalized with coronavirus. Howe, 73, told CNN affiliate KPRC 2 that he is in the intensive care unit. Howe said he first began feeling symptoms on May 3, describing chills that made him shake “like a leaf,” the outlet reported. He
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EL PASO, Texas — El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego told ABC-7 he and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have spoken about his letter signed by other local officials asking to halt the re-opening of El Paso. The next phase in re-opening the state is currently set for Monday, May 18. Samaniego said he expressed his
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VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — Authorities have issued a statewide Amber Alert for a 14-year-old Van Zandt County girl who is thought “to be in grave or immediate danger.” According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Willow Sirmans, 14, of Grand Saline, was last seen late Monday night. Sirmans is 3’0 and weighs 75
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DALLAS, Texas — Texas’ Republican attorney general on Wednesday asked the state’s high court to order local election officials to reject vote-by-mail applications that cite concerns about catching the coronavirus. Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioned the state Supreme Court after officials in some predominantly Democratic areas approved measures that would allow voters to claim a
Continue Reading DALLAS, Texas — Police have arrested two people after finding a 6-year-old boy locked in a shed in Dallas. Esmeralda Lira, 53, and Jose Balderas, 66, were booked into the Dallas County jail on child endangerment charges. Bonds are set at $100,000 each. Court records state both are Mexican citizens and were in the United
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Newly-released police video of a weekend shooting in a crowded North Texas park shows a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted and five people were left wounded. A police statement Tuesday said about 400 people were gathered in Village Creek Park in southeastern Fort Worth park about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, where they
Continue Reading HOUSTON, Texas — Texas will begin widespread coronavirus testing in state prisons where at least 30 people have died, officials announced Tuesday. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott also said he tested negative for the virus after his visit last week to the White House came on the same day that a valet to President Donald Trump
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Investigators are trying to determine how a man with apparently no security clearance ended up on a runway at a Texas airport where he was struck and killed by a landing commercial jet. Junin Ko, 22, died Thursday night when a Southwest Airlines plane struck him as it landed at Austin-Bergstrom
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