State News

A showdown between Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and Governor Greg Abbott over masks. Jenkins filed a lawsuit requesting a temporary restraining order, arguing that the governor’s ban on mask mandates violates state law. It also asks that Jenkins be allowed to take measures to manage the pandemic, including mandating …

Gov. Greg Abbott spoke Wednesday to the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association’s National Convention in Dallas and said lockdowns are wrong during a pandemic and there will not be any government-imposed shutdowns or mask mandates in Texas. Abbott promised the attendees their businesses would not be closed down during an emergency …

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to increase at an alarming level in North Texas. COVID-19 patients are now using 12.8% of hospital capacity and account for 31% of ICU patients. The CDC reports that all counties in North Texas are now considered “high transmission” areas, meaning COVID cases have surpassed 100 new …

Plano Fire-Rescue investigators have determined the probable cause of Monday’s house explosion to be an isolated gas leak inside the home. However, investigators have not yet decided where the gas leak was inside the home or how the leak happened. One house was destroyed, and the homes on both sides …

As COVID-19 continues to put more and more unvaccinated Texans in the hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director says the Delta variant makes up 83% of all new cases in the U.S. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Tuesday there were 3,319 hospitalizations for COVID-19 …

A judge has set November 12 for the first capital murder trial of accused North Texas serial killer Billy Chemirmir (chuh-murr-murr). He faces charges for 18 deaths in Dallas and Collin counties, and it’s welcome news for Dan Probst, the nephew of one of the victims. Chemirmir was an aide …

The new COVID variant is coming in hard and fast. Delta is now the dominant COVID variant, and Fr. Bryan Aslip with UT-Health says not only is it more transmissible, but the kids who catch it get sicker. He says they have to put kids on ventilators, and when that …

State officials have added 59 deaths to the total caused by the big winter storm in February. The deaths tallied by the Texas Department of State Health Services increase the storm’s death toll from 151 to 210. Most of those are blamed on exposure to the freezing temperatures across the …

Texas energy officials are throwing wind power under the bus. Will McAdams, who heads the Public Utility Commission, says the turbines were not spinning in June, which triggered a call to conserve. So Ercot, which manages the power, is out with their roadmap to improving reliability. It includes purchasing more …

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a Houston hospital system’s employees because it requires that all of its staff vaccinate against COVID-19. Houston Methodist suspended 178 employees without pay last week over their refusal to get vaccinated, and 117 sued to overturn the requirement and over …