TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalUnion launches campaign to try to prevent more higher ed layoffs and a fall COVID-19 disaster
The Massachusetts Teachers Association is launching a multimedia campaign on Monday, accusing public higher education executives of failing to effectively advocate for funding from Congress and the state Legislature to avoid layoffs and a COVID-19 disaster this fall.
In a video message slated to appear on social media, radio and TV stations including CNN, MSNBC and ESPN, faculty and staff from UMass and some of the state’s nine other public universities and 15 community colleges say that layoffs, furloughs and insufficient planning have left those schools unprepared for a safe and equitable semester.
“Through these cuts, the public higher education administrators in Massachusetts are creating not just a potential public health crisis, but also a crisis of equity,” said Merrie Najimy, president of the association, which represents more than 18,000 faculty and staff on Massachusetts public higher education campuses.
“Using the pandemic as an excuse to dismantle programs and to cut thousands of higher ed staff at the universities and colleges that disproportionately serve low-income students and students of color is a disturbing approach, one that needs to be reversed and rebuked,” Najimy said.
Read more: https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/07/31/union-launches-campaign-to-try-to-prevent-more-higher-ed-layoffs-and-a-fall-covid-19-disaster/
Pfizer executive targets end of year for COVID-19 vaccine
BOSTON (AP) — An executive at a Massachusetts facility helping create a potential vaccine for the coronavirus said Thursday that the company hopes to have the treatment ready by the end of the year.
“We have the potential, subject to technical success and regulatory authorization, to manufacture up to 100 million vaccine doses by the end of this year and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021,” said Meg Ruesch, research and development leader at Pfizer Inc.’s Andover, Massachusetts, facility.
The vaccine candidate, a collaboration between Pfizer and BioNTech, “introduces into the body the genetic instructions for the cell to make a specific protein — in this case a SARS-CoV-2 protein — which is intended to stumulate an immune response,” she said.
The data on the trials has been encouraging, she said at a news conference with Gov. Charlie Baker.
Read more: https://apnews.com/66a6536738b1c2fcced5c5b9dff682a5
Baker cites a number of large social gatherings as a recipe for coronavirus disaster
Governor Charlie Baker said Friday that recent large gatherings in communities throughout the state were a “recipe for disaster” in potentially spreading the coronavirus, and warned residents that “we’re going to have to make some changes” if the positive test rate continues to move up.
Baker made the comments during his regular State House briefing.
“Recently, we’ve seen disturbing reports of large gatherings where people are letting down their guard, not wearing face coverings, not social distancing, and giving the virus the opening that it relentlessly seeks to spread,” Baker said.
He cited a recent lifeguard party in Falmouth, a house party in Chatham, an unauthorized football camp in Weymouth, a Chelmsford party, a Wrentham gathering, and a prom party in Cohasset attended by 90. He also noted reports about a cluster at Bay State Medical Center in Springfield. A party on a private boat in Boston Harbor is also under investigation as a cluster by the Department of Public Health, he said.
Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/07/31/metro/gov-baker-warns-large-social-gatherings-are-recipe-coronavirus-disaster/
Predicted mail ballot flood will make it 'almost impossible' for R.I. to know winners on Election
Predicted mail ballot flood will make it ‘almost impossible’ for R.I. to know winners on Election NightPROVIDENCE – Every politician and campaign operative has their own Election Day ritual, but at some point, most of them end up asking the same question in calls or text messages to anyone – reporters, friends, each other – who might have some intel to share: “What are ya hearing?”
The answers rarely have any value, and most aren’t even true. A voting machine is broken in South Kingstown. The lines are long in Providence. Everyone, everywhere, is somehow cheating. They all know that elections aren’t actually won on Election Day, but the gossip serves as a twisted form of therapy.
This year, the normal anxiety that ripples through Rhode Island’s political class will be enhanced and extended because it’s likely that winners won’t be declared for several days after polls close at 8 p.m. for both the Sept. 8 primary and Nov. 3 general election.
With fears over the coronavirus expected to lead to tens of thousands of additional mail ballots this election cycle, officials say they see no way that all votes will be counted to definitively call winners, especially in local races that could see more than half of all votes arrive via the mail.
Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/07/31/metro/predicted-mail-ballot-flood-will-make-it-almost-impossible-ri-know-winners-election-night/
Parker County votes to keep Confederate monument on lawn
A Confederate statue that has been a major point of contention between Weatherford and Parker County residents the past few weeks will remain in place after county commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to leave it where it is on the courthouse lawn.
Precinct 1 Commissioner George Conley made the motion to keep the statue in its place.
“That statue honors the dead, it doesn’t honor the Confederacy,” Conley said. “I’m going to make a motion that we leave the monument where it has been for over 100 years and get on with whatever happens after that.”
The motion was seconded by Precinct 3 Commissioner Larry Walden and then unanimously approved.
“It represents our history, it represents those that have died in war on both sides,” County Judge Pat Deen said. “It represents a time in our history that no longer exists today, thankfully. If we look at what the constituents want here, I can speak for myself, that there’s been an overwhelming number to not remove that statue.”
Read more: https://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/news/staying-put-county-votes-to-keep-confederate-monument-on-lawn/article_f3db4daa-d292-11ea-8113-7b91b6b1da0d.html
Study shows benefit of DART to economy
A new study looking at construction near Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stations shows just how productive and important it is to the overall North Texas economy, generating billions of dollars in revenue, taxes and jobs.
Researchers from the Economics Research Group at the University of North Texas (UNT), led by Michael Carroll, Ph.D., reviewed 81 development projects completed within a quarter mile of DART stations with a total property value of $5.138 billion between 2016 and 2018.
"The projects themselves added billions in economic activity for the DFW economy," Carroll said. "Further, these projects will serve as a catalyst for future economic growth. As the economic landscape fills in around the initial projects, we will see growth in a wide variety of sectors."
UNT Researchers concluded:
• The total economic impact of the projects created $10.27 billion for the DFW economy and 61,017 construction jobs.
• The projects generated $286.4 million in state and local tax revenue.
• Projects within a quarter mile of the Downtown Dallas to Bishop Arts streetcar route saw $200.7 million in development with a corresponding economic impact of $454.7 million.
• The streetcar projects created 2,701 jobs over the period and generated $12.6 million in state and local taxes.
• Properties surrounding DART stations rent for substantially more than surrounding projects.
• Residential properties have a 17.9% rent premium and commercial and office space have premiums of 23% and 5.8% respectively.
Read more: https://starlocalmedia.com/carrolltonleader/news/study-shows-benefit-of-dart-to-economy/article_942abb06-d2ca-11ea-b19d-075849f0fab9.html
(Carrollton Leader)
Five nurses charged in inmate's death at Midland County jail
The Midland County Sheriff’s Office and district attorney’s office reported the arrests of three additional nurses Friday afternoon, bringing the total to five who have been charged in connection with the death of an inmate at the Midland County jail in July 2019.
Adeola Adesomi, Lilian Okeri, Kelly Robins, Timothy Forbush, Jr. and Flor Estrada have been charged with criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter and tampering with a government record, according to a joint press release from Sheriff David Criner and District Attorney Laura Nodolf.
A grand jury returned indictments for the individuals on July 15, following a year-long investigation by the Texas Rangers, the release states.
The inmate, 30-year-old Savion Hall, was arrested on June 21, 2019 for an alcohol or drug offense, according to a custodial death report filed with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. He died on July 19, 2019, a week after he was transferred to the hospital because of low oxygen levels.
Read more: https://www.mrt.com/news/article/Five-nurses-charged-in-inmate-s-death-at-15450229.php
(Midland Reporter-Telegram)
Texas loses a landmark to COVID-19
After 83 years, downtown Huntsville’s Cafe Texan has been a destination for locals and travelers of the Lone Star State, as Texas’ oldest cafe to remain in the same location without ever closing – until now.
“It’s a real tragedy that we had to close it down,” Cafe Texan owner John Strickland said. “When I closed up because of COVID-19, I had not intended to close it permanently.”
Strickland announced Cafe Texan’s permanent closure on the business’ Facebook page Wednesday morning. The news came as a shock to many.
The cafe owner had opted to remain closed for the majority of the past five months for the safety of his customer base, majorly consisting of senior citizens, and his staff. However, Strickland had every intent to open when the time was right.
Cafe Texan’s demise came quickly following an effort to save some money every month while the restaurant sat empty. It started with a request to have the city remove a dumpster that cost around $400 a month to have outside of the building. According to Strickland, he was told that he had to have the water turned off for the building in order to have the dumpster removed.
“When I turned the water off, they considered the place closed, and at that point it was not grandfathered, which meant that to open it back up, I was going to have to spend about $80,000 dollars on the kitchen,” Strickland said. With a kitchen built in 1913, it was far too small for the seating capacity, not meeting modern day codes for opening a restaurant.
Read more: https://www.itemonline.com/news/local_news/texas-loses-a-landmark-to-covid-19/article_66084342-cfb3-55ab-8224-1491c2c3536e.html
(Huntsville Item)
Cleburne remains peaceful; Counter-protestors arrive in force in anticipation of possible protests
The downtown Cleburne streets are empty but on Tuesday afternoon they were packed.
Gossip mill rumblings crescendoed Monday into Tuesday as social media post claims of protesters possibly heading Cleburne’s way steadily increased. Expected on Tuesday, according to the posts, were bus loads of Black Lives Matter and/or Antifa members bent on targeting downtown’s Liberty Hotel, Wright Plaza mural, Gone With the Wind Museum and Gen. Pat Cleburne statue.
Several on Facebook posted alleged credible evidence of such while several others labeled such claims unlikely or outright hoax. The fact that a clash not unlike the scenario rumored on Facebook between protesters and counter protesters occurred last weekend in Weatherford further fueled chatter that such a possibility not out of the question in Cleburne.
Many also took to Facebook on Monday vowing to show up Tuesday to counter protest and protect Cleburne property. Claims and counterclaims abounded early Tuesday of buses and/or Antifa members spotted as did word of doctored photos of buses sporting Black Lives Matters logos.
Following the day’s events, readers took to the Times-Review’s Facebook page to voice support and opposition of the happening with some expressing pride in Cleburne standing strong while others labeled the rally a faux, manufactured event at best, display of Cleburne racism on parade at worst.
Read more: https://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/news/cleburne-remains-peaceful-counter-protestors-arrive-in-force-in-anticipation-of-possible-protests/article_94380540-d1e4-11ea-af06-8f98cbc3c290.html
And not a mask in sight!
New Hampshire governor vetoes redistricting bill
The governor of New Hampshire for the second year in a row vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have created an independent commission in New Hampshire to redraw the state’s legislative districts.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who is up for reelection, on Friday argued there is no need for the commission because gerrymandering is rare in the state and the current redistricting process was fair.
“New Hampshire has a redistricting process that is fair, representative, and accountable to voters. New Hampshire takes the process seriously and we should take pride that issues of gerrymandering in the State are rare,” Sununu said in his veto statement. “As we have made clear time and time again this legislative session, we must be careful before pursuing wholesale changes to systems that have proven themselves to work for New Hampshire.
Supporters, including the state’s Democratic Party, argued Sununu’s veto was a blow to individual rights and transparency.
Read more: https://apnews.com/f7d4e27d07e0b4fe2767c9e607f8aed8
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
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Current location: Bryan, Texas
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