ABBOTT TESTS NEGATIVE
Governor Greg Abbott announced via Twitter Saturday he is now testing negative for COVID-19, four days after testing positive and being asymptomatic.
“I am told that my infection was brief and mild because of the vaccination I received. I will continue to quarantine as recommended by doctors,” Abbott said. “And I will keep working on issues affecting Texas.”
Meanwhile, the battle over masks continues, with growing numbers of school districts from Longview to San Antonio ignoring the governor’s ban on mask mandates.
Court issues injunction in fight over Medicaid waiver
A federal district judge last week temporarily reinstated a 10-year extension of a Medicaid program worth billions of dollars to the state for health care for the uninsured. As the Texas Tribune and other media outlets reported, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wanted the state to collect public input before negotiating a new extension to the agreement, in place since 2011.
The waiver provides nearly $4 billion in annual funding for uninsured treated in Texas hospitals, as well as mental health services.
TxDOT DUI prevention
The Texas Department of Transportation has rolled out a campaign to share stories of Texans who must deal with the consequences of a drunk driving crash. The “Faces of Drunk Driving” will feature events around the state and includes testimonials on video from families dealing with those consequences.
In 2020, there were 963 alcohol related vehicle fatalities — one every nine hours.
“Drinking and driving can lead to tragic consequences that are 100 percent preventable,” Marc William, TxDOT executive director said. “These consequences involve individuals who made the unfortunate decision to drink and drive along with many innocent victims of those decisions.”
One of the “faces” of the campaign is Walter Tidwell, now 25. He hopped in his car after a long night of drinking and was pulled over driving the wrong way down a one-way street.
Fortunately, he was stopped before causing a wreck. He recently concluded three years of court visits and still must take alcohol and drug offender courses, do community service and serve a stretch on probation.
Tidwell is telling his story in hopes of convincing others of the dangers of driving drunk.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.