County Commissioners Rein in Judge Jenkins’ Power: In the latest episode in the ongoing saga over who gets to call the shots in the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dallas County Commissioners Court approved a measure Tuesday that requires Jenkins to notify commissioners if he decides to place any additional restrictions on essential businesses. He will also need to obtain a majority vote of the court in order to extend his shelter-in-place order past April 30.
COVID-19 Will Hit Poorest Dallas Residents Hardest: Like seemingly all things in Dallas, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will track with the city’s racial and economic divides, with those in the city’s southern half enduring the worst impact of the virus. That’s because Dallas’ poorest areas have the most people who also suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health problems.
More Than 700 American Airlines, Southwest Employees Test Positive: And a second American Airlines employee has died.
FEMA Rejects Texas’ Request for Tornado Aid: Remember Dallas last catastrophe, the tornado that devastated a huge swath of North Dallas? Well, the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected Texas’ request for millions in federal relief funding (because that’s the kind of federal government we have these days). According to a FEMA administrator, “damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments.” Texas will appeal.
Family Finds Missing Dog After Five Years: And now for some good news. A woman saw a dog being attacked in her neighborhood, and she took him to the Humane Society of North Texas. When his microchip was scanned, they discovered it was Duncan, a Schnauzer mix, who slipped through the gate of his family’s home five years ago. He was reunited with his family.
