50,000 Texans Have Died From COVID-19. It’s a difficult milestone that we’ve seemed destined to reach for months. Yesterday, the state announced that 50,037 Texans have died from COVID in the past 14 months since the pandemic began. Dallas County has accounted for 4,009 of those. Yesterday, the county confirmed four more deaths, which, of course, could have happened anytime in the past few weeks. One of three Texans are now fully vaccinated.
Zeke’s Dog Hospitalized Two People in Frisco. The headline pretty much says it all. The Cowboys running back was cited after his three dogs got loose and one of them bit a couple people. That Rottweiler was taken into a 10-day quarantine while the other two were returned. The wounds are not believed to be life threatening.
State Senate Approves Homeless Camping Ban. Two weeks after Austin voters did so, the state legislature has waded into the matter. House Bill 1925 criminalizes camping in a public place, allowing police to charge individuals doing so with a Class C misdemeanor and a fine. The bill directs officers to help the homeless find shelter “before or at the time” of the citation, which I’m sure they’re all very eager to do. Of course, the Senate included exceptions for recreation. Another amendment was added preventing cities from allowing camping at public parks, which is probably a response to Austin’s decision to do so after the vote. In Dallas, District Attorney John Creuzot has vowed to not prosecute these matters.
Atatiana Jefferson’s Sues Fort Worth for $10 Million. The sister of Jefferson, who was shot and killed by a police officer as she played with her nephew, filed the lawsuit against the city, mayor, and the cop who killed her. This suit is separate from the federal lawsuit already filed against the city. The officer who shot her, Aaron Dean, is scheduled for trial in August.
Mark Cuban Plans To Allow 12,000 Fans to Playoff Games. NBA restrictions are keeping the Mavs owner from opening the stadium to full capacity. The Mavericks host the Clippers for games three and four next week. The first game is Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
