Millions of Texas children are heading back to school this month, as early as this week in some districts. The Texas Department of Transportation urges drivers to be especially alert and focused when driving in school zones and near bus stops.
Drivers are further reminded that a new Texas law requires drivers to stop and yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, according to TxDOT. The Lisa Torry Smith Act is named after a young mother killed in Missouri City in a crosswalk as she walked her son to school. The driver received a $50 fine for failing to yield, according to numerous media reports.
Now it’s a crime punishable with up to two years in prison.
Health Center grants available for underserved communities The Texas Department of State Health Services is seeking grant applications for $20 million dedicated to health centers in areas where resources are scarce and access to adequate health care can be challenging. The funding came from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, and the Texas Legislature approved funneling it to federally qualified health centers (FQHC).
“Federally Qualified Health Centers are a valuable support for people who need essential medical care but live in areas where resources are scarce and access can be challenging,” said State Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville. “Once they are up and running, they operate without local or state financial support. These grants are intended to bridge the gap between start- up cost and full certification to enable the program to expand in Texas.”
Open enrollment is available until Dec. 31 or until program funding is exhausted. More information is available on the DSHS website: dshs.texas.gov.
Travel industry eligible for COVID-19 grants More funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act will soon be headed toward entities tied to travel and tourism which were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes arts entities, according to the Texas Commission on the Arts. The program, operated by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism, provides one- time grants of up to $20,000 to eligible Texas businesses and non- profits that experienced an economic loss due to COVID-19. The $180 million dedicated to the grant program to aid in the recovery of Texas tourism, travel and the hospitality industry was authorized in the last regular legislative session.
More information can be found here: https:// tinyurl. com/3244psej. New COVID-19 cases up slightly The number of new COVID-19 cases in Texas during the past week rose slightly to 78,845, with 244 deaths reported by the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University. DSHS reports 3,490 lab-confirmed COVID19 hospitalizations, a slight drop from the previous week.
DSHS also reports 17.9 million Texans are fully vaccinated, or 60.6% of the state’s population, while 7.3 million have received at least one booster shot.
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.
