The Sealy News

Students walk outside North Forest High School in Houston.

Texas classrooms can stay closed this fall without losing state funding if local health officials order it

School districts won't lose state funding if they stick with virtual classes this fall because a local health authority has mandated that classrooms remain closed. more

By Aliyya Swaby, The Texas Tribune | 7/15/20

Bryan Vacha, right, pulls a dog off a wild hog that Matt Noviskie has under control during a hunt last spring in Colorado County.

Bounty-ful harvest

Earlier this year Austin County placed a bounty on wild hogs. With $10,000 set aside to cover the bounty, hog hunters can collect $5 for each pair of ears they redeem at Steinhauser’s in Sealy … more

By Joe Southern editor@sealynews.com | 7/15/20

Virus cases skyrocket to 133

According to numbers reported by the state to Austin County Judge Tim Lapham, the number of COVID-19 cases in the county skyrocketed in the last week from 90 to 133 with 87 of those still considered … more

By Joe Southern editor@sealynews.com | 7/15/20

Sealy Superintendent Bryan Hallmark, left, said he was pleased with the district’s first survey inquiring about families’ comfort levels with sending students back to school in the fall. Pictured are Hallmark and board President Ryan Reichardt presenting the superintendent’s report at the May 27 meeting of the board of trustees in the junior high school cafeteria.

Survey: Parents favor in-school classes this fall

A survey by the Sealy Independent School District shows that more than half of parents with children in the district favor having their children attending classes in person this fall. At the time … more

By Cole McNanna | 7/15/20

Heriberto Silva is wanted by Wallis police for the murder of Jason Zavala.

Wallis man shot to death

A Wallis man was shot to death at his home Sunday around 11:30 a.m. and police are searching for his killer. Jason Zavala, who lived at 6619 Guyler St. in Wallis, was allegedly killed by Heriberto … more

From staff reports | 7/15/20

Governor: Hospitals must expand capacity as COVID-19 cases escalate

Gov. Greg Abbott has again suspended elective surgeries in hospitals in 104 counties located within 11 of the state’s 22 trauma service areas.Each of the trauma service areas has a regional … more

From the Texas Press Association | 7/15/20

Fort Bend County judge hosts human trafficking panel ahead of Operation Freedom anniversary

With the approaching first anniversary of Operation Freedom, Fort Bend County Judge KP George hosted a Facebook Live panel with several community members and elected officials to discuss human and sex trafficking on July 9. more

By Sandra Sadek Special to The Sealy News | 7/15/20

Runoff election results

With only 5% of eligible voters casting their ballots in Austin County for Tuesday’s runoff election, local Democrats had the largest ballot of statewide races to choose.With only one race on … more

From staff reports | 7/14/20

In Texas, 29% of adults under 65 — about 4.9 million people — were estimated to be without health insurance in May 2020, the highest uninsured rate of all states. In 2018, a quarter of adults under 65 were uninsured in Texas.

Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the U.S. And during the pandemic, an estimated 659,000 Texans lost their health care.

The pandemic-driven economic downturn has left more than 5.4 million Americans with no job and no insurance. Texas has one of the largest shares of this increase. more

By Sarah R. Champagne, The Texas Tribune | 7/14/20

According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, there are more than 60,000 international students studying at universities in Texas.

In reversal, federal government will allow international students to stay in the U.S. while taking only online classes

The repeal follows outspoken criticism from universities, legal experts and higher education advocates, who deemed the rules unfairly punitive for foreign students. more

By Raga Justin, The Texas Tribune | 7/14/20

City council meets Wednesday online

The Sealy City Council postponed its regular in-person meeting from last Tuesday until Wednesday, July 15, at 6 p.m. online. Prior to the meeting, it will hold a workshop at 5 p.m. to discuss drainage issues. more

From staff reports | 7/14/20

Nurses look over the charts of patients in the COVID-19 unit at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health System in Edinburg.

Texas hospitals are running out of drugs, beds, ventilators and even staff

Many Texas hospitals are no longer accepting transfer patients in order to maintain space for a surge that’s expected to come. In some parts of the state, it’s already here. more

By Edgar Walters, Shannon Najmabadi and Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune | 7/14/20

Since March, more than 12,000 Texas prisoners and 2,100 TDCJ employees at dozens of prisons have had confirmed infections of the new coronavirus.

Thousands of Texas prisoners still have the coronavirus. More than 25% of inmates at four units are infected.

At one prison, more than 750 inmates were actively infected with the coronavirus Monday, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. more

By Jolie McCullough, The Texas Tribune | 7/14/20

Austin County Commissioners met for court Monday morning in the basement of the courthouse. The commissioners and county judge were seated approximately two feet apart and only one, Mark Lamp (right), wore a mask despite orders by Gov. Greg Abbott. After court, one of the commissioners received word he had tested positive for COVID-19. Pictured from the left are commissioners Chip Reed, Randy Reichardt, County Judge Tim Lapham, and commissioners Bobby Rinn and Mark Lamp.

Commissioner tests positive for COVID-19

An unnamed Austin County Commissioner was informed Monday after meeting in commissioners court that he had tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday morning it was reported that a second test came … more

By Joe Southern | 7/13/20 | 1 comment

Westbound I-10 lane change Tuesday night

Interstate 10 westbound mainlanes will be closed for traffic shifting operations Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Westbound mainlane traffic will be moved to the westbound exit to Chew Road/Mlcak Road … more

7/13/20

Runoff election is today

Austin County voters have several items on the ballot today's runoff election. Republicans have a short ballot this time around with only one race on the ticket. Terry Adams is facing James … more

From staff reports | 7/13/20

Tuesday is election day in Texas for the low-turnout contests to finalize party nominations for the November general election.

Texas runoff elections show stress of coronavirus pandemic on state’s voting systems

Disabled and older voters have encountered the most problems navigating mail-in balloting as they try to avoid going to polling places. In-person voting has been generally smooth so far in the low-turnout runoffs. more

By Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune | 7/13/20

A morgue trailer, currently not in use, at the Nueces County Medical Examiner's office in Corpus Christi on Friday. As some morgues fill up due to Texans dying with coronavirus, officials are seeking ways to increase their ability to store the bodies.

As Texas morgues fill up, refrigerator trucks are on the way in several counties

More than 3,000 Texans have died from the coronavirus and counties are preparing for even more deaths by expanding their capacities to store bodies. more

By Sarah R. Champagne, The Texas Tribune | 7/10/20

Gov. Greg Abbott gives an update on Texas hospital bed capacity and the state's strategy for fighting COVID-19 during a press conference at Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.

Gov. Greg Abbott warns if spread of COVID-19 doesn’t slow, “the next step would have to be a lockdown”

Abbott has repeated that warning multiple times in local television interviews this week. more

By Alex Samuels, The Texas Tribune | 7/10/20

The emergency center at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston on June 26, 2020.

Houston hospitals are increasingly turning away new patients as coronavirus overwhelms emergency rooms

The busiest hospitals in Houston are increasingly telling emergency responders they cannot safely accept new patients as hundreds of coronavirus patients crowd emergency rooms, and hospitals scramble to open more intensive care space. more

By Charles Ornstein, ProPublica and Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News | 7/10/20