Coronavirus News

Texas governor says current COVID-19 plan is A-OK despite record highs

Governor Greg Abbott has decided masks are a good thing.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott insists that current strategies to combat the coronavirus are working, despite 10 straight days of record numbers of COVID-19 cases across the state.

At a June 22 press conference, Abbott said that current safety protocols — staying at home, washing your hands, staying six feet from others or else wearing a mask — were enough to curb the spread of the virus.

"Closing down Texas will always be the last option," he said.

But he cited figures that showed the virus is climbing dramatically:

the average daily number of people testing positive at the end of May was 1,500
the average daily number of people testing positive in the past five days of June was 3,500

"The positivity rate has gone from 4.5 percent in late May to almost 9 percent today," he said. "COVID-19 is spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas and it must be corralled. But we have strategies to reduce that without shutting Texas back down."

Those included the staying-at-home-washing-your-hands routine, as well as agencies increasing enforcement, such as the TABC's action of shutting down overcrowded bars, and counties shutting down riverpark operations if they become too crowded.

He said that the state was looking at increasing testing in areas that may emerge as hot spots, with 3,500 national guard troops on active duty to help the state respond.

He stated that "COVID-19 will be in Texas until there is treatment," but that Texas "succeeded" in its early goal of preventing hospitals from being overrun.

He also acknowledged, at long last, that masks can be helpful.

"I know that some people feel that wearing a mask is inconvenient or an infringement of personal freedom, but they will help to keep Texas open," he said. "Not taking action will cause covid to spread even worse."

But he still won't mandate masks for the state.

"Where we are in this pandemic is, if you look at growth in the number of people testing positive, all the way through early part of May, Texas was moving in a productive position," he said. "And then around the time of Memorial Day, there was an increase, necessitating that next steps be taken."

Following lockdowns across Texas that began in March, Abbott significantly expanded reopening the state on June 3 — timing that is surely a coincidence.

"There is a differentiation in the spread in different parts of the state of Texas," he said. "We need to have latitude for differentiation. Some of the larger settings that have more massive spread of COVID-19 have an increased use of required masks, while other parts of the state have no COVID-19 cases. I think maintaining a level of flexibility is important."

"It would have been one thing to talk about masks in the middle part of May when the trends are going down, but it's a different thing to talk about masks in June when all the trends are going up," he said.

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Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."