Coronavirus News

Governor hits pause on Texas' reopening following COVID-19 surge

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There've been record highs in the number of positive cases.

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The glorious reopening of Texas has been put on a temporary hold, in response to a surge in positive cases of the coronavirus.

According to a release, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pausing any further phases to open Texas, as the state responds to the recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Businesses that were permitted to open under the previous phases, with the most recent one being Phase III deployed on June 3, can continue to operate.

Just don't expect Phase IV to come along any time soon.

"As we experience an increase in both positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheck to support their families," Abbott said in a statement.

"The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses," he said. "This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business."

"Corral" has been his go-to word. He used it in his press conference on June 22, when he said that current strategies to combat the coronavirus were working, despite 10 straight days of record numbers of COVID-19 cases across the state.

"COVID-19 is spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas and it must be corralled," he said. "But we have strategies to reduce that without shutting Texas back down."

Abbott also suspended elective surgeries at hospitals in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Travis counties, in order to ensure there are enough hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.

"These four counties have experienced significant increases in people being hospitalized due to COVID-19 and today's action is a precautionary step to help ensure that the hospitals in these counties continue to have ample supply of available beds to treat COVID-19 patients," he said.

Dallas County has hit a series of new highs, significant enough that healthcare professionals from UT Southwestern sounded an alarm.

According to UTSW figures, statistics in Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant counties all show that the pandemic is spreading. Tarrant County reported a seven-day high of 25 percent positivity on June 23, while hospitalization rates in Collin County and Denton County doubled in a week.

State-wide, Texas is also seeing new highs, with 5,551 new coronavirus cases on June 24, a record high, and another record of 4,389 patients hospitalized.

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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."