Ebola Emerges in Dallas

CDC confirms first U.S. case of Ebola at Dallas hospital

The first case of Ebola in a U.S. hospital has emerged, and it's in Dallas. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a critically ill patient had been diagnosed with the virus; the patient, who is in isolation, is an unidentified man at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

The man left Liberia on September 19 and arrived in the United States on September 20 to visit relatives. He fell ill on September 24 and sought medical care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on September 26.

After developing symptoms consistent with Ebola, he was admitted to the hospital on September 28. Based on the person's travel history and symptoms, CDC recommended testing for Ebola.

The City of Dallas issued a bulletin announcing that it's on "Level 2: High Readiness," and that the Dallas Fire Rescue EMS crew that transported the patient Sunday morning took all safety precautions and has been quarantined according to CDC and Dallas County Health guidelines.

"The city is working closely with Dallas County Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control after the unnamed patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas was confirmed to have the virus at 3:32 pm Tuesday afternoon."

CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said at a news conference that a "handful" of people, including family members and a few people in the community, have been exposed to the virus.

Ebola does not spread through the air; it's spread through contact with bodily fluids, such as blood or vomit. The illness has an average eight- to 10-day incubation period, although it can range from two to 21 days.

According to figures from the World Health Association, Ebola has infected 6,553 people and killed 3,083 in three countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

unspecified

Speeding ticket news

Texas drivers pay a pretty price for their speeding bad behavior

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Gotta watch out for speed traps in Texas.

The next time you’re tempted to push past the speed limit on your Texas road trip or your commute to work, think about the risk to your life — and your bank account.

A new ranking from the FinanceBuzz website shows that when comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Texas motorists pay the fourth highest amount in fines and court costs for going either 10 mph or 15 mph over the speed limit.

For a 10 mph-over-the-limit violation in Texas, the average fine and court costs total $223, according to FinanceBuzz. For a 15 mph infraction, the average speeding ticket will run you $245. Texas is one of only six states where a 15 mph-over-the-limit speeding ticket surpasses $200.

California ranks first in the 10 mph category ($234), and Nevada ranks first in the 15 mph category ($290).

If you’re slapped with a ticket for driving 40 mph over the speed limit in Texas, the fine and court costs are relatively low. At an average of $320, Texas sits at No. 21 on the FinanceBuzz list. Illinois ($2,500) leads the 40 mph category.

“Not all speeding incidents are the same, as the faster someone goes while driving, the more danger they pose to themselves and others sharing the road with them,” says FinanceBuzz. “As a result, the authorities tend to issue larger fines the faster a speeder is going.”

When traveling across Texas, it might be tough to go even one mph over the speed limit if you’re driving on I-35 in the Austin area or I-45 in the Houston area. Both of these notoriously congested stretches of interstate highway are nearing the end of their “functional life,” according to Congress of New Urbanism.

Three busy Dallas County highways were just deemed among the deadliest roads in the country, with I-30 in Dallas ranking as the fourth deadliest road in Texas.

Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio are also home to some of the state’s most congested roads, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. And if you’re on any of those clogged roads, the danger of getting a speeding ticket might decrease.

driving highways reports speeding texas tickets traffic