TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalHogan Admin. Not 'Terribly Forthcoming' About How It's Spending Relief Funds
Maryland received a massive pot of COVID-19 relief money from the federal government, but how much of that money will be spent remains unknown even to state legislators.
Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan (R) hasn’t been transparent about how he plans to use millions in relief funds from the federal government, David C. Romans, a fiscal policy and analysis coordinator with the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, told lawmakers during a virtual Thursday morning Senate Budget and Taxation Committee briefing.
“The administration has not been terribly forthcoming about how they plan to use that money, except through press releases,” Romans said. “None of this money technically should be spent without a budget amendment being processed.”
He said the Hogan administration has pledged more than $1 billion in federal relief funding for local governments, but added that around $450 million remains unallocated. Romans added that most of his information came from the governor’s news releases.
Read more: https://www.marylandmatters.org/blog/analyst-hogan-admin-not-terribly-forthcoming-about-how-its-spending-relief-funds/
Former state representative, WWII vet dies
Flags are to be flown at half-staff on Friday, July 10, in honor of former Rep. Donald Clark (D-Kenton).
Clark died at the age of 96 on June 24. He was first elected to the Delaware House of Representatives in 1982 as the 29th district’s representative and served in the general assembly for twelve years. While there, he chaired the agriculture committee and served on the small business and natural resources committees.
Clark grew up on a farm in Kenton and graduated from Dover High School a semester early to join the Air Force. He was 21 in Jan. 1945, when he began flying planes in Europe. Over the last five months of the war, he flew 81 missions, 27 of which involved combat.
After returned home to Kenton, Clark started a crop dusting business, which at one point had six planes. He sold that business after 10 years and started Clark Seeds, a business still owned and operated by his family today.
Read more: https://www.middletowntranscript.com/news/20200709/former-state-rep-wwii-vet-dies
US economy may be stalling out as viral outbreak worsens
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is stumbling as the viral outbreak intensifies, threatening to slow hiring and deepening the uncertainty for employees, consumers and companies across the country.
Coronavirus case counts are rising in 38 states, and the nation as a whole has been shattering single-day records for new confirmed cases. In six states representing one-third of the economy — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, and Texas — governors are reversing their reopening plans. Reopening efforts are on pause in 15 other states.
The reversals are keeping layoffs elevated and threatening to weaken hiring. More than 1.3 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, down from 1.4 million the previous week but still roughly double the pre-pandemic weekly record. Applications had fallen steadily in April and May but have barely declined in the past month.
Jobless claims “are stalled out at a new normal of over a million new claims every week,” said Daniel Zhao, an economist at Glassdoor. “The virus is in the driver’s seat and we’re along for the ride until the current public health crisis is resolved.”
Read more: https://delawarestatenews.net/nation/us-economy-may-be-stalling-out-as-viral-outbreak-worsens/
Delaware State University to acquire Wesley College
DOVER — Delaware State University is slated to acquire Wesley College by next summer, officials announced Thursday.
“Despite so much uncertainty on many fronts nationally, this is a unique opportunity for the university and the state of Delaware. The time for bold innovation for young people is now, particularly for students who have made it to college by sheer determination against sometimes enormous odds,” said DSU President Tony Allen in a prepared statement.
“Acquiring a college like Wesley, which serves a very similar student base, boasts strong academic programs, and brings sustained economic impact to Downtown Dover and Kent County, is a significant step closer to our broader vision — a substantively diverse, contemporary and unapologetically Historically Black College or University,” he continued.
Dr. Allen and Wesley President Bob Clark signed a definitive agreement Thursday that will see the DSU acquire Wesley no later than June 2021.
Read more: https://delawarestatenews.net/news/delaware-state-university-to-acquire-wesley-college/
Congressmen Castro And Doggett Want Brooke Army Medical To Help San Antonio With COVID-19 Caseload
SAN ANTONIO -- As coronavirus cases surge in Bexar County and hospitals near capacity, U.S. Representatives Lloyd Doggett and Joaquin Castro are urging Brooke Army Medical Center to do more to help.
Fort Sam Houston’s Brooke Army Medical Center won’t take civilian coronavirus patients unless they are military dependents or retirees. Pentagon policy bars it from doing so.
Congressmen Lloyd Doggett and Joaquin Castro are throwing their weight behind efforts to change that.
“We put in immediate inquiries, both to the Defense Department and to the Armed Services Committee in the House to see what we can do to remove obstacles,” Doggett said. “This is an opportunity for our San Antonio neighbors that work at BAMC and the facilities of BAMC to be available to help us at a time of great need.”
Read more: https://www.tpr.org/post/congressmen-castro-and-doggett-want-brooke-army-medical-help-san-antonio-covid-19-caseload
Rio Grande Valley COVID-19: Judge Cortez Says 'Tsunami' Of Cases Has Hit Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County officials announced 20 deaths and 1,274 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, setting new records for single-day reports in cases and fatalities. There are now 123 recorded COVID-19 fatalities, over half of which were reported this week.
One of Thursday's reported deaths was a male in his 20s from McAllen and 16 individuals who died were in their 70s.
“Several months ago, I warned of a potential tsunami if we did not take this more seriously,” Judge Richard F. Cortez said during a briefing on social media Thursday. “The tsunami is here.”
There are now 7,334 known cases of COVID-19 in the county: 4,375 of which are still active while 2,836 individuals have recovered. Hidalgo County hospitals are treating 741 COVID-19 patients including 194 in intensive care.
Read more: https://www.tpr.org/post/rgv-covid-19-judge-cortez-says-tsunami-cases-has-hit-hidalgo-county
New Mexico postpones high school fall contact sports
LAS CRUCES – New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday that contact sports will not be permitted this fall at the high school level.
The postponement includes both football and soccer for now, although the briefing also stated that non-contact sports such as volleyball and cross country are under review and will "likely" have delayed starts to seasons.
Lujan Grisham didn't rule out the possibility of modifying said sports' schedules to resume in the spring either with the contingency that schools are reopened at that time.
"It was a little bit expected," Las Cruces football head coach Mark Lopez said. "We've had conversations about this for a couple of weeks... I felt like this gave us a better opportunity to keep everybody safe and also play a full season in the spring, so that's what I'm still looking forward to."
Read more: https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/sports/college/nmsu/2020/07/09/new-mexico-governor-postpones-high-school-fall-contact-sports/5410426002/
Laredo confirms 242 coronavirus cases, setting record single-day total for positives
City of Laredo officials have confirmed on Thursday 242 additional cases of the novel coronavirus -- the highest single-day total of positives since the emergence of the virus in the Gateway City -- as it surged to 2,405 overall.
Local officials also confirmed the 39th death due to COVID-19 in Laredo, a day after setting a new high with six deaths in the city.
The massive spike in cases bests the previous record of 227 set on July 27. It also ensured that this week will also be the fourth straight with a new weekly high in cases, even with one day remaining.
There have been 632 new positives this week, including the third-highest total on Tuesday with 131 cases and the sixth- and seventh-highest totals on Monday (92) and Wednesday (72), respectively. The city passed last week's high of 561. Weeks are calculated from Saturday through Friday to accurately account for the time period Laredo stopped providing updates on weekends.
Read more: https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/Laredo-confirms-242-coronavirus-cases-setting-15397314.php
(Laredo Morning Times)
NCAA denies UMHB football appeal, vacates 2016 national championship
BELTON — The NCAA notified the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor that the Infraction Appeals Committee denied the university’s appeal, vacating the school’s 2016 Division III national championship.
The NCAA upheld its Committee on Infraction’s vacation of records penalty for the 2016 and 2017 football seasons.
“This process has taken more than two years to complete, and we are deeply disappointed by this final decision,” Dr. Randy O’Rear, UMHB president, said in a news release. “We believe it is a harsh penalty, especially for all the student-athletes who had no part in the infractions. Today’s decision could cause serious concern about whether the current NCAA enforcement system will encourage or discourage cultures of integrity and self-reporting for those facing similar situations in the future.
“As soon as we became aware of rules violations, we took immediate and decisive action and we self-reported to the NCAA. But in the end, student-athletes who had nothing to do with the violations have been stripped of their team accomplishments by the NCAA.”
Read more: https://kdhnews.com/news/breaking/ncaa-denies-umhb-football-appeal-vacates-2016-national-championship/article_8447bcba-b7f0-11ea-9d37-6bd70351e89a.html
With this decision, I guess that I should take solace that my alma mater, Southwestern, did not lose 44-10 to UMHB in 2017.
NCAA denies UMHB football appeal, vacates 2016 national championship
BELTON — The NCAA notified the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor that the Infraction Appeals Committee denied the university’s appeal, vacating the school’s 2016 Division III national championship.
The NCAA upheld its Committee on Infraction’s vacation of records penalty for the 2016 and 2017 football seasons.
“This process has taken more than two years to complete, and we are deeply disappointed by this final decision,” Dr. Randy O’Rear, UMHB president, said in a news release. “We believe it is a harsh penalty, especially for all the student-athletes who had no part in the infractions. Today’s decision could cause serious concern about whether the current NCAA enforcement system will encourage or discourage cultures of integrity and self-reporting for those facing similar situations in the future.
“As soon as we became aware of rules violations, we took immediate and decisive action and we self-reported to the NCAA. But in the end, student-athletes who had nothing to do with the violations have been stripped of their team accomplishments by the NCAA.”
Read more: https://kdhnews.com/news/breaking/ncaa-denies-umhb-football-appeal-vacates-2016-national-championship/article_8447bcba-b7f0-11ea-9d37-6bd70351e89a.html
With this decision, I guess that I should take solace that my alma mater, Southwestern, did not lose 44-10 to UMHB in 2017.
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
Number of posts: 112,168
