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DALLAS It wasn’t the graduation ceremony Lou Ann Hintz had pictured as she worked toward her doctorate, but driving across the finish line at Texas Motor Speedway to mark the achievement turned out to be pretty thrilling.
“It is a disappointment not to have the traditional, but this is a cool thing to get to do,” said Hintz, who graduated this month from Texas Woman’s University in Denton. “It’s something that I will always remember.”
Across Texas and the U.S. this year, high schools and universities scrambled to find ways to give students a meaningful graduation amid the coronavirus pandemic. There have been virtual events, drive-through ceremonies in parking lots and more traditional in-person events that took several days to ensure social distancing.
Texas Headlines: Hospitalizations approaching peak in Texas, Ty Jordan dead, silver alert from Red Oak
Houston - DALLAS (AP) - Coronavirus hospitalizations in Texas are approaching a peak hit as the pandemic surged over the summer, even amid holiday gatherings and travel that health officials warn are likely to further spread the virus. State health officials on Friday reported there were 10,868 patients hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state on Christmas. That s fewer than 30 people behind the record high set in July. The Texas Department of State Health Services says intensive care units in several parts of the state were full or nearly full. Texas reported 200 more death from COVID-19 on Christmas.