Two adults and two children were transported to the hospital with serious injuries after a Northeast Austin crash, emergency officials said Sunday evening.
The two-vehicle crash, which occurred at the 9200 block of Decker Lake Road, was reported to authorities at 5:43 p.m.
Two children, one with serious injuries and one with potentially serious injuries, were transported to Dell Children s Medical Center. One child was ejected from a vehicle, authorities said.
Two adult patients also were transported to Dell Seton Medical Center with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.
EMS officials said traffic delays should be expected in the area and urged drivers to slow down in the rain.
The Texas House on Tuesday passed a bill that would curb the governor s powers during a pandemic, a response to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over Gov. Greg Abbott s use of disaster powers during the coronavirus pandemic.
House Bill 3, known as the Pandemic Response Act, approved 104-39, would create an oversight committee with powers to strike down any governor s order, waiver or suspension. It now heads to the Senate. We must now take what we have learned this past year in dealing with a pandemic and set a different framework in dealing with future pandemics, state Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican and an author of the bill, told members as he introduced the legislation Monday evening. As a baseline in a pandemic, you will not government your way out of it. Government does not have the solutions and doesn t have the expertise to find all the solutions to fix all the problems.
Local nonprofits, health departments and other organizations soon will be able to apply for state grants to aid COVID-19 vaccination outreach efforts amid declining vaccine demand across the state.
State health officials earmarked $10 million for the grants, Texas Department of State Health Services spokesman Chris Van Deusen said, coming on the heels of a $1.5 million TV and radio ad buy to encourage vaccinations. The state health agency also launched 22 pop-up events in Walmart parking lots, featuring videos of doctors explaining why the vaccine is safe and effective. At the end of the day, putting those dollars out into community-based organizations that already have those trusted relationships in the community is really important, Imelda Garcia, associate commissioner of laboratory and infectious disease services, told the American-Statesman.
Last minute attempts by Democrats to add amendments and delay the measure through procedural moves failed.
House Bill 1900, which passed in a 90-49 vote, next heads to the Senate.
It was the first of a raft of GOP bills addressing such funding cuts to get a House vote.
Gov. Greg Abbott made punishing cities that cut police spending a legislative priority. He excoriated Austin leaders in a series of news conferences last year over $21.5 million in police spending cuts. We want more money spent on police to keep our communities safe, not less, Rep. Craig Goldman, a Republican from Fort Worth and the bill s author, said Thursday during initial debate.