These are the stories we've been covering on Friday, April 3, on KTRH. We type our newscasts in all caps. The stories have been posted chronologically with the most recent at the top.
GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT SAYS MORE THAN 5,478 TEXANS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID 19. THERE ARE 19 DEATHS IN THE STATE.
THERE WILL BE A DONATION DRIVE FOR P-P- E SUPPLIES INCLUDING MASKS, GOWNS, FACE SHIELDS, GLOVED AND ALCOHOL NEXT WEDNESDAY FROM NOON TO 3 AT MINUTE MAID PARK AT THE CRAWFORD STREET ENTRANCE BETWEEN TEXAS AND CONGRESS. IT'S A DRIVE-THRU DROP OFF. IT'S A JOINT EFFORT BY PROJECT CURE, CHENIERE ENERGY, AND THE ASTROS FOUNDATION.
IN THE WOODLANDS MEDICAL SUPPLY DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED AT THE WOODLANDS FIRE DEPARTMENT'S CENTRAL STATION ON GROGAN'S MILL ROAD MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 10AM TO 2PM THROUGHOUT THE CRISIS.
HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF ED GONZALES SAYS HE'S RECEIVED A COURT NOTICE TO HALT ALL RELEASES OF INMATES FROM THE COUNTY JAIL RELATED TO JUDGE LINA HIDALGO'S ORDER. 13 HAD BEEN RELEASED EARLIER TODAY.
BEGINNING TODAY, GOOGLE WILL TRACK RESIDENTS OF 131 COUNTRIES USING THEIR LOCATION DATA TO MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING POLICIES. THE U.S. IS ONE OF THOSE COUNTRIES. GOOGLE IS PUBLISHING THEIR COVID19 COMMUNITY MOBILITY REPORTS. THEY SAY NO PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL BE TRACKED.
HEAD'S UP - IN THE HOUSTON AREA TREE AND GRASS POLLEN ARE HIGH. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS THIS WEEKEND.
THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL RELEASED 16 MEDICALLY-VULNERABLE INMATES THIS MORNING, THE FIRST ALLOWED OUT AFTER COUNTY JUDGE HIDALGO SIGNED AN ORDER ALLOWING UP TO A THOUSAND NON-VIOLENT INMATES OUT. THE D-A'S OFFICE IS REVIEWING RECORDS TO DETERMINE WHO CAN BE RELEASED.
EFFECTIVE SUNDAY THE MEXICAN COMPANY THAT MAKES CORONA BEER WILL SUSPEND OPERATIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AN *ESSENTIAL BUSINESS.*
REBECCA CREEK DISTILLERY IS DONATING 50 GALLONS OF THEIR *LOVE,DISTILLED* HAND CLEANER TO THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY SAY THEY HOPE TO HAVE MORE DONATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
EXXONMOBIL IS CONTRIBUTING $250-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HARRIS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY FOOD BANKS, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT A MILLION MEALS.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WORK *ACE HARDWARE* IS HIRING 30,000 PEOPLE.
THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS REOPENING THE TOWNSHIP'S THREE COMMUNITY GARDENS. WENDTWOODS PARK, ALDEN BRIDGE AND BEAR BRANCH SPORTS FIELD SAYS WITH APPROPRIATE SOCIAL DISTANCING CITIZEN FARMERS CAN GET BACK TO THEIR CROPS.
SINGER-SONGWRITER CHRISTOPHER CROSS HAS COVID 19. THE SAN ANTONIO NATIVE SAYS HE'S BEING TREATED AT HOME BUT SAYS IT'S THE WORST ILLNESS HE'S EVER EXPERIENCED.
SCHOOLS WON'T BE ISSUED ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS BY THE STATE THIS YEAR. ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN TEXAS WILL BE LABELED "NOT RATED, DECLARED STATE OF DISASTER."
THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S 3-1-1 NUMBER IS LOGGING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT PEOPLE NOT SOCIAL DISTANCING. THE HARRIS COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE HAS RESPONDED TO 121 COMPLAINTS.
TODAY DALLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE EXTENDING THEIR STAY-AT-HOME ORDER THROUGH MAY 20TH, THE FIRST TEXAS COUNTY TO DO SO. HARRIS, FORT BEND AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES EXPIRES APRIL 30 th.
THE TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE HAS NOTIFIED STATE ELECTION OFFICIALS THAT VOTERS OF ANY AGE CONCERNED ABOUT GOING TO POLL LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS CAN REQUEST A MAIL-IN BALLOT, AND SUGGESTS ENHANCED USE OF CURBSIDE VOTING AND ADDING ADDITIONAL POLL WORKERS. THE RUN-OFF PRIMARY ELECTION IN TEXAS HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL JULY 14.
TONY SOPRANO IS BACK. TO PROMOTE STAYING AT HOME HBO IS OFFERING FREE ACCESS TO 500 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING "THE SOPRANOS," "THE WIRE," AND SEVEN OTHER SERIES, PLUS TEN DOCU-SERIES.
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY HAVE THE MOST NUMBER OF COVID 19 CASES IN THE STATE. 143 COUNTIES IN THE STATE REPORT CASES.
AMAZON PRIME IS PARTNERING WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO STREAM SOME OF THE FILMS THAT WERE SLATED TO BE SHOWN AT THE AUSTIN FESTIVAL LAST MONTH. IT'S UP TO THE FILMMAKERS TO DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN LATE APRIL.
THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS BEING TREATED FOR COVID 19 IN HOUSTON AREA HOSPITALS IS INCREASING EXPONENTIALLY, NBC NEWS REPORTS TODAY. HARRIS COUNTY JUDGE LINA HIDALGO SAYS WE ARE TRACKING ON A TREND SIMILAR TO NEW YORK CITY AND ITALY.
THERE WERE TWO DEATHS IN HARRIS COUNTY LAST NIGHT BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 22 WHILE THE CITY OF HOUSTON REPORTS SIX.
MATAGORDA COUNTY HAS A SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE WITH 35 REPORTED CASES.
HOUSTON AREA CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ARE PUSHING WASHINGTON FOR MORE CORONAVIRUS TEST KITS. NEW YORK HAS TESTED MORE THAN 238,000 PEOPLE, FLORIDA MORE THAN 78,000, BUT AS OF YESTERDAY TEXAS HASN'T EVEN TESTED 51-THOUSAND. THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY, POPULATION, 4.6 MILLION, COMBINED ARE LIMITED TO A THOUSAND TEST KITS A DAY.
THE FORT BEND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS HATE INCIDENTS AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. BRIAN MIDDLETON SAYS CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ARE BEING PUT AT RISK.
A THIRD RESIDENT AT THE INDEPENDENT LIVING FACILITY IN THE WOODLANDS HAS DIED. ALL WERE OVER THE AGE OF 80. THERE ARE 14 CASES IN THE FACILITY.
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO GET A REFUND FOR RODEO TICKETS, OR YOU CAN DONATE YOUR TICKETS TO THE RODEO OR ROLL-OVER THE PURCHASE TO NEXT YEAR. THEY HAVE DETAILS AT THE RODEO'S WEBSITE.
THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS IN TEXAS IS UP 77% FROM LAST WEEK, AN INCREASE OF 1,819% FROM MARCH.
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK IN WEST TEXAS IS CLOSED, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICES ANNOUNCES TODAY.