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City of Houston Awarded $150,000 Grant from the National League of Cities to Promote Equitable Career Opportunities for Youth
Houston experiencing shortages of over-the-counter medications
There’s a variety of supplies out of stock in stores across the country, and now that cold and flu season is upon us, it’s adding to the shipping and manufacturing headaches with over-the-counter medications.
At a CVS in southeast Houston, cold and flu meds are sparse.
At a Walgreens in Missouri City, there were holes where some sinus meds are typically stocked.
At a Target in Stafford, they’re limiting how much Pepcid customers can buy.
Plus, no surprise everywhere, due to high demand, no COVID rapid tests were anywhere to be found.
What’s driving this shortage of over-the-counter drugs?
Walgreens said there’s “Greater demand for cough, cold and flu products nationwide, and as a result, Walgreens has worked diligently with our suppliers to ensure we have enough supply to cover customer demand.”
CVS said shortages are all temporary and they “are working with our suppliers to ensure continued access.”
You can try to go online but forget fast shipping. Most orders are taking weeks to arrive.
At small businesses like Quail Valley Pharmacy in Missouri City, they’re feeling the impact of shortages with prescription drugs.
According to the FDA, some very common ones may experience shortages like Albuterol, epinephrine, insulin, and some saline.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get our patients to understand that, but hopefully, this is something that not only the FDA but the various drug companies are working on to get us through,” said the registered pharmacist, Vanese Berry.
Her advice is to try and plan ahead.
“Be a little bit more proactive in, you know, calling your pharmacy, getting your medication refilled, and having that extra supply (if you can) on hand so that you don’t experience that lapse,” Berry said. She also added that backorders on medication to her pharmacy typically take about 30 days.
Source: click2houston
German president calls for debate over COVID vaccine mandate
Germany’s president called Wednesday for a thorough debate over plans for compulsory coronavirus vaccinations for all adults in the country, saying such a drastic measure needs to be fully justified.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has backed calls for a vaccine mandate and lawmakers are expected to begin debating a bill later this month. Polls show a majority of people in Germany back compulsory vaccination against COVID-19, but a vocal minority opposes the idea.
“I, for one, consider it necessary and will actively campaign for it,” Scholz told lawmakers in parliament in Berlin, adding that not getting vaccinated was not a personal decision since it has consequences for the entire society.
“There’s no decision you make just for yourself, and that’s why mandatory vaccination is also important,” he added.
At a roundtable debate with citizens on the issue, however, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said “the exceptional situation of a pandemic increases the pressure for the state to act, but it doesn’t replace the requirement to weigh up arguments and balance interests.”
“A vaccine mandate means a debate mandate,” he added.
Steinmeier, whose role is largely ceremonial, said he wouldn’t take sides in the debate but urged those involved to have “respect for other positions, but also respect for facts and reason, that must be and remain our common currency.”
He dismissed as “complete nonsense claims that the coronavirus pandemic has turned Germany into a dictatorship.”
“Among friends, at work, in schools, in daycare centers, in clinics and nursing homes, in city halls, health offices and parliaments, people everywhere are trying to figure out together what needs to be done” to fight the pandemic, Steinmeier said. “And that’s exactly what this democratic struggle is about.”
Among the people debating was a nurse from Cologne and the head of a nursing home in Berlin, who both stressed how essential it is to be vaccinated so that especially the most vulnerable of society — those who are ill and old — can be protected from the virus.
A professor for health communication pointed out that a lot of the people who refuse to get vaccinated are simply afraid of the vaccines. Cornelia Betsch criticized authorities for initially missing many opportunities to better explain how safe and important vaccines are.
“Many people are simply afraid of getting vaccinated and a mandate can create counter feelings,” she said, encouraging efforts to reach out to talk to those who are hesitant about vaccinations.
Around 72.2% of Germans are considered fully vaccinated, while at least 44.2 % have received an additional booster shot.
Germany’s disease control agency reported 80,430 new cases of COVID-19 in one day, a pandemic record, and 384 additional deaths.
Among those who oppose a vaccine, mandate are some members of the Free Democrats, who are part of Germany’s ruling coalition, and Germany’s former health minister, who pledged last summer not to introduce a general vaccine mandate. Political leaders have agreed to let lawmakers vote according to their own conscience on the issue.
The looming mandate has been a rallying point for vocal anti-vaccine activists. Some recent demonstrations have turned violent in Germany, with protesters attacking police officers after being ordered to disperse.
In neighboring Austria, the authorities on Wednesday ramped up the pressure on unvaccinated people by increasing spot controls in popular public places and shops. On Tuesday, police in Vienna alone checked people’s vaccination status 5,100 times and made sure people were wearing masks outside if social distancing could not be observed.
Source: click2houston
50 Years of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta
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Governor Abbott Appoints Three to Governor’s Broadband Development Council
Schelana Hock of Moscow is the County Clerk of Polk County where she serves as the official record-keeper of the county. Hock previously served as the Telecommunications Operator for the Corrigan Police Department and as the Deputy Clerk, Data Entry Clerk, and Chief Deputy of Polk County. She volunteers as a food server with the Multi-Cultural Festival and as a telephone operator with the Polk County Emergency Management Disaster telecommunications division. Hock is pursuing a degree in Integrated Studies from Sam Houston State University.
Jack Kelanic of Dallas is the Chief Technology Officer for the Dallas Independent School District where he creates a technology plan to maximize digital learning. Additionally, he directs the district’s $270 million technology capital program. He previously worked as the Director of Information Technology for the City of Tacoma, the Chief Information Systems Director at Los Angeles Unified School District, and as an engineer at Dewberry and Davis. He is co-chair of the Internet for All Coalition and a member of the Texas Education Technology Leadership Council and Consortium for School Networking. He previously served as an advisory board member of The University of Washington Tacoma Institute of Technology and a board member of the Schools Federal Credit Union. Kelanic received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Ray Scifres of Levelland is the Sheriff of Hockley County. Additionally, he serves as an Adjunct Instructor of Law Enforcement at South Plains College. He is currently a director of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas, Committee Vice-Chair of the South Plains College Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, and a member and former board member of the Texas Jail Association. Scifres received a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences and Master of Science from Lamar University and is pursuing a Doctor of Management from Wayland Baptist University.
Source: gov.texas
Conroe church searching for answers after nearly 2 dozen bullet holes discovered in church
Conroe Police Department is investigating after several bullet holes were found on the backside of the Hopewell Community Chuch this past weekend.According to investigators, police responded to reports of a shooting after a church representative found bullet holes on the backside of the church building.
Conroe police said they believe the church wasn’t the initial target, but believe the shots came from a neighboring property on Jan. 7 and 8.
The shooting is being investigated.
Anyone with information related to these incidents is urged to contact the Conroe Police Department at 936-522-3200.
Source: click2houston
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo raises COVID-19 threat level to red
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced on Monday that she raised the county’s COVID-19 threat level to red, the highest level.
The county judge cited a rising number of hospitalizations, with the 14-day average for positive ICU cases reaching 18.1% and the positivity rate is at 35%.
Level 1 indicates a severe and uncontrolled threat to COVID-19 and urges residents to stay home except for essential needs such as going to the grocery store to buy food or medicine, according to Harris County Public Health.
The county had raised the threat level from yellow to orange on Dec. 20.
In a news conference Monday, Hidalgo, was joined by Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Spring Independent School District Chief of Police Ken Culbreath, and Dr. Ericka Brown, of Harris County Public Health.
“I wish I were here to report better circumstances, but unfortunately today we find ourselves yet again crossing a threshold we don’t want to cross because of the omicron variant,” Hidalgo said. “In other words, we are in the midst of another COVID-19 tsunami. And this time, it truly is a tsunami when it comes to those cases. It’s like nothing we’ve seen before in this pandemic.”
Hidalgo added she also worked with Commissioner Ellis and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia to deliver 111,000 tests to school districts across Harris County.
In addition, Harris County Public Health will partner with Spring ISD to open a testing site at Planet Ford Stadium Spring on Tuesday. The site will offer 300 PCR tests each day and will open for the next two weeks.
Residents can sign up for an appointment beginning at 4 p.m. on Monday.
Hidalgo said she hopes this time is the last the county reaches red.
“We can make this the last time this happens but for right now, for the sake of our hospitals and for the sake of our workforce, we have to sound the alarm once again,” she said.
Source: click2houston
Port Houston Welcomes New Vietnam Direct Service
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) recently announced Houston on the rotation in their Santana trans-Pacific service, which links Vietnam and Central China to the U.S. Gulf and East Coasts. Port Houston will be the first port call in the United States for the service. The rotation is Haiphong – Shanghai – Ningbo – Houston – Charleston –New York – Haiphong, offering a 31-day transit time between Vietnam and Houston.
“MSC is a long-running, valued partner for us, and MSC’s new service provides much-needed capacity in the trans-Pacific trade for Port Houston’s growing list of BCO customers,” said Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther. “MSC’s Santana service links Houston directly with Vietnam, an important and fast-growing market for our region.” Page 2 of 2 Port Houston saw double-digit growth for nine consecutive months in 2021 and surpassed the 3 million TEU mark in November 2021.
Growth in imports from Asia has been an important contributor to the increased cargo numbers. MSC’s Santana service will be the second Vietnam direct call to Port Houston.
The first vessel on this service is called Haiphong on December 31, 2021, and is scheduled to call Port Houston’s Bayport Container Terminal. Port Houston is the marine terminal operator of two world-class container facilities: Barbours Cut Terminal, the first of its kind in the U.S. Gulf, and Bayport Container Terminal, which opened in 2007.
Source: porthouston
Governor Abbott Reappoints Four to Texas Workforce Investment Council
Joe Arnold of Muldoon is the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Executive External Relations Officer for Texas State Technical College where he is responsible for identifying, establishing, and enhancing relationships with industry and trade associations throughout Texas. He currently serves as a board member of the Associated Chemical Industry of Texas and is a former member of the Texas Chemical Council, Texas Association of Manufacturers, and Texas Farm Bureau of Burnet County. Arnold attended Lamar University.
Lindsey Geeslin of Lorena is a sales manager for Lhoist and has worked in the construction industry for 16 years. She is the former Executive Director of the Texas Masonry Council and remains an active member. She is a member of the Women of Asphalt, Women in Mining, and the Texas Chapter of the American Public Work Association and volunteers with the Texas Masonry Council. Geeslin received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business Management from Texas State University.
Wayne Oswald of Angleton is the former Executive Director of Houston Business Roundtable where he managed operations of the Greater Houston Area Industrial Construction Users Council. He previously served as a maintenance manager for Dow Chemical Company. He is a former chairman of the Texas Skill Standards Board, Houston Business Roundtable Contractor Workforce Development Committee, and Brazoria County Petrochemical Council Contractor Committee and a former member of Texas Gulf Coast Associated Builders and Contractors Education Committee. Oswald received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Houston.
Paul Puente of Houston is the Executive Secretary to the Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council which represents various construction local unions and twenty counties. He is a fellow of the American Leadership Forum Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter and he serves as the president of West Gulf Ports Council. Additionally, he serves on committees of the Houston Business Roundtable and Greater Houston Partnership and he is on the board of directors of Houston First Corporation. Puente received an Associate Degree from San Jacinto Electrical Technology and earned his Journeymen’s license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations.
Source: gov.texas
Governor Abbott Delivers Remarks at Denton County Mayors Crime Prevention Lunch In Corinth
“The failed border policies of the Biden Administration have left Texas to defend itself against the resulting challenges of increased illegal border crossings, deadly drugs, and human trafficking across our state, and I thank the local leaders and law enforcement officers here today who have stepped up to work alongside the State as we solve this crisis and keep Texans safe,” said Governor Abbott. “Public safety remains a priority in the State of Texas and we will also continue to support law enforcement and fight against efforts to defund the police. Working together, we will continue to secure a safer future for Denton County and the Lone Star State.”
The Denton County Mayors Crime Prevention Luncheon brings together mayors, police chiefs, sheriffs, fire chiefs, emergency responders, and local and state elected officials to discuss public safety, border security, and strategies for keeping Denton County safe.
Source: gov.texas