Elgin Nursing Home Reporting Active COVID-19 Cases
The Bastrop Advertiser
• Seven staff members and over 20 residents of an Elgin nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released preliminary data showing the number of COVID-19 cases nursing homes throughout the country have reported. The data shows that Elgin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center reported 18 confirmed cases and 20 suspected cases. However, Regency Integrated Health Services, which owns and operates the facility, says that testing last month identified seven employees and 24 residents who tested positive for COVID-19. A company spokesperson said that they are working with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to correct the data discrepancy.
The Shiner Gazette
• Editors at PC Magazine, an online tech magazine, picked Shiner as one of their Top 15 small towns in their nationwide search last month for affordable places to live while working from home. Manhattan writer Sascha Segan wrote the article titled, “15 Affordable Small Towns in the U.S. with Fast Internet for Remote Workers.” The article rated towns across America on their availability of high-speed internet services and affordability in housing.
The Banner-Press
• The Brenham Animal Services (BAS) has been selected to take part in a pilot program to help reform how animal shelters across the United States take care of their furry residents. American Pets Alive (AmPA) chose BAS as an Animal Welfare Social Services Coalition participant with Tier 2 support. Tier 2 members have been selected as the top 20 organizers that have the ability to implement the pilot program with a moderate level of support from AmPA. AmPa is an educational program for animal shelters to end this urgent crisis and save as many animals as possible from unnecessary deaths.
• Dozens of protestors met in Somerville Tuesday afternoon to object to the police department’s rehiring of an officer involved in a controversial death in 2017 in Harris County and now the hiring will not happen. Former Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Chauna Thompson, who now goes by Chauna Sheffield, was indicted on a murder charge in the death of John Hernandez at a Houston-area Denny’s restaurant. She was seen on video helping restrain Hernandez while her husband at the time, Terry Thompson, put him into a choke-hold. Hernandez died after the incident. Sheffield, who was off-duty at the time, was later fired from her job, but the charges against her were later dropped. Sheffield served about five months with the police department, but was fired about six months ago after Mayor Micheal Bradford and others in the community found out about her past.