As tens of thousands of Texans try to file unemployment insurance claims, they’re finding the Texas Workforce Commission’s phone lines jammed and website servers overloaded as the agency is swamped by the crush of sudden need.

Four Blinn College men’s basketball players received 2019-20 Region XIV Conference honors after leading the Buccaneers to a 23-10 record and a second-place finish in the NJCAA Region XIV Tournament.

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

The Bellville Medical Center’s CEO Juanita Romans and the Medical Director Dr. Don Bosse joined us in studio and via remote interview to explain the services that the Bellville Medical Center has put in place to handle the needs of Austin County in relation to the Corona Virus.

Blinn College sophomore guards Kristine Ezimako (Spring), Gabriela Bosquez (Kyle), and Mia Cherry (Brock) each received Region XIV Conference honors after leading the No. 24 Buccaneers to the regional tournament semifinals.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday told Texans to stay at home for the next month unless they are taking part in essential services and activities, announcing a heightened statewide standard to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. He also announced that schools would remain closed until at least May 4.

Tim Lapham joined us in the Austin County News Online Studio to let the area know that there are now 4 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Austin County. We were also joined via remote interview by Amy Jett, the first person in Austin County to be diagnosed with COVID-19. She was kind enough to tell us how things have been for her since she contracted the virus and what symptoms she has dealt with.

County Judge Tim Lapham took questions from the public in this Q&A session in the Austin County News Online Studio. Questions were submitted to our email address and on the notification on our Facebook Page. Judge Lapham gave information on how many cases are currently in the county, the website that the county watches for updates and other great information to help the citizens of Austin Count, Texas during this trying time.

Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst did a remote interview with us to give an update on COVID-19 and the economic impact it is having on Senate District 18 and Texas. She gave great information for local businesses and families who are struggling with the pandemic and relayed information on assistance that is now or will soon be available.

Children home from school are likely hearing about COVID-19 from conversations between their parents or from the news. A Texas A&M University expert said it’s important parents ensure their children are given reliable information and ease their fears and anxieties.

Austin County EMS Director Walter Morrow stopped by the studio to discus the coronavirus, also known as COVID 19, how it’s effecting Austin County and what you can do to limit your exposure.

County Judge Tim Lapham issued a press release informing Austin County that its first confirmed case of COVID-19 was in Sealy.

Keeping your hands off your face is easier said than done. That’s what many people are learning as health care professionals urge the public to protect themselves from COVID-19.  It’s an unconscious tic we do dozens of times a day. Texas A&M experts explain why you shouldn’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth, and offer advice for breaking the habit.

In an effort to free up hospital beds in anticipation of an influx of patients sick with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, Abbott ordered health care professionals to postpone “all surgeries that are not medically necessary” and suspended regulations to allow hospitals to treat more than one patient in a room.

The Austin County District Attorney’s Office remains operational and ready to serve the citizens of Austin County.

Due to COVID-19 the Austin County Courthouse is limiting access to the General Public and our business hours may vary.

Austin County Judge Tim Lapham made an address to the county concerning the Coronavirus (COVID 19).  The following video is his address:

Texas regulators are considering curtailing oil production in America’s largest oil-producing state,

The Governor will discuss the statewide response to the current coronavirus outbreak and will be joined by top officials from the Department of State Health Services, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Education Agency.

In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott declared the entire state of Texas is in a public health disaster as citizens and governments continue to battle the Chinese coronavirus. Abbott also issued an order closing restaurant dining rooms, bars, and schools for 29 million Texans.