Justice reform activists frustrated by delays in cite-and-divert plan statesman.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from statesman.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mosses Thang said the first impression of America he got was through the movies he watched as a teen in Malaysia. What he remembers are the images of skyscrapers and daydreaming what it might be like to one day live in a big city.
Thang, 30, is of Burmese descent. When he was about 15, his family moved to Malaysia as undocumented immigrants to escape oppression in Myanmar in the mid-2000s. The family came to the United States as refugees and in 2008 moved to Austin.
Thang and his mother, Vung Cing, have been helping families from Myanmar who now live in the Austin area. They told the American-Statesman that living conditions for Burmese families in the area have improved compared with 10 years ago, with many saving enough money to buy houses.
Escott sheds Travis County health authority role to become Austin s chief medical officer full time
Interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott is moving on from his role as the county s top doc and is set to work full time as the chief medical officer for the city of Austin, according to a letter addressed to Mayor Steve Adler.
The letter, which is also addressed to Austin and Travis County elected officials, states that Escott will end his interim role as county health authority so that he can fully engage in my new role as the chief medical officer.
Here s the latest on the coronavirus pandemic in Hays County. Updated data will be added to the top of this story each evening around 6 p.m.
Residents who are fully vaccinated have been given permission to resume activities without wearing a mask or socially distancing, except where required by law, including local businesses and workplaces. County Judge Ruben Becerra said some people may still need to wear a mask, so please be respectful of your neighbors.
Children ages 12 to 15 are now eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine with parental consent. The vaccines have previously only been available to anyone 16 and older.
As of Wednesday, more than 440,000 people in Travis County have been fully vaccinated, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Austin Public Health officials have extended pandemic-related safety guidelines until mid-May, and updated its recommendations for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The updated guidelines also included relaxed recommendations for school students.
More than 11.2 million Texans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, mostly between the ages of 16 to 49 years old. More than 8.2 million people in the state have now been fully vaccinated, according to the state health department s dashboard.
The Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday reported that more than half of the state s population who are older than 16 has now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Experts see herd immunity on the horizon with the combination of growing vaccination rates and people already carrying