Team OSD – Page 48 – The Other Side Dallas

July 17, 2020July 17, 2020

Disgusting American Airlines Staff: Is NAACP Travel Advisory Returning

A Black social worker is suing American Airlines, alleging airline employees suspected her of kidnapping a white toddler whom she was accompanying during a flight last fall.

Shannon Murphy, a social worker with Riverside County, California, said her civil rights were violated when she was pulled off a plane in October and airline employees took the baby she was caring for. The suit alleges violations of Murphy’s civil rights, false imprisonment, and negligence. It seeks unspecified punitive and exemplary damages, as well as compensation for past and future medical expenses. Murphy said she had been seeing a therapist since the incident and has suffered from insomnia and nightmares.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in late June and first reported by The Mercury News, Murphy was escorting the toddler back from a court-mandated two-week visit with his father in Arkansas. While a passenger was waiting for the second leg of a flight to depart from Dallas-Fort Worth for Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles, they told a flight attendant that they suspected Murphy of holding a kidnap victim, the lawsuit alleges.

Disgusting American Airlines Staff Wrongfully Detains Social Worker

Per reports American Airline employees asked Murphy for her boarding pass, told her she needed to leave the plane with them, and took the child from her, she said.

Murphy said she had paperwork with her, including her work ID, the child’s birth certificate, and a signed copy of the court order for the trip. She tried to show it to the airline employees on the plane, but they insisted she come with them, she said. They eventually checked the paperwork and said there had been a mistake, according to Murphy.

In 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory against American Airlines based on other similar behavior.

American Airlines: More Bad News

This is the second recent issue for the Dallas based airline. Last week, American was hit by complaints by a sitting US Senator that they were not protecting passengers appropriaely from COVID19. They then seemed to violate their own standards allowing Sen. Ted Cruz to fly without a mask.

July 17, 2020July 17, 2020

Down And Out Dak Prescott Done In Dallas?

Is Dak Prescott done in Dallas after signing a $31M contract?

The NFL Network reported that Prescott turned down a deal worth at least $33 million per season, with $100 million guaranteed. The 26-year-old instead will play on a franchise tag, which will pay Prescott $31.4 million next season, but all is not happy at The Star.

After Wednesday’s deadline passed without the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott agreeing on a long-term extension, the quarterback’s older brother made his anger and disappointment public.

This may be a precursor of things to come. As of today, the tweet is still up two days later despite massive fan reaction and media attention.

Dak Prescott

Prescott has started every game for the Cowboys since being drafted in the fourth round pick in 2016. He earned the reigns to the starting job after both Tony Romo and Kellen Moore we injured in 2016. He has led the team to a pair of playoff appearances, throwing for a career-high 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns last season.

Prescott is 40-24 in the regular season, but 1-2 in the playoffs. Other Side Dallas predicts he is gone after no more than two years.

July 16, 2020June 12, 2021

Labor Day Class Open

Dallas ISD Schools are closed until Labor Day for in person instruction per an order by Dallas County Health Department Medical Director Philip Huang.

No In Person Classes Until After Labor Day

An early September return to school still seems optimistic per many teachers and parents who have begun a #NotMyKid campaign to keep their children home.

This move by the Dallas County Health Department seems to preempt next week’s Dallas ISD Board of Trustees meeting.

Labor Day Option

The Dallas ISD Calendar has been up in the air since the Texas Education Agency stipulated students must return to class despite parent and educator objections. This would seem to be one more nail in the coffin of a Fall 2020 football season making its way onto the Dallas ISD Calendar as children’s COVID19 cases continue to spread.

Reprinted with permission of Townview Magnet Foundation.

July 16, 2020June 12, 2021

Free Tito’s

Free Titos hand santitizer is being given away at Fair Park Gate 2 this morning, Thursday July 16, 2020, starting at 9:00AM.

More than 44,000 bottles of hand sanitizer have been made by Texas’ Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Adults over 18 can pick three free bottles at 921 S. Haskell Ave. in South Dallas.

More Free Titos

Tito’s has been producing hand sanitizer since late March, donating bottles to frontline workers at more than 500 organizations in Central Texas and to 30 other states as part of the response to COVID19. As COVID19 cases continue to be more than 1000 new cases per day in the Dallas area health officials continue to encourage thorough and regular hand washing.

July 14, 2020June 12, 2021

Children’s COVID19 Cases

Pediatric COVID Cases Compared To School Fire

Pediatric COVID19 cases crossed 400 patients in Texas this week from child care facilities alone. This happened as the state’s case numbers surge and Texas Education Agency plans to force local school districts to reopen in person.

A doll wears a mask to encourage children to avoid pediatric COVID19

These numbers were reported Monday by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services using Friday, July 10, 2020 data.

More than 1300 people have been infected. Of those, 894 were staff and 441 were children. The cases came from 883 child care facilities that are open in the state, DHHS said.

These new cases mark an almost six fold increase in cases from June 15. Then there were 210 reported cases from 177 facilities — including 141 staff members and 69 children.

On May 15, Texas reported a total of 59 cases from 53 child care facilities. At that time, 36 staff members and 23 children were infected.

Pediatric COVID19 Cases In Other School Systems

In Maryland there is an estimate that twelve hundred students and nearly one hundred staff members would die from COVID19. This estimate is only of the ten biggest jurisdictions in Maryland and factors in a 0.0016% death rate.

Using this same rate and Dallas ISD numbers, Dallas would experience approximately 240 student deaths and roughly 30 staff casualties. While the Dallas ISD Calendar is not yet confirmed these numbers would indicate a giant red flag for members of the Board of Trustees to consider.

In one school district in Missouri the district is requiring parents to sign a waiver in case children who participate in sports or other activities become infected with COVID19 and die.

The document asks parents to acknowledge that COVID19 is a public health crisis and to relinquish their rights to hold the district responsible even if a student’s death is “caused by the negligence of carelessness” of school staff.

July 13, 2020June 12, 2021

#BREAKING: COVID19 Tests Stolen From Parkland

COVID19 Tests were stolen from Parkland Hospital delaying both testing and results for many in South Dallas.

This has been confirmed to NBC News that thieves struck their COVID19 testing site overnight, stealing both equipment and supplies.

COVID19 Testing Equipment and Supplies Stolen From Parkland Hospital

The testing site at The Salvation Army’s Pleasant Grove Corps Community Center at 8341 Elam Road, which is maintained and managed by the Parkland Health & Hospital System, was to open for the first time Monday after moving from the Inspired vision Compassion Center over the weekend.

COVID19 Tests

Dealyed testing is an issue for local government as daily COVID19 cases surge past 1150 per day. The Texas Education Agency is also trying to mandate back to school plans without testing measures able to safely be in place.

July 11, 2020June 12, 2021

Hot Hits 100 in DFW

Hot hits 100°F today in DFW Weather. Per the National Weather Service the Dallas-Fort Worth are can expect their first 100°F degree day of the year today.

The National Weather Service Says Dallas-Fort Worth will hit 100°F toda100°F for the first time Saturday, July 11, 2020

We are expected to have multiple days ahead above 90 – which is the temperature used to measure “Extreme Heat.”

Extreme heat means your body will work extra hard to maintain normal temperature. That can lead to death. Heat is responsible for the highest number of annual deaths among all weather-related hazards. Please keep in mind that Extreme heat can occur quickly and without warning. Older adults, children, and sick or overweight individuals are at greater risk from extreme heat conditions.

IF YOU ARE UNDER AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING:

Find air conditioning.
Avoid strenuous activities.
Wear light clothing.
Check on family members and neighbors.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Watch for heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Never leave people or pets in a closed car.

HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN EXTREME HEAT THREATENS

Prepare NOW

Find places in your community where you can go to get cool.
Keep your home cool:
- Cover windows with drapes or shades.
- Weather-strip doors and windows.
- Use window reflectors, such as aluminum foil-covered cardboard, to reflect heat back outside.
- Add insulation to keep the heat out.
- Use attic fans to clear hot air.
- Install window air conditioners and insulate around them.
Learn to recognize the signs of heat-related illness.

Be Safe DURING

Never leave a child, adult or animal alone inside a vehicle on a warm day.
Find places with air conditioning. Libraries, shopping malls and community centers can provide a cool place to take a break from the heat.
If you’re outside, find shade. Wear a hat wide enough to protect your face.
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. If you or someone you care for is on a special diet, ask a doctor how best to accommodate it.
Do not use electric fans when the temperature outside is more than 95 degrees, as it could increase the risk of heat-related illness. Fans create air flow and a false sense of comfort, but do not reduce body temperature.
Avoid high-energy activities.
Check yourself, family members and neighbors for signs of heat-related illness.

More 100°F Facts

Given the suggestion to curtail activity, Other Side Dallas has weather trivia you can enjoy over your ice cold drink. Dallas-Fort Worth experiences eighteen (18) days of 100°F heat annually. The average date for a first 100°F temperature is July 1. The last date is August 26.

In 1911, the Dallas-Fort Worth area experienced their first triple digit day on March 9. These big temperature days can happen late in the year too like on October 3, 1951. In 2011, we had 71 triple digit days.

July 10, 2020June 12, 2021

BREAKING News: 1164 New COVID19 Cases

1164 New COVID19 cases will be reported on Friday, July 10, 2020 by Dallas County Health Authorities. This includes nine new deaths.

These numbers track with a continuing increase in numbers since mid-late June 2020.

1164 New COVID19 Cases…

The new COVID19 cases may be the tip of the iceberg. In Houston, the busiest hospitals are increasingly telling emergency responders they cannot safely accept new patients as hundreds of coronavirus patients crowd emergency rooms, and hospitals scramble to open more intensive care space.

Houston hospitals have been forced to treat hundreds of COVID-19 patients in their emergency rooms — sometimes for several hours or multiple days — as they scramble to open additional intensive care beds for the wave of seriously ill people streaming through their doors. The increase in ambulance diversions, coupled with the spike in patients being held indefinitely in emergency rooms, are the latest indicators that Houston hospitals are straining to keep up with a surge of new coronavirus patients.

Last week, ProPublica reported that Houston hospitals were running out of COVDI!9 treatment medications. Locally, there are two similar unconfirmed reports from separate medical systems.

July 10, 2020July 10, 2020

Football Cancelled? COVID19 May Be Serious.

Will football be cancelled? Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa says it might be.

Hinojosa was interviewed on MSNBC and left open the possibility of “moving it to the spring, but we’ll have to wait and see.” He also said he has serious doubts “that we can pull that off.”

Dallas ISD May Cancel Football Season Due To Coronavirus

Canceling the fall sport would be a major step for a Texas school district. One of the first things people learn up on moving to Texas are there were originally two sports: football and spring football.

On Wednesday, UIL released new guidelines governing summer high school workouts which are expected to resume on Monday. Restrictions include mandatory masks with limited exceptions.

On other classroom scheduling, Hinojosa says he’s now having questions about whether in-school classes can begin on August 17th, as planned.

More Football

It has yet to be determined if the annual Texas-OU game will continue at the Cotton Bowl. The decades long rivalry may be in jeopardy though due to coronavirus as the State Fair of Texas has cancelled its annual event that is home to the Fair Park pigskin game.

July 9, 2020July 9, 2020

American Airlines Continues COVID19 Cattle Class Carelessness

American Airlines was hit by articles in the New York Times and a tweet by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley recently over their lack of social distancing on flights. American Airlines, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth region was highlighted as refusing to allow an elderly couple to move to an empty emergency exit.

American Airlines Hit With Complaints by US Senator Jeff Merkley

Per the article, a June 30 flight on American from Dallas to Newark included Joy Gonzalez, an aviation engineer based in Seattle. She found herself seated at a window with two older passengers beside her in the middle and aisle seats. In order to gain more social distance, she and the aisle passenger both moved to seats behind them where two rows were empty. But before takeoff, a flight attendant ordered them back to the ticketed seats, telling them they had not paid for those exit row seats, which are more expensive.

A second flight attendant listened to Ms. Gonzalez’s request, consulted with the other attendants and gave her two options: Take your assigned seat or return to the gate and pay for the exit row. As the flight was on the verge of departing, she sat down.

American Airlines and COVID19 Response

The airline did receive more than $5B in federal aid for COVID19 per their own newsroom. The federal aid package included $4.1 billion in direct support and another $1.7 billion as a 1% loan which 75% of could be converted into a grant.

Other Side Dallas will continue to report on other local employers and their actions in light of COVID19.