Here's a rare case of a casino losing.

Sealy ISD is one of the first districts in the state to close its doors in 2022.

There’s a lot of controversy over the use of the drug Ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

Before last Saturday’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, Laremy Tunsil was one of four Houston Texans placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

Several employees like bus drivers and restaurant workers are wondering when they will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccination. The Dish Society restaurant said they were deemed essential a year ago and they should be included in Phase 1C. Earlier this week, the state opened Phase 1C, allowing people 50 years and older to get the vaccine. Mayor Turner said essential workers should be included. Imelda Garcia, an associate commissioner for Laboratory and Infectious Disease Services and chair of the Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel, was asked about essential workers and expanding Phase 1C.

FORT BEND COUNTY – Business owners in Richmond, Pearland, Conroe and Katy all had different guidelines in place Wednesday as the mask mandate ended in Texas. At Treasure Hunter’s Gallery in Richmond, customers and owner Marlene Dame were excited about the state reopening. But if a store requires you to wear a mask, then I will wear one,” McCarroll said. The restaurant is open at 100% capacity, and customers and employees are not required to wear a mask. At Citizens Grill in Montgomery County, the manager said customers are no longer required to wear a mask, but employees are.

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas – Starting Wednesday, students and teachers at Tarkington ISD were not required to wear a mask at schools. Noel has three children in third, fourth and seventh grades at Tarkington ISD schools. The school board voted to make masks optional after asking the parents in a poll. Humble ISD has made changes saying students under 10 years old do not have to mask up. “Hopefully, they’ll have some common sense and understanding that people still need to wear their masks because it’s still a pandemic out here,” said Fred Fisher.

HOUSTON – The University of Houston began vaccinating 1,000 students and faculty in phase 1A, who visit patients through clinical settings. Both students were vaccinated at the University of Houston under phase 1-A. AdThe university teamed with Walgreens to administer 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. As supply increases nationwide, the University of Houston hopes to bring more to their community. The university has a waitlist for students and faculty included in Phase 1B.

HOUSTON – The Houston Health Department said Tuesday that fraudulent text messages are being sent about area COVID-19 vaccinations. A tweet noted that the United Memorial Medical Center’s Delmar Stadium event is only open by appointment and that there is not a vaccination event this weekend at Baker Ripley. ALERT: We're aware of two fraudulent text messages about #COVID19 vaccinations. There is not a vaccination event this weekend at @BakerRipley. Do not provide personal info in response to these messages.

HOUSTON – As residents lined up at The Farrington at Tanglewood Friday morning, Marjorie Mcconn asked, “Am I number 1?”Mcconn was the first resident to get her dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Mcconn said her husband is in heaven now but was the Mayor of Houston from 1978 to 1982. She was one of more than 70 residents and staff at the location to get their vaccine Friday and she said it was easy. He commented on how he was feeling about having pharmacists come to their home to give them the vaccine. Marci Walters, the director of sales and marketing, also got her first dose of the shot.

KPRC 2 spoke to people who are focusing on staying in shape and living a healthy lifestyle as New Year resolutions. “Exercise more, eat healthier and enjoy 2021, so glad it’s here,” one woman told KPRC 2. “I’m getting it off to a good start out here early in the morning,” one woman said. I turned 36 today so I challenged my friends to 3.6 miles, not 36 miles because I’m not crazy 3.6,” one runner said. “My New Year resolution is to be healthy, happy and spend lots of time with family and friends,” one person said.

The pandemic changed how we do things and impacted people’s mental health, but experts say there is a lot to look forward to this new year. “I think that this year for many people has been incredibly exhausting and emotionally and psychologically taxing,” Julie Kaplow said. She’s the executive director of the Trauma and Grief Center at the Hackett Center for Mental Health. In the past 365 days, Kaplow said COVID-19 has created a lot of mental health issues for children and adults. “We’ve all been incredibly stressed over the last year and now is the time to really take care of ourselves,” Kaplow said.

HOUSTON – Local pharmacies were getting prepared to start COVID-19 immunizations. The CDC has partnered with Walgreens and CVS to vaccinate residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. When vaccines are available for wider distribution, all CVS pharmacies will have them. “We have 285 pharmacies, we have over 800 people who can give shots and we can give our a flu shot today,” said McClelland. Pharmacies said they have qualified people to give vaccinations and they’ve visited nursing and long-term care facilities in the past to vaccinate patients.

Dr. Joseph Varon has been working nonstop at The United Medical Hospital for 255 days. He said he and his staff are busy and tired, but they’re treating COVID-19 patients around the clock. Now they’re getting prepared for what Thanksgiving and Black Friday could bring. Varon said people need to quarantine for five days and get tested if they traveled for Thanksgiving and were around large crowds on Black Friday. Varon was seen in a heartbreaking photo comforting a patient in the coronavirus intensive care unit on Thanksgiving is going viral.

A Houston program is providing one-on-one academic help to make sure students stay connected in a safe way. The Education Building at The Forge for families Center takes pride in assisting parents through the pandemic. They navigate students through the virtual learning process and help with homework and assignments. Thomas is the Program Director at the Forge for families Center. To learn more about the Forge for families center, click here.

Houston has achieved a coronavirus positivity rate of 5%. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner set a new goal for the city of Houston, hoping to lower the rate to 2.5% by mid-November. #ThankYou Houston for helping us achieve a #COVID19 positivity rate of 5% by wearing your masks, #SocialDistancing and washing your hands. The new goal is to lower that number to 2.5% by mid-November, if not sooner. #Goals #MaskUpHou #WashYourHands pic.twitter.com/0oo4FtnGon — Houston Mayor's Office (@houmayor) October 13, 2020To accomplish the new goal, the mayor asks Houstonians to continue to mask up and wash their hands regularly.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Utah Sen. Mike Lee both said Friday that they had tested positive for the virus. Michelle Lujan Grisham is taking a cautious approach to lifting health restrictions and reopening the economy. Parson and his wife, Teresa, tested positive on Sept. 23. Wim Rungwattanachinda said Thaksin tested positive again when he went to a hospital, and he was treated for about two weeks before being released. ___DES MOINES — Iowa posted more than 1,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day.

In general, we are not recommending testing for all children because they dont need to go to work. It probably wont help you prevent that many infections.Since kids and teens seem to do well with the virus, they say they'd rather preserve the tests for people who really need them. They advise parents to be on the lookout for symptoms to know when to keep kids and teens home and remember symptoms might be more subtle among them. Pediatricians say the symptoms dont last as long as they do in adults. However, Garcia said the truth is the young kids dont have the cough strength to propel respiratory droplets as far as adults.

SUGAR LAND, Texas Staying up late (probably with too much screen time) has just been the norm for a lot of kids for months. This means returning to class, whether on campus or online, is bound to be a rude awakening for some. Pamela Sanders, MD, from Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Sugar Land, said children need 9-11 hours of sleep. Usually within a couple of weeks, people can get onto whatever schedule theyre going to need, Sanders said. For online learning, Sanders said the most important thing you can do is create some kind of structured schedule to set them up for success.

AURORA, Co. If you think your teen or young adult doesnt vape or vaping is safer than cigarettes, you might want to think again. Experts say its logical that vaping could cause COVID-19 to be more severe. Internet searches for vaping and COVID-19 peaked in March, but then dropped off, and in the Latino community, fewer people searched for information despite a surge in vaping among Latinos. Research shows the number of kids who started vaping at 14 or younger has tripled in the past five years. Kids often think vaping is less harmful than cigarettes.

HOUSTON – Parents are asking about the health and safety of children, particularly those with chronic conditions. Charisma Garcia, MD, pediatrician with the Texas Children’s Health Plan the Center for Children and Women, said the benefits of in-person school exceeds the risk of COVID in most children. “It offers a safety net, mental and physical health care screenings, it provides families with meals, time for exercise,” Garcia said. However, Garcia said parents of children with chronic health conditions should consider if school will be a safe environment for them. So, they are going to be touching the mask and putting more germs on the mask than if it just wasn’t there,” Garcia said.

HOUSTON On the treadmill, the weight bench, or in a class, this is one place that a lot of people have missed. But what should you watch out for when you take your workout from the street to the gym? Texas guidelines suggest one way to do that is for every other machine to be powered off to give space. Make sure machines have disinfectant nearby or bring your own wipes. The Texas Medical Association ranks how safe places are on a 1-10 chart with one being pretty low risk and ten being higher risk.

Lawrence Barris told KPRC 2 reporter Rose-Ann Aragon he started to experience “sweats, shivers ... a lot of weakness,” and shortly after his symptoms started, Sharlene Barris also became ill. After their recovery, the couple said they were contacted by Houston Methodist about an opportunity to donate plasma to help future recovery. Sharlene Barris. "They've capped the number of people that can get the plasma," Sharlene Barris explained. “Keep moving forward on allowing that number [to rise].”The Barris family said they are still working on ways to advocate for patients in need.

HOUSTON – Auto insurers are sitting on a COVID windfall of at least $600 million dollars because of reduced driving during the pandemic. KPRC 2 reported in April how several car insurance companies offered rebates to customers averaging about $60. Nearly one in three of the top 40 auto insurers in Texas are offering no credit or refund to customers. Most of those offering no refund are companies serving higher-risk drivers with no credit or low credit scores. These are the auto insurance companies in Texas’ top 40 auto insurers who haven’t given consumers any sort of refund during the pandemic:

HUMBLE – A Humble nursing home was hit with a quarantine order after a rash of COVID-19 related deaths were reported. The order was issued Thursday by the Harris County Public Health Department against the Oakmont Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Humble. Dr. Umair Shah, the executive director of the Harris County Public Health Department, said he was particularly bothered by delays in reporting COVID related deaths. Shah said 56 residents and staff are also currently being monitored for COVID-19. Shah said both the county and state regulators addressed infection control issues at Oakmont during two visits.

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)HOUSTON – The road to recovery for many COVID-19 patients is not over once they beat the virus. We are learning more about the lasting impact COVID-19 has for some patients. Adam Stadler, 46, fought COVID-19 and won. I could hardly speak.”Along with having COVID-19, Stadler also suffered a pulmonary embolism. Fatigue and memory issues are one thing they are seeing, but the main issue for some patients is lasting lung damage.

HOUSTON – Several COVID-19 testing sites have been added around the Houston area, especially in areas determined to be high risk. But what resources are available to get people to these testing sites if they do not have a car or other means of proper transportation? The mayor has appointed two directors of the mayor’s office for People with Disabilities to tackle this issue, who are themselves disabled. They too have wondered how are they going to get to a testing site in the midst of this pandemic. Another option is that a vehicle can be scheduled to drive to the person’s home to pick them up and take them to the testing site.

The drug Hydroxychloroquine has not been proven to help with coronavirus. I'm not going to get hurt by it.”We put claims about Hydroxychloroquine through the Trust Index and found it’s not a proven treatment for the coronavirus. “I have declined to prescribe it for COVID19,” said Dr. Septimus. Not enough evidence to prove it helpsWhen it comes to this drug helping fight COVID-19, we rate it "red" on our Trust Index. Dr. Septimus said the only way he thinks it is safe to take this drug to treat coronavirus is in a highly controlled scenario, like a trial.

HOUSTON – A Houston woman reached out to KPRC 2 after she said her friend signed up on a website to get an extra $800 stimulus payment. Kelly Thomas said the website asks for your social security number. When her friend typed his in, he got a message that he was approved for the extra $800 bonus. “Is there really an extra $800 out there for everybody?” Thomas asked consumer expert Amy Davis. He is now out a $300 because that is what he paid for Lifelock since he gave someone his social security number.

HOUSTON – Great news to pass along regarding the health of former Astros Manager and player Art Howe, After battling the Coronavirus for the past two weeks Howe has been released from the hospital. Howe first started feeling symptoms two weeks ago on a Sunday and by that Tuesday he had tested positive for the Coronavirus. He went into quartantine but the symptoms continued and this past week he was admitted to a local hospital and spent a few days in ICU for treatment. “I am still having problems with my taste buds but hopefully that will improve,” said Howe. Now for Howe it is time to continue to recover and get as much rest as possible in the days ahead."

That is why it is in your best interest to pursue getting your money back now. Currently, there are no regulating agencies investigating this issue, demanding that ticket sellers or airlines refund customer’s money. But with enough pressure, agencies like the Texas Attorney General and/or the Federal Trade Commission just might. That is why no matter where you purchased tickets, to increase your chances of getting a refund, you should take these 4 steps:1. You can “cc” the Texas Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission and yours truly on that letter.

HOUSTON – Many homeowners that are having a hard time paying their mortgage during this pandemic can ask their mortgage company for help. But Consumer Reports researchers said many mortgage companies were giving homeowners who called inaccurate information. There are four options homeowners and mortgage companies can choose to repay those skipped payments back when the homeowner gets back on their feet. You can find out if you have a federally-backed mortgage, by using Fannie Mae’s look-up tool or calling 800-232-6643. If your mortgage is federally backed, and you need help, call your mortgage company back and ask for it.

Q: The IRS sent my stimulus payment to an old bank account that is now closed. This is generally the address on your most recent tax return or as updated through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Q: If my son is over 18 and I claimed him as a dependent, will he get a stimulus payment, or will I? A: Anyone over the age of 17 years old who is claimed by someone else as a dependent will not receive a stimulus payment. Will he still get a stimulus payment?

HOUSTON – Puneet Patni, MD, from Kelsey-Seybold Clinic said while working in the ICU, it’s common to see COVID-19 patients face down on the bed. “When you put them on their stomach, there’s a better distribution of airway pressure … to inflate that section of lung. So, the areas of lung that need to be, need more pressure to be inflated where’s those that don’t need as much pressure don’t over-inflate,” Patni explained. They figured out it’s a lot easier to flip a baby on their stomach when they have respiratory failure,” Cox said. Should all patients try being on their stomach for as long as possible?

These are amenities most homeowners pay for in their HOA dues. Now, some of you want to know if you will get a break or a refund for the amenities you can not use. She pays $720 every quarter in HOA dues. Just like auto insurance companies are giving customers back some of their premiums, Kahne believes HOA’s should refund homeowners part of their dues. Homeowners have the right to see the HOA budget if you request it.

That means Astros fans and season tickets holders are hanging on to tickets for game dates that have already passed, wondering when they will get their money back. Fans dividedIf it were not canceled, this year would have been Jaime Zamora’s 22nd consecutive Astros’ opening day. “The Astros ticket prices aren't cheap, you do the math, and that's more than ten thousand dollars that the club is holding onto,” Yee said. “And for some season ticket holders, it's even more than that.”What about individual tickets? If you had a ticket to an Astros Spring Training game that was canceled, click here to find out how to get a refund.

HOUSTON – Houston-area hospitals are issuing urgent calls for plasma donations from people who have recovered from coronavirus as doctors use it to treat current patients. Doctors at UT Health are now taking part in convalescent plasma therapy for coronavirus patients. Urgent need for volunteersWith plasma therapy, doctors transfer the antibodies that fight COVID-19 from those who have recovered, to patients who are seriously ill with the virus. Who can donate plasma? Must have fully recovered from COVID-19 with no symptoms for at least 28 days before the donations.

HOUSTON – As people across the Houston area have begun seeking out COVID-19 antibody tests, concerns linger over the relaxed rules in which many of these tests were brought to market. Officials with the APHL said as many as 90 companies are now offering COVID-19 antibody tests. Given the state of emergency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed companies to bring antibody tests to market without its approval. Plus, their parent company is working to earn FDA authorization for its antibody test, Prokop said. Christus Healthcare announced Tuesday it has found what it believes to be a reliable antibody test.

Now, many of those ticket holders are left waiting on refunds that may never come. When Live Nation or Ticketmaster canceled shows and concerts, instead of using the word “canceled,” the ticket sellers said the events were just “postponed.” Once rescheduled, even if the customer cannot attend on the new date, the companies won’t always refund the ticket price. Canceled concerts, refunds deniedIt happened to Houstonian Phyllis Bailey. When Bailey contacted Live Nation to get a refund of the $222.14, a representative told her the show was simply postponed until August 11. Live Nation told her she could get a refund.

HOUSTON – One Spring Branch woman said it has been a nightmare trying to get a refund from United Airlines. With coronavirus death toll was rising, Gardner, her children, and several family members opted out of the trip. Another week went by; she said she called Wednesday. About 40 minutes later, she said she spoke with a United representative, who told her the request was denied because she voluntarily canceled the flight. Gardner said the representative said the best offer was to submit her refund request.

Now, some homeowners are calling on the Harris County Appraisal District to cut taxpayers some slack. Taxpayers’ plea for relief“Here’s your stimulus check for $1,200; and here’s your bill for $4,000 for your property tax,” quipped retired southwest Houston homeowner Ed Hobson. “We have to follow the state tax code.”Barnett said the tax code requires that properties in Harris County be appraised on Jan. 1 of every year. Rather than changing the tax code and laws, he said taxing and other government agencies will have to be flexible. What you can do if your property appraisal increasedLike every year, you can protest your appraisal online using iSettle or iFile.

Senator Cornyn says the federal response improves dailySenator John Cornyn, (R) Texas, said the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge of his career. Pat Sorrells is the CEO of Camp for All and Elise Hough is the CEO of Easter Seals Greater Houston. Easter Seals:Easter Seals Greater Houston is taking its annual fundraiser virtual. Support Easter Seals Greater Houston, in partnership with Prosperity Bank, until April 25. Senator John Cornyn, R, TexasU.S. Rep. Al Green, (D), 9th Congressional DistrictElise Hough, CEO Easter Seals Greater HoustonPat Sorrells, CEO, Camp For All

HOUSTON – We are now on week four of empty grocery store shelves where the toilet paper and hand sanitizer is supposed to be. Many of you are wondering when inventories and grocery shopping will ever get back to normal. While he said everything is under control, he worries how long suppliers will be able to keep up. Free Same-Day Grocery Delivery for SeniorsH-E-B is offering free same-day delivery to people 60 and over with Favor. But I think last we week we did about 25,000 order overs Texas to seniors.”

HOUSTON – Since the coronavirus outbreak began, it has been difficult to find some things at grocery stores. There are empty shelves where the toilet paper used to be, no paper towels or certain food items. Their website InStok can check the inventory at stores near you like Target, WalMart, Sam’s Club and others. You just type in the item you’re looking for along with your zip code (and turn on your location on your phone) and the site will show you stores that have what you’re looking for. Still, it may be better than just driving around cold.

Q: Who will get a stimulus check? You must have a social security number to get a stimulus check. Otherwise, the stimulus check will be mailed. I haven’t filed my 2019 taxes yet, but my stimulus check will be smaller than what it should be. If you made less in 2019 than you did in 2018, the final amount of the benefits will be determined based on 2020 income and settled on the 2020 tax return.

HOUSTON – The Houston Ballet Spring Nutcracker Market, scheduled to begin April 17 at NRG Center, has been canceled because of coronavirus concerns. This would have been the second Nutcracker Spring Market. Nearly 160 vendors were lined up to travel to Houston for the Houston Ballet fundraiser. Donate your payment to the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market. Transfer the amount you paid for your Spring Nutcracker Market early bird ticket ($30) towards purchasing an early bird ticket to the Nutcracker Market November 12th -15th.

HOUSTON – More than four out of every 10 people in Houston rent their homes. With many of those tenants out of work or not getting paid right now, paying rent next week will be tough. Q: I won’t have enough to pay rent on April 1st. Isn’t my landlord required to help me since the coronavirus has caused many people to be laid off? It is entirely up to the landlords if they are willing to reduce your rent amount or accept late payments with no penalties.

Claims for unemployment have flooded the Texas Workforce Commission’s website and phone lines. Here is what you need to know:- Eligibility for unemployment is determined on a case by case basis, but if you were fired for cause by your employer, you can not collect unemployment. - Gamez says whether you are full time, part-time, furloughed or just had your hours reduced because of the coronavirus, you should apply for unemployment. The maximum amount of time you could receive unemployment is 26 weeks. If you want to know how much you would receive in unemployment benefits, this estimator tool can give you an estimate.