Clay Jenkins

Flu, COVID-19 and RSV cases have been decreasing in Dallas County since mid-January, but county officials encourage people to stay up-to-date on vaccines.

Jenkins, one of the state’s most prominent Democrats, says he painted his face in camouflage when he and some friends stormed female classmates’ apartment at Baylor University in 1983.

The often-misunderstood position of the Texas county judge (they don’t always wear robes and dispense justice) has reached a higher profile, as judges deal with a public health crisis and its political repercussions.

The Dallas County Commissioners Court agreed on a $2.3 million settlement to combat the opioid epidemic.

Children under 12 aren’t eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine yet, but many are back in school in person. That and other factors has contributed to a sharp rise in case numbers among kids in the region and the state.

The court sided with Jenkins, ruling that he can continue the emergency order for Dallas County on masking.

Fighting among Texas officials over mask mandates has created muddled messaging, as the highly contagious delta variant is sending people to the hospital in numbers that rival the worst months of the pandemic.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has signed a new executive order mandating face masks in many buildings and businesses.

Jenkins asked a judge to block Abbott from enforcing his executive order that prohibits local governments from requiring masks. Jenkins also wants to confirm he has the authority to take steps to respond to the pandemic, including requiring face coverings.

City leaders, business owners, school districts, teachers and parents respond to Gov. Abbott's lifting of the statewide mask mandate and business capacity limits.

Commissioners planned on sending their small supply of vaccines to zip codes with mostly communities of color and elderly residents. But the state says that's unfair to equally vulnerable residents outside those zip codes.

Some local officials would like more power to respond to the virus as they see fit, but an appeals court already squashed one county's attempt to impose new restrictions.