INSIDE

RAPPIN’Tommy Wyatt

TPATPATPATPATPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION

www.TheAustinVillager.com This paper canbe recycled

Vol. 47 No. 41 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com May 1, 2020

Texas to let Restaurants, Theaters,Malls open with limited capacity Friday

BY PATRICK SVITEK | Texas Tribune

(TEXAS TRIBUNE) - Gov. Greg Abbott said Mon-day that he will let the state’s stay-at-home orderexpire Thursday as scheduled and allow businessesto begin reopening in phases the next day, the lat-est ramp-up in his push to restart the Texas economyamid the coronavirus pandemic.

First to open Friday: retail stores, restaurants,movie theaters and malls. But they will only be al-lowed to operate at 25% capacity. Museums andlibraries will also be allowed to open at 25% capac-ity, but hands-on exhibits must remain closed.

Abbott said a second phase of businessreopenings could come as soon as May 18 — as longas the state sees “two weeks of data to confirm noflare-up of COVID-19.” That second phase wouldallow businesses to expand their occupancy to 50%,according to the governor.

Abbott made the announcement during anews conference at the Texas Capitol, which hebegan by saying he would let the stay-at-home or-der expire because it “has done its job to slow thegrowth of COVID-19.” While the spread of the virus

in Texas has slowed down throughout April, thenumber of cases is still increasing day to day, and itis unclear if the state has yet seen its peak.

“Now it’s time to set a new course, a coursethat responsibly opens up business in Texas,” Abbottsaid, flanked by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas HouseSpeaker Dennis Bonnen. “Just as we united as onestate to slow COVID-19, we must also come togetherto begin rebuilding the lives and the livelihoods ofour fellow Texans.”

Abbott said his new order “supersedes all lo-cal orders” saying those businesses must remainclosed. He also said his order overrules any localgovernment that wants to impose a fine or penaltyfor not wearing a mask — something the lateststatewide rules encourage but do not mandate.

Abbott stressed that his order “gives permis-sion to reopen, not a requirement,” and businessescan stay shuttered if they would like.

At the same time, Abbott said he is holding off

See INCREASE IN TESTING, page 7

Congressional Black Caucus andNNPA Demand Stimulus Inclusion

By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent | @StacyBrownMedia

Pictured, top row, left to right: CBC Chair Karen Bass (D-CA), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), , Rep.

Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA).

(NNPA) - Congressional Democrats reached anagreement with the Trump administration on aninterim coronavirus emergency relief package thatprovides support and fixes to the Paycheck Protec-tion Program (PPP), as well as increased funding foremergency disaster loans and grants, hospitals,health care providers and testing.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), without consulting Democrats, had initially triedto push through a bill that would have increasedfunding for PPP without providing any critical fixesto the program.

The GOP proposal would have done nothingto aid the most vulnerable small businesses andwouldn’t have provided any additional funding toour health care system or testing.

Thanks to the efforts of the Congressional BlackCaucus (CBC), Democrats have secured $60 billionin new Small Business Administration PPP fundingdedicated to small lenders and community-basedfinancial institutions.

They’ve also secured $50 billion for the SBA’s

See MAJOR IMPROVEMENT, page 7

Has thecoronavirusput our meat

supply at risk?By Tonya Pendleton

The Grio

(GRIO) - Carnivoresmay be out of luck prettysoon according to one ofthe nation’s largest meatsuppliers.

Tyson Foods tookout a full-page ad inthree newspapers in-cluding The New YorkTimes over the weekendto say that the food sup-ply chain has been over-whelmed by COVID-19and that “the food sup-ply chain is breaking.”

The company’schairman John Tyson, isone of three major meatsuppliers includingSmithfield and JBS thathave been forced toclose because theirworkers have testedpositive for COVID-19. Intotal, 12 plants aroundthe U.S. are closed.

According toReuters, more than5,000 meat processingplant workers havetested positive forCOVID-19. Thirteen havedied.

“There will be lim-ited supply of our prod-ucts available in grocerystores until we are ableto reopen our facilitiesthat are currently

See WORKERS, pg 6

TWC struggles tohandle the

economic influx.See MILLION

Page 5

Low-incomecommunities aremost vulnerable to COVID-19

See TESTINGPage 6

COVID-19 ReliefEffort nearly doubles

fundraising goal.See BETPage 3

Every one isan expert onCOVID-19!

Since we have beendealing with theCOVID-19 pandemic, itseems that everyone isan expert on the problemexcept the acutal experts.In the more than 46 yearsof publishing, we havenever received so manyarticles from peoplewanting to give theiropinion on the problemand how to cure it. Wereject all of these articles,unless they are comingfrom an official source.We do not want toconfuse our readers bygiving them too manydifferent opinons. It is confusing enoughtrying to publish theinformation from theexperts. And during thistime, each expert seemsto have a differentsolution on how to clearup this problem that isnow effecting the entireplanet. We have focused mostof our attnetion on theactivities on the locallevel, making everyeffort to keep youinformed. That isbecause we see differentactivities and infor-mation from state-to-state and city-to-city. It is important to makesure that we are notoverloading you withinformation, but givingyou information that youcan use or react to. The role of the BlackPress has always been togive accurate reportingof the news by and forthe Black communitythat is overlooked by theother media. It is ourresponsibility to reportand record the role thatour leaders play inlooking out for ourinterest, when othersignore us. We try to give as manyas possible an oppor-tunity to express theirpoint of view. However,it would be extremelyhelpful to get theseopinions from anorganized organization,rather than individuals.We can get much moredone when we worktogether.

Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 1, 2020 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com

We Want YOU!Advertise With

TheVILLAGER

www.theaustinvillager.com THE BULLETIN THE VILLAGER/May 1, 2020 ~ Page 3

Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Experience Grace For LifeCall: 682.472.9073 l Email: gracewayaustin@aol.com l

Visit: www.gracewaycca.org

JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758

SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.

New Lincoln Missionary Baptist Church2215 E. 8th St.,

Austin, TX 78702Going to Higher Heights,

Trusting God along the way.Sunday School 9:00am

BTU: 10:00amMorning Worship - 11:00 amChurch Phone (512) 477-2714

Cell Phont (512) 585-0744Email: newlincolnmbc@att.net

www.newlincolnmbc.orgRev. Darron E. Patterson

Pastor

(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building,behind Wells Fargo)

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having beenjustified by faith, we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

“This life, therefore, is notrighteousness, but growth in righteousness;not health, but healing; not being, butbecoming; not rest, but exercise. We are notyet what we shall be, but we are growingtoward it. The process is not yet finished,but it is going on. This is not the end, but itis the road. All does not yet gleam in glory,but all is being purified.” --- Martin Luther

Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St. Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751

Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am

Kenneth Hill,Pastor

Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium

5214 West Duval Road

Sunday School - 9:00 A.M.Worship Service - 10:00 A.M.

Power Hour Bible Life Group - 6:00 P.M.

Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval

Austin, Texas 78727

Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300

Rev. Dr. JacquelynDonald-Mims

Globalizing the Gospel

A Ministry That Ministers

Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor

OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH

DOUBLE

GROCERY“R”

450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out

Country Boyz Fixin’s4140 E. 12th Street, Austin, TX 78721

Featuring Fish, Poboys, Hot Wings, Pork Chops,Homemade Gumbo, Shrimp and Alligator

DINE IN ORORDER TO GO

Mon - Fri: 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday: 12 noon - 5 p.m.

Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555

DAVID CHAPEL Missionary Baptist ChurchSUNDAY

Christian Education 9:15a.m. | Worship 10:30 a.m.Nursery Available

WEDNESDAY |Worship 1st Wed. monthly 7:00p.m. | Bible Study 7:30p.m.

Dr. Joseph C.Parker, Jr.

Senior Pastor

2211 East Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.Austin, TX 78702

Office: 512-472-9748 Fax: 512-472-5399Website: www.davidchapel.orgEmail: info@davidchapel.org“A Church with a Heart

for The Community”

Pastor J. R. Roberson& First lady

Lillian Robertson

BETHEL-ST. PAUL UNITED BAPTIST CHURCH877 W. Hempstead, Giddings, Texas 78942

Weekly ScheduleSunday School 9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship 10:45 a.m.Wednesday Night Bible

Study 6:00p.m.(979) 542-2784 Church(979) 540-6352 Home

1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023

Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org

Do you have church news?Would you like to purchase

a monthly ad for yourchurch?

Inquire TODAY!Send your information to vil3202@aol.com

or call 512-476-0082

Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church690 TX-21 West, Cedar Creek, TX 78612

Sunday School9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship10:30 a.m.

Elder Carl E SheltonPastor Ph: (512) 626-3660

Hope thou in God -Psalm 42:11

WEBBERVILLEEBENEZER MISSIONARY

BAPTIST CHURCH

Give thanks to the Lord for heis good. -Psalms 136:1

Sunday Morning Worship11 AM

Sunday School 10 AM

1314 Weber St,Webberville, Tx 78653

(512) 276-7917

Pastor W. B. Routt, Jr.Cell # (512) 694-1877

Agape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchIn “THE CENTRE” Bldg. F-15

7801 North Lamar Blvd. (S.E. Corner of North Lamar and 183)Austin, Texas 78752

AGAPE: A church for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the LoveHe exhibited is Exemplified.” Come, received God’s Unconditional Love for you.

For there is No Greater Love!

H. Ed Calahan, Pastor

Church ServicesSun. School – 9:30a Sun. Worship – 11:00a

Mid-WeekThurs.: Praise, Prayer and Bible Study – 7:00PM

Call: 454-1547 for transportationWeb: www.agapebcaustintx.com

BET Media’sCOVID-19 Relief

Fund Exceeds $16M

THE VOICE -- "Coach Performance" -- Pictured:Alicia Keys -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

Edited by Naomi Richard | VILLAGER

(BET) - On April 23,2020, BET aired “SavingOur Selves: A BETCOVID-19 Relief Effort’’nearly doubling their ini-tial fundraising goal, andraising more than $16million in commitments.Funds will support over50 organizations acrossthe country providingemergency resources di-rectly to the AfricanAmericans hardest hit bythis health and financialcrisis. In partnershipwith United Way World-wide, the BET Covid-19Relief Fund receivedgenerous grants fromBlue Meridian Partners,

Charles And LynnSchusterman FamilyFoundation, and TheFord Foundation. Corpo-rate donations from topbrands includedFacebook, Procter &Gamble,, Toyota, and Ad-vancing Black Pathways.

The funds collectedwill be disbursed in part-nership with the UnitedWay to over 50 commu-nity partners includingFeeding America, NewYork Urban League,Bronx Works, YWCA ofMetropolitan Chicago,My Block, Urban Leagueof Louisiana and manyothers. For a full list visit

BET.com/COVID19.Highlights of the

evening included AliciaKeys with a special trib-ute to New York City,performing “New YorkState of Mind” fromhome

Other performances

included Usher, Ella Mai,Chole X Halle, Ludacris &Jermaine Dupri andCharlie Wilson.

For the latest andmost accurate informa-tion on COVID-19 visit BETCOVID-19 ResourcesPage.

Texas CRNAs: Often the Only Access to Critical Carefor Rural Texans During The COVID-19 Pandemic(AUSTIN, TX)—

Positive cases of COVID-19 in some of the state’surban centers are nowspilling over into Texas’rural communities.These are communitieswhere resources andhealth care services arescarce.

The Texas Associa-tion of Nurse Anesthe-tists (TxANA) notes thatrural hospitals have of-ten relied on CRNAs toserve as their facility’ssole provider of anesthe-sia care, and during thestate’s temporary ban on

elective surgeries, manyof these same CRNAsalso stepped up to as-sume different roles.

CRNAs are uniquelyequipped to manage thesignificant respiratory is-sues that manifest in se-vere COVID-19 cases.They also have a special-ized skillset of particularvalue under these ex-treme circumstances.

Andrea Malcolm, aCRNA and TxANA mem-ber, was once the soleprovider of anesthesiacare at her rural facility.Malcolm now educates

other health care profes-sionals on how to oper-ate a ventilator, tracksdown available criticalcare supplies and read-ies the facility for a pos-sible surge of COVID-19patients.

TxANA thanks its

members who are serv-ing on the frontlines ofthe COVID-19 pandemicwherever they may belocated.

We also ask that allTexans do all they can tostay healthy and safeduring this time.

Photo: Andrea Malcolm, a CRNA in rural Texasand a member of the Texas Association of NurseAnesthetists, is working hard to ensure herhospital and community are ready to respondto COVID-19.

BE SAFE,AUSTIN!

Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 1, 2020 YOUTH BRIGADE www.theaustinvillager.com

Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow

Dear Class of 2020

To the senior classof 2020, I dedicate thisarticle to you. This yearhas been difficult for nu-merous families and in-dividuals. With the up-rising of Covid-19, manypeople have been af-fected. Some peopleknow someone or them-selves have come intocontact with the virus.Others only know fromthe news and from up-dates in society. The se-nior class themselves areaffected in a way thatthe rest of their gradua-tion year has been af-fected. From some se-niors that I have talkedto, they have been wor-ried about the remain-der of the year, and thefact that their plans tograduate and walk

SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards

Montrae NelsonFour Points M. S. Kaitlyn Cannon

Bluebonnet Trail Elem.

Advanced Classesacross the stage mayhave been slightly al-tered. I just want to re-mind the seniors that alltheir hard work was notwasted.

Class of 2020, youare an amazing class thathas worked incrediblyhard to get where youare. Keep your heads upand stay positive. I knowit can be difficult attimes, but know that so-ciety is extremely proudof you for staying strongthroughout this year.You are almost at theend, you just have tokeep your heads up andpush through. Continueto strive, and whenyou’re feeling down,reach out to one an-other as you are all in asimilar situation. To so-ciety, we must continueto support our seniorclass and encouragethem through this diffi-cult time as well as eachother. We have to under-stand the worries thatthey have and ask themhow they’re doing everyonce in a while just tocheck in. Class of 2020,know that no matterwhat, we are here tosupport you and how-ever graduation goes,we are proud of you andhope you are all proud ofyourselves.

I've been wonder-ing about the difficultyof a class that you cantake. Well I've lookedinto it because takethese advanced class inyour future can be agreat benefit for you. Aadvanced class is a classthat is taken by peoplethat want a collage lev-eled class. You can takethese classes in highschool and when collegecomes around you willhave a better expense bythe college. This will onlyhappen if you get goodgrades and average outvery well in these

classes.Pre-AP is a college

leveled class that is typi-cally taken by highschool freshmen. Someof these classes aretaken by sophomores aswell. Pre-AP is what getsyou ready for an AP classif you decided to takeone. AP means ad-vanced placement,american collagesanduniversities may grantplacement and coursecredit to student whoobtain high scores onthe exams. There is alsosomething called Pre-IBthis means InternationalBaccalaureate and thiscan be taken in highschool programs that of-fer college level courses.

AP classes are agood option for peoplethat study on their ownwhile IB offers higherlevel and standard-levelcourse. IB is consideredharder than AP but inthe curriculum studentand teachers say thattaking IB classes are notworth it and you shouldtake AP classes instead.It really depends onwhat you want to do andwhat you need to do aswell. Thanks for reading!

Masking and SocialDistancing

We are in the sec-ond week of doing on-line classwork. It was dif-ficult to adjust to, how-ever, with my Mother’shelp I have been able toget use to going on-lineto locate the teacher’sclass assignment. So, notonly are we rarely goingoutside, we are continu-ing masking and socialdistancing when we areoutside going on er-

I Did It!

Last week I canproudly say that I waspretty productive. I hada nicely flowing schoolweek. My school workwas perfectly balanced,not too complicated,

and straight-forward.I finished all of my

online school work onWednesday! I did it! I fig-ured out how to get allof my weekly assign-ments done by Wednes-day. I didn’t have to starton Sunday to do it either(and trust me I wouldn’thave).

I decided from nowon I’ll do 2 to 3 classesper day. That should getme done with all of mywork by Wednesday.

I’m so glad I figuredout a way to achieve mygoal from last week! Itmight not seem likemuch, but from this I’llbe getting many more 4-day weekends. I mostdefinitely will continueto do this for the timebeing.

Rebekah McNealRound Rock H. S.

rands?When I am not in

my backyard playingkick-ball, I am learningmore about using mycomputer, learning toimprove my typing, cor-rect spelling, learning tocorrect format or layout.Yes, I become boredsometimes, and cannotactually visit with two ofmy friends, but we do tryto text to phone visit.

No one knows justhow long we will need touse mask and social dis-tancing. According tothe World Health Orga-nization and CDC, theuse of mask and socialdistancing are seen asthe most effective wayto slow the spread ofCOVID-19, or infectiousdiseases. In the UnitedStates there are 757,518confirmed cases. Healthexperts believe thatavoiding crowds ofpeople will be importantin slowing the spread ofpandemic viruses.

Tyler AllenGus Garcia YMLA

Online Public School

I was talking withmy grandfather and hetold me that with theway thing are going soparent might start tryinga Online Public School. Ihad never heard of thistype school. I was sur-prised at what I learnedby looking it up. First Ilearned that it was actu-ally tuition free.

They start out say-ing it was a high qualityeducation powered by

K12. It went on to sayevery child has the rightto a high-quality educa-tion that provides theskills, knowledge andconfidence they willneed to move forward inlife. However, not everystudent succeeds in atraditional school set-ting. Some studentsmove more quickly thantheir peers. Other needextra attention. Forthese students, K12 of-fers the ability to attendpublic school at home.

This part soundedlike a commercial. Theystated : K12 uses digitaltechnology to provide arigorous, interactive cur-riculum and high qualityeducational experiencethat gives students anopportunity to succeed.It all seems very interest-ing but I like publicschool. Especially since Ihave been waiting tobecome an LBJ Jaguar.

Limited AISDFacilities Reopen

AUSTIN, TX - Effective Monday, April 27at 7 p.m., all Austin ISD tracks, fields and courts— including tennis courts, football fields andbasketball courts — will be accessible. Play-grounds will remain closed to further protectthe community from the spread of COVID-19.AISD requires everyone on district grounds topractice social distancing.

AISD Board of TrusteesApproves New Principal

AppointmentsThe Austin ISD Board of Trustees has appointed

new principal appointments for six campuses at itsApril 27 Regular Voting Meeting. Guerrero-Thomp-son, McBee, Pecan Springs and Summitt elemen-tary schools; Gus Garcia Young Men's LeadershipAcademy and LBJ Early College High School will allwelcome new campus leaders.

Guerrero-Thompson Elementary SchoolThe Board appointed Briana Garcia to serve as

principal of Guerrero-Thompson Elementary School.Garcia most recently served interim principal

of Guerrero-Thompson since June and previouslyserved the campus as an assistant principal for sixyears. Garcia has worked in Austin ISD since 2008.

McBee Elementary SchoolThe Board appointed Yvette Celorio-Reyes to

serve as the principal of McBee Elementary School.Celorio-Reyes most recently served as interim

principal at McBee since the beginning of the schoolyear and previously served the campus as assistantprincipal for four years. She has a total of 22 yearsof education experience, including her serving asassistant principal at Webb Primary School. She is aprevious bilingual teacher.

Pecan Springs Elementary SchoolThe Board appointed Andrea Williams to serve

as principal of Pecan Springs Elementary School.Williams most recently served as assistant

principal of Pillow Elementary School for one year.She previously served as an assistant principal atCasis, Barton Hills and Andrews elementary schools.Williams has worked in Austin ISD since 1998.

Summitt Elementary SchoolThe Board appointed Ariel Greco to serve as

the principal of Summitt Elementary School.Greco most recently served as assistant prin-

cipal at Menchaca Elementary School for five years.She has a total of 12 years of education experience,

all of which have been served in Austin ISD.Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership AcademyThe Board appointed Jose Mejia to serve as

the principal of the Gus Garcia Young Men's Lead-ership Academy.

Mejia most recently served as principal atZavala Elementary School for four years. He previ-ously served as assistant principal at Brooke Elemen-tary School and began his career as a fifth-gradeteacher. He has a total of 13 years of education ex-perience.

LBJ Early College High SchoolThe Board appointed Jon Bailey to serve as the

principal of LBJ Early College High School.Bailey most recently served as interim princi-

pal for LBJ ECHS. He has previously served as prin-cipal of Manor High School and assistant principalof the Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy.Bailey has 14 years of experience in education.

www.theaustinvillager.com THE REVEALER THE VILLAGER/May 1, 2020 ~ Page 5

Texas Democrats Urge Abbott toLift Administrative Burden in

Unemployment Benefits, StreamlineProcess for Over a Million

CongressmanLloyd Doggett - (D)

Washington, D.C. –As more than 1.4 millionTexans have filed for un-employment insuranceamid the deepeningeconomic crisis, andTexas Workforce Com-mission (TWC) strugglesto handle the influx, U.S.Representative LloydDoggett (D-TX), Chair ofthe House Ways andMeans Health Subcom-mittee, led all congres-sional Texas Democratsin urging GovernorAbbott to help Texansexperiencing ongoingdelays in continuingtheir unemploymentbenefits by temporarilywaiving the current bi-

weekly recertificationrequirement. By reliev-ing both unemployedTexans and the TWC ofthis requirement,Abbott could help farmore people accessneeded aid faster.

“The TexasWorkforce Commissionseems to still be sinkingunder the weight of thiscrisis and leaving toomany unemployed Tex-ans without a life boat,”said CongressmanDoggett. “We can helpkeep the Commissionafloat and keep moreTexans on board by re-moving administrativeburdens that are delay-ing much-needed sup-port. Texans shouldn’thave to risk further de-lay because an over-bur-dened TWC does not re-ceive their unemploy-ment affirmation. Thisred tape hurdle shouldbe cut for the duration ofthis crisis.”

“In order to con-tinue receiving unem-

ployment insurance dis-bursements, an indi-vidual is required to re-quest payment everytwo weeks through whatis known as ‘certifica-tion’ or ‘re-certifica-tion,’” the memberswrite. “While this re-quirement can theoreti-cally be completedonline, for the many Tex-ans still reporting onlineaccess difficulties, theonly alternative is toreach TWC by phone,which remains exceed-ingly difficult, and whichfurther delays paymentsthat some have awaitedfor weeks… Someworkforce commissionsin other states have tem-porarily waived this re-certification require-ment. After waiver, theunemployed, all ofwhom have been previ-ously approved for com-pensation, are still re-quired to notify TWC ifthey return to work orreport changes in earn-ings.”

THEBEATGOESON:DJS

MOVETHE

CROWDONLINEby Ja'Lyn Nazari

soulciti

Music. It’s in oursouls. It’s in the air. It’sthe universal languagespoken around theworld. The current glo-bal shelter-in-place hasput a halt to manythings, but it has notstopped the music. Aus-tin has always been pos-sessed by the passion ofmusic, and our localpowerhouse DJs refuseto let that passion die.

On social media iswhere you’ll find them.Jamming to crowdsranging in the tens ofthousands from all overthe globe. Mixing musicyou love; from theirhearts to yours.

“I was so scared togo Live, at first,” DJ Mel-issa Bellz (Davis) says.“And people pushed meto go Live. Going onother’s pages helped meto see I wanted to createthat vibe. And now Iam.”

Creating that vibe,indeed. And no matterwhere you are, whatyou’re doing, or whoyou’re with, you canconnect to that vibe andenergy.

“Anybody can pullup,” DJ Bellz says. Any-body.

Anthony Felder,spinning as DJ A/C,knows that all too well.He is killing each socialmedia set and bringingin audiences fromaround the world.

“I thought I was justgoing to play for peoplethat knew me. And themessages I got —people were like ‘Thankyou for that. I neededthat music,’ DJ A/C says.

It is no doubt musiccultivates our moods. Ithypes us up. It calms usdown. It helps us re-member. It helps us for-get. DJs now know theinfluence their musicmix brings in these un-

certain times.“It wasn’t an imme-

diate knowledge to methat I was helpingpeople on that much ofa significant level,” DJ A/C says, “with people be-ing in such a dire mentaland physical state.”

That mental andphysical state is a battlewe fight daily. As thedays get longer and theyearning for human con-tact continues, beingquarantined from theworld takes its toll.

DJs are here tohelp. Going Live andbreaking records is theircontribution in all thismadness. It is their su-perpower.

But with dozens ofonline music outletssuch as Spotify, AppleMusic, or Soundcloud atour disposal, what is theincentive to tune in to aLive stream? “It createsa different energy, it putsyou back in that club at-mosphere. You don’t re-ally get a lot of energyfrom just pressing playon Spotify,” A/C says.

In addition to beingable to see and interactwith the DJ, fellowonline listeners are ableto chat with each otherand build the hype whenthe latest club bangerdrops in rotation.

It’s a whole mood.This is why we lovethem. It’s why we findtheir Live during ourdaily walk or blast it athome while cleaning, orrock out to it during ourjust-because dance ses-sion. This is why we aredrawn to their atmo-sphere.

The Live sessionsalso serve as a nostalgic

return to our youngerteenage days when lis-tening to the DJ on theradio and we wereforced to create ownclub environment forone. Back then – it wasprimarily about the mu-sic. It was not about thedrink in your hand, thehottie at the bar, or thetall dark handsomegentlemen holding upthe wall; we were deeplyentrenched in the music.

With the currenttrend of Live DJ Sessionsonline, “It’s getting backto that time where yousat by the radio and youlistened,” says A/C.You’re like ‘oh what songis that’ and the DJ wouldhave to tell you. It’s re-ally getting back to thetrue form of Djing.”

Everyone aroundthe world is loving thevibe DJ’s bring. Sweetlove songs illuminate thestreets of Italy. The bor-oughs of New York ringout in unison to Biggie’sIt Was All a Dream. A DJssuperpower is protect-ing people’s sanityaround the world.

“Literally music justchanges my wholemood. You can be goingthrough anything andyou add a spec of music,and it ’s lit,” DJ Bellzagrees.

Odds are that yourfavorite DJ – and thoseDJs you are not familiarwith – are scheduled tospin a Live session ontheir social media plat-form, just about anynight of the week.

DJ Bellz speaks ev-ery part of the truth,“Ya’ll never know whatto expect, but we goingto party!”

Austin DJ Melissa Bellz

Anthonhy Felder / DJ A/C

Black-Owned

Newspapersand MediaCompaniesAre SmallBusinesses

Too!by Stacy M. Brown,

NNPA NewswireSenior Correspondent

Publishers of Black-owned communitynewspapers, includingJanis Ware of the AtlantaVoice, Cheryl Smith ofTexas Metro News, ChrisBennett of the SeattleMedium, Denise RolarkBarnes of the Washing-ton Informer, andBrenda Andrews of theNew Journal & Guide inVirginia, are desperatelytrying to avoid shutter-ing operations.

On Wednesday,April 29, Rolark Barnes,Andrews, Bennett, andWare will participate ina special livestreambroadcast to discusshow their publicationsare enduring as the pan-demic rages on.

In a heartfelt andstraight-to-the-point op-ed published recently,Ware explained to hertens of thousands ofreaders that The AtlantaVoice has boldly coveredthe issues that affect theAfrican American com-munity.

“Our founders, Mr. J.Lowell Ware and Mr. EdClayton, were committedto the mission of being avoice to the voiceless withthe motto of, ‘honesty,integrity and truth,’”

Ware wrote in an articlethat underscores the ur-gency and importance ofAfrican American-ownednewspapers during thecoronavirus pandemic.Ware has established aCOVID-19 news fund andaggregated the AtlantaVoice’s novel coronaviruscoverage into a speciallanding page within itswebsite.

To remain afloat,Ware and her fellow pub-lishers know that financialbacking and support willbe necessary. Followingthe spread of the pan-demic, many advertisershave either paused theirad spending or halted italtogether. And otherstreams of revenue havealso dried up, forcingBlack-owned publicationsto find ways to reducespending and restructurewhat were already histori-cally tight budgets.

With major compa-nies like Ruth ChrisSteakhouse and PotBelly Sandwichesswooping in and hijack-ing stimulus moneyaimed at small busi-nesses, the Black Press— and community-based publishing in gen-eral — has been largelyleft out of the $350 bil-lion stimulus and Pay-check Protection Pro-gram packages.

To make mattersworse, there are noguarantees that a sec-ond package, specificallyfocused on small busi-ness, will benefit Blackpublishers or other busi-

nesses owned by peopleof color.

Publications likethe New Journal andGuide, Washington In-former (which recentlycelebrated its 55th anni-versary) and the AtlantaVoice have been essen-tial to the communitiesthey serve — and theworld at large for 193years.

Unfortunately forsome publishers, the im-pact of COVID-19 hasbrought business opera-tions to a near halt.While none are thriving,some publishers havedeveloped ingeniousand innovative ways tocontinue operations.

Smith’s statementsecho the more than 200African American-owned newspapers inthe NNPA family. Themajority of the publica-tions are owned and op-erated by women, andvirtually all are familydynasties so rarely seenin the black community.

The contributionsof the Black Press re-main indelibly associ-ated with the fearless-ness, determination,and success of BlackAmerica.

Those contribu-tions include the worksof Frederick Douglass,WEB DuBois, PatriceLumumba, KwameNkrumah, and formerNNPA Chairman Dr.Carlton Goodlett.

Douglas, whohelped slaves escape tothe North while working

with the UndergroundRailroad, established theabolitionist paper, “TheNorth Star,” in Rochester,New York.

He developed itinto the most influentialblack anti-slavery news-paper published duringthe Antebellum era.

DuBois, known asthe father of modernPan Africanism, de-manded civil rights forBlacks but freedom forAfrica and an end tocapitalism, which hecalled the cause of rac-ism and all human mis-

ery.Today, the Black

Press continues to reachacross the ocean wherepossible to forge coali-tions with the growingnumber of websites andspecial publications thatcover Africa daily from onthe continent, TennesseeTribune Publisher RosettaPerry noted.

The evolution of theBlack Press, the oldestBlack business inAmerica, had propri-etors take on issues ofchattel slavery in the19th century, Jim Crow

segregation and lynch-ing, the great northernmigration, the CivilRights Movement, thetransformation from theprinting press to the digi-tal age and computer-ized communication.

It was through thepages of the Black Pressthat the world learnedthat COVID-19 was in-deed airborne and thatearlier estimates byhealth experts werewrong when they saidthe virus could last onlyup to 20 to 30 minuteson a surface.

Page 6 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 1, 2020 DIASPORA www.theaustinvillager.com

closed,” Tyson saidin the ad which ran onSunday.

“In addition tomeat shortages, this is aserious food waste issue.Farmers across the na-tion simply will not haveanywhere to sell theirlivestock to be pro-cessed, when they couldhave fed the nation.”

However, TysonFoods is also the plantwhere three workersdied earlier this monthat a facility in Georgia,reported The New YorkTimes. Annie Grant, 55,was an employee at theplant in Camilla, Geor-gia, and was orderedback to work even afterexperiencing flu-likesymptoms.

Tyson offered itsworkers, many of whomare Black, Latino, or im-migrants, a $500 bonusif they worked throughJune without missing aday, the Times reported.

Workers have saidthat although they workshoulder to shoulder in

Tyson workers claim to be forced tostay under unsafe conditions

Continued from page 1

Annie Grant, front row center, during a family reunion, in a photoprovided by her family. Ms. Grant, a Tyson Foods worker,

died after spending more than a week on a ventilator.

the plants that theywere pressured to re-turn to work and offeredlittle protection to do so.

According to TheWashington Post, JBS,the world’s largestmeatpacking company,confirmed that theydidn’t provide protectivesupplies to their employ-ees until April 2 anddidn’t make it manda-tory until April 13. Tysonsays it didn’t requireemployees to use pro-tection until April 15,despite the health de-partment and federalguidelines.

“If you’re not in acasket, they want youthere,” Sonja Johnson, aformer Smithfieldworker told the Post. “Allthey were worried aboutwas making sure wewere coming to work.”

Johnson says shewas fired for expressingconcerns related tosafety. The company de-nies that, but workersfrom multiple meat pro-cessing companies have

stated on social mediaand in complaints toOSHA (OccupationalSafety and Health Ad-ministration) and theirlocal health depart-ments about either be-ing forced to work whilesick, not getting the rightPPE in order to work ornot being informedabout what was going onin their plants as cowork-ers were getting sick.

Smithfield, ownedby Hong Kong meatmanufacturer WHGroup, has closed plantsin two states, said thePost.

As far as food chainsupply issues and anymeat shortages, youdon’t have to buy a deepfreezer just yet. Kate Coxof CNBC’s The Countersays that there is a sur-plus of meat especiallysince there was foodoverflow in shutteredrestaurants around thecountry. She doesn’t an-ticipate any price in-creases either, at leastnot right away.

Re-Opening the Texas Economy

VILLAGER NEWS -As COVID 19 continues,numerous States aregrappling on whetherto re-open non-essen-tial businesses or sus-tain the Stay in Shelterordinance. Lawmakersand decision-makersare asking themselvesnumerous questions,such as, can mask,gloves, and social dis-tancing at publicevents slow down the

spread of COVID 19.These questions stemfrom the fact that thecoronavirus infectionhas peaked in numer-ous States.

In some states,such as Texas, therehave been protestsfrom the extreme rightrepublican party whowould like to see theStay in Shelter ordi-nance be lifted. This or-dinance throughoutnumerous counties andcities has played agreat role in slowingdown the spread of

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

VILLAGERColumnist

Heather Jefts Runs ForCedar Park City Council

VILLAGER NEWS - In 2014, Heather Jefts was elected to the Cedar ParkCity Council. After the election, Democrats in Williamson County shifted thepolitical landscape by defeating two Republican incumbents and shook up thepolitical scene in Williamson County. However, Jeft lost her seat in the 2018election. Despite her loss, she has decided to run again in the 2020 Cedar ParkCouncil election.

Heather Jefts want to continue their partnership with the citizens of Ce-dar Park that is inclusive, fair, and affordable. Over the years, Cedar Park hasgrown from a town of 36,000 to a city of 100,000. Therefore, Cedar Park nowhas to address the issues that affect their growth, such as transportation andhousing.

According to Jefts, "Our biggest challenges over the next few years aresustainability, balancing our priorities, and budgeting. But with great challengescome great opportunities, opportunities for high-quality jobs, cultural andsporting events, beautiful parks and trail systems connecting us, and excellentfood and entertainment venues just steps from home."

Pictured left to right: Council member Flannigan, Healther Jeft,State representative John Bucy, and Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

Villager File Photo

by Tsoke (Chuch) AdjavonVILLAGER Columnist

Mobile COVID-19 Testing forUnderserved CommunitiesOpens Today in Houston

Defender News Service - A new mobile coronavirus testing unit openstoday in the Houston area, hoping to extend health services to underservedcommunities. The site will debut today at the Kashmere Multi-Service Centeroff Lockwood. The site is new for the Houston area, as it will travel to othercommunities in the next few weeks.

Mayor Turner said the goal is to provide testing to underserved areas.Officials say there will be 100 tests available every day, and communities

can either drive or walk up to the mobile unit. The mobile testing site openstoday at 10 a.m., and it will remain open until 4 p.m., or until all of the testsrun out. All testing is free, and you don’t need to be showing any symptoms orbook an appointment to get tested.

The mobile testing unit will travel to the Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Cen-ter on May 5 – May 9, and the Third Ward Multi-Service Center from May 12 –May 16.

Mayor Turner said with the state reopening on Friday, it will be critical fortesting to be available in our community. Turner said lower income communi-ties are most vulnerable to the coronavirus, and many people do not havevehicles to drive to other testing sites. “Because when you were born andreared in a community like this, when you operated on the margins, when youdidn’t have access to healthcare… For me this is personal,” Turner, who grewup in Acres Homes, said.

Judge Lina Hidalgo says Harris County is also working to open mobiletesting units.

COVID 19. However,some Texans believethe situation hasslowed down, and it istime to open up theeconomy so people canget back to work.

Moreover, someexperts have stated there-opening of non-es-sential businesses needto have extra measuresin place. These mea-sures including, wear-ing a facemask, gloves,social distancing,checking of tempera-tures, washing ofhands can be implied.

PRESSROOM: Food

AssistancePrograms

Critical forLow-IncomeChildren and

FamiliesU.S. Census Bureau,

www.ceusus.gov

According to theCensus Bureau, of the13.8 million householdsthat receive SNAP, 6.7million have children un-der the age of 18 and 6.4million have someone liv-ing with a disability.

Of all the homeswith children under? 18,some 18% receive assis-tance from SNAP, accord-ing to the CensusBureau’s ?2018 AmericanCommunity Survey.

Students whoqualify for SNAP also getfree or reduced-costschool lunches.?

Federal nutritionprograms are among themany reasons it is so im-portant to respond (andreport all children, includ-ing newborns, living inyour home) to the?2020Census.

Knowing how manychildren are in an areahelps federal, state and lo-

cal officials evaluate fund-ing for nutrition programs.

SNAP and the Na-tional School Lunch Pro-gram are just two nutri-tion programs that usecensus results to informplanning. Other programsinclude the NationalSchool BreakfastProgram?(NSBP), lunchprograms for?people age65 years and older andmeal delivery to disabledand homebound indi-

viduals.The Census Bureau

works with state andtribal governments to en-sure recipients of SNAPdon’t lose their benefitsif they come to work forthe 2020 Census.

They are working toget census income ex-cluded so recipients whoreceive benefits can workas census takers (enu-merators) without losingtheir benefits or eligibil-

ity status.The Census Bureau

has partnered with theU.S. Department of Agri-culture (which adminis-ters SNAP) to exclude in-come from temporaryemployment for 2020Census. While it is ulti-mately a state decisionwhether to exempt 2020Census income earned, agreat majority of stateshave already agreed tothis waiver.

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Women-Owned Procurement Program please contact theSmall & Minority Business Resources at 512-974-7600or visit www.austintexas.gov/smbr.

Hill & Wilkinson GeneralContractors is acting as theCMAR on the Parking Lot –Phase I at the Norwood Houselocated in Austin, TX. Thisproject will consist ofEarthwork, Erosion Control/SWPPP, Tree Protection, Con-crete/Asphalt, Electrical,Fencing, Wheel Stops,Signage, Striping, Landscape/Irrigation, and Utilities. Bidsmust be received no later than2pm on Friday, May 01, 2020.Submit bids to Tina Gordon:tinagordon @hwgc.comBid documents may be re-quested by contacting ShelbyArthur, Precon Coordinator, atsarthur@hill-wilkinson.comPlease make sure to include allCertifications with your pro-posal (e.g. MWBE, SBE,HUB, City of Austin Compli-ance Documents, etc).

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on reopening cer-tain businesses for thetime, including barber-shops, hair salons, barsand gyms. He said hehopes those businessescan open “on or no laterthan mid-May.”

In a TV interviewfollowing the news con-ference, Abbott sug-gested his he may havemore businessreopenings to announcebefore the May 18 targetdate. “Some things,maybe — fingerscrossed — may evenhappen before then,”Abbott told KPRC inHouston.

Asked about en-forcement of his newrules, Abbott said all hisexecutive orders duringthe pandemic have car-ried a potential punish-ment of up to a $1,000fine or 180 days in jail.For the latest order, hesaid, the “more primaryenforcement would beeither the local level orthe regulatory level,”noting a business couldlose its license if it doesnot comply.

In unveiling his neworder, Abbott estab-lished a different stan-dard aimed at ruralcounties with littlecoronavirus presence,saying counties with fiveor fewer cases can effec-tively skip to the secondphase and reopen busi-

Abbott talks of coming increase in testing, saysTexas will “easily exceed our goal of 25,000 tests per day.”

Continued from page 1

Gov. Greg Abbott declares a statewide emergency amid new cases of COVID-19 in the state onMarch 13, 2020 at the state capitol. Photo credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

nesses at 50% capacity.Abbott’s new order

comes as questions con-tinue to persist aboutTexas’ low testing leveland what is being doneto increase capacity.State Rep. Chris Turnerof Grand Prairie, chair-man of the HouseDemocratic Caucus, saidin a statement that Texasis “near last in the nationon per capita testing andGov. Abbott didn’tpresent a clear plan howthat’s going to change,even though expertsagree that widespreadtesting is essential to anyreopening plan.”

“We don’t know themagnitude of the prob-lem,” U.S. Rep. VeronicaEscobar, D-El Paso, saidduring a Texas DemocraticParty conference call afterAbbott’s news confer-ence. “Without robusttesting, then we continueto remain in the dark.”

Abbott mostly fo-cused Monday on con-tact tracing, or the prac-tice of tracking downand isolating all thepeople someone whotested positive for thevirus has come into con-tact with. Abbott saidTexas is already in thesecond phase of its con-

tact tracing plan, adding1,000 tracers on top ofthe existing 1,100 andlaunching a statewideapp and call center toimprove the process.

Abbott continuedto talk of a coming in-crease in testing and saidthe state soon would“easily exceed our goalof 25,000 tests per day.”The state has been add-ing an average about14,000 tests per dayover the past week, ac-cording to figures fromthe Texas Department ofState Health Services.Still, the total number oftests done as of Monday— 290,517 — remainedabout 1% of Texas’nearly 29 million people.

The leaders ofsome of the state’s big-gest metropolitan areas,a mostly Democraticgroup, were generallymeasured in their re-sponses to Abbott’s lat-

est announcements.Speaking shortly

after Abbott in Houston,the city’s mayor,Sylvester Turner, told re-porters that Abbott’snew order “pretty muchwill take these mea-sures, the ability to [is-sue] stay-at-home or-ders and things of thatnature, out of our handslocally.” He said hehoped Abbott ’s planworks but offered a“cautionary note,” point-ing out that there is stillno vaccine and statisticsshow the “virus is stillhere,” even as local mea-sures have slowed it

down.Another big-city

leader, Dallas CountyJudge Clay Jenkins, wassimilarly cautious in hisresponse. He said in astatement that he hasasked the county’s toppublic health official,Philip Huang, and otherexperts to “carefully re-view the Governor’s or-ders” and that he “willwait to hear from them.”

Abbott’s an-nouncement Mondayalso came with news forentities that have beenallowed to stay openthrough the pandemic,such as churches. Hesaid his latest rules allowthem to “expand theircapacity even more” aslong as they follow socialdistancing practices. Thedetails of that expansionwere not immediatelyavailable.

As for outdoorsports, Abbott said theywill be allowed as long asthey are limited to fourparticipants — allowingfor sports like golf or ten-nis — and social distanc-ing is also respected. Thegoal of the second phasewould be to permitmore participants,Abbott said.

Abbott’s latest an-nouncement also lets alllicensed health care pro-fessionals return towork, though there area few restrictions, hesaid. Hospitals mustkeep 15% of their capac-ity for COVID-19 pa-tients.

Economic Injury Di-saster Loan (EIDL) pro-gram, which will allowapproximately $300 bil-lion in loans to smallbusinesses.

Additionally, in largepart because of the ef-forts of the CBC, Demo-crats have secured $10billion for the SBA’s Emer-gency Economic InjuryGrant program, $75 bil-lion in emergency moneyfor our health system, and$25 billion to increasetesting and contact trac-ing capabilities.

The Senate is ex-pected to pass the legis-lation.

“While this bill doesnot address all currentneeds of the coronaviruscrisis, it is a major im-provement and will helpmillions of Americans andour frontline workers,”Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH),stated on a conferencecall with the Black Press ofAmerica on Tuesday, April21.

“Under the leader-ship of CBC Chair KarenBass, the CBC has beenon the frontlines, andwithout us, there wouldbe no one fighting for

Lawmaker calls new bill a“major improvement” aimed

to aid frontline workersContinued from page 1

our communities,”Beatty stated, addingthat the CBC recognizesthat more needs to bedone. They will continuefighting for additionalfunding for workingfamilies and those whoneed it most in the nextcoronavirus package.

“Rep. Maxine Wa-ters (D-CA) made surethat there was a carve-out in this package forsmall community banksand credit unions, whichensures that there’s anopportunity for them totake care of their cus-tomers,” stated Rep.Gregory Meeks (D-NY).

“The EIDL programwill benefit many smalland African Americanbusinesses as we moveforward,” Meeks said.

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) said the Trump ad-ministration has “proventime and again that wecannot trust them.”

Kelly said the CBCcontinues to work tomake sure that crucialdata that includes race iscollected during testingand tracing of the pan-demic.

“Through this bill,

we do target hospitals insome of the mostneeded areas, and as wefocus on CARES part 2,we need data to makethe best policy decisions.Lives are at stake, so weneed to act quickly,”Kelly stated.

Rep. Dwight Evans(D-PA) said the CBC hasalways understood thatBlack-owned and othersmall businesses “are thebackbone of America.”

“We have con-stantly worked togetherto try and make thingshappen,” he stated.

“Under Karen Bass’leadership, we all under-stood that the CBC wasnot going to leave ourconstituents out. It’s notpossible to conduct busi-ness if people are nothealthy and safe,” Evansstated.

Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 1, 2020 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com

Chicago Bulls documentary offershistory, insight for younger fans

By John HarrisVILLAGER Sports

Columnist

(VILLAGER) - Whatto make of the docu-mentary highlighting theChicago Bulls’ 1997-1998 NBA championshipseason? “The LastDance,” appearing onESPN and ESPN 2 over atotal of five Sundaysthrough May 17, offersinsight and historicalperspective about su-perstar Michael Jordan,his teammates, coaches,management and oppo-nents leading up to theBulls’ sixth and final title.

For me, it rekindledfond memories of whenI wrote for newspapersin Florida and Michiganand covered the Bulls’first three-peat whenthey defeated the LosAngeles Lakers, PortlandTrailblazers and PhoenixSuns featuring the likesof Magic Johnson, ClydeDrexler and CharlesBarkley in successiveyears.

In my opinion, thatBulls squad was betterthan the second groupwhich produced titlewins over the SeattleSupersonics and UtahJazz in back-to-back-toback years. The first-three peat squad tamedthe dreaded Detroit Pis-tons to reach the NBAFinals for the first timeand featured a tena-cious, pressing defense

led by Jordan, ScottiePippen and HoraceGrant, all in their prime,who would pounce onopponents at midcourtto create steals resultingin spectacular and mo-mentum-changing slamdunks.

The second three-peat squad featured anolder, more refined andless athletic Jordan whoteamed with RonHarper, Toni Kukoc andformer Pistons’ nemesisDennis Rodman to runroughshod over the restof the NBA.

What this docu-mentary does, morethan anything, is to bringJordan’s superiority overhis peers into crystal-clear focus for youngbasketball fans, includ-ing current NBA players,some of whom don’t re-member when Jordanwas at his peak.

Jordan was an ex-plosive scoring machinewho was the first playerto win Most ValuablePlayer and DefensivePlayer of the Year in thesame season. He led theNBA in scoring a record10 times. And never for-get that he’s 6-0 in theNBA Finals.

So, who’s better?Michael Jordan orLeBron James? Thedocumentary is making

Jordan relevant again.He’s no longer the hoopslegend who dominatedthe sports pages and air-waves two decades ago.Thanks to the doc, we cansee exactly why manyproclaimed him the great-est basketball player notonly of his time, but of alltime. James, since he’sstill playing in the league,remains etched in our col-lective minds becausehe’s current and Jordan isnot.

That doesn’t meanJames is better than Jor-dan.

In my opinion, Jor-dan is the greatestplayer of all time. Iwatched both Jordanand James play in personand in the prime of theircareers - I even sawJames play in high schoolwhen I worked for anewspaper in Ohio - andI can tell you I don’t needa documentary to tellme who’s the betterplayer. Jordan’s superior-ity over James goes be-yond pure talent. Jordanhad an unbeatable com-bination of superior tal-ent plus an incredibledesire to win at all costs.

But don’t take myword for it. Continuewatching “The LastDance” and make yourown conclusion. It’sworth the watch.

Dear City of Austin Utility Customer,As our community comes together to respond to COVID-19, theCity of Austin has taken steps to ensure customers haveuninterrupted access to utility services and that customersexperiencing hardships due to COVID-19 can get immediate billrelief.How Are We Helping?If you are experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19,please know that we are here to help. We are reconnecting utilities,waiving late fees and working with customers on paymentarrangements. Additionally, we have reduced utility rates andenhanced our Customer Assistance Program.

What Customer Assistance Programs Are Available?If this is your first time accessing utility bill assistance, rest assuredthat we offer a variety of bill relief options for customers:

- Utility Bill Discounts- Emergency Financial Support Plus 1- Payment Arrangement- Budget Billing- Medically Vulnerable Services

To find out if you qualify for one of the Customer Assistance Programslisted above, please visit austinenergy.com/go/cap.How Can Customers Apply For Emergency FinancialAssistance?To quickly apply for emergency financial assistance through ourEmergency Financial Support Plus 1 Program, please visitaustinbillhelp.com.If you have questions, please call 512-765-9721or email billhelp@austinenergy.com.

To Our Austin-Travis County Community,Austin Public Health has launched an online Enrollment Form for

COVID-19 testing. The new public testing form will allow people to takean assessment to determine eligibility and schedule testing without areferral from a healthcare provider.

The enrollment form is available at AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.To access the form, click on the “Take Self-Assessment” button to

create an account and complete a questionnaire listing your symptoms.If you meet the criteria you will be referred to testing. Completion of theonline assessment will not guarantee referral to testing.

Austin Public Health will continue to prioritize healthcare workers,first responders and people at higher risk for developing severe symp-toms. Testing continues to be by appointment-only and tests at the APHtesting sites are FREE.

At first, the enrollment form will be available in English and Span-ish with additional languages coming later.How the Online Form Works:

· Individuals must create an account at AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.· The form asks several questions to determine the patient’s eligibility for a test. A person can fill out the form for someone who cannot do it themselves. This information is HIPAA-protected.· If an individual is approved for a test, the portal will allow them to schedule the location, date and time for their drive-through testing appointment. Patients will only be seen in a vehicle.· The patient will receive a confirmation via phone, email or text with a QR code and instructions for the testing site within the same day. They will need to present an ID or the confirmation at testing.· If the patient does not meet testing criteria, they will be able to complete the form at any time to try again (e.g. if their symptoms change the following days).· Results will be available online in 3-4 days.

Those Who Have Difficulty Accessing or Completing the Form:· Have another trusted person fill out the form.· Those who do not have computer or internet access can call the nursing hotline at 512-972-5560 for assistance.

Those Who Don’t Have Transportation:· The public testing sites are set up for drive-through only. People without access to personal transportation should contact the nursing hotline at 512-972-5560 for assistance.

Additional Resources for Testing from Community Partners:· CommUnityCare has additional testing resources in eastern Travis County. You can call their hotline at 512-978-8775.

3 Texas Longhorns picked during 2020 NFL Draft

Brandon JonesSR (DB)Round 3Pick 6

Overall Pick 70To MIAMI

Devin DuvernaySR (WR)Round 3Pick 28

Overall Pick 92To BALTIMORE

Collin JohnsonSR (WR)Round 5Pick 19

Overall Pick 165To JACKSONVILLE