Recovering from Surgery, Gov. Abbott Will Miss Convention

Our daily roundup of Texas headlines.

By Becky FogelJuly 13, 2016 9:54 am

The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott won’t be attending the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. His office confirmed the decision yesterday after Abbott underwent surgery to treat second- and third degree-burns he suffered while on a family vacation in Wyoming last week.

Abbott rushed home early from his vacation to be with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings in the aftermath of last week’s shooting despite the severe burns. The skin-graft surgery at San Antonio’s Brooke Army Medical Center was successful.

Then: It’s not news that tons of people are moving to Texas. But what might surprise you is which cities are considered the best for your brood.  

Each week, Jill Gonzalez of finance website Wallethub, breaks down how Texas stacks up against other states on a range of issues. But this week, the battle is, well, an internal one. The site looked at the best and worst Texas towns for families.

 “We compared 112 of the largest cities in Texas based on 21 different metrics. And they really speak to the suitability for families of all types,” she says. “So that includes measures like the number of playgrounds per capita, but also things like the violent crime rate, the divorce rate, how affordable it is to live in one of these towns.”

And: A San Antonio couple passed away hand-in-hand in their bed after 58 years of marriage. That’s where George and Ora Lee Rodriguez were both battling dementia. George died in his sleep, and Ora Lee passed away 3 hours later. The couple had celebrated their wedding anniversary the week before.