Plano Balloon Festival canceled for second year due to COVID-19

Plano Balloon Festival organizers said it was not an easy decision to cancel, but felt like it was the safe choice.

Frisco PD officer arrested, fired for inappropriate relationship with 17-year-old student

A school resource officer with the Frisco Police Department has been arrested and fired after police said they found he was having an inappropriate relationship with a Frisco ISD student.

No staffed pediatric ICU beds left in North Texas region, hospital official says

“We [have] no staffed pediatric ICU beds available in Trauma Service Area E,” said Stephen Love, President/CEO, Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council.

Collin and Tarrant County judges say they won’t issue mask mandates

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley believes his hands are tied and Collin County Judge Chris Hill believes in protecting individual rights. Neither will issue a mask mandate.

Students in 38 North Texas school districts head back to class

More than three dozen North Texas school districts welcomed students back to campus Thursday. Some are requiring masks and some are not.

North Texas school districts re-evaluating COVID-19 protocols, virtual learning options

After Dallas ISD annnounced a mask mandate, FOX 4 wanted to see if any other districts were following suit. So far, none in the DFW area will be requiring masks for now, but some districts are shifting their virtual options.

Only 25 ICU hospital beds available in Dallas County as COVID cases continue to surge

For the first time since February, the region surpassed 2,000 COVID patients, occupying more than 14,000 of hospital bed capacity. And a third of ICU beds are adults with COVID. The message from the governor is clear: get vaccinated.

North Texas pediatricians being overwhelmed with sick children

Masks were definitely effective at keeping kids healthier. But now with so many masks off, there is not much immunity against typical seasonal viruses. That may be causing viruses to spread faster than normal.

Texas chief emergency manager defends state's denial of extra hospital staff

The state’s chief emergency manager defended the state’s decision to deny requests from North Texas hospitals to provide more than 600 additional medical staff. He says hospitals should be the ones doing the hiring this time.

Parents ask Plano ISD to bring back Plexiglass dividers, other COVID-19 protocols

Plano ISD approved its new COVID-19 protocols Tuesday night. But first, trustees heard from parents who want last year’s mitigation strategies put into place again this year as the number of cases rises, especially in younger children.

North Texas hospitals suffering staff shortages with coming COVID-19 surge

Four weeks ago, the entire state had 1,800 COVID patients. Tuesday, just the North Texas region had more than 1,800 patients. And it's taking a toll on hospital staff.

Frisco ISD to offer virtual learning option due to rising COVID-19 cases

The school superintendent says a rise in COVID-19 cases, particularly the Delta variant, led him to this last-minute decision to offer virtual classes to select students. The details are still being worked out.

North Texas hospitals' requests for additional staffing denied by state officials

The DFW Hospital Council says more than 500 additional staff was requested last week. FOX 4 has confirmed that the Texas Department of State Health Services denied the request, suggesting counties use COVID relief money to help hospitals.

Strong storms move through North Texas Sunday

Heavy rain and hail were reported in parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties from the storms Sunday afternoon.