City & County
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office said via email while narcotic encounters, or instances in which officers encounter drugs, did decline during the pandemic, they are starting to rise again. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas Department of State Health Services/Community Impact Newspaper)
Katy North

Local agencies respond to rising opioid overdoses

By Sierra Rozen, Jishnu Nair

Opioid overdose deaths have risen in Texas since the pandemic began in 2020, but officials with Fort Bend and Harris counties said initiatives have been implemented during the pandemic to help prevent a dramatic increase in opioid-related deaths.

More Coronavirus News

Child in front of a computer screen.
Plano ISD suspends plan for permanent online ...
See how COVID-19 impacted Dallas County over the last week. (Community Impact Newspaper staff)
Tracking COVID-19: New cases in Dallas County ...
Dallas resident Alisia Thomas, a health care worker, receives her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine Feb. 5. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
Data analysis: Dallas County could reach herd ...
Missouri City Mayor Yolanda Ford and City Manager Odis Jones at his swearing-in July 31. (Courtesy city of Missouri City)
2020 roundup: Interviews with 5 Sugar Land, Missouri City community leaders
See 15 of this year's most memorable photos of Georgetown. (Sally Grace Holtgrieve/Community Impact Newspaper)
See 15 of this year's most memorable photos of Georgetown
In an interview less than a week earlier, County Judge Ruben Becerra prioritized health care worker vaccinations over his own. (Courtesy Hays County)
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and family test positive for COVID-19
"Daytripper" star Chet Garner fixes up Georgetown structures. (Sally Grace Holtgrieve/ Community Impact Newspaper)
15 people, nonprofits and places featured in Georgetown in 2020
Those who remember Nathan Maynor, owner of Bellaire Sugar Shop Bakery & Gifts, have erected a memorial outside his bakery. (Matt Dulin/Community Impact Newspaper)
Community responds with memorial for Bellaire Sugar Shop owner Nathan Maynor
Volunteers for Covid Check-In have assembled more than 900 packages for seniors. (Courtesy Covid Check-In)
Students from UT Dallas send more than 900 care packages to North Texas seniors
Collin County Health Care Services confirmed on Aug. 11 the death of a 91-year-old Frisco man with COVID-19 and underlying health conditions. (Community Impact staff)
Collin County officials report COVID-19-related death of 91-year-old Frisco man
Christopher Long, assistant professor of K-12 science education at the University of North Texas, is researching students' psychosocial perceptions of their learning environments before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. (Courtesy University of North Texas; Designed by Cherry He/Community Impact Newspaper)
UNT professor researches pandemic’s impact on learning environments, what teachers can do for fall
Houston Fire Chief Leroy Lucio reportedly died July 20 after a battle with COVID-19. (Courtesy city of Houston)
Kingwood-area Houston Fire Chief Leroy Lucio dies from COVID-19