Willie Nelson turns 87, snake bites on the rise in McKinney: Your Wednesday evening roundup

Salon owner risks arrest by opening  [Evening roundup]( [NEWS]( | [BUSINESS]( | [SPORTS]( | [HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS]( | [ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT]( | [FOOD]( | [THINGS TO DO]( | [OPINION]( 04/29/2020 By Todd Davis Good Evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Texas Gov. Greg Abbott holds the Governor's Report to Reopen Texas during a news conference where he announced he would relax some restrictions imposed on some businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic Monday in Austin. (Eric Gay / AP) CORONAVIRUS [Abbott’s reopen plan is short on triggers for easing or tightening measures, experts say]( Gov. Greg Abbott says he is relying on data and doctors to gradually reopen the state beginning Friday, when Texans will be able to visit restaurants, malls and movie theaters in limited numbers. The phased restart will be monitored through increased testing and tracking of new coronavirus cases, a move all experts say is necessary. By mid-May more businesses could open up, barring a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, Abbott says. But where the plan is long on hope, it’s short on goals or quantifiable triggers the state will use to decide whether to further relax social distancing or ramp it back up, [experts say](. Sharon Grigsby: [As we emerge from our coronavirus bear caves]( let’s try to avoid driving into the ditch, Texans. Also: A day after record highs, [Dallas County reports 112 new coronavirus cases]( and five deaths. ADVERTISEMENT  BUSINESS [Apartment tower in the works at DART’s Mockingbird rail station]( Developer Trammell Crow Co. is giving more details about its plans for a high-rise development at DART’s Mockingbird Station transit stop. [Called Mockingbird Station East]( the project would include four towers built on what are now the parking lots for the commuter rail station. The first phase of the development, which has been in the works for more than a year, would be construction of a three-level underground parking garage to replace the surface lots that will be used for the new towers.  Also: With $30 million in funding, [a Dallas startup]( will speed up gene therapy clinical trials.   And: [The Taco Cabana, Pollo Tropical owner]( will give back $15 million in stimulus loans.  POLITICS [Texas voters sue the state over age restrictions for voting by mail]( Six Texas voters are suing the state over age restrictions that allow citizens 65 or older to vote by mail because they say it violates the constitutional right of younger voters. [The Texans argue this state rule violates the 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution]( because younger voters are only allowed to vote by mail if they have a disability, are confined in jail, will be absent from the county where they are registered to vote for the entirety of election day or would otherwise face challenges getting to the polls.  Also: The Senate has set a spy chief confirmation hearing for Rep. John Ratcliffe, [the Texas loyalist]( on the Trump impeachment team.   Political bigamy? [A South Texas congressional nominee]( just filed to run for yet another seat, in Miami.  ADVERTISEMENT (Lynda M. Gonzalez / Staff Photographer) PHOTO OF THE DAY With Dallas Police officers standing by, Shelley Luther spoke to supporters in the parking lot outside of her business, Salon a la Mode, in Far North Dallas on Wednesday. [Shelley Luther opened her salon on Wednesday morning expecting to be arrested](. Neither the state nor Dallas County consider salons essential during the coronavirus pandemic. As of Wednesday afternoon, with a group of supporters on hand, customers in the store and Dallas police officers watching, Luther hadn’t been taken to jail. EDITORS' PICKS - Education: Dallas high school graduations are to be [virtual ceremonies](. - Communities: Medical City McKinney has seen an uptick in [snake bites]( with the rise of evening walks. - Public health: Three deaths and rampant infections at [a Fort Worth lockup]( are fueling criticism of how federal prisons are handling the pandemic. ADVERTISEMENT FINALLY... [Willie Nelson turns 87, with no shortage of vim, vigor or weed along the way]( No one would dispute the fact that Willie Nelson — whose 87th birthday is today — has had an incredible life. But [Nelson has also had an incredible year](. Actually, an incredible couple of years. Since we last checked in on a Nelson birthday, in this piece, when Willie turned 85, he’s recorded a new album, First Rose of Spring, which as far as anyone knows will be No. 70. Its arrival date was April 24, but because of the coronavirus, its release has been pushed back until July 3. Speaking of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 25,000 people in his native Texas and more than 1 million across the country, Nelson has done everything he can to help out. 👋 That's all for now! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). 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