Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that the Biden administration is investing $1.5 billion from the coronavirus aid package to address the health care worker shortage in underserved communities.

HOUSTON – Two brothers from West Virginia and their plumbing crew have been in Houston for almost a week, helping dozens of families in need of repairs after the recent winter storm. They’ve already used the almost $30,000 they raised to help people for free. “Right now, we’re pretty large in the hole and I mean pretty large,” said David Dellinger of American Professional Plumbing Services. We’ve seen the people that were suffering and there’s just not enough of us tradesmen.”Beth Stanaland lives on the southside of Houston. “If I have running water and hot water and not have water pouring down, that will be a huge relief.

KATY, Texas – Plumbers from across the county are coming to help with repairs in Texas. One plumbing company from West Virginia raised $20,000 to help Houston area families with repairs. They plan to help about 1,000 homes in the next two weeks in some of the hardest-hit areas. We raised $20,000 to help families that cannot afford plumbing repairs and those families the GofundMe will pay for,” Silberstein said. They’ve also been working in Houston and Katy around the clock and will continue for the next several weeks.

HOUSTON – The state of Texas has 60,000 licensed plumbers and the challenge they are all facing is “overwhelming,” according to Frank Denton, the Chairman of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Greg Abbott on Friday eased plumbing restrictions, allowing former licensed plumbers who left the industry in recent years to once again enter the system. AdAll being done to speed the process up with more licensed plumbers. Repair mistakes also are made by homeowners who opt to do it themselves without the professional experience that comes with being a licensed plumber. Denton said a licensed plumber has invested much time to get recognized by the state and is not going to cut corners.

HOUSTON – The latest episode of Texas’ unprecedented winter storm has homeowners at a loss with busted pipes. Many local plumbing companies are stretched thin dealing with a sudden volume in calls for help with supplies for the jobs dwindling. ARS Rescue Rooter, a local plumbing company that has been serving the Greater Houston area for years, said the best way to manage the issue is for the pipes to be fixed properly. “We fixed six to seven pipes,” Teeter said. Many local plumbing businesses are swamped as the walls caved in and destroyed pipes after the wintery weather, according to Teeter.

Eccles said to start by letting cold water drip from your faucet. Safety TipsThe Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office encourages residents to follow these heating safety tips:Place space heaters on solid and flat surfaces. Check space heaters for cracked or damaged cords and plugs. Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets, don’t use an extension cord or power strip. Create a “kid-free zone” three feet from open fires and space heaters.