JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) — The din of conversation and music that normally fills The Cottonmouth Club in downtown Houston fell silent last Friday when the owners shut it down for a second time during the coronavirus pandemic — a week before the Texas governor ordered all bars to follow suit amid a surge in infections.
Co-owner Michael Neff — questioning what he saw as a rush to reopen by the state and wondering if his industry was making things worse as some bars flouted rules on occupancy limits — said he felt he could no longer provide a safe environment for his staff or customers at the neighborhood bar with a rock 'n' roll vibe.
He and his staff had started hearing of workers at other bars getting sick.
"Texas was a terrible, terrible experiment becaus
