Category Archives: Elsewhere in Houston

Houston leads the way in resettling Afghan refugees

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Nicely done. The sudden crush of thousands of Afghans who arrived in Houston last fall forced local refugee resettlement agencies to drastically expand services in a matter of weeks. Houston’s role as the top destination for evacuated Afghans stressed these agencies, which had diminished in … Continue reading →

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New regulations for outdoor music events proposed

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good idea, but it feels to me like there ought to be more. Houston is considering tightening up permitting requirements for some large outdoor music events to avoid wasting city resources accommodating last-minute notices. On Thursday, officials from the Houston … Continue reading →

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The wastewater is looking good now

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

In terms of COVID levels, anyway. The COVID-19 viral load in Houston’s wastewater has sunk to its lowest point in seven months as the city puts the latest wave, driven by the highly contagious omicron subvariant BA.5, in the rear … Continue reading →

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Monkeypox case rate slows

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. Monkeypox infection rates are slowing in Houston, data shows, with health officials pointing to changing behavior as the key reason for the decline. The 14-day average of daily new cases dropped by 43 percent, from .23 cases … Continue reading →

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Opera in the Heights will stay at Lambert Hall

Posted on September 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. The uncertainty is over, Opera in the Heights is staying home. After months of not knowing what the future for the neighborhood staple might hold, a consortium including a longtime Houston singing club and two donors have purchased … Continue reading →

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The active shooter hoax at our neighborhood school

Posted on September 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This made for a super eventful Tuesday afternoon. Police and panicked parents scrambled to Heights High School Tuesday afternoon, in frantic response to a false report that a gunman had shot 10 people in a room on the 2,400-student Houston … Continue reading →

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Maybe we shouldn’t pave over our best rain-absorbing wetlands

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Just a thought. Even just paving over less of them might be wise. At the far west end of Houston along the Katy Freeway, where the concrete city gives way to bigger sky and taller grass, signs advertising new master-planned communities greet … Continue reading →

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Houston will monitor for monkeypox in the wastewater

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea. Houston will begin monitoring its wastewater for monkeypox in late August as cases of the blister-causing contagion continue to climb, health officials said. Scientists will begin testing for the monkeypox virus in city sewage samples “starting in about three … Continue reading →

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The latest COVID wave may be peaking in Houston

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully… Texas Medical Center data released Tuesday suggests the latest wave of COVID-19 might have reached its peak in the Houston area, though several key metrics used to track the virus remain high. The medical center’s weekly data report shows that … Continue reading →

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The current state of the hospitals

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Worse than before, but not nearly as bad as before that. A small but growing share of Houston healthcare workers are calling in sick with COVID, exacerbating long-running staffing issues at some hospitals amid the virus’s resurgence. But despite spreading … Continue reading →

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There’s no cheap housing in Houston any more

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

What are we going to do about that? In the sprawling Houston region, those who could not afford homeownership in the city’s urban core always had options. They could trade proximity for affordability. But as rising home prices and mortgage … Continue reading →

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COVID hospitalizations up in Houston

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. COVID-19 hospitalizations have nearly doubled in the Houston area over the last month, according to re-published Texas Medical Center data, which paints a clearer picture of the risk associated with newer, increasingly transmissible versions of the virus. The medical … Continue reading →

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Harris County implements a burn ban

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Surely this is a thing we can all comply with. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday enacted a countywide burn ban due to drought conditions and an increased threat of wildfires across unincorporated Harris County, but fireworks will remain legal … Continue reading →

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We are getting serious about the flood tunnel idea

Posted on June 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Now the question is how could we pay for this? A network of eight massive storm water tunnels that drain upstream of and into the Houston Ship Channel could be the key to alleviating flooding in Harris County, flood control engineers announced this week. The … Continue reading →

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Monkeypox in the Houston area

Posted on June 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Was bound to happen sooner or later. Two people in the region have tested positive for monkeypox, a viral disease with typically mild symptoms, public health officials with the City of Houston and Harris County announced Saturday. The Houston Health … Continue reading →

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Calling all lifeguards

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The city needs you. Lifeguard shortages are keeping most Houston community pools closed as summer arrives with scorching heat and near record-breaking temperatures. Just 12 of 37 aquatic centers operated by the Parks and Recreation Department are scheduled to open … Continue reading →

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Are we going to raise the COVID threat level again?

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, but not yet. Coronavirus infections are on the rise across Houston, wastewater tracking shows, even as fewer people seek testing two years into the pandemic. Four months after the city saw record infection rates caused by the highly contagious … Continue reading →

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Yeah, we’re still talking about West 11th Street

Posted on June 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We can’t help it, sorry. When Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner assured concerned Heights residents he’d take “a closer look” at plans to reduce 11th Street to one lane in each direction, he likely didn’t expect a sightseeing tour to give … Continue reading →

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Checking in again on the wastewater

Posted on May 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

COVID levels keep creeping up. After the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million deaths on Monday, new data shows numbers on the rise again. The latest Houston Health Department wastewater results from May 9 show levels are now … Continue reading →

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Uvalde

Posted on May 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t have anything clever or original to say about the horrible tragedy in Uvalde. There’s a vast amount of stories and heartbreaking photos out there, so go and look to the extent that your heart and mental health can … Continue reading →

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2022 Kinder Houston Area Survey

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of optimism in here. Dr. Stephen Klineberg’s final survey of the Houston area leaves him with hope. Yes, residents are concerned about the economy and crime, and their mental health has not improved even as the COVID-19 pandemic has … Continue reading →

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We’re still talking about West 11th Street

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

My neighborhood sure can monopolize the discussion. Sorry about that. A discussion planned to laud Houston’s efforts to expand bicycling access Thursday turned into a debate on the merits of a two-mile stretch of 11th Street. The city’s plan to … Continue reading →

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Missing In Harris County Day 2022

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: For those with missing loved ones and those who would advocate for them, an annual event May 14th in Houston is the place to be for resources, awareness, and more. May 14, 2022, is Missing in Harris … Continue reading →

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Ashby Highrise 2.0

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Since a judge sided with developers of the so-called Ashby high-rise in 2016, the grassy lot at the center of one of the most closely watched land-use battles in Houston’s history has sat untouched, surrounded by chain-link fencing. … Continue reading →

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Sunnyside Solar Farm

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is excellent. Residents of Sunnyside, a historically Black neighborhood in south Houston where the city once ran its largest garbage incinerator, will soon realize a decades-long mission to rehabilitate the former landfill site. City officials and residents gathered there … Continue reading →

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Are we about to get more COVID in Houston?

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We could be. New data from the Texas Medical Center shows COVID-19 cases have leveled off over the past week, but some trends suggest the Greater Houston area could be on the verge of seeing higher virus spread. TMC hospitals reported an average of … Continue reading →

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Please don’t feed the ducks

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Quack. The City of Houston is asking residents who visit Hermann Park to stop feeding the ducks. They said the population of domestic ducks has exploded and park workers think it’s because the ducks won’t leave because there’s too much … Continue reading →

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New variants being detected

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Got to keep an eye on that. Two new omicron subvariants that health officials say are contributing to a COVID uptick in New York State have been identified in Houston, according to researchers at Houston Methodist. Genome sequencing efforts within the hospital system have … Continue reading →

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The UH wildlife cameras

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I love stories like this. A duck waddled between the trees of Glenwood Cemetery, not far from where four University of Houston students tied their camera to a trunk. If the bird came closer to the lens, the device would … Continue reading →

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More on Lambert Hall and Opera in the Heights

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron, about the forthcoming sale of the Heights Christian Church and its effect on Opera in the Heights, which has long performed at Lambert Hall on the church’s property: “The whole reason someone had the idea to start … Continue reading →

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Here comes BA.2 in Houston

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

But don’t panic, it’s just a change in the virus composition, not an increase in viral load. Houston is seeing an uptick in the number of BA.2 cases, with genome sequencing and wastewater testing picking up higher levels this week compared to … Continue reading →

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More eating outdoors downtown

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good idea, and I’m glad it’s being continued. DINING IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON CAN be a hassle, what with the limited parking and COVD-19 restrictions affecting seating space at so many eateries. Fortunately, the city of Houston is … Continue reading →

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Iconic Heights church for sale

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some neighborhood news that has us all a little worried. Heights Christian Church, a community gathering place for more than a century, is selling its historic property and merging with another congregation. Rev. Amber Mattingly, the pastor at the church … Continue reading →

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From “Be Someone” to “Vote or Die” to “No War Know Peace”

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The latest version of Houston’s most widely seen public art/public forum. Chandrika Metivier considers themselves fearless. Two weeks ago, Metivier was taking a personal safety risk on a bridge above I-45, painting the words ‘No War Know Peace’ in protest … Continue reading →

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