Category Archives: Elsewhere in Houston

Watson Grinding explosion “could have been prevented”

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but I favor there being fewer unplanned massive explosions. A deadly explosion that rocked northwest Houston in January 2020 could have been prevented with better planning and safety training, the federal agency responsible for investigating chemical … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The goats are working hard for you

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I love this story. Soon Houston residents may actually celebrate a group of city workers standing around eating lunch or lying down on the job. Houston Public Works is poised to expand its use of goat herds to clear detention … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coliving

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m fascinated by this. In one of Montrose’s newest residential projects opening next year, renters will be able to walk into fully furnished spaces stocked with basic supplies, paying rents below market rate in one of Houston’s trendiest neighborhoods. Rent … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

City settles dumping complaint with Justice Department

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston will not face punishment after settling a Justice Department probe into whether the city’s system of responding to illegal dumping calls violated the Civil Rights Act by disregarding Black and Latino neighborhoods. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration reached a three-year voluntary resolution with … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City settles dumping complaint with Justice Department

Converting empty downtown office space into residences

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Something to think about. Across the country, office-to-housing conversions are being pursued as a potential lifeline for struggling downtown business districts that emptied out during the coronavirus pandemic and may never fully recover. The conversion push is marked by an emphasis on affordability. Multiple … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

River Oaks Theater renovations set to begin

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of good news. The next step in River Oaks Theatre’s comeback starts this week. Construction on renovations to the historic movie theater will begin soon with an eye towards reopening by the end of the year. Movie-loving Houstonians … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on River Oaks Theater renovations set to begin

The 2023 Kinder Houston Area Survey

Posted on May 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

One of the great things about Houston. Housing costs and the economy topped Houstonians’ concerns this year in the 42nd annual Kinder Houston Area Survey, which also showed a coalescing desire to close the income gap as residents reported widening … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The 2023 Kinder Houston Area Survey

Houston still doing well sheltering the homeless

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. As she waited for the results of a yearly census of the Houston area’s homeless population, Ana Rausch clicked open an email detailing the soaring number of eviction filings in Harris County. This March, 6,600 households had evictions filed against … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Houston still doing well sheltering the homeless

How much downtown parking do we need?

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know the answer to that, but this is how much we have. Downtown Houston dedicates more than a quarter of its land to parking spaces, surpassing the percentages in most major U.S. cities, a new report shows. A photo from … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

So yeah, climate change is bad for Houston

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some science for you. As Houston continues to grapple with extreme weather conditions, scientists find record-breaking sea level rises in the U.S. Gulf Coast, which could leave cities such as Houston more vulnerable to severe storms and flooding in the coming decades than previously … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on So yeah, climate change is bad for Houston

Ashby 2.0 cleared for groundbreaking

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s actually happening. Along-embattled residential high-rise project in Boulevard Oaks is set to move forward, with one Houston City Council member calling the news “terrible.” The Langley , a new luxury rental community jointly developed by El Paso-based Hunt Companies, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On vying for the 2028 RNC

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I get competing for this, but that doesn’t make me enthusiastic about it. As part of Houston’s push to win the Republican National Convention in 2028, the George R. Brown Convention Center could be expanding. State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The benefits of going fine-free

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I love this story. Two months ago, a Houston resident walked into the city’s public library and returned three long-overdue books from the 1990s. The trio of the returned books included “Tenth Dimension” by Jeremy Bernstein on elementary particle physics, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The benefits of going fine-free

“One Clean Houston”

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this works. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday unveiled a $17.8 million illegal dumping initiative aimed at expediting cleanups, increasing surveillance and enforcement, and prioritizing areas hardest hit by Houston’s roadside trash problem. Standing beside an illegal dumpsite strewn with … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Checking in on the Astrodome

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

With the Final Four in town, we have visitors at Reliant Stadium looking over at its unused predecessor and wondering what’s going on with it. The short answer is, not much. The state of the dome and prospects for its … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A more nuanced look at the finances of hosting the Final Four

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve made fun of articles in the past that breathlessly and credulously repeated claims that various big sporting events like a Super Bowl or a Final Four would yield untold millions in sales and hotel tax revenue for the state … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A more nuanced look at the finances of hosting the Final Four

“More Space: Main Street” permanently extended

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A good outcome for a good idea. Houston will close down traffic on seven blocks of Main Street permanently to allow businesses to maintain outdoor seating spaces initially established during the COVID-19 pandemic, with plans to expand the concept to other commercial strips in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “More Space: Main Street” permanently extended

On the source of Houston’s greenhouse gas emissions

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story is a lot more complex and nuanced than the headline would lead you to believe. It may come as no surprise to anyone who has spent time on Houston’s roads at rush hour that just over half of all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on On the source of Houston’s greenhouse gas emissions

Ashby Highrise 2.0 gets a permit

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s happening! For years a controversial proposal to build a high rise in the wealthy enclave of Boulevard Oaks appeared to be dead — a lesson in how land-use battles can erupt even in a city with virtually no zoning. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Rodeo is more accessible now

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear, though I’m honestly surprised this is a thing that has just now happened. People with disabilities trying to get into and enjoy the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will have an easier time this year because of … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Rodeo is more accessible now

Houston suspends “sister city” ties with Tyumen

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Houston Mayor Turner Sylvester on Friday suspended the city’s partnership agreement with Moscow and its sister city relationship with Tyumen, Russia, on the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Turner said that while he believes in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world, Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Houston suspends “sister city” ties with Tyumen

The Houston coyotes

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No, not another sports team. A bit of wildlife that has found a home in the big city. As the Houston region continues to develop over the next few years, wildlife removal experts say that interactions between coyotes and humans … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

City donates to Winter Street relief

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. Nearly two months after dozens of artists saw their work and gallery spaces burnt away, the city of Houston offered a step toward recovery. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Thursday announced that the city would donate $250,000 toward … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on City donates to Winter Street relief

The Evergreen Negro Cemetery

Posted on February 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. City and METRO officials have discovered 33 burial sites, including three that appear fully intact, near a historic Black cemetery on Lockwood Drive, which the city apparently missed when it tore through the site to expand the street in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Evergreen Negro Cemetery

Houston Landing

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new kid on the local media block. More than a year ago, researchers studying local news in the Houston metro area learned something critical to the launch of the Houston Landing. “The community often times feels left out … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Houston Landing

Can you print a house?

Posted on February 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’re gonna find out. 3D printing is taking home construction to new heights. In Houston, a giant printer is building what designers say is the first 3D-printed two-story house in the U.S. The machine has been pouring a concrete mix … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Have you chipped your pet yet?

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The city will begin enforcing its new ordinance requiring dogs and cats to be microchipped. Houston is offering free microchips for dogs and cats before it begins enforcing a new ordinance that requires pets to have the identification devices. City … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Have you chipped your pet yet?

“I bless the drains down in Africa”

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Whoever came up with the Adopt A Drain program is a damn genius. When it comes to naming storm drains, it seems Houstonians have a hard time keeping their minds out of the gutter. In 2018, the city of Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on “I bless the drains down in Africa”

COVID rates tick down again in Houston

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Always a good headline to read. COVID-19 data from the Texas Medical Center this week suggests the current wave may be subsiding, though experts urge caution as a new, highly infectious variant continues to circulate. The average number of daily … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on COVID rates tick down again in Houston

A new Adickes statue is on the way

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Been too long since there was some Giant Presidential Head news. Where to start with all the David Adickes sculptures dotting Houston landscape? Perhaps his 44 gigantic heads paying homage to our U.S. presidents (still no Trump)? His giant cello … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A new Adickes statue is on the way

More on the Winter Street Studios fire

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron profiles two artists that were affected by the recent fire at the Winter Street Studios. At Winter Street Studios, red caution tape draped an X pattern over an entrance to the building, a workspace for Houston area artists. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the Winter Street Studios fire

A walk through four districts, part 3: Try this at home!

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

In Part One I described my weird idea to take a stroll into four Congressional districts, something I decided I could do after taking a close look at the new map in Houston. In Part 2, I took you on … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A walk through four districts, part 2: Now with pictures

Posted on January 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

In yesterday’s post I described my weird idea to take a stroll into four Congressional districts, something I decided I could do after taking a close look at the new map in Houston. On Wednesday, a bit more than a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022, Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

New year, new omicron variant

Posted on January 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Stay safe out there. A new omicron COVID-19 variant is spreading fast across the United States and beginning to make inroads in Houston, where the positivity rate continues to rise. The new strain, XBB.1.5, was first detected on the east … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on New year, new omicron variant