Tag Archives: Houston

HISD schools searching for new nicknames

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck to them. The process of determining new school nicknames – a task that elicits passion from generations and has triggered countless “Are you serious” suggestions and even more heartfelt recommendations – is underway at four Houston ISD campuses. … Continue reading →

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More on TxDOT and high speed rail

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

First come the studies and the public hearings. Then we wait and see what happens. The Texas Transportation Commission is expected to vote Thursday at its monthly meeting on the creation of a high-speed rail commission focused on the Dallas-Fort … Continue reading →

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Lance Berkman

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Former Astro and Rice Owl Lance Berkman hung up his spikes this week. Lance Berkman, who starred at Rice before becoming one of the most clutch hitters in Astros history, is retiring after a 15-year career in the major leagues. … Continue reading →

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Audit letters

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a thing called audit letters that I hadn’t known existed. We’ve got them for Houston, but we had not been making them public even though other cities do as a matter of course. Houston officials have blocked the release … Continue reading →

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Culberson says he’s killed the University Line

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And maybe he has, though it wasn’t going anywhere at this time anyway. Residents and business owners along Richmond Avenue are breathing a sigh of relief — at least for now — as U.S. Rep. John Culberson has had his … Continue reading →

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How the voter ID law was and was not enforced in Harris County

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Greg does some investigative reporting on how the new voter ID law was actually applied in Harris County in the 2013 election. So what percentage of voters ended up signing an affidavit? … and what does it suggest about how … Continue reading →

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The preservation ordinance is a work in progress

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the tl;dr version of this. In October 2010, an emotional Sue Lovell, then a city council­woman, lauded the passage of a strengthened historic preservation ordinance for Houston after a long, complex and divisive battle she and Mayor Annise Parker … Continue reading →

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“Go, Texans” OK’ed

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Well, that‘s a relief. County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez’s quest to ban “Go Texans” and other messages from Metro’s digital bus marquees has ended unsuccessfully with a pass from the Federal Transportation Administration and a scathing letter from the Metro board … Continue reading →

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Clearing the rape kit backlog is producing results

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very promising results. Private forensic laboratories hired to clear the Houston Police Department’s untested DNA evidence – including a decades-old rape kit backlog – have identified potential offenders in a third of the cases where sufficient DNA samples were found, … Continue reading →

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Finally doing that front door facelift

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never. Renovations started this week on the historic Sunset Coffee Building at Allen’s Landing on the north end of downtown. The more than 100-year-old structure, now behind a fence as construction begins, is getting a $5.3 million … Continue reading →

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US-Mexico high speed rail?

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

What goes north can also go south. A high-speed rail line connecting San Antonio and Monterrey, Mexico, could be less than a decade away from welcoming its first passengers, according to federal and Texas officials who met with Mexican officials … Continue reading →

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Metro names Lambert its next CEO

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

For the second time in a row, the Metro board will make its interim CEO its permanent CEO. The Metropolitan Transit Authority board on Thursday voted unanimously to open negotiations with Tom Lambert for the permanent president and CEO position. … Continue reading →

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Trial date set for Wilson residency lawsuit

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. County officials have dropped their request to temporarily keep Houston Community College trustee Dave Wilson from his office in favor of an expedited trial date that will allow jurors to decide if he lives in District 2. … Continue reading →

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City sues HFRRF again

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: In the face of growing concern about its ability to meet long-term retiree pension obligations, the City of Houston filed a lawsuit today against the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund (HFRRF), one of three pension systems … Continue reading →

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Abbott inserts himself in Houston same sex benefits lawsuit

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has filed briefs arguing that a state court should be given an opportunity to declare Houston’s new policy of granting benefits to some same-sex partners of employees unlawful under Texas’ marriage laws. … Continue reading →

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Why not three?

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Greg suggests a couple of tweaks to term limits. » Fix the JoJo exclusion. The statute, as written, is amazingly short and simple: Section 6a. – Limitation of terms. No person, who has already served two full terms, shall be … Continue reading →

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Funding after school programs

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This should be a no-brainer. To combat youth crime, a former Houston police chief says the city must first solve another problem: unstable and inadequate funding for after-school programs. City Councilman C.O. Bradford said it is more urgent than ever … Continue reading →

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Livin’ small

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Kids today and their crazy ideas about how to live. The modern apartment is increasingly likely to look like this: a 380-square-foot space with a separate bedroom; a kitchen with fewer cabinets and more shelves; and a place in the … Continue reading →

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Annise Parker’s journey

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reviews how Mayor Parker went from activist for the LGBT community to Mayor on the occasion of her wedding. The country’s first openly gay mayor became the country’s first openly gay married mayor this week. A wedding wouldn’t … Continue reading →

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HISD gives final approval to revised mascot/nickname policy

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s that. Four HISD campuses will have to adopt new mascots after the school board gave final approval Thursday to a policy banning certain nicknames, such as the Redskins. The proposal from Superintendent Terry Grier drew some debate among students, … Continue reading →

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Riding that crowded train

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Metro ponders its options for dealing with potential delays in the delivery of new railcars. Metro officials said Wednesday that the best solution to an expected shortage of railcars might be to limit trains on the main light rail line … Continue reading →

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Who’s spamming you?

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Probably someone from Dallas. Figures, right? When it comes to those annoying and unsolicited text messages you get imploring you to reply for weight loss tips, “free” money, and adult-oriented services, Houston and Dallas are smartphone spam lords of Texas, … Continue reading →

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Rolling out the laptops

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I look forward to seeing how this goes. Tens of thousands of local students will receive taxpayer-funded laptops or tablets this month as the Houston and Clear Creek school districts join the national movement toward digital education. School leaders say … Continue reading →

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Big Brew

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of this. For three days in October, the [George R. Brown] convention center will host Big Brew, a major new festival that aims to tap into the region’s burgeoning craft-beer scene by putting 1,000 beers out … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker gets married

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. Houston Mayor Annise Parker and longtime partner Kathy Hubbard are now married – at least in the eyes of 18 states, including California, where the couple formally exchanged vows Thursday in a sunset ceremony in Palm Springs. “This is … Continue reading →

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TRO against Wilson lifted

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

He gets to take his seat. After that, I don’t know what happens. A judge Wednesday declined to prohibit small businessman and anti-gay activist Dave Wilson from taking his seat at the first meeting of the board of the Houston … Continue reading →

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Wilson gets to take his seat

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The legal battles continue, but HCC will swear in Dave Wilson today regardless. Houston Community College has cleared Dave Wilson to take his seat at this week’s board meeting despite legal uncertainty raised by Harris County officials about the trustee-elect’s … Continue reading →

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Wilson’s status is still up in the air

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The suspense is killing me. The restraining order prohibiting newly elected Houston Community College trustee Dave Wilson from taking the oath of office until questions about his residency can be resolved will remain in effect for another two weeks, a … Continue reading →

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You can’t stop Dave Wilson

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

You can only hope to restrain him. The battle over whether Dave Wilson is actually a Houston Community College trustee could come to a head on Thursday when the 67-year-old tries to take the seat behind the District II placard … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Federal studies for the Houston-Dallas high speed rail line

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a step forward. The federal government, Texas and a private company are collectively working on two studies to assess the impact of a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx confirmed Tuesday. … Continue reading →

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Runoff precinct analysis: At Large races

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I finally got a draft canvass report from the Harris County Clerk for the December runoff elections. Let’s take a look at the two At Large runoffs and see what we can learn about them. Here’s At Large #2: Dist … Continue reading →

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Council OKs ordinance to help bring grocery stores to food deserts

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Supermarkets now can sell beer and wine next to schools and churches, an exemption to city regulations Houston City Council granted unanimously Wednesday, hoping to encourage grocers to locate in neighborhoods that lack access to fresh, healthy food. These … Continue reading →

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I got those “can’t get my rail cars built on time” blues

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Actually, I don’t, but Metro does. The company building 39 new Metro railcars has yet to deliver an acceptable vehicle almost six months after the original due date, potentially delaying full service for rail lines scheduled to open later this … Continue reading →

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Falkenberg on Dave Wilson’s residency

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg has another chat with Dave Wilson to try and solve the mystery of where he really lives. No bathtub. No refrigerator. No TV. If 67-year-old small businessman Dave Wilson really lives in a warehouse apartment on West 34th … Continue reading →

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