Tag Archives: Houston

HISD approves its budget

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

First one for the new Superintendent. Houston ISD trustees on Thursday unanimously approved a $2.2 billion budget that will give teacher raises some have called long overdue and fund the upcoming school year when the district is expected to begin … Continue reading →

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CURBS Houston

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

In my last post about the West 11th Street project, I’ve noted that opposition to the project has been featured in news stories about it, but I have not seen any mention of organized support from the neighborhood – BikeHouston … Continue reading →

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Texans to be added as defendants to some Watson lawsuits

Posted on June 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

On and on we go. Attorney Tony Buzbee said Wednesday that he plans to add the Texans as defendants in some of the 24 civil lawsuits women have filed against Deshaun Watson. Buzbee said the franchise facilitated the former quarterback’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The NYT takes a closer look at the Deshaun Watson situation

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s even worse than it looks. It is time, Watson and his representatives say, for everyone to move on. Yet a New York Times examination of records, including depositions and evidence for civil lawsuits as well as interviews of some … Continue reading →

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Complaint #24 filed against Deshaun Watson

Posted on June 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A 24th civil lawsuit was filed against former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on Monday, as Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee referenced last week. The lawsuit details another woman’s account of Watson’s alleged predatory behavior during massage therapy sessions, … Continue reading →

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Early voting is underway in the HCC2 runoff

Posted on June 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, I missed the start of it, which was on Monday. . 🚨 Polls are officially open for the June 18 Joint Runoff Election. 👉 Voters in HCCS District 2 and Nassau Bay are eligible to vote. 📍 View your … Continue reading →

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I don’t really know what the White Oak Bike Trail extension is going to look like

Posted on June 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There’s not a whole lot of change since the last update a month ago, at least in terms of how things look and what the final shape of the update might be. There are two particular areas of question for … Continue reading →

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The limits of Vision Zero

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A long read about a tough problem. Los Angeles was not the first U.S. city to sign on to Vision Zero: Chicago (2012), New York City (2014) and San Francisco (2014) had already adopted the Scandinavian-born safety movement. But L.A. moved quickly, revamping 18 corridors — including the Hollywood and … Continue reading →

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Now I know the difference between those two Army Corps of Engineers lawsuits

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good timing for me here. A federal appellate court on Thursday reversed an earlier decision that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was not to blame for flooding homes downstream of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs after Hurricane Harvey. The ruling brought new … Continue reading →

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City passes its budget

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Not too much drama. Houston’s $5.7 billion budget for the next fiscal year includes a big jump in revenue from water bills, raises for all city employees and the largest unspent reserves in years. City Council voted 15-2 to adopt … 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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What does the Army Corps of Engineers owe reservoir flooding victims?

Posted on June 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll soon find out. Christina Micu sat on the witness stand and tearfully explained how she’d made a list of everything she lost when Hurricane Harvey flooded her four-bedroom home. Her son’s toys. Her kitchen stove. A rocking chair her … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Maybe this is finally the end of that zombie same sex employee lawsuit

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I dream a dream. The Texas Supreme Court has declined to consider a challenge aimed at preventing the city of Houston from offering benefits to employees’ same-sex spouses. The ruling is the latest blow to two Houston residents’ prolonged fight … Continue reading →

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23rd lawsuit filed against Deshaun Watson

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

That may not be the end as well. A 23rd lawsuit has been filed against former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. The latest suit, filed Tuesday by a massage therapist, says Watson sexually assaulted her during three sessions in 2020. The … 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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HCC special election runoff will be June 18

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From last week: The Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System has called a Special Trustee Runoff Election for June 18, 2022 in HCC geographic District II. The position for geographic District II is to be filled for … Continue reading →

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Houston vies for 2024 DNC

Posted on May 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It would be nice, but I feel like I’ve seen this movie before and I know how it ends. Houston is vying to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention held the summer before the next presidential election, in which Texas … Continue reading →

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Stalking Coco, the food delivery robot

Posted on May 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A delightful tale by Chron food editor Emma Balter, who was determined to prove to herself that Coco the food delivery robot actually worked as advertised, even on Houston’s notoriously un-pedestrian (and presumably food-delivery-robot) streets. It took a couple of … Continue reading →

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The MKT Bridge has reopened

Posted on May 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This pleasant surprise came out on Thursday evening. A vital and long-unused bridge in a buzzing Houston neighborhood is set to reopen. The M-K-T Bridge, located in The Heights near White Oak Bayou, will be accessible to users on Friday, … 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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Watson accusers get their say

Posted on May 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

You can see them saying it. The $230 million contract the Cleveland Browns gave to former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was a “big screw you” to the 22 women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. After Houston traded Watson … Continue reading →

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Is there any chance the GLO won’t screw Houston this time around?

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, maybe. Things can happen. I just wouldn’t count on it. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday commended the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for ordering Texas to fix a Hurricane Harvey recovery plan that the federal agency … 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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GLO prepares to screw Houston again on Harvey recovery funds

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Gird yourselves. Of the more than 300,000 homes in Texas damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, none were in Coryell County. Located 220 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, this small agricultural county was not the place Congress had in … Continue reading →

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The injury totals from AstroWorld

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of people were seriously hurt at that event. More than 700 people were seriously injured during November’s Astroworld Festival tragedy, according to new court documents filed in Harris County this week. Plaintiffs attorneys Jason Atkin, Richard Mithoff and … Continue reading →

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It’s city of Houston budget time again

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

That federal COVID relief money continues to be very nice. Once again relying on federal money, Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposed $5.7 billion budget for next year would pay for raises for all city employees, offer tax relief to seniors and … 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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Chron editorial board wins another Pulitzer

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations! The Houston Chronicle Editorial Board on Monday won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing for a series on voter suppression in Texas. The prize, which is the nation’s most prestigious for journalists, was awarded to writers Lisa Falkenberg, … 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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Oh yeah, Hotze knew all about the Aguirre attack

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Who could have ever guessed that a lifelong lying lair was lying to us? Two days before a private investigator looking into a voter fraud conspiracy theory smashed into an air conditioning repairman’s truck and pulled a gun on him, far-right activist Steven … Continue reading →

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May 7 election results

Posted on May 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Very briefly… The two constitutional amendments passed overwhelmingly. I began writing this post at around 8 PM when all we had were early voting results, but statewide in early voting both propositions were over 85%. They were at 86% and … Continue reading →

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The White Oak Bike Trail extension starts to come into focus

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

When last we visited the White Oak Bike Trail extension construction, we were puzzling over what the deal was with whatever they were doing next to the trail itself. I couldn’t tell where it was going or why it was … Continue reading →

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Houston updates its noise ordinance

Posted on May 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This was probably inevitable, though it sure took a long time. Houston bars, nightclubs and restaurants must obtain new permits to play amplified music within 120 days under a revised ordinance aimed at cracking down on disruptive late-night noise without … 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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