Tag Archives: Houston

The home stretch for the World Cup

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We will soon learn whether or not Houston gets to host 2026 FIFA World Cup games. Houston’s bid to be one of the 10 host cities in the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup is entering the stretch run. Since … Continue reading →

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Luhnow lawsuit dismissed

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing left to litigate about, apparently. Former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow’s lawsuit against the ballclub was dismissed on Friday after both parties “resolved their differences,” severing the final tie between the team and its most successful executive in history. … Continue reading →

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TxDOT plows ahead with I-45

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

What did we expect? Texas highway officials [last] Thursday gave themselves the green light to rebuild Interstate 45 in Houston, a crucial step in the process, despite lingering concerns from critics that the proposed $7.5 billion widening project is out … Continue reading →

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Big Tex Storage

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m strangely almost nostalgic for a controversy like this. A group of Heights residents are lobbying legislators to protest the development of a storage facility at the site of the former Stude Theater, which was demolished after the property was … Continue reading →

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Ryan Patrick to resign as US Attorney

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As is customary when a new President of the opposing party takes office. U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick said the acting attorney general asked him Tuesday to resign, a common occurrence when the occupant of the White House belongs to … Continue reading →

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Here come the super-sites

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Texas is working with the federal government to open vaccination “super sites” that could administer upward of 5,000 COVID-19 vaccines per day, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday. Houston and Dallas will likely host the initial two sites, Abbott said, … Continue reading →

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Vaccines at the stadia

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Everyone has a role to play in getting us all vaccinated. The NFL is telling the federal government it will make the remaining of the league’s 30 stadiums available as COVID-19 vaccination sites, joining the seven facilities already administering … Continue reading →

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Getting the kids caught up at school

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna be a big job, and hopefully we can do it in earnest beginning in August. With students finally settling into a pandemic-altered routine and widespread vaccine access on the horizon, Texas education leaders are turning to their next great … Continue reading →

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Rodeo cancelled again

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. RodeoHouston is hanging up the cowboy hat for 2021. No mutton busting. No fried Twinkies. No bed salesmen in NRG Center. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo made the announcement Wednesday morning, which includes all competitions, concerts and entertainment, … Continue reading →

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There’s a real lack of consensus about the I-45 project

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It seems unlikely that TxDOT could just throw up its hands and walk away from this, but it’s at least a possible scenario. A proposed agreement devised to bring planners and critics of a massive redesign of Interstate 45 together … Continue reading →

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The second shot portal

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

People are going to need this, too. Houston officials plan to launch a website this week that will let people schedule appointments for their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Health Director Stephen Williams on Monday said officials plan to … Continue reading →

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Finally, a bit of good COVID news

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Naturally, it comes from the wastewater. Researchers who study sewage to monitor the pandemic are detecting less virus in Houston than they have in months, a positive signal that could indicate a forthcoming drop in new COVID-19 cases, doctors said. … Continue reading →

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More bike riders, more bike fatalities

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We should try to do something about this. The COVID pandemic sparked a surge in bike sales and bike riding across the Houston region at a time when pedaling — and driving — area streets is deadlier than ever. A … Continue reading →

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Our petty Governor

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Sheesh. Gov. Greg Abbott met with hospital executives in Houston on Tuesday to discuss the state’s coronavirus vaccine rollout, while appearing to snub city and county officials who are overseeing a bulk of the distribution. The Republican governor said the … Continue reading →

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Some good local environmental news

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for Houston, in particular Sunnyside. The old landfill in Sunnyside sat closed for 50 years, an enduring reminder of the city’s choice to dump and burn its trash in the historically Black community. On Wednesday, Houston City Council members took … Continue reading →

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Vax and the cities

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Makes sense. A group of mayors representing some of the United States’ most populous cities — including Austin, San Antonio and Houston — is asking President-elect Joe Biden to give them direct access to coronavirus vaccines. In a Wednesday letter, … Continue reading →

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More on the Metro security robot

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like this is finally getting rolled out. Typically, when a security guard weighs 400 pounds, it means they are not well suited for foot patrols. K5, however, was built for it. Soon the spaceship-shaped sentries will roll into action … Continue reading →

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The Minute Maid mega-vaccine center

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More like this, please. The city partnered with the Astros organization to transform [Minute Maid Park] into a site to provide the Moderna vaccine to up to 3,600 health care workers, residents ages 65 and older, and patients with underlying … Continue reading →

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Assistance for renters coming

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but of course much more is needed. Houston officials expect to get up to $70 million in federal stimulus funds to help renters in the city make their monthly payments and use toward other housing expenses. The $900 billion … Continue reading →

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The Republican war against Harris County

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

To be fair, it’s not just Harris County that’s in the crosshairs, it’s the big urban counties, and cities in general. But it’s real and it’s dangerous and it’s anti-democratic. Republicans in the Texas Legislature are gearing up to bar … Continue reading →

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CM Jackson’s residency questioned

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

You’ve gotta be kidding me. The election in Houston city council’s District B was put on hold for a year as courts addressed whether one of the two finalists for the seat, Cynthia Bailey, was eligible to run for office. … Continue reading →

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Coronavirus 2.0

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Happy New Year. The first known case of a new and possibly more contagious coronavirus strain has been reported in Texas, in an adult male resident of Harris County who had no history of travel, according to the state health … Continue reading →

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More COVID restrictions are about to happen in Harris County

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Blame Greg Abbott and the virus, in whatever order you prefer. Houston and its surrounding communities on Tuesday became the latest region to require new emergency restrictions after seven straight days of ballooning coronavirus hospitalizations. The rollback, mandated under Gov. … Continue reading →

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HISD Superintendent search is back on

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For now, anyway. Houston ISD trustees kicked off their long-delayed search for a permanent leader Monday, choosing three superintendent search firms to interview later this week. The initial move comes as the state’s largest district seeks to fill a position … Continue reading →

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Waiting for our bike trail bridge to be fixed

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest mostly in my neighborhood, but it’s my blog, so. Bike riders who pedal through the Heights will need to keep burning calories past a key connection closed by fire in the region’s growing trail system. Just in time … Continue reading →

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There is a website for COVID vaccine signups in Houston

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t use it right now, but it’s there. Houston’s Health Department launched an online portal for residents to apply for an appointment at its COVID-19 vaccine clinic Monday but quickly ran out of available slots for the remainder of … Continue reading →

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It still looks grim in the Houston area

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Brace yourselves. As Houston left 2020 in the rearview mirror, the coronavirus continued to spread throughout the region unchecked, with some of the highest positivity rates since the start of the pandemic. And that spike will only continue to climb, … Continue reading →

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Still waiting on that sewer consent decree

Posted on January 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Should be ready soon, once the federal court signs off on it. Help finally could be on the way in the form of an agreement between the city of Houston and the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at upgrading the city’s … Continue reading →

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Astrodome renovation officially on hold

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, given everything that is going on right now. The COVID-19 pandemic upended most aspects of normal life, but this year has clutched dearly to one bit of normalcy for Houston residents: inaction on the Astrodome. For 12 … Continue reading →

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TEA still barred from taking over HISD

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Still in a state of limbo. Texas is still temporarily barred from taking over Houston Independent School District, a state appellate court ruled Wednesday, upholding a lower court’s order. In a 2-1 ruling, the Texas Third Court of Appeals upheld … Continue reading →

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Please shut up, CM Travis

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And delete your Facebook account while you’re at it. The mayor, city activists and some of District G Councilmember Greg Travis’ colleagues are denouncing offensive comments he made online about former first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and … Continue reading →

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A new high in hospitalizations

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is fine. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Monday a pandemic high 11,351 hospitalizations from COVID-19. This surpasses the previous all-time high of 10,893, which occurred on July 22. The record comes in the midst of a … Continue reading →

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Next in line for the vaccine

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Attention will shift to more vulnerable populations. Texans who are 65 years old and older, and those who are at least 16 with certain chronic medical conditions will be next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

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Are you ready to attend a basketball game?

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not, at least not yet. Ask me again after I’ve been vaccinated. The Rockets on Thursday made official their plans to have limited numbers of fans in attendance at home games under a variety of health and safety protocols … Continue reading →

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