Tag Archives: Houston

Houston celebrates Biden’s win

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Aw, hell yeah. “Honk for 270!” When CNN announced Joe Biden had crossed the 270-electoral college vote mark needed to secure the presidency, Terrance Koontz elatedly shouted at Saturday’s “Voters Decide: Count Every Vote” rally in Southwest Houston. “Let’s let … Continue reading →

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Metro moving forward with its construction plans

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

As well they should. Carrin Patman greeted the supporter by grabbing both of his hands in a packed downtown Houston event space above a bustling sports bar. The buffet laid out for Metro’s 2019 election night watch party was thoroughly … Continue reading →

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Astros ticketholder lawsuit update

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I share because I care. The Astros have asked the state 14th Court of Appeals to dismiss a consolidated lawsuit filed by three groups of disgruntled ticketholders, repeating many of the same arguments in favor of dismissal that they presented … Continue reading →

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

Once again with Asian-American voters

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Long story in the Trib, on a topic that could use more focus. When Debbie Chen temporarily closed her Houston restaurant in March due to the coronavirus, she was worried about her health and her financial livelihood. But as a … Continue reading →

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It’s still not too late to prevent a big spike in COVID infections

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

But it will be soon. A rise in COVID-19 cases has health care officials and government leaders pleading with Houstonians: Act now to prevent, or at least minimize, a third wave of infections across Greater Houston. “This feels a lot … Continue reading →

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Here comes a charter amendment effort

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m neutral about this, at least for now. The Houston Professional Firefighters Association and a coalition of other groups are launching a referendum campaign to give city council more power at City Hall. The fire union and other groups announced … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

So what’s up with that National Guard story?

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Hell, I don’t know. Governors can deploy troops for numerous reasons, from natural disasters to border security. But observers found it rare to the point of extraordinary when the Texas National Guard revealed that Gov. Greg Abbott has directed troops … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

No school on Election Day

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

For HISD, anyway. Houston ISD will not hold virtual or in-person classes on Election Day, district officials said late Tuesday, a reversal of earlier plans to provide online-only instruction because more than 100 schools will be used as polling places. … Continue reading →

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Don’t park in a bike lane

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s illegal now, and you will get a citation. Houston city council on Wednesday made it illegal to park in or otherwise block the city’s expanding network of bike lanes, a long-sought change by cyclists fed up with dodging cars … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

HISD needs a bond referendum

Posted on October 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Easier said than done, though. Houston ISD appeared to be on track in mid-February to put a bond election on the ballot this November, taking a critical step toward asking voters for the first time since 2012 to let it borrow money … Continue reading →

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Back to the classroom for some

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I sure hope this goes well, but I remain worried. With the novel coronavirus still top of mind, HISD will welcome back an estimated 80,000-plus of its nearly 200,000 students to classrooms Monday, becoming the region’s final large district to … Continue reading →

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District B runoff officially scheduled

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! At long last, voters in the north Houston neighborhoods that make up City Council’s District B will get to select a new representative in December. Visiting state District Judge Grant Dorfman on Monday ordered the long-delayed runoff to be … Continue reading →

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The virtual marathon

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still not ready for things to be normal. The 2021 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon will be virtual due to ongoing public health concerns with COVID-19. The 2021 Virtual Houston Marathon Running Events will be held … Continue reading →

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Don’t look now, but COVID numbers are ticking up again

Posted on October 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In the state as a whole. Texas reported more than 4,100 people hospitalized with the coronavirus on Wednesday, its largest total in six weeks and one that comes amid rising infections in El Paso and North Texas. Hospitalizations hit a … Continue reading →

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Here comes another rideshare company

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a less than optimal time to be expanding, but here we are. Alto, a new rideshare company based in Dallas, will roll into view in Houston as it looks to expand its reach and compete with Uber and … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We need a better word than “controversial”

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron: Meet Al Hartman, the controversial Houston CEO who is suing Hidalgo, Abbott over COVID orders. Al Hartman is not shy about his beliefs. As a guest on a Christian radio show, he spoke about a faith so … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pension reform law partially blocked

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have to admit, I have no idea what this may mean. A state district judge on Wednesday struck down a key portion of Houston’s landmark pension reform package that applies to firefighters, a move that likely would upend the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We are finally about to get that District B runoff scheduled

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

About damn time. A court hearing set for Oct. 19 finally could end the election dispute that has delayed a runoff in Houston city council’s District B for nearly a year. A state district judge is scheduled to hear an … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor will support the task force recommendations

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good start, now let’s get it going. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday endorsed “almost all” the 104 recommendations laid out last week by his Task Force on Policing Reform. Speaking at a virtual city council meeting, Turner said a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lots of HISD students will stay remote for now

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The people have spoken. If the state’s largest district follows through with reopening campuses to students on Oct. 19 — the tentative plan, still based on public health conditions — more than half of the district’s nearly 200,000 could remain … Continue reading →

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We really can track COVID-19 through wastewater

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is terrific news. Researchers with the city, Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine were able to sniff out a potential second outbreak of COVID-19 at a homeless shelter in downtown Houston earlier this year by looking down its … Continue reading →

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Here comes the police reform task force report

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Now let’s do something with it. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday rolled out his task force’s report on policing reform in Houston, but said he needed more time to digest the 153-page report before taking action on its recommendations. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Turner signs cite-and-release order

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday signed an executive order authorizing a new cite-and-release program for the Houston Police Department, aiming to let people accused of certain misdemeanors off with a ticket instead of a trip to jail. Turner and … Continue reading →

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Texas Central gets federal approvals

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A big step completed. Federal officials have issued final approvals to backers of a Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail line, clearing the way for construction of the proposed line, in a move almost certain to face challenges from opponents. Texas Central Railroad, … Continue reading →

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So far so good on school reopening

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still early, though. For the first Houston-area school districts to resume in-person classes, the early results for COVID-19 on campus are in: so far, mostly so good. Eight districts that brought children back to schools in August are reporting … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HPD adopts cite-and-release

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Took them long enough. The Houston Police Department plans to join Harris County’s cite-and-release program, fulfilling advocates’ long-running request to implement the policy they say keeps low-level offenders out of jail and saves law enforcement resources for more serious threats. … Continue reading →

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The post-Harvey flood control march

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a long journey, with a lot to be done. It’s going to take awhile. Most of Kenwood, a working class, mostly Latino neighborhood, is so deep in the 100-year floodplain that Harris County engineers have concluded no flood control … Continue reading →

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Cite and release for Houston

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston is preparing a cite-and-release policy that could let people accused of certain misdemeanors off with a ticket instead of an arrest, perhaps the city’s most significant bid at criminal justice reform since the killing of George Floyd ignited … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Houston to allow some limited events

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno, man. I get the impulse, but I don’t think I’m ready. Houston will allow certain events in what the mayor calls “controlled environments” to resume in the city, marking his most significant move toward reopening as the spread … Continue reading →

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Scrambling to finish the Census

Posted on September 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a hell of a job, and it’s so important. With a deadline looming for local governments to complete a population count for the 2020 Census, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is warning that the city could miss out on billions … Continue reading →

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Mutant mosquito update

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping you informed on the news you can really use. Four years ago, the Zika virus became an issue. More than 300 people were infected in Texas. Zika can cause birth defects and fetal neurodevelopmental abnormalities in pregnant women. The … Continue reading →

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No, seriously, what are we going to do to prepare for the next Hurricane Laura?

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, the next one is coming whether we’re ready or not. We just don’t know when it will be here. Though the storm ultimately tracked east, sparing Houston, the problem remains: The region is disastrously unready to handle any … Continue reading →

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

What makes a mural?

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m kind of fascinated by this. For two decades, passersby could easily miss Bud Adams’ vacant midcentury modern building on the Southwest Freeway near Hillcroft. Not anymore. The low-slung, massive roof over the car dealership, formerly owned by the late … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Dallas ends its scooter experiment

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Over in Dallas, never started in Houston. Tis better to have scootered and stopped than to have never scootered at all. That is the consensus of a handful of Houston proponents of rental scooters as they watched Dallas this week … Continue reading →

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