Tag Archives: Houston

Back to school

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

How’d it go for you and your kids? On a normal first day of school, Texas children would wake up early to cram into school buses, eager to huddle and chat with their friends in the hallways before streaming toward … Continue reading →

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RIP, Luby’s

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The end of an era. Looks like the days of LuAnn platters are coming to an end. Luby’s board of directors has “approved and adopted a plan of liquidation and dissolution,” the company announced. The plan will need to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

HISD may do remote learning on Election Day

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Makes sense to me. Houston ISD’s administration wants to hold online-only classes on Election Day this November, citing safety concerns at more than 100 campuses that are expected to be used as polling locations. “While it is not unusual for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Politico profile of Lina Hidalgo

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. In late April, Lina Hidalgo stood at a microphone in the Harris County emergency operations center in Houston and pushed up the teal fabric face mask that had slipped off her nose. Her voice was slightly muffled as … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We are not ready to re-reopen

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but… Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined the most significantly — 4,144 Tuesday, down from 10,893 on July 22 — but new cases, positive test rates, daily deaths and viral spread are all … Continue reading →

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Houston’s hottest neighborhoods

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s temperature hot, not realtor hot. This summer, Houston joins 13 other cities in a massive, community-driven, heat mapping project. More than 80 volunteers like Powers and her son, dubbed “street scientists” by the organizing groups, covered roughly 300 square … Continue reading →

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From the “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it” department

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who’s ready to re-reopen Texas? Gov. Greg Abbott signaled he may be preparing to roll back some emergency restrictions put in place this summer at the height of the state’s coronavirus surge. Responding to concerns from the battered restaurant industry, … Continue reading →

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Five things we could do now for police reform in Houston

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good list to me. Five city council members on Monday sent a letter to Mayor Sylvester Turner outlining police reforms they said Houston can implement immediately, including a “complete overhaul” of the Independent Police Oversight Board, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Can downtown survive COVID-19?

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So depressing to read. When Understory opened last summer, the stylish food hall in downtown’s Bank of America Tower quickly became the go-to lunch spot for throngs of office workers who stood in line for poke bowls, gourmet burgers and … Continue reading →

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We’re trending in the right direction, but…

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Still a ways to go. The number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 in the Houston area have improved significantly since July, but the pandemic remains a serious threat here. The Houston region added 1,957 cases on Saturday, … Continue reading →

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NBA agrees to offer its arenas as voting centers

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. “What was the plan?” was always the wrong question to ask of striking NBA players; what they wanted was to not play basketball, and they got it. But they used that time not playing to talk, to think and … Continue reading →

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

Just build the effing Ike Dike already

Posted on August 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Enough waiting around. As twin hurricanes converge on the Gulf Coast this week, including one with a decent chance of affecting the Houston-Galveston region, a highly ambitious proposal for protecting the area from a massive storm continues to slowly grind … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

The bullet we dodged

Posted on August 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We can exhale now. Following days of warnings and calls to take Laura seriously, Houston and Harris County awoke to a typical late August day Thursday, virtually unscathed by the category 4 hurricane’s overnight landfall in western Louisiana. The city … Continue reading →

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Hope now, support relief efforts next

Posted on August 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is so, so bad. And it’s terrifying to realize how much worse it could have been. With winds topping 150 mph, Hurricane Laura is approaching Category 5 status as it barrels toward the Texas-Louisiana border. As of 7 p.m., … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We are finally making progress in getting COVID-19 under control

Posted on August 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good news is always welcome, but be aware of the context. Houston-area hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients dropped below 900 Sunday, the lowest amount since the summer surge peaked in mid-July. Some 893 people confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19 were … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Uptown BRT officially opens

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the Silver Line. T.J. Buttons is used to a bus ride in Houston giving him plenty of time to check his phone. On that front, Houston’s first bus rapid transit route failed miserably. “It’s so fast,” Buttons said as … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Coronavirus and hurricane shelters

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Two things we have to be thinking about today. Houston officials and public health experts are expressing concern that Tropical Storm Laura could amplify the spread of COVID-19 by displacing residents to public shelters or residences outside the area, increasing … Continue reading →

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Here comes Laura

Posted on August 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Be prepared. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo urged residents to prepare for a hurricane as the track and intensity of Tropical Storm Laura remains uncertain. She said the greatest threat posed by Laura likely would be high winds and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

No fans (at first) for the Texans

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You’ll have to watch the Texans’ home opener on your teevee. Fans will not be allowed to attend the Texans’ home opener against Baltimore because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Texans play the Ravens on Sept. 20 at NRG Stadium … Continue reading →

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Some superintendents disagree about school opening delays

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It takes all kinds. Superintendents leading 10 Houston-area school districts penned a letter this week opposing Harris County’s recommendations for reopening campuses, arguing that face-to-face instruction should resume earlier than health officials suggest. In their two-page letter, the superintendents say … Continue reading →

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Postal service update

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, destroying the US Postal Service has real effects on real people. Delays in mail sorting and processing are leaving Houston-area businesses, brides and voters wary of the coming months. Whether it’s essential medication, ballots or important letters … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

The rooftop park at the downtown post office

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. The company redeveloping downtown’s former post office property will open a rooftop venue early next year as part of a five-acre park and organic farm that will top the historic building at 401 Franklin St. Lovett Commercial said … Continue reading →

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Where are we again with the IPOB?

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Are we moving forward, or are we standing still? A longtime member of Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board has resigned, saying the organization’s structure prevents it from providing meaningful oversight of the Houston Police Department and should be disbanded. In … Continue reading →

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

HISD also spending more money on mobile technology

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Also good. Houston ISD officials anticipate receiving a chunk of the $32 million that Harris County leaders allocated this week for helping school districts buy sought-after computers and wireless Internet hotspots. HISD Chief Financial Officer Glenn Reed said early conversations … Continue reading →

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How Nuro is doing in the pandemic

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

An interesting update on the little driverless grocery (and other things) delivery serives. As recently as last fall, Nuro appeared to be years away from widespread adoption. The company, which operated in Arizona and California, arrived in Houston in 2018 … Continue reading →

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Time for another COVID roundup

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with some good news, which comes wrapped in a warning. The number of coronavirus patients crowding hospital wards in the Houston area is now in its sixth week of steady decline, a welcome reversal of the virus’ alarming … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Appeals court upholds District B ruling

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We will finally get a runoff election in District B. An appeals court ruled early Tuesday that Houston did not err when it declined to disqualify a District B city council candidate who had a felony conviction, clearing the way … Continue reading →

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In which Houston becomes more walkable

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. On 19th Street, one of Houston’s most enduring strips of shops and restaurants, there is a vacant lot tucked between two stores, about a block from the landmark “Heights” sign. When developers recently expressed interest in putting … Continue reading →

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

No eviction moratoriums

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So opines Ken Paxton, and we all know what an unimpeachable source he is. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton advised Friday that local Texas governments’ attempts to delay evictions for renters grappling with the COVID-19 recession amounted to rewriting state … Continue reading →

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

Rental assistance

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re going to need a lot more like this. Houston on Wednesday added another $20 million to its rent relief program, aimed at helping thousands of tenants catch up on late rent payments. City council voted unanimously to add the … Continue reading →

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Our vaccination rates are down, too

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I wish I had a snappy intro for this, but I just don’t. The summer months are typically the busiest of the year in Dr. Kenya Parks’ office, a steady flow of parents trotting in their little ones to receive … Continue reading →

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An analysis of that Paxton opinion about schools and county health authorities

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Short version: That’s just, like, his opinion, man. The law should mean what it says. Rule §97.6(h) of the Texas Administrative Code says: “The health authority is empowered to close any public or private child-care facility, school or other place … Continue reading →

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Enforcing the mask order

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Those of you who haven’t been wearing your mask when out in public, shame on you. And also, there may now be consequences for your dumb refusal to do the right thing. Houston law enforcement officials will begin issuing fines … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

How risky is music?

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very interested in the answer to this. In any other time, under any other circumstance, the question would seem minor and technical. But today it has taken on both a global significance and pressing deadline: What happens to your … Continue reading →

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