Tag Archives: Houston

Abbott opts out of accepting refugees

Posted on January 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sadly, not a surprise. Gov. Greg Abbott informed the U.S. State Department that Texas will not participate in the refugee resettlement program this fiscal year. The decision comes after more than 40 other governors, including several Republicans, said they would … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

TEA appeals takeover-delay injunction

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t settled just yet. Texas Education Agency officials said they filed an appeal Thursday to overturn an injunction by a Travis County judge blocking it from replacing Houston ISD’s trustees with a state-appointed board of managers. The appeal was … Continue reading →

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

Who might run for Mayor in 2023?

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So Election 2019 is (modulo District B) safely in the books, and Sylvester Turner is in office for his second and final term. In years past at this time I’d be taking a look ahead at the next city election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Oh God, I have to mention Tony Buzbee again

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There goes one New Year’s resolution. There is a plate of crawfish on the table in front of Tony Buzbee, who has substituted his jeans-and-jacket campaign garb for a baby blue sweatshirt and Texas A&M baseball cap. The setting: Crawfish … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Food, glorious food, General snarkiness | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Oh God, I have to mention Tony Buzbee again

HISD gets another injunction

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In state court this time. A state judge Wednesday evening immediately blocked Texas from taking over the Houston Independent School District until she issues a final ruling on the case, complicating the state’s plan to oust the district’s school board … Continue reading →

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

DMN profile of Amanda Edwards

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Second in the series, focusing on now-former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards. On the day of her last Houston City Council meeting, outgoing at-large member Amanda Edwards wasn’t in the mood for goodbyes. “In my mind it’s not really … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DMN profile of Amanda Edwards

How Nuro is mapping Houston

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Really interesting story. On the muggy streets of suburban Houston, amid McMansions, bright green lawns and stately oak trees, a futuristic race is quietly afoot. The contestants are not people but late-model Toyota Priuses outfitted with an array of sophisticated … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Nuro is mapping Houston

Mayor Turner’s second term begins

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

He’s on the clock now. Freshly sworn in Thursday morning, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner promised to make significant strides in street repairs and flood control while boosting services for the city’s homeless in his second term. He also called on … Continue reading →

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

Abbott and refugees

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The moral choice is clear. It’s also clear for a variety of other reasons. I don’t expect Greg Abbott to make it, because he’s Greg Abbott. For years, more refugees have resettled in Houston and Texas than any other city … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Christmas tree recycling 2019

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

For your last act of Christmas 2019, here’s how to dispose of your tree. Twenty-five recycling centers in the Houston area will take your Christmas trees. All city recycling facilities will take trees through Jan. 25. All you have to … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

More flood tunnel studies

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Has some promise. With engineers working at a feverish pace to get more than 200 projects in its $2.5 billion bond program moving, much of the Flood Control District’s efforts are focused on nuts-and-bolts improvements — including widening bayous, digging … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: 2019 HD148 special election

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I started this post while doing other precinct analysis stuff. Didn’t finish it with the others, but now that the legislative special election runoffs are next up on the calendar, I thought I’d finish it off. First, here’s how the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Precinct analysis: 2019 HD148 special election

City wins water rights lawsuit

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of pre-holiday good news. A Travis County state district judge on Friday tossed a state law that would force the city of Houston to sell its water rights in a proposed reservoir west of Simonton. The law, which breezed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City wins water rights lawsuit

Morath’s big talk

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

But can he back it up? In his first public comments about plans to strip power from Houston ISD’s elected trustees, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Tuesday that the district’s leaders have engaged in “chronic neglect” of children in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Morath’s big talk

District B runoff lawsuit hearing set

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s hope for a quick verdict. The stalled runoff in Houston city council District B likely will have to wait until May, if not longer, leaving north Houston neighborhoods without a new representative for months after the council convenes in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on District B runoff lawsuit hearing set

HISD attempt to stop TEA takeover denied

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly only a temporary setback, however. A federal judge on Wednesday denied Houston ISD’s request for a preliminary injunction and dismissed its lawsuit aimed at stopping the Texas Education Agency from replacing the district’s elected board, delivering a temporary victory … Continue reading →

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

Army Corps held liable for Harvey reservoir flooding

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A big deal. Thousands of Houston area residents and property owners landed a historic win against the U.S. government on Tuesday when a federal judge found that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is liable for damage caused when it … Continue reading →

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

The female face of City Council

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Houston City Council is majority female for the first time in over a decade. Starting next year, a record nine women will serve on Houston City Council amid a shift toward a younger and more progressive council for Mayor Sylvester … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Next up for Mayor Turner

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A preview of his second term agenda. Mayor Sylvester Turner said he would seek to enact “transformational” changes in his second term, previewing an agenda that will require city leaders to confront politically difficult issues and vastly expand the use … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Uptown BRT line update

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s coming, it’s coming. Hold your horses. The new year will come with a new sight in Houston: Big gray buses bounding along a dedicated lane on Post Oak through Uptown. For the first few weeks, however, people will not … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uptown BRT line update

District H status

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The closest election we had on Saturday remains unsettled. Just a dozen votes separate Houston City Council District H contenders Karla Cisneros and Isabel Longoria, and it may come down to an undetermined number of provisional, overseas and military ballots … Continue reading →

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

Turner defeats Buzbee

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Oh my God I’m so glad this is over. Mayor Sylvester Turner declared victory over Tony Buzbee as his lead over the millionaire businessman continued to grow with half of all voting centers in the city counted late Saturday. Turner … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Council results

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

With one race still up in the air as I draft this: With early voting tallies and most of Saturday’s Election Day results posted, Houston’s three incumbent at-large council members facing runoffs had won, while District H incumbent Karla Cisneros … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HISD and HCC results

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the HISD runoffs: Early election results showed Houston ISD school board candidates Kathy Blueford-Daniels and Patricia Allen with comfortable leads in their runoff races Saturday, as they aim to fill the final two seats on the district’s closely watched … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A “most thorough” investigation

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an Astros update for you. The ongoing electronic sign-stealing investigation against the Astros is “probably the most thorough” ever conducted by the commissioner’s office, Rob Manfred said Wednesday. Addressing reporters during the final full day of the winter meetings, … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on A “most thorough” investigation

Runoff Day is today

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hang in there, it’s almost over. A nearly year-long mayoral election that culminated in a subdued runoff between Tony Buzbee and incumbent Sylvester Turner comes to an end Saturday when voters decide who wins control over City Hall for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

We continue to wait on the District B runoff

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Any hope for a speedy resolution to a lawsuit that is holding up the runoff for Houston’s District B city council seat evaporated Wednesday when the presiding judge for the Houston region said she would not assign a special … Continue reading →

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

KHOU/HPM runoff poll: Turner 56, Buzbee 34

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Feels about right. Mayor Sylvester Turner leads Tony Buzbee among likely voters in the December 14 runoff election for Mayor by 56 percent to 34 percent, with 6 percent of voters undecided. Another 5 percent of respondents refused to reveal … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Chron overview of the HISD runoffs

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We had overviews of all the Council runoffs, but there are other races to consider. Voters in parts of Houston ISD return to the polls next Saturday to complete an overhaul of the district’s much-maligned school board, which will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Chron overview of the HISD runoffs

2019 runoff early voting wrapup

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your final totals: Date Mail Early Total ============================= Nov19 13,015 88,822 101,837 Dec19 18,935 96,269 115,204 The Day Ten EV Runoff file is here, and the final file from November is here. Keir’s thread is here, with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2019 runoff early voting wrapup

District B runoff lawsuit moved to another court

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Still up in the air. A Harris County judge on Monday referred the lawsuit stalling a runoff in Houston city council District B to another court, casting more uncertainty about when the contentious case will be resolved and when voters … Continue reading →

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

8 Day runoff 2019 campaign finance reports

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We start with a Chron story. Mayor Sylvester Turner raked in more than $1.7 million from late October through early December and spent roughly the same amount, leaving him with almost $600,000 for the final days of the runoff, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Willie D will not be on the Democratic primary ballot

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

He wanted to run for Commissioners Court but his application was rejected because of his previous felony conviction. Former Geto Boys rapper William “Willie D” Dennis wants to run for Harris County Commissioners Court, but local Democratic party officials rejected … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Willie D will not be on the Democratic primary ballot

Precinct analysis: 2019 Metro referendum

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The one election of interest within Harris County that wasn’t mostly or entirely within Houston was the Metro referendum. Let’s have a look at how that vote went. Dist Yes No ==================== A 18,795 10,648 B 15,120 4,037 C 32,384 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Precinct analysis: 2019 Metro referendum