Tag Archives: Houston

Santos, Lira, and Stallworth win runoffs

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations to all, and on to 2018. Two current educators, Elizabeth Santos and Sergio Lira, won seats on the Houston ISD school board, according to preliminary results from Saturday’s runoff election. Voters also chose Pretta VanDible Stallworth, a business consultant … Continue reading →

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Cricket in Houston

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

If cricket ever becomes a big deal in the US, the Houston region will play a key role in that. Houston has had adult [cricket] leagues since the 1970s. Most players, then and now, are from Commonwealth countries – nations … Continue reading →

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Runoff Day for HISD and HCC is tomorrow

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Saturday, December 9, is Election Day for voters in Houston Community College District IX and HISD Trustee Districts I and III. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must vote at their designated … Continue reading →

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Harvey’s lingering health effects

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going to be a long time before we can really say we have put Hurricane Harvey behind us. Three months after Hurricane Harvey, local health officials now are beginning to see the storm after the storm. In Harris County … Continue reading →

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Thunderstorms are going to get worse

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just FYI. Summer thunderstorms in North America will likely be larger, wetter and more frequent in a warmer world, dumping 80 percent more rain in some areas and worsening flooding, a new study says. Future storms will also be wilder, … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS declines to hear Houston’s appeal of same-sex marriage lawsuit

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Disappointing, but nowhere close to the end of the line. Denying the city of Houston’s request, the U.S. Supreme Court will not review a June decision by the Texas Supreme Court, which ruled that the landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage … Continue reading →

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

Cleaning up Buffalo Bayou

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is a big job, and it’s going to take a long time. Three months after flood torrents from Hurricane Harvey submerged Buffalo Bayou Park under almost 39 feet of water, scars left by the storm are still evident. Mounds … Continue reading →

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Golf courses against flooding

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Washington Post looks at how Clear Lake made it through Harvey. Like many parts of Houston, Clear Lake City has a history of flooding. The area got an unexpected break when Hurricane Harvey dumped record rainfall, thanks to its decision years ago to … Continue reading →

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

Endorsement watch: HISD and HCC runoffs

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In two of the three runoffs on the ballot, the Chron endorsed candidates who did not make the cut. As early voting begins for the runoffs, they make their new choices and reiterate the one they got right. Houston Community … Continue reading →

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The 100-year-storm isn’t what it used to be

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They’re bigger. More than three months after Hurricane Harvey battered southeast Texas with unprecedented and costly flooding, an analysis of rainfall trends across Texas suggests the standards used to develop floodplain regulations, map flood zones and design flood control projects … Continue reading →

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Early voting for HISD and HCC runoffs begins today

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart announced today that nine Early Voting locations will open starting Nov. 29 where eligible voters may cast a ballot during the early voting period for theDecember 9, 2017 Joint Runoff Election. The Early Voting Period for … Continue reading →

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Houston’s health care costs

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Because dealing with pensions wasn’t enough. Taxpayers also face a $2.1 billion liability for retiree health care costs in the coming decades, and Houston – like many state and local governments – has not set aside a penny to pay … Continue reading →

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

Downtown of the Future

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s very futuristic. City planners’ ambitious 20-year vision for downtown Houston includes more of everything that has transformed the central business district into a more vibrant destination. More apartments, restaurants and shops. More walkable parks and attractions. More innovative startups … Continue reading →

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Harris County to consider floodplain regulations change

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea to me. Nearly three months after Hurricane Harvey, Harris County is proposing using 500-year floodplains instead of 100-year floodplains for new development, the first significant overhaul of county elevation requirements in nearly two decades. The … Continue reading →

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Abandon hope, all ye who drive here

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just stay away. Far, far away. Houston’s worst chokepoint is about to be a construction zone for the next five or six years, in the hopes that drivers eventually reap the rewards. Federal, state and local lawmakers gathered Monday on … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Add Boykins to the “mulling a run for Governor” list

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The line forms to the left. As Democrats look for a serious candidate to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott in 2018, another big-city official is surfacing as a potential contender: Dwight Boykins, a member of the Houston City Council. “I have … Continue reading →

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Early voting set for HISD and HCC runoffs

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the schedule and locations. Note that while the early vote period covers a week, from Wednesday, November 29 through Tuesday, December 5, there are only six days to vote, as there is no voting on Sunday the 3rd. Runoff … Continue reading →

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Texas v the feds, disaster recovery funding edition

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This would be quite entertaining to watch, if the stakes weren’t so high. Texas Republicans on Friday panned the White House’s latest disaster aid request, with Gov. Greg Abbott calling it “completely inadequate” for the state’s needs in the wake … Continue reading →

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Hockey for Houston (again)?

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen. It’s early, the initial talks have only been exploratory and Mike D’Antoni doesn’t have to worry about slipping on the hardwood any time soon. But I can tell you this: [Tilman] Fertitta and Co. are interested if … Continue reading →

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Buffalo Bayou Brewing to build new facility

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We remain in a craft beer renaissance. Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., which launched nearly six years ago with a beer called 1836 honoring the date of Houston’s founding, is preparing to break ground on a $14 million brewery and restaurant … Continue reading →

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RIP, Steve Mostyn

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A terrible tragedy. Steve Mostyn, a top Democratic donor and prominent Houston trial lawyer, has died. He was 46. According to a statement released by his wife, Amber, Mostyn died Wednesday after “a sudden onset and battle with a mental … Continue reading →

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More Harveys

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks, climate change. The extreme rains that inundated the Houston area during Hurricane Harvey were made more likely by climate change, a new study suggests, adding that such extreme flooding events will only become more frequent as the globe continues … Continue reading →

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Concerns about the Census

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We need to pay attention to this. Latino leaders are warning of a developing crisis in the 2020 census and demanding that the Census Bureau act aggressively to calm fears in immigrant populations about data misuse. Citing focus groups and … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Dome bash planned

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. Next year, Astrodome lovers will be able to once again take a gander at the stadium’s iconic roof before it embarks on its next adventure. During a mixer/meeting for friends and supporters of the Astrodome Conservancy, organizers … Continue reading →

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

Harvey-related good news and bad news

Posted on November 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. An additional $90 million was approved Thursday to help expedite debris removal from Hurricane Harvey along Texas’ devastated Gulf Coast regions, including Houston. Gov. Greg Abbott and House and Senate leaders announced that the additional “emergency funding” from … Continue reading →

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

My thoughts following the 2017 election

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

1. Turnout in Houston was considerably higher than anyone predicted. Adding in Fort Bend to Harris yields 101,178 voters. Harris County had 149,730. The Houston share of Harris County was 66.43%, which is lower than I expected as well. 2. … Continue reading →

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2017 results: HISD and HCC

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There were still precincts to be counted as I was writing this so there are a couple of races where I’ll have to equivocate, but here’s what happened in the local races that had actual candidates in them. Let’s start … Continue reading →

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2017 results: City bonds

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pension obligation bonds pass easily. Houston voters passed a $1 billion pension bond referendum by a wide margin late Tuesday, securing Mayor Sylvester Turner’s landmark reform package and, the mayor hopes, marking the beginning of the end of a 16-year … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Election Day 2017

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s time to vote if you haven’t already. Not many people have, as we know. Harris County turnout is expected to remain feeble through Election Day, with no marquee race to draw voters to the polls and thousands still displaced … Continue reading →

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Late money in the HISD races

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. A political action committee mostly funded by the nation’s largest teachers’ union has received $225,000 to spend on supporting four candidates for the Houston ISD school board election and a city ballot measure, campaign finance reports show. … Continue reading →

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Freedmen’s Town may get UNESCO designation

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s cool. For all the years the historic bricks of Freedmen’s Town in Fourth Ward were questioned, devalued and disturbed, a new international spotlight is bringing a renewed appreciation for the strenuous efforts to validate, treasure and preserve them. UNESCO … Continue reading →

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Improving how animals are rescued

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One of the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina was the need to rescue pets along with their owners, and to do everything possible to keep them together afterwards. This Texas Monthly story describes how that went with Harvey. There are … Continue reading →

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2017 EV daily report: Final numbers and our attempt at projecting turnout

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the final numbers. Believe it or not, people did vote on Friday despite the fact that the entire metro area appeared to be at the Astros parade. Here are the daily totals from previous years: 2015 2013 2011 … Continue reading →

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Houston Press ceases print operations

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

End of an era. Voice Media Group announced today that the Houston Press ceased print publication with its November 2 edition, capping a 28-year run as one of the nation’s leading alternative weekly newspapers and concluding a wild ride as … Continue reading →

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