Tag Archives: Houston

Oh, who needs board approval anyway?

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Heck of a job, y’all. Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ administration greenlit about $870 million in spending over the past 16 months without receiving required school board approval, breaking district policy and frustrating some board members. HISD administrators did not … Continue reading →

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I-10 elevation project is now underway

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I had managed to forget that this was out there. And then I had to get on I-10 west on Monday morning and was rudely reminded. A major construction project off Interstate 10 has kicked off with the intent to … Continue reading →

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Harris County passes backup power rule for nursing homes

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Assisted living facilities and nursing homes in the unincorporated areas of Harris County now are required to install backup power generators to keep heating and cooling systems operational during electrical outages, making the county among the first in Texas … Continue reading →

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Comet alums unite in support of Fertitta’s WNBA bid

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re getting the band back together. Cynthia Cooper did not get closure when the Houston Comets folded. One minute, she was a star player on Houston’s four-time championship-winning WNBA team. The next minute, her phone was blowing up with texts … Continue reading →

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Hotze’s desperation

Posted on January 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What a loser. Republican activist Stephen Hotze asked a federal judge to step in on a civil case against him, saying the lawsuit was part of a Democrat-led conspiracy. Hotze on Dec. 31 asked the U.S. District Court for the … Continue reading →

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HISD’s message about the forthcoming weapons detection systems

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I got this in my inbox on Wednesday. Dear High School Families, The most important thing HISD does each day is keep your student safe while they are at school. At each high school campus, HISD employs a layered approach … Continue reading →

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Who wants to sell Houston’s water to West Texas?

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I have questions. Gov. Greg Abbott is said to be exploring a plan to buy water from Houston and send it to West Texas — a potentially contentious idea that comes as he has teased “totally transformative” measures in the … Continue reading →

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Houston and Harris County to get Beryl relief funds

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. The Biden administration announced Tuesday that Houston and Harris County will receive a combined $382 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist in recovery from May’s flooding in Kingwood and Hurricane Beryl in July. Houston will receive … Continue reading →

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HISD’s progress on special education

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is a big part of the takeover mandate, so making progress on fixing the identified issues with special education is a must. Houston ISD’s state-appointed superintendent and Board of Managers have maintained a laser-like focus on improving schools’ state-issued … Continue reading →

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The “Enron Egg”

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I know, I need to stop paying attention whatever this is. It would seem I can’t help myself. The very unserious company that took over the defunct Enron brand on Monday unveiled its supposedly “groundbreaking” product: the Enron Egg. But the … Continue reading →

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Bald eagles

Posted on January 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know why it had never occurred to me before, but there are numerous bald eagles in the greater Houston area, if you are of a mind to try to spot one in the wild. The bald eagle has … Continue reading →

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A brief look ahead to when the HISD Board will contain elected members again

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This Q&A with elected HISD Trustee Plácido Gómez has some good insights, but I want to note these questions towards the end. Fast-forwarding, if you, in an imaginary world, became a voting member of the board tomorrow, how would you … Continue reading →

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Whitmire’s first year

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has a story about how Mayor Whitmire’s first year has gone, and I’ll get to that shortly, but first I want to look at this story, about his efforts to get help from the state government for the … Continue reading →

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HCC International

Posted on December 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have questions. Houston may be its home, but leaders of the city’s community college have their sights set on the entire globe. In the fall 2025 semester, Houston Community College administrators will launch their new “Global Online College,” hoping … Continue reading →

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HCDE declines to censure Eric Dick

Posted on December 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Puzzling. The Harris County Department of Education board of trustees reversed course on censuring trustee Eric Dick Wednesday, one month after voting to propose a censure in the wake of a grievance hearing about his unpaid ethics fines. The board … Continue reading →

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Time for the annual Christmas tree recycling post

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the most wonderful post-Christmas Day post of the year. The City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) and Houston Parks and Recreation Department invite residents to recycle their live Christmas trees and contribute to a greener holiday season. … Continue reading →

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Recycle those Christmas lights

Posted on December 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Public service announcement: Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department has asked residents to recycle their discarded holiday lights in a very particular way. Instead of leaving them in a recycling bin, they are asked to bring them to either the Westpark … Continue reading →

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San Antonio gets more funds for its first BRT line

Posted on December 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. If only we had the same inclinations. San Antonio and Bexar County landed a $268 million federal grant to fund more than half the cost of the VIA Green Line, the Alamo City’s first-ever Advanced Rapid Transit … Continue reading →

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Replacing NRG Arena

Posted on December 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s gotta pay for it. If NRG Arena were a car, it would be totaled. A 2019 assessment commissioned by the county found the arena, where the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo holds its horse show and auctions every March, … Continue reading →

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HISD to add metal detectors at all high schools

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Inevitable, I suppose. Ridiculous, but inevitable. Houston ISD will introduce new weapons detection systems to its high school campuses in the spring semester after experiencing an uptick in confiscated weapons in the 2024-25 school year. More than 10 guns have … Continue reading →

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CenterPoint finds a use for those useless-to-us generators

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio, here they come. A plan is in the works to partially relieve Houston-area ratepayers of CenterPoint Energy’s $800 million lease of controversial generators that have sat mostly unused during power outages. The bulk of the lease includes 15 large generators, … Continue reading →

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Who is all this Enron performance art for?

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have no idea. The company that recently resurrected Enron’s fallen brand announced Friday it would host a “town hall” to address residents’ concerns after its CEO was allegedly targeted in a pie attack in New York. Despite the Chronicle’s … Continue reading →

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Expanding Metro’s micro-transit

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Okay fine, but show me the numbers. Metro will expand on-demand rides of its micro-transit to include services in Second Ward, Third Ward and downtown Houston through a partnership with the city of Houston and Evolve Houston. The expansion comes after … Continue reading →

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IAH Terminal E to be named for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Fitting. City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution to rename a terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in honor of the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. The late congresswoman, who died in July from pancreatic cancer after representing … Continue reading →

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Expanding ETHAN

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds like a good idea. The city may spin off the Houston Fire Department’s emergency telemedicine program to a local government corporation in hopes of generating enough funding to support the initiative and, perhaps, even turn a profit. The city’s … Continue reading →

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One more eVTOL in Houston

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this story when it ran in September, but here it is now. It answered a few questions about how these things operate, which I liked. Lilium, a German aerospace company, debuted its electric vertical takeoff and landing jet … Continue reading →

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The HISD Board doesn’t want to hear it

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Curious move. Houston ISD’s board of managers signaled early support Tuesday for limiting the public’s ability to speak freely about any topic during its monthly board meetings. Board members voted 8-1 to advance a policy proposal that would eliminate a … Continue reading →

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Houston to get a pro volleyball team

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty cool. As far as professional volleyball goes, there isn’t much two-time Olympic medalist Micha Hancock hasn’t done. Hancock won gold with Team USA at the Tokyo Games and a silver medal at the Paris Games. She played professionally in Italy for … Continue reading →

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621 set to roll out

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Our newest area code will soon debut. Houston’s newest area code, 621, will officially launch on Jan. 23, 2025. The 621 will be the fifth area code associated with the Houston region, joining the quartet of 281, 346, 713, and … Continue reading →

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Metro to help fund HPD traffic enforcement

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A modest revision to an originally large plan. Metro Police Department will spend almost $50 million of its budget to partially fund the city’s traffic enforcement and street light operations in 2025, but that extra funding won’t have much impact … Continue reading →

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Interview with Sandie Haverlah of the Texas Consumer Association

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

You might have noticed that CenterPoint has been in the news a lot lately. There’s the various audits of its performance during Beryl and the derecho, proposed legislation to make it refund the money it spent (and charged to customers) … Continue reading →

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Gina Ortiz Jones joins the crowded field for San Antonio Mayor

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Former U.S. Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones, who has long been rumored as a potential 2025 mayoral contender, launched a campaign website this week. Jones served as Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force under the … Continue reading →

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Where to go to hail a flying taxi

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

To the vertiport, of course. Wisk Aero, an Advanced Air Mobility company and Boeing subsidiary aiming to bring self-flying air taxis to Southeast Texas by the end of the decade, has designed its potential initial routes for its service. A … Continue reading →

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HISD may do more school name changes

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. Much has changed in Houston ISD in the 70 years since the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segregation in schools illegal. The district went through a years-long process to desegregate its campuses and, in recent decades, has … Continue reading →

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