Tag Archives: The Woodlands

Drag ban officially ruled unconstitutional

Good. Texas cannot enforce a new law that restricts some public drag shows, a federal judge said Tuesday in declaring the legislation unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge David Hittner found Senate Bill 12 “impermissibly infringes on the First Amendment and chills … Continue reading

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Drag ban blocked

Good. U.S. District Judge David Hittner temporarily blocked a new state law Thursday from going into effect that would have criminalized sexually-oriented performances in front of children or effectively banned some public drag shows. LGBTQ+ groups sued the Texas attorney … Continue reading

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Lawsuit filed against anti-drag bill

The lawsuit count increases again. LGBTQ+ Texans and advocates filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to block a new state law that criminalizes some drag shows — and other performances — if they occur in front of children. Senate Bill 12, … Continue reading

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Tesla autopilot crash mystery solved

It wasn’t on autopilot after all. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board apparently have solved the mystery of why no one was found behind the steering wheel of a Tesla that crashed near The Woodlands two years ago, killing … Continue reading

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Spare a thought for the nurses

And do everything you can to avoid getting COVID. [Kristen McLaury, a nurse and unit manager at Methodist Hospital The Woodlands] treated one of the hospital’s first COVID patients and hasn’t stopped since. She now runs the respiratory unit, where … Continue reading

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November 2021 election results

At 9:45 PM last night, this is what we had: . People still voting at Weekly! We’ll release the EV results once all voters have been processed. Standby, watch the Astros, and we’ll catch you soon. — Isabel Longoria (@IsabelTX) … Continue reading

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Endorsement watch: Wrapping it up

The Chron counsels a Yes vote on Prop 2. For 30 years, the Texas Constitution has allowed the Legislature to authorize cities to issue bonds to raise needed funds to more quickly build roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure. On … Continue reading

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Tesla crash update

Interesting. Federal investigators on Monday released their preliminary assessment of a deadly crash in Spring involving a Tesla, though many details of the incident remain under scrutiny, including whether anyone was in the driver’s seat at the time of the … Continue reading

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Tesla disputes official account of that autopilot crash

Can’t say I’m surprised. Tesla officials are disputing numerous assertions of local police related to a recent deadly crash in the Spring area, reiterating statements by founder Elon Musk that autopilot was not engaged on the vehicle. Further, company officials … Continue reading

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What’s up with that Tesla autopilot crash?

I assume you’ve heard about this. Woodlands Fire department, Montgomery County Hospital District and Cypress Creek EMS were dispatched around 9 p.m. Saturday to a fire in the woods in the Carlton Woods Subdivision on Hammock Dunes Place. Several neighbors … Continue reading

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2019 election results: Elsewhere

I think we can all agree that this was the most important race on anyone’s ballot. One of the most contested elections in the brief history of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors came to a close Tuesday night, as … Continue reading

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The Democratic Club of The Woodlands

Yes, there are Democrats in The Woodlands. That should not come as a surprise to anyone. Residents of The Woodlands who identify as Democrats often say they feel out of place or unwelcome in Republican-dominated Montgomery County. Some have relayed … Continue reading

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Anadarko anxiety

We know how you feel, The Woodlands. Occidental last month agreed to buy Anadarko for $38 billion, outbidding the much bigger oil company Chevron. The looming question is whether Oxy will maintain a presence in The Woodlands or move out … Continue reading

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Hogs in the city

Too close, y’all. Too close. If you have noticed more feral hogs in your Houston-area neighborhood recently, you are not alone. Neighbors across the Greater Houston report the wild animals are more frequently making their way into their subdivisions and … Continue reading

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More fire department sexual harassment allegations

Welcome to the Woodlands. When she began her job at the fire department of The Woodlands Township in July 2013, Julie Thomas believed her skin was sufficiently thick to endure a work environment dominated almost entirely by “men with big … Continue reading

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Here comes Conroe

Not so little anymore. This isn’t the first time Conroe, population 82,286, has recorded notable growth. In 2015, it was one of the 13 fastest-growing cities by percentage, ranking sixth below other Texas cities like San Marcos, Georgetown and Frisco. … Continue reading

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Montgomery County officials indicted over road bond shenanigans

I know I’m a bad person, but this continues to amuse me greatly. A grand jury has indicted Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal and two commissioners, charging them with violating Texas’ open meetings law last year while developing a bond … Continue reading

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My vision for Metro: Expansion

Part 1: Buses Part 2: Marketing itself One of the things that new Metro Chair Carrin Patman has been talking about is a regional transportation plan, to get everyone – including cities and counties not currently involved with Metro – … Continue reading

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Pro softball returns to Houston

Didn’t know we had pro softball here, but it’s cool that we do. The new sports franchise debuting here this summer is appropriately named: the Houston Scrap Yard Dawgs. After an eight-year absence, professional women’s fastpitch softball is coming back … Continue reading

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The struggle is real in The Woodlands

One last opportunity – for this year, at least – to mock the flailing efforts at self-governance in Montgomery County. [Bruce] Tough believes the tea partiers are after “control’ and, in so doing, could stamp out independent thought. “I don’t … Continue reading

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Bondings

Congratulations, Montgomery County! After rejecting two bond measures for new and improved roadways in four years, including one last spring, traffic-weary voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly backed a $280 million plan to unplug bottlenecks in rapidly growing Montgomery County. With all … Continue reading

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Chron overview of the Montgomery County bond referendum

The voters there are engaged in this issue, that much is for sure. Life is on hold in the parking lot that is Rayford Road, 4 miles of too many cars squeezing into too few lanes. Even when it isn’t … Continue reading

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The Woodlands versus its neighbors

I have three things to say about this. The Woodlands prides itself on being the best-planned community around, with tree-studded neighborhoods, miles of trails, sprawling parks and a town center with a distinctly urban feel. Across Montgomery County, however, some … Continue reading

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No way to run a road bond election

Am I a bad person for being unreasonably amused by this? A special prosecutor has been assigned to determine whether behind-the-scenes negotiations could void a last-minute deal struck by Montgomery County commissioners to get a scaled-back $270 million road bond … Continue reading

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Montgomery County “voter fraud” case update

Glad to hear this. The whole case is ridiculous. A self-described “egghead,” Jim Jenkins accomplished his dream by founding his own microsystems company. He also takes satisfaction in being a Christian conservative who is unabashedly proud of his 11 grandchildren. … Continue reading

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I got those reverse commuting blues

The Woodlands is growing as en employment center, which means it is also seeing a lot more traffic in what used to be the reverse commute direction. There is no longer a simple drive to this onetime bedroom community, which … Continue reading

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Encroaching on Sam Houston National Forest

The march of development continues apace. All over the Texas Piney Woods, along farm-to-market roads and state highways, multicolored signs hawk real estate – small plots of paradise among the tall trees. The billboards offer “gated acreage” and “room to … Continue reading

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Montgomery County tries to figure out what it wants

Can they ever pass a road bond? Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal says he will hold community meetings to assess what direction the county should go to improve mobility after a $350 million road bond package was defeated by county … Continue reading

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Montgomery County rejects its road bonds

One more election result of interest. In a hard-fought election, Montgomery County voters went to the polls in record numbers to cast ballots that ultimately defeated the $350 million in proposed road bonds. Nearly 58 percent of the more than … Continue reading

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Opposition to the high speed rail line gets organized

You had to figure something like this was coming. I was recently informed of NoTexasCentral.com, and I’ll let them introduce themselves: Texas Central Railway (TCR), a Japanese funded Texas-based private railroad company, is set to build and operate a high … Continue reading

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Montgomery County really wants an I-45 option for the high speed rail line

They’re not fooling around. Montgomery County commissioners have unanimously adopted a strongly worded resolution criticizing any effort to run a high-speed train between Houston and Dallas through the western side of the fast-growing county. Instead, commissioners believe the right track … Continue reading

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More concerns about the high speed rail route

Some people who live not far from me are not very happy about the high speed rail line possibly running through their neighborhood. The prospect of a high-speed train crossing through First Ward into downtown Houston has residents scrambling to … Continue reading

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Rural counties skeptical of high speed rail plan

This is a bit concerning. Steve Drake regularly makes the nearly four-hour drive from this city to Houston to visit his fiancée’s family. So he was excited about the news that a private company intended to build a bullet train … Continue reading

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The Woodlands wants to be on the high speed rail route

Can’t blame ’em. The Woodlands Township is urging federal and state officials to take another look at the potential benefits of adding a high-speed rail corridor along Interstate 45. Last month, the Federal Railway Administration and the Texas Department of … Continue reading

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