Weather
Houston-area homeowners affected by tornado should file a wind-claim, attorney says
Posted on · Homeowners insurance is separate from FEMA, which focuses more on responding to national disasters.
Energy & Environment
Maintenance for flood control projects to face delays as Harris County agency deals with a smaller budget
Posted on · Regular maintenance is critical for flood mitigation projects to work as they’re supposed to. But the Harris County Flood Control District’s maintenance budget isn’t keeping pace with its growing portfolio of projects.
Local
Deer Park, Pasadena join together to open a recovery center as residents navigate tornado aftermath
Posted on · Officials wanted to make clear that the center is not a place for residents to pick up donations like clothes and money, nor a place for vendors to set up for business.
Harris County
Former Harris County Clerk’s Office employee accused of buying cookies with stolen information
Posted on · Sharika Prejean, 30, was arrested Tuesday at the county clerk's office and fired from her job there as a mailroom clerk.
Coronavirus
Houston experts agree annual COVID-19 shot best way to keep people protected
Posted on · Nationally, only around 15% of people report having gotten the most recent bivalent booster. In Harris County, numbers are even lower.
Energy & Environment
Benefits, feasibility of geothermal energy in Texas examined in new study
Posted on · Geothermal, which is when heat is drawn from below the ground, requires drilling miles down into the earth. Recent advances have made geothermal energy more viable.
Sports
Dana Brown hired as general manager of Houston Astros
Posted on · Brown replaces James Click, who was not given a new contract and parted ways with the Astros just days after they won the World Series.
Food
Ten chefs, restaurants from Houston named semifinalists for 2023 James Beard Awards
Posted on · Finalists for the national culinary competition will be announced March 29, with winners to be unveiled June 5 in Chicago.
Police
Do Houston police officers have enough regard for pedestrians?
Posted on · Houston Police Department officers struck and killed three pedestrians during the last month. According to those involved in police oversight, that should be cause for departmental policy and training reviews.
Houston Matters
How the EPA regulates refineries (Jan. 30, 2023)
Posted on · On Monday's show: A new report claims the EPA and state agencies are failing to regulate refineries, allowing them to dump toxic chemicals and metals into waterways -- with the top four worst offenders being in Texas.
Town Square
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Posted on · Why we remember, and the importance of fighting against antisemitism and hate in today’s world.
Party Politics
GOP Family Feud
Posted on · Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.
UH Moment
UH Moment: UH Professor Developing New Technologies to Improve Safety, Resiliency of Offshore Energy Systems
Posted on · "The opportunity to collaborate, learn and grow this award offers are truly exciting"
Houston Matters
The rarity of tornadoes in Houston (Jan. 27, 2023)
Posted on · On Friday's show: As cleanup continues after Tuesday’s tornadoes, should we expect more of them in the Houston area in the future?
Houston Matters
Houston being America’s dirtiest city: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the week
Posted on · The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
I SEE U
I SEE U, Episode 72: Prisons: A Colossal Waste of Human Potential
Posted on · Former New York Times executive editor Bill Keller stresses rehabilitation over punishment for U.S. prisons and argues that doing nothing to reform the current system feeds a continued cycle of crime, community dysfunction, poverty and hopelessness.
Town Square
The Handling and Classification of Top-Secret Documents; Plus, the Traditions of Lunar New Year
Posted on · Understanding what gets classified, de-classified, who has access to these records and where they go after a leader leaves office.
NASA
NASA’s Day of Remembrance focuses on the members lost in the Columbia Shuttle for its 20th anniversary
Posted on · Family and guests paid respects to lost lives at the Johnson Space Center’s Astronaut Memorial Grove today with a focus on the Columbia accident that occurred on February 1, 2003.
Transportation
METRO partners with B-Cycle with consideration to take over program long-term
Posted on · Metro will spend up to $500,000 over the next 6-9 months to help B-Cycle and determine if it should eventually take the program over.
Weather
Thousands still without power as recovery continues in Deer Park after tornado barrels through the area
Posted on · As Thursday afternoon, about 2,700 people were still without power in Deer Park after the tornado caused massive damage to the area.
Harris County
Harris County property taxes for 2022 due by January 31
Posted on · Under Texas law, homeowners who are at least 65 years old or disabled may be able to defer current or delinquent property tax payments.
Education
Texas Education Agency denies reapproval for Houston special education school Avondale House, adding strain to underfunded system
Posted on · A letter from TEA asserted that the agency’s monitoring revealed several problematic incidents, including “multiple instances of corporal punishment and/or threat of corporal punishment,” “use of force beyond what is reasonable and necessary, and restraints that do not protect the health and safety of the student, including one known restraint incident that resulted in physical injury.”
News
‘This is about our human values’: State Sen. Roland Gutierrez talks bills related to Uvalde shooting
Posted on · Proposed legislation would end qualified immunity for police officers, create a compensation fund for victims of school shootings, and more.
Houston Matters
Working past retirement age (Jan. 26, 2023)
Posted on · On Thursday's show: We discuss why some older Houstonians keep working long past the traditional retirement age. And new revelations about the siege on the Branch Davidian compound near Waco 30 years ago come to light in a new book.
Town Square
The “Godmother of Creativity” Julia Cameron on her New Book “WRITE FOR LIFE: CREATIVE TOOLS FOR EVERY WRITER”
Posted on · The bestselling author of “The Artist’s Way” shares writing advice for aspiring creatives.
Transportation
Proposed policy change could make toll roads cheaper for drivers in Houston area
Posted on · Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia proposed a policy change that will reduce local toll-rate for the first time by about 10%.
Infrastructure
New Houston ordinance allows property owners to opt out of building sidewalk, but must pay a fee instead
Posted on · Mayor Sylvester Turner said the new fee will prevent what the city calls “sidewalks to nowhere” from continuing to develop in the city.
Weather
Destructive tornadoes are rare, but not unprecedented, in Houston area
Posted on · Tuesday's tornado in the Pasadena and Deer Park areas was the longest-tracked, most destructive tornado in the Houston region since 1992, according to Eric Berger of Space City Weather.
Harris County
Lina Hidalgo returning to Houston after spending a few weeks away, staff member says
Posted on · The Harris County judge planned to meet with officials in tornado-ravaged Pasadena upon her return Wednesday. Hidalgo visited an ill family member in Colombia and then took a vacation, according to her staff.
Local
Houston-area pet lovers rush to rescue after tornado ravages Pasadena Animal Shelter
Posted on · Most of the 150-plus dogs and cats that were at the shelter when it was hit by Tuesday's tornado had been taken in by others as of late Wednesday morning.
Infrastructure
An old bus station for sale could transform the area between Houston’s Midtown and Downtown
Posted on · A 1.44 acre tract known as the Greyhound Bus Station site in Midtown is now being promoted as an opportunity to completely change the face of Midtown.
Weather
Deer Park, Pasadena tornado rated EF3, says NWS
Posted on · Districts in both towns were closed as NWS survey crews were out on Wednesday assessing the strength and path of the tornado.