At session’s end, Houston language access advocates clung to one last hope that their voices had been heard
Their dream of passing a bill to improve access to state services for Texans who don’t speak English or Spanish was dashed. Woori Juntos activists fought until the end seeking at least a study of their ideas.
No teacher raises, no voucher program: Lawmakers fail to reach compromise on school funding bill
The end of House Bill 100 is a bittersweet victory for public education advocates who vehemently oppose school voucher programs but lament that schools won’t get additional funds to pay for teacher raises or balance their budgets.
Texas woman shot in head by stray bullet fired by neighbor
The death of a woman, who authorities say was sleeping in her suburban Houston apartment when she was killed by a stray bullet fired by a neighbor shooting at people breaking into vehicles, was called a “senseless crime” by her family Thursday.
At a heated public hearing, residents urge state agency to reject permit for chemical facility that burned in 2019
In Deer Park near Houston, memories of the massive ITC fire are still fresh. Residents told state environmental regulators they should reject the company’s permit renewal, but officials said the fire won’t be part of the decision.
Toxic benzene lingered for weeks after shelter-in-place warnings ended following 2019 Houston-area chemical fire
The Texas Tribune analyzed previously unreported air monitoring data and records from the 2019 ITC chemical disaster near Houston and found that high benzene levels lingered in the air for two weeks after public health measures were lifted. Experts say more shelter-in-place advisories should have been issued.
For years, the EPA and Texas ignored warning signs at a chemical storage site. Then an inferno erupted.
Regulators repeatedly documented — but did little to address — problems at a Houston-area tank farm. Then on March 17, 2019, a fire blew through a corner of the facility, releasing toxic chemicals into nearby communities for weeks.
Taylor Swift explains hand injury after fans spot gash during Houston concert
There wasn’t “Bad Blood” at Taylor Swift’s three-night takeover at Houston’s NRG Stadium, but there was blood. On social media, fans were quick to point out the singer’s large cut on her left hand during Saturday night’s show.
Texas cheerleaders shot after mistakenly opening door of wrong car in H-E-B parking lot after practice
Two members of an elite Houston-area cheerleading team were shot overnight after one of them mistakenly opened the door to a wrong vehicle in an H-E-B parking lot after practice, police in Elgin said.
Lawmakers’ attempts to tighten drug laws would saddle crime labs with an unsustainable workload
Texas lawmakers want tougher criminal penalties for possession of delta-8 and fentanyl. But that would mean much more work for the crime labs handling most of the drug testing for the state’s 254 counties.
At schools across Houston, students and parents protest Texas Education Agency’s takeover of state’s largest district
At one elementary school, protesters chanted as the school day was about to begin. Parents sought petition signatures at a high school. The demonstrations are planned throughout the day.
Texas man sentenced to federal prison for soliciting sexually explicit videos of minors, FBI says
A 25-year-old Houston man has been ordered to report to federal prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is running for Houston mayor
Jackson Lee enters a mayoral contest that is already well underway. The early frontrunner is state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and his competitors include Chris Hollins, the former Harris County clerk, and Amanda Edwards, a former City Council member.
Houston GOP official knew for years of child sex abuse claims against Southern Baptist leader, law partner
Under oath, outspoken anti-gay activist Jared Woodfill said he was told in 2004 that Paul Pressler had sexually abused a minor. But Woodfill did not cut ties with the Southern Baptist leader — and said he had no knowledge of Pressler’s alleged behavior when another young man came forward about alleged sexual misconduct in 2016.
Miami beats No. 1 seed Houston; all four top NCAA seeds out
Nijel Pack and Miami hit shots from near and far against the stingiest defense in the country to beat Houston 89-75 in the Sweet 16, leaving the NCAA Tournament without a single No. 1 seed among its final eight teams for the first time since seeding began in 1979.
Body of toddler found in Houston bayou believed to be little girl who was allegedly killed by her father, police say
Houston police say they recovered the body of a young child from Vince Bayou in Pasadena on Monday and they believe the remains are 2-year-old Nadia Lee who disappeared last October in Pasadena.