Category Archives: Elsewhere in Houston

Another poll about the COVID vaccine

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A little better. Texans now appear a little more likely to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus than a few months ago, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the Episcopal Health Foundation, found 63 percent of people … Continue reading →

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Give Pancho Claus a hand

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Tis the season. He doesn’t come the night before Christmas in a miniature sleigh with reindeer like St. Nick, but instead parades along city streets with an equally number of low-riders, often surrounded by a festive jazz band. “To the … Continue reading →

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More people in Houston than you think have had COVID

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

About one in seven, which is an awful lot. Nearly 1 in 7 Houstonians have been infected with the coronavirus, city officials announced Monday, the infection’s true prevalence according to a study of antibodies in blood samples taken from people … Continue reading →

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Rodeo makes plans for May

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I hope they’ll be able to follow through. RodeoHouston is making big changes for 2021. Next year’s competitions, concerts, entertainment and carnival are moving to May 4-23, pending the COVID-19 situation, to provide “a better opportunity to host the events.” … Continue reading →

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Eating on the street

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This makes a lot of sense. Main Street bar owners are expected to take to the streets now that the city has given them the OK. City Council on Wednesday approved, after some delay, plans for the More Space Main … Continue reading →

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So whatever happened to Astroworld II?

Posted on December 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still out there, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for it. For more than four years, Mayor Sylvester Turner has trumpeted Houston’s need for a destination theme park that would boost the region’s tourism industry and provide an outlet … Continue reading →

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“COVID-killing machines”

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of that. The George R. Brown Convention Center was built to hold Houston’s biggest crowds, but during the pandemic its halls have grown quieter. In reviving the center, Houston First squared off with a problem facing … Continue reading →

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Please stay socially distant this Thanksgiving

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what we have to do. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Tuesday urged residents to limit Thanksgiving gatherings to immediate family to limit the spread of COVID-19. The county will send an emergency cell phone alert to all residents … Continue reading →

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It’s still not too late to prevent a big spike in COVID infections

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

But it will be soon. A rise in COVID-19 cases has health care officials and government leaders pleading with Houstonians: Act now to prevent, or at least minimize, a third wave of infections across Greater Houston. “This feels a lot … Continue reading →

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The virtual marathon

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still not ready for things to be normal. The 2021 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon will be virtual due to ongoing public health concerns with COVID-19. The 2021 Virtual Houston Marathon Running Events will be held … Continue reading →

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We really can track COVID-19 through wastewater

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is terrific news. Researchers with the city, Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine were able to sniff out a potential second outbreak of COVID-19 at a homeless shelter in downtown Houston earlier this year by looking down its … Continue reading →

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Houston to allow some limited events

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno, man. I get the impulse, but I don’t think I’m ready. Houston will allow certain events in what the mayor calls “controlled environments” to resume in the city, marking his most significant move toward reopening as the spread … Continue reading →

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Mutant mosquito update

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping you informed on the news you can really use. Four years ago, the Zika virus became an issue. More than 300 people were infected in Texas. Zika can cause birth defects and fetal neurodevelopmental abnormalities in pregnant women. The … Continue reading →

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What makes a mural?

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m kind of fascinated by this. For two decades, passersby could easily miss Bud Adams’ vacant midcentury modern building on the Southwest Freeway near Hillcroft. Not anymore. The low-slung, massive roof over the car dealership, formerly owned by the late … Continue reading →

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Houston’s hottest neighborhoods

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s temperature hot, not realtor hot. This summer, Houston joins 13 other cities in a massive, community-driven, heat mapping project. More than 80 volunteers like Powers and her son, dubbed “street scientists” by the organizing groups, covered roughly 300 square … Continue reading →

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Can downtown survive COVID-19?

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So depressing to read. When Understory opened last summer, the stylish food hall in downtown’s Bank of America Tower quickly became the go-to lunch spot for throngs of office workers who stood in line for poke bowls, gourmet burgers and … Continue reading →

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We’re trending in the right direction, but…

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Still a ways to go. The number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 in the Houston area have improved significantly since July, but the pandemic remains a serious threat here. The Houston region added 1,957 cases on Saturday, … Continue reading →

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The rooftop park at the downtown post office

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. The company redeveloping downtown’s former post office property will open a rooftop venue early next year as part of a five-acre park and organic farm that will top the historic building at 401 Franklin St. Lovett Commercial said … Continue reading →

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In which Houston becomes more walkable

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. On 19th Street, one of Houston’s most enduring strips of shops and restaurants, there is a vacant lot tucked between two stores, about a block from the landmark “Heights” sign. When developers recently expressed interest in putting … Continue reading →

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Restaurants may get to use parking lot space for dining

Posted on August 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I like this idea. Restaurants in Houston, currently limited by 50% indoor capacity limits, may soon be able to serve diners in parking lots to accommodate more guests. Pending a vote by the Houston City Council, a “More Spaces” plan … Continue reading →

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We’re still not doing great with the Census

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still time, but we have a lot of work to do. Despite an extended deadline, local government cash infusions and grassroots campaigns to improve Houston’s 2020 census response rate, almost half of Houston households are still missing from the … Continue reading →

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Bike lanes coming to Shepherd/Durham corridor

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Houston officials with some regional help have nearly solved funding a $100 million rebuild of Shepherd and Durham that adds bike lanes, wider sidewalks, improved drainage and new concrete to one of the most car-centric corridors within Loop 610. … Continue reading →

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Is it time to step back?

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not a question of whether we want to do this, it’s whether we need to. Houston leaders are calling for another two-week shutdown as dozens of Army personnel are set to arrive Monday to help fight a virus that … Continue reading →

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The hidden toll

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Another reason why the reported death count from COVID-19 is too low: People who didn’t know they were infected and die at home may never be tested or counted. As coronavirus cases surge, inundating hospitals and leading to testing shortages, … Continue reading →

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How it’s going at the hospitals

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In a word, it’s bad. At Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital on Sunday, the medical staff ran out of both space for new coronavirus patients and a key drug needed to treat them. With no open beds at the public hospital, … Continue reading →

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Can we make it past July?

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s when it looks like we’ll hit the peak of the pandemic here. And it could be ugly. A surge in COVID-19 cases since Memorial Day could set the Houston area on track for a peak of 2,000 daily hospitalizations … Continue reading →

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How bad is it going to get in Houston?

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m worried, y’all. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas continued to reach record highs over the weekend while new cases also climbed in the Houston area. The new figures come as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and leaders in other … Continue reading →

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Confederate monuments to be removed

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the City of Houston plans to relocate the Dowling and Spirit of Confederacy statues, which are currently both located in two City of Houston parks. The statues will be removed by Friday, … Continue reading →

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The local view of COVID hospitalizations

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

More numbers. Three weeks after it stood out as the urban exception to the state’s spiking COVID-19 crisis, the Houston region has begun seeing a significant increase in cases and hospitalizations. The upturn, which began two weeks ago and accelerated … Continue reading →

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The George Floyd March

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Impressive. Sixty thousand people joined the family of George Floyd as well as elected officials and religious leaders today in a peaceful Houston march from Discovery Green to City Hall organized by rappers and civic activists Trae tha Truth, Bun … Continue reading →

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How about some antibody tests?

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That would be good. After months of emphasis on diagnostic screening, contact tracing and research into possible treatments, Houston is about to deploy a new tool in the effort to contain COVID-19: antibody testing. Baylor College of Medicine researchers last … Continue reading →

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Nothing but gray skies ahead

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You want a small sign that things are returning to “normal”, here you go. Houston’s air pollution is returning to normal levels, following a period of cleaner skies during the stay-at-home orders put in place to slow the spread the … Continue reading →

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Are we headed towards a coronavirus spike?

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One set of researchers thinks we may be. Houston is one of several cities in the South that could see spikes in COVID-19 cases over the next four weeks as restrictions are eased, according to new research that uses cellphone … Continue reading →

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The 2020 Kinder Houston Area Survey

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We were a pretty optimistic bunch earlier this year, in the Before Times. Houstonians are expressing a deeper sense of mutual trust, compassion, and solidarity than ever before, with many also calling for policies that will reduce inequalities and improve … Continue reading →

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