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Community Corner

🌱 Rapper Helps Schools + Eviction Epidemic

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Houston.

Chris Stomberg, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Wake up, Space City! It's me, Chris, your humble servant of the Houston Daily — coming right back at you with the plug on what's happening. Today, we'll look at:

  • Houston lead poisoning aid.
  • A growing eviction epidemic.
  • The charity of a local rapper.

But first, today's weather:

Sunny and pleasant. High: 86 Low: 57.

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Here are the top stories in Houston today:

  1. Houston was awarded $8.7 million to protect families from lead and support the development of healthy homes. The large grant comes from the U.S. Department of Urban Housing and Development which has awarded 26 state agencies funding totaling over $125 million. Urban Housing officials said, "These investments will protect families and children by targeting significant lead and health hazards in over 4,000 low-income homes for which other resources are not available." Lead poisoning symptoms only rear their head later in life, and lead poisoning has been linked as a cause of difficulty learning as well as increased crime in an affected area. (KPRC Click2Houston)
  2. A total of over 66,000 have been evicted from Harris County so far this year in what many are beginning to call "a growing crisis." Harris County commissioner Rodney Ellis says COVID is largely responsible for the high eviction numbers. Additionally, it has led to a lengthening in total rent past due months before landlords take eviction action against their tenants. Ellis said, "What was before, one or two months, pre-pandemic that warranted enough is enough, we're going to go forward with the eviction. Now, we're seeing five to 10 months and even more in delinquencies." These added grace periods have put many landlords in a difficult spot where they can no longer afford to wait before calling for evictions. (KTRK-TV)
  3. A fourth 'Curiosity Cruiser' was donated to the Harris County Public Library by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and its Ladies for Literacy Guild. This additional mobile library will join a fleet of similar vehicles in their mission of distributing books to youth. Harris County Public Library director Edward Melton said, "Since Harris County Public Library partnered with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Ladies for Literacy Guild in 2017, we have been able to distribute over 69,000 books to over 55,000 youth throughout Harris County." The vehicles are driven by mascots and animal superheroes Owlbatron (owl) and Northtale (fox) who seek to provide children with the tools they need to become superheroes of their own one day. (KPRC Click2Houston)
  4. Houston rapper 'Trae tha Truth' helped convert an extra classroom into a school supply closet for students in need. The room will now serve as a place for students who are missing their lunch, clothes, shoes, school supplies, and more to pick new ones up for free. The Young Elementary School campus where the closet was installed already serves a large population of homeless children whose parents are unable to provide such things for their educational success on a daily basis. More such closets are planned to be opened at other Houston schools serving similar communities. (KHOU.com)
  5. An investigation found that at least 38 unauthorized euthanizations were performed by Sugar Land Animal Services. The employees who performed the euthanizations claim that all of the animals were either aggressive or had some other medical diagnosis. Five employees involved with the euthanizations have been terminated and the manager of the shelter in question has resigned. In other words, over half of all the Sugar Land Animal Services workers have disappeared overnight. Employees from other city offices are stepping up to help fill the positions until new hires are fully trained. A world where the people who work with animals are quick to sentence them to death is no world I want to live in. (Community Impact Newspaper)

Headlines you need to see:

  • Hauling Happy Hour is a horse-trailer mobile bar in Houston (Chron)
  • Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan approved by Houston, Harris county (The Business Journals)
  • How a Trip to the Fair Saved One Woman's Life (KPRC Click2Houston)
  • 'Project Runway' alum Alan Gonzalez brings Texas flair to New York Fashion Week (KPRC Click2Houston)
  • Roderick Brooks' family sues Harris County sheriff's office (Houston Chronicle)

Today in Houston:

  • Fitness at Discovery Green - Pilates (6 p.m.)
  • Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at Astral Brewing (7 p.m.)
  • Dining In The Dark at Indianola (6 p.m.)
  • Karol G in Concert at Toyota Center (8 p.m.)
  • Karaoke Thursdays at The Secret Group (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • Hurricane Ian continues to batter Florida's shores, hitting 155 mph — just shy of the most devastating Category 5 hurricane status. No strangers to hurricanes, Houstonians are already stepping up to provide charitable donations for those affected. (FOX 26 Houston via Facebook)
  • New DNA testing is bringing hope to solving murder plots whose trails have run cold. One such plot involves a woman's head found in a shopping bag floating in Lake Houston nearly 4 years ago. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)
  • A 12-year-old girl in Weatherford "planned for several weeks to murder her family and pets" along with another 12-year-old girl who lived 200 miles away. While one of the girls killed her father and herself, the other girl didn't go through with their plans and is being charged with conspiracy to commit murder. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)

Featured Kitty:

Felix is a one-year-old domestic short hair available for adoption at the SPCA.

He's got a rather regal look to him, wouldn't you say?

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Now you're armed with current events and ready to throw down in H-town! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow. Peace ✌

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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