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Community Corner

🌱 Bond Voyage + Foster Children Baristas + Cucharita

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

Chris Stomberg, Neighbor
|
(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:

  • A massive bond program Houstonians will vote on soon.
  • A viral coffee shop seeking to help foster children.
  • A new restaurant for breakfast from Mexico City.

First, today's weather:

Humid; an afternoon thunderstorm. High: 94 Low: 76.

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Here are the top stories in Houston today:

  1. A $478 million dollar bond program will be voted on by Houstonians in November. Among the program's planned spending allocations are a new animal shelter, new fire and police vehicles, and renovations and replacements for city facilities including new parks, deferred maintenance items, and improvements to Agnes Moffitt Park in Timber Oaks. $60 million of the sum is also being set aside to help cover higher inflation costs. Notably, improvements to areas of west Houston are nearly absent. Houston has released similar bond packages around every 5 years since the 1990s. (Subscription/Houston Chronicle)
  2. Houston-based supermarket Fiesta is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after two butchers suffered fingertip amputations this year. OSHA inspections that date back to 2015 show a repeated pattern of the supermarket failing to incorporate proper safety measures that protect their employees. OSHA regional administrator Eric Harbin said, "The company now faces penalties of more than $1 million for their disregard of the law. Fiesta Mart must change the way it operates before more workers suffer serious injury." (Click2Houston)
  3. Viral Texas-based coffee shop La La Land Kind Cafe is planning to hire foster children who have aged out of the adoption system. The exact job is an eight-week-long internship program with the coffee shop where they say kids can learn customer service training and life skills. Furthermore, they also said the program will assist with housing, schooling, job placement, and therapy. La La Land originally exploded on Instagram and TikTok thanks to their "drive-by kindness" videos, and the business now has more followers on these platforms than larger industry competitors like Starbucks. The coffee shop will open their second location this Saturday in the Montrose Collective. (KHOU.com)
  4. The Houston SPCA rescued a dog from a muddy sinkhole in the southwest part of the city. The dog was found and reported by a good Samaritan who called the SPCA's injured animal rescue ambulance hotline. The rescue team was able to pull the dog from the muddy hole and discovered that he also had a leg injury. The dog has since been bathed, had his wound cleaned, and now waits for either his owner to claim him or enough time to pass that he's put up in the SPCA adoption program. If you see an animal in need of rescue, call 713-880-HELP. (Fox 26 News)
  5. Cuchara is a popular Mexican restaurant in Montrose that offers dishes normally found in Mexico City; now, they're opening a sister restaurant named Cucharita which will serve Mexico City's breakfast plates. Cucharita's menu will offer a variety of pan dulce and other pastries, egg dishes galore, soups, tamales, and a weekly torta special. Surprisingly, none of the new restaurant's offerings can be found on the Cuchara brunch menu. Owner Ana Beaven said, "Cocktails for breakfast is what has me the most excited. We developed this Bloody Mary mix that's fantastic. It's sweet, so we're calling it a dulce Maria." Lastly, and perhaps most important, Cucharita will offer as a speakeasy from time to time when the restaurant's neon spoon is lit. The idea is to provide a mellow, private drinking atmosphere for patrons. (Culture Map)

Headlines you need to see:

  • Caught on camera: Houston dashcam video shows child tumble out of moving car on Southwest Freeway feeder at Hilcroft (KTRK-TV)
  • Houston leader Clarice Freeman celebrates 102nd birthday at Houston city hall (Houston Chronicle)
  • PHOTOS: Cleanup efforts underway after more than 420 gallons of crude oil spills into bay near Houston (KPRC Click2Houston)
  • Megan Thee Stallion showed Jimmy Fallon a Houston delicacy (Chron)
  • Unauthorized "Banksyland" exhibit returns this weekend in Houston's EaDo neighborhood (Houston Public Media)

Today in Houston:

  • Blanket Bingo at Market Square Park. (6 p.m.)
  • Night Court: Justice by the Dozen at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. (7:30 p.m.)
  • "Mean Girls" (Touring) at Broadway at the Hobby Center. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Jonojono at House of Blues Foundation Room. (8 p.m.)
  • Karaoke Thursdays at the Secret Group. (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • A former MMA fighter living in Missouri City faced off against his toughest opponent yet: an alligator. The rude reptile scared the fighter's daughter yesterday morning when she was headed out the door for school. Taking matters into his own hands, her father wrangled the beast before throwing it into the bed of his pickup and releasing it into a nearby pond. (FOX 26 Houston via Facebook)
  • Convicted killer Arthur Brown Jr. has been on death row for nearly 30 years after killing four people and shooting two others, but a judge may soon finally set an execution date. Questions of the killer's intellectual ability has caused delays, but the families involved continue to demand justice. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)
  • Thanks to the FDA, hearing aids can now be purchased over the counter. It's estimated that American families who need them stand to save as much as $3,000 a year. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)

Featured pupper:

Pineapple is a 2-year-old shepherd available for adoption at the SPCA.

Nose to meet you!

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Events:

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

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

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