🌱 Go To Jail + Showboat Sinks

Howdy, everybody. I'm back in your inbox this morning to walk you through the same old Houston happenings. In this issue, you'll find news about...

• A detention officer charged with manslaughter after the death of a Harris County inmate
• A Houston drive-in institution closing down for good
• Brain-trauma vulnerable athletes and their mistrust of doctors

---

But first, today's weather:

A shower in the afternoon. High: 74 Low: 62.

---

🏠 If you're a real estate agent in Houston, of course you're looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and attract new clients. We can help you do that with an exclusive sponsorship in the Houston Patch newsletter. Click here to learn more.

---

Here are the top stories today in Houston:

1. A detention officer is being charged with felony manslaughter for the death of an inmate at Harris County jail for the first time in the jail's history. Jaquaree Simmons, 23, died of blunt force trauma to the head in February 2021 during the dreaded winter storm. After the death, 11 detention officers were fired, and six others were suspended. However, further investigation has revealed that detention officers broke multiple conduct rules in dealing with the inmate. Though Simmons reportedly assaulted officers first, they responded by beating him up and leaving him naked in his cell. Later on, officers used force when apprehending Simmons for a medical evaluation and hit him in the head several times. Then, a power outage related to the storm resulted in officers failing to visually check on Simmons. The next day, he was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at a local hospital. Despite multiple officers' involvement in Simmons' death, only one currently faces charges. (KHOU.com)
2. Family-owned drive-in theater Showboat has been in business for 18 years but just went up for sale at an astonishing price of $5.5 million. Owner Andrew Thomas wishes he didn't have to close the theater; however, the effects of the pandemic and the current economy have forced his hand. One of the most important metrics for Thomas is a steep decline in major movie releases. While it was typical to see nearly 150 such releases annually between 2009 to 2019, 2022 only saw 70 major movies hit the big screen. Additionally, the large majority of these releases aren't family friendly. Distraught for their loss of the Houston institution, fans of Showboat took to online medium Reddit to share stories of their best times at the drive-in. Owner Thomas jokingly responded, "This has made it even worse!" when hearing about the thread. (Chron)
3. Research from UTHealth Houston shows that people at high risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a common football and boxing brain injury, are more likely to trust social media than physicians. Survey responses were collected from women who were married to current or former professional athletes at risk. Study author Summer Ott wanted to conduct the research in order to determine the level of mistrust that former athletes and their family's bear towards the medical community. Ott said, "I'm disappointed when folks come in and all they have to rely on is the internet. They don't feel like they have someone in their corner, and it can be hard to show caregivers that there may be alternate explanations for their spouse's behavior, such as chronic post-concussion syndrome, early-onset Alzheimer's disease, or vascular dementia." Study results also showed that participants highly trusted information about CTE found online. (UTHealth Houston News)
4. A woman stabbed a man on a Metro bus around 11 a.m. on Monday morning. After stabbing the man at the intersection of Scott and Blodgett streets, the woman involved fled the scene. Thankfully, the victim was taken to the hospital and stabilized. Coincidentally enough, Mayor Sylvester Turner's first gun buyback was held at the same intersection. (KPRC Click2Houston)
5. A traffic stop in Del Rio, Texas led to the arrest of a Houston driver for attempting to smuggle five undocumented immigrants into Texas. During the stop, the officer involved determined that in addition to two passengers in the back of the car their were two people lying down in the back seat. On top of that, the officer discovered an Iranian National hiding inside the vehicle's trunk. All five immigrants were later turned over to border patrol. Authorities chose not to release the name of the suspect involved in human smuggling. (KTRK-TV)

---

Headlines you need to see:

• All of Houston's Natural Pawz and Kriser's pet stores will close after parent company files for bankruptcy (Houston Chronicle)
• Houston Weather: Showers and storms return to Southeast Texas during middle of the week (FOX 26 Houston)
• Driver in custody after leading police on chase in HFD ambulance that was reported stolen (KHOU.com)
• Birthday party shut down early hours before shooting outside Houston event center, owner says (KHOU.com)
• 3 Houston men charged in a series of Montgomery County car burglaries (Houston Chronicle)

---

Today in Houston:

• Dungeons & Dragons with Circle of Barhaven at Rudyards (6 p.m.)
• Concert: Lost Austin Band at McGonigel's Mucky Duck Pub (7 p.m.)
• Champions of Magic: The Worldwide Tour at The Hobby Center (7:30 p.m.)
• Theater: "Chicago" The Musical at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (7:30 p.m.)
• Comedy: T&A Tuesdays at The Secret Group with $2 wells (10 p.m.)

---

From my notebook:

• Beyoncé set a record for the most wins at the Grammys ever last night. The record breaking victory was made with her new album "Renaissance" by winning the Best Dance/Electronic Music Album category. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
• A Houston attorney was shot dead on a front lawn after insisting that he owned the truck in the homeowners' driveway. The 50-year-old attorney was reportedly yelling the wife's name and death threats while approaching the couple before the husband fired his shotgun at the attorney's chest. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)
• Carlos Lugos, 14, had been missing for two weeks after last being seen at the 2000 block of Tidwell near the Hardy Toll road. His body was found in North Houston this past Saturday. Police identified multiple gunshot wounds on his corpse and are currently searching for answers. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)

---

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Discount Dumpster — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Bellaire Civic Center (February 13)
• Free Zoom Meeting about fibroid treatment in Houston (February 15)
• Add your event

---

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with another update!