This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

🌱 Goines Trial + Sushi Snowballing

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 most excellent servant of the Houston Daily — coming right back at you with the plug on what's happening. Today, we'll dive into:

  • The ongoing murder trial of former HPD officer Gerald Goines
  • A Houston sushi explosion
  • A new Montrose restaurant that keeps everything raw but the food

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and cooler. High: 53 Low: 40.

Are you tired of blending in with all the other real estate agents in Houston? Stand out with a premium sponsorship in our newsletter. Gain valuable exposure for yourself to our highly engaged local readership. Click here to learn more about this exclusive opportunity.

Here are the top stories in Houston today:

  1. The high-profile murder trial of former HPD officer Gerald Goines has now entered its fourth year as judges consider moving the trial outside of Harris County. Back in January 2019, Goines led a failed narcotics raid that ended in the death of two homeowners. Investigators of the case later found that Goines' record contained multiple instances of undercover narcotics arrests where he was the sole witness. Consequently, the case has led to numerous new trials and overturned convictions for criminals previously placed in prison by the HPD narcotics division. Goines' case in particular has reached publicity heights unheard of across Houston resulting in the consideration for a venue change. For example, graffiti found across H-town references the case and calls for Goines and the HPD to answer for their crimes. (Houston Chronicle)
  2. Despite the Lunar New Year claiming 2023 as the year of the rabbit, restaurant business owners may remember it as the year of sushi. Multiple new sushi restaurants are making headlines as they open doors and invite customers to enjoy the irresistible umami, or "essence of deliciousness," of this Japanese delicacy. Kata Robata chef Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi, known for flying in fresh fish from Japan weekly, announced he will be opening a second restaurant named Katami in Montrose this spring. Meanwhile, the newly opened Money Cat in Upper Kirby is still making headlines for its creative spins on this cultural classic. There's also the newly introduced Sushi by Hidden in Rice Village which prides itself on serving 12 different pieces of sushi to guests lickety-split in 30 minutes. For even more local sushi favorites, check the link. (Chron)
  3. The Montrose Collective is now home to a new, coastal-inspired restaurant called Graffiti Raw. While "raw" might be in the name, this eatery doesn't necessarily serve a lot of raw dishes. Instead, the use of raw in the restaurant's title hints at the business' mission of allowing the ingredients in their dishes to speak for themselves. Additionally, it's a tip of the hat to the location's aesthetic as well as the spooky "Raw Man" sculpture that welcomes guests at the restaurant's entrance. Maturing out of an idea for a champagne and caviar bar, visitors can expect to enjoy fare including oysters, ceviche, tostadas, and however many different kinds of alcohol you can stomach between margaritas, sake, cocktails, natural wines and beer. (CultureMap Houston)
  4. A CrossFit gym in Pasadena got more of a workout than it could handle after a tornado passed over it, destroying the entirety of the building save for the restroom and those inside it. Thankfully, owner Travis Smith and three others inside were able to flee to the restroom before the tornado brought everything crashing down. The owner was walking to close the front door which had been blown open by the storm when it was ripped off of its hinges and thrown into the sky. With no other alternatives, everyone inside fled to the restroom. When they left the restroom after the storm had passed, they found beams from the ceiling resting on the floor where they had just been standing. Despite the terror of the situation, owner Smith said, "We can rebuild this and that will be fine, but, yeah, we're just extremely blessed to walk out of there."(KHOU11)
  5. Houston is among four other Texas cities ranked in the top 25 cities best to live in for movie makers. The rankings were released on MovieMaker Magazine's annual list and placed Bayou City at number 21. Meanwhile, San Antonio ranked at 22, Austin ranked at 12, Dallas ranked at 20, and Fort Worth ranked at 25. Despite coming in at the lower end of the list, each of these Texas cities provides much more affordable living than cities higher up on the list as well as notable exclusions from the rankings like New York and Los Angeles. MovieMaker Editor Tim Molloy said, "We don't believe people should have to be rich or well-connected to make movies." Nonetheless, it certainly doesn't hurt. (CultureMap Houston)

Headlines you need to see:

  • Man attacked: Nephew accused of hitting uncle in head with hammer then setting fire at home in Sunnyside (KTRK-TV)
  • FM 646 widening design continues; work to begin in 2024 (Community Impact Newspaper)
  • Texas Lottery ticket worth $1 million, purchased near Houston in July, remains unclaimed as deadline approaches (Houston Public Media)
  • Houstonians weigh in on proposed $55M Montrose Boulevard project (Community Impact Newspaper)
  • Houston ends 2022 with record job growth in December (The Business Journals)

Today in Houston:

  • Ice Skating: Clutch City Wednesdays at Discovery Green (5 p.m.)
  • Dungeons & Dragons with Circle of Barhaven at Dark Horse Tavern (6 p.m.)
  • Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards at Toyota Center (7 p.m.)
  • Theater (Opening Night): ROE by Stages at 800 Rosine St. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Portrait of Courage Exhibit at Museum of Fine Arts Houston (All day)

From my notebook:

  • A 65-year-old shopper at a grocery store in Austin was assaulted by three of the store's employees after finding a $50 bill on the ground and announcing it was her "lucky day." The employees wouldn't let her leave until she handed over the $50, and the grocery store has since fired all employees involved. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
  • Tornado warning be damned, Houston's family-owned Crawfish Shack restaurant opened mudbug season yesterday to a line of cars that stretched all the way back to the highway intersection. The Crosby family has faithfully sold some of the city's best crawfish at their humble location for over 20 years. (Houston Chronicle via Facebook)
  • Panic! at the Disco front man Brendon Urie announced that the band is officially splitting up. Urie said that the nearly two decades old band left him with some of his fondest memories, but he's now committed to focusing his energy on his expecting wife. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

Events:

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I hope everyone avoided the worst of yesterday's storm. Today might still be a good day to bring out the rain boots. Until tomorrow.

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

More from Houston