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Community Corner

🌱 Italian Nights + Abortion Reporting

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. Let's dive into:

  • Popular day time Italian restaurant converts to night life.
  • The first illegal abortion reporting thrown out of court.
  • Repercussions of the investigation into the 2022 Harris County election.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy with a shower. High: 79 Low: 66.

Here are the top stories in Houston today:

  1. Louie's Italian American is a new restaurant opening in Houston's East End, and critics say the food is to dine for. The restaurant is a rebranding of the former Cafe Louie which served as a day time Italian eatery. However, chefs, owners, and siblings Angelo and Lucianna "Louie" Emiliani hosted multiple late night dinner events called "Red Sauce Sundays" and found that the events outperformed their restaurant's regular sales. Chef Angelo said, "Louie and I grew up with Italian American cooking, and we launched Red Sauce Sundays at Cafe Louie to honor that tradition. Little did we know it would resonate so much with seemingly everyone, and we had to take a good look in the mirror when Sundays started to regularly outperform Saturday nights. We poured our hearts into Cafe Louie, but we must be responsible as small business owners and give the people what they clearly want." (PaperCity Magazine)
  2. A new Texas law that rewards private citizens with $10,000 for reporting illegal abortions saw a San Antonio judge throw out the first instance of discovery. The judge ruled that the state of Texas requires proof of injury before a citizen can file a suit. Marc Hearron, senior counsel for the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, "This doesn't necessarily stop other people from filing SB 8 lawsuits, but what we expect is other courts, following this judge's lead, would say if you weren't injured, if you're just a stranger trying to enforce SB 8, courts are going to reject your claims because you don't have standing." Senate Bill 8 is the most restrictive abortion bill in the country. (Houston Chronicle)
  3. Tensions are high between GOP Texas leaders and Democratic-leaning government officials in the Houston area as Harris County continues to be probed for criminal misconduct regarding the 2022 election. Preliminary investigation results reveal that the county may have been in violation of at least two sections of the Texas Election Code. However, evidence of intentional criminal conduct has yet to surface. Many Harris County officials believe the probe is part of a multi-year campaign to intentionally scrutinize the area after it went blue in 2018. Issues with voting machines, staffing, paper ballots, and mail-in ballots this year led to thousands of votes not being counted. Nonetheless, investigators say that intent is key concerning whether to levy criminal charges. (KUT)
  4. A father in Southwest Houston was killed last night after he confronted 5 individuals casing houses in his neighborhood. The man noticed the suspects burglarizing his car at about 1:30 in the morning and came out onto his front yard with a gun. As the suspects turned to run, the homeowner opened fire on them. Gunshots were exchanged between the two parties and the homeowner ended up being hit in the torso. Police provided CPR when they arrived at the scene, but the father was eventually pronounced dead on his front lawn. He leaves behind a wife and three kids. The wanted suspects abandoned their vehicle at the scene of the crime and police are working to identify them. (KTRK-TV)
  5. Snow is a total stranger to the Houston area most years, but Houstonians with a yearning for the winter weather don't have to leave Texas to get a glimpse. That being said, it's still going to be a bit of a drive. Located in the center of the Texas panhandle, Amarillo receives 18 inches of snow every year with the snowfall peaking in January. Multiple natural areas including Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Cadillac Ranch offer outdoor hikes amidst the beautiful white landscape. Big Bend National Park near the border of Mexico offers a similar experience. There's also El Paso to the far west, where an astonishing two feet of snow fell on the city in an event remembered as the "Great Snow" back in 1987. Beyond that, both the Guadalupe Mountains and Lubbock see snowfall every year. (Houstonia Magazine)

Headlines you need to see:

  • Gridlock Alert: Expect road closures on I-45 Gulf Freeway northbound at Griggs Road and I-10 this weekend due to construction (KTRK-TV)
  • City officials working to fix burst water main near Greenway Plaza (KPRC Click2Houston)
  • Pearland raises water rates to fund sweeping improvements to infrastructure (Community Impact Newspaper)
  • Adoptable Pets Of The Week In Houston Area (Houston Patch)
  • Conroe clocks in among the best U.S. cities for remote workers (CultureMap Houston)

Today in Houston:

  • Mistletoe Square at Market Square Park (6 p.m.)
  • Ball Pit Bar at VIBE 713 (6 p.m.)
  • Theater: Houston Ballet's The Nutcracker at the Wortham Center (7:30 p.m.)
  • Concert: Rod Wave at Toyota Center (7:55 p.m.)
  • The Riot Presents Friday Night Comedy Showcase at Rudyards (11 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • The oldest male orangutan in North America lives right here at the Houston Zoo. Happy birthday to Rudi Valentino who is 45-years-old and has lived at the Houston Zoo his entire life. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
  • A lawsuit filed this Thursday point to Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter being accused of rape. According to the suit, Carter did the deed with a 17-year-old fan after a concert in 2001. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)
  • Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange. As a trade for Griner, the U.S. is releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. (KPRC2 / Click2Houston via Facebook)

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That's it for today! Have a great weekend everybody. Catch you on the other side.

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