🌱 Kiddos New Year's Eve + Texas Population Growth

Hey, everybody! It's Thursday in Houston and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in town. Today you'll learn about...

• Events to entertain the kids on New Year's Eve.
• Texas' rising population.
• A Smoothie King shakedown.

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But first, today's weather:

Cloudy with a few showers. High: 81 Low: 61.

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Here are the top stories in Houston today:

1. New Year's Eve might hit a bit different once you've got kids, but there is still a plethora of kid-friendly events you can attend around town to celebrate. The Children's Museum of Houston is putting on a day-time bash including jugglers, hula-hoop performers, a brass band, arts and crafts, and a noon time countdown ball drop with confetti cannons. The Downtown Aquarium is offering a special deal on a daytime buffet as well as a freeze dance contest, a balloon drop, and face painters. In case you're looking for something totally free, a short drive to Kemah Boardwalk will put you at the bubble countdown where employees cover a dance floor with bubble wrap and balloons and let kids run wild popping them. (Houston Chronicle)
2. The population of Texas surpassed 30 million this year, making the Lone Star state the second-most populous state behind California. Our population saw more numeric growth in 2022 than any other state, adding a total of 470,708 residents from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2022. Demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau Kristie Wilder said, "There was a sizable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year's historically low increase. A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the largest year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase." Looking at population growth by percentage, Texas came in fourth behind South Carolina, Idaho, and Florida. (CultureMap Houston)
3. Court documents show that a Houston Smoothie King manager is accusing a fired employee of kidnapping and beating her in front of her child. The employee's termination was brought on by constant tardiness and a handful of no shows. The accused former employee is said to have been picking up a check from work with her daughter when she learned that she had been fired. In response, she grabbed the manage by the neck, slammed her against the wall three times, choked her, and took her phone as collateral before demanding that they head to a nearby ATM. The fired employee also threatened to throw the manager into oncoming traffic if she did not comply. The manager took $200 out of her bank account and handed it to the former employee, at which point she returned her phone and left the scene. (KPRC Click2Houston)
4. Another year, another New Year's Resolution to get back into shape; here's a handful of up and coming community fitness events to help you along in the right direction. Resolution Run Houston takes place on the New Year at 1 pm with a 5K, 10K, and family 1-mile run across the Buffalo Bayou through downtown. AKT will host an outdoor class at Levy Park on Dec. 29 at 6 pm focusing on functional movement, strength, and toning intervals. Another outdoor workout will be hosted at Sugar Land Town Square on Dec. 30 at 9 am thanks to Inspired Fitness: get a more traditional workout going with conditioning and strength training through the use of medicine balls, resistance bands, and weights. (Houston Chronicle)
5. A woman is in critical condition after being shot in the arm while aboard a Houston METROrail. Police are currently investigating to identify the culprit and his motive, however, the incident marks the sixth violent occurrence on METROrails since October. HPD previously released a statement saying that recent violence on METROrails are "isolated incidents", but some riders are beginning to wonder whether this is really the case. The woman who was shot was in the midst of exiting the train when she got hit. Police also say that the woman and the shooter were both on the train at one point. (KTRK-TV)

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Headlines you need to see:

• Heavy rain and potential flooding forecasted for Thursday evening (Houston Chronicle)
• Fentanyl seized in Houston is enough to 'kill everyone in Houston and the surrounding areas' (FOX 26 Houston)
• Residents wake up to strong smell of gas in air; CenterPoint says it was result of normal operating procedures (KPRC Click2Houston)
• Houston is one of the most expensive cities to live in the U.S. (The Business Journals)
• Southwest Airlines cancels 2,000 more flights amid meltdown (Chron)

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Today in Houston:

• Dinosaur Photo Opportunity at Discovery Green (5 p.m.)
• Lightscape at Houston Botanic Garden (6 p.m.)
• Theater: A Christmas Carol at Alley Theater (7 p.m.)
• Movie: Jurassic World - Dominion at Discovery Green (7 p.m.)
• Karaoke Thursdays at the Secret Group (1o p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Southwest employee Victoria Andrews went above and beyond the call of duty by showing up on her off day to feed passengers stranded by their flights. Andrews visited a Costco and purchased a number of snacks that she distributed to unfortunate Southwest customers. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)
• A Houston artist says his studio was set on fire by a business parter who is like a brother to him. The fire was eventually the result of an argument over $1,000. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)
• A police officer who was caught on tape dragging a handcuffed woman from a patrol car to a jail entrance. He has since been fired. (KPRC2 / Click2Houston via Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update!