🌱 New Year's Grocery Hours In Houston + Texans WR HOF Finalist

Good day, people of Houston! It's me again, Jeffrey Perkins, your host of the Houston Daily.

---

First, today's weather:

Fog, then some sun. High: 81. Low: 75.

---

Here are the top stories in Houston today:

1. Need to make a last-minute food run for a New Year's Eve party or a New Year's Day brunch? Here's a list of grocery store hours around Houston during the holiday. (Houston Patch)
2. Former Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022. He is the first player who primarily played for Houston to be named a finalist. (Houston Patch)
3. Coronavirus found in Houston wastewater spiked 285% in a week, reaching levels five times as high as the first wave. (Subscription: Houston Chronicle )
4. The CDC slashed estimates of the spread of omicron from last week, but Texas still has a high estimate of the new variant compared to the delta variant. (Houston Patch)
5. Texas landlords will have to disclose flood risk to renters. That's one of 23 new laws going into effect Jan. 1. (Austin Patch)

---

Today's Houston Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Houston!

---

Today in Houston:

• Houston Rockets vs. Miami Heat at Toyota Center. (6 p.m.)
• New Year's Eve at Fielding's Local. (6 p.m.)
• Khruangbin in Concert at 713 Music Hall. (9 p.m.)
• The Riot presents Next Gen Comedy NYE Special at Rudyard's. (10 p.m.)

---

From my notebook:

• Houston Athletics: "Shoutout to all the Cougar fans that were there in Birmingham for @uhcougarfb's bowl win!" (Instagram)
• Houston Texans: "Andre Johnson belongs in the Hall of Fame." (Facebook)
• Houston SPCA: "This emaciated Doberman was rescued by a cruelty investigator and weighed just over 50 pounds when he arrived on campus. He'll be fed a nourishing diet to help him gain healthy weight and will get quality veterinary care." (Facebook)
• Houston Public Media: "The number of Texas kids hospitalized with COVID-19 nearly tripled in two weeks. The number of pediatric hospitalizations is lower than its September peak, but it indicates increased risk for kids in recent weeks." (Facebook)
• Houston Independent School District: "All students and staff are strongly encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to school or work on Jan. 3, regardless of vaccination status." (Facebook)

---

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Ring In the New Year With 15 Percent Off Beautiful Blooms From FTD! (December 31)
• Add your event

---

Loving the Houston Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business listed in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at jeffrey.perkins@patch.com

---

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update!

— Jeffrey Perkins

About me: Born in San Antonio, I was raised in Arkansas but got back to Texas as soon as I could to attend Texas A&M University, where I earned a bachelor's degree in Telecommunication Media Studies. I started my journalism career as a copy editor at The Eagle in Bryan, Texas, in 2014 and later became the high school sports beat writer for the paper. My seven years at The Eagle strengthened my passion for journalism, and I love getting to know people and telling their stories, both on the field and off. I've seen firsthand the importance of hyper-local journalism in a community, especially in an eventful 2020, when I helped with news coverage and design in addition to my high school athletics beat responsibilities. I joined Patch in 2021 as Texas Field Editor for the Conroe-Montgomery County area. I welcome your questions, comments and story ideas! Please contact me at jeffrey.perkins@patch.com or (479) 264-5801.