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Community Corner

🌱 Rodeo 2023 Changes + Sugar Land Great Homes

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Houston.

Chris Stomberg, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Wake up, Space City! It's me, Chris, your devoted servant of the Houston Daily — coming right back at you with the plug on what's happening. Today, we'll dive into:

  • New additions to the Houston Rodeo
  • The Sugar Land Great Homes program
  • Houston residential buffering updates

But first, today's weather: Sunshine and nice. High: 71 Low: 45.

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Here are the top stories in Houston today:

  1. The Houston Rodeo may be an annual event, but that doesn't mean that it's the same old song and dance every year. For starters, the rodeo will be open on different dates this year, taking place from Feb. 28 - March 19. Opening day will feature a parade through NRG Park Grounds starting at noon as well as a glow in the dark party at Champion Garden starting at 7:30 p.m. On top of that, Wednesday, March 8 will see free entry for all guests up until noon as well as discounted food and beverage prices until 4 p.m. Speaking of food, newly arrived treats include the hot Nashville chicken cheeto sandwich, the stuffed baked potato Honolulu hog spud, the fruity pebbles shrimp fried rice bowl, the rodeo caramel crack sundae, and more. Lastly, two new carnival rides have been added to the rodeo. The Raptor Coaster is a high-speed thriller roller coaster with sharp turns and twists as well as terrifying inversions. Meanwhile, the Sea Ray is a pirate-themed smooth swinging ride perfect for family fun. For more information on Houston Rodeo 2023, check the link. (KTRK-TV)
  2. The Sugar Land City Council approved the new Great Homes program in a landslide vote; the program offers a rebate incentive of $500 for homeowners who improve their home. Homeowners interested in the rebate must apply on the city's website with ideas of the improvements they have in mind. Accepted applicants will then be referred to one of two design companies who will aid with an exterior home improvement. In addition, the program secured $120,000 from city funding for 250 future home designs as well as up to 40 home projects. Sugar Land homeowners interested in the rebate should know ahead of time that the minimum qualifying project cost comes in at $4,000. (Community Impact Newspaper)
  3. Houston artist Diane Gelman is so obsessed with delicious foods that she decided to make art displays of them. Though she previously held a job as a registered dietician, Gelman now spends her time creating artistic renditions of some of your favorite sweet tooth delights. Talk about turning over a new leaf. Some of her pieces include doughnut sculptures, candy paintings, and a lollipop tree. Gelman's work will be on full display during an open reception at Sawyard Yards Silos on Feb. 11 from 5-8 p.m. (KPRC Click2Houston)
  4. Houstonian Abdul Fatani, 57, may face up to 30 years in prison for scheming to launder $35 million through forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The loans in question were made available through the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Fatani worked with others to submit fraudulent loan applications for businesses which misstated their number of employees and average monthly payroll expenses. Altogether, Fatani and co-conspirators submitted over 80 fraudulent loans. A total of 15 other individuals involved in the scheme have also plead guilty to playing a part. (KPRC Click2Houston)
  5. A new Houston protocol for residential buffering will require high rise structures to provide 30-40 feet of distance from residential structures. Meanwhile, mid-rise structures will now be forced to provide at least 15 feet of distance from residences. Suvidha Bandi, project manager for the Planning and Development Department, said, "Instead of just protecting single-family homes on larger lots, these amendments will provide protection to all single-family and small multifamily developments when high-rise or mid-rise structures are proposed abutting homes in highly residential areas." In addition, a new protocol for apartment garages next to residences will require covers of at least 50 inches for each garage floor to shield family homes from car headlights. (Community Impact Newspaper)

Headlines you need to see:

  • Houston begins countdown to 2024 college football championship, which will be held at NRG Stadium (Houston Chronicle)
  • All northbound lanes of North Freeway reopened after police chase ended in fiery crash on Tidwell (KTRK-TV)
  • Houston City Hall authorizes nearly $8M contract to combat illegal dumping (Community Impact Newspaper)
  • Houston forecast: Significant temperature drop coming this afternoon (KHOU.com)
  • Duran Duran looks to the future with expansive tour coming to Houston (CultureMap Houston)

Today in Houston:

  • Concert: Marvel Years with Phyphyr and Mothertrucker at Last Concert Cafe (7 p.m.)
  • Concert: Riley Green at White Oak Music Hall (7 p.m.)
  • Concert: Alaska presents Valentine's Day is Terrible at House of Blues (7 p.m.)
  • Cirque Du Soleil presents Kooza Under The Big Top at Sam Houston Race Park (8 p.m.)
  • Concert: Naseer Shamma from Euphrates to Mississippi at the Wortham Center (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • Gov. Greg Abbott spoke out about state agencies considering diversity as an important hiring element. He said that diversity was a quality "other than merit" and that diversity, equity, and inclusion policies unfairly discriminate against some applicants. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
  • A Lee High School student was suspended from school after recording another classmate using the restroom. The student went on to share the video among other classmates. (KPRC2 / Click2Houston via Facebook)
  • Lebron James is now the NBA's all-time leading scorer. This week he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of 38,387 points: a record that stood strong for 38 years. (FOX 26 Houston via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. Visit with you tomorrow for the weekday roundup.

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

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