🌱 School Safety + Cop Killer Not Guilty

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:

• HISD police upgrades. 👮‍♂️
• Mayor Sylvester Turner beats cancer. 🤛
• An accused cop killer judged not guilty. 🕵️‍♀️

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But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy and cool. High: 56 Low: 43.

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Here are the top stories today in Houston:

1. HISD police are upgrading criminal reporting and police gear following the tragic shooting in Uvalde earlier this year. Criminal incidents taking place on campuses can now be submitted to their new "evidence submission portal" where citizens can provide videos, images, documents, and first hand accounts of crimes they believe were committed on HISD properties. Furthermore, police upgraded their physical arsenal with the purchase of 150 "jersey claws" used for breaking through doors and windows, 100 light shields, 50 ballistic shields, $1.2 million worth of electronics, and 57,000 9mm rounds. However, some school board trustees feel that the purchases aren't part of the solution. Trustee Elizabeth Santos said, "More guns have never made students safe. You can turn HISD into the military and still not prevent a single school shooting." (Houston Public Media)
2. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner battled and defeated cancer in privacy earlier this year, only revealing his ordeal at the State of the City address two weeks ago. Mayor Turner didn't originally plan to divulge his battle with cancer during the speech, but did so in hopes that his story will inspire other men feeling unwell to seek medical help. Turner suffered from an uncommon form of cancer called Osteosarcoma that develops as a growth inside your jaw. After having the growth surgically removed, Turner endured months of radiation therapy that he says he only survived thanks to the loud gospel music he had technicians play during the sessions. (KPRC Click2Houston)
3. Jurors found Robert Soliz not guilty in the death of Houston Sgt. Sean Rios after the two participated in a gunfight that Rios did not survive. Soliz's innocent verdict is an uncommon outcome for an accused cop killer, however, lack of hard evidence regarding the shootout ultimately made jurors unable to render a guilty verdict. Soliz still faces a felony marijuana possession charge as well as two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in allegations unrelated to the death of Sgt. Rios. Soliz says the encounter began on the freeway when off-duty Sgt. Rios nearly swerved into him. Over the course of the trial, Soliz maintained that he used his gun in self defense after Sgt. Rios followed him to a gas station. Meanwhile, prosecutors attempted to depict Soliz as a cold-blooded killer due to his failure to call 911 following the shootout. (Houston Chronicle)
4. Thanksgiving season will be over before you know it, so it's time to start thinking about your Christmas tree game plan. Thankfully, Houston has no shortage of local farms where you can choose your very own freshly grown tree and maybe even cut it down yourself. The Old Time Christmas Tree Farm in Spring prides itself on its 40 acres of land containing some of the best trees in the city, including pre-cut fir and spruce trees from up North. Tanglewood Christmas Trees in Brian makes a day of the event by offering hay rides, duck races, cornhole, photo shoots, and their signature hot cocoa, apple cider, and cookies. There's also Oh What It Is Fun Farm in Willis where you'll find petting zoos, wagon rides, a picnic area, and a huge campfire to stave off the chill as you search for your perfect tree. For more locations like these, check the link. (Houstonia Magazine)
5. Population changes are forcing HISD trustees to redraw district boundaries, however, the new boundaries won't affect current child zoning procedures. Instead, the changes will only apply to voting. While some district population have remained relatively the same, others have grown, and still others have shrunk. Trustees say that you can't change one boundary without affecting every other district though, forcing a complete redraw in order to properly match U.S. Census changes. The last time districts were restructured was nearly two decades ago. Even so, trustees say that the coming changes are unlikely to affect the political landscape of the area. (Houston Chronicle)

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Headlines you need to see:

• Houston forecast: Chilly temperatures for days (KHOU.com)
• Houston auto sales outpace national market 🚗 (Houston Chronicle)
• Zoo Lights Houston 2022 returns on November 17!!! 🐒 (Houston On The Cheap)
• Body found in Brays Bayou during search for missing father (KHOU.com)
• Houston Public Library system adding Family Place library spaces to boost child literacy efforts (Houston Public Media)

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Today in Houston:

• Local Lunch Market Wednesdays at City Hall (11 a.m.)
• Dungeons & Dragons with Circle of Barhaven at Darkhorse Tavern (6 p.m.)
• Fitness at Discovery Green — HIIT class with FitMix Communities (6:30 p.m.)
• Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at Palace Social (7 p.m.)
• Theater: Six at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (7:30 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Former President Donald Trump launched his third campaign for the White House with an announcement Tuesday night. Trump had teased that he would run for the presidency again many times since losing re-election in 2020. (FOX 26 Houston via Facebook)
• Taylor Swift fans flooded Twitter with a deluge of screenshots and questions about error messages they encountered while trying to purchase presale tickets for the upcoming "Eras" tour. Ticketmaster said that the issues were caused by a "historically unprecedented demand" as hundreds of thousands of people attempted to purchase tickets simultaneously, some of whom succeeded. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
• NASA's Artemis I mission successfully launched overnight after multiple failed launches earlier this year. The rocket's journey through space is the first step to putting astronauts on the moon again. (KPRC2 / Click2Houston via Facebook)

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Events:

• Home for the Holidays Gift Market (November 18)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with another update. See you on the other side of the hump. 🌞