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Community Corner

🌱 Sidewalks To Nowhere + King Cake Creations

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)

Hi all. It's me, Chris, your host of the Houston Daily. Here are all the things you need to know about what's happening in town. Today's briefing includes...

  • Sidewalks suspensions available across Houston
  • An infamous bus station that's now for sale
  • King cake constructions you've probably never imagined

But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 58 Low: 37.

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Here are the top stories today in Houston:

  1. The Houston City Council approved a motion that will allow property owners and developers to avoid building sidewalks in certain areas for a fee. The new rule was approved thanks to complaints of "sidewalks to nowhere" in many neighborhoods. These are segments of sidewalk located in neighborhoods and walkable areas that are not connected to any larger pedestrian pathway. Another smaller benefit of the new law is that developers will no longer have to worry about obstructions such as ditches and trees which would prevent previously necessary sidewalk development. The cost of paying this new "sidewalk-in-lieu" fee is $12 per square foot of sidewalk that would have been built. City council members are currently in talks about the proceeds of the fee going towards reparations for existing Houston sidewalks. (Subscription: Houston Chronicle)
  2. The Greyhound bus station between Midtown and Downtown, known for a large population of homeless, is now for sale. The station's lease ends in October 2024 and new developments surrounding the site have the real estate company selling the property, Cushman & Wakefield, hopeful that the area will soon turn over a new leaf. That being said, the area's history as a drop-off point for prisoners who had completed incarceration has kept it dilapidated and dangerous for quite some time. Jeff Peden, executive managing director for rival commercial real estate company Transwestern, said, "Whatever that time period is, I think that McDonald's closing, I think that Greyhound closing, and hopefully construction being underway for the rerouting of I-45, if all that occurs, I think it could be a great lift for the entire area." (Houston Public Media)
  3. It might feel like 2023 just kicked off, but Mardi Gras is already right around the corner: here's a list of places to go for king cake creations you've likely never experienced. You may have eaten a king cake many times, but have you ever drank one? If not, Greenway Plaza restaurant Eunice can help you out with their alcoholic king cake milk punch. Both locations of the casual diner The Waffle Bus will be serving king cake waffles for only $10 a pop. In case you're in the mood for a Mardi Gras breakfast, all three Kolache Shoppe locations will be serving a king cake kolache filled with cinnamon cream cheese and pecans. For more king cake creations during the Mardi Gras season, check the link attached. (Subscription: Houston Chronicle)
  4. Kansas-based chicken restaurant Chick N Max is opening its second of 25 planned Houston locations in Fulshear this summer. While you might think the chicken market is oversaturated between fast-casual eateries like Popeyes, Church's, and Canes, Chick N Max just might make you think twice about that assertion. The brand prides itself on offering chicken in all of its delectable forms including wings, tenders, popcorn chicken, smoked chicken, and over a dozen chicken sandwich options. Some of their more inventive sandwiches include a coleslaw chicken sandwich with white BBQ sauce, a Sriracha hot honey sandwich, and a smoked chicken BLT served on a potato bun. (Community Impact Newspaper)
  5. Fashion designer Arinze Marshall is creating luxury handbags in Houston by drawing from his Nigerian heritage. Like many other new business owners, Marshall dreams of owning his own brand began with the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic brought. Marshall used the extra time away from his day job that the pandemic afforded him to draw and design the luxury hand bags he now has for sale. The brand's logo is inspired by Marshall's Nigerian Igbo tribe heritage. In fact, it's actually an Igbo hieroglyphic that stands for the word 'king.' The Igbo language is in danger of becoming extinct due to fewer and fewer people speaking it with each passing year, so it was important for Marshall to share the language of his heritage with the world. As far as who his fashion products are for, Marshall said, "It's for everybody who sees themselves like… the fashionable, upscale, hardworking, sophisticated, you know, type of individual." (FOX 26 Houston)

Headlines you need to see:

  • Houston weather: Thousands of Houston-area CenterPoint Energy customers without power during severe weather (KTRK-TV)
  • Harris County tolls to decrease 10 percent along HCTRA system (Houston Chronicle)
  • La Calle restaurant on Bagby Street in Midtown catches fire, Houston firefighters say (KTRK-TV)
  • Houston's former Exxon building to become apartment complex (Chron)
  • Mayor Turner, other city leaders promise help for Houston tornado victims (KHOU.com)

Today in Houston:

  • Ice Skating: College Students Night at Discovery Green (5 p.m.)
  • Movie: "Footloose" at Discovery Green (7 p.m.)
  • Houston Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers at Toyota Center (7 p.m.)
  • Theater: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at MATCH (8 p.m.)
  • Cirque Du Soleil presents Kooza Under The Big Top at Sam Houston Race Park (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • A Deer Park family was forced to watch in horror as a tornado passed over their truck with their son inside. The son's father and his wife had stopped in at a doctor's office and left their kid in the car when the tornado struck. Though windows were shattered, and the roof of the office flew into the sky, the family's son escaped with nothing more than a scratch. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
  • The Houston Rodeo is hiring for part-time positions this 2023 season. Day two of their hiring fair is this Sunday and positions include security, bartenders, wait staff, game and ride operators, cashiers, and more. (FOX 26 Houston via Facebook)
  • Netflix is cracking down on shared accounts as early as March of this year. The streaming service announced that it plans to end the practice of sharing passwords by charging subscribers who share their accounts. (FOX 26 Houston via Facebook)

Featured Kitty:

Little Bit is a 2-year-old domestic short hair available for adoption at the SPCA.

Her nose is so cute. It's basically asking for a boop.

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

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

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