Happy Tuesday, people of Houston! Let’s get you all caught up to start today off on an informed note.
First, today’s weather:
A shower; fog this morning. High: 80. Low: 69.
Find out what’s happening in Houston with free, real-time updates from Patch.
Here are the top stories today in Houston:
- The Houston Ship Channel Bridge is being built again after construction was paused when structural flaws were found in the designs. The designs were created by the same company that designed a pedestrian bridge that collapsed in Miami in 2018, killing six people. Harris County says this time, the bridge will be safe. (KTRK-TV)
- The Pearland City Council is set to consider an ordinance in early 2022 that will regulate short-term rentals. Permitting and safety are at the forefront of regulation issues, as is the potential for short-term rentals to be subject to a hotel tax. (Community Impact Newspaper)
- A 15-page audit outlines alleged issues with two Houston-area post offices, most notably delayed mail that went unreported. (KTRK-TV)
- A church in The Heights is completing its transformation into an anticipated hot new Asian smokehouse. After two years of planning and construction, this new eatery is expected to be complete in the spring. (CultureMap Houston)
- Two conservative candidates won victories in the runoff elections for the Houston ISD Board of Trustees over the weekend. Bridget Wade and Kendall Baker ousted incumbents in Districts 6 and 7. (Houston Patch)
Today’s Houston Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Houston!
Find out what’s happening in Houston with free, real-time updates from Patch.
Today in Houston:
- Marketing Committee Meeting — Houston East End Chamber of Commerce. (9 a.m.)
- Livable Places — City of Houston Annex Council Chamber. (3 p.m.)
- Holiday Sip N Shop — Old Town Spring. (6 p.m.)
From my notebook:
- Looking for free holiday lights in #Houston? Downtown Houston has you covered. Winter Wanderland on Bagby is this year’s prime holiday outing. Whether you’re looking for a unique date night idea, something to do after a show, or a family-friendly activity, Winter Wanderland is all of these things in one. (Instagram)
- High school students can join the new Moran Teen Advisory Council at a teens-only event on December 20 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Teens can experience the new exhibit Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs with friends and other Houston-area high-schoolers. (Facebook)
- The omicron variant is now widely detected in Houston’s wastewater. The latest samples show it at 25 of the city’s 39 wastewater treatment plants, up from 7 last week. Vaccination is the best tool to reduce #COVID19 cases, according to the Houston Health Department. (Facebook)
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 all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another 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.
The rules of replying:
- Be respectful. This is a space for friendly local discussions. No racist, discriminatory, vulgar or threatening language will be tolerated.
- Be transparent. Use your real name, and back up your claims.
- Keep it local and relevant. Make sure your replies stay on topic.
- Review the Patch Community Guidelines.