Friday February 20
Metro's piece of stimulus is $92 million / Funds may go to light rail, but decision not final [Houston Chronicle] "The money could be used to begin construction of Metro's North and Southeast rail lines or to buy additional rail cars."
Thursday February 19
DIRT RICH / Field of greens / Joe Icet's ‘big old life' is an inner-city farm [Lisa Gray, Houston Chronicle] "About 10 years ago, on land in the Fifth Ward, Icet built a little house with help from his son, and they started an organic garden in the backyard. That garden grew and kept growing, swallowing the junk-strewn lots next door. Old tires were replaced with onions, cabbages, tomatoes and okra."
Wilshire Village Apartments: Fire Hazard, Everybody Out! [Swamplot] Wilshire Village is condemned by the fire department. Also see the West University Examiner report.
Continental Club Owners to Renovate Second Main Street Block [Swamplot]
Six groups: Add city to bad air list / Their petition says the public is breathing unhealthy levels of soot [Houston Chronicle] "Houston's concentrations of soot - a piercing mix of airborne matter from diesel exhaust, industrial flares and road grit, among other sources - exceeded the EPA's yearly standards from 2005 to 2007, according to the most recent federal data available.
JERSEY VILLAGE / Creating an urban canopy / Residents unite to beautify city with trees [Houston Chronicle]
FIFTH WARD / Good times to roll again in Frenchtown / Community will mark its past with historical markers Saturday [Houston Chronicle] "The Prejeans came to Houston after the Mississippi levees broke in 1927. After working in Beaumont and a cotton farm in Brazoria County, Victorien Prejean got a job at Houston's meat-packing plant. He built a house out of boxcar lumber in the 1940s at 3311 Lelia St."
FACES IN THE CROWD / He made his own electric car / Manvel man converts Beetle, which gets 50 miles a charge [Houston Chronicle]
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN: DISTRICT D / Repairs to streets, sewer lines top list / City's cost affected by age of infrastructure [Houston Chronicle]
Eastwood officials breathe new life into community [Houston Chronicle]
Homes rescue vast in scope / Obama's plan calls for up to $275 billion to aid homeowners [Houston Chronicle] "Will the plan aid Houston- area homeowners? Experts said it's geared more toward markets where foreclosures are more severe. "This is just not a Houston issue," David Zugheri of Envoy Mortgage said. Foreclosures in Harris County were essentially flat last year, totaling 11,837. And those "under water" on mortgages in Texas is "miniscule," said Mark Dotzour, chief economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University."
Katy residents to pay higher water rates / Hike reflects conversion costs, which will rise in next 10 years[Houston Chronicle] "Starting this month, city of Katy residents will pay higher water rates to support a local water authority's project to convert users from ground to surface water. The West Harris County Regional Water Authority increased the groundwater pumpage rate it charges to Katy by 10 cents to 95 cents per 1,000 gallons pumped."
Airport in line for funding under federal economic stimulus plan [Houston Chronicle] "'We would have additional runway length, which offers more options and flexibility to our visitors,' said Scott E. Smith, airport director...Commissioners Court also directed Smith to study the potential for a longer runway, capable of handling large passenger planes from Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
Green space may show patriotic colors / Sugar Land considers task force proposal [Houston Chronicle]
MANVEL / City Hall may get a second story / Latest plan for expansion would cost at least $1 million [Houston Chronicle]
Wednesday February 18
Foreclosures cast a shadow / They made up one-third of area home sales last month, driving down the median price [Houston Chronicle]
Tuesday February 17
Despite extension, plan to move Katrina, Rita evacuees still on / HUD has given few details about the reprieve for hurricane victims [Houston Chronicle]
Lawmakers hope Texans plug in to greener cars / A hefty rebate may be incentive for newer hybrids [Houston Chronicle] "The objective of this rebate program is to clean the air," said state Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, who has filed an omnibus clean-air and energy bill that would give a $4,000 state subsidy to plug-in hybrid buyers.
New Kendall will be library, community center [Memorial Examiner] "Besides housing a library and a community center, the building will be the first three-story building in the Houston system, and the first to have a drive-up window. The site at 609 N. Eldridge will also serve as a city park and a trailhead to Terry Hershey Park."
Monday February 16
MOVE IT! / Bill protects ‘vulnerable' road users / Pedestrians, cyclists among those addressed [Houston Chronicle] "'You might be expecting me to say that drivers in Houston are awful and bicycling is unsafe,' said Peter Wang, a Bike Houston board member. 'What I found is, if you're trained properly, you make your own safety to a large extent.' ... Under Ellis' bill, co-authored by state Sen. John Carona, D-Dallas, drivers would have to get out of a traffic lane used by a vulnerable road user if another is available. Motorists should pass them at a "safe distance" of more than 3 feet if the motorist is in a car or light truck. Six feet would be considered safe for heavy trucks or commercial vehicles. Seven states, including Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma, have similar laws on their books, according to Ellis' office."
