01.10.06
Posted in News at 10:34 pm by Paloma Cruz
Houston Marathon this Sunday
– reported by KHOU CBS Channel 11(1)
[snip]
On Sunday, January 15th, some 18,000 runners are expected at the starting lines of the three races, representing virtually every state in the U.S. On the 26.2-mile journey along a fast, flat course, marathoners run past scenic Bayou City neighborhoods, including the historic Heights and Montrose areas, past Hermann Park and Rice University, over to the famed Galleria shopping area, and then head up by Memorial Park to Allen Parkway finishing on Rusk Street at the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown.
[snip]
The Chevron Houston Marathon is administered by an executive committee of volunteers and involves more than 5,000 additional support volunteers. The race is a founding member of Running USA, a joint venture of leading American road races and USA Track & Field. Information on the Chevron Houston Marathon, the Aramco Houston Half Marathon and Houston Press/Smart Financial 5K is available by calling (713) 957-3453 or visiting www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
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Reminders:
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a free registration.
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Posted in News at 10:30 pm by Paloma Cruz
RodeoHouston announces entertainment lineup
– reported by the Houston Business Journal
RodeoHouston will bring country music mainstays and a variety of other performers to this year’s festivities scheduled for Feb. 28 through March 19.
A total of 24 entertainers will take part in the 2006 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which includes rodeo events, miniature chuck wagon races and a calf scramble.
Tickets go on sale Jan. 14 [snip]
More info can also be found at the 2006 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Web site.
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01.05.06
Posted in News at 7:09 pm by Paloma Cruz
One of the great things about living in Houston is the diversified economy. Usually, it ensures that the city fares better during economic downtimes than other major metropolitan cities. Recently that has been especially evident (even with the impact of the Hurrican Katrina evacuees).
Here’s some news coverage that, basically, agrees with me:
Houston’s financial future is looking bright
– reported by KTRK ABC Channel 13
Houston has a bright outlook — more jobs, higher pay, and even a growing sector of minority owned businesses. The mayor is calling it unprecedented.
But it’s where the growth is happening that’s unexpected. New statistics released Thursday afternoon show there are over 40,000 new jobs in Houston. Positions that are not concentrated in one industry.
Over the past holidays people were eager to spend their money. That’s a direct result, says banking experts, of a fast employment growth rate in Houston. At 1.8%, job growth is at the fastest rate since 2001 — translating to over 40,000 new jobs.
[snip]
There’s also been growth in Mexico-based companies. The mayor says there are at least 60 Mexican firms with principal offices here in Houston.
Hooray for us!
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Posted in News at 6:58 pm by Paloma Cruz
Special thanks to Life’s Mosaic for pointing me to this story from the Houston Chronicle about our illustrious local network news staff:
For local viewers, there’s good news and bad news
FTER another disappointing third-place finish, coupled with disgruntled veterans grousing about being benched, a local team recently stole one high-priced free agent from its crosstown rival and is rumored to be courting another heavy hitter from Florida.
Baseball?
No … local TV news.
Earlier this month, Channel 2 lured veteran anchor Jerome Gray from Channel 11 — the first time a local station raided another station’s roster for a prominent anchor since Channel 2 grabbed Bill Balleza from Channel 11 a quarter-century ago.
Gray will join Channel 2 immediately in a behind-the-scenes role but must wait until August to appear on the air because of a noncompete clause in his Channel 11 contract.
The TV rumor mill also has Channel 2 interested in acquiring Wendy Corona, a popular anchor for a Miami station.
These changes come in the wake of Channel 2 demoting afternoon anchor Khambrel Marshall and 16-year veteran anchor Linda Lorelle to lesser time slots.
While the station is not showing its hand, Gray and Corona could be eventual replacements for Marshall and Lorelle.
While Channel 2 is clearly in a rebuilding mode, let’s look at, and imagine, what Houston’s mainstream stations could do to improve their newscasts in 2006.
If TV were only more like baseball …
[snip]
The rest goes on about the strengths and weakenesses of each tv station.
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Reminders:
- Houston Chronicle links expire after a few days because they’re archived. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
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Posted in News at 12:27 am by Paloma Cruz
Fitness magazine: Houston trimming waistline
– reported by KHOU CBS Channel 11(1)
[snip]
According to “Men’s Fitness Magazine,” the Bayou City now ranks as the fifth fattest city in America.
In the past Houston has often held the number one and number two spots on the list.
The improvement may be in part to Houston Mayor Bill White who has been named by the magazine as one of the nation’s mayors doing the most to promote good health.
[snip]
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Reminders:
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a free registration.
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Posted in News at 12:24 am by Paloma Cruz
UPDATE: the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science cancelled this exhibit.
This sounds really interesting. Morbid, but interesting.
Cadaver exhibits coming to Houston
– reported by KHOU CBS Channel 11(1)
[snip]
A battle of the bodies is brewing as competing versions of a controversial exhibit of preserved human corpses head to Houston. The first, “Bodies: The Exhibition” will open in mid-April for a six-month run at the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science. The Museum of Natural Science will unveil the second, the original BodyWorlds, sometime this summer.
[snip]
The less well-known Museum of Health & Medical Science, located near the Children’s Museum, is hoping for its first blockbuster, with as many as 550,000 visitors paying up to $19.95 apiece. It’s unclear how big a bite the competing show will take.
[snip]
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Reminders:
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a free registration.
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01.04.06
Posted in News at 7:23 am by Paloma Cruz
Protect your home against the Texas wildfires
– reported by KHOU CBS Channel 11(1)
Wildfires are still burning across Texas as the fire danger from dry weather grows worse.
The numbers clearly prove it, with 200,000 acres charred and 115 homes destroyed just since Sunday.
One of the hot spots Tuesday night is in Eastland, where flames have raced across 35,000 acres, about 125 miles west of Dallas.
[snip]
There are simple things you can do to protect your home before fire comes:
- First clean roof surfaces and gutters. Make sure that all pine needles, leaves and branches are cleared out and disposed of safely. Anything that’s fallen from the trees is simply tinder now.
- Create a firebreak around all structures, including home and fences. Clear between 1 foot and 18 inches around the house and fences.
“Try to keep everything basically as far away from your house as possible. I know a lot of people like to have the woods up close but from a safety standpoint if you can clear everything back it helps us,” said Chief Berg.
- Also make sure that all combustibles are kept away from structures such as picnic tables, firewood and any other debris. That helps creates a defensible space for firefighters.
- Check your trees and trim branches away from chimneys and remove branches below 15 feet.
Stay prepared.
[snip]
Blazes mostly contained across Texas
– reported by the Houston Chronicle(2)
Firefighters throughout Texas continued checking major blazes that appeared mostly contained late Tuesday as the threat of flare-ups and new fires lingered with the windy and dry conditions.
They had contained 60 percent of a fire west of San Angelo that had scorched about 40,000 acres in Irion and Reagan counties. A 6,000-acre blaze in Erath County that had become active and was threatening about seven homes earlier in the day had also calmed by Tuesday night, the Texas Forest Service said.
[snip]
Otherwise, the largest among the nearly 60 blazes that erupted Sunday were contained. There were no deaths reported in those fires. Since December, grass fires have killed three people, burned more than 250,000 acres and destroyed at least 250 homes.
[snip]
* * *
Reminders:
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a free registration.
- Houston Chronicle links expire after a few days because they’re archived. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
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01.03.06
Posted in News at 11:00 pm by Paloma Cruz
OK, I’ll take the compliment, even if it is from Dallas…
Dallas newspaper names Houston ‘Texan of the Year’
– reported by the Houston Business Journal
The unspoken rivalry between Texas’ two largest cities came to a halt last weekend when The Dallas Morning News named Houston as its Texan of the Year.
The Jan. 1 issue of the Morning News marked the first time that the newspaper has named an entire city as Texan of the Year. The move was made as a tribute to Houston’s response to handling evacuees fleeing the destruction cased by Hurricane Katrina.
[snip]
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Posted in News at 10:51 pm by Paloma Cruz
Long lines, short tempers as court goes paperless
– reported by KHOU CBS Channel 11(1)
A Houston court’s first attempt to go paperless did not go so well Tuesday. The new computer system just couldn’t handle the load generated by a big post holiday crowd.
[snip]
The city’s attempt to go paperless with a new computer system created long lines and short tempers.
“Getting here at nine o’clock thinking I have time to go to court and get back to work taking off an hour. Now I’m missing four hours instead of one,” said Houston resident Michael Fondal.
Judges, clerks, and police can now access paperwork for all cases.
Richard Lewis, the city’s information technology director, said the hardware on the new system just wasn’t big enough.
“Primarily the time it took was longer than it should so we’ve shut it down and we’re going back to the old system,” Lewis said.
But only temporarily. The city has invested $10 million in the Integrated Court Management System.
[snip]
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Reminders:
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a free registration.
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Posted in News at 10:48 pm by Paloma Cruz
Dry conditions spark wild fires in Houston area
– reported by KHOU CBS Channel 11(1)
[snip]
A National Weather Service “red flag warning” was in effect for Tuesday afternoon, meaning heat, low humidity and wind could create conditions for wildfires that could quickly spread. Temperatures in the 70s were forecast in the region experiencing on of its worst droughts in 50 years.
Perry declared Texas a disaster area last week because of the fires and drought, and he said the declaration will help people to receive federal aid to rebuild.
No deaths were reported as a result of the nearly 60 fires that began burning Sunday in North and West Texas. Weary firefighters— including crews from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee and Wisconsin—worked Monday to contain several of those fires.
* * *
Reminders:
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a free registration.
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