Adrienne: October 2005 Archives

Amtrak will resume part of the Sunset Limited passenger service that was suspended because of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The route from Los Angeles to New Orleans is set to stop in Houston on Friday.

>> Continue reading: Amtrak to resume some New Orleans service

Houston native Sgt. Michael Robertson will be laid to rest today after dying from injuries he suffered in Iraq.

>> Continue reading: Houston soldier laid to rest

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott cautioned parents to be vigilant this Halloween and warned child predators that law enforcement is on alert and prepared to protect Texas children.

>> Continue reading: Attorney general cautions parents, warns predators

The Houston Fire Department EMS will hold a reunion today with a toddler who almost drowned, members of the toddler's family and HFD crewmembers and individuals who helped the toddler survive.

>> Continue reading: HFD reunites with little girl who nearly drowned

Three separate fires ruined a residence's garage, a business warehouse and a bar.

>> Continue reading: Three separate fires destroy buildings

Greyhound will resume limited bus service to New Orleans from Houston on Monday morning.

>> Continue reading: Greyhound resumes service to New Orleans

Houston police said domestic violence was reported more than 31,000 times last year -- more than three calls an hour.
With that in mind the Houston Texans collected used cell phones at the gate Sunday.
Verizon Wireless will refurbish the phones and donate them to The Houston Area Womens Center, which will in turn give them to women who may need to call for help.

>> Continue reading: Texans collect used phones for domestic violence

Water is running again in parts of southwest Houston after repairs to two water mains.

>> Continue reading: Water mains fixed in southwest Houston

Police said a Houston teenager fatally stabbed a man from New Orleans after the man tried to steal his truck.

>> Continue reading: Police: Teen stabbed man trying to steal his truck

Despite tendonitis in his knees, Houston Rockets Tracy McGrady says he will play in Wednesday's opener against the Sacramento Kings.
"We have a special group here," McGrady said. "Not only that we have great talent and depth -- we have a great group of guys that are willing to sacrifice."

>> Continue reading: McGrady says he'll play Wednesday

The man accused in a fake flu shot scam will appear in court today.

>> Continue reading: Man accused of giving fake flu shots in court today

Expect delays on I-10 between Loop 610 and Beltway 8 this weekend.

>> Continue reading: Expect delays on I-10 this weekend

Deputies, probation and parole officers will visit the homes of registered sex offenders on Halloween.

>> Continue reading: Police to monitor sex offenders on Halloween

The largest convention to come to Houston is expected to attract 55,000 visitors.

Read the complete story here

>> Continue reading: Quilt convention starts today

HISD is holding a town hall meeting tonight.
Topics up for discussion include facility upgrades, construction, new academic programs and improving student achievement.
The meeting is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Westside High School at 14200 Briar Forest.

>> Continue reading: HISD town hall meeting tonight

Firefighters are investigating what started a blaze that destroyed what was supposed to be a vacant house in north Houston.

>> Continue reading: Fire engulfs north Houston home

The Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank will open its doors today.
Federal reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is expected to be on hand for the opening ceremony.
Mayor Bill White will also make an appearance.

>> Continue reading: Houston Federal Reserve Bank opens today

Detectives are searching for two suspects who robbed and then shot and killed a convenience store owner in north Harris County.

>> Continue reading: Store owner robbed, shot to death

Gov. Rick Perry's evacuation task force met for the first time today.

>> Continue reading: Evacuation task force meets for the first time

The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed today two new cases of the West Nile fever virus in Montgomery County.

>> Continue reading: Two West Nile fever cases confirmed

A man was found dead in the backseat of a running car that was parked in the 7600 block of Old Telegraph Road.
Police said the 26-year-old had apparently been shot several times, and they have no suspects.

>> Continue reading: Man found dead in backseat of car

A man is recovering at the hospital after he was shot during a carjacking in southwest Houston.

>> Continue reading: Man shot during carjacking

The sign on the Federal Reserve Bank near downtown will no longer have the word "Dallas" in it.

>> Continue reading: Federal Reserve Bank clears up confusion

Police found a man dead in the parking lot of a southwest Houston apartment complex Monday night.

>> Continue reading: Police find man dead in parking lot

Jury deliberations continue today to decide the fate of a man convicted of killing a Houston police officer.

>> Continue reading: Deliberations continue in Brown trial

Six Flags AstroWorld is changing this weekend's operating schedule and limiting ticket sales due to anticipated high visitation for the park's last weekend of operation.

>> Continue reading: AstroWorld limits hours for final weekend

UNICEF and Kipp Academy have formed an alliance to benefit schoolchildren displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

>> Continue reading: UNICEF, Kipp Academy team up

The fire department will canvass the neighborhood where a recent residential fire left two males dead.
They will start at 1 p.m. near 4018 Woolworth.

>> Continue reading: HFD to pass out information on fire safety

A family who evacuated from New Orleans during Katrina will have to find another home after finally getting settled in southwest Houston.

>> Continue reading: Fire destroys evacuees' temporary home

Early voting for the 2005 elections starts today.

>> Continue reading: Early voting starts today

The man police think is behind several sexual assaults in parking lots in the Galleria area will appear in court today.

>> Continue reading: Man accused of Galleria attacks to appear in court

Police are searching for a suspect involved in a deadly southwest Houston shooting.

>> Continue reading: Police searching for shooting suspect

Halliburton confirmed that three of its contract workers were killed in Iraq last month.

>> Continue reading: Halliburton: Three employees in Iraq killed in September

Houston police are investigating the death of a male at 7324 Southwest Freeway on Sunday morning at 2:52 a.m.

>> Continue reading: Police investigating possible suicide

Mayor Bill White said the Safe Clear towing program is changing.

>> Continue reading: Safe Clear plan may see change

HPD Chief Harold Hurtt said five intersections will have red-light cameras operational in November.

>> Continue reading: Red light surveillance cameras to be installed

HPD Chief Harold Hurtt said overtime regarding Hurricane Katrina cost $3.8 million, while overtime for Rita cost $4.5 million from preparation to recovery.

HPD also raised about $60,000 for Katrina survivors in one week. Chief Hurtt said a prominent local family said they would match whatever HPD raised, so a donation to the Red Cross was made in the amount of $135,032.

>> Continue reading: HPD hurricane overtime cost about $8 million

Fort Bend ISD is getting some help to accommodate all the student hurricane evacuees it took in.

>> Continue reading: Fort Bend ISD receives sizable donation

Continental Airlines has announced a third-quarter profit of $61 million.

>> Continue reading: Continental announces $61 million profit

The building formerly known as Lakewood Church has a new name.

>> Continue reading: Former Lakewood Church facility bought

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels will testify before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs this morning.

>> Continue reading: Judge Eckels in Washington to discuss disaster response

Houston-area businesses are encouraged to take part in the rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina.
Houston Congressman Al Green helped kick off a weeklong series of information sessions sponsored by the Houston Minority Business Council.
The group is working to help small and minority-owned businesses in the area get rebuilding contracts.

>> Continue reading: Lawmaker wants area businesses to get rebuilding contracts

A homeowner took matters into his own hands when he shot and killed a suspect trying to rob him, Houston police said.

>> Continue reading: Police: Homeowner dealt with suspect himself

The jury deliberating the fate of a suspected cop killer will try again to reach a verdict.
Alfred Brown is charged with capital murder, accused of shooting HPD Officer Charles Clark during a robbery at a check-cashing store.

>> Continue reading: Jury deliberating fate of accused cop killer

A 3 year-old is in the hospital Tuesday morning after being seriously burned in a house fire in Montgomery County.
The fire started in the room where the boy was sleeping in the town of Cut-n-Shoot, east of Conroe.
The little boy was burned on at least 30 percent of his body.
He was taken to UTMB where's he's reported to be in stable condition.

>> Continue reading: Little boy burned in Montgomery County house fire

The driver of a charter bus that caught fire during the evacuation from Hurricane Rita faces criminal charges.
Driver Juan Gutierrez is accused of criminally negligent homicide.
Twenty-three elderly passengers from a Bellaire nursing home were killed in the accident near Dallas.
Witnesses said Gutierrez helped pull some of them from the bus, but investigators said they could find no proof of that.

>> Continue reading: Bellaire charter bus driver charged

Jason Collier of the Atlanta Hawks has died, according to the NBA.
The former Houston Rockets player died from cardiac arrest Saturday morning.
He was 28 years old.

>> Continue reading: Former Rockets player dies

The court appearance for a former Harris County Deputy Constable accused of child sexual assault was reset Thursday.

>> Continue reading: Former constable's court date rescheduled

The nurse accused of possessing marijuana on campus will not appear in court today.
She went to the court this morning and was told her date was rescheduled.

>> Continue reading: HISD nurse's trial date reset

Medicare will soon be helping seniors pay for prescription drugs, so the government is launching an aggressive campaign to teach seniors about the federal health insurance program.
Starting today you can call 1-800-633-4227 to get information about the Medicare plan.
You can also find information on the agency's Web site.

>> Continue reading: Hot line opens for Medicare drug info

There is a new hurricane housing hot line for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, which includes evacuees, landlords and hotel managers.
The number to call is 713-221-1636. The hot line is open from Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. -- the same hours as the disaster relief center.

>> Continue reading: New housing hot line for Katrina evacuees

Houston homeowners will see a slight increase in their property taxes, and the money will go to HISD.

>> Continue reading: HISD approves 2-cent tax hike

The Catholic church is dealing with another sex abuse scandal in a major American city.

>> Continue reading: Catholic church under fire in Los Angeles

Katrina evacuees in Houston have received more than $200 million in federal money.
Mayor Bill White estimates FEMA has approved 62,000 applications for disaster assistance.
About 33,000 others have applied for federal funds.

>> Continue reading: Houston's Katrina evacuees have received $200 million

In separate incidents Tuesday, a residence was shot during a drive-by, and a woman was robbed outside of her home.

>> Continue reading: Fort Bend officials need help finding suspects

At about 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, a small plane flipped over with one person in it.
That person was taken by Cypress Creek EMS to a nearby hospital with non life-threatening injuries.


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>> Continue reading: Small airplane flips over at Hooks Airport

The owner of an auto shop in east Harris County believes someone intentionally set fire to his business.

>> Continue reading: Auto shop catches fire Tuesday night

The Point Comfort plant is slowly coming back online.
All but one of the fires at the plastics plant that exploded last week were extinguished Tuesday.

>> Continue reading: All but one fire out at Formosa plant

Local Pakistani-Americans are working feverishly to get aid to earthquake victims.
They are collecting blankets and medical supplies at the Pakistani Community Center in southwest Houston.
The center is at Dairy Ashford and Bissonnet and is open weekdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

>> Continue reading: Local Pakistani-Americans aiding relief efforts

If you have six hours to spare or you missed it the first time, ESPN Classic will rebroadcast the Astros' Game 4 at noon today, the Houston Chronicle reports.

>> Continue reading: ESPN Classic to rebroadcast Astros' Game 4

Tickets for the 32nd annual State Farm Bayou Classic went on sale Monday.
This year’s matchup will be at Reliant Stadium. The teams usually battle it out at the Louisiana Superdome.
Fans can purchase tickets at any Ticketmaster or at Reliant Stadium.
The Grambling Tigers face off with the Southern Jaguars on Nov. 26.

>> Continue reading: Bayou Classic to play out a Reliant Stadium

The Houston Texans kick off their fourth annual blood drive Tuesday.
The drive starts at 10 a.m. and is at Reliant Stadium.
Players for the team and Texans cheerleaders will be on hand to visit as donations are made.

>> Continue reading: Houston Texans blood drive today

Today is the last day you can register to vote. State law requires voters to register at least 30 days before an election.
Registration cards must be postmarked or delivered to any tax office by the close of the business day.

>> Continue reading: Today is the last day for voter registration

The Texas Forest Service estimates that Hurricane Rita damaged 771,000 acres of Texas timber, valued at $833 million.
A task force was formed with a goal of salvaging 40 percent of the timber, but they have to work quickly because defects form within weeks of a tree being downed.

>> Continue reading: Officials: Rita downed 771,00 acres of timber

For the eighth time since Hurricane Katrina hit six weeks ago, President Bush visits the Gulf Coast today.

>> Continue reading: Bush visits New Orleans today

In an interview with KTRH on Monday, the Astros General Manager Tim Purpura said Andy Pettitte had flu-like symptoms Sunday.

>> Continue reading: Astros GM: Pettitte has flu-like symptoms

Gas prices are expected to drop soon.

>> Continue reading: Gas prices expected to drop soon

The debate over Proposition 2 takes place at the University of Houston today.

>> Continue reading: Gay marriage debate at U of H

The Red Cross is offering assistance to homeowners who have major damage from Hurricane Rita.

>> Continue reading: Red Cross sets up in Anahuac

Texans Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson strained his right calf in the first quarter on Sunday and was knocked out of the game against the Tennessee Titans.

>> Continue reading: Johnson injured during Texans game

Festa Italiana and the Original Greek Festival will wrap up Sunday.

>> Continue reading: Greek, Italian festivals in town