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Axios Houston
Where Houston-area home values are growing the most
Data: Zillow; Note: Typical home value refers to the average of the middle third of Zillow home value estimates for every home in a given region with a county record, including single-family, condominium and co-operative homes; Table: Axios VisualsA ZIP code in The Woodlands, Shenandoah and Spring is among Houston's hottest, per Zillow data shared with Axios.The big picture: That area saw the metro's highest jump in typical home values compared to a year earlier, according to Zillow's latest analysis.State of play: More inventory, partly from new construction, is "a key reason home value appreciation in Texas has come back...
What $340K gets you in Texas' major real estate markets
Prices in Texas' biggest real estate markets haven't budged much this year.Why it matters: Home prices statewide chilled out after peaking in 2022 but remain a third higher than pre-pandemic, according to the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.State of play: The median home price in Texas was about $334,000 in February, research director Daniel Oney tells Axios.Here are examples of what roughly that amount can get shoppers in the state's major metros.Reality check: Austin ($440,000) and Dallas-Fort Worth ($390,000) houses typically sold for more than the state median, while homes in Houston ($330,000) and San Antonio...
Majority of Texans don't want school vouchers, survey shows
A majority of likely Texas voters in the November election disapprove of using public dollars to subsidize private school tuition, according to a new survey.Why it matters: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott continues to support school vouchers despite fractured opinions within his own party and the Legislature's inability to pass a bill after two special sessions on the topic last year.Driving the news: The findings come from the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation, which surveyed 1,600 people this month on contested issues like vouchers, abortion and the border.The foundation released its findings Wednesday.The intrigue: 57% of respondents said they disapproved of using...
Southwest drops Bush Airport amid Boeing issues
Southwest Airlines will stop flying in and out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in August, just a few years after returning to the airport.The big picture: The Dallas-based airline announced Thursday that it's cutting operations at four airports — including Cozumel International Airport in Mexico, Bellingham International Airport in Washington, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York — after losing $231 million in the first quarter.It's also reducing capacity at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport and will limit hiring but did not indicate it will lay off employees.Between the lines: As an entirely Boeing-fleet airline,...
Houston-area sheriff's office withholds footage of deadly shooting
The suburban sheriff's office investigating last month's deadly police shooting by several Houston-area officers has declined to release bodycam footage.Why it matters: The denial highlights inconsistent policies surrounding the release of police bodycam footage across the Houston region.Some agencies — including the Houston Police Department — voluntarily release footage of police shootings for transparency, while others do so only if required by law.Catch up quick: Six officers from three agencies opened fire on Roosevelt Overton Jr., 44, as he fled after an armed robbery in the Montgomery County city of Oak Ridge North on March 11.In the hours before the...
Kroger takes over H-E-B in Houston's grocery store wars
Data: Chain Store Guide; Note: Stores under the same brand name have been combined — e.g., Walmart and Walmart Supercenter; Chart: Axios VisualsKroger unseated H-E-B and its affiliates as the chain with the largest share of the Houston region's grocery marketplace last year.Why it matters: Kroger and H-E-B are waging a quiet war for the hearts and wallets of Greater Houstonians.The two chains combined made up more than 45% of the region's grocery market in 2023, according to new data shared with Axios by Chain Store Guide, which tracks the retail and food service industries.The big picture: Kroger loyalists bolstered...
Hundreds of thousands of acres added to wildlife refuges in Texas
Hundreds of thousands of acres will be added to wildlife refuges in Texas, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Why it matters: The new acquisitions and conservation areas managed by the National Wildlife Refuge System in Texas aim to conserve the habitats and protect the state's diverse wildlife.The land will also be evaluated for potential recreational opportunities and public access, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced.What they're saying: "Texas is one of the most biodiverse states in the U.S. with tens of thousands of native animal and plant species inhabiting hundreds of different habitat types," Amy Lueders, the Fish...
The Texans unveil new fan-inspired uniforms
The Houston Texans unveiled new uniforms for the first time in franchise history ahead of the 2024-25 season.Why it matters: The four uniforms — home, away, alternate and Color Rush — were designed with input from local fans, based on 10,000 surveys and feedback from 30 focus groups, per the franchise.What they're saying: "They are even more special because they are inspired by and for our fans," Texans owner Cal McNair said in a statement. "Our fans asked us to be more H-Town, and we delivered."The home uniform and away jerseys are a more modern interpretation of the traditional jerseys introduced in 2000.The alternate uniform is a bright-red take on the away jersey and has a new bullhorn-inspired logo on the helmet.The Color Rush city-inspired uniform introduces H-Town Blue, the first new color introduced in Texans history.
Harris County wins federal solar grants
Harris County and Texas Southern University programs will receive more than $400 million in federal funding for residential solar projects.The big picture: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Earth Day that 60 applicants had been selected for its $7 billion Solar for All program.The program is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to support low-income and disadvantaged communities by providing rooftop solar systems and access to community solar farms.State of play: The Harris County-led Texas Solar for All Coalition received $249.7 million to make home solar projects more affordable and create programs for residents to find good-paying...
Houston officer back on duty after 4th deadly shooting incident
A Houston police officer is back on active duty after being involved in a fatal shooting last month, the fourth time in his six-year career that he's been investigated for using deadly force.Why it matters: Even as officer Devin Inocencio, 27, faces criminal and internal affairs investigations into the latest deadly shooting, Houston Police Department officials have allowed him back on the streets, a police spokesperson confirmed to Axios.Inocencio is also facing a civil rights lawsuit over a separate shooting.Driving the news: On March 11 in Oak Ridge North in Montgomery County, Inocencio and five other law enforcement officers opened...
What's on Harris County's May 4 ballot
Early voting begins Monday for the May 4 election.Why it matters: It's expected to be a low-turnout election, although the results could have an outsized impact on property taxes and Houston's representation in Austin.Driving the news: In Harris County, voters for the first time will elect three board positions for the Harris Central Appraisal District, which determines annual property valuations based on market values, for tax purposes.The change comes after lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2 last year, approved by voters in the fall, creating three elected board seats in counties with populations over 75,000, to increase accountability.What they're saying: Bill...
How social media is changing Houston's real estate landscape
Most people scroll Zillow Gone Wild for entertainment, but more real estate agents in Houston are leveraging social media buzz to attract serious home shoppers to their listings.Why it matters: "Screen appeal is the new curb appeal," Zillow senior economist Orphe Divounguy tells Axios.Follow the money: Zillow Gone Wild creator Samir Mezrahi parlayed his popularity into a new HGTV show that cashes in on viewers' nosiness about other people's houses."When I'm bored on my phone, I like to look at houses everywhere. And I think other people do that, but there wasn't a space for people to talk about that,"...
Rooftop pool party and more things to do this week in Houston
😂 Laugh it up at an open mic comedy night at Near Northside's Bad Astronaut Brewing Co. on Monday.Free. Sign-up begins at 8:30pm, and the show starts at 9pm.🌕 Enjoy the full Moon from downtown's beautiful Marriott Marquis Houston rooftop pool on Tuesday.Day passes start at $25. 5:30pm-9:30pm.🎵 Listen to music from singer-songwriter Lola Kirke and country artist Dale Hollow at Midtown's Continental Club on Tuesday.Tickets start at $18. Show is at 7pm.🛍️ Shop from business-minded kids at the Children's Entrepreneur Market in River Oaks on Wednesday.4pm-8pm.🖼️ Hear from art historians about abstract expressionism and Janet Sobel at the Menil on Wednesday.Free. 6pm-7pm.
Judge denies attempt to pause Harris County’s guaranteed income program
A district judge upheld Harris County's new guaranteed income program Thursday, denying Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's request to pause it.The big picture: Paxton's office sued Harris County over Uplift Harris, which promises $500 monthly cash payments to more than 1,900 low-income households over 18 months.The lawsuit, filed this month, called the program a "socialist experiment" and argued the assistance was unconstitutional and violated a Texas statute prohibiting gifts of public funds.Last summer, the county allocated $20.5 million of federal COVID funds to fund it.Uplift Harris received more than 82,500 applications. The nearly 2,000 families were randomly selected and notified...
All eyes on Mayor Whitmire as Houston hosts Vision Zero summit
The Bayou City will soon host a week of forums on ending traffic deaths in Texas. But for some advocates, the forums are happening just as Houston's new mayor, John Whitmire, seems to be deemphasizing street safety priorities.Why it matters: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's most recent data, Texas led the nation in traffic deaths in 2021. And according to the Texas Department of Transportation, that same year Houston saw the most traffic fatalities of any Texas city, with 330.Catch up fast: Houston has a Vision Zero commitment to end roadway fatalities and serious injuries by 2030,...
All eyes on Mayor Whitmire as Houston hosts Vision Zero summit
The Bayou City will soon host a week of forums on ending traffic deaths in Texas. But for some advocates, the forums are happening just as Houston's new mayor, John Whitmire, seems to be deemphasizing street safety priorities.Why it matters: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's most recent data, Texas led the nation in traffic deaths in 2021. And according to the Texas Department of Transportation, that same year Houston saw the most traffic fatalities of any Texas city, with 330.Catch up fast: Houston has a Vision Zero commitment to end roadway fatalities and serious injuries by 2030,...
Next phase of Rothko Chapel $42M campus expansion breaks ground
The Rothko Chapel broke ground on Phase 2 of its $42 million Opening Spaces project yesterday.Why it matters: The art and meditative chapel is expanding its footprint to create a "campus" that will align with its mission of community engagement and providing central, "spiritual, sacred spaces," the chapel's executive director, David Leslie, tells Axios.Driving the news: Today, the bungalow owned by the Rothko Chapel near its welcome space will be moved to begin the construction of a new Administration and Archives Building.Phase 2 will also include the construction of a program center for events and workshops, a guest house, and...
Houston advocates pressure city for sewage overflow funding
Local organizations are demanding the city create a $20 million private sewer pipe repair fund to help fix sewage overflows into homes and yards.Why it matters: The proposed fund aims to alleviate the burdens on low-income Black and brown communities, where research has shown sewage overflows disproportionately persist, leading to health and lifestyle issues.Catch up quick: Sewage pollution has long been an invisible problem across flood-prone Houston.As part of a negotiated settlement in 2021, the City of Houston agreed to invest $2 billion in local sanitary sewer upgrades over 15 years after a Bayou City Waterkeeper investigation highlighted the issue.Three...
Houston advocates pressure city for sewage overflow funding
Local organizations are demanding the city create a $20 million private sewer pipe repair fund to help fix sewage overflows into homes and yards.Why it matters: The proposed fund aims to alleviate the burdens on low-income Black and brown communities, where research has shown sewage overflows disproportionately persist, leading to health and lifestyle issues.Catch up quick: Sewage pollution has long been an invisible problem across flood-prone Houston.As part of a negotiated settlement in 2021, the City of Houston agreed to invest $2 billion in local sanitary sewer upgrades over 15 years after a Bayou City Waterkeeper investigation highlighted the issue.Three...
Fort Bend teen joins U.S. cricket team
A Fort Bend ISD high schooler won a coveted spot on the women's national cricket team for the upcoming World Cup qualifier tournament.The big picture: Dulles High School student Pooja Shah, 18, is a rising star in the professional cricket world, having made her international debut in 2023 with the inaugural women's under-19 team in a tournament in South Africa.Now, she's one of 15 women on the senior team representing the U.S. in the 2024 International Cricket Council Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier, which kicks off Friday in Abu Dhabi.Shah earned the spot during a four-day training and selection...
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