Past Articles by David Pitman
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KUHF, KUHT To Merge In Plan To Create 'Houston Public Media' You may have heard by now about plans to merge KUHF with KUHT, the local PBS station. A nationwide search begins next month for the CEO who will lead the combined stations. In the meantime, there aren't many details to share about how the merged stations will look, or sound. David Pitman reports. |
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As Bets Are Placed On NFL Playoffs, A Local Recovering Gambler Shares His Story The Houston Texans failed to make it into the NFL playoffs for yet another year. But that won't keep a lot of people in the Houston area from placing bets on the playoffs, along with the Super Bowl. While you might think this is the most exciting time of the year for sports gamblers, it actually isn't. David Pitman talked with a recovering gambler to find out why. |
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(January 11, 2011) State Representative Garnet Coleman (D) of Houston sat down with David Pitman ahead of today's opening of the regular legislative session to explain his idea for a temporary one-cent increase in the sales tax to help erase an estimate $20 billion budget shortfall. Rep. Coleman also discusses what the area's two new congressional districts will look like, and how state Democrats can hope to have any effect on what happens this year in Austin, given an overwhelming Republican majority. |
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More Delays For Shuttle Discovery As NASA Modifies Key Fuel Tank Components The next space shuttle mission has been delayed, once again. NASA wanted to get Discovery off the ground early next month for its final mission to the International Space Station. But a recurring problem is keeping it from going anywhere until late February, at the earliest. David Pitman has more. |
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HISD Wins Grant To Buy Dozens of Cleaner Propane School Buses The Houston Independent School District is one step closer to switching part of its fleet of more than 1000 school buses to propane. The district announced today that it has been awarded more than two million dollars in grants to help purchase 25 propane-fueled buses. David Pitman has more. |
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Last Minute Tax Code Changes Will Likely Mean Delays For Filing Income Tax Returns Now that we're in January, taxpayers will start receiving the statements they need to file their federal income tax returns. But if you're in the habit of filing your return as soon as you get your w-2s and 10-99s, you may have to wait awhile this year. As David Pitman reports, the IRS is still trying to update its processing systems to handle some last-minute changes to the tax code. |
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Mayor Parker In Office: Past, Present and Future Houston Mayor Annise Parker is approaching the end of her first year in office. She says it's been a challenging time, but she's pleased with the progress she's made so far. David Pitman has this look back at Parker's first year, and a look ahead to what she's facing in 2011. |
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Eversole's Indictment Reflects Lack of Scrutiny Of Commissioners Court Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole will return to federal court in February. The five-term Republican in precinct four was indicted this week on bribery and tax charges. As David Pitman reports, one local political analyst says Eversole's eventual trial may reveal some not-so-flattering details about how Harris County Commissioners Court operates. |
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How To Keep Pipes From Bursting When It Freezes Again The worst of the freezing weathering appears to be over, for now. Lows tonight are expected to be mostly in the mid 30's. But another round of cold air is due by the weekend, bringing overnight lows back to near-freezing. This is as good a time to make sure the exposed pipes in and around your home are well protected. David Pitman has more. |
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HISD Trustees Set To Vote On Creating All-Boys School One month after the Houston Independent School District approved creating its first "all girls" school, the board is set to do the same for boys. This afternoon, trustees will vote on a proposal to open an all-male college prep academy. David Pitman has more. |
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Houston Gas Prices Up Sharply, Still Below National Average The price of gasoline is on the rise in Houston. But it's unlikely we'll break the three-dollar-per-gallon mark by the end of the year. David Pitman has more. |
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Medical Center Construction Prompts Weekend Closure of METRO Rail Metro's light rail service will be down this weekend. The transit agency is parking the rail cars at eight o'clock tonight — through midnight Sunday to allow for work on an expansion project in the medical center. David Pitman reports. |
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HISD Begins 10-15m Computer Security Upgrade Following Confirmed Breach The Houston Independent School District announced today that it will spend upwards of 15 million dollars over the next two years to improve security on its computer networks. As David Pitman reports, the upgrade comes after a month-long investigation confirmed a security breach that was first noticed in late October. |
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Attorney Beats Teacher in HISD Trustee District VIII Runoff The Houston Independent School District is getting another new trustee. Juliet Stipeche narrowly defeated Judith Cruz yesterday in a runoff election. Stipeche will finish out the term of Diana Davila, who left the district 8 seat in July. David Pitman has more. |
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A Quiet End To A Quiet Hurricane Season — At Least For The U.S. The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season officially comes to an end today. This year was remarkable both for the number of storms it produced and how few of them threatened the United States. David Pitman has more. |
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Venezuela Prez. Talks About Selling Citgo The President of Venezuela is talking about "possibly" selling Citgo — the country's petroleum corporation based in Houston. Hugo Chavez needs the cash to fulfill some of his promises, like building more public housing. As David Pitman reports, this is not the first time the idea of selling Citgo has come up. |
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Thanksgiving Deals On The Car Lot The day after Thanksgiving isn't just a good time to hit the malls to find bargains on clothing, toys, and electronics. It could also be one of the best days of the year to buy a car. David Pitman reports. |
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The full plate of Galveston Co. Judge-Elect Mark Henry Local politicians who won their first elected offices earlier this month are busy getting ready for their new jobs. One of them is Galveston County Judge-elect Mark Henry. The small businessman defeated 16-year incumbent Jim Yarbrough in the biggest Republican sweep of the county since reconstruction. As David Pitman reports, Henry is preparing for his new responsibilities "without" the typical entourage. |
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Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Comes Back Next Month The State Comptroller's Office has set a date to begin the second round of a rebate program for people who buy energy-efficient appliances. David Pitman has details. |
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Gift Will Help Sustain Rice Urban Research Institute The institute that puts together the annual Houston area survey is about to receive a tremendous financial gift — and a new name. Rice University is set to formally announce later this afternoon a multi-million dollar endowment that will support expanded research on how Houston is changing, and how those changes compare with other cities around the world. David Pitman has more. |
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HISD To Hold Public Meeting On Proposed All-Girls School The Houston Independent School District will hold a public meeting this evening to talk about the possibility of opening the district's first all-girls school. Houston already has an all-boys charter school and Ryan Middle School divides classes by gender. But, as David Pitman reports, this would be the first single-gender school under the umbrella of HISD. |
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Prop 3 Supporters Say They Respect Voters' Voice On Red Light Cameras It's now up to the Houston City Council to figure out exactly when and how to dismantle the city's red light camera system. In an unexpected result, voters rejected proposition three, which would have kept 70 cameras snapping pictures of red light runners at 50 intersections. David Pitman has more. |
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Shuttle Discovery Flight Review Ends With 'Go' For Wed. Launch Mission managers for space shuttle Discovery's final flight voted unanimously today to continue forward with Wednesday's scheduled launch. Managers in Houston and Florida met this morning for the traditional flight review, and, as David Pitman reports, they found no reason to interrupt the countdown. |
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Higher Ed. Board Proposes Change For University, CC Funding There could be a change coming in the way public universities and community colleges in Texas are funded. The state Higher Education Coordinating Board is backing a plan that would put a greater emphasis on performance in order for schools to receive a part of their base funding. David Pitman explains. |
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KUHF Conversations: Gordon Quan Former Houston City Councilman and founder of the immigration law firm Foster Quan, Gordon Quan, comes to KUHF's studios to talk with David Pitman about his campaign for Harris County Judge. Quan explains why he wants the job, and what he thinks he can do better than incumbent Ed Emmett. |
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KUHF Conversations: UH Prof. Murray on City Charter Amendment 3 For four years, Houston has been snapping hundreds of thousands of pictures of drivers running red lights. On Tuesday, voters will decide whether to keep the system, with Proposition 3. David Pitman welcomes UH Political Science Professor Dr. Richard Murray back to the program to talk about who benefits from the red light camera system, and what it might mean for the city if voters decide it should be scrapped. |
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KUHF Conversations: UH Prof. Murray on City Charter Amendment 1 As election day approaches, KUHF is taking a closer look at some of the ballot issues voters will decide. Proposition 1 would set up a dedicated, pay-as-you-go fund to improve Houston's aging streets and drainage system. David Pitman sits down with University of Houston Political Science Professor Dr. Richard Murray to discuss some of the issues surrounding Prop. 1, including the desire by schools and non-profits to be exempt from having to contribute the water bill surcharge to pay for the program. |
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Memorial Drive To Close For Rosemont Bridge Construction Part of a main artery through central Houston will be closed this weekend, so crews can install some key components of a new pedestrian bridge over Buffalo Bayou. David Pitman reports. |
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Galveston Holds Town-Hall Meeting On Rebuilding Public Housing A town-hall meeting is set for this evening in Galveston to talk about rebuilding the hundreds of public housing units lost to Hurricane Ike. This meeting comes as the state tells the city that it must commit to replacing the destroyed public housing, or several southeast Texas counties could lose a third of the money earmarked for Ike recovery. David Pitman has more. |
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Suspicious, Powdery Mail Now at 17 HISD Campuses The Houston Independent School District says today that "four" more schools have received suspicious mail. That brings the total, so far, to 17 campuses where Hazmat crews have been called in to deal with the envelopes. David Pitman has more. |
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More Teens Get Botox, But Why? A recent survey finds Botox treatments for teenagers are on the rise. But, as David Pitman reports, that doesn't necessarily mean more teens are seeking injections to treat wrinkles they don't yet have. |
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Perry, White Stand Their Ground In Dispute Over Debates It looks like the campaign for Texas Governor will 'not' include a debate between incumbent Governor Rick Perry and Democratic challenger Bill White. The deadline Perry set White to release another batch of his income tax returns came and went without White complying with Perry's demand. David Pitman has more. |
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Houston Muslims Say All Is Calm, As Ramadan Ends Muslims in Houston are spending the day marking the end of Ramadan. One local Islamic leader says the community hasn't experienced any increase in harassment or threats, despite this year's holy month being dominated by religious controversies. David Pitman reports. |
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HFD Union Leader Says Department Has No Proof To Fire 3 Firefighters The union that represents Houston's firefighters says it will help three of its members fight to get their jobs back. The department fired the men over a racial epithet that was written on a patient's electronic medical record. As David Pitman reports, the union says the department has no way to prove who's responsible for the act. |
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Tomball Councilman Explains Rejection Of Immigration-Related Laws The Tomball City Council has rejected two ordinances aimed at illegal immigration. A councilman who voted against the measures last night says one of the laws wouldn't have solved a real problem, while the other would have resulted in legal challenges the city can't afford. David Pitman has more. |
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Tomball City Council To Vote on Illegal Immigrant Laws The Tomball City Council could vote tonight on some new laws designed to fight illegal immigration. As David Pitman reports, the ordinances bear a strong resemblance to what a Dallas suburb passed a few years ago. |
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AAA Expects More Texans To Hit The Road For Labor Day Weekend You'll find more company on the roads during the three day weekend. The American Automobile Association is expecting an uptick in Labor Day travel. David Pitman has more. |
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Texas Prepares For Appliance Rebate 2.0 Texans who missed out on the appliance rebate program earlier this year are about to get another chance. The State Comptroller's Office says it's using some leftover stimulus money and changing the way the rebates are given out to allow more people to get some cash back on a new energy-efficient appliance. David Pitman has more. |
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Galveston Begins Series Of Ike Recovery Neighborhood Meetings People in Galveston are getting the chance to tell the city exactly what they want to see in their neighborhoods, as reconstruction continues, nearly two years after Hurricane Ike. As David Pitman reports, a series of planning meetings begins this evening. |
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Film Fans Mourn Loss Of Angelika, Bayou Place Says Another Theater In The Works The Museum of Fine Arts is hoping it can help fill the void left behind by the sudden closure of the Angelika Film Center in downtown Houston. And the company that leased space to the Angelika is suggesting another theater will be in that spot before too long. David Pitman reports. |
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Trauma Lingers For Katrina Evacuees In Houston, Five Years Later Five years after Hurricane Katrina, it's estimated that as many as 50,000 evacuees from New Orleans still live in the Houston area. David Pitman has the story of one evacuee who has successfully made a new life for herself here, but the scars from Katrina still remain. |
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Rice University Expert Weighs In On Stem Cell Ruling A local expert on stem cell policy says local research could be set back, after the ruling by a federal judge that temporarily blocks the Obama administration's policy to pay for new lines of 'embryonic' stem cell research. The judge concluded the plaintiffs 'may' be able to successfully argue that new government guidelines violate a law that prohibits the use of federal funds for research in which human embryos are destroyed. David Pitman has more. |
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KUHF Conversations: HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier On the "official" first day of the 2010-2011 school year, David Pitman catches up with HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier. The two talk about what the first week has been like for the Apollo 20 schools, the underperforming campuses that began a week early. They also discuss the extra five days that all students will be in class this year, and how Dr. Grier will measure the success of the various programs and initiatives he's put in place since taking over the HISD last fall. |
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Houston Near Top Of Nation's 'Most Stressful' Cities A new survey by Forbes magazine finds that Houston is one of the most stressful cities in nation. David Pitman has more. |
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Harris County Prepares For Mosquito Spraying To Battle West Nile Harris County is preparing to spray a sizable chunk of land in the ongoing fight against the West Nile virus. As David Pitman reports, an aerial mosquito spraying is set for tomorrow night over 50,000 acres on the west side of the county. |
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HCC Introduces Textbook Rental Program Houston Community College is joining the ranks of schools across the state offering students the option to 'rent' their textbooks. David Pitman reports. |
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President Obama Visits TX, Skips Houston, White Keeps Distance President Obama is in Texas this afternoon. He started off in Austin with a fundraiser and a speech at UT to talk about what needs to be done to increase college graduation rates. He's now in Dallas, where he's holding another fundraiser. As David Pitman reports, the president's trip to Texas is also notable for where he's "not" stopping, and one politician he's "not" making an appearance with. |
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How The Fight Over Prop. 8 in California Could Affect TX Everyone's waiting to see what happens next in the legal fight over California's ban on same-sex marriage. A federal judge yesterday ruled that ban to be unconstitutional, setting the stage for appeals that could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. But, as David Pitman reports, even if every appeal resulted in rulings "against" Prop 8, that doesn't necessarily mean the ban on gay marriage in Texas would go away. |
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Lawsuit Seeks Billions Over Release Of Chemicals At BP Refinery In Texas City BP is facing a new class-action lawsuit. But this one is "not" over the spill in the gulf. As David Pitman reports, today's filing seeks billions of dollars in punitive damages, following the recent release of chemicals from the BP refinery in Texas City. |
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TxDOT to Hold Open-House in Houston on its 2035 Transportation Plan The Texas Department of Transportation wants to hear from drivers in the Houston area, as it puts together its next long-range transportation plan. As David Pitman reports, there's an open house this week for people to learn more about tough choices facing the state's highway network. |
