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Industrial production rises slightly; consumer prices remain flat…Retail gasoline prices continue rising…Texas sales tax revenue down 11.6 per cent compared to same period last year… |
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UH Researchers to Study the Effects of Common Toxins Researchers at the University of Houston will lead a new study on how thousands of toxins affect human health. The three-point-two million dollar grant from the EPA will also help the university raise its research profile. Jack Williams reports. |
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The University of Houston Small Business Development Center has been helping business owners with training and resources for twenty-five years. Ed Mayberry reports. |
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Doctors Question Jackson Lee on Healthcare Bill Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee held another townhall meeting on health care . She's been getting a lot of criticism for talking on her cell phone during her first meeting. Bill Stamps reports — how things went today at St. Joseph Hospital. |
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Alief and Spring Branch Help Every Child Get Medical Insurance Among the challenges facing low-income families as the start of the school year approaches is where to find affordable health insurance for their kids, and how to sign up for it. A new initiative launched today is focusing on the Alief and Spring Branch school districts with the goal of getting every child insured. David Pitman has more. |
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New unemployment claims rise as continuing claims sharply…Business inventories reduce further; total business sales post increase…Zogby finds one third of U.S. adults say they’re “seriously impacted” by recession… |
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Gasoline prices are up again this week in Texas. It's the twenty-third straight day of increases and the trend is likely to continue. Laurie Johnson reports. |
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New Long Term Acute Care Hospital A new hospital is opening just north of the Texas Medical Center. Rod Rice reports that acuity hospital of Houston will take patients who no longer need critical care but still need long term acute care. |
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A new steady says Texas Drivers are more vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices than drivers in most other states. Jack Williams reports. |
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One of the biggest controversies in Houston City government may also be one of the least publicized. It's over the handling of BARC, the city’s animal control agency. Bill Stamps reports — the group is under its third leader this year and his job won't be permanent. |
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Breakthroughs in Regenerative Medicine World experts in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are meeting at Rice University this week. They are discussing the latest scientific research on growing cells, tissues and organs for transplantation. Pat Hernandez says successes in the relatively young science are now leading to clinical reality. |
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City council term limits are likely to be on the November ballot in one form or another. Mayor Bill White wants voters to decide if a permanent commission should be created to examine term limits. Laurie Johnson has more. |
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New Items on the List for Tax Free Weekend The annual no sales tax week-end has become a back-to-school tradition. The Texas Controller's office says this year it will begin on Friday August 21st and run through Sunday August 23rd. Rod Rice has more. |
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Wednesday AM August 12th, 2009 Houston-based Sterling Bank says its pending acquisition of first bank branches will strengthen its presence here and in Dallas. Jack Williams reports. |
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Charges filed in 1992 Murder Case In July of 1992, four people were shot and killed during a home invasion robbery in south Houston. Now seventeen years later, police have charged three people with the murders. As Bill Stamps reports — one of the murder victims was the younger brother of local activist Quanell X. |
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Healthcare Professionals to Continue Eunice Shriver's Legacy Eunice Kennedy Shriver carried on the family's public service tradition by founding the Special Olympics. One Houston healthcare professional says her work in helping Special Olympians will continue despite her passing. Pat Hernandez has more. |
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New Traffic Laws Go Into Effect New laws enacted by the State Legislature go into effect on September first. As Laurie Johnson reports — several of the changes will affect nearly everyone. |
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It’s the end of the line for an East End business. As METRO expands mass transit lines in the city some established businesses will have to suffer. This morning the front half of Lenox Barbeque fell to a demolition crew. The iconic eatery had to make way for the East End light rail line that will run along Harrisburg Avenue. Rod Rice reports. |
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A new book looks at ways to motivate teams to top performance in business. Ed Mayberry talked with an author who says managers are pivotal to corporate success — but that doesn't mean micromanagement. |
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Houston Symphony CEO to Head Down Under The Houston Symphony Society is looking for a new leader. Executive Director and CEO Matthew VanBesien is leaving Houston to be the new managing director of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra next year. Pat Hernandez has more. |
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Survey Says: HISD Doing a Good Job Results of a new survey show a marked improvement in public perception of the Houston Independent School District. The overall opinion among parents and the general public has risen significantly since the time the last survey was conducted. Pat Hernandez has more. |
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New City Radio System on the Fast Track The City of Houston has pushed the "fast-forward" button on getting a 100-million dollar emergency radio system up and running earlier than planned. It will eventually replace an assortment of outdated systems for police, fire and public works that use yesterday's technology, have big holes in coverage and aren't able to communicate with other jurisdictions without special adaptors. Jack Williams reports. |
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Professor Calls for Better Storm Preparation for Disabled Advocates for the disabled are calling for better storm preparation by individuals and local governments and agencies. That's following a new report detailing some of the hardships disabled Houstonians faced in the weeks after Hurricane Ike. David Pitman has more. |
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Gasoline prices nearly 16 cents higher than two weeks ago…Southwest Airlines bids for Frontier Airlines…Dynegy to sell eight existing plants and one project to L.S. Power Associates… |
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In the ongoing battle to stop intoxicated drivers Mothers Against Drunk Driving recently showcased some new technologies that are helping with the fight. Rod Rice reports that innovations to ignition interlock systems make them very difficult to fool. |
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Free Electricity for Non-Profits As energy costs continue to rise — non-profit organizations have a harder time making the bills. But a program by Green Mountain Energy provides free solar energy to qualifying organizations. Laurie Johnson explains. |
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Some large corporations have improved their hiring success by conducting longer, chronological "top grading" interviews. Ed Mayberry reports. |
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Recently, some naturalists in Houston Park discovered an unusual specimen. They didn't know what it was at first, but it turned out to be a very unwelcome guest. From the KUHF NewsLab, Melissa Galvez has the story. |
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Coordinating the next Hurricane Strike The University of Houston is host to a conference on hurricane preparedness. Participants include state and local leaders who shared lessons learned from Hurricane Ike, and how to be better prepared for the next storm. Pat Hernandez has more. |
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President signs “cash for clunkers” extension…Consumer continue saving, paying down debt for fifth straight month...Unemployment rate drops slightly to 9.4 per cent… |
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Congressman Urges Resolution of US-Mexico Trade Dispute A local congressman is urging President Obama to use a weekend summit of North American leaders to resolve a trade dispute between the United States and Mexico. U.S. Representative Kevin Brady says a recent Congressional Action is costing U.S. businesses money, and could jeopardize jobs. David Pitman reports. |
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High School Football in the Houston Heat With prep football season just weeks away, high school athletes in the Heights are hard at work in the blistering heat. Gail Delaughter reports, coaches are taking precautions to keep kids safe. |
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Thousands of homes and businesses in Galveston lost their water today because of an electrical fire at one of Galveston's water pump stations. City officials blame the fire on damage caused by Hurricane Ike, almost a year ago. Jim Bell explains. |
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Houston is the first major city to convert to in-ground automated water meter reading. Ed Mayberry reports. |
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Dueling School Accountability Ratings Almost 90-percent of schools in the Houston Independent School District meet federal accountability standards. That's the good news. The bad news is the district does not. The outgoing HISD superintendent says the problem has to do with each state having a different federal standard. Pat Hernandez has the story. |
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Unemployment claims lower than analyst expectations…Retailers report sluggish sales…99¢ Only Stores cancel plans to exit Texas market… |
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Revised Hurricane Outlook Doesn't Change Local Plan Harris County's top emergency manager says he won't change anything about the local plan just because government forecasters have scaled-back their hurricane season predictions. Jack Williams reports. |
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Citizens Active on Health Care When the President's health care bill was introduced, some members of the Texas congressional delegation voiced strong opposition. But citizens are not sitting back, either. Houstonians who support the present health care bill are quietly making their voices heard-and as representatives come back to Texas for the August recess, they plan to get louder. From the KUHF NewsLab, Melissa Galvez reports. |
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Hurricane Forecast Revised Downward The quiet hurricane season has the experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting fewer hurricanes than they were expecting before the season started. Jim Bell reports. |
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Failure can be a learning tool. A new book explains how leaders should embrace the power of failure to improve their organizations and achieve greater goals. Ed Mayberry reports. |
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Nearly a year after Hurricane Ike — the city of Houston is still negotiating its insurance claim for damages to Houston's airports. Laurie Johnson reports. |
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Texas Southern University has been given a big gift from the Obama Administration. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee made the announcement this afternoon. Bill Stamps has more. |
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Factory orders rise, but supply managers report contraction…Retail gasoline prices jump 2.4 cents overnight…Drought continues hammering Texas farmers and ranchers… |
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The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released captive-bred Attwater Prairie Chickens at a preserve in Texas City. They're almost extinct, but the release program is an annual effort to increase the population of the birds found only in Texas. Pat Hernandez has more. |
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Natural Gas Platform Explosion The Coast Guard will investigate a fire and explosion on a natural gas rig in the Gulf of Mexico not far from Galveston. Jim Bell reports. |
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Surveys indicate consumers 65 and older are carrying 26 per cent more credit card debt than just four years ago. Money Management International is concerned about seniors feeling hard-pressed for cash, relying on credit cards to manage day-to-day expenses. Ed Mayberry reports. |
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Pending home sales rise for fifth consecutive month; consumer spending up for second straight month…Feds raid CES Environmental in wake of worker deaths…CenterPoint Energy applying for federal funding to speed up deployment of smart meters… |
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New Teachers Prepare for Challenges of Teaching This week HISD is holding training for its newest teachers, helping them prepare for everything they'll face down the road. Bill Stamps talked with some of their rookies about the challenges they'll face and why they decided to go into teaching. |
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Authorities Shut Down Houston Plant A Houston environmental plant is under raid by local and federal authorities today. CES Environmental Services is an industrial waste facility that's the subject of numerous complaints and the scene of recent accidents, including one death last month. Laurie Johnson has more. |
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Texas Inspection Stickers Go Cowboy The state of Texas has recently unveiled new vehicle registration plates and now there's something else that will be new for your vehicle. Rod Rice reports on the introduction of new inspection stickers. |
