Moving to the Future, the campaign to pass the METRO Proposition, a $3.5 billion bond initiative on the November 2019 ballot, announced the results of a new poll today: 70% of likely voters currently supporting the proposition; 23% oppose the measure; and 7% are undecided.
Campaign spokesperson Sue Davis said, “We are very encouraged by these poll results. The voters are sending a clear message: They want more transit, less traffic and better roads. That’s exactly what the METRO Proposition will accomplish – without raising taxes.”
The poll of likely November voters was conducted by FM3 Research, a nationally recognized polling firm with extensive experience polling transit measures. The poll found that large majorities of voters reported top concerns that included traffic congestion, the condition of local streets and roads, the lack of public transit and air pollution and smog.
The METRO Proposition provides funding to implement the METRONext Moving Forward Plan, which increases high-capacity rapid transit services, including:
-Providing more than $4 billion over 20 years to fix our streets and sidewalks
-Extending existing light rail lines and adding a light rail line to Hobby Airport
-Expanding park & rides and commuter service on most major freeways
-Improving service on 260 miles of bus routes
-Creating new Metro Rapid high-speed bus lines which have many of the same advantages as rail, at a fraction of the cost
The funds would be provided by the sale of up to $3.5 billion in bonds over 20 years with no new taxes. METRO would also apply for federal matching funds – up to an additional $3.5 billion. Together with $500,000 in local funds, METRO’s potential investment in the region’s transportation system and infrastructure is $7.5 billion.
Roads and several communities were still submerged in 2-3 feet of water in southeastern Texas Friday after days of heavy rainfall from Tropical Rainstorm Imelda. Imelda, which came ashore as a tropical storm Tuesday, spawned rising floodwaters that turned deadly and left a bridge potentially damaged after runaway barges collided with it.
The slow-moving tropical system’s torrential rain caused a devastating scene Wednesday into Thursday that was reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey’s deluge just two years ago. The flooding prompted hundreds of water rescues as well as more than 1,000 calls for assistance.
Authorities said at least five deaths can be blamed on the widespread flooding. The first happened in Jefferson County when a person drowned while trying to move a horse to safety. Three of the deaths occurred in vehicles caught up in floodwaters. A man found in a ditch outside of Houston on Friday reportedly drowned.
Officials closed a stretch of Interstate 10 east of Houston on Friday to inspect it for structural damage after several barges slammed into a bridge along the swollen San Jacinto River.
Aerial footage captured by AccuWeather National Reporter Jonathan Petramala showed one of the barges jammed underneath the empty interstate.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Transportation and United States Coast Guard responded to the bridge near Channelview, Texas.
“At 12:05 a.m., Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report that nine barges had broken away from their moorings at the San Jacinto River Fleet, north of the San Jacinto River bridge,” Coast Guard officials said in a statement.
A Coast Guard helicopter and boat crew were diverted to the scene.
The Coast Guard said that vessel movement under the I-10 bridge was suspended Thursday evening due to strong currents. The suspension remained in effect into Friday.
Gonzalez also said that one of his deputies had been swept away in floodwaters while responding to a citizen in need of rescue in Huffman, Texas, which is located near the outer reaches of Lake Houston.
While the sheriff ‘s office lost contact with the deputy for a time, the deputy and citizen, who weren’t identified, were eventually both located and were said to be in good condition.
Gonzalez said it was a multi-agency response involving the Coast Guard as well as the Houston Police Department. Houston officials said that more than 1,600 vehicles had been towed from city streets as of 10 a.m. Friday. Additional tows of abandoned vehicles in parking lots, medians and roadways were ongoing.
The highest rainfall report came in from around the Beaumont-Port Arthur areas. An observation site near Taylor’s Bayou near Hamshire reported 43.39 inches
inches of rain. Hamshire is about 65 miles east of Houston. Several other areas topped the 40-inch mark, including Mayhaw Bayou (42.64 inches) and Taylor’s Bayou (41.57 inches).
The torrents of rain that Imelda unleashed set numerous records, and the storm also became the seventh-wettest tropical cyclone in U.S. history.
For Houston, Thursday was the wettest calendar day ever recorded in the month of September and the fifth-wettest day ever recorded. Houston’s Hobby Airport set daily records on Tuesday and
Wednesday and the monthly total is now 11.37 inches, good for the third-wettest September on record for that site.
While Houston initially avoided the heaviest rainfall from Imelda, heavier bands of rain began shifting southward over the city late Thursday morning, and bayous were rising rapidly, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
On Thursday afternoon, a very heavy rain band east of Houston continued to drop copious rainfall amounts of 3 to 4 inches per hour, adding to the significant and
even major flooding that is ongoing, forecasters said.
One Texas couple spent seven hours inside their vehicle, trapped in floodwaters as they waited to be rescued. Tina and Robert Horne had gone out to make a grocery run and suddenly found themselves overwhelmed by Imelda’s surging floodwaters in Splendora, about a 40-mile drive north of Houston.
“I hit that water and poof, that was it,” Robert told KTRK’s Ted Oberg. “My car was floating.” Firefighters used a zodiac boat to reach the couple in water that was nearly chest deep, according to Robert, and then usher them to dry land.
Tina said she clung to her husband to prevent being swept away by the current from the rushing floodwaters. The Hornes were weary after the ordeal, but glad to be safe — two of hundreds who need rescuing from stranded vehicles.
In a Friday afternoon update, the Harris County Sheriff ‘s Office said they responded to 422 high-water rescues, 36 major crashes and 357 stranded vehicles.
On Thursday Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for 13 counties that were experiencing the flooding. Gov. Abbott also declared a state of emergency to give counties access to state resources as they respond to the flooding.
“The State of Texas is working closely with local officials and emergency personnel to provide the resources they need to keep Texans safe from Tropical Storm Imelda,” Abbott said in a statement. “I thank our first responders who are acting swiftly to help the communities that are facing this severe weather event.
I urge all those in the path of this storm to take the necessary precautions and heed all warnings from local officials.”
In Vidor and Winnie, officials interviewed by separate media outlets both spoke of the dangerous waters and the severity being worse than Harvey in 2017. Vidor, Texas, Police Chief Rod Carroll told KFDM News that the situation in town was “catastrophic” and the flooding in town was worse than Harvey.
Videos on social media Thursday morning showed numerous water rescues being carried out by airboats, including some by the Texas Game Warden.
Farther south, Chambers County Emergency Management stated early Thursday morning that significant flooding was occurring in Winnie, with water coming into homes and businesses. Riceland
Hospital was evacuated, and a flood shelter had been opened at White’s Park Community Center.
The Chambers County Sheriff ‘s Office said the community of Winnie was “devastated” by rising water and high water rescue vehicles and airboats had been deployed.
In an interview with ABC News, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said the flooding in Winnie was “absolutely horrible” and homes and businesses that never got water during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 have been overwhelmed by flooding.
Elsewhere in Beaumont, the dual ABC/NBC affiliate,12 News, was forced to evacuate Thursday morning due to the rising floodwaters. The station said on its Facebook page that news anchors would broadcast from their sister station KHOU 11 out of Houston.
Imelda could be responsible for a few tornadoes that spun up in Chambers and Harris counties on Wednesday. Beaumont was under a tornado warning for a time early Thursday morning, but there were no initial reports of a confirmed tornado.
Este domingo se llevaron a cabo los premios Emmy en su edición número 71. La gala, que reconoce a lo mejor de la televisión estadounidense, tuvo su cita en el Microsoft Theatre de Los Angeles, California.
La ceremonia, al igual que los últimos Oscar, no tuvo un conductor/a. En esta oportunidad, ” Game of Thrones” tuvo 32 nominacion y se convirtió en la gran favorita de la noche. La producción de fantasía épica de HBO es la más premiada de la historia con 47 estatuillas. Esta fue la última vez que recibión un galardón ya que la serie se despidió de sus espectadores.
” Game of Thrones” ganó en la categoría “Mejor serie dramática” y se enfrentó a “Killing Eve”, “Better Call Saul”, “Bodyguard”, “Ozark”, “Pose”, “Succession” y “This is us”. “Mejor comedia” se lo llevó “Fleabag” y compitió contran “Barry”, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “The Good Place”, “Russian Doll”, “Schitt’s Creek” y “Veep”.
“Chernobyl” se llevó la estatuilla a “Mejor miniserie” (Reuters).
Por su parte, la producción que se llevó el premio en “Mejor miniserie” fue “Chernobyl”, la cual compartió categoría con “Escape at Dannemora”, “Fosse/Verdon”, “Sharp Objects” y “When they see us”. Sobre canales y plataformas, “HBO” volvió a quedarse con el lugar que había perdido en 2018 frente a ” Netflix”: obtuvo 137 nominaciones frente a 117 del sistema de streaming.
Mirá la lista completa de ganadores en los Emmys 2019:
The Texans were down by 10 points at the intermission of Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
But it didn’t matter to Deshaun Watson.
The third-year quarterback engineered a trio of Texans touchdown drives and Houston roared back from a 17-7 deficit to triumph by a 27-20 margin in Carson, CA. On the final scoring drive, with 9:40 remaining in the game, he shook off a few Chargers pass rushers and was able to find a wide-open Jordan Akins. The second-year tight end sprinted 55-yards for six points, and the Texans held on for the win.
“Deshaun’s been doing that forever, since he’s been playing football,” receiver DeAndre Hopkins said. “Us as receivers, we know what Deshaun’s going to do. We know he’s not going to go down easy, so we always keep our routes alive.”
Hopkins wound up with six catches for 67 yards. He was one of four different Texans pass-catchers who had a reception of 30 yards or longer.The 55-yarder to Akins came about after Watson eluded pressure and got it to his tight end.
“No one was over there, so I just kind of flicked him the ball,” Watson said. “He made a play after that. That was pretty much it.”
Defensive end J.J. Watt, who rang up two sacks and two tackles for loss, loved seeing what his quarterback did on Sunday.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Watt said. “You’re never out of a game. It’s always a lot of fun to sit on the bench and watch him play, because you never know what you’re going to see.”
Watson completed 25-of-34 passes for 351 yards, with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. His QB rating was 135.8.
After the break, he was 12-of-17 for 199 yards and two scores to Akins.
From Watt’s vantage point, which wasn’t good, the final Watson-to-Akins touchdown had the defense in an “ecstatic” state.
“I can’t see a ton from the sidelines,” Watt said. “He escaped out of there, which he does all the time which is crazy, and he threw it to him. I looked up at the scoreboard to see where he was going to run to, and there wasn’t a single other person there on the screen. I was like ‘Well, this could be good.’ And then he kept going, and going, and he scored.”
Watson was sacked just two times on Sunday, and gave a lot of credit to his offensive line, which saw left guard Max Scharping get his first NFL start, and Zach Fulton and Tytus Howard lining up on the right side at guard and tackle respectively.
By Howard Beck via Bleacher Report – The beard is still lush and vibrant, an impenetrable forest of facial camouflage. The man behind it, also known as The Beard, is equally spirited and inscrutable. But his steel-wooled facade has just cracked, albeit slightly.
So, about that 30th birthday you recently celebrated…
“Don’t remind me!” James Harden interjects, as if the mere mention of the milestone might buckle his knees and send his hairline into recession.
The Houston Rockets star isn’t here for your rocking-chair jokes, your stats on mid-career players or your musings on athletic mortality. He is, however, smiling wryly through this gentle protest, his defensiveness more than offset by his bravado.
Yes, Harden stared down 30 candles on Aug. 26, and yes, it was a bit jarring—”in the worst way,” he tells B/R—but The Beard has never felt friskier or more confident.
And why not? The man has back-to-back scoring titles, a half-dozen All-NBA awards and a semi-permanent place in the MVP race. One of his best friends and fellow All-Stars, Russell Westbrook, joined his team this summer. And his greatest nemesis is in tatters.
The Golden State Warriors, who have stymied Harden at every turn for years, are mortal again, having lost Kevin Durant to Brooklyn and Klay Thompson to a serious knee injury.
There are no dynasties to topple, no superteams blocking the horizon.
The NBA suddenly feels wide-open, a portrait of superstar equilibrium: LeBron and AD (Lakers), Kawhi and PG13 (Clippers), Embiid and Simmons (76ers), KD and Kyrie (Nets).
And in Houston, James and Russ.
It’s now the Rockets, not the Warriors, who boast two recent MVPs…
Story by Brian McTaggart; courtesy of the Houston Astros.
The Astros weren’t going to be denied on this day. Not with Justin Verlander on the mound with a chance to win 20 games. Not with George Springer swinging the bat like he wanted to single-handedly carry the day. And not with a sellout crowd ready to throw a party at Minute Maid Park.
Even though the Astros led the American League West by 10 games in June and were never really threatened in the division race, they were still in a mood to celebrate what seemed liked a foregone conclusion Sunday afternoon after beating the Angels, 13-5, to win their third straight AL West title.
Springer clobbered home runs in each of his first three at-bats and Verlander reached 20 victories for the second time in his career to send the Astros to their ninth division title. The Astros (102-54) stayed a half-game ahead of the Yankees for the best record in MLB and need only one win in their final six games to tie the franchise record for most victories in a season.
“I’m happy for the fans, happy for the city and happy for us a team,” Springer said. “A lot has to go right for us to do this and a lot of hard work has to get put into it. It did, and we’re starting to see it.”
When closer Roberto Osuna got Kaleb Cowart to pop out for the final out of game, the Astros headed to the middle of the diamond to celebrate. Soon, they danced jubilantly in a huddle. In a wet clubhouse a few minutes later, manager AJ Hinch told his club they’re the best team in the big leagues and that they’re winning in the face of high expectations. He challenged them to hang another World Series pennant.
“We worked for it all year, and this is not easy,” Hinch said. “These guys put in the work and we get to the finish line and win the West. We feel really good about it. We love this team. We can accomplish big things, and this is the first step, hopefully, of a few of these celebrations if we keep playing.”
Coming off winning the 2017 World Series championship, the Astros lost in five games last year to the eventual champions, the Red Sox, in the AL Championship Series. But Houston returned its core position players and a rotation led by Verlander and Gerrit Cole, so expectations were high.
The Astros overcame significant injuries to Springer, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve, but they were buoyed by the addition of rookie slugger Yordan Alvarez and pulled off a stunning deal at the July Trade Deadline to add former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke to their stacked rotation. They became the World Series favorites.
“I keep telling these guys, you have to appreciate the team we have and the era you’re in and the group you have,” Hinch said. “To do it one after another is great for the people that have been here. We also have some guys who won their first AL West with us. We just keep a winning culture, winning mindset. We show up ready to play every day. We’ll soak this up. We had a lot of individual achievements this year, but it was never about that. It was about winning.”
Astros president of baseball operations and general manager Jeff Luhnow, who proclaimed this year’s team is better than last year’s club that was bounced in the ALCS, said clinch day is his favorite day of the year.
“It means we’ve actually accomplished the first major step,” Luhnow said. “We know we have a lot of work to do because the eight teams that are going to be left after the Wild Card Game are going to be good, too. We put together a team here that can beat any of them in any given series.”
Verlander (20-6) struck out five in five innings and is six punchouts shy of becoming the 18th pitcher to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. He will have one final chance to get there this season when he starts Saturday against the Angels in Anaheim in his final regular-season outing. Verlander has only reached the mark in 2011, when he won 24 games for the Tigers.
“Call me old school, but wins mean something to me,” Verlander said. “I think our job as a starting pitcher is to be out there late in games and pitch a lot of innings. That’s how you win ballgames. It’s a fickle stat. You can lose some close ones when you pitch well and you can win when you don’t pitch well, but over the course of 34 starts, if you do your job, more often than not you’re going to come out with a winning record.”
Springer homered in the first and second innings off Angels starter Jose Rodriguez and in the fourth off relief pitcher Jose Suarez to give the Astros a 4-2 lead. That tied him with Bregman for the team lead with 38 homers, but Bregman hit a two-run homer in the fifth — his 39th — to push the lead to 6-2. Alvarez had four hits. Aledmys Diaz added a three-run homer in the sixth.
The Astros went 60-21 at home, joining the 1998 Yankees as the only teams in the last 40 years to win 60 home games in a season. In the final week, they’ll be trying to hold off the Yankees and get home-field advantage through the ALCS.
“We’ve got to take it one step at a time,” Bregman said. “We’ve got a few games left in the regular season, and we want to finish strong. We want our guys to go into the postseason feeling healthy, and I think we’re off to a great start.”
Houston Dynamo forward Christian Ramirez and midfielder Boniek García have been named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week for Week 29, Major League Soccer announced today.
Both players played crucial roles in Houston’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Orlando City SC on Saturday night at BBVA Stadium. The win was Houston’s second in a row at home under interim head coach Davy Arnaud, and it kept the Dynamo’s playoff hopes alive as they head out for a two-game road trip this week.
Ramirez earned Man of the Match honors on Saturday as he set up the equalizing goal with a pinpoint cross in the 70th minute that allowed teammate Alberth Elis to head the ball into the net, and then tapped in the game-winner three minutes later with a crafty run inside the penalty area that allowed him to get on the end of a pass from forward Mauro Manotas in front of an empty net.
Although he didn’t fill up the stat sheet the way that Ramirez did, García was impossible to miss on Saturday night. The 35-year-old Honduran international, who is in the midst of a resurgent season in which he has already set career-highs for games started (27) and minutes played (2,319) covered virtually every blade of grass on the pitch over the course of the match. Playing centrally in Houston’s 4-4-2 alignment, García helped control the pace of the match with a game-high 84 touches and 69 passes. He also contributed three tackles defensively and won three fouls in his 90-minute shift.
The Dynamo head west this week for a pair of road fixtures. First they’ll take on league-leading LAFC Wednesday night at Banc of California Stadium (9:30 p.m. CDT) before traveling to Utah to face Real Salt Lake on Sunday evening (6:30 p.m. CDT). Both matches will be televised live locally on KUBE 57 in English and in Spanish on TeleXitos 47.2. Univision Radio 1010 AM will air both games in Spanish.
The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SAHCC), South Texas Energy and Economic Roundtable (STEER) and Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) today joined forces to host the 2019 South Texas Energy Roundup, which showcased the economic impact of the oil and natural gas industry in South Texas.
“Innovation and technology have catapulted the United States, and Texas in particular, to become global energy leaders,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar. “I’m proud of all that is happening in South Texas that is strengthening our local communities and improving lives around the world.”
The Eagle Ford Shale alone has contributed well over $300 billion in economic impact to the South Texas region, traditionally the poorest region with the highest unemployment prior to the energy renaissance in Texas, according to a study by the Center for Community and Business Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute for Economic Development.
“Oil and natural gas activity is growing our regional economy and creating high-quality jobs for South Texas families,” said SAHCC Chairman John Agather. “We are thrilled to co-host the South Texas Energy Roundup to showcase all that the men and women of this industry are doing in and for our communities.”
TXOGA President Todd Staples noted that “the men and women of the oil and natural gas industry in South Texas are securing the region’s economy, environment and future.” Staples continued, “As we heard at our South Texas Energy Roundup today, continued oil and natural gas production and LNG export facilities will play an important role, not only in creating local jobs and investment, but also in anchoring our state’s position as a global energy leader.”
STEER Acting President Chris Ashcraft concluded, “The Texas oil and natural gas industry is firing on all cylinders, meeting our energy needs and producing feedstocks that are driving manufacturing and industrial job growth across the state.”
Featured speakers at the Energy Roundup included Congressman Henry Cuellar, Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, CPS Energy Chief Administrative & Business Development Officer Frank Almaraz, Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge, Howard Energy Mexico President Brandon Seale, Valero Senior Vice President of Crude & Intermediate Supply & Trading Randy Hawkins, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Chairman John Agather, UTSA Professor for Economic Development Dr. Thomas Tunstall, HOLT CAT Vice President of Commercial Engine Sales Paul Cosper and TXOGA President Todd Staples.
Governor Greg Abbott today kicked off his business development mission in Asia by meeting with U.S. Consul General of Osaka-Kobe Karen Kelley for an in-country briefing in Osaka, Japan. Following his meeting with the Consul General, Governor Abbott attended a dinner hosted by Japanese Ambassador of Kansai Jota Yamamoto alongside Japanese business executives and government officials, where they discussed bilateral relations and the strong economic partnership between Texas and Japan.
Karen Kelley is a Senior Foreign Service officer with overseas experience in the Asia Pacific and Africa regions. Her service as Consul General in Osaka began in late August 2017. Prior to this assignment, Ms. Kelley was the Counselor for Public Affairs in the U.S. Embassy, Harare Zimbabwe, from August 2013 through June 2016, where she also served as the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission from July through November 2016. Previously, she served as the Deputy Office Director and as the Acting Office Director in the Office of Japanese Affairs in Washington, D.C. from August 2008 through July 2009. From 2005 to 2008, she was the State Department Public Diplomacy Advisor to the U.S. Pacific Commander, USPACOM in Camp Smith, Hawaii.
Jota Yamamoto is currently serving as the Representative of the Government of Japan Ambassador in charge of Kansai. He previously served as the Consul-General of Japan at Houston from October 2011 to March 2013. After serving in Texas, Yamamoto returned to Japan. In 2016, he became the Consul-General of Japan in Finland.
I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of the State of Texas, certified on August 23, 2019, that exceptional drought conditions posed a threat of imminent disaster in Duval, Hall, Jim Hogg, Randall, Swisher, Webb, and Zapata counties, and I certified on August 30, 2019, that those conditions continued and also threatened Briscoe, Brooks, Castro, Jim Wells, Nueces, San Patricio, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties. I hereby certify that the exceptional drought conditions continue and pose a threat of imminent disaster in Briscoe, Castro, Nueces, Randall, San Patricio, Swisher, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties, and that the conditions also now threaten Baylor, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Crosby, Dimmit, Foard, Frio, Garza, Hardeman, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Lubbock, Lynn, Runnels, Shackelford, Stonewall, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Green, and Zavala counties.
WHEREAS, significantly low rainfall and prolonged dry conditions continue to increase the threat of wildfire across these portions of the state; and
WHEREAS, these drought conditions pose an imminent threat to public health, property, and the economy;
THEREFORE, in accordance with the authority vested in me by Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code, I do hereby declare a state of disaster in Baylor, Briscoe, Callahan, Castro, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Crosby, Dimmit, Foard, Frio, Garza, Hardeman, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Lubbock, Lynn, Nueces, Randall, Runnels, San Patricio, Shackelford, Stonewall, Swisher, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Zavala counties based on the existence of such threat.
Pursuant to Section 418.017 of the code, I authorize the use of all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster.
Pursuant to Section 418.016 of the code, any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business or any order or rule of a state agency that would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with this disaster shall be suspended upon written approval of the Office of the Governor. However, to the extent that the enforcement of any state statute or administrative rule regarding contracting or procurement would impede any state agency’s emergency response that is necessary to protect life or property threatened by this declared disaster, I hereby authorize the suspension of such statutes and rules for the duration of this declared disaster.
In accordance with the statutory requirements, copies of this proclamation shall be filed with the applicable authorities.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be
