At the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a Senate resolution recognizing the work, goals, and achievements of 523 non-profit Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) throughout the nation by designating the week of September 16-22 as “National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week.”
“Hispanic-Serving Institutions provide our state’s growing Hispanic community with quality education in a diverse learning environment,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I applaud Texas’ HSIs for helping to cultivate the next generation of leaders and thank my colleagues for joining me in recognizing HSIs’ great contributions to our nation.”
HSIs are defined as degree-granting institutions where Hispanic students comprise at least 25 percent of the total enrollment. Texas is home to roughly 90 HSIs.
Additional cosponsors of the resolution include Senators Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and Tom Udall (D-NM).
All METRO services are currently suspended due to heavy rain and flooding. While services are suspended, METRO is working to safely transport all passengers already on board to their destinations. Services will resume when it is safe to travel. Additionally all of the METRO Board of Directors’ Committee Meetings scheduled for today are cancelled.
METRO advises customer stay informed by monitoring the local forecast, the agency’s social media accounts Twitter, Facebook, and by subscribing for real-time, personalized route information through its service alerts system .
Please also note the following:
Customers may experience delays when calling METRO Customer Service at 713-635-4000 during this period.
Flash flood emergencies are declared in parts of nine counties.
Floodwaters trap people in homes and cars from Winnie to Beaumont, Texas.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in several communities.
The Texas governor declared a state of emergency in 13 counties.
Many schools remained closed or had to close early on Thursday.
East of Houston, a confirmed tornado damaged homes in Baytown on Wednesday.
Torrential rainfall from Tropical Depression Imelda has led to life-threatening flooding Thursday across Southeast Texas.
Thursday afternoon, a possible tornado destroyed a mobile home in Hackberry, Louisiana, the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office reported.
Earlier in the day, law enforcement officials from Houston to the Louisiana state line pleaded with residents to stay off the roads.
“Wherever you are, stay where you are,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a news conference about 10:45 a.m. CDT. He especially urged people not to leave work early. He asked them to stay until the storms have passed later in the day.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for parts of southwestern San Jacinto, southeastern Montgomery, northwestern Chambers, southwestern Liberty and northeastern and north-central Harris counties. A flash flood emergency was also declared in southwestern Newton County, southern Hardin County, Orange County and southeastern Jasper County.
“This is an incredibly dangerous, life-threatening situation,” the NWS said.
More than 75,000 homes and businesses were without electricity as of 1 p.m. CT, according to poweroutage.us. CenterPoint Energy pushed back estimated power restoration time 12 hours saying it was not safe for its employees to assess damages.
“The community of Winnie is being devastated by rising water,” the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office reported in a Facebook post.
More than 1,000 people had called saying they needed to be rescued, KMBT reported, adding that 911 was overwhelmed. Officials used dump trucks and air boats to rescue people. Some homes had 4 to 5 feet of water inside.
Patients were evacuated from Riceland Medical Center after 4 to 6 inches of rain entered the hospital in Winnie, about 60 miles east of Houston.
“What I’m sitting in right now makes Harvey look like a little thunderstorm,” Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told KTRK. “It’s dire out here. I’m fearful for this community right now.”
Hawthorne told KTRK about 20 percent of the 2,500 homes in Winnie have water in them.
Neighboring Jefferson County was being inundated, too.
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick ordered an evacuation of Bevil Oaks. Jefferson County Drainage District 7 closed the gates on Highway 365 because the Rodair Gully was overflowing its banks. The water was too high to pass through, officials said.
Judge Branick also ordered Gilbert Lake Estates to evacuate saying the Green Pond Gulley Levee was deteriorating and could break at any moment. The sheriff’s office said rescue boats were scarce and it encouraged people with boats to pick up their neighbors.
The Jefferson Sheriff’s Office said people were being rescued from their flooded homes and stranded vehicles. Many area highways were flooded.
Motorists were stranded along Interstate 10 because of the flooding, and the Texas Department of Transportation closed the interstate in both directions between Winnie and Beaumont.
The Beaumont Police Department said in a tweet that the 911 dispatch center had received more than over 250 calls for high water rescues and 270 evacuation requests.
Two hospitals in Orange County, Christus St.Elizabeth and Baptist, were cut off by floodwaters, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. Many of the county’s roads were flooded.
Orange County Sheriff Keith Merritt told the Houston Chronicle he was in a truck that had rescued about 40 people in Vidor. He said there were four or five other trucks doing the same.
“It’s bad right now,” Merritt said. “There is a lot of flooding. There are a lot of stalled vehicles out here. People need to stay inside if possible. Water is real swift on the streets.”
KMBT had to evacuate its offices in Beaumont, Texas, after water began flowing across the floors. The station began broadcasting the news from KHOU offices in Houston. KHOU later lost electricity but had backup generators.
Several locations between Winnie and Beaumont have reported 30 to 35 inches of rain over the past two days.
North of Houston, in Montgomery County, many roads in Splendora were underwater, according to the police department.
About 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel issued a mandatory evacuation order for Pinewood Estates, Countrywood Estates, and Rose Hill Acres, which are north of Beaumont, Texas.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston announced a full ground stop, meaning no flights landing or departing, because of the weather. Some inbound flights were diverted to William P. Hobby Airport, on the south side of Houston, the Associated Press reported. More than 425 flights were canceled at Bush Intercontinental by 1 p.m., according to flightaware.com.
As of 11 a.m., the airport had received 6.42 inches of rain in two hours. The airport averages 4.07 inches for the entire month of September.
Some school districts had canceled classes Thursday, but in others students were on buses or had reached school before the flooding began.
In Conroe, students who were already picked up by busses or dropped off were held at their campuses until they could be “safely dismissed,” the Houston Chronicle reported. Students and teachers in Houston ISD, Dickinson ISD and Aldine ISD were sheltering in place late Thursday morning.
METRO Houston announced all bus service was stopped because of the bad weather.
The Houston Fire Department said the roof of a post office mail distribution facility on Aldine Bender Road collapsed on Thursday, September 19, 2019.(Twitter/Houston Fire Department)
The Houston Fire Department said the roof of a post office mail distribution facility on Aldine Bender Road collapsed. Three people with minor injuries were taken to a hospital.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted that streets in the Kingwood area north of Houston were flooded and the department was helping with water rescues. He also said water was entering homes in the Elm Grove subdivision in Kingwood.
Flooding was also occurring in the Greenspoint area.
More than 1,000 people were rescued or evacuated from high water in Harris County, which surrounds Houston, Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said in a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted that a county truck rescued nine children and staff members at a daycare center where water had entered the building. He said officials were making a plan to reunited the children with their families.
On Wednesday, several homes were damaged by a tornado in Baytown, Texas, about 20 miles east of Houston. Tornadoes were also reported near Mont Belvieu and Anahuac in Chambers County.
The station reported that several roads were impassable and some cars had become stranded in high water. The City of Galveston said on Twitter that some public transportation services had been suspended due to the weather.
Kim Ogg, Harris County District Attorney, will be speaking at Lone Star College-North Harris on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
The District Attorney will share her insights on bail reform, immigration crime, marijuana laws, changes in the Harris County justice system and other topics affecting the community.
Ogg will speak at 12:30 p.m. in the Academic building, Room 126, on the Lone Star College-North Harris’ campus at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, Houston.
This event is part of Lone Star College-North Harris’ ongoing Civic Engagement initiative. The event is free and open to the public.
Lone Star College offers high quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 99,000 students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of nearly $3 billion. LSC consists of seven colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.
METRO is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month by launching the Authority’s first Spanish-language social media account, @metrohouston_esp on Instagram. The social media platform will be home to video content exclusively produced to reach a wider network of customers. Patrons will be able to enjoy an original series produced for easy mobile viewing on @METROHouston_esp featuring restaurants and events all accessible by METRO.”One of the great aspects of our region is its diversity,” said President and CEO Tom Lambert. “We are thrilled to launch another social platform to reach our customers while fulfilling a deeper commitment to serve them.”
Aside from the platform being a vital source of information for Spanish-speaking customers, it will provide followers another way to connect and engage with METRO. Expanding our outreach enhances the customer experience throughout the system. METRO recognizes the importance of communicating with its customers and makes an effort to provide service announcements, route information and marketing materials in multiple languages.
New Risk Profiles Needed for Better Suicide Prediction
Approximately 8.3 million adults in the United States reported thinking about suicide last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While thoughts and deeds are clearly different, University of Houston professor of psychology Rheeda Walker has examined both and finds that current approaches to suicide prevention are troubling, because they usually consist of a “one-size-fits- all approach.”
“It’s important to realize that in the United States twice as many people die by suicide as by homicide, and as we talk more about suicide I want us to resist assuming that suicide risk is the same for everybody,” said Walker, who reported her findings on sociodemographic and mental health predictors of suicide thoughts and attempts in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.
Walker and colleagues analyzed data collected for 336,482 adults who participated in the 2008-to-2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, dividing the list along ethnic lines to include whites, blacks, Latinos, Asian or Pacific Islanders (A/PI), American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) and those who identify as multiracial.
Among the highlights from Walker’s findings:
12-month depression was associated with suicide attempts in that time period for A/PI, AI/AN, Latinos, and whites, but not for black or multiracial adults
Alcohol abuse and dependence were associated with suicide attempt for AI/AN, black, and white respondents, but not for other racial/ethnic groups
Marijuana usage showed up as a factor in suicide attempts in both white and multiracial adult groups, but not for other groups
Low income A/PIs were three times more likely to attempt suicide compared to A/PIs who reported more income
“Risk factors are not universal among ethnic groups,” said Walker, who admits it is very common for mental health professionals to point to depression as the immediate reason for a death by suicide. “Depression was not a meaningful predictor of suicide attempts or thoughts for all of the groups.” Walker’s previous work identified protective factors among black adults as the reason depression may not rise as a precursor.
“Consistently across studies we see that African Americans are very religious compared to other groups and that may buffer the impact of depression in those groups,” said Walker.
Walker also reports that the predictors for suicide attempts and suicide ideation, or thinking of the act, are different.
“Overall, only psychological distress was consistently associated with suicide ideation and attempts. Other predictors were associated with suicide ideation or attempts and for some racial or ethnic groups, but not others,” said Walker.
Her research provides a window into new suicide risk profiles needed for a rapidly changing America, she said. The U.S. Census Bureau projections reflect a racial and ethnic composition that is rapidly changing. These projections suggest that the majority of the American population will be composed of “minority” individuals by 2044.
“When we ask people if they’ve thought about suicide in the past, but we don’t note their race, or overemphasize depression and underplay their marijuana use, for example, we miss important opportunities to generate a risk profile that can lead to better prediction.”
Did we just travel back in time? Maybe. Or maybe it’s Havana, that magical place that time has only recently rediscovered. The city is a jumble of culture, music, and joy. Classic streetcars cruise with their tops down as musicians on every corner provide the ultimate vacation playlist. Buildings are painted every color of the rainbow and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a face without a smile.
WHEN TO GO
January & February
Havana has a warm, tropical climate year-round, so there are really only two seasons you need to worry about: the wet and dry seasons. The dry season runs in the winter, and the best time to visit is when the temperature drops and the skies clear, typically January and February.
DISCOVERIES
Get Your Steps In
A walk around old Havana’s cobblestone streets can’t be replicated. Buzzing shops, street vendors, and restaurants are broken up by the mojito bars on every corner. Take in all of the energy on Calle Obispo then discover a street all to yourself and let the city do the talking. If you find yourself in old Havana after dark, follow the music to a second story bar for a great view and true local’s scene.
New Ride, Who This?
When the sun starts to get close to the horizon, cruise down el Malecón and watch it kiss the sea while the salt air fills your lungs. Pull over and grab a fresh mango from one of the street vendors along the way, and indulge in Cuban sensory overload.
Hang like Hemingway
There’s a reason the famous writer frequented Floridita for inspiration. Their to-die-for daiquiris are enough to make anyone’s creative juices start flowing. ¡Salud!
Artsy After-Hours
Fábrica de Arte Cubano is a must for anyone looking for nightlife. The unique building features art exhibits throughout, two separate areas for performers, a DJ in the basement, and a restaurant if you need to stop and fuel up. This is a home of artistic expression and whether you come in to check out the exhibits, take a salsa class, or dance the night away, you won’t regret this stop.
WHAT TO EAT
Make Yourself at Home
“Paladares” are family-owned restaurants operated out of the owner’s home. The people in Havana are known for their welcoming personalities, so if you’re looking for a true Cuban meal look no further. When in doubt- go for Cuban rice and beans or fresh seafood.
STAY HERE
The Best of Airbnb
When visiting Havana, staying in a native home is necessary for full cultural immersion, plus, it puts profits in the hands of the locals instead of the government. Airbnb is your best friend and conveniently lets you know which spots have A/C, something that should not be taken for granted. Here are some of our favorites that have the amenities and the culture we’re dying for.
Participé en un panel de liderazgo femenino. Durante la sesión de preguntas y respuestas las interrogantes más repetidas por las asistentes fueron: ¿Hay que renunciar a formar un hogar si quieres ser una mujer de negocios exitosa? ¿Es posible encontrar el balance entre la familia y el trabajo?
Todas las participantes anhelaban escuchar algo que las hiciera exclamar:
“¡Wow! ¡Ese es el secreto para ser una súper mujer y lograrlo todo!” Sin embargo, no hubo ninguna contestación que diera una solución concluyente. La realidad es que no hay fórmula, receta o estrategia para encontrar el codiciado “balance perfecto”.
Las mujeres que se dedican al hogar tienden a juzgar a las que trabajan fuera de la casa por no darles más tiempo a sus hijos. Por otro lado, las profesionales critican a las que permanecen en la casa porque no están aprovechando sus talentos.
Es irónico, pero de cierta forma, ambas envidian lo que la otra tiene. Quien cuida a sus hijos se siente insatisfecha porque no está utilizando sus destrezas y la que decide desarrollarse profesionalmente siente culpabilidad porque pasa mucho tiempo fuera del hogar.
No intentes buscar el balance perfecto. ¡No existe! Tratar de encontrarlo es como caminar hacia el horizonte, no importa cuánto camines, nunca lo alcanzarás. La solución está en dejar la culpabilidad a un lado y aceptar la decisión que hayas tomado.
Reconoce que el rol que elijas, aunque tenga aspectos negativos, también tiene un propósito admirable con mucho mérito. Tampoco te compares con otras porque terminarás sintiéndote insegura sobre las decisiones que tomes.
Te recuerdo que la mujer que permanece en el hogar es tan triunfadora como la que sale a la calle a trabajar. Por eso, cualquiera que sea el papel que decidas desempeñar, ¡siéntete orgullosa y date crédito por tus esfuerzos!
Sintoniza todos los miércoles “María Marín Live” por Facebook Live 7:00pm EST (4:00pm PST) enciende tus notificaciones de “video en vivo”.https://www.facebook.com/MariaMarinOnline
By the end of the third inning Sunday afternoon, every Astros starting position player had at least one hit and had scored at least one run. By the time the Astros had their first single of the game, they had already scored 10 runs.
That set the stage for one of the most lopsided wins in team history for the Astros, who set a club record with 11 doubles and continued their dominance of the American League West at Minute Maid Park by blasting the Mariners, 21-1, to sweep a four-game series and inch closer to clinching their third consecutive division title.
The Astros (94-50) have won 16 of their last 20 games, reducing their magic number to clinch the division to 10 games. They’ve won 11 consecutive games against the Mariners to improve to 27-2 at home against the AL West ahead of a four-game series against second-place Oakland that begins Monday at Minute Maid Park.
“We know what’s at stake,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said. “The mentality that served us well is winning today’s game is going to get us to the next one. We have [Zack] Greinke going tomorrow. That’s the game we’ll focus on. If we can build closer and closer to win our division, that is our first goal. The sooner we can do that, the better.”
Astros starter Gerrit Cole (16-5) held the Mariners to one hit — a 338-foot homer to Shed Long in the fourth inning — and struck out a season-high 15 in eight innings to win his club-record-tying 12th consecutive decision. Chris Devenski pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to polish off the one-hitter.
“There was a lot that happened today — the extra-base hits, the doubles, the homers, Gerrit Cole’s dominance,” Hinch said. “We got Jose [Altuve] and Alex [Bregman] out of the game as early as I’ve ever taken guys out of the game to get a little bit of rest. It was a win all the way around.”
While the Astros scored nine times in the bottom of the third inning to open up a 13-0 lead, Cole had to stay locked in mentally and physically during the 32-minute half-inning.
“But when you’re scoring that many runs, I guess I’m always up for a challenge,” Cole said.
Houston’s 22-hit attack was led by rookie Yordan Alvarez, who went 4-for-6 with three doubles and six RBIs. Two of those doubles came in the third inning, making him the first Astros player to have multiple doubles in an inning since at least 1984.
“You could definitely feel everybody on the team wanted to do well offensively and do well together,” Alvarez said.
Myles Straw replaced Bregman as a pinch-runner in the third inning and went 3-for-3 with three runs scored. George Springer homered and drove in four runs after missing the previous three games with a concussion. Jake Marisnick went 3-for-6 and homered as 11 Astros scored a run, which is a club record.
“I think it’s a good representation of our team, offensively, defensively and pitching-wise today,” said rookie outfielder Kyle Tucker, who went 2-for-5 with two doubles. “Today was just a perfect game for us, and Cole threw eight strong innings and the offense exploded. It was an awesome game for us.”
Here’s some other eye-popping offensive numbers from Sunday’s win:
• The Astros’ 11 doubles broke the previous club record of 10 set on May 11, 1999, against the Pirates. Five of their doubles on Sunday came against Mariners starter Felix Hernandez in a span of seven hitters in a nine-run third, and their six doubles in the third are the most in any inning in club history. It’s the most doubles by any team since Cleveland had 11 on July 1, 2018, at Oakland. Houston’s 13 extra-base hits tied a club record set Aug. 10 of this year at Baltimore.
• The Astros scored at least 20 runs in a game for only the third time in their history. The franchise record prior to this season was 21 runs on Oct. 2, 2015 at Arizona. Houston set a club record by scoring 23 runs on Aug. 10 of this season at Baltimore. The last team with multiple wins by at least 20 runs in the same season was the 1939 Yankees, who had three.
• The Astros tied a franchise record with their 55th home win of the season. The 1980 and ‘98 teams also won 55 games at home, but the Astros still have nine home games remaining. Houston has gone 27-4 in their last 31 games at Minute Maid Park.
• Houston is 16-1 against Seattle this season, which is its most wins against a single opponent in a season in club history (they beat the Giants 15 times in 1985). The Astros have two remaining games against the Mariners in Seattle on Sept. 24-25.
The Texans fell 30-28 in a heartbreaking loss to the New Orleans Saints. Deshaun Watson led the offense on a two-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take the lead with just 37 seconds left in the game, but the Saints won with a walk-off 58-yard field goal at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
“We’ve got a good football team in there and we’re never out of it, so even when things aren’t going so good, as long as we can keep it within range, we’re in every game,” head coach Bill O’Brien said. “And I think that’s what Deshaun Watson gives us. He’s a great football player and he’s competitive and he’s calm and he’s poise – he’s got all that. We just need to go back and watch the tape and fix some things and I think if we fix them and work hard and don’t let one game define us then we’ve got a chance to have a good football team.”
Watson completed 20-of-30 for 268 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for a 114.3 passer rating. He also added 40 rushing yards and a score.
“We came so close but we didn’t do enough to pull it off,” Watson said.
DeAndre Hopkins led the wide receivers with eight catches for 111 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The Texans collectively rushed for 180 yards, led by Carlos Hyde who had 10 carries for 83 yards on the ground.
Hyde, Duke Johnson, Tunsil and Kenny Stills all played a good portion of the game in their first game as Texans players.
“I thought the new players came in and learned really well, picked up our system and did some good things and we have to build on that,” O’Brien said. “Some of these guys have only been here a week and they went in there and really contributed so there’s a lot to build on.”
Whitney Mercilus recorded his first career interception in addition to five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit and one pass defensed.
Late in the first quarter, Mercilus picked off Drew Brees at the Houston 11-yard line. The Texans offense took over deep in their own territory at the four-yard line, but quickly flipped the field after a 54-yard play by Will Fuller V, in his first game back after last year’s season-ending knee injury.
On fourth down, Watson scored on a 21-yard touchdown run. The Texans took a 7-0 lead, but Watson did leave the game to get examined. He did not miss a play, returning on the next drive.
“He dove and landed on his butt, and that probably didn’t feel real good, but he came back and he’s fine,” O’Brien said after the game.
Watson capped off the Texans next two series with touchdown passes to Hopkins.
After taking a 14-3 lead at halftime and then 21-10 in the third quarter, the Texans were unable to stop Drew Brees from throwing two touchdown passes in the second half.
The Saints scored to start the fourth quarter after Watson’s pass, intended for Fuller, was picked off by safety Marcus Williams. Brees threw his second touchdown pass of the night as the Saints took a 24-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Houston’s defense stopped the Saints offense on third down, forcing a 47-yard field goal. The Saints extended their lead 27-21 with 0:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, each time would get a chance to score one more time.
The Texans offense executed a comeback drive in just 13 seconds. Watson fired off a 38-yard pass to Hopkins who ran out of bounds. Kenny Stills scored his first touchdown as a Texans on a 37-yard touchdown catch against his former team. The Texans took a 28-27 lead.
With 37 seconds remaining, Brees led the Saints offense down to the Houston 40-yard line. Lutz kicked a career-long 58-yard field goal as time expired.
Not the ending any of us wanted. We’ll watch the tape, learn, and be better from it. Eyes now on Jacksonville— Justin Reid (@jreid_viii) September 10, 2019
The Texans fall to 0-1 and will next face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at NRG Stadium.
