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Houston Health Department program celebrates serving 100,000 Houston-area students
Baseball Set for Season Opening Series vs. Houston Christian
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team opens the 2023 season with three games against the Houston Christian University Huskies, Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m., at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
Friday, Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m. vs. Houston Christian
Cane’s Challenge
The Cane’s Challenge rewards fans when the Vaqueros win on Friday nights with a buy one, get one free coupon for a box combo at Raising Cane’s.
ody Ramsey Jersey Retirement
Fans will receive a Jody Ramsey memorial pin while supplies last.
Saturday, Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m. vs. Houston Christian
Friends & Family Four Packs
Includes four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks all for just $25.
All Games
Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with their student ID.
All fans need to follow the clear bag policy, details of which can be found at GoUTRGV.com/ClearBag.
V Club donors at the MVP level or above can take advantage of priority parking.
Gates open one hour before first pitch.
Source: goutrgv
Things to do in Houston this weekend, February 17 to 19
You can enjoy a weekend jampacked with Mardi Gras celebrations, dine out on good food for a good cause, or cheer on the return of a Houston team.
Here are some of the events happening around the Greater Houston area this weekend.
Mardi Gras! Galveston
If you missed the celebration last weekend, or just want to do it again, head to Galveston for the second weekend of their Mardi Gras celebration. There will be three days of parades with dazzling floats, marching bands and dancers. Plus, a packed concert lineup includes headliner Chris Janson.
On Friday, first responders, active military and veterans can show ID to get free admission with one guest. On Sunday, everyone gets in for free, but donations will be accepted to benefit the Sunshine Kids and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
To see the full parade schedule and concert lineup, visit mardigrasgalveston.com
When: Feb. 17 to 19
Where: Galveston Entertainment District
Cost: Starting at $15 for general admission
Beaumont Mardi Gras
Take a drive out east to celebrate Mardi Gras in Beaumont. The four-day celebration includes parades, live music, Cajun food and beads! Performers include Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Baby Bash, Lil Keke and more. You can watch parades for free, but you need a ticket to enter the gated area where the stages and concerts are.
When: Feb. 16 to 19
Where: Great Lawn of the Event Center in Downtown Beaumont, 700 Crockett St., Beaumont, TX 77701
Cost: $50 for 4-day pass; $10 Thursday, $20 Friday, $25 Saturday, $15 Sunday; kids 12 and under are free; carnival rides cost extra
Kingwood Mardi Gras Festival and Parade
Head to Kingwood for an afternoon of Mardi Gras fun. The festival begins at noon with craft vendors, food and live Zydeco music. The parade begins at 2 p.m.
The parade will begin at the KinderCare car park on Bens Branch Drive and go clockwise around the park before exiting back onto Bens Branch Drive. There will be prizes for different categories.
When: Feb. 18; festival from noon to 7 p.m.; parade begins at 2 p.m.
Where: Town Center Park, 8 N Main St, Kingwood, TX 77339
Cost: Free
Eat Drink HTX
Enjoy two weeks of dining on delicious meals all while doing good for the Houston community. Eat Drink HTX, produced by The Cleverly Stone Foundation, is back for a second year from Feb. 15 to Feb. 28.
Restaurants may offer prix fixe brunch, lunch and/or dinner menus. Each meal has a minimum of two courses. With each meal purchased from the prix fixe menus, a donation will be made to benefit the Houston Food Bank and Children at Risk.
To see participating restaurants, and menus visit eatdrinkhtx.com
When: Feb. 15 to Feb. 28
Where: Various restaurants in the Greater Houston area
Cost: Brunches and lunches are $15; dinners are $20 or $25
Pep rally for Houston Roughnecks
Before the new XFL season kicks off, you can cheer on the Houston Roughnecks at a special pep rally on the steps of Houston City Hall. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will present Roughnecks Head Coach Wade Phillips with a city-wide proclamation.
There will also be a meet-and-greet with players and coaches, giveaways, photo ops, music and food trucks. The public is encouraged to wear red and navy.
When: Feb. 17 at 12:30 p.m.
Where: Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002
Cost: Free
Houston Roughnecks season begins
The Houston Roughnecks are back! The XFL team begins their season at home against the Orlando Guardians at TDECU Stadium. If you don’t want to miss a single home game this season, you can purchase a five-game pack now starting at $100.
When: Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: TDECU Stadium at University of Houston, 3875 Holman St, Houston, TX 77004
Cost: Tickets start at $24
Rockets Run
Bring the whole family out for the 21st annual Rockets Run presented by Children’s Memorial Hermann and run (or walk) across center court inside the Toyota Center. There will be a Kids 1K Run for children 12 and under, a 5K and a 2-mile walk. Registration includes a Rockets game ticket, a commemorative t-shirt and free admission to a post-race party at Root Memorial Park.
When: Feb. 18 at 6:30 a.m.
Where: Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St, Houston, TX 77002
Cost: $45
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company’s 11th Anniversary Celebration
Houston brewery Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company is turning 11, and they’re celebrating with a special event. Your ticket to the celebration includes a special anniversary brew, food, live entertainment and $5 brews.
When: Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company,
Cost: $25
Source: fox26houston
CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON FUGITIVE FRIDAY
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Harris County Citizen Corps Hosts 16th Annual CERT Rodeo
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) from around the state will test their skills in medical operations, search and rescue, fire suppression, incident command, and hazmat recognition. Every year, more than 300 participants and volunteers contribute to the success of this event.
In 2022, CERT membership grew to more than 47,000 trained volunteers. Throughout the year, CERT volunteers assisted with community events, drills, and exercises with first responders and emergency managers.
“This training helps increase our community’s resilience and empowers individuals to be a force multiplier for first responders and local government when a large disaster occurs” said Harris County Citizen Corps Director Mark Sloan. “CERT members are essential to keeping our communities safe.”
To be a CERT member, individuals must complete an extensive eight-week course, taught by first responders, to improve their proficiency in emergency preparedness basics that can be used in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
For information about Harris County Citizen Corps go to www.harriscountycitizencorps.com. News and updates are also available on Facebook @HarrisCountyCitizensCorps.
DA Ogg, Law Enforcement and Community Partners Launch Gun-Safety Campaign
As part of a broader gun-safety campaign rollout, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg joined with law enforcement and community partners Thursday to announce her office will distribute free gun safes for residents to use at home and in their vehicles.
“Safely storing firearms is critical to keep them from falling into the hands of criminals or our children,” Ogg said at a news conference hosted by Congregation Beth Israel. “These types of partnerships have let us take action in a very positive way.”
District Attorney’s Office representatives will give away the gun safes in addition to gun locks and safety information they already distribute at various monthly meetings held by the Houston Police Department. Ogg credited Academy Sports + Outdoors for partnering on the latest initiative and thanked Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard for providing funding for the first 1,000 safes.
Sixty-three people have been killed in the first 45 days of this year in Harris County, many by firearms, Ogg said. She noted that in 2022 firearms became the leading cause of death in children younger than 18 nationwide and that houses of worship have been breached. Locally, guns are stolen from vehicles at an alarming rate, the district attorney and other speakers said.
“If you can’t afford a gun safe for your car, we’ve got one for you,” Ogg said. “Lock up your guns. Together we can do this. It is preventable.”
The announcement came as part of a joint effort to reduce the number of unsecured guns in Harris County. In addition to a website, houstongunsafety.org, and gun-safety classes, traditional and digital billboards on freeways and near neighborhoods, in both English and Spanish, are bringing the message of gun safety to area residents. The digital billboards will be up through 2023. 
Survivor Marentha Sargent emphasized the preventability of tragedies stemming from gun violence, and Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin championed the collaborative nature of preventing easy access to the weapons.
Partners of the District Attorney’s Office are Congregation Beth Israel and the Minaret Foundation; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Houston branch of the FBI; Houston Mayor’s Office; Moms Demand Action; and Clear Channel Outdoor.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid is coming to theaters May 26, 2023
‘WISH’ TEASER TRAILER FOR DISNEY’S “THE LITTLE MERMAID”
Continuing the #Disney100 celebration with this new look at #TheLittleMermaid! Just 100 days until it arrives in theaters!
Gun Buyback this Saturday at Deussen Park
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Man Who Committed 2017 Murder and 2018 Stabbing Sentenced to 30 Years
A 43-year-old man who fatally shot one of his roommates and wounded another at their southwest Houston apartment in 2017, then brutally stabbed an acquaintance a year later, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial and was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.
“This man brutally attacked three people in two different incidents, which does not happen by chance or coincidence or happenstance,” Ogg said. “When someone intentionally hurts people, like this, we seek justice for the victims, and a long prison term is justice.”
Josue Celis-Maltes, 43, was arrested after going to a friend’s apartment at 10110 Club Creek in southwest Houston on May 5, 2018. He rushed into the apartment and stabbed an acquaintance, who was a visitor at the home, twice in the chest. That man survived.
After Celis-Maltes was in custody for that attack, Houston police officers realized he was wanted for murder for fatally shooting his roommate, 24-year-old Jaime Castillo-Vasquez, on May 28, 2017. In addition to being charged with murder, Celis-Maltes was charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury for shooting his other roommate in the face during the same incident. 
Witnesses said Celis-Maltes was drinking beer in the apartment when he made a call and told someone to bring him his gun. Three of his adult nephews arrived at the apartment complex about 15 minutes later. One of them handed Celis-Maltes a silver pistol.
Celis-Maltes took the gun, walked over to where his 34-year-old roommate was sitting in the apartment and shot him in the face. He survived. Castillo-Vasquez heard the shot and came out of his bedroom, and Celis-Maltes killed him.
Assistant District Attorney Bryan Honeycutt, who prosecuted the case with Rehaman Merchant, noted that Celis-Maltes cannot appeal the murder conviction or the sentence.
“Celis-Maltes got drunk and angry and started shooting his roommates, so thank God one of them lived and was able to pick him out,” Honeycutt said. “He is dangerous and violent, and the guarantee that he will be locked up for 30 years is a good thing for Harris County.”