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WANTED: Suspect responsible for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
Governor Abbott Appoints Rutherford To Employees Retirement System Of Texas Board Of Trustees
John R. Rutherford of Houston is a self-employed, former energy and finance executive. He is a part-time senior advisor for ECP GP and serves on the board of directors of Enterprise Product Partner, L.P. In addition to more than 30 years of experience in energy and finance, he previously worked as an accountant. Rutherford serves on the Executive Council of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center at The University of Texas at Austin and actively volunteers with the Navy Seal Foundation and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. He was previously the executive director of the Coalition For a Fair and Open Port. Rutherford received a Bachelor of Business Arts from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Governor Abbott Announces Ongoing Coordinated Response To Wildfires Across West, Central Texas
“A fast and coordinated response is critical in slowing the spread of wildfires, and I thank the brave first responders who are working tirelessly to protect their local communities in West and Central Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “The State of Texas continues to work closely with local officials to provide necessary resources to protect Texans. As we continue to monitor the weather, Texans are encouraged to heed the guidance of their local officials to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the Coconut Fire in Wilbarger County is estimated at 25,000 acres and 20 percent contained, and the Mesquite Heat Fire in Taylor County is estimated at 9,613 acres and 5 percent containment. Information about those local evacuations is available through the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
The State of Texas has more than 500 personnel as well as dozens of aerial and ground assets activated to support local officials’ wildfire response efforts, including approximately 250 firefighters from the Texas A&M Forest Service. Approximately 180 personnel and 45 engines are activated through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, as well as more than 190 personnel from out of state. Additional state agencies involved in the wildfire response include the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Military Department, and Texas Emergency Medical Task Force.
The Texas A&M Forest Service Predictive Services Department notes the potential for large wildfires exists in the Texas Hill Country and Rolling Plain through Friday, in areas that include Childress, Vernon, Abilene, Brownwood, Lampasas, San Angelo, Ozona, and Fredericksburg.
Triple-digit temperatures, combined with extremely dry vegetation and high winds, will increase the risk of fire activity in significant portions of the state through the weekend.
On Wednesday, the Texas A&M Forest Service raised the State Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 5 (PL 5) due to a significant increase in fire activity across the state, potential for large fires that are resistant to control, as well as the increased commitment of state and local resources to fires.
Texans can visit tfsweb.tamu.edu/CurrentSituation and tdem.texas.gov/disasters/2022-spring-wildfires to access the latest fire resources and safety tips.
May 19 – May 25, 2022 | Weather
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College of Medicine renamed after Tilman Fertitta’s ‘legacy-defining’ donation
Tilman Fertitta, the chairman of the UH System Board of Regents and one of the University’s most prominent dignitaries, donated $50 million to the College of Medicine, UH announced Thursday morning.
The Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, as it’s now known, hopes to address issues of health care inequity and access across the state of Texas, the University stated in a press release.
Fertitta, who has sat on the Board since his appointment in 2009, said he believes in the University and its ability to serve the Houston area community.
“The future is ahead of us,” Fertitta said. “This is the baby, and while there’s no telling what the future may hold, I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t expect to see great things to come from the College of Medicine.”
According to the press release, the $50 million donations is being distributed across four different areas.
The first $10 million will be set aside to fund five endowed chairs considered to be “national stars” in their fields, with a focus on health care innovation.
Another $10 million will provide scholarships to support endowed graduate research stipends and fellowships and $10 million is being set aside to provide for start-up costs, including facilities, equipment and program expenses.
The final $20 million will create the Fertitta Dean’s Endowed Fund to support “research-enhancing activities.”
In addition, the gift marks the launch of a $100 million fundraising campaign for the Fertitta Family College of Medicine, which hopes to provide additional funding for scholarships, faculty recruitment, and operational needs.
The College of Medicine had its inaugural class of 30 medical students in 2020. It has since begun transitioning these students from in-class learning, to doing their first clinical rotations, training on-site with licensed practitioners.
Jalyce Taylor, a second-year medical student at UH, expressed her excitement about the donation and the future of the Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
“It’s really amazing to be here,” Taylor said. “We’re very excited to have a donor contribute to our school, one that really believes in the mission and the goals of the UH College of Medicine.”
The Fertitta Family College of Medicine will be the second building to bear the Fertitta name on campus. In 2016, Fertitta made a $20 million donation to UH athletics that transformed the former Hofheinz Pavilion into the Fertitta Center.
In a speech given to the Board, President and Chancellor Renu Khator thanked Fertitta for his generous donation and said she was happy Fertitta was putting his money “where his heart is.”
Statement from Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg
We at the District Attorney’s Office take an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, the laws of the United States and of this State, Texas. We rely upon evidence to bring cases before grand juries, courts and trial juries. Our mission is to seek justice in every single case and we are doing our job.
The nearly daily public misstatements being made by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo about pending felony cases brought against three members of her staff now compel comment to the public by this office and by me, the top law enforcement official in Harris County. Failing to do so allows a top county official, in her official capacity, to continue to improperly influence those people of Harris County who will serve on the jury in this case. This harms everyone, including the accused, and must stop.
The process our Harris County government utilizes to issue contracts and to aid Harris County residents with problems like COVID-19 should be a totally transparent process, ethically and under law. The criminal charges currently being prosecuted by the Harris County DA’s Office were brought after a diverse grand jury indicted the defendants.
An indictment is a finding by a grand jury of probable cause that crime occurred, and in this instance that three “public servants,” while working in the County Judge’s Office, diverted an $11 million contract to a political consultant under the guise of COVID vaccine outreach – money that a more qualified bidder could have used to accomplish the worthwhile goal of increasing awareness and participation in COVID vaccination in underrepresented communities throughout Harris County.
In this case, a grand jury spent five months reviewing evidence and listening to testimony concerning the Elevate Strategies contract procurement. Judge Hidalgo has referred to case evidence, to information the investigators and prosecutors don’t have. She has an ethical duty and responsibility to provide any evidence under oath to the Texas Rangers and she should do so immediately.
The criminal justice process is not a debate. It is not theater. It is the search for truth and the place for accountability under the law. We do not fight out our differences in the streets or on social media and I will not try this case in the court of public opinion. We will try this case, like every other criminal case, in a court of law before a jury of peers, and we will look to them for a fair outcome. When all the evidence is seen by a trial court, justice will prevail; our work continues.
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Lady Gaga adds ‘Chromatica Ball’ tour stop to Houston’s Minute Maid Park
Are you ready to ‘live for the applause?’
Pop superstar Lady Gaga announced she has added new dates to her “Chromatica Ball” tour, set to begin this July in Europe.
The newly-added dates include a stop at Houston’s Minute Maid Park on Sept. 13. The tour will also stop in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and Miami, Florida.
According to a news release from Live Nation, the “Chromatica Ball” will bring live performances based on the album with the same name, along with fan favorites from previous popular albums.
Tickets to the Houston show will be available for presale beginning May 17 and then to the general public beginning Friday, May 20 at 10 a.m.
$1 from each ticket sold will be donated to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” foundation, which “supports the wellness of young people and working with them to build a kinder and braver world.”
2 dead, 3 critically injured in shooting at north Harris County flea market
Two men were killed and three others were critically injured Sunday after a shooting at a crowded flea market in north Houston, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The shots rang out just after 1 p.m. at a flea market near 8720 Airline Drive.
HSCO said two men were pronounced dead at the scene and three others were taken to area hospitals in critical condition. Investigators said they believe all five people were involved in the disturbance that led up to the shooting. Officials said they all appear to be in their early- to mid-20s and likely knew each other. They do not believe the shooting was random.
They also said two other people were detained at the scene and could be involved.
The sheriff said that one person who was not injured in the shooting has been charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the incident.
Gonzalez said no bystanders were injured although the flea market was very busy. He estimated that there were “thousands” there when the shots were fired.
“It’s very tragic that this happens. There are a lot of people up and down Airline just trying to come out and enjoy the flea market, have something to eat, have something to drink,” an HCSO spokesperson said. “It’s very concerning. We’re always concerned with the safety of our citizens. But we’ll continue to do our jobs and we’ll continue to protect our citizens.”
According to Gonzalez, two pistols were found at the scene.
Investigators said there is surveillance video of the incident but they haven’t found a video that shows the entire thing. They also said there are limited witnesses to the shooting because people scattered when deputies arrived at the scene.
Family identifies victims
Yeraldi Romero said her brother, 29-year-old Juan Romero, was killed in the shooting and her cousin, 19-year-old Adrian Romero, was injured. She said the police called her to tell her and she rushed to the scene.
When she showed up, she said she performed CPR on Juan, but he didn’t have a pulse.
“My younger brother and me came rushing here. We did CPR on him had him in my hands. The officer (asked) me, ‘Does he have a pulse?’ He didn’t have a pulse.” Yeraldi said.
She said her brother was enjoying his day off work at the flea market with Adrian. She said he typically goes to the flea market on Sundays.
Yeraldi said Juan was a loving, happy man who could always make people laugh.
“I really do I want justice for my brother. Nobody has the right to take another person’s life. This is just very sad, you know,” Yeraldi said. “He did not like guns at all … violence … nothing like that. My other brothers like guns, but he was not that person.”
Yeraldi said Juan leaves behind his parents and four younger siblings.
DART Welcomes Bernard Jackson as Chief Operations Officer
 Bernard Jackson |
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announced today that Bernard Jackson has been selected as the agency’s new chief operations officer. Jackson will assume his new role on May 23, 2022.
Reporting directly to DART president & chief executive officer Nadine Lee, Jackson will lead the agency’s operations teams, including bus, light rail, facilities maintenance, GoLink and mobility management.
“Bernard is a tremendous transit leader and we are excited to welcome him to DART,” said Lee. “He brings over 30 years of transit operations experience to the agency, consistently developing and achieving employee engagement and customer satisfaction performance targets that have a real impact on the lives of our riders. I have incredible confidence in his ability to align industry-leading operational practices with DART’s vision to improve rider experiences.”
Jackson joins DART from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) where he served as the chief operations officer, service delivery. Prior to his time at Metro, he worked at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for nearly 30 years, including as the vice president of bus operations and the director of rail operations. During his tenure at CTA, Jackson was instrumental in establishing customer-focused performance measures to improve transit operations for the benefit of riders.
“I’m proud to join the DART team at a time when leadership is focused on building a world-class rider experience,” said Jackson. “The new direction and strategy that DART has embarked on, a focus on the needs and satisfaction of our riders, has never been more crucial to the long-term sustainability of the North Texas region. I am incredibly excited to be a part of this new course, and I look forward to helping steer the agency to its next phase of operational and mobility excellence.”
“We are thrilled to welcome someone of Bernard’s caliber to the team at DART,” said Michele Wong Krause, chair of the DART Board of Directors. “The knowledge he brings to the agency will allow us to continue to enhance and expand the operations of DART for the benefit of our passengers across North Texas.”
Along with an extensive list of distinctions including involvement in the Eno Transit Senior Executive Program, Jackson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Loyola University in Chicago.