Chron • 14th September 2023

Houston marker commemorates man who fled slavery in 1864

A ceremony hosted by Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis to celebrate the Freedom Marker and the anniversary of Ben’s escape included a reading from Houston poet laureate Aris Kian Brown and comments from philanthropist Bill Perkins, who conceived the project. September is recognized as International Underground Railroad Month because abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman both escaped from slavery in that month (Douglass in 1838 and Tubman in 1849).

The marker will eventually

Chron • 31st August 2023

Judge pauses enforcement of Texas book rating law

A judge has paused enforcement of a new law that would require any book vendor who sells to Texas public schools to rate every publication in their stock on the basis of sexual content.

The law, Texas House Bill 900, also known as the Readers Act, was passed this spring during the state's biannual legislative session, and was set to go into effect Sept. 1. During a Zoom status call on Aug. 31, U.S. District Court Judge Alan D. Albright indicated that he would also issue a written order in the n

Chron • 30th August 2023

Here's why a truck is still stuck in Houston's Buffalo Bayou

Easily visible from the banks of Buffalo Bayou via a small trail that branches off from the main Aqua trail and overlooks the water, the truck was first spotted in November. Kayakers have also reported paddling past the truck in the following months, and the vehicle has been vandalized multiple times with spray paint.

The truck belonged to Alejandro Torres, 29, who was reported missing by family in late November 2022. Torres was last seen on Nov. 27 near the 5300 block of Washington Avenue. On

Chron • 4th August 2023

Houston bookseller speaks out against new book rating law

Valerie Koehler is no stranger to giving book recommendations. As the longtime owner of Blue Willow Bookshop in West Houston, readers frequently turn to her for advice on what to read next. Especially parents, she said, who are often looking for guidance on the age-appropriateness of various titles.

But what the Texas government is now compelling Koehler to do—as well as nearly every other bookseller in the state—is something that could bankrupt the already fragile business of independent books

Chron • 27th July 2023

This Houston street artist's work is expanding far past Texas

On the day before our interview, the Houston-based artist known as Kill Joy had just wrapped up a mural on Navigation Boulevard in the East End. The project, which she finished at the end of June, came in the midst of a massive heat wave that stretched for several weeks and made working outside a challenge. "The heat really took a lot out of me," she told me over email.

It’s a little too fitting that the brutal temperatures are disrupting her process when much of Kill Joy's work centers around

Chron • 25th July 2023

'Emily Takes Notes' is simplifying Houston city council meetings

It's been three years since Emily Hynds started documenting Houston City Council meetings on social media. Now, as as a citywide election looms—including the chance for Houstonians to choose a new mayor in November—she has some advice for Bayou City voters: This is the time to keep an eye on city council meetings.

This year marks the end of Sylvester Turner's second four-year term as Houston mayor, and six members of city council, as well as city comptroller Chris Brown, are all facing term lim

Chron • 30th June 2023

Lawrence v. Texas decriminalized homosexuality 20 years ago

In siding with the plaintiffs in Lawrence, the court effectively ruled that laws criminalizing homosexuality were unconstitutional because they violated a person’s right to privacy. The legacy of the case, however, has been bittersweet. It has been used as a precedent in decisions like Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized gay marriage. But the plaintiffs in Lawrence suffered even after the decision was made, and rulings since then have eroded some gains made in the gay rights movement.

When po

Chron • 21st June 2023

City of Houston sues Galleria nightclub after series of shootings, assaults

The city of Houston has sued a Galleria-area nightclub that has been the location of several violent incidents recently, including a shooting last week that injured six people.

The suit comes after the city has made several attempts to tamp down on violence at late-night drinking spots. The lawsuit alleges that Tabu, at 6002 Richmond Avenue, has been operating without fire or occupancy inspections, has refused to take reasonable measures to abate criminal activity including multiple aggravated