🌱 3 Harris County Law Enforcement Officers Investigated + UHCL StudyCrafter Grant

Happy Wednesday, Houston! Here's everything you need to know going on today.

First, today's weather:

An afternoon thunderstorm. High: 75 Low: 46.

Here are the top five stories in Houston today:

1. Houston came in at no. 9 in a new ranking of the cities with the least affordable studio apartments. Median monthly rent in Houston is $1,449, consuming nearly 28% of the average income for a single person ($62,003). (CultureMap Houston)

2. A woman found dead in east Harris County may be a suspect in the shooting death of a man found in the parking lot of an elementary school Monday night, according to Houston police. (KHOU 11)

3. The Harris County District Attorney's Office said three law enforcement officers involved in separate crashes that killed three Houstonians will be investigated and referred to a grand jury for possible charges. The most recent case involved a Harris County Sheriff's deputy pursuing a suspected criminal when he crashed into another car, leaving a mother dead and one of her children in a coma. (ABC 13)

4. A Houston doctor accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation has sued Houston Methodist Hospital. Dr. Mary Bowden, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, wants data from Methodist on the effects of vaccines and financial reports. Bowden resigned in mid-November 2021 after a public battle with the hospital. (Fox 26 Houston)

5. University of Houston-Clear Lake is part of a $2 million National Science Foundation grant seeking to transform research methods education through gamification by incorporating new features into a gaming platform called StudyCrafter. UHCL shares the grant with Northeastern University, New York University, and University of California, Santa Cruz. (University of Houston-Clear Lake)

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Today in Houston:

• Family Storytime at Stewart Branch Library. (10:00 AM)
• Picture Books In The Park at El Franco Lee Park. (10:30 AM)
• Open Door Mission Houston Respite Recuperative Care Center - Ribbon Cutting. (1:00 PM)
• Bisou Wednesdays. (4:00 PM)
• East End Chamber Board Meeting at Houston East End Chamber-Commerce. (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Texas-born country star Cody Johnson has bee named 2022 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo parade grand marshal. (ABC 13)
• Construction has started on a new Home Depot and retail project just south of The Heights near the Washington Corridor in Houston. (Houston Chronicle)
• Save the date: January 29th is the Launch Party for the Sugar Land Skeeters. (Twitter)
• The USPS free COVID-19 test order site is now live. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. The tests are completely free. (covidtests.gov)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another update.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.