🌱 5 Fires Reported + Harris County Hires Nurses Amid Pandemic Shortage + Amrina Indian

Hey, Houston! Here's everything you need to know to get this Thursday started off right.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and pleasant. High: 70 Low: 45.

Here are the top five stories in Houston today:

1. A 16-year-old girl was killed in a shooting in southwest Houston on Tuesday night, according to the Houston Police Department. The shooting occurred at 5100 Markwood Lane at approximately 9:30 p.m. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the HPD Homicide Division. (Houston Patch)

2. Harris County leaders have voted unanimously to spend $41.5 million to hire 664 new nurses in an effort to alleviate hospital worker burnout caused by the pandemic. County leaders also voted to spend $1.8 million to buy tens of thousands of COVID-19 test kits. (Houston Public Media)

3. Houston Home + Garden Show is coming to NRG Center from Friday February 4th through Sunday, February 6th. The event will feature celebrity guests including Ty Pennington and Chet Garner, as well as industry experts, feature displays, booths, and more. Tickets are available now and cheaper if purchased online in advance. (CultureMap Houston)

4. Amrina Indian restaurant is opening this winter or early spring in The Woodlands at 3 Waterway Square Place, Suite 100 with a focus on upscale dining. The menu will fuse French techniques with Italian and Japanese ingredients, while maintaining an Indian blueprint. Steaks will be on the menu as well as curries and kebabs. (Eater Houston)

5. A total of 5 fires were reported Tuesday night in Houston between the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight. Two victims died in Pasadena and Houston. Firefighters responded to a fire at Holman Street in the Third Ward and found one man and a dog dead from the fire, and a second person in critical condition. (ABC 13)

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Today in Houston:

• How To Become A Top Producer In Real Estate at Houston Improv Comedy Club. (10:00 AM)
• Learn @ Lunch: Lemony Delights From The Amalfi Coast at Central Market Houston. (12:00 PM)
• Microsoft Excel Training With Docmo at The Cannon Downtown @ Amegy. (12:30 PM)
• ROCO Connections: Beer & Brass at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. (6:00 PM)
• The Riot Comedy Show presents "Comics You Should Know" at Rudyard's. (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Marathon weekend is almost here. Racers will participate in the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon and We are Houston 5K. (Facebook)
• City of Houston Solid Waste Management crews are working to remove the residential storm debris after last weekend's tornado activity. (Facebook)
• Apply to attend Complete Communities University by Friday, February 11th and make a difference in your community. Find more information and fill out the online application at houstontx.gov/neighborhoods/ccu.html. (Facebook)
• Residents of District G can early vote until January 21st in their special election for City Council. (Facebook)
• Pre-kindergarten applications are now open for the 2022-2023 school year with Houston Independent School District. (Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for your next 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.