🌱 The Best Burger Spots + Upcoming Election Precautions

Hey, everybody! It's Tuesday in Houston and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally. Because community news matters! Today you'll find news about these stories and more...

• Why apartment hunting might be more difficult this year than usual.
• The best burger spots in Houston.
• Harris County's efforts towards a smooth May election.

But first, today's weather: Breezy, warmer and more humid. High: 72 Low: 66.

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Here are the top stories in Houston today:

1. Apartment research website RentCafe published findings that Houston's apartment market is 46 percent more competitive than last year. They say that the majority of apartment goers renewed their leases, reducing apartment stock available to new applicants. Additionally, Houston failed to increase the number of apartments it has available by any more than a slim .56 percent margin. Houston now ranks last for apartment availability in cities across Texas. Availability was determined by data including average vacant days, lease renewal ratings, the number of prospective renters, and more. (Houston Chronicle)
2. Trill burger may have been named the best burger in America last year by Good Morning America, but a new year brings new discussion as to the best burger in Houston. CultureMap's nominees for their 2023 Best Burger award is a great place to start your very own taste testing. Burger Bodega is notable for its slim patties, bodega sauce, and potato buns. Burger-Chan is a Galleria restaurant that lets you customize every small detail about your burger order. For crowds interested in a more boujee option, Squable's french cheeseburger reimagines the burger as a gourmet meal. There's also always The Burger Joint's three reliable locations where you can find a flexible menu for all kinds of burger builds. Lastly, The Toasted Coconut's "World Famous Cheeseburger" is an ode to the age-old combination of sweet and savory flavors. (CultureMap Houston)
3. Harris County will roll out a new issue resolution system for the upcoming election in May. Last year in November, Harris County elections were plagued by technical issues that resulted in some voters losing their opportunity to vote. The county says a newly updated ticket resolution system will help them address issues with voting systems that occur in real time. Nadia Hakim, interim director of communications at the county’s election office, said, "We can track exactly how those issues are being handled from the time it’s opened and to make sure that the ticket was closed. We didn’t have that sort of tracking process in place before." (Houston Public Media)
4. Pride Houston 365 is looking for partners to help them celebrate the 2023 edition of its annual LGBTQ+ festival. Houston's 45th LGBTQ+ Pride parade will go down on Saturday, June 24. The organization is currently looking for volunteers to assist in running the parade as well as companies who are interested in participating. Pride Houston 365 volunteer Kendra Walker explained that the company has two types of volunteers: those on planning committees who help year-round, and part-time volunteers who assist with events. Businesses interested in participating in the parade can submit an application here. (KTRK-TV)
5. A domestic disturbance complaint that escalated into a city-wide chase left a 2-year-old toddler passenger dead. It all started when the biological dad and murder suspect of the 2 year old picked her up from her day care facility. The suspect then drove his child to his mother's workplace and threatened to hurt the child unless her mother handed over her phone and gave him her passcode. Before leaving with their kid, he punched the mother multiple times in the face. Police chased the suspect to an open field where he eventually surrendered. It's thought that the 2 year old died from injuries sustained during the chase due to not wearing a seatbelt. (KTRK-TV)

Headlines you need to see:

• Catalytic converter thefts in Houston spiked to 153,000 vehicles in 2022 (FOX 26 Houston)
• Feds open Disaster Loan Outreach Center to help Deer Park, Pasadena after tornado (Houston Public Media)
• Woman hit and killed after getting out of Uber on I-10 East Freeway entrance ramp at I-610 East Loop, HPD says (KTRK-TV)
• About $500,000 worth of drugs taken off Houston streets in bust, HPD says (KHOU.com)
• Houston Rodeo's Grand Champion steer sells for $550K to local developer (Chron)

Today in Houston:

• Photography Exhibit: "Inland/Outward" at Foto Relevance (11 a.m.)
• Dungeons & Dragons with Circle of Barhaven at Rudyards (6 p.m.)
• Yoga and Sound Meditation at Discovery Green (6:30 p.m.)
• Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at Ribeye & Rye (formerly known as The Barking Pig) (7:30 p.m.)
• Comedy: Pass the Mic — Open Mic at The Secret Group (11:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• A second grader in Arkansas helped his favorite Waffle House server buy a new car. The second grader started a GoFundMe that ultimately raised $113,000 to purchase his server friend a new car. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
• A crawfish flavored ice cream is now available at Houston shop Red Circle Ice Cream. Owners say that they brought the flavor back by popular demand. (Houston Chronicle via Facebook)
• A man in Minnesota killed a 77-year-old stalker by beating him to death with deer antlers. The man drove to a local police station and immediately confessed to his crime saying the stalker had a history of following his 6-year-old daughter as well as other children in his community. (ABC13 Houston via Facebook)

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That's it for today. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update!