🌱 Citgo Six Sue + Rice Military Yard Sale Weekend

Hi all! I'm here with your Friday edition of the Houston Patch newsletter, filled with all the local news you need to know right now. Including updates on:

• A lawsuit filed by a member of the Citgo Six against his own company.
• A great way to save money on rent in Houston.
• The 15th annual Rice Military district yard sale.

But first, today's weather: A shower and thunderstorm. High: 81 Low: 61.

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Here are the top stories in Houston today:

1. A member of the Citgo six is suing Citgo for $100 million. Tomeu Vadell is one of six oil executives that were taken hostage by Venezuelan authorities after attending a meeting with members of the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA. A Venezuelan judge convicted the six executives of embezzlement and sentenced them to prison back in 2017. Thankfully, all six oil executives were freed as a part of a prisoner exchange in October of last year. However, Vadell said that he and the other executives still suffer from the traumatic and harrowing event. The lawsuit against Citgo alleges that the company used the Citgo 6 as political pawns to curry favor with the Venezuelan regime. (KPLC)
2. New data from website SmartAsset shows that Houstonians can expect to save an average of $543 a month by living with a roommate. The savings put Houston at number 14 in the list of U.S. cities where living with a roommate can save you the most money. With rent costing an average of 8.6 percent more across the Houston area since January of last year, renters looking to hold onto more of their paychecks might consider looking into roommate options. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Baytown, Humble, Conroe or the city of Houston itself is $1,500 a month. (Houston Chronicle)
3. The Rice Military neighborhood is putting on its 15th annual yard sale this weekend on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. More than 70 homes in the neighborhood are participating in the event and you can view their addresses as well as some of their inventory ahead of time here. Cash is king as always, but some houses say they will accept alternative forms of payment such as Venmo, Cashapp, and Zelle. Items already listed online include a variety of yard sale finds including "Star Wars" collectibles, designer clothing, jewelry, and more. A social media post about the huge yard sale reads, “EVERYONE is Welcome! Net proceeds will go to replacing the fruit trees lost in our neighborhood park - Nellie Keyes Park during the Christmas 2022 winter storm." (KPRC Click2Houston)
4. Houston has a great selection of dog parks for your pampered pup to get outside and enjoy. Starting off with the heavyweights, Johnny Steele Dog Park at Buffalo Bayou Park is a two-acre dog park filled with large pools for your pup to splash through and enjoy. It also features separate park areas for dogs big and small. Levy Dog Park in the Upper Kirby area is a six-acre park with a dog run and turf-based surfaces. Additionally, a playground is nearby for families with more than just animal children. There's also TC Jester Dog Park which has a much smaller dog park area. However, it's located around biking trails, a disc golf course, and open fields great for community sports. For more great Houston area dog parks, check the link. (Houston Chronicle)
5. A Houston driver was killed after their car stalled on South Sam Houston Parkway eastbound at US-90A. The driver was in a silver Altima when his car stalled in a moving lane of traffic. The Altima was then hit by a dually pickup truck that had just come over an incline behind him. Officials from Houston TranStar said, "For every minute a motorist has stopped on a freeway, the risk of being seriously injured or killed increases dramatically, and the chance of a secondary crash increases by nearly 3 percent." Authorities warn that you should always try to pull over to the shoulder if your car stalls on a freeway. Furthermore, when your car does stall on the freeway you should turn on your hazards, lock your doors, and keep your seat belt on. (KTRK-TV)

Headlines you need to see:

• Houston area may see strong thunderstorms, high winds Friday (Chron)
• $36M Houston home is most expensive on Texas market in March 2023 (KHOU.com)
• The touring ensemble, STOMP returns to Houston (KHOU.com)
• Houston Metro delays route OK for its longest bus rapid transit line (Houston Chronicle)
• Bond lowered for suspect accused of paralyzing mother of 3 after body-slamming her during robbery in SW Houston (KPRC Click2Houston)

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Today in Houston:

• March Madness Watch Party at Avenida Houston (4:30 p.m.)
• Kickoff Party for the 36th Annual Art Car Parade Weekend at The Ion (5 p.m.)
• Art and Cocktails at Holman Draft Hall (7 p.m.)
• Theater: "Drunk Shakespeare" at The Emerald Theater (7 p.m.)
• Theater: "Potato Gumbo" at The Pearl Theater (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The so-called "Topgolf of baseball" is coming to the Katy area with a brand-new sports bar, restaurant, and entertainment venue called Home Run Dugout. The restaurant seeks to reinvent batting cages by providing a digital hitting experience. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
• A woman from Channelview is dead after she engaged in an uncommon sex act. Her boyfriend told police that they were doing something called "erotic asphyxiation" when the victim went unresponsive. He's now being charged with manslaughter. (KHOU 11 News via Facebook)
• Astros second baseman Jose Altuve won't be playing baseball for the next two months. His extended break is a result of a surgery on his thumb that happened earlier this week after he got hit by a ball while at bat. (Houston Chronicle via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I truly appreciate the time you spend reading these newsletters, and I hope they provide interesting conversation topics and more for my readers. I'll see you next week!