🌱 Houston Pierogi Queen Closing + Hermann Park Duck Problem

Hello, people of Houston! Carlos Hernandez here with the latest issue of the Houston Daily.

First, today's weather:

A strong t-storm in spots. High: 84 Low: 66.

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Here are the top five stories today in Houston:

1. Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) has over 300 vacancies at the agency, mainly in customer service and image review positions, and anticipate that number to increase significantly over the next several years. The pilot program will launch in Harris County Precinct 2 and include Community Partners from across the county. (CW 39)

2. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo defiantly pushed back against her critics after three members of her staff were indicted for issues dealing with an $11 million contract for COVID-19 vaccine outreach. In a statement released on Tuesday, Hidalgo said that she and her staff will stay on the job despite the legal issues behind the contract that went to a political consultant with local Democratic ties. (CW 39)

3. The City of Houston is asking residents who visit Hermann Park to stop feeding the ducks. The population of domestic ducks has exploded and park workers think its due to feeding. A city employee said there are more than 150 domestic ducks at the park since they started counting three months ago. (KHOU 11)

4. Spring Valley Village, an enclave within west Houston, will part ways with its police chief, who city officials said authorized nearly $300,000 in overtime pay to himself. The fate of Chief Loyd Evans was determined during a city council meeting on Tuesday. (ABC 13)

5. Houston's famous Pierogi Queen, known for its Polish dumplings, fries, stuffed cabbage, and kielbasa, will officially close its doors in May after six years in business. The restaurant shared the news in a Facebook post on Saturday that the restaurant would shutter on May 20 after difficult times. (Eater Houston)

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Today in Houston:

• 2022 Scholarship Golf Tournament at Houston East End Chamber-Commerce. (11:00 AM)
• Grilled Cheese Day at Fielding's Local. (11:00 AM)
• IndyCar Driver Romain Grosjean Hosting Meet & Greet at DHL Mobile Shipping Store In Katy. (1:00 PM)
• Pictures With Easter Bunny at Weekley Family YMCA. (4:30 PM)
• HIIT Class With FitMix Communities at Discovery Green. (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Houston Independent School District is looking for interns. Students 16+ and alumni in college can apply today for a five-week, paid opportunity through the Summer Student Leadership Program. (Facebook)
• University of Houston Law Center's Renee Knake Jefferson has been named a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador. She said the Fulbright Scholar Program was "life-changing on many levels," and wants to pay it forward." (Facebook)
• As of April 10, the total number of COVID-19 cases confirmed among Houstonians since the start of the pandemic is 455,424. This includes 561 cases dated within the past 14 days not included in previous updates, 579 additional backlog cases, and the removal of 170 duplicates. There are 18 newly reported COVID-19 deaths of Houstonians, bringing the city’s total since the start of the pandemic to 4,462. This update reports new data from April 3 to April 9. (Facebook)

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Events:

• Taxes in Retirement Seminar (April 19)
• Online discussion for specialists in the field of alcohol rehab In Kemah, Tx (May 9)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with a new 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.