🌱 Ricky Martin Returns To Houston + Ukraine Mural In Downtown

Happy Saturday, Houston! Here's everything you need to know to start today off on an informed note. Here's everything you need to know today in town.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and warm. High: 79 Low: 66.

🏡 Are you a local real estate agent? Let us help you generate leads, build your brand in Houston and stand apart from the competition. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories today in Houston:

1. A day after Harris County Republicans called Tuesday's primary in the county "a fiasco," Democrats hit back. Democrats blamed Republican state lawmakers and officials for making it harder to vote. The mail ballot rejection rate was 30 percent leading up to the election. (KHOU 11)

2. A new mural in downtown Houston is covered with the hashtag #StandwithUkraine. It is made by local artist Shelbi Nicole with a simple, giant heart in the Ukrainian flag colors. Local Houstonian Iryna Petrovska Marchiano said, "every drop of Russian oil that comes to this land comes with a drop of Ukrainian blood." (ABC 13)

3. Houston restaurateur Ben Berg has found a new location for B.B. Italia Bistro & Bar. The casual Italian-American restaurant will reopen later this spring in the Sugar Land Town Square mixed-use development at 16250 City Walk Drive. (CultureMap Houston)

4. Puerto Rican star Ricky Martin returned to Houston on Friday night just three months after performing with Enrique Iglesias at the Toyota Center for his RodeoHouston debut. RodeoHouston’s director of entertainment and concert production, Jason Kane, said he "wanted a Latin pop star." (Preview)

5. The Houston Fire Department reprimanded a firefighter for misconduct after an investigation into a delayed 911 response to a case in which a mother and daughter died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The investigation was opened last July, following reporting about the incident from ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News. (Click2Houston)

Today in Houston:

• New Checkers Location Will Officially Open On March 5th With Special Guest Slim Thug. (12:00 PM)
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2022. (3:45 PM)
• Houston Symphony - Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi—In Concert at Jones Hall. (8:00 PM)
• Lupita D'alessio Y María José: Tour USA 2022 at 713 Music Hall. (8:00 PM)
• The Texas Tenors at City of Houston. (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Spirit Airlines is adding to the ongoing expansion of international service at George Bush Intercontinental Airport with new nonstop service to Monterrey, Mexico. (CultureMap Houston)
• Every Shriners Children's College Classic game this weekend will be televised live on AT&T SportsNet - Southwest Region and MLB Network. You can also stream every game on Astros' Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Astros.com. (Facebook)
• Between March 4th and March 20th, Houston Police Department is working with Texas Department of Transportation Houston to launch an Impaired Driving Mobility Campaign. (Facebook)
• Dog and cat food is needed. Houston SPCA is currently stockpiling unopened bags of dry pet food for our community events. If you'd like to help them stay prepared, you can drop off your donations at their campus at 7007 Old Katy Road. (Facebook)
• Former Navy SEAL Morgan Luttrell has won the Republican primary to succeed retiring Congressman Kevin Brady in the Houston area. (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Online Discussions on the Effectiveness of Drug Addiction Treatment in a Houston Addiction Treatment (March 31)
• Add your event

Loving the Houston Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business showcased in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at houston@patch.com

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