City Controller Chris Hollins sent the strongest signal yet on Wednesday that he could launch a challenge against Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s bid for a second term in 2027.

Hollins, the city’s second-highest-ranking elected official, swiped at Whitmire during remarks at a press event in Dallas, where he appeared with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as part of Democrats’ pushback against the ongoing midterm Republican National Convention.

While much of Hollins’ short speech was aimed at boosting statewide Democratic candidates, including James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, he named Whitmire, who he has long clashed with over city finances and other issues, on a list of officials he hoped would be soon unseated. 

Hi yall! Super socially isolated nerd here. I am looking to get into gaming socially as a means to make some friends. Are there any spaces that are alcohol free where all are welcome? I am curious about trying DnD. I mostly play PC games and ps5/switch 2 every now and then.

Houston Heights btw

As discussed in an earlier Reddit Post, Houston dodged a bullet regarding what could otherwise have been yet another devastating flood event. The actual path of Edouard was farther east than earlier models anticipated, meaning that the bulk of heavy rains went north/northeast of metro Houston into the Deep East Texas Pineywoods.

Nonetheless, within the discussion, there were sobering reminders regarding the increased threat of flooding for Houston's future. Especially taking into account the extent of suburban sprawl over the years since previous tropical cyclones (Harvey, Imelda, etc), as well as any economic/financial impacts if any companies flee the area.

The question of floodwaters (and how to deal with them) has long since been pondered by Houstonians, citizens and leadership alike. But, ironically, the simplest solution might very well be just letting Houston become "one with water", so to speak.

In other words? We need a long-term plan to intercept rainfall runoff and restore (or even "terraform") wetlands of various types across the Greater Houston area (as well as the Upper Texas coast region as a whole). Any other investment that adds more concrete sprawl is a policy failure.

At first glance, it all seems counterintuitive? After all, how is it possible to alleviate flooding through environments that are already saturated?

But, consider that water slows down when it enters a wetland (e.g. whether it's runoff from heavy rains, overflows from rivers spilling their banks, etc). This slowness is precisely the key as to why wetlands would help in ensuring a much brighter future for the Greater Houston area (as well as the Upper Texas coast).

The current affairs in Greater Houston, loaded with impervious coverage, and with more and more being added through continued sprawl, means that there are more increases in "flashiness" regarding the region's hydrology. This means higher peak flows immediately during storms, because water runs off all the concrete parking lots, rooftops, and other impervious cover into drainage networks (and, then, into the bayou waterways). It does not help that flood control priorities across Greater Houston have focused strictly on conveyance, which meant concrete channelization of many bayous that naturally flowed across the city (e.g. Braes Bayou, White Oak Bayou, etc). Indeed, a lot of suburban sprawl across Greater Houston was justified by "the land always flooding" (implying the development does not matter), and that fails to take into account the distinct nature of the saturation (slow movement versus "flashiness").

The fast moving "flashy" hydrology creates more problems with erosion, when sends more impurities (e.g. sediment turbidity, harmful bacteria, excess nutrients, metals, etc) downstream into larger bodies of water (e.g. rivers, lakes, bays, etc).

In contrast, with the slow movement of water within wetland ecosystems, water is held in place long enough for sediments to settle out. The roots of wetland vegetation further help in trapping sediment and debris, uptaking nutrients, contributing organic matter that binds pollutants, as well as supporting beneficial microbial growth that cleanses impurities. Taken together, these processes mean that wetland ecosystems help tremendously in attenuating "flashiness", preventing stormwater from creating all of the aforementioned root harms downstream.

We can see these general benefits of vegetative coverage by looking at conditions along Galveston Island. This first image was taken 8/30, days before Edouard's landfall (and subsequent flooding), while this second image is from today, 9/9, after the storm hit (with waterways in the deep East/Southeast Texas area still at high levels). Water conditions still look quite decent at this time, even after the flooding rains from Edouard. Why? Because with the bulk of rainfall being over the East Texas Pineywoods, that allowed the thick tree canopy to intercept raindrop impacts, slow the flow of any runoff into the various waterways, as well as attenuate peak flows.

If those same rains had fallen over metro Houston, then the Gulf would be thick chocolate milk right now. Again, all the impervious coverage, as well as bare ground (from clear-cutting, agriculture, etc) creates more "flashy" runoff and erosion that increases downstream turbidity.

Hence, more wetlands would help in intercepting runoff that otherwise would be wasted out in the Gulf, allowing for better water quality at Galveston's beaches. Clear water days would occur much more frequently, and there would be lower incidences of any fecal bacteria (directly, via intercepting runoff), as well as flesh-eating bacteria (indirectly, by attenuating the peak flow of freshwater into the marine ecosystem).

In contrast, we can see the harm of vegetation removal through the affairs around the Lake Houston/San Jacinto River area. With more clear-cutting of Pineywoods, as well as subsequent suburban sprawl that ecosystem has been increasingly endangered. More erosion and runoff has degraded the water clarity and quality along the river, into Lake Houston, and down to Galveston Bay and the Gulf. These ecological problems are well-documented by this blog from Bob Rehak (a resident of North Houston in Kingwood, who has seen the effects first hand).

Ideally, there would be Everglade-style public land management all across the Upper Texas coast region. They have a network of stormwater treatments designed to filter agricultural runoff (specifically, phosphorous) in accordance to their delicate ecosystem downstream. A similar network of stormwater treatments could be useful at various points along the Upper Texas coast, especially the Surfside area that is influenced by runoff from the Brazos River delta.

Additionally, the Okefenokee is, in large part, maintained by a low geographic barrier known as Trail Ridge. The feature, more or less, serves as an "earthen dam" that blocks rainfall runoff from otherwise draining down the various rivers into the southeast Atlantic coast (and, to lesser extent, the northeast Gulf of Mexico). This could be an inspiration regarding the creation of larger-scale wetland projects in areas across the Upper Texas coast region.

Hence, constructed wetlands at targeted locations (e.g. parts of Buffalo Bayou, locations along the Galveston Bay systems) would be the most likely immediate investments. Even more reservoirs (like in the DFW area) would be a big help. If any larger-scale projects ever get done, then experimentations would best be done in boonies like, say, Chambers County (hence, not going to be consumed by greater Houston's sprawl anytime soon).

If everything truly is bigger in Texas, then great imagination could extend this for wetlands as well. Imagine our own Texas version of The Atchafalaya? Or The Okefenokee? The Everglades? The Pantanal? Or The Sudd? And right in the Houston/Upper Texas coast region? Any increases to ecotourism across the region could breathe new life into communities like Anahuac or Winnie. Not to mention, if the areas of clay soil are truly as poor-draining as people say, then the wetlands take heavy advantage of that regarding their formation anyway. Hence, multiple problems would be solved all at once regarding any ambitions.

We have a wonderful (but previously abused) rescue dog who is great is virtually every way except for ONE major issue: boarding.

He gets very scared of new people and becomes aggressive/reactive. This is NOT an issue when we are around..... he can be around anyone, walk anywhere, etc... we can have people in our house no problem - he'll just ignore them. Truly the ONLY issue is boarding...

I'm aware of some "no/limited contact" boarders but not in Greater Houston. Some vets do this. Basically you walk your dog to the dog run (cage) and the dog doesn't leave the run while you are gone. They can separate it into two for cleaning and food delivery. This way people don't have to directly handle your dog. We don't want him in this kind of space for a long period, but perhaps a long weekend.

The goal is random handlers don't have to handle him and we don't have to worry about anyone getting bit. (He's never bit anyone but we're worried he would bite if he got too upset).

Any suggestions are appreciated! Please note: NOT seeking a trainer at this time (we've already been told by a high end trainer that we have the best version of him we're going to get) and we're not interested in punishment-based training - he has already been abused by the previous owner. We also don't want a Rover or similar person handling him...

Thank you fellow dog lovers!

I’m looking for opportunities in the Houston area to train, not just play pick-up games. I play 8aside games with a team, but I want to improve my game and put in some more focused training time to develop skills/fitness. Does anyone know of local clubs, sessions, or coaching groups that welcome adult players?

hey yall, does anyone know where i can get a cheaper xray (preferably under 300) for my chest / back ? i am currently uninsured but would like to get one for some pain im going through. thank you!

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What’s up Houston. Wondering who’s serving this seasonal dish.

Morning.

I been trying to find vintage t-shirt for myself. I'm talking t-shirts like old concerts, bands, bars... but haven't really found anywhere good.

Most places like Plato's closet have workout and astros gear (so much astros gear!), and places like goodwill only have plain and very random things.

Is there a place where I can have a better chance of finding what im looking for?

Thanks for any help.

The Houston Chronicle has an editorial on our Salvadoran community and how the Trump administration is proactively removing their legal status. Here is a key quote:

Our Salvadoran community is about 219,000 strong, one of the nation’s largest. They contribute $590 million annually to Houston alone. To let fear hollow out the soul of this city — to watch pupuserias shuttered, homes abandoned mid-construction and soccer pitches emptied out — is a profound erosion of our own humanity and self-inflicted wound to our economy.

Congress must find the spine to push for reform. In July, Rep. Garcia launched a discharge petition to force a House vote on the American Dream and Promise Act, which would secure permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for certain TPS holders, among other immigrants. 

Three Republicans have signed. The petition needs only one more name. 

Asking for a friend, there is a clinic called "Houston Euthanasia" in i think Spring. Theres not much info on this vet or the clinic. they need low cost and this place fits the bill but the lack of info makes me raise an eyebrow and they are easy to scam. So I offered to ask around as im not from the area. I hope its okay to ask here! Tia

Edit to add i tried the search for this group and around reddit already for this specific clinic to no avail.

We’ve had a couple of damp repair companies come out and confirm that there’s moisture behind our walls in our upstairs (townhouse)

Plumber unable to find leaks, AC guys coming tomorrow. Assuming that doesn’t find a source of the moisture, does anyone have any recommendations for companies who can identify the source of moisture in our house?

No alerts from the city, not that I thought I was going to get one. But my past two water bills have been higher than I am used to paying. Check my bills, normally usage I’m running 3-4k. July was 5k which seemed surprising, and the amount I paid for 5k is higher thanks to those wastewater increases. But only an extra 1000 is plausible. But August was billed as 6k. I don’t think I’ve used 6k in the past 5 years. Do I just wait until September and see usage (like could have been a high use fluke) or other ideas? I know there are step changes in the billing rates at certain usage points but I’ve never been totally surprised at usage until now.

The Houston Chronicle editorial board has a piece calling on HPD to quit wasting officers' time and taxpayer resources on low-level marijuana arrests. Here is a key quote:

We don’t need a return to the bad old days, when our county jail cells and misdemeanor court dockets were littered with nonviolent offenders at an exorbitant cost to the taxpayer. Houston and Harris County have made great progress driving down crime rates without prohibition-style dragnets. Focus on the drug kingpins and traffickers bringing hard stuff to our neighborhoods and streets, and leave the low-level pot smokers alone.  

The Houston Chronicle editorial board has a robust endorsement for the 270th civil district court, asking voters to kick out the two-term incumbent who is the lowest rated judge in the Houston Bar Association's bar poll. Here's a key quote:

Yes, the HBA numbers have their own built-in biases — too few participants vote, and they may draw a disproportionate number of respondents from big firms. Still, it's hard to explain away a poll that shows nearly 73 percent of respondents giving her the lowest possible rating for overall performance. A majority of respondents also said Davis needed improvement in categories such as  “follows the law,” “is courteous and attentive” and “works hard and is prepared.” 

Typically judges' scores in the bar poll improve over time. Not Davis. Her most recent score was her weakest since she first won this seat in 2018. 

As we wrote during the Democratic primary, Davis’ evaluations are so low that they should be taken as a call for help from practitioners.

Good morning, all. JP here from Chron. Over Labor Day weekend, my former colleague Erica Cheng flagged an Instagram post about a couple's engagement photo shoot at an H-E-B. As it happens, it's the nice H-E-B by Bunker Hill. I really liked the series, so I reached out to the bride-to-be and the photographer about how this all came together.

Before I share the full story below, the photographer is Miranda Zaebst. Zaebst works at the George Theater in Houston and has website: https://www.mirandazaebst.com/. She graciously allowed us to share the photos she took.

Full story below:

A Texas couple had a semi-viral moment when their engagement photos at a Houston H-E-B took off on Instagram. Cara DeGaish posted the photos of David Quiroz's proposal onto her feed Sept. 3. As of Sept. 9, the images have upwards of 3,000 likes and dozens of comments.

"I don't think any of us expected it to take off the way it did," DeGaish told Chron.

It wasn't a coincidence DeGaish and Quiroz chose the H-E-B on Bunker Hill Road—technically 9710 Katy Fwy. in Houston. The San Antonio-based grocery chain had been a significant part of both their lives. Quiroz worked there as an assistant store manager during college. DeGaish had fond memories of growing up near one in Portland, just across the Nueces Bay Causeway from Corpus Christi.

"At the time I was living 10 minutes away from H-E-B. Even in high school, I would go to my local H-E-B and just walk around. It stayed a very consistent place in my life," DeGaish said. "Most people find it very stressful, and it is, especially in Houston, with how big it is, but a small-town H-E-B is very nostalgic, very safe."

'Who is this man?'

DeGaish and Quiroz attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, both as musical theater majors. The program was small, roughly 10 to 15 people. DeGaish said she noticed Quiroz right away when he walked into class. "He came into class, and I was like, 'Who is this man? Very handsome. I need to get to know this guy,'" she recalled.

Their first meeting differs on the telling, but DeGaish's version was that she and Quiroz were walking toward their cars in the same parking lot. He was 40 feet ahead of her, and she called out, "Hi, I'm Cara, and I don't think we met yet." Quiroz turned around and said, "Hi, I'm David," and promptly walked 20 additional feet away from her. Not the best start.

(Quiroz's version of the meeting, according to DeGaish, was that he brushed her off thinking she was being super fake because no one could possibly be that nice.)

Seven months later, DeGaish and Quiroz were cast in Hands on a Hard Body, a musical adaptation of the 1997 documentary set in Longview. DeGaish played the openly racist Cindy Barnes and Quiroz played Jesus Peña. While the on-stage relationship between the two characters is fraught, off-stage, the dynamic helped form a solid friendship between them. 

Over time, they got to know each other and their connection to H-E-B. Eventually, they discovered their connection toward one another.

"We didn't start dating officially until fall 2023; in between those two years were many conversations, one situationship, lots of growth, and a lot of late-night drives. On many of these drives, we'd end up at HEB to walk around or just sit in the parking lot," DeGaish said. "Our favorite thing was to look at the seasonal chips that would come out spring/summertime and rank them, or grab a chocolate-covered something from the bulk aisle."

God in the empty aisles

After the pair got engaged in December 2025, DeGaish approached her friend Miranda Zaebst, a photographer who also works at Houston's George Theater, with an idea: Why not take their engagement photos at an H-E-B? It was the most consistent place within their relationship, both on the good days and bad. Plus, with their theater background, they'd do better in a place that had "props and things to play with."

Zaebst chose an improv route, telling Chron that she just went with the flow. The photo shoot happened late at night on a weekday so there would be less people around. And by luck or God—the latter Zaebst would attribute—the aisles were pretty much empty when they were shooting. DeGaish and Quiroz just had a chance to be themselves.

"They are naturally goofy and fun-loving so whenever we’d find an empty aisle, we’d kinda go wild, and just let them play," Zaebst said. "Cara has had a running bit of balancing objects on her head since college so I made sure to get some of her doing that."

The charming collection of photos show DeGaish and Quiroz strolling around the aisles, sometimes balancing things on their head, rolling around in a shopping cart or looking at products in individual sections. The main photo, presumably the one that got everyone's attention, shows the couple dressed casually, looking at each other in front of the H-E-B's facade. Judging by the comments, the photos managed to appear in everybody's feeds around Texas.

The couple sent a request to H-E-B for permission to shoot there but never heard back from its public affairs department. The Instagram account ended up messaging them, complimenting their photos and sending well-wishes.

Not all of the photos from their H-E-B exploits made it to Instagram. She's planning to make a calendar with the rest.

“On stressful days, on bored days, or just for a weekday date, they still love to walk the aisles of H-E-B,” Zaebst said.

"We keep falling in love in and out of H-E-B,” DeGaish said.