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Ho-ho-hold onto your suitcases because Texas airports are reportedly among the worst for holiday travels

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Whether you’re going home for Christmas, staking out snowy scenery or jet-setting on a seasonal vacation, like millions of others across the nation, Houstonians are headed for the airport to try and make it home for the holidays.

Of course, in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, one of the most stressful tasks for many people is the travel.

Based on government data, home decor headquarters Elite Fixtures identified the best and worst airports for holiday travel.

Unfortunately for Texans, a recent study claims three of the Lone Star State’s major airport hubs are among the nation’s worst.

RELATED: Houston’s Zoo Lights are fun for the family and safe for animals

According to the study by Elite Fixtures, William P. Hobby airport in Houston stole the top spot, ranking as the worst airport in the nation for holiday travel.

Over the year, Hobby reportedly delayed 42 percent of its flights, cancelled 1.3 percent of flights and delayed flights an average of 46 minutes.

Dallas Love Field ranked number 5 on the list, with 37 percent of flights delayed, 1.6 percent of flights cancelled and an average delay of 49 mins.

Similarly, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport took the 10th place spot, delaying 32 percent of flights, cancelling 3.4 percent of flights and delaying flights an average of 58 minutes, the study shows.

Screenshot of Elite Fixtures’ Infograph

Although George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) isn’t among the worst on Elite Fixture’s study results, the data shows it’s also not among the best airports for holiday travel.

Unfortunately for Texas, none of the Lone Star State’s airports made the top 10 best hubs across the nation.

In other bad news for Houston travelers, IAH did make a different travel list this year, ranking 7th on a list of the nation’s worst airports, according to a customer satisfaction study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.

RELATED: Aerial footage lets you relive Houston’s historic snow day

Elite Fixtures also identified the five worst days for holiday travel:

According to its data, the worst day for holiday travel is December 27th, followed by December 23, December 29, December 26 and December 22, ranked respectively.

If you’re traveling on those dates, you might as well pack an extra book, magazine or battery pack to pass the time you’ll, potentially inevitably – well, at least according to the data, on average, wait for your flight.

Safe travels, Houston!


Cubs meets with Yu Darvish, Epstein and Hoyer in Dallas

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In a Japanese report late last week, the Cubs were heavily involved in the Yu Darvish chase — so you could say things are getting pretty serious.

According to Bleacher Nation – Bruce Levine confirmed this over the weekend that the Cubs were “kicking the tires” on the starter.

RELATED: Tyler Chatwood signs 3-year deal with Cubs as starting pitcher

So what does “kicking the tires?” equate to? If you ask me — testing the waters. But however he meant it, it sounds like Levine is dropping some major hints and the suspense is KILLING me.

IF the Cubs are sending their head honcho-executive to meet with Yu Darvish — Bleacher Nation comes to the conclusion one could easily say that is not exactly JUST keeping tabs on the player’s market.

To add Darvish to the Cub’s club would make sense from a performance standpoint according to Bleacher Nation as in this offseason, as Darvish is the top starting pitcher to change teams via free agency.

RELATED: Cubs ticket prices rise again in 2018 — wait, what?!

But the real question is: does Darvish fit the bill financially for the Cubs? According to Bleacher Nation, the Cubs potentially could add him on the right deal and stay under the tax threshold for 2018 but if they are planning to exceed that threshold after 2018 — then it is speculated, according to the report, financial considerations are not the top priority.

And according to Epstein and reported on by Bleacher Nation- going after the top tier pitchers in free agency makes sense only about every three years.

To keep up speed on Yu, follow him on Insta below.

Instagram Photo

Route for Houston-Dallas ‘bullet train’ released as ‘sweet spot’ for Houston

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Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation released their recommendation for the route of a proposed “bullet train” between Houston and Dallas.

The recommended route, which came as the result of a Draft Environmental Impact Study evaluating six possible routes to connect the state’s two biggest cities, is expected to affect dozens of landowners in rural counties between them.

RELATED: Hyperloop and bullet train race for high-speed rail in Texas

The Houston terminal would be located near the northwest corner of Loop 610. The proposed terminal sites include: METRO Northwest Transit Center near the West Loop and Interstate 10; Northwest Mall near the West Loop and U.S. Highway 290; and an industrial area near Hempstead Highway.

Holly Reed, a spokesperson for Texas Central, told a Houston TV station the company wanted to choose sites in the northwest quadrant because the area offers access to some of the city’s most high-traffic areas.

“That location is a sweet spot for the Houston area and is a good location because it allows good access to downtown, the Galleria area, the Medical Center and the Energy Corridor,” Reed told the station.

The proposed site for the Dallas end of the route would be near The Cedars, an eclectic community of art galleries and restaurants south of the downtown central business district.

The Dallas route would also include an intermediate stop in Grimes County near State Highway 30 between Huntsville and College Station, which would provide access to students from nearby Sam Houston State University and Texas A&M University.

Each one-way trip would take an estimated 90 minutes, compared to four hours or more on Interstate 45.

The planned route in totality would run from Houston, through northwest Harris County, and through Grimes, Madison and Leon Counties, along the border between Freestone and Limestone Counties, through Navarro and Ellis Counties, until entering southern Dallas County before arriving at the Dallas metro terminal.

RELATED: Mayor Turner backs Houston-to-Dallas bullet train plan

Texas bullet train to be based on Japanese model with zero fatality rate

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According to company officials, the Dallas-based company Texas Central is making headway along the path to its bullet train route to connect Dallas and Houston.

The group is reportedly aiming to provide the safest method of mass transportation for what it’s calling “super commuters” – people who travel between Houston and the DFW area at least twice a week.

During an email exchange, Texas Central representatives said the model of train it will use for its high speed rail 90-minute route, called the N-700I system, comes with a perfect safety record.

RELATED: Houston is one of the top ten global finalists for this speedy transportation alternative.

The N-700I bullet train is said to be the international version of the Tokaido Shinkansen model of train, a popular form of transit regularly carrying passengers between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.

According to the Central Japan Railway company’s website, the Shinkansen system’s record is zero, as in zero passenger injuries or fatalities in its over 50-year history.

During an interview, Holly Reed, managing director of external affairs for Texas Central, explained there are a few reasons for this spotless safe rate:

One is because the train will not move along any existing public roads, instead moving over or under them, eliminating the chance of collisions with commuter vehicles or trucks.

Additionally, there will also be dedicated lanes for trains going in either direction to avert the possibility of bullet trains collisions, which is critical, given the train will start running at speeds of over 180mph, possibly going as high as 205 mph.

In light of the recent train derailment in Washington state, we reached out to Texas Central in regard to the proposed bullet train’s safety measures and how the prospective structure will cope with its high rates of speed, which can reach the same rates of speed as air travel in some instances.

The N700-I bullet will reportedly use the same Automatic Train Control (ATC) system as its Japanese counterpart – a standard meeting or exceeding the ‘positive train control‘ safety systems present in many U.S. trains, according to Reed.

Reed further explained how information is sent from the track to the ATC computer inside each train, where it automatically calculates distances between trains, determines whether it needs to stop, figures out a braking pattern and then implements said pattern to prevent any colliding accidents.

Based on its defectless presence in Japan, Texas Central is reportedly very confident about the N700-I’s computerized safety measures, but they won’t be relying on the systems alone:

“Everything we do has safety at the heart of it,” Reed said, who went on to explain the staff who crew the train will undergo extensive safety training before the N700-I launches.

She said first responders are also being trained along the route in the unlikely event of a derailment or evacuation.

Entering its later and nearly final stages of development, Texas Central’s project is permitted by the Federal Railroad Administration; as part of its operations, the bullet train company will further draft an environmental impact report for the route, which opened to public the public for commenting on Friday.

Reed said Texas Central hopes to break ground at the end of 2018 or early in 2019.

The Houston station for passengers to hop aboard the bullet train will be situated between interstates 10 and 290, just outside the 610 loop, and, once it gets started, the train is estimated to log 5 million trips by the mid 2020s.

RELATED: Mayor Turner backs Houston to Dallas bullet train plan

All aboard?

Texas restauranteur apologizes for serving Trump Jr. cake and letting him eat it, too

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The owner of Le Bilboquet apologized after a photo of Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz at his restaurant went viral.

Instagram Photo

The photo shows Trump Jr. posing with an early 40th birthday present: a cake featuring the former President Barack Obama’s face, done in the style of his ‘Hope’ campaign posters.

RELATED: Rosie O’Donnell, Donald Trump Jr. weigh in on Franken’s resignation

Trump Jr. said his friends did it as a joke in the image caption and is shown grimacing as he holds the cake up in the photos.

Stephan Courseau, the restaurant’s owner, posted on Instagram the next day to clarify what he saw as “unfortunate circumstances” in a post, which is reportedly since deleted:

Both Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz were attending a birthday celebration of one of our regular patrons who rented out our venue for a private event. The party was not for either one of them nor was it any kind of partisan rally. Unfortunately, I was not working yesterday and could not intervene in the unfortunate circumstances that unfolded but I believe I owe you an explanation and an apology. Someone that attended the party brought in an outside cake for Donald Trump Jr.’s upcoming birthday and we are not sure who that was. Both Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz took pictures with the cake and posted on social media outlets.

RELATED: Donald Trump Jr. was hoping for dirt on Hillary Clinton from Russians

A Dallas woman allegedly racked up a $300,000 bill on a first date with an infamously tanked Houston lawyer

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There’s always a risk when you take someone home after a first date.

In the case of a prominent Houston attorney, the danger turned to his priceless art collection:

Accordign to court documents, Anthony Buzbee claimed a Dallas woman he brought home after their first date drunkenly destroyed his abstract sculptures and three paintings — including two by the famed artist Andy Warhol — after Buzbee tried to send her home in an Uber.

RELATED: Houston attorney Anthony Buzbee wants cops to stop ticketing his tank

Lindy Lou Layman, 29, is accused of destroying $300,000 worth of art in the River Oaks Mansion.

Buzbee says the two returned to his home, but Layman turned out to be too drunk to continue their date, prompting his call for an Uber.

When the Uber arrived, however, Buzbee claims Layman hid in his home so she could stay.

Once he found her, he said he tried calling a second Uber.

At this time, Buzbee told authorities Layman became aggressive and attacked the art, throwing sculptures, tearing down paintings and pouring liquid on the paintings.

In court, Layman stated she is from Dallas, working as a court reporter.

RELATED: Houston police say courts have become revolving door for criminals

Layman now faces felony charges, but she is currently released on a $30,000 bond.

Buzbee, meanwhile, is no stranger to the news:

He made headlines earlier this year by parking a tank outside his $14 million River Oaks mansion, and he hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign back in 2016.

Search continues for a missing man and girl from Bryan and Wichita Falls, Texas

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Randy Roblyer, 24, of Bryan, Texas, has been missing since Sunday, and authorities are stepping up the search.

Roblyer was last seen leaving his job at Shipley Donuts in College Station, and his truck was later found abandoned on the side of William D. Fitch Parkway, according to KBTX. The truck was found near Carters Creek, between Highway 6 and Rock Prairie Road.

Randy Roblyer, 24. Last seen Jan. 7. Source: Texas Department of Public Safety.

RELATED: Text messages uncovered from person of interest in the case of four missing young men

The search for Roblyer was briefly suspended, but continued Thursday and remains ongoing.

His cousin posted a message on Reddit to try and get the word out, saying, “My cousin is missing, potentially in a life-threatening medical situation, please be on the lookout.” She added he could be heading to the Houston area.

“He may have taken an overdose of insulin. He has a serious medical condition and could be in real danger,” his mother, Kathy Roblyer, said in a Facebook post.

His mother said in a statement he sounded “ill and disoriented” when he talked to her on the phone Sunday, just before his disappearance.

She added if he is well enough to travel, her son may be trying to get to Houston or Colorado. The Texas Department of Public Safety missing persons bulletin also says he may be heading to Houston.

Authorities are also looking for 15-year-old Anastasia Wood of Wichita Falls, Texas. Missing and believed to be in danger, Wood was last seen Jan. 7.

Missing person bulletin for Anastasia Wood, 15, of Wichita Falls, Tx. Last seen Jan 7. Source: Reddit

RELATED: Round Rock police searching for girls reportedly abducted after mother’s death

Amazon’s shortlist of cities for their new headquarters leaks online

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Many were excited to see a narrowed down list of cities for Amazon’s second headquarters, which was released on Thursday.

Some quick observations were made.

A few expressed doubts about the logistics of placing the new headquarters in certain locations.

Some welcomed Amazon with open arms.

While others remained a bit more skeptical of the news.

For many, there was more concern about the way the company would treat its new city, not vice versa.

And, most importantly, there were several jokes to be had.

(H/T Twitter)

RELATED: School tells kids not to dress as YouTubers for “World of Work Day” — and ignites a debate


Houston may have a problem with Amazon’s list of 20 finalists for HQ2

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After being courted by cities across the nation, Amazon announced their list of 20 finalists to be home to their second headquarters (HQ2). Two are in Texas, but neither of them are Houston.

RELATED: Reports indicate Houston may be falling off Amazon’s HQ@ list

Watch the video

Instead, Dallas and Austin made the cut, joining other major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.

Most of the finalists appear to be concentrated in the southern and coastal areas on the east.

The New York Times speculates this may be because the west coast is becoming “saturated” with tech companies and hubs, like California’s Silicon Valley. The newspaper also credits Austin’s growing reputation for housing tech company headquarters.

Austin and Dallas reportedly came as finalist frontrunners for the position early on in the search, as both are very well situated to meet the criteria Amazon put forward in its initial announcement.

For instance, Austin is already home to companies like Facebook, and Dallas is trying to make a name for itself as the Silicon Valley of the South.

Amazon also received bids from cities in Mexican regions, but ended up narrowing the list of finalists to U.S. and Canadian cities, according to the Times.

The announcement naturally left the internet buzzing about the winners and losers of the HQ2 destination.

Houston’s own Sheriff Ed Gonzales tweeted he’s “bummed” Houston is out of the running, but expressed support for Austin and Dallas.

With the projection of the headquarters bringing in a reported 50,000 new jobs and $5 billion in spending, those living in relatively smaller-sized finalist cities like Newark, New Jersey, hope to see a boost their regional economies.

However, not every citizen is happy about the prospect of Amazon setting up shop where they live.

In an interview with the Times, Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, said, “As these cities woo and grovel, they are basically communicating this idea that we should want Amazon to be bigger and more powerful in our economy.”

In a statement on the finalists, Holly Sullivan, Amazon’s head of economic development, said, “Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly took a hands-on approach in the narrowing of cities, along with economists, human resources managers and real estate executives who formed a team of around 12 people.

Company officials said they will now move into the next phase of selection and start communicating more directly with officials from finalist cities.

RELATED: John Oliver perfectly explains why HQ2 would actually hurt Chicago

Houstonians are finally getting the recognition they deserve for their daily driving penance

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If you’ve ever spent time in the area, you’ll know Houston’s highways are indisputably a thorn in the side of everyone who lives in the Bayou City.

With highways seemingly becoming perpetual parking lots, it’s no surprise Houston ranked like it did on the list in a traffic study of the worst commutes in America:

Staffing firm Robert Half spearheaded the analysis, hiring a data collection firm to look at the commutes in 27 major cities across the United States.

RELATED: These videos of Houston traffic prove even traffic is bigger in Texas

Based on the data, the firm ranked the cities according to the longest commute and the most stressful commute, with Houston coming in at 11th longest.

They fell behind Dallas at No. 5 and Austin at No. 10, and, according to the study, the average commute in Houston is 50.56 minutes.

In terms of most stressful commutes, Houston broke the top 10 based on the data, which will come as no surprise to anyone who knows the H Town version of bumper to bumper traffic.

In a city where not having a fire on the roadway is a good day, it’s no surprise the study found stress levels to be high.

RELATED: New study concludes that Dallas is worse than Houston — at traffic

Houston ranked 6th for the most stressful commute, beating out Dallas at No. 7.

Austin took the 3rd spot.

After your commutes today and those to come, remember, someone knows your struggle.

Stay safe, Houston!

Buzzfeed throws shade after Houston’s World Series win — Astros still won

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Buzzfeed chose the oddest way to announce that the Houston Astros had won the World Series.

Clutch City took the Los Angeles Dodgers in a hard-fought 7 games, but you’d never know that from an article posted by a Buzzfeed reporter located in Los Angeles.

RELATED: Houston Astros make history and win World Series

“Dodgers Lose World Series” the title reads.

Buzzfeed World Series coverage, screenshot.

Not “Houston Triumphs in World Series,” “Houston Tops Dodgers in World Series,” or even “Houston Wins.”

The article’s summary says only that they lost to a team located 1,500 miles east of Los Angeles.

Not naming Houston, they just inserted this gif:

Um…what?

That’s just rude, y’all.

Even Dallas had something nice to say when we won:

RELATED: Astros’ World Series win has a romantic ending for Carlos Correa and his girlfriend

Thank you, Dallas! Truce until Sunday?

Houston Strong, y’all!

The Diwali Festival in Dallas beamed extra bright this year, especially for Houstonians

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Popularly known as “The Festival of Lights,” Dallas hosted the annual Diwali Mela Festival Nov. 4, which seemed to carry a torch for those attending from hurricane-ravaged areas.

RELATED: Chef Sheldon Simeon makes Indian sweets from scratch at this Houston restaurant

Diwali is a Hindi festival held to commemorate the victory of good over evil, and its name is derived from the Sanskrit word “deepawali,” which translates to “row of lights.”

According to the festival’s official website, when Lord Rama, hero of the famous epic poem the Ramayana, returned to India after exile, the people lit his way with small lights. Today, people light lanterns and candles and hang them in public places to light up the night in honor of the festival.

The festival’s hopeful message of light triumphing over darkness was especially important to Houstonians making the journey. After Hurricane Harvey, the DFW Indian Cultural Society anticipated a larger number of Houston’s Indian population than in years past, and are aiding the ongoing hurricane relief efforts.

“It’s not even a question. Whatever help we can provide.” said festival founder Satish Gupta.

Though cities like Chicago and New York have much larger populations of Indian diaspora, the New York Times reported around 60,000 people were expected in Dallas last weekend to participate in the festivities.

The Dallas festival draws such a crowd that Bollywood singers fly in from India to perform, and a massive live performance of the Ramayana is staged by a cast of volunteers every year. And there’s nothing quite like the food.

Vendors offered desserts like: chum chum, coconut-coated milk solids; jangiri, fritters soaked in sugar syrup; and payasam, a milk pudding flavored with saffron. Lines become so long that stands had to be set up for people to wait.

“We want to create an environment like the street markets in Bombay,” Anil Sukkagopal of Bawarchi Biryanis restaurant said in an interview. “We’ll be yelling and shouting about our food. People will be crowding around. It’s a sensory experience.”

RELATED: Houston breweries take gold at Great American Beer Festival

Proving our traffic really is lethal, Houston recently made a list of the 25 deadliest roadways – twice

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In news shocking no one, I-45 between Dallas and Galveston recently won the high honor of being the 2nd most dangerous highway in the United States, with Houston’s stretch being the deadliest.

Teletrac Navman, a company specializing in traffic solutions for companies, said it conducted a study to determine the 25 most dangerous stretches of roadway in the United States, along with the 25 deadliest cities on those roadways.

I-10 between Santa Monica, Calf., and Jacksonville, Fla., made the list as the 6th most dangerous highway, with Houston proving to be the most dangerous city along the same stretch of roadway.

RELATED: Houston commutes ranked highly in “worst commutes” study

According to the study, I-45 averages 1.018 traffic deaths per mile, with 290 deaths occurring on the 285 mile stretch of roadway between 2011-2015.

Data shows Houston is the most dangerous city along the interstate, with 83 of the deaths occurring in the Bayou City.

The study also examined the most dangerous month, date, day and time:

November is the deadliest month on Houston’s I-45, while the 12th is the most dangerous date; Saturday is the deadliest day, and the 2 o’clock hour is the worst time to be on the road.

The cross-country stretch of I-10 accumulated 1,730 deaths over 2,460 miles of roadway between 2011-2015, for an average of 0.703 deaths per mile.

Of those deaths, 58 were in Houston.

RELATED: New study concludes that Dallas is worse than Houston — at traffic

Data shows July is the most dangerous month for I-10, along with the first day of the month, Saturday, during the 2 o’clock hour.

Overall, Texas proved to be the most dangerous state for driving, making up seven of the 25 cities on the list – Dallas and Austin twice, San Antonio placing once.

Stay safe or stay home, Houston!

26-year-old Texas mom’s last moments alive before a mysterious fall to her death have been released

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A Texas family is seeking answers as it mourns the loss of a 26-year-old loved one and mother of two, who died a tragic and mysterious death on Sept. 23 at a parking garage.

RELATED: A toddler is the only survivor in a crash that killed 4 people

Watch the video

Taylor Gruwell-Miller’s family, convinced that she did not take her own life, wants the truth about what happened the night she died. A short video shows her in a parking garage with a former college football linebacker she met in rehab.

Gruwell-Miller had struggled with prescription drug addiction and entered rehab in August. The former football player was on probation for a drug conviction.

The father of the deceased is confident that the one person knows what happened that night.

“I just want the truth. My daughter didn’t take her own life,” her father Rich Gruwell told WFAA. “We talked about her kids, and how proud I was of her. I was always proud of her.”

“I think there’s one person at least that knows what happened to my daughter, and I just wish that person would tell the truth, whatever that truth is. Just come forward and say what happened,” he added.

The man shown in the video holding hands with Gruwell-Miller, WFAA reported, later gave police a statement that did not match up with the footage.

The Dallas Police Department has responded by releasing the last known footage of Gruwell-Miller alive, asking for help in identifying possible witnesses seen in the video.

Here’s what they said:

On September 23, 2017, at approximately 11:22 p.m., Dallas Police responded to a call for service at 1707 North Hall Street regarding the victim Taylor Gruwell.  Gruwell fell from a parking structure and died from her injuries.  The Dallas Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying several individuals seen at the location who are possible witnesses.  Anyone with information regarding the identity of the individuals in the video or information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Chaney at 214-671-3650 or derick.chaney@dpd.ci.dallas.tx.us.  Please refer to case #218587-2017

Although the man has neither been charged nor named, he has refused to meet with detectives or unlock his phone. The morning after Gruwell-Miller died he was found asleep in his car and cried as he told police someone “close to him” died.

He later said in a written statement that he did not know Gruwell-Miller died.

RELATED: Roy Halladay appears to be showboating in video from his plane crash

Another heartbreaking fact of the story is that Gruwell-Miller’s children Greyden and Emory, 2 and 4, don’t know that they’ll never see their mother again.

Relatives haven’t decided how to tell them.

(H/t NY Post)

If your debt payments are draining your wallet, Houston may be the city for you

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If you’re facing a mountain of debt in the Space City, then a new study has good news for you — Houston ranks as one of the best cities in the U.S. for paying off debt.

Texas-based financial education site Student Loan Hero conducted the study, which determined how much disposable income typical residents of major cities have after paying for living expenses.

Watch the video

RELATED: What the top Google searches in Texas reveal about us

Individuals with more disposable income, Student Loan Hero concludes, have more money to put toward their debt load.

They evaluated 159 American cities, considering average annual wages, tax burdens and the city’s cost of living, as well as the unemployment rate and VantageScore.

Houston cracked the top 3, falling behind Kennewick, Washington, and Durham, North Carolina.

According to Student Loan Hero, Houston’s average annual income is $52,870, giving residents $20,422 in disposable income each year.

Cost of living in the Bayou City is 2.3 percent below the national average, which helps keep more money in residents’ pockets.

“Living in one of the top 20 best cities gives you a disposable income of $18,000 left over, on average, after taxes and basic living expenses are paid,” said Elyssa Kirkham, who led the Student Loan Hero study, according to reports. “That’s a huge boon to residents of these cities who want to get out of debt faster. It gives them a lot of room to play with their budget and find extra money to put toward debt.”

RELATED: Texas falls into three different nations according to this theory

Four other Texas cities made the list: Amarillo came in at number 19; Dallas ranked at number 11; San Antonio took number 8; and Austin slid in at number 5.

In total, Texas cities make up one-fourth of the 20 best cities to pay off debt. Student Loan Hero is based in Austin, Texas.

On the flip side, a study by GOBankingRates revealed Texas ranks third in the country for the highest debt loads, with the average Texan owing $185,583 when all debts — including mortgages, student loans, automobiles, medical debt and credit cards — are taken into consideration.


Texas’ first Hispanic female sheriff who is openly gay announces her candidacy for governor

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Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez announced Wednesday in Austin she will challenge Gov. Greg Abbott in the upcoming 2018 election.

Running as a Democrat, Valdez will be the underdog in Texas, which hasn’t elected a blue candidate since 1994. However, Valdez’s career has been built on “firsts.”

RELATED: Texas’ 26th district could elect its first female US representative

An Army veteran, Valdez became the first female Hispanic sheriff as well as Texas’ first openly gay female sheriff 12 years ago when she took the helm of the Dallas Sheriff’s Office.

She is also a former senior agent for the U.S. Customs Service in the Department of Homeland Security.

She will resign her position as sheriff to run against Abbott for governor.

Valdez is running on a platform of increasing opportunity for all Texans and having a government that works for its citizens.

“Like so many hardworking Texans, I know it’s tough deciding between buying food, finding a decent place to live, and setting aside money for college tuition. Opportunity in Texas ought to be as big as this great state, but it is out of reach for far too many, that’s why I’m running for Texas Governor,” Valdez said in her announcement.

Abbott will seek his second term in office and has already raised $40 million for his campaign coffers. In 2014, Abbott beat his Democratic opponent, former state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, by 20 points.

RELATED: Dallas sheriff Lupe Valdez honors fallen officers at DNC but is interrupted

Although she is not well-known across the state, Valdez has appeared on the national stage.

Last year, Valdez addressed the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, speaking about the Blue Lives Matter movement. Valdez lost five of her officers after they were gunned down in Dallas.

After announcing her campaign, Valdez plans to begin a Texas tour to introduce herself to the rest of the state and raise money for her campaign.

She has the following message for Texas: “I’m a proud Texas Democrat. I believe good government can make people’s lives better, and I intend to do just that.”

Justice is finally served 60 years after a Texas beauty queen went missing

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A former parish priest was convicted Thursday of strangling to death a woman who vanished in 1960 after going to confession at a Texas church he was serving.

John Feit, now 85, faces life in prison for the murder of Irene Garza. The 25-year-old teacher and former beauty queen visited Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen the evening of April 16, 1960, during Holy Week, and was never seen alive again.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, Garza’s body was found in a canal five days later, beaten and asphyxiated. Her autopsy showed that she had been raped while unconscious, then slain.

Feit, who was living at the pastoral house in nearby San Juan and filling in as needed at area churches, gave investigators conflicting statements, initially stating that another priest who was present at Sacred Heart the night of the murder took Garza’s confession, the Express-News reported. Two months later, he contradicted himself, telling detectives that he was alone on duty that night.

He admitted hearing Garza’s confession in the church rectory, but denied involvement in her death.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Feit, then 27, was an early suspect in Garza’s murder, but prosecutors in the case presented evidence that elected officials in Hidalgo County conspired with church officials to block the investigation and avoid scandal in the Catholic Church.

The young priest, who later spent time at a New Mexico treatment center, was later assigned to a supervisor role in which he cleared priests for assignment to parishes, the Morning News reported. One of the men he placed was James Porter, a priest who molested more than 100 victims before being defrocked and sentenced to prison.

Feit left the priesthood in 1972 and later married.

The Express-News reported that there was a lack of physical evidence pointing to Feit, but that two former clergymen came forward over the years and admitted that the former priest confessed his crime to them.

One of those men, former monk Dale Tacheny, testified Monday that Feit confided in him about the murder in 1963, three years after the fact. Feit showed little remorse, Tacheny said.

He did admit that he was still “haunted” by the sound of the heels Garza wore to the church the night he killed her, Tacheny testified. Those heels, along with other items of the victim’s clothing, were introduced into evidence at the trial.

Tacheny told the court that Feit confessed to attacking Garza in the church rectory before putting her unconscious body in the basement while he went next door to the church to hear another parishioner’s confession.

Feit took a break from his duties to move Garza to the pastoral house, the witness said. It was there that he left her to die, Tacheny said.

“He put the young lady in a bathtub,” Tacheny, 88, testified, according to the Express-News. “As he was leaving, the young lady said, ‘I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe.’ Then he left.”

Feit returned to the church to continue offering confession, Tacheny said. When he returned to the pastoral house the following day, Garza was dead.

Tacheny, who worked with Feit at a monastery in Missouri, told the court that it was not his place in 1963 to take the priest’s confession to authorities, the Express-News reported. Instead, the monastery tried to modify Feit’s behavior toward women.

When asked by prosecutors why he finally approached San Antonio police after decades of silence, Tacheny wiped tears from his eyes.

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“She had parents,” he said, according to the newspaper.

Another colleague of Feit’s, Father Joseph O’Brien, told the Dallas Morning News in 2004 that Feit confessed to him that he killed Garza, the Express-News reported. O’Brien has since died and could not offer testimony at trial.

Prosecutors stated at trial that O’Brien helped cover up the crime, getting rid of some of Garza’s belongings found at the rectory.

Jurors heard from at least one acquaintance of Feit’s in 1960, who testified to seeing scratch marks on the young priest’s hands in the days after the murder, the newspaper said.

They also heard testimony from Ana Marie Hollingsworth, a friend of Garza’s, who said that Feit had previously pulled Garza from the confessional in the church to hear her confession in the rectory, a highly unusual practice. Garza was “disturbed” by the priest’s actions, Hollingsworth, now 83, said.

Hollingsworth’s testimony contradicted Feit’s 1960 statements to police, in which he claimed he had never met Garza before taking her confession the night she disappeared.

Jurors also heard about Feit’s threatening behavior toward women in the weeks before Garza was killed, including an attack on a woman at a church in Edinburg. He later pleaded no contest to assault and paid a $500 fine, the Express-News reported.

A former television reporter testified that the Hidalgo County district attorney, who is now deceased, admitted to him off the record in 1960 that Feit’s plea deal in the assault case was part of a deal struck with church officials.

The man who allegedly killed 3 in west Harris County reportedly arrested overnight in Dallas

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Authorities say they arrested the man wanted for a triple slaying in west Harris County overnight.

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Jeffrey Noble, 35, allegedly killed three people at a home late Friday afternoon, and witnesses said he fled in a red 1998 Honda or Acura.

His victims are identified as 22-year-olds Jessica Sciandra, John Sciandra and 25-year-old Jordan Michael Collier.

According to authorities, Noble, who they believe to be their killer, fatally shot them at a home on Creekhaven Drive around 4:30 p.m.

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A woman at the home reportedly escaped uninjured.

If you would like to share additional information on this crime, contact your local authorities or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

After Judge Emmett’s criticism, can Houston learn a lesson from Dallas’ light rail system?

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Since its launch in late 2003, Houston’s MetroRAIL line operates as a popular option for workers and tourists alike.

The city’s first light-rail line, which went from downtown Houston to then-Reliant Stadium, first proved its worth when the city hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII in February 2004.

The main line since expanded to include destinations on the city’s near North Side, and additional lines now connect Downtown to the University of Houston campus and the southeast side.

However, as Judge Ed Emmett recently reiterated, the rail line continues to lack options for Houston’s millions of suburban commuters, and there are currently no lines connecting the city’s airports to its downtown business district.

Meanwhile, some city planners say Houston could learn a thing or two from the Dallas Area Rapit Transit (DART) system in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex, with its rail lines providing transport between most of the area’s major destinations, including suburban hubs.

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A recent Houston Press piece analyzed the reasons why Houston’s move to light rail is falling behind its Texas neighbors:

The article points out how Houston’s approach of starting from downtown and creating a short, experimental line, while successful at first, left a significant number of residents out of its plans for any future expansion.

Experts agree, rail lines, which could connect major suburbs, like Clear Lake, Katy or The Woodlands, to central Houston, could alleviate traffic jams and improve the city’s air quality.

When Dallas implemented its light rail system, for example, officials approached the suburban ridership issues first, then built the system around their demands, understanding this population to be the one most in need of commuter transit options.

Furthermore, geographically, DFW Metroplex also covers an area several times the size of Houston’s metro area, so the infrastructure issues they faced stood, arguably, as much larger obstacles than Houstonians might face with an extended light rail system.

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With predictions of Houston’s population doubling in size in the next quarter-century, some city organizers and leaders argue an extensive light rail network may also provide a solution to expanding the area’s roads and freeways.

Furthermore, they say light rail could be implemented alongside or as an alternative to TxDOT’s plans to re-route the downtown area’s freeway system in the next decade.

All aboard?

Father fights for custody of child after his ex wife’s arrest for subjecting their son to more than 13 unnecessary surgeries

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Dallas resident Ryan Crawford is seeking custody of his son Christopher, after police arrested his child’s mother, his ex wife, on charges of injury to a child.

Prosecutors say ‘injury’ is an understatement:

Over the course of his eight-year life, they say Christopher’s mother Kaylene Bowen is responsible for 13 invasive, possibly unnecessary, surgeries conducted on Christopher during over 300 stays in the hospital.

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Christopher’s mother said she truly believed something to be wrong with her son, bringing him to the hospital for invasive procedures he didn’t need over and over again.

She would claim Christopher suffered from cancer or a genetic disorder, and even reportedly attempted to place him on the lung transplant list.

Child Protective Services (CPS) ultimately removed him and his two other sibling from Kaylene’s custody, and they are currently in foster care, according to WBIR.

Investigators say they believe Kaylene Bowen’s case is one of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, which doctors describe as a mental illness, where a caregiver makes up an ailment in order to gain attention or sympathy; often, the caregiver will cause the symptoms of a disorder, bringing even more harm to the afflicted person, commonly a child or someone who is elderly.

“They often frequent many emergency rooms over a wide geographic area. One doctor may never know that medical procedures or diagnostic tests have already been performed elsewhere, so it happens again and again and again.” Dr. Marc Feldman, an expert on the disorder, said in an interview. “These mothers tend to be master deceivers and liars. They’re very skilled at what they do.”

Kaylene reportedly evidenced Munchausen behavior since Christopher’s birth:

Records show Crawford tried to tell the judge there is nothing wrong with his son during custody hearings when the couple split, but, like the common practice in Texas family court, the judge sided with Christopher’s mother and placed him in her custody.

He even offered medical records to prove his claims in 2014, but he said the judge refused to examine the contents.

“It makes me feel as if the system wants to believe the mother all the time in situations, when the father is there fighting,” Crawford said in an interview.

Concerned medical staff at Children’s Hospital in Dallas reportedly alerted CPS to Christopher’s case; Bowen transferred her son there from Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, but refused to provide Christopher’s records so more testing would need to be done.

When Bowen wouldn’t wean her son off his medication and medical equipment, staff in Dallas said they checked with Houston and contacted CPS.

Since being removed from Bowen’s household, Christopher is said to be doing much better.

“He looked as if nothing had ever happened to him,” Crawford said after visiting his son. “He’s a blessing. God has watched over him.”

Crawford said he will continue to fight for custody of his son:

“I need my son in my life. And my son needs me in [his] life.”

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