March 2009 - blogHOUSTON

Giff Nielsen has (almost) left the building

March 31, 2009 Kevin Whited

Tonight is KHOU-11 sports director Giff Nielsen’s last day on the job. The Chronicle‘s David Barron has more on Nielsen’s departure: As Gifford Nielsen prepares today to wrap up 31 years in two of the

Maybe it's best for some to stick with the KTRH conservative talk beat…

March 31, 2009 Kevin Whited

The Houston Press Hair Balls blog decided to try a little Chron/media criticism today, with regard to the newspaper’s coverage of the DA’s recent criticism of two prosecutors: “She did this rush to just blast

Clay Robison has left the building

March 30, 2009 Kevin Whited

Clay Robison, the longtime Chronicle Austin bureau newsman (six days per week) and editorialist (one day per week), pens his farewell column for today’s newspaper. Much of the column is the customary reflection on a

More "change" at the DA's Office

March 28, 2009 Jason

The District Attorney’s Office is in the Chronicle twice in one day. This article features an idea about forcing some defendants to go to trial regardless of their wishes. Now, usually when I agree with

Message From District Attorney Lykos

March 27, 2009 Jason

District Attorney Lykos has publicly admonished two of her prosecutors for “negligently” striking seven black people from a jury pool during the jury selection process. Murray Newman’s brilliant explanation is here. I don’t know if

The fallout

March 26, 2009 Kevin Whited

We comment on local media quite a bit on the blog, so readers have probably been wondering about the deafening silence on the big layoffs at the Chronicle. Frankly, what was there to say in

Chief Hurtt announces more crimefighting by acronym

March 24, 2009 Kevin Whited

Chief Hurtt has broken out an excellent crimefighting acronym on his blog: To combat the drunk driving problem in the city of Houston, HPD is acquiring six Breath Alcohol Testing (B.A.T.) vans to be used

Frank Wilson: The Main Street Line is irreplaceable

March 23, 2009 Anne Linehan

METRO’s very expensive blogger posts an excerpt from a trade magazine interview with Frank “Procurement Disaster” Wilson, where METRO’s CEO says: “Before there was a rail line on Main Street, Houston didn’t understand what rail

A tale of two transit projects

March 23, 2009 Anne Linehan

Cory Crow comments on the news that METRO will not receive “stimulus” funds for light rail, while Harris County has been allocated almost $200 million for the Grand Parkway: Metro has dithered, changed technology, changed

Great moments in Houston Public Works

March 22, 2009 Anne Linehan

City Disconnects Sprinklers, Threatens Day Care (KRPC-2): The owner of a Houston day care said city contractors dug up her fire sprinkler system and then the city threatened to shut her down for having no