[WB1] For the third week in a row, HPD’s fatal botched raid on an alleged drug house continued to make news. On Friday, HPD Chief Art Acevedo did a complete about-face from his initial inaccurate remarks to the press (which suggested the raided home had a sophisticated surveillance system and that neighbors thanked him for taking out the drug house), conceding that it appears that narcotics officer Gerald Goines (and perhaps officer Steven Bryant) falsified search warrant evidence that enabled the no-knock raid that killed citizens Dennis Tuttle, Rhogena Nicholas, and their dog.
Houston Chronicle research indicates that the officer in question has a very questionable work history, although he has also received glowing praise from supervisors not to mention Chief Acevedo. Mayoral candidate Bill King blasted Mayor Sylvester Turner and Chief Acevedo and called for an external investigation of the fiasco, which could have implications for other cases Goines has worked not to mention the city’s potential financial liability in the wrongful death lawsuit that is sure to come. ADDITIONAL: Big Jolly Times.
[WB2] Also on Friday, while HPD’s fatal botched raid was dominating the news, the Turner administration quietly filed a motion for summary judgment in an effort to halt implementation of Proposition B, the firefighter pay parity referendum that voters overwhelmingly supported last November.
[WB3] HPD filed charges against a man they contend was harassing them for asking them to do their jobs. Attorney Mark Bennett is on the case, which will probably not end well for HPD.
[WB4] The city of Houston’s secretive “Houston First” tourism shell company continues to spend money in an effort to attract the 2020 Democratic National Convention. It’s not clear whether the city will be able to throw enough incentives at national Democrats to overcome the bad optics of HPD’s apparently dirty drug bust(s) and the city’s anti-pay parity stance towards HFD.
[WB5] The Turner administration is coming up short on its promise to fix Houston potholes expeditiously, KTRK-13 reports.
[WB6] Mayoral candidate Bill King took the What’s Your Point hot seat last Sunday to explain his vision for fixing Houston’s many problems. And the current mayor worked on his “Valantines” Day dance moves.
[WB7] In its latest marathon session, Harris County Commissioners Court rejected District Attorney Kim Ogg’s request to fund many more prosecutors.
[WB8] A federal judge rejected Harris County’s attempt to continue to hide noncitizen voter roll data from the public.
[WB9] Jay Wall warns against any public giveaways to the Texas high-speed rail advocates. Some years back, Neal Meyer shared his more colorful criticism of the nascent proposal on this site.
[WB10] The Chronicle’s massive investigation into sexual misconduct in the Southern Baptist Convention is the sort of work that could earn a Pulitzer.
[WB11] And finally, the Houston Cougars men’s basketball team vaulted into the top 10 for the first time since the Phi Slama Jama era. Coach Kelvin Sampson continues to draw praise for the work he has done in rebuilding the program. Go Coogs!
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