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October 14, 2026 in Neighborhood News

HCAP MEETING UPDATE

Refinery Meeting Update – Valero Manchester 
At last night’s refinery meeting, the topic of flaring was presented by plant manager with Lyondell. 
For your information, the type of flare used at our closest plant, INVISTA, is called a candlestick flare because of its tall, vertical design. 
Here are a few points that were explained: 
Steam and emissions: Steam is mixed with the gases to help promote a cleaner flare. 
Height of the flare: The height helps reduce noise levels. 
Flame size: When more pressure is directed to the flare, the flame at the top becomes larger. 
Power outages and shutdowns: If a power outage occurs, each plant must go through a controlled shutdown. 
During this process, residents may see larger flares and sometimes hear rumbling or other loud noises.
I wanted to share this information so residents have a better understanding of flaring and what they may see or hear when refinery operations are affected by a power outage. 
WE urge more residents to begin attending these bi-monthly meetings so that you can share with neighbors. 
Below are a couple of flyers that were distributed.

October 12, 2026 in Neighborhood News

What ‘s Going ON

Good morning. It’s Monday, October 12, and the Texans finally have something to celebrate. Don’t miss how Houston shook off an 0-4 start with a dominant 26-3 rout of the Titans in Nashville, the kind of performance fans have waited all season to see.
 
 
Today’s Highlight
 
The Houston Texans ended their winless start with a 26-3 rout of the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday, improving to 1-4 while Tennessee fell to 0-5. C.J. Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score. After coach DeMeco Ryans took over defensive play-calling, Houston forced two turnovers and recorded four sacks, three by Will Anderson Jr., while holding Tennessee to 187 total yards.
 
 
Quick Hits
 
01 Marvin Harrison Jr. is headed to Houston after the Cardinals agreed to trade the wide receiver to the Texans, reuniting him with C.J. Stroud, his Ohio State teammate. Arizona receives Houston’s 2027 second- and sixth-round picks, while the Texans also get a 2027 seventh-rounder.
02 The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after an ICE vehicle struck and injured a man during an October 10 enforcement operation near Clay Road. ICE says the man ran in front of the vehicle, though the sheriff’s office has not established the circumstances of the impact and his family is seeking his release from custody.
03 Houston ISD employees will have fewer medical plans and higher premiums in 2027. The district says a 4% pay increase will help offset the added cost, though the benefit change will still shift more expense to workers.
04 Houston’s water system has drawn 92 brown-water complaints this year, with residents reporting that flushing clears discoloration only temporarily. The city has nearly 1,800 miles of aging iron water lines and replaces just 2% to 3% of its pipe inventory annually.

What’s Coming Up
 
 
 The Houston Texans face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday, October 18, seeking to build on their first win of the season. The overseas matchup gives Houston a chance to turn one strong performance into a winning streak.
 
 National Weather Service Houston/Galveston expects warm, muggy conditions today across Southeast Texas, with scattered coastal showers and highs from the upper 80s to mid-90s. Isolated coastal rain continues tonight, while patchy fog may develop farther inland.
 
 
Interesting…
 
Black-bellied whistling ducks have gone from a South Texas rarity to a familiar sight across the state. Only decades ago, the long-legged, chestnut-colored birds were largely confined to the Rio Grande Valley, but their range has expanded so widely that they are now found across much of Texas, bringing their distinctive whistles with them.



October 12, 2026 in Neighborhood News

Election of Officers

Good Morning, Oak Meadows Residents,

As the end of the year approaches, so does the time for elections of the Oak Meadows Civic Club officers.

After serving as Acting Secretary for the past year, I am respectfully submitting my resignation from this role. I believe it is time for someone else to step forward and accept this meaningful responsibility to our community.

Throughout the past year, I have made every effort to keep residents informed by sharing news, facts, updates, and concerns affecting our neighborhood. I have taken this responsibility seriously because I believe our residents deserve to know what is happening in and around Oak Meadows.

However, I must be honest. Serving our community should be about cooperation, mutual respect, and working together toward common goals.

When I first took on this responsibility, two of my primary goals were to pursue streetlights on every street and improvements to our park. I am proud that these goals have been accomplished. I believe our community benefits when we work together to address residents’ needs and concerns.

As I step away from this position, I hope someone will come forward who is willing to accept the responsibility of Secretary and continue keeping our residents informed.

The qualifications and responsibilities for Secretary include:

  1. Being bilingual.

  2. Having basic computer skills.

  3. Attending Civic Club meetings, along with a couple more meetings.

  4. Being willing to communicate neighborhood news, updates, and concerns to our residents.

  5. Being committed to working cooperatively with fellow officers and the community.

Our community deserves leadership built on respect, cooperation, and accountability.

I sincerely thank the residents who have supported my efforts throughout this past year. It has been my intention to serve Oak Meadows and keep our community informed.

Thank you.

October 8, 2026 in Neighborhood News

Events Coming: ART Festival

Good morning, Houston
Good morning. It’s Thursday, October 8, and Memorial Park is about to fill with art. Don’t miss the Bayou City Art Festival, a three-day showcase opening tomorrow with more than 270 artists working across 19 disciplines along South Picnic Loop.
 
 
Today’s Highlight
 
Pathways to Independence, a three-year regional homelessness initiative, launched Wednesday at City Hall with $34 million committed toward a $48 million philanthropic goal. Led by the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, the effort provides short-term, flexible help to people who do not qualify for long-term supportive housing and sets a goal of connecting them to housing or services within 90 days. The private money, more flexible than the federal dollars Houston has long relied on, is meant to test interventions over three years, after which organizers will seek public funding to sustain the work.
 
 
Quick Hits
 
01 Houston City Council voted Wednesday to pursue the sale of two city-owned municipal towers downtown. The potential transaction could generate substantial proceeds for Houston and eventually reshape the skyline, though the vote starts a sale process rather than completing a deal.
02 Roger Clemens, the former Astros pitcher, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Trump announced at a San Antonio rally where the seven-time Cy Young winner introduced him. No ceremony date was set, and Trump renewed his push for Clemens’s Hall of Fame induction.
03 Houston City Council unanimously approved agreements for Braes Park, a 144-home development on a 12-acre city-owned tract at 10301 Stella Link Road. About 89 homes will be priced from $210,000 to $300,000 for households earning up to 120% of area median income, five minutes from the Texas Medical Center.
04 Texas public schools recorded 8,193 book-ban instances during the 2025-26 school year, more than any other state, according to PEN America. Texas surpassed Florida after a new state law changed school-library procedures, though PEN’s methodology counts temporary removals as well as longer-term restrictions.
05 Emancipation Park opened its renovated Cultural Center during Tuesday’s National Night Out in the Third Ward. The center will support exhibits, educational programs and community gatherings, while an $18.5 million park project also called for a 5,000-square-foot stage.

What’s Coming Up
 
 
 The Bayou City Art Festival runs Friday through Sunday, October 9-11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at Memorial Park along South Picnic Loop. More than 270 artists across 19 disciplines join live music and food trucks, with general admission at $20 per day for adults and advance online tickets required.
 
 Hurricane Isaias will track well east of Texas toward a northern Gulf Coast landfall Friday, so Houston expects no significant impacts. Upper-coast boaters should still plan for rising winds and swells, with a Small Craft Advisory in effect and seas near 10 feet offshore through Friday night.
 
 
Interesting…
 
Faces of Change is turning a Westheimer Road wall into a tribute to Houston’s women. Painted by local artist Anat Ronen on the side of The Cottage Shop, the new Montrose mural honors six trailblazing figures who helped shape the city.

October 7, 2026 in Neighborhood News

Event – Oak Meadows National Night Out

Good Morning, Oak Meadows Neighbors!
Yesterday evening, the Oak Meadows Civic Club hosted National Night Out at Oak Meadow Park, and we would like to thank everyone who came out and helped make the evening a success!
We had approximately 35 Oak Meadows residents attend and enjoy an evening of food, activities, fellowship, and an opportunity to meet with representatives from several community organizations and local offices.
🌮 Food & Refreshments
A special thank-you to Beatrice and Norma, who kept everyone well fed with tacos and nachos, along with canned drinks and water.
🎨 Fun for the Children
Our Vice-President, Michelle Garcia, arranged for a face painter who entertained the children throughout the evening.
Our President, Andrew, also handed out packages of colored chalk left over from an earlier event, giving the children another fun activity to enjoy.
🤝 Our Community Sponsors
We greatly appreciate our sponsors, Goodyear, TPC and Invista, for being present and taking the time to speak with Oak Meadows residents.
🎟️ A Special Thank-You
Yucari from Council Member Fred Flickinger’s office stopped by and brought some Zoo tickets for the community.
👮 Community & Local Office Representatives
We were also pleased to welcome representatives from Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s office and Senator Carol Alvarado’s office, as well as Richard Vega, who is a candidate for Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s position.
The Constable Garcia’s Office also had a sergeant and a representative present, along with giveaways for residents.
Most importantly, thank you to our Oak Meadows neighbors who took the time to come out and participate. National Night Out is about bringing neighbors and our community partners together, and your participation helped make the evening a success.
Thank you, Oak Meadows, for your continued support of the Oak Meadows Civic Club!
We look forward to seeing everyone at our next community event. ❤️

October 3, 2026 in Neighborhood News

Halloween at Children’s Museum

BOO!SEUM TAKES OVER OCTOBER!

https://www.cmhouston.org/events/halloween 
October brings one of the Children’s Museum’s most exciting times of the year
—BOO!seum! 
🎃👻 Throughout October, families can enjoy: 
 🍬 Trick-or-Treating 
 🎧 DJ Sally & Jack Skellington 
 🎨 Crafts & Fun      👻 Spooky Activities      🎉 And much more! 
 ⭐ FREE FAMILY NIGHT Every Thursday in October 🕔 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
 Admission is FREE, but reservations are required in advance. 
 👉 Let’s take advantage of these wonderful opportunities for our Oak Meadows children and families! 
❤️ Oak Meadows Civic Club Keeping our residents informed and our community connected.

Respectively,

Rita Snow

October 3, 2026 in Neighborhood News

Heavy Trash Pick Up

Good Morning Oak Meadows

Reminder Heavy Trash coming on Monday, October 5th. 

 Please have TREE Waste in one pile and JUNK Waste in another pile.

 REMEMBER this will be our last Heavy Trash until December 7th. 

 Thank you Oak Meadows for keeping our neighborhood clean.

October 2, 2026 in Neighborhood News

Events

Good morning, Houston

Good morning. It’s Friday, October 2, and MacGregor Park has begun a $75 million transformation. Don’t miss the Third Ward groundbreaking, which starts a two-phase overhaul designed to turn one of southeast Houston’s oldest gathering places into a greener, more accessible destination by the end of 2028.
 
 
Today’s Highlight
 
Harris County launched Affordable Community Energy, a county-run solar program it says could cut electricity bills for up to 10,000 lower-income households. Officials marked the groundbreaking Wednesday outside Reliant Center, where the county plans seven solar arrays totaling 45 megawatts on public land, with battery storage to follow. Rather than deliver power directly, the county will use generation proceeds to fund discounted retail rates, estimating savings above 20%, roughly $936 a year. Enrollment opens next July for residents at or below 80% of area median income, and build-out finishes in 2029.
 
 
Quick Hits
 
01 Proposition A will ask Houston voters on Nov. 3 to make low-level marijuana possession the police department’s lowest enforcement priority and bar no-knock warrants. The charter amendment, placed on the ballot after a 40,000-signature petition, would not legalize marijuana because the city cannot override state law.
02 Federal SNAP benefits rose Thursday, with the maximum monthly allotment for a family of four moving from $994 to $1,023, though Houston-area enrollment has fallen 18% over the past year. New work rules tightened eligibility, and local food banks report sharply higher demand.
03 Houston City Council could require companies receiving property-tax abatements to meet higher wage and benefit standards. Proposed revisions also add apprenticeship and labor-compliance conditions, though council has not adopted them and is expected to consider the package next month.
04 Houston Public Works says more than 15,000 water accounts owing roughly $30 million remain at risk of disconnection, though the city had not shut off any delinquent customers as of Wednesday. Customers more than 90 days behind or owing at least $500 could face disconnection, while active disputes and payment plans remain protected.
05 Houston ISD canceled tonight’s Bellaire-Lamar football game after confirmed staph infections among Bellaire players, a precaution taken on guidance from city health officials. Under UIL rules the forfeit is recorded as a Lamar win, jeopardizing Bellaire’s three-year playoff streak.
What’s Coming Up
 
 
 The Houston Texans host the Dallas Cowboys at Reliant Stadium on Sunday for a 25th-season celebration that reprises the franchise’s first regular-season home matchup in 2002. Fans who scan tickets before 11:30 a.m. receive a commemorative legacy ticket or trading-card pack while supplies last.
 
 Rice football opens conference play against UTSA on Saturday at the newly renamed First Community Stadium. The home game is the venue’s first under its new name since Rice and a Houston-based credit union signed a 20-year naming-rights agreement.
 
 DUO Social hosts Pilates & Banda in Houston on Oct. 24 at 10 a.m., a pop-up pairing a Pilates workout with live banda music. The Houston couple behind the event says the concept brings Latino culture into the city’s fitness conversation.
 
 
Interesting…
 
Baylor College of Medicine is trying to breed what one surgeon calls “the perfect pig for a liver transplant.” Backed by up to $5 million a year, a new partnership with United Therapeutics will develop genetically modified pig livers for human use through a dedicated Houston research center. More than 9,000 Americans await a liver transplant, and researchers hope human testing begins within five years.