Latest news with #KPRC
NBC Sports
30-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Report: C.J. Stroud not throwing because of a pectoral issue
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud isn't throwing at organized team activities. Stroud has a tight pectoral muscle that is considered 'relatively minor,' Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports. The one-time Pro Bowler handed off to the running backs but mostly did rehab work and watched from the sideline alongside offensive coordinator Nick Caley, per Wilson. Backup Davis Mills ran the first-team offense. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans downplayed Stroud's injury, and Caley said he has 'no concerns whatsoever.' Stroud, 23, took a step back last season when he threw for less yards and fewer touchdowns with a lower completion percentage compared to his rookie year. He also threw more interceptions and took more sacks. Stroud won offensive rookie of the year in 2023.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Driver hits big puddle, then hydroplanes into tree and dies, Texas cops say
A Texas man is dead after his vehicle hydroplaned off road and into a tree, according to police. The fatal crash happened near Katy, a Houston suburb, at about 2 a.m. Tuesday, May 27, the Harris County Sheriff's Office told KPRC. Deputies say the driver of a Dodge Challenger was exiting the Katy Freeway when they drove into a puddle, lost control and swerved into a tree, KRIV reported. The man died in the crash while a female passenger was taken to a hospital in stable condition, deputies told the station. A thunderstorm had hit the Houston area, according to the National Weather Service, which reported heavy rain and foggy conditions. When driving on wet roads, don't try to overcorrect when steering, officials warned, KTRK reported. 'Watch your speed. Make sure you're looking ahead of your vehicle. If you hit a body of water, don't steer. Just keep driving straight through it. Keep on gas, and you'll be OK,' Sgt. B. Bondurant told the outlet. Katy is a roughly 30-mile drive west from downtown Houston.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Houston man locked in bitter feud with neighboring renters — but homeowner argues he's harassing paying guests
When Bill Stewart bought his home in Houston's upscale Walden neighborhood, he expected peace and quiet alongside an idyllic lake. What he didn't expect was a battle of signs, arguments with neighbors and a cease-and-desist letter. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) His neighbor, he says, turned a suburban home into a revolving door of short-term renters — and Stewart isn't having it. 'It just seemed like we'd moved into a mob neighborhood of scum,' Stewart told Houston news station KPRC. 'You're concerned for your safety. You go to bed at night and there's 20 people out there. Who are they?' But the property owner, through their attorney, argues they and other short-term renters in the area are well within their rights, and that it's Stewart who's harassing paying guests. Who's right? At the heart of the dispute is whether Stewart's actions crossed a line. Stewart received a cease-and-desist letter alleging that he has harassed guests, recorded them without consent and intimidated them with menacing signage — including signs on his fence that say: 'AIRBNB GO HOME' 'You are DESPISED' and 'You are INTRUDERS in a RESIDENTIAL NEGHBORHOOD' Read more: This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs For passersby, the scene now resembles something out of a bitter political campaign rather than dispute among neighbors in an enviable Houston suburb. For his part, Stewart insists he's simply protecting his home and community. He says the rental has brought strangers into the neighborhood who act as if they're on vacation — not in someone else's backyard. Short-term rentals, typically defined as properties rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days, have exploded in popularity. In the U.S., the short-term vacation rental market was valued at nearly $70 billion in 2024, with an expected growth rate of 7.4% through 2030. But in Texas, such properties remain a legal gray area. Texas has no statewide law banning or comprehensively regulating such rentals. Instead, regulation of the short-term rental industry is left to local governments, resulting in a patchwork of rules across cities. A 2022 Texas Supreme Court ruling found that a homeowners association (HOA) could not use standard 'residential use only' deed restrictions to prohibit short-term rentals. The court found that unless deed restrictions specifically ban short-term rentals, simply requiring 'residential use' does not bar owners from renting their properties for short periods. Attorney Mahsa Monshizadegan told KPRC that disputes arise over short-term rental properties and otherwise 'when one neighbor tries to enforce their own standard of a neighborhood on everyone else' — particularly in large cities like Houston. 'How you resolve the issue matters,' she added. 'All disputes should be resolved through good faith and not like unilateral enforcement of their own demands.' She added that it would have been better if Stewart had approached the owner of the property directly rather than expressing his frustration with the short-term rental guests. Operating a short-term rental may be legal, but it comes with responsibilities. Hosts must be aware of local zoning codes, occupancy limits, noise regulations and tax requirements. Cities like Houston, Austin and San Antonio have passed ordinances to regulate or restrict short-term rentals. In Houston, short-term rental owners must respect the city's rules around noise and sound, neighborhood protection, waste and litter and fire codes. Houston is also launching a hotline people can call with complaints about short-term rentals to have the appropriate city department follow up. Short-term rental hosts in Texas are often responsible for collecting hotel occupancy taxes and registering with the state. Violating those rules could open owners up to fines or lawsuits, but the rules stop short of outright bans. Even with evidence of rule-breaking, the better path may be cooperation rather than conflict. Hosts can ease tension by screening guests carefully, enforcing strict house rules and communicating openly with nearby residents. Sharing a phone number in case of problems or limiting large gatherings can go a long way toward keeping the peace. Meanwhile, neighbors who feel blindsided can try engaging in a civil conversation before turning to lawyers or public protest. If both parties come to the table with goodwill, they may find common ground. Mediation through an HOA or neighborhood group can also provide a neutral space for resolution. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
This is how loved ones want us to remember George Floyd
EDITOR'S NOTE: A version of this story was originally published in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's death. It has been republished as Minneapolis is set to mark his passing, five years later. George Floyd moved to Minnesota for a fresh start — an opportunity to better himself and to be a better father. And while so many now know the Houston native by his full name, those who knew him best called him Floyd. He worked security at a restaurant where he developed a reputation as someone who had your back and was there for you when you were down. 'Knowing my brother is to love my brother,' Philonise Floyd, George's brother, told CNN in 2020. 'He's a gentle giant, he don't hurt anybody.' Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020, in the city he moved to for a better life. While being detained, Floyd was held down by a Minneapolis police officer's knee. A video of the encounter, shows Floyd pleading that he is in pain and can't breathe. Then, his eyes shut and the pleas stop. He was pronounced dead shortly after. The video of Floyd's last moments painted a stark picture of the ways Black people have long said the American criminal justice system dehumanizes them. Floyd's death ignited widespread protests around the world, lasting for weeks in 2020. The following statements were made in the wake of Floyd's death and in the years since. CNN is reflecting on them five years later as Minneapolis is set to mark the anniversary with vigils and gatherings. Floyd grew up in Houston's Third Ward neighborhood and graduated from Jack Yates High School where he played football and basketball, according to CNN affiliate KPRC. After high school, head basketball coach George Walker recruited Floyd to play for him at South Florida State College in Avon Park, Florida. Floyd was a student there from 1993 to 1995, Walker told CNN. 'He didn't give me too much trouble as a basketball coach,' Walker said. 'He was a pretty good athlete, averaged 12 to 14 points a game.' Floyd was a coachable kid with a big heart, according to Walker's wife, Gloria. Of all the college athletes on the school's team, she said Floyd had her attention the most 'because he was just a fun person to be around.' 'He was never one that tried to blame others for his own mistakes,' she said. 'He always owned up to them and always tried to do better.' Philonise Floyd remembers the banana mayonnaise sandwiches and syrup sandwiches his brother would make the siblings. 'He was so much of a leader to us in the household, he would always make sure we had our clothes for school, make sure we would get to school on time,' Philonise Floyd said in the 2021 trial of one of the former police officers involved in his brother's death. 'He just was like a person that everybody loved around the community. He just knew how to make people feel better.' Floyd moved to Minnesota for work and to drive trucks, according to friend and former NBA player, Stephen Jackson. Jackson, a Houston native also, calls Floyd his twin. 'I've heard George in the last couple days more than I've heard my whole life, and we had a 21-plus (year) relationship,' Jackson told CNN. 'His name was always Floyd, my twin.' Floyd was known in the community as a protector and a provider who didn't have a hateful bone in his body, according to Jackson. He got along with everybody and seldom wanted anything in return for helping someone out, Jackson said. 'The difference between me and bro was I had more opportunity than he did,' wrote Jackson, who won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003. '2 things we have in common both from the bottom and both of our names will live forever.' Once Floyd moved to Minnesota, Jackson said Floyd talked at great length about his journey to create better opportunities for himself. 'The last time I talked to him was about a year ago and every conversation we had in that year was about bettering ourselves and being better fathers,' Jackson said. 'That's all he talked about.' Floyd was the father to two daughters, according to Jackson. 'I want justice for his kids,' he said. 'I want his kids to be taken care of. Their father is not here.' Jackson vowed to support his friend's children and 'fill in for Floyd' and said he wanted to make sure they are provided for. In Houston, Rose Hudson, who dated Floyd more than 20 years ago, told CNN affiliate KTRK that Floyd was a grandfather, but he never got to meet his granddaughter. 'I will just let her know what a great guy he was,' Hudson said. 'He was a good father to his girls. I just have memories, that's all I can give her, memories of her grandfather.' Floyd worked security at Conga Latin Bistro, a restaurant serving Spanish and Latin food in Minneapolis, for five years, according to its owner, Jovanni Thunstrom. Even though he was Thunstrom's employee, the pair were also friends. 'He was loved by all my employees and my customers,' Thunstrom told CNN. 'I was looking at the video and I said that can't be Floyd, but later it just blew out. It was Floyd. And that's when it hit me, it hit me hard,' Thunstrom told CNN affiliate WCCO. Floyd would help clean up after the bar had closed and was a 'very nice guy and really good with customers,' according to Thunstrom. 'He stood up for people, he was there for people when they were down, he loved people that were thrown away,' Courteney Ross, Floyd's girlfriend, told WCCO. 'We prayed over every meal, we prayed if we were having a hard time, we prayed if we were having a good time.' Anger over Floyd's death went beyond his family and friends. A number of celebrities reacted to the incident on social media. NBA player LeBron James shared a side-by-side photo on Instagram. On one side you can see a screen grab from the encounter between Floyd and police. In the photo on the left a Minnesota police officer's knee can be seen on Floyd's neck. In the photo on the right is the image of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling in protest during the national anthem for a preseason football game in 2016. At the time, Kaepernick had said he would not honor a song nor 'show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.' James' post is accompanied by the caption, 'Do you understand NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to you?? #StayWoke' Others sports figures like Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, NBA legend Michael Jordan and Kaepernick voiced their outrage over Floyd's killing and paid respects to his memory. Three days after Floyd's death, rapper and songwriter Ice Cube even canceled an on-air appearance with Good Morning America saying, 'After the events in Minnesota with George Floyd I'm in no mood to tell America, good morning.' From London to Sydney and Los Angeles to Philadelphia, tens of thousands of people marched in cities and small towns. They poured into busy streets, occupying popular landmarks, chanting, waving handmade signs and rekindling the Black Lives Matter movement. Some of the protests were peaceful, while others were destructive. In Minnesota, more than 500 members of the state's national guard were sent to St. Paul, Minneapolis, and surrounding communities because of the increase in demonstrations in the area, officials said at the time. Floyd's family was out front calling for justice, saying the firing of the police officers involved in Floyd's death was not enough. Over the years they've become vocal about police reform legislation, bonding with other families impacted by police brutality and racial injustice. 'They were supposed to be there to serve and to protect and I didn't see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help while he was begging for his life. Not one of them tried to do anything to help him,' Tera Brown, Floyd's cousin, told CNN in 2020. The four former police officers involved in Floyd's death were convicted on both state and federal crimes. Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who killed Floyd, is serving two sentences of more than 20 years in prison for a federal charge of depriving Floyd of his civil rights, and state charges of unintentional murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, who helped restrain Floyd, and Tou Thao, who held a crowd of bystanders, were found guilty in federal court of violating Floyd's civil rights and of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the restraint. They received sentences between two and a half and nearly four years in prison for those crimes. The three officers were also given sentences of three to more than four years each for state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. 'Real justice in America will be (when) Black men and Black women, and people of color will not have the fear (of) being killed by the police just because (of) the color of their skin,' Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said said in 2021. When Floyd's family learned of the verdict in Chauvin's case for the state charges, they described the moment as being 'able to breathe again' and 'monumental.' 'I will salute him every day of my life,' Terrence Floyd said in 2021. 'He showed me how to be strong. He showed me how to be respectful. He showed me how to speak my mind. I'm going to miss him, but now I know he's in history. What a day to be a Floyd, man.' And while the verdict brought some closure, Philonise Floyd said at the time the fight against social injustice now goes beyond his brother. 'I'm not just fighting for George anymore,' he said at the time. 'I'm fighting for everyone around the world.' CNN's Omar Jimenez, Josh Campbell, Ray Sanchez and Joe Sutton contributed to this report
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Mom wakes from 2-month coma shackled to bed, accused of killing son, TX suit says
A Texas woman is suing after she says she was wrongfully accused of causing her 5-year-old son's death. The lawsuit was filed against the Baytown Police Department and several officers May 16. McClatchy News reached out to the department for comment May 21 but did not immediately hear back. The legal action stems from a fatal car crash that left the woman severely injured and in a coma, and her son dead. On July 8, 2020, the woman was driving to the beach with her son and a friend when they were struck by a Chevy Silverado, according to the lawsuit. The woman, her son, the friend and the driver of the truck were all flown to a hospital, the civil complaint said. The 5-year-old boy was the only one to die, the lawsuit said. The woman fell into a coma and when she woke up nearly two months later, she was shackled to the bed with handcuffs, according to the lawsuit. 'I remember waking up someone saying … wake up,'' she told KPRC. 'I asked, 'Why am I handcuffed?' ... Then he said, 'You're being charged with manslaughter.'' The woman said in court filings that officers fabricated evidence and conspired against her to bring charges forth. Contradicting 'evidence' In a report that's used to detail probable cause necessary to file criminal charges, an officer said there were witnesses who saw the woman speeding and running a red light, the lawsuit said. However, after the report was filed for the district attorney, the officer changed his story and said there were no witnesses, according to the complaint. The same officer accused the woman of having 'an alcoholic smell to her breath' at the time of the accident, according to the complaint. However at the hospital, another officer asked staff what the woman's blood alcohol content was, and they said it was 'point zero zero,' the lawsuit said. Despite having no alcohol in her system, the officers 'fabricated evidence' and 'falsified records' to falsely charge her, according to the lawsuit. On July 9, 2020, one officer noted in an affidavit that the driver of the Chevy told them 'his version' of events and that is what established probable cause to charge the woman, the lawsuit said. However, police body camera footage showed that the driver never described anything about the crash and never implicated the woman, according to the complaint. The lawsuit also said some police body camera footage from the incident went 'missing' or was 'destroyed.' On May 19, 2023, the charges against the woman were dismissed. However, by then, she had suffered great damage from the false allegations. 'I still wasn't grieving the way I needed to. I was more focused on, I'm looking at 20 years,' the woman told KPRC. In addition to being 'severely injured' from the crash, the woman said she woke up in the hospital in police custody. She was considered a Jane Doe in the hospital, her family wasn't allowed to visit her or get updates on her health, and the day she got out of the hospital she was escorted to jail and had to post a $90,000 bond, the lawsuit said. For the three years she was fighting the criminal case, she couldn't drive, find a job, get medical insurance to help with the cost of her recovery and endured 'pure, unimaginable hell,' the lawsuit said. The lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages, but she said it is about more than the money. 'My purpose in this was not and will never be for money. And I know people. I know that's what people are going to say. It's not. I want people aware of what does and will and can happen. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy,' she told KPRC. Baytown is about a 30-mile drive east from Houston.
