Capacity building workshop report

WHEN Lyle Lovett went to Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein last Sunday -- it's the church his family has attended forever -- several members congratulated him on headlining the upcoming RodeoHouston. "I could tell from the greetings that, finally, because I'm playing the rodeo, I'm doing OK. This (music career) might work out," he says with a grin. The 43-year-old singer-songwriter, who has won several Grammy Awards and acted in movies (he's a favorite of director Robert Altman 's), is thrilled about performing at the rodeo for the first time, on Feb. 19. But if music is Lovett's passion, motorcycles rank a close second. When Lovett was 7, his family vacationed in Galveston. His father rented a small Honda sport bike, and they took a ride on the beach. "It was exhilarating. I had never felt anything like it," he recalls. "And I felt comfortable and safe, because I had my arms around my dad." Ever since that day on the beach, Lovett has held intense feelings about … [Read more...] about Lyle Lovett found peace on the seat of a Harley

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 DALLAS (AP) — Texas high school quarterbacks guru Todd Dodge got what he wanted when Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia won their conference championship games. “I really like Joe Burrow,” Dodge said with a chuckle in reference to Cincinnati's star quarterback, “but I'm not going to root for Joe Burrow over Patrick Mahomes, that Texas quarterback.” The Mahomes-Hurts matchup is the first showdown between a pair of Texas high school signal QBs and the latest milestone for a football-crazy state once known much more for Earl Campbell and Eric Dickerson than whoever was handing off to those future Pro Football Hall of Fame running backs. Dodge, a recently retired high school coach who won seven state championships, played a big role in the start of the transformation around 1980. He was the quarterback for what he considered the father of … [Read more...] about Mahomes-Hurts matchup rep Texas prep QBs on Super Bowl stage

H-Town will be well represented at the Recording Academy's 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday. Several well-known artists with Houston-area ties, including Beyoncé and Lizzo, could take home a coveted gold gramophone. Beyoncé, who recently announced tour dates for her upcoming Renaissance World Tour , is ahead of the pack with a total of nine nominations this year , according to a Grammy press release and nominees list . She now has a total of 88 nominations to date, making her one the most nominated musical acts in Grammy's history — a tied record she shares with her husband and fellow artist Jay-Z. With 28 awards already under her belt, the Houston icon is already one of the biggest Grammy winners of all time. She ties with music producer Quincy Jones, who's also won 28 awards, and falls just short of conductor Georg Solti's 31 award wins, per previous reports from the Grammy Awards . Depending on Sunday night's outcome, Beyoncé could break the tie and smash Solti's … [Read more...] about Beyoncé and other Houston artists could win big at Sunday’s Grammy Awards

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 11 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union is taking another big step toward cutting its energy ties with Russia. The 27-nation bloc is banning Russian refined oil products like diesel fuel and joining the U.S. and other allies in imposing a price cap on sales to non-Western countries. Europe's ban takes effect Sunday following its embargo on coal and most oil from Russia. The move is meant to further slash reliance on Russian energy and payments into the Kremlin's war chest as the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine nears. The newest energy sanctions have risks: Diesel prices have already jumped since the war started on Feb. 24, and there's uncertainty about how the EU embargo and price cap by the Group of Seven major democracies will affect the market for a fuel crucial to the global economy. Most things people buy or eat … [Read more...] about How will EU ban and West’s price cap on Russian diesel work?

Visitors of the 2023 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California were in for a treat this weekend as the latest creation by vehicle designer Sean Smith was unveiled. Smith, known for his work with companies such as Saleen Automotive, Rockstar Games, Ringbrothers, and SpeedKore, has over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. He was approached by car owner Michael Shields to build a custom 1969 Chevy Camaro that would rival a similar Smith-designed Camaro that debuted at the 2019 SEMA Show . Gallery: Custom 1969 Chevrolet Fenix Camaro 30 Photos The result is a 1,180-horsepower (868-kilowatts) supercharged Chevy Camaro named Fenix, which combines luxury and elegance with performance. The build team, led by Mikey Dascoli at Driven Speed Shop, worked virtually with Smith to bring his vision to life. The body was painted in stunning Silver … [Read more...] about This Custom 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Is Called Fenix, Makes 1,180 HP

Damon Hill feels he was the first driver to “convert” the pure test driver role into a reserve one in Formula 1, after his roundabout entry into the sport. He earned a test drive with Williams in 1991 before being given an unexpected Formula 1 debut with Brabham the following year, with the team struggling financially and Hill taking part in eight race weekends before the team subsequently folded, all while testing with the dominant Williams outfit. With Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese both leaving the team at the end of 1992, Hill found himself in the team alongside Alain Prost for the following season, and he feels the fact he was around in the paddock at the time and showed early potential with Brabham helped his cause. Along with this, the eventual 1996 World Champion believes this marked a shift from teams having specified test drivers and moulding the role into a reserve capacity, which enabled drivers to fill in where needed. He admitted there is an element of being … [Read more...] about Damon Hill on how he helped break test driver’s ‘dead-end job’ mould

Red Bull pair Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have joined the driver backlash to the FIA’s new controls over political statements. The FIA caused something of a stir when they introduced a new ruling which stated that any personnel would need their prior permission to make religious or political statements during an FIA-sanctioned event. The likes of Valtteri Bottas and former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel, the latter a leading F1 activist in his final few years on the grid, have both spoken out against the ruling, and now Verstappen and Perez can be added to the list. Verstappen said that while he is not usually one for speaking out, he finds it “unnecessary” to bring in a ruling designed to stop it. “I think firstly, you know, everyone’s different, some people are more outspoken than others,” he told Sky Sports F1. “I’m normally not that outspoken on that, because first of all, it’s tough as a racing driver to be fully committed to that as well in terms of going into … [Read more...] about Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez latest F1 drivers to disagree with FIA’s political statement clampdown

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said that Formula 1 can be like the NFL with the amount of people who are changing teams. As all 10 teams go to battle on the track, there is an army of personnel at each team making that possible, and these days, the people have an even more important role to play. With a budget cap now active in Formula 1, it means that the talent level within the team’s personnel, rather than the size of their budget, is key. It is no surprise then that the teams are constantly battling to bring the best people onboard, and Hamilton says this leads to changing faces on a regular basis. Recently Red Bull brought in a chunk of staff from Mercedes for Red Bull Powertrains, while Aston Martin’s recruitment drive has seen them snatch several people from Red Bull, including their former head of aero Dan Fallows, who is now Aston Martin technical director. “In my team there are 2000 people,” Hamilton said in a UBS/Mercedes interview. “It is actually over 2000 … [Read more...] about Lewis Hamilton likens in-team ‘silly season’ to NFL player trading

HOUSTON (AP) — A fire at Houston’s largest airport delayed flights on Sunday and forced passengers and employees to temporarily evacuate a terminal, officials said. No injuries were reported. Houston firefighters were called to Bush Intercontinental Airport after a fire was reported in an employee locker room in Terminal C around 5:30 a.m., according to a statement from United Airlines. The airport is a major hub for the company. Customers and employees were evacuated from the terminal and United's inbound flights were halted from 5:32 a.m. to 7 a.m. The airline said 23 of its inbound flights were delayed. Operations have since returned to normal. “We’re grateful to the Houston Fire Department and Houston airport staff for their response. We are assisting customers impacted by delays,” United said. … [Read more...] about Fire in Houston airport locker room delays morning flights