Texas sotol plant

UPDATE: Feb. 2, 8:40 a.m. CT More than 400,000 Texans are without power Wednesday afternoon, according to the website Poweroutage.us , as a winter storm continues to pummel North and Central Texas with ice. Austin Energy, the City of Austin's utility provider, accounts for more than 153,000 of the outages. The utility said it should have power back on by Friday, according to KXAN . Oncor, which provides power for a wide swath of North and Northeast Texas according to the company's service area map, accounts for another 149,000-plus outages. KXAN reported Thursday morning that Austin Energy has 85 crews in service working to restore power, with another 32 crews from other utility providers on the ground alongside them. --- End of Update --- UPDATE: Feb. 1, 3:30 p.m. CT More than 347,000 Texans are without power Wednesday afternoon, according to the website Poweroutage.us , as ice from the winter storm continues to take down power lines across North and Central … [Read more...] about Texas ice storm: More than 400,000 without power Thursday morning

HOUSTON (AP) — A judge has delayed next week’s scheduled execution of a man convicted of killing three teenagers while they slept in a Texas Panhandle home more than 25 years ago. John Balentine, 54, had been set to receive a lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville on Feb. 8. He was condemned for the January 1998 shooting deaths of Edward Mark Caylor, 17, Kai Brooke Geyer, 15, and Steven Watson, also 15, at a home in Amarillo. Caylor was the brother of Balentine’s former girlfriend and prosecutors said the shootings were the result of a feud between Caylor and Balentine. Balentine was arrested in Houston six months after the slayings. Evidence at the trial showed all three victims were shot once in the head as they slept in a tiny house where Balentine also once lived. On Tuesday, state District Judge Steven Denny in Potter County withdrew Balentine’s execution date and warrant because the inmate’s attorneys had not been properly notified of the execution date and … [Read more...] about Execution of man convicted in killing of 3 in Texas delayed

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas woman accused of killing a close friend in 2019 who had just given birth and abducting the baby as part of an elaborate scheme to pass the infant off as her own pleaded guilty to murder charges Thursday, prosecutors said. Magen Fieramusca, 37, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the death of Heidi Broussard, 33, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza announced in a statement. Fieramusca waved her right to appeal. The conviction follows a crime in Austin, Texas, that began with the disappearance of a 3-week-old baby girl and was followed with widening interest as the investigation unfolded and police zeroed in on Fieramusca. Police say the child was later found alive at a home in the Houston area along with Broussard's body in the trunk of Fieramusca's car. According to an arrest affidavit at the time, Fieramusca abducted Broussard on Dec. 12, 2019, and packed her into a black duffel. Broussard had last been seen dropping off an older child … [Read more...] about Texas woman accused of killing friend, taking baby sentenced

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 9 HOUSTON (AP) — A teenager who was involved in a shooting on Thursday with Houston police fled into a nearby high school, resulting in a lockdown of the campus and his arrest, police said. No injuries inside the school were reported. The teenager was part of a group of individuals who had been under surveillance by a crime suppression unit late Thursday morning at an apartment complex on the city’s west side when one of the suspects exchanged gunfire with an officer, said Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. The 18-year-old suspect was shot in the knee and he along with a 17-year-old were arrested at the complex. But a third suspect, who was 17 or 18 years old, fled the scene and got a ride from a local resident to Wisdom High School, located about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) away, Finner said. Police did not release the names of the three suspects. … [Read more...] about Teen arrested after entering Texas school following shooting

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 27 AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A mess of ice, sleet and snow lingered across much of the southern U.S. as thousands in Texas endured freezing temperatures with no power, including many in the state capital of Austin, but a warming trend was forecast to bring relief from the deadly storm Thursday. However, an Arctic cold front is expected to move from Canada into the northern Plains and Upper Midwest and sweep into the Northeast by Friday, bringing snow and bitter cold with windchills of more than minus 50 (minus 45 Celsius) in northern New England, according to the National Weather Service. More than 400,000 customers in Texas lacked power early Thursday as trees, heavy with ice, buckled onto power lines, according to PowerOutage, a website tracking … [Read more...] about Winter storm lingers in southern US, but relief is forecast

Following a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Houston Zoo is bringing back one of visitor's favorite events: Feast with the Beasts. During the unique 21 and older annual party, which will run between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on April 14, guests can get a taste of food selections from 30 of the Bayou City's top restaurants and sip on beer and wine while also being treated to live music performances and animal experiences throughout the zoo as the sun goes down. In a press release, Houston Zoo spokesperson Jackie Wallace said this year's event will be more exclusive than ever before. "Fewer tickets will be sold to ensure a more intimate and high-quality culinary experience," Wallace wrote. "This event is expected to sell out quickly—food and animal lovers should purchase tickets early." Some of the restaurants participating are Black Walnut Café, Blood Bros. BBQ , East Side King , Texas de Brazil, Dessert Gallery, Thai Kun and Soy Pinoy . Meanwhile, zoo … [Read more...] about Houston Zoo’s nocturnal dinner party lets you feast with the beasts

Deliveries of the Alfa Romeo Tonale aren’t supposed to start in the United States until the second quarter of this year but the crossover is already enjoying very strong demand. So much so that the automaker is reportedly adding a second shift to its Pomigliano factory in Italy where the Tonal is produced. In the same plant, Stellantis also builds the Fiat Panda and the manufacturer is cutting a shift from the production of the small car. Soon, the same assembly line will also become responsible for the Dodge Hornet , which is essentially a rebadged version of the Tonale. The Italian crossover is currently sold in Europe and Japan, and will soon arrive on US shores where it has a starting price of $42,995 for the entry-level Sprint trim. Gallery: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale (US Spec) 12 Photos The Pomigliano factory had a strong 34 percent increase in its output last … [Read more...] about Alfa Romeo Tonale Production Increasing To Meet Strong Demand

Pitpass and GrandPrix.com are questioning the future of Honda’s F1 team and suggesting it could be sold or pulled out of F1. Is this just speculation during a slow time for Formula 1 or is Honda about to become F1’s first victim of the financial downturn? Grandprix.com had previously downplayed stories about Honda’s $217m expenditure on F1 last year . It pointed out the reason Honda had spent so much more on F1 than its rival teams was because of its investment in Super Aguri. Honda ceased supporting Super Aguri earlier this year. Yesterday we learned it had cancelled an expensive media lunch and much-criticised designer Shuhei Nakamoto had left . Like almost every other car manufacturer on the plant, Honda is suffering the effects of the global financial downturn. Two weeks ago it announced it would close its plant in Swindon for two months next year. Its US sales have fallen by almost a third. Honda have fallen into a slump since Jenson Button scored the team’s … [Read more...] about Speculation around Honda’s F1 future (Update: Honda to sell team or quit) · RaceFans

Love it or hate it, strip malls are the beating heart of Houston. In Chron's new series, we take you on a tour of the city's best, food-packed, culture-rich shopping centers. Most of Houston's strip malls, even the ones hiding the city's best restaurants , look like a drab ensemble of concrete and stucco you speed past on your way somewhere else. But slow down and look closer, and you'll notice a select few that are—dare we say?—quite attractive. This is the case of Tlaquepaque Market , perhaps the most colorful strip mall in Houston, which sits where Leeland Street becomes Telephone Road, in the heart of Houston's East End. It's named after the village of Tlaquepaque (tuh-laa-kay-paa-kee), an equally colorful destination in Jalisco, Mexico. In Houston, the shopping center's buildings are painted in vibrant blues, yellows, oranges, pinks and greens. Tlaquepaque Market stands out with its colorful buildings. (Photos by Emma Balter) Located in the Eastwood … [Read more...] about Take a tour of colorful Tlaquepaque Market in Houston’s East End