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H-E-B REIGNS Texas grocer is No. 1 in customer preference. PAGE B1 COUNTY TO CUT TOLL RATES 10% Harris Commissioners Court approves the reduction for drivers with EZTags. PAGE A3 TASTE OF THE PAST Cookbook brings back to life a beloved cafe. PAGE D1 Business ......B1 Comics .......D6 Crossword.D4 Directory ....A2 Editorials ...A8 Flavor............D1 Horoscope D5 Markets ......B3 Obituaries..B7 Sports...........C1 TV..................D4 Weather......C8 TWITTER: @HoustonChron LINKEDIN: Houston-Chronicle INSTAGRAM: HoustonChron FACEBOOK: @HoustonChronicle HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: VISIT NOW FOR BREAKING NEWS, CONSTANTLY UPDATED STORIES, SPORTS COVERAGE, PODCASTS AND A SEARCHABLE NEWS ARCHIVE. HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 • VOL. 122, NO. 111 • $2.00 Six-year-old Laurel Clark has the spunk and swimming chops of her grandmother and namesake, NASA astronaut Laurel Blair Salton Clark. Laura Husband, 32, inherited the singing voice of her father, astronaut Rick Husband. Her brother Matthew, 27, has his attention to detail and passion for space. Twenty years have passed since the Columbia space shuttle broke apart over Texas, yet memories of these astronauts live on at home and at NASA. Their families channeled grief into helping others and continuing the Columbia crew’s legacy. NASA transformed a culture that had allowed the disaster to occur — one that accepted when systems didn’t act quite right and discouraged lower-level employees from speaking up. The agency’s changes have been carried into the space station and moon programs. Its lessons have been shared with commercial companies and an up-and-coming generation that lacks the firsthand experiences of Columbia. “You have to keep the corporate memory and the corporate culture and the lessons learned alive,” said Wayne Hale, a former manager for the Space Shuttle Program. “If you don’t know history, you’re doomed to repeat it.” Seven astronauts died on Feb. 1, 2003: Rick Husband, 45; William McCool, 41; Michael Anderson, 43; David Brown, 46; Kalpana Chawla, 41; Laurel Blair Salton Clark, 41; and Ilan Ramon, 48. “We have a duty to carry the memories of those that we lost,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a recent town hall, “and carry their dreams onward and upward.” Columbia’s final mission, STS-107, launched on Jan. 16, 2003. It was the 28th flight for this shuttle — and the 113th shuttle mission overall. About 80 seconds after the solid rocket boosters ignited, a large piece of insulating foam 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF COLUMBIA SHUTTLE DISASTER A ‘duty’ to remember Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Astronaut Rick Husband’s daughter Laura Husband, from left, her mother Evelyn Husband Thompson and Sandra Anderson, widow of astronaut Michael Anderson, place roses for NASA astronaut Laurel Clark during a NASA ceremony last week. After 2003 tragedy, astronauts’ legacy, lessons live on at home and NASA By Andrea Leinfelder STAFF WRITER Associated Press file This photo of the Columbia shuttle’s seven astronauts was on a roll of unprocessed film recovered from the debris. Columbia continues on A2 “We have a duty to carry the memories of those that we lost, and carry their dreams onward and upward.” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Terrence Floyd, brother of George Floyd, watched the video of Memphis police officers beating to deathTyreNichols after a traffic stop and a CNN interview with the 29-year-old’s grieving mother, and all he could think of was, “Here we go again.” Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, who grew up in Houston’s Third Ward, in May 2020. Floyd had been arrested for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store, an encounter that ended with Chauvin, who is white, pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes. “The only different component, in this case, was that it was men of color in the uniform,” Terrence Floyd said this week. FiveBlackMemphis police officers have been fired and charged with second-degree Nichols’ beating spurs call for ‘unity’ Floyd’s brother blasts Black officers’ actions By Jonathan Limehouse STAFF WRITER Floyd continues on A6 INSIDE Death points to Memphis officers’ lack of intervention despite policies. A4 The magnitude of the Texans’ head coaching search materialized into the most meaningful hire in franchise history. DeMeco Ryans, a former Texans linebacker and team captain, will be the team’s sixth head coach. Chairman and CEO Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio ended their 23- day search Tuesday by reaching terms with the coveted 49ers defensive coordinator, whose return to Houston tasks him with a team that’s had two one-anddone head coaches in consecutive seasons. Ryans, 38, is entering a far more favorable situation than his predecessors. David Culley and Lovie Smith were fired after 13-loss seasons in which they failed to field a consistent competitor within the confines of Caserio’s overhauled roster. Now flush with cap space and draft capital, the Texans are poised to infuse the locker room with the collective talent Ryans can organize to transform the franchise into the playoff contender it once was. Ryans, who interviewed with the Broncos, Cardinals and Colts, called the Texans position “my dream job” in a Tuesday statement. Ryans said he “couldn’t be prouder” of what the 49ers accomplished in his six seasons as an assistant coach. San Francisco reached Ryans continues on A6 One of their own: Ryans hired as Texans’ sixth head coach By Brooks Kubena STAFF WRITER Staff file photo DeMeco Ryans was a popular leader as a player with the Texans and saw success as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. WASHINGTON — Federal environmental regulators are probing wide-ranging complaints that Texas is not doing enough to safeguard against water and air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency said in a letter this month that it is looking into a slew of allegations that the TexasCommission onEnvironmental Quality allows developers to skirt environmental rules, cuts the public out of permitting processes, and more. The inquiry comes after dozens of environmental groups have filed two separate petitions asking the agency to step in and take over Feds put scrutiny on TCEQ By Taylor Goldenstein and Benjamin Wermund STAFF WRITERS EPA probe continues on A7

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Assistant Managing Editor, Local News Baird Helgeson: [email protected] • 713-362-6426 A2 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM fell off the external tank and struck the shuttle’s left wing. This would prove catastrophic 16 days later. But without cameras to see the wing — and a general acceptance that foam often fell off during launches and nothing bad happened — NASA’s top decision makers didn’t recognize the severity of the damage. Sothe crewmembersproceeded with their science experiments, and they played in microgravity, performing front flips and eating floating M&Ms. Evelyn Husband Thompson, the wife of Rick Husband (she married Bill Thompson in 2008), recalled a video call on Jan. 28 — the anniversary of their first date. As students at Texas Tech University, Rick proclaimed he would be an astronaut because playing for the Dallas Cowboys felt unrealistic. “The very first thing he said to me was, ‘Happy dating anniversary,’” she recalled. “That was the last time I ever talked to him.” The shuttle reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on Feb. 1 just before 8:45 a.m. EST. It flew over California and Nevada, where the parents of William McCool, a Navy commander and long-distance runner, steppedoutside theirLasVegas home. They saw their son shoot across the sky. ‘A lot of wailing’ In Florida, the bleachers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center were packed with excited spouses and children. JP Harrison, Kalpana Chawla’s husband, forgot his entry pass and had sweettalked security guards to gain access. Evelyn Husband Thompson took a photo with her children in front of the countdown clock. The shuttle continued flying over Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. But something was wrong. Air likely hotter than 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit penetrated the damaged left wing and melted the aluminum structure. Mission Control lost communication with the shuttle just before 9 a.m. JonClark,the husband ofLaurel Blair Salton Clark, heard the worrisome calls from Mission Control blaring over the loudspeaker. And where was the double sonic boom? The countdown clock was approaching zero whenNASAcellphones began ringing in the bleachers.The families were taken back to crew quarters and given the news: There would be no shuttle landing. “There was a lot of wailing,” Jon Clark said. “The most somber cry youcouldever imagine.It was really horrible.” Months ofinvestigation would reveal what happened, technically and culturally. Pressure to stay on schedule made the shuttle program less safe. It led to some tests being skipped, and NASA accepted more risk, according to a report from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. The agency suffered from what the board called a “normalizationofdeviance”—employees knew foam wasn’t supposed to come off during liftoff, but they accepted it because nothing catastrophic had happened before. And communication was hurt by NASA’s hierarchy. Many ofthese same issueshad come up with the Challenger tragedy that killed seven shuttle astronauts in 1986. But complacencyhadsunkinagain.Plus the Challenger accident, which occurred after a vigorous debate about whether it was safe to launch in colder temperatures, had felt easier to rectify. Columbia was a more subtle problem that revealed cultural issues, said Hale, who became deputy program manager after Columbia and later program manager, so it prompted broader changes. A big one was in communication, which he said used to be “very adversarial.” “I came to work at NASA in the days when the organization was run by whatI would call the members ofthe Greatest Generation who did not suffer fools gladly,” Hale said. “And if you didn’t do your job in the way that they thought it should be done, they would tell you in no uncertain terms about it. That was demotivating to the workforce.” Today, leaders are trained to pullthoughts and expertise from everyone, including the quieter, introverted employees, said Edgar Castro, a propulsion and power manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Castro wrote a dissertation in 2013 on the organization, culture and safety similarities between Challenger and Columbia. And all employees must complete an annual refresher of NASA’s accidents. This year, it’s on Columbia. After Columbia, the astronauts’ families were loaded onto NASA planes and flown back to Houston. Jon Clark, who was a NASA flight surgeon, played cards withhis sonIain,hoping to soothe the 8-year-old, whose demeanor changed abruptly as they flew over East Texas. ‘I felt Mom’ “He goes, ‘I felt Mom,’” Jon Clark recalled. “And it’s weird. Because,youknow, as thevehicle broke apart they freefell into East Texas. That’s where they landed.” Evelyn Husband Thompson had a police escort take her home. Cars pulled over and people got out, removing their hats and placing hands over hearts. Flowers and stuffed animals were placed at her front door, and mail began arriving in buckets. NASA employees joined firefighters, divers, pilots, county constables and volunteers to search for Columbia debris. More than 25,000 people helped find objects spread from West Texas toWestLouisiana, according to the August 2003 accident investigation report. No one on the ground was injured by falling debris, and property damage was minimal. But there were close calls. A 600- pound piece of a main engine created a 6-foot-wide hole in a golf course. Another piece of debris landed between two natural gas tanks. One woman almost lost control of her car when a piece of Columbia smacked into her windshield. Houstonian Stokes McMillan, who was thendeputymanager of NASA’s X-38 experimental crew return vehicle, rode in the back of a helicopter to help search for debris. “These pilots were good,” he said, “andwewouldfly literally at treetop level.” Searchers ultimately found more than 84,900 pounds of Columbia debris, roughly 38 percent of the vehicle, and sent it to Florida so NASA could reconstruct the shuttle. The reconstruction—andadata systemrecorder that had been found, providing information from hundreds of sensors—helpedNASA determine what had happened. Legacies For the families, attending funeral after funeral became exhausting. They mourned publicly and privately, and they found ways to carry on the legacies of their loved ones. JP Harrison led a group of Columbia family members to India to speak with students. He also sponsored three South African students to attend college, continuing a passion that his wife had pursued with students in India. She was the first woman of Indian origin to reach space. Evelyn Husband Thompson became a board member of Fathers in the Field, a ministry created to help fatherless boys. She recently launched the ministry at her church with her husband, Bill Thompson. Jon Clark threw himself into studying how the crew might have survived and how astronauts could survive future mishaps. He worked on the Red Bull Stratos high-altitude skydive from nearly 128,000 feet, a similar altitude to where Columbia broke apart, and he contributed to two NASA safety reports that have been used by SpaceX and other commercial companies. As for NASA, it spent two years preparing to fly again. The Discovery space shuttle launched on July 26, 2005, to prove the shuttle’s flight worthiness. Despite its success, plans were already in motion to ground the shuttle program. In 2004, President George W. Bush had announced that the shuttle would be retired after it was finished being used to assemble the International Space Station. The last mission, the 135th over a 30-year period, launched July 8, 2011. Since then, NASA and commercial companies have largely returned their focus to capsules. These compact spacecraft can be pulled away from a rocket if something happens during liftoff, and they have fewer components that can break apart upon reentry. NASA’snext endeavor, returning astronauts to the moon, will be far more dangerous than circling the globe in low-Earth orbit. But the agency plans to move forward with modern safety practices. “We still have an unforgiving business,” Castro said, “but I do think there’s more robustness, after Columbia, in how we do it.” [email protected] COLUMBIA From page A1 Karen Warren/Staff file photo In February 2003, Tamara Bowden, whose shadow shows her kissing her 4-year-old son Beau, left seven roses at the scene in Nacogdoches where a large piece of the shuttle came to rest. THE COLUMBIA CREW Rick Husband, 45, shuttle commander: An Air Force colonel and test pilot who enjoyed reading and golf. William McCool, 41, shuttle pilot: A Navy commander and test pilot who enjoyed long-distance running. Michael Anderson, 43, payload commander: A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force who enjoyed photography and chess. David Brown, 46, mission specialist: A Navy captain and flight surgeon who had been a collegiate varsity gymnast and could ride a 7-foot unicycle. Kalpana Chawla, 41, flight engineer: An aerospace engineer who enjoyed birdwatching and was the first woman of Indian origin to reach space. Laurel Blair Salton Clark, 41, mission specialist: A Navy commander and flight surgeon who enjoyed scuba diving and skydiving. Ilan Ramon, 48, payload specialist: An Israeli Air Force colonel and the first Israeli in space. Staff file photo Columbia Accident Investigation Board’s Steven Wallace holds a news meeting near a photo of the hangar where shuttle debris was kept. Icy conditions in much of North and Central Texas led to widespread school closures, hundreds of traffic accidents and warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott and emergency personnel on Tuesday for people in affected areas to stay home to allow crews to work on roadways. “Texans should use extra caution on the roadways,” Abbott said at an emergency briefing in Austin. The governor said1,600 roads in Texas have been impacted by the conditions with road crews trying to apply more than 1.3 million gallons of de-icing fluids around the state. “Because of icing, many roads in Texas will remain very dangerous for the next 24 to 48 hours,” Abbott said. Most school districts from Austin to Dallas closed on Tuesday. In addition, the University of Texas at Austin and much of the Texas Capitol complex were closed, prompting the cancellation of a Texas Senate hearing on the state budget that had been scheduled for Tuesday. Despite the conditions, the state’s electricity grid was reporting more than enough power generation to handle the expected demand over the next 24 hours. ERCOT, the state’s grid manager, projected it would have more than 75,000 megawatts of power ready to handle a peak demand of about 64,000 megawatts Tuesday. “We have all the resources that we need to ensure reliable operations during this event,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said. As of noon, there were about 7,000 power outages in Texas, but Abbott said those were localized and not because of any issues with the grid. More than 600 flights in and out of the Dallas area had been canceled or delayedTuesday, according to FlightAware. The icy conditions in much of the state are expected to continue through Wednesday. [email protected] Abbott says Texas road closures due to ice could last 48 hours By Jeremy Wallace AUSTIN BUREAU ONLINE THE FUTURE OF FLOOD PLAINS Historical data on development in flood plains shows that Texans may be at a greater risk for damage as climate experts forecast a rise in sea level and inland flooding. HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM/FLOODPLAINMAP

C HOUSTO IT NCHRONICL Y E.COM • / WEDNES S DAY, FE T BRUAR A Y 1, 2023 TE• SECTION A Drivers who use Harris County toll roads will see a rollback in their costs, starting this fall. Harris Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved a 10 percent reduction in toll fees for most drivers, establishing a new rate system as the Harris County Toll Road Authority continues its transition to all-electronic tolling and aims to convince more drivers to get EZTags. “To give the taxpayers a little discount is a good thing,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said. The policy changes, announced last week, would drop the price of tolls along the Sam Houston andWestpark tollways, Harris County portions of the TomballTollway alongTexas 249 and Fort Bend Tollway south of U.S. 90A, Hardy Toll Road and Katy Managed Lanes along Interstate 10. The new rates would go into effect in September, once HCTRA finalizes the details and then changes all of its internal billing systems to levy the lower prices. Tuesday’s vote marks the first-ever decrease in HCTRA rates, and the first change in tolls since September 2015. The reduction means the toll roadauthoritywillforego anestimated $894 million over the next decade, according to a staff analysis. Officials said the price changes will not affect HCTRA’s ability to pay off its debts from borrowing to buildor expandtoll roads, or its plans to improve trails and bicycling routes around toll roads. The policy changes also will allow people to get EZTags for free, ending the practice of HCTRA charging $15 simply to County tolls to dip10 percent in fall Commissioners laud first-ever decrease as ‘discount’ for drivers By Dug Begley STAFF WRITER Tolls continues on A10 Melissa Phillip/Staff photographer The discounted rates will apply only to those with EZTags issued by the Harris County Toll Road Authority. Harris County is moving forward with a plan to improve and expand access to child care as the industry struggles to bounce back from the pandemic. Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to approve a $26.2 million program that will open new seats at high-quality child care centers for an additional 800 to 1,000 children in low-income families residing in child care deserts, according to officials. Childcarewillbe free for families participating in the program, which is funded under the American Rescue Plan Act. The program will also increase compensation for child care workers and providers to reduce turnover and improve quality of care. “Thatis really what we need to recover from the pandemic, is to build back capacity within the child care sector,” said Sara Mickelson, director for early childhood initiatives at the county’s administration office. “This is about contracting with child care centers who can open brand new child care supply.” The county awarded a twoyear contract to BakerRipley, a Houston nonprofit, to implement the program with help from the United Way of Greater Houston. The measure passed unanimously with no discussion. Claudia Aguirre, BakerRipley president and CEO, said in a statement that the program is a step toward financial stability and self-sufficiency for hardworking families.She commended the Commissioners Court for “continuing to recognize that high-quality child care is a vital component for the economy, workforce development and socioeconomic mobility.” The program, called Early REACH, willpilot anew funding strategyknownas the contracted slots model, which has seen some success in other jurisdictions across the country, including Georgia. This model allows the proCounty fills gaps in area’s child care By Anna Bauman STAFF WRITER Child care continues on A10 of vulgar language on social media. She had been granted “provisional privileges” within a year of the hospital taking action and had never admitted a patient, Methodist said at the time. Bowden later resigned her privileges. Both the health system and its CEO, Dr. Marc Boom, had issued statements pushing back against a number of Bowden’s comments on social media, including assertion that the antiparasitic drug ivermectin helps treat COVID. In an email to patients, she suggested that Methodist is not treating unvaccinated patients — a claim she later walked back — and spoke out against vaccine mandates, after Methodist became the first major health system in the nation to implement such a requirement for its workforce. In a statement on Tuesday’s ruling, the hospital reiterated its stance that Bowden had her privileges suspended “for spreading false information that was dangerous to the public and other inappropriate behavior.” “In her lawsuit,” the statement continued, “Bowden claimed that she was defamed by Houston Methodist for correcting her admittedly false statement that the hospital turned away unvaccinated patients.” Boom issued his own statement: “We can now put this behind us and continue our focus on our patients, employees and community,” he said. “As health care workers, we have a sacred oath to ‘do no harm,’ and part of that oath means doing everything possible to prevent the spread of misinformation that is harmful to our community.” Bowden filed her defamation lawsuit against the hospital in A state district judge has dismissed Dr. Mary Talley Bowden’s defamation lawsuit against Houston Methodist Hospital, ending, at least for now, a monthslong legal feud over whether the hospital damaged her reputation by publicly denouncing her social media comments about COVID-19 as misinformation. Judge Mike Engelhart, of Harris County’s 151st District Civil Court, heard arguments Monday afternoon after the hospital asked to dismiss the case and strike certain evidence from the record. The judge sided with the hospital on both requests and ordered Bowden to pay its attorney fees. Bowden, an ear, nose and throat specialist who practices in the Upper Kirby area, had asked for $25 million in damages. She responded shortly after the decision on Twitter: “We will appeal.” Her attorneys, Steven Biss and Madhu Sekharan, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Methodist originally suspended the doctor’s privileges to practice at the hospital in November 2021, citing her spreading of misinformation and use Judge dismisses doctor’s defamation case against hospital By Julian Gill STAFF WRITER Defamation continues on A10 Bowden Guadalupe Sepúlveda has nowhere to go. He’s been sleeping on an air mattress in the tiny South Houstontaqueriahe runs andshowering at a nearby gym since a powerful tornado swept through southeast Harris County last Tuesday and devastated his apartment complex. His unit is still standing, but other apartments in the complex are severely damaged. Sepúlveda’s landlord has made strict rules about tenants reentering and won’t allow him into his apartment to get his debit cards, his passport or even his toothbrush. The restaurant purveyor is sleep-deprived, bordering on exhaustion. “Never have Ilived worse than this,” he said in Spanish. The lives of Sepúlveda and hundreds of his fellow residents were upended when the rare twister last week tore through the Beamer Place Apartments, which has more than 300 units. Since then, several tenants said they’ve been left in the dark — and even mistreated — by the property’s management. Starla Turnbo, the property manager and regional director of SMI Realty Management, which owns Beamer Place Apartments, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. When Sepúlveda, 52, tried going back into his apartment in thedays after the tornado,he was told he needed to sign a liability waiver to get in. Other docuYi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Tenants say management has made it too difficult to get their belongings from the tornado-struck Beamer Place Apartments. ‘They’re taking advantage’ Renters accuse Beamer Place management of mistreatment after twister By Jhair Romero STAFF WRITER Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Guadalupe Sepúlveda has been sleeping at the taqueria he owns in South Houston ever since the tornado last week. Beamer Place continues on A7

A4 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM NATION & WORLD HEALTH Likely cancer deaths expected to drop 33% Nearly 2 million Americans — 1,958,310, to be exact — are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, and 609,820 people will die of the disease, the American Cancer Society says. The projected number of deaths would represent a 33 percent drop in the cancer mortality rate since 1991, and 3.8 million deaths averted, according to the organization’s annual report on cancer trends and statistics, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The reduction includes a 65 percent drop in the past decade in cervical cancer rates in women in their early 20s, which the report attributes to the introduction of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Conversely, prostate cancer rates have been rising by 3 percent a year. The report attributes the overall decline in cancer deaths to more widespread screening, advances in treatments and behavioral changes, such as less tobacco use. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. At least 42 percent of newly diagnosed cancers are “potentially avoidable” through behavioral changes, screenings, vaccination and infection treatment, the report says. FRANCE Over 1M people join in protests of reforms PARIS — French authorities say an estimated 1.27 million people have joined in nationwide protests against the government’s planned pension reforms. In a victory for unions fighting the planned raising of the retirement age, that figure exceeds the estimated 1 million who took part in a first round of protests on Jan. 19. The government was forced to acknowledge that it “hears” the “questions and doubts” raised by the reforms. The eight unions organizing Tuesday's demonstrations promptly announced that they would organize new protests on Feb. 7 and Feb. 11. NEW MEXICO Baldwin, armorer charged in shooting SANTA FE, N.M. — Actor Alec Baldwin and the armorer on the western film “Rust” were charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of the movie’s cinematographer, according to court papers filed in the 1st Judicial District Court in New Mexico, which asserted that they had failed to follow standard film safety protocols on set. Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe in October 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at her when the gun went off. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set, also is charged with involuntary manslaughter. ISRAEL Blinken meets with Palestinian leader U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a twoday visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank with little to show for his renewed appeals for Israeli-Palestinian calm amid an alarming spike of violence. Blinken visited the occupied West Bank on Tuesday to meet with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and called for a defusing of the violence that has gripped the region, while conceding that Palestinians face dwindling prospects in their larger struggle for independence. Blinken visited Abbas at the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters in Ramallah, part of a whirlwind regional tour coinciding with one of the deadliest months in the West Bank in several years. From wire reports AROUND THE NATION AND WORLD In his 10 years leading the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has called attention to the plight of refugees and the poor and to the plunder of the earth’s natural riches. He has traveled to the peripheries of the church to touch the wounds of its afflicted and most forgotten. And he has welcomed young Catholics, especially in the booming global south, to a more inclusive church. On Tuesday, Francis landed in Congo, a country that crystallizes all those priorities. He is the first pope since 1985 to visit the nation, where local church leaders have declared a moral emergency desperately in need of the pope’s, and the world’s, attention. The turnout to welcome Francis was overwhelming in Kinshasa, the capital. Tens of thousands of people lined the road from the airport, cheering and waving flags in colorful local dress and Catholic school uniformsunder enormousbillboards of Francis (often alongside the country’s president). “Tornby war,theDemocratic Republic of the Congo continues to witness within its confines conflicts and forced migrations, and to suffer from terrible forms of exploitation, unworthy of humanity and of creation,” Francis said. “This country, so immense and full of life, this diaphragm of Africa, struck by violence like a blow to the stomach, has seemed for some time to be gasping for breath,” the pope said. Francis, 86, who often uses a wheelchair, will also visit South Sudan, where the church is deeply involved in peace negotiations and democracybuilding, ona tripthatwill last until Sunday. In the meantime, violence in Congo’s embattled east has flared up again, with more than 120,000 people fleeing rebel attacks inthe countryside and seeking shelter in the city of Goma. The fighting has forced Francis to scrap that leg of the trip, and victims of the region’s violence will instead come to seehiminthe capital of Kinshasa. But as much as Congo embodies thewounds thatFrancis hopes to heal, it is also a country with potentially greatinfluence on the church’s future. About half of Congo’s more than 95 million people are Catholic, making it the faith’s deepest well in Africa, the continent many hope will replenish the church as attendance shrinks in the West. Moses Sawasawa/Associated Press Thousands line the road to welcome Pope Francis after he lands Tuesday in Kinshasa, Congo. His six-day trip to Congo and South Sudan seeks to bring comfort to the countries. Pope lands in Congo, a region where his priorities converge NEW YORK TIMES Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press Pope Francis speaks Tuesday to authorities, civil society and diplomatic corps in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WASHINGTON — Rep. George Santos of New York told House Republicans on Tuesday that he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees, a move that comes amid a host of ethics issues and a day after he met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Santos has faced numerous calls for his resignation and is facing multiple investigations by prosecutors over his personal and campaign finances and lies about his resume and family background. Santos was assigned to two fairly low-profile panels, the HouseCommittee onSmallBusiness and to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Still, his arrival has left GOP leadership frequently answering questions about the congressman rather than on their priorities for the coming months. Santos, who has admitted to fabricating key parts of his background since his election in November, said in a closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday that he would remove himself from his committee assignments because “he’s a distraction,” according to a Republican lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The announcement comes the same day polling in his district showed the vast majority of voters believe he should resign. More than three-quarters of registered voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District said he should leave his job, the Newsday-Siena College poll found. Santos has given no indication that he plans to voluntarily give up his seat. Embattled Santos to step away from House committees WASHINGTON POST Santos As five Memphis police officers attacked Tyre Nichols with their feet, fists and a baton, others milled around at the scene, even as the 29-year-old cried out inpainandthenslumpedlimply against the side of a car. Just like the attack on George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly three years ago, a simple intervention could have saved a life. Instead, Nichols is dead and the five officers are charged with second-degree murder and other crimes. More disciplinary action may be coming now that the harrowing video of Nichols’ treatment has been released. Memphis police suspended two other officersMonday andsay thedepartment is still investigating what happened. The Memphis Fire Department also fired three emergency response workers whoarrivedonthe scene for failing to assess Nichols’ condition. TheMemphis andMinneapolis police departments are among many U.S. law enforcement agencies with “duty to intervene” policies. The Memphis protocol is clear: “Any member who directly observes another member engaged in dangerous or criminal conduct or abuse of a subject shall take reasonable action to intervene.” It’s not just a policy, it’s the law. The three Minneapolis officers who failed to step in and stop former officer Derek Chauvin from kneeling on Floyd’s neck as the Black man said he couldn’t breathe were all convicted of federal civil rights violations. Experts agree peer pressure, and in some cases fear of retribution, is on the minds of officers who fail to stop colleagues from bad actions. “They’re afraidofbeing ostracized,” said George Kirkham, a criminology professor emeritus at Florida State University and former police officer. “You’ve got to depend on those guys. It’s the thin blue line. When you get out there and getin a jam, you’ve got nobody else to help you but other cops.” Nichols was pulled over in a traffic stop the night of Jan. 7. Body camera video shows he was beaten as officers screamed profanities, even as Nichols seemed confused about what he did wrong. Amid the chaos, he ran and was eventually caught at another intersection, a short distance from his mother’s house. Security camera images from that scene show two officers holdingNichols to the groundas a third appears to kick him in the head. Later, another officer strikes Nichols repeatedly with a baton as another officer holds him. Officers pull Nichols to his feet, though he’s barely able to stand. An officer punches him in the face, and Nichols stumbles, stillheldup by two officers. After more punches, he collapses. But the attack continues. When it ends, Nichols is slumped against a car. It would be more than 20 minutes before medical attention was rendered, though three members of the fire department arrived on the scene with medical equipment within 10 minutes. Those workers, two medics and a lieutenant who was with them, were the personnel fired late Monday. Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive ResearchForum, aWashingtonbased think tank, said duty to intervene policies became common after officers attacked and badly injured Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1992. “Buthaving apolicyandovercoming what many would argue is the culture in policing are two different things,” Wexler said. “It’s not enough to simply have a policy. You need to practice. You need to talk through it.” Insome cases, concernsby officers about retaliation for intervening have proven true. In Buffalo, N.Y., officer Cariol Horne was a year away fromcollecting her pension when she faced departmental charges after pulling a fellow officer’s arm from around the neck of a domestic violence suspect in 2006. She was fired.In 2021 a state Supreme Court judge reinstated her pension and overturned her dismissal. Last year in Sunrise, Fla., Sgt. ChristopherPullease was criminally charged after an incident caught on video in which an unidentified female officer pulled Pullease by the belt away from a handcuffed suspect after Pullease pointed pepper spray at him.Pullease respondedbyputting a hand on his colleague’s throat and pushing her away, the video showed. Experts were also perplexed that no police department supervisors were present during the Memphis incident. Had there been, they said, the outcome might have been different. “I was a supervisor for a long time, and you showing up on the scene even unannounced keeps people from doing, for lack of a better adjective, stupid things,” said former New York City Police Sgt. Joseph Giacalone, who teaches atthe John JayCollege of Criminal Justice in New York. Memphis police Chief Cerelyn“CJ”Davis calledthe lackof a supervisor atthe incident “amajor problem.” Davis on Saturday disbanded the city’s so-called Scorpion unit, whose officers were involved in the beating. University of Missouri-St. Louis criminologist David Klinger said decisions on whether to intervene in a police colleague’s actions are not always cut and dried. He said one officer may see a weapon that is blocked from the view of another, for example, and stepping in at the wrong time could jeopardize the lives of officers at the scene. Nichols’ death puts focus on cops’ failure to step in despite policies By Jim Salter ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press Memphis’ police chief cited a supervisor shortage for why there wasn’t one present during the deadly Jan. 7 attack on Tyre Nichols.

A6 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM murder in connection with Nichols’ death, and more disciplinary action may be coming now that the video of the attack was released publicly by the department. “It’s a disgrace,” Floyd said. “We’re bringing shame to our culture and to our people. We’re showing others that we can’t control ourselves and that we don’t have unity.” Floyd called the actions of the charged officers “disgusting” due to them committing a Blackon-Black crime when their jobs were supposed to be predicated on protecting people, especially those of color. “Understand together, as Black men, we’re strong,” Floyd said. “We need to not use our strength in a negative light, we need to come together, unify and use it in a positive light to bring our culture and our people together.” Floyd founded the We Are Floyd Organization, in June 2020. The nonprofit, based in New York City, focuses on helping minorities deal with mental health, poverty, police brutality, and social injustice. Through the organization, Floyd continues to advocate for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a policing reform bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 24, 2021. This legislation, which aims to hold law enforcement more accountable, was drafted after the deaths of Black people at the hands of police officers in 2020 — including Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and George Floyd in Minnesota. While Floyd said that he’s seen change on a state-by-state level, he said the only way to hold officers fully accountable is by adopting the nationwide policing reform bill. “It has to be accountability in all aspects of the law, not just a few parts,” he said. Some notable provisions in the Democrat-led measure include granting power to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to issue subpoenas to police departments during “pattern or practice” investigations, banning federal police officers from using chokeholds or other carotid holds, requiring federal uniformed police officers to have body-worn cameras, mandating that federal officers use deadly force as a last resort and only after de-escalation was attempted and prohibiting the issuance of no-knock warrants. “We’re getting closer to change in law enforcement, but we have to keep pushing, we can’t stop,” Floyd said. The five Memphis police officers being charged swiftly, and while it might not be what “the people want,” it does signal change within the law enforcement system, according to Floyd. And for anyone thinking about entering law enforcement, Floyd advises they “understand our people” and understand themselves. “When you get in that job, walk those streets and enter a community you should understand who you are first and get to know the people around you,” he said. “Do this so we can be unified, come together and make this world a better place.” Staff file photo Terrence Floyd called the Black officers’ violence against another Black man “a disgrace.” FLOYD From page A1 Ryans stopped pursuing litigation in July 2021. But the analysis of Houston’s hire should center more on the Texans-oriented coaching fraternity Ryans belongs to and whether he can replicate its original success. McNair said in a Tuesday statement that the Texans received “incredible feedback” from several people regarding Ryans, but “it was our discussions with him and his vision for our football team that made him the right coach to lead us as we continue to evolve as an organization.” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is one of two other head coaches in the Super Bowl era who also replaced consecutive oneand-done coaches. Shanahan, whose four seasons as a Texans assistant overlapped with Ryans, filled the top end of his first staff in 2017 with young coaches he worked with in Houston: Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel as run game coordinator, Ryans as defensive quality control. Together, they rejuvenated the 49ers into a 2019 Super Bowl finalist. Ryans replaced Saleh as defensive coordinator when the Jets hired Saleh in 2021, and the Dolphins hired McDaniel a year later. The Jets improved from 4-13 to 7-10 in Saleh’s second season, and McDaniel’s Dolphins narrowly lost to the Bills in the AFC wild-card round. Ryans will be expected to produce results in 2023 that fall somewhere in between. Ryans’ prowess as a defensive play-caller is unquestioned. The 49ers progressed in nearly every statistical category in his two seasons as defensive coordinator. They fielded the NFL’s top total defense and top scoring defense (16.3 points allowed per game) in 2022 and allowed the secondthe NFC Championship Game in both of Ryans’ years as defensive coordinator. “I know what it takes to win and be successful in this league as both a player and coach,” Ryans said. “We’re going to build a program filled with players who have a special work ethic and relentless mindset. I understand the responsibility I have to this organization and to the fans of Houston to build a winner, and I can’t wait to get to work.” Successful NFL teams possess a strong blend of capable coaches and proficient players. The Texans have been found lacking in both areas during the Caserio era so far. And although the former Patriots executive has navigated the Texans through the myriad dysfunctions associated with their rebuild, Caserio, who still must fully deliver on his reputation as a prodigy in personnel, has yet to inspire confidence he can cohesively manage a coaching staff. McNair intervened in Caserio’s third headcoaching search due to the untenable outcomes of his previous two, stepping out of his family’s laissezfaire style by involving himself in the complete hiring process. He and Caserio built a list of candidates, submitted formal interview requests to the league, and participated together in each initial interview. Caserio had previously managed those tasks himself. The instability McNair’s move signaled about Caserio’s long-term job security did not deter eight candidates from interviewing with the Texans. Only Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson pulled his name from the running, as he did with the Colts and Panthers vacancies when Detroit countered with a lucrative package to keep him. In a statement, Caserio complimented Ryans on how he’s “progressive in his vision, a great communicator, a connector and somebody that values collaboration.” Caserio also valued Culley and Smith’s ability to communicate and connect. Highlighting Ryans as a progressive and collaborative coach is notable; he and Caserio must work together to rectify the on-field inefficiencies that plagued the Texans in the last two seasons. Apart fromMcNair’s involvement, candidates knew this Texans vacancy carried a far more attractive opportunity than the one Caserio was pitching in the last two cycles. The Texans hadn’t yet traded Deshaun Watson, the former quarterback’s sexual assault litigations hadn’t yet been resolved, and beyond the reasonable doubts about the roster’s limitations, there remained too much mystery surrounding Jack Easterby, the enigmatic executive the Texans ultimately fired in October. Now the Texans are almost as blank a canvas as they could be — a quality that should be as alarming for Ryans as it is enticing. They own the No. 2 and 12 overall picks in the upcoming draft, five total selections in the top 75, plus two more first-round picks in 2024. Their cap space balloons to the fifthhighest budget in the NFL, according to Over the Cap, and there are 22 players whose contracts have expired and must be renewed or replaced. Tampering with such a nest egg in securing a head coach likely would have proved unwise. McNair and Caserio interviewed former Saints coach Sean Payton once. The onetime Super Bowl champion’s price tag of nearly $20 million per year was steep (Culley’s five-year contract was bought out for $22 million), but Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was reportedlyasking for two firstround picks in exchange for releasing Payton from his contract. Such a demand would have been a non-starter for the Texans. The Broncos instead acquired Payton, according to ESPN, a deal in which Denver swapped this year’s 29th overall pick (a first-rounder acquired in a deal involving Miami and San Francisco) and its 2024 second-round pick for New Orleans’ third-round selection in 2024. Ryans, who interviewed with the Broncos on Jan. 20, solidified his interest with the Texans after a week of silence. NFL teams were unable to speak last week with head coaching candidates whose teams were competing in the AFC and NFC title games, but the Texans were freed starting Monday to meet again with Ryans. By then, local enthusiasm for Ryans was nearing its climax. Four-time All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted a photo of himself and Ryans laughing on the sideline during Watt’s rookie season. Watt, who retired this season, had also advocated for Ryans, saying “he will be a great head coach.” There are enough memorable moments to intrigue a fan base that’s recently voiced apathy via empty stadiums. Ryans, then the No. 33 overall pick out of Alabama, spent six grueling seasons with the Texans, started in every game during their first playoff run in 2011, and remains No. 2 on the franchise’s career list for tackles (636). Ryans, who tore his left Achilles tendon in 2010, was traded to the Eagles in 2012. He later sued the Texans after he tore his right Achilles tendon while playing against his former team in 2014, alleging NRG Stadium’s uneven turf prematurely ended his career. The case shuffled between state and federal court, and fewest rushing yards per game (77.7). They tied the Steelers for most interceptions (20) and tied the Patriots for the second-most turnovers forced (30). San Francisco’s defense, paired with a star-studded offense, helped carry the 49ers within a game of another Super Bowl berth despite their top two quarterbacks suffering seasonending injuries. But there are two critical problems Ryans must solve with the Texans. Can he fulfill his scheme with a defense that still needs additions? Can the staff he builds resuscitate an offense that has been among the NFL’s worst in the last two seasons? The latter might be the most pressing question. Shanahan’s offensive staff has been twice ravaged by Saleh and McDaniel, and the 49ers are currently devoid of proven offensive play-callers. Mike LaFleur, a Shanahan disciple Saleh just fired, was hired by the Rams on Friday to be their offensive coordinator. Ryans and Caserio, who wields his own philosophies and relationships that were formed during his 20-year tenure with the Patriots, might be forced to consider options beyond their immediate connections. The Texans began their offensive coordinator search by formally requesting to interview Bengals wide receiver coach Troy Walters, according to multiple reports. Walters, 39, hasn’t worked with Ryans or Caserio but has worked closely with Bengals coach Zac Taylor during Cincinnati’s recent postseason runs. The Texans also wield the draft positioning to select one of two elite quarterback prospects in Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Could the hiring of a defensive-minded coach or the philosophy of the new Texans offensive staff now tilt the franchise toward spending its No. 2 overall pick on a premier pass rusher like Will Anderson? McNair hired Caserio in 2021 to build the Texans in the image of success. After the firing of two head coaches in two seasons, Ryans effectively embodies Caserio’s last shot. One could outlast the other, both could be swallowed up in a complete overhaul, or they could attain the postseason success that has eluded the Texans for so long. It’s a decision they’ve all decided is worth a homecoming. RYANS From page A1 John Hefti/Associated Press Former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans comes back to the embattled team with nearly a blank canvas.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 A7 permitting in the state. “If proven to be true, the allegations outlined in the petition are concerning,” Charles Maguire, the EPA’s acting deputy regional administrator, wrote in the letter. The inquiry comes as the state’s environmental agency has been under increased scrutiny. A review of the agency by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission last year deemed TCEQ to be “reluctant regulators” and recommended lawmakers increase fines on polluters, add time for the public to weigh in on proposed permits and improve online transparency, among other things. The TCEQ declined to comment on the EPA letter, but said the federal agency reviewed the state permitting process in 2020 and foundit tomeet all federal requirements. Environmental advocates cheered the federal inquiry, saying it is a significant step. “For EPA to say our claims are valid and that they’re investigating further is a pretty big deal,” said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, one of 21 groups that filed the complaint alleging problems with water quality regulation in the state. The groups allege the state agency, which runs the federal permitting program that sets limits for polluters, allows developers to claim projects will have only minor effects on waterways and puts the burden on the public to prove otherwise. Meanwhile, the groups say the agency cuts out most of the public from contesting permits by barring court challenges from people who use waterways for recreational purposes, such as fishing or kayaking, but do not own land nearby. “TCEQ is, we think, illegally preventing the public from participating in permit challenges and thereby just kind of rubberstamping permits to pollute by big industry,” Metzger said. Erin Gaines, senior attorney at Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization and one of the petitioner groups, said similar petitions to the EPA have gone unaddressed in the past. “It is noteworthy I think that they’re responding and they’re saying it’s concerning these claims,” Gaines said. “The state of Texas doesn’t have a right to implement these programs however they want. The EPA has determined TCEQ can issue these permits, but they have to comply with federal requirements. … It really is the EPA’s role and responsibility to see that these programs are implemented properly.” The result, the groups say, are badly polluted waterways across the state. According to the complaint, 9,711miles of the state’s rivers, over a half-million acres ofits lakes, and 1,248 square miles of its estuaries are so polluted they are considered “impaired” under the federal Clean Water Act, meaning they are not safe for recreation or drinking. That includes a majority of the waterways in the Houston region, including Upper Galveston Bay, Buffalo Bayou and several other tributaries to the San Jacinto River, according to the complaint. The EPAletter also cites a June 2022 complaint from 13 environmental nonprofits that claimed that the state agency unlawfully restricts public participation in air pollution permitting, a process by which the state limits facilities’ emissions to a threshold it deems best for public health. The TCEQ does this in three ways, the groups allege. For one, under Texas law, only “affected” people can get involved in contested cases, which the agency, in an unwritten policy, has typically defined as anyone who owns property or lives within a mile of a facility seeking an air permit. The rule is “arbitrary” and “denies ‘affected person’ status to those whose health, aesthetic, or recreationalinterests are harmed by the proposed permit,” the groups said in their complaint. Gaines recalled an ongoing case in which an oil storage and export terminal company, Max Midstream, is seeking to expand the capacity of its terminal near Port Lavaca. In that case, TCEQ denied challenges by several people who lived no more than 3 miles from the site, citing the 1- mile rule, even though they specified direct impacts to their livelihood and wellness. One man is a commercial oysterman and shrimper who works in the bays near the proposed expansion. Another has asthma and other respiratory illnesses and regularly recreationally fishes 2 miles away. “These issues sound very technical or legal, but they become very real to communities that are actually going to be impacted by these permits,” Gaines said, adding that rulings in state courts have effectively given TCEQ the ability to disregard public objection. The EPA inquiry comes as state lawmakers convene in Austin with a list of recommendations for reforms at TCEQ from the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, which periodically reviews state agencies. The commission is made up of 10 legislators and two members of the public appointed by the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house. Taylor Goldenstein is writing from Austin, Ben Wermund from Washington, D.C. [email protected] [email protected] EPA PROBE From page A1 ments he was handed said his belongings would be destroyed in the demolition if he didn’t retrieve them. Sepúlveda, a Mexican immigrant who came to Houston in 2014 and knows only Spanish, didn’t understand the contents of either document. Meanwhile, property management staffers were telling renters they could gather only a few belongings, according to Cassandra Duarte, a tenant whose unit was destroyed. Many worried about their pets, medications and other sensitive belongings. Duarte, who signed the liability waiver, was given only 20 minutes to grab some clothes and what little was left of her and her boyfriend’s unit. Her downstairs neighbor had recently bought a new TV, she said, but the employees from Beamer Place management didn’t let him haul it out because it was too heavy. “They’re taking advantage of the situation and people’s vulnerability,” Sepúlveda said. “Some people don’t want to draw it out and give in. I really don’t know what to do.” Sherita East and her brother have been in the same struggle as Sepúlveda and other tenants. The tornado destroyed their apartment, and they have relied on friends and family for support in the aftermath. But East has no idea what her next steps should be. “I haven’t heard anything (from Beamer Place),” she said. “They’re being very rude and mistreating people and turning them away. Just no answers. It’s like they forgot about us.” The management has gone so far as to prohibit tenants from entering the complex’s leasing office, East added. Much of the property has since been fortified with fences and security guards. By management’s own admission, Beamer Place is uninhabitable due to the lack of electricity and running water, according to an email sent to residents. Yet, the complex has continued taking legal action against some tenants despite it being partially destroyed. The complex on Monday filed court documents to evict several tenants from a building they can’t live in, according to local court dockets. Dana Karni, a litigation director at the nonprofit law firm Lone Star Legal Aid, said several residents from Beamer Place and other complexes have reached out to her organization for help in dealing with their landlords. “It’s a devastating situation because these tenants suffered a tornado but are now also suffering the consequences of some landlords who are more interested in their real estate than doing what is right by their tenants,” she said. Karni said she finds it odd Beamer Place’s management would force tenants to sign a waiver to enter their space. The complex was only partially destroyed, and those who lived in units that weren’t damaged may have the right to enter and retrieve their belongings. “I understand the landlord is trying to shield itself from liability, but I don’t think that should stand in the way of the tenants’ rights to regain access to their personal possessions,” she said. This follows a pattern Karni has seen of property managers circumventing state property laws to protect themselves and put their interests over those of renters. “They just do things their way,” she said. “They feel like they can get away with doing just a little bit less than what the law requires.” [email protected] BEAMER PLACE From page A3 Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Guadalupe Sepúlveda was told his possessions would be destroyed during demolition if he didn’t retrieve them.

A8 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM OPINION Nancy A. Meyer • PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Jack Sweeney CHAIRMAN Jennifer Chang MANAGING EDITOR Maria Reeve EXECUTIVE EDITOR Chris Fusco MANAGING EDITOR Lisa Falkenberg VP/ EDITOR OF OPINION Raj Mankad DEPUTY OPINION EDITOR F o u n d e d 1 9 0 1 • A H e a r s t N e w s pa p e r If Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by police officers during a traffic stop without video evidence, did it really happen? If we had simply accepted the initial police report of Nichols’ Jan. 7 encounter with the Memphis Police Department, his tragic and violent death three days later would’ve been reduced to a cautionary tale, a chilling example law enforcement agencies cite whenever the circumstances of an arrest lead to officers killing a civilian. If the cops said they felt threatened, then the violence was justified. That’s the version of reality that the five officers wanted the public to believe. Their police report painted Nichols, a Black 29-year old, as an erratic suspect in an aggravated assault in which one of the officers was the victim. The report claims it was, in fact, Nichols who had “started to fight” with the officers, “refused a lawful detention” and even reached for one of the officers’ guns. This appallingly deceptive account was contradicted by the officers’ own body cameras as well as nearby surveillance footage. That video, released to the public by Memphis authorities five days ago, shows that the same officers who claimed to be victims, had instead beaten Nichols so savagely, so senselessly, that their utter disregard for human life calls into question why they ever were hired as officers in the first place, let alone as members of a specialized unit to fight crime. The video of Nichols’ death has — much like the heart-rending footage of George Floyd, Philando Castile, and too many others killed by police before him — animated yet another national discussion on police brutality and the suffocating wall of silence that enables a culture of intimidation within law enforcement agencies. It has also, due to the disturbing nature of the video, raised questions as to whether the public has an obligation to sit and watch it. Is bearing witness and sharing the footage on social media an act of civic duty, a hopeful catalyst for change? Or is it simply a voyeuristic rubber-necking to the often brutal interactions with police that many communities ravaged by crime endure with unfortunate regularity? There are salient arguments on both sides. The video itself is gut-wrenching and difficult to watch. Officers screaming a series of confusing and contradictory commands at Nichols, who reacts with intense panic in his voice. The officers restrain him in ways that keep him from following their orders and pepper spray him He flees the scene, but the officers quickly catch up to him, then rain punches, kicks and baton blows down on Nichols’ skinny 150-pound frame, pepper spray him several more times, and continue kicking and punching him. His body limp and reeling from the officers’ vicious haymakers, Nichols calls out for his mother, whose house is a mere 100 yards away from where he was pulled over. Those who abstain from watching such a horrific scene might do so because they don’t need a gruesome reminder of their own vulnerability to policing. Black adults are about five times as likely as whites to say they’ve been unfairly stopped by police because of their race or ethnicity. Others might not watch out of willful ignorance of that reality. Only four in 10 white Republicans, for instance, believe Black people are treated less fairly by the police or criminal justice system. Still others, regardless of their political persuasion or views on policing, may believe that sharing the footage only reinforces the racial and cultural divides that have plagued our nation for centuries, even though the officers who beat Nichols were also Black. Everyone has a choice as to whether to put themselves through that experience. We believe, as difficult as it might be, that large numbers of Americans watching the video is critical to achieving any semblance of progress. Choosing not to won’t erase its existence. It may save you the anguish of feeling a fraction of the pain that Nichols’ family is enduring, but it won’t solve the problem that his death has brought to light. We are not under any illusion that the existence of the video itself will be a deterrence to future police brutality. While body cameras were once hailed as a crucial measure for police accountability, Nichols’ death is a stark reminder of their limits. Did it cross these five officers’ minds that beating Nichols to death would be captured on their cameras, that the footage would be so damning it would serve as clearcut evidence for their indictments on murder charges? Not watching the footage means avoiding conversations that are conducive to contemplating a healthier culture for law enforcement. Where police no longer commit abuses against the people they are sworn to protect. Where we can analyze the factors that led other officers and paramedics who arrived at the scene to do nothing for far too long as Nichols writhed in pain. Where we can openly question the efficacy of specialized crime units, such as the Scorpion unit the Memphis officers were assigned to, which have a sordid history of extrajudicial activity that sow fear and intimidation and lead to questionable results in actually preventing crime. Where we can focus more on democratic policing approaches such as community engagement, which has proven to be far more constructive in building residents’ trust in law enforcement. The collective outrage in the wake of George Floyd’s death has led to substantive change on the state level. Half the states in the nation have passed laws regulating use of force by officers; requiring officers to intervene or render medical aid in instances of police misconduct; and allowing the decertification of officers who commit misconduct. Merely watching the video of Tyre Nichols’ violent beating won’t make our streets safer or our police better at their jobs. We can only hope that it triggers conversations in living rooms, classrooms, city halls, state capitols, and the corridors of Congress, that will bring us closer, much closer, to those endeavors. EDITORIAL Ignoring footage won’t erase need for real reform Bearing witness to police brutality is crucial to achieving progress. City of Memphis/TNS Tyre Nichols is removed from his car Jan. 7 by police officers in Memphis, Tenn. Nichols died three days after being beaten. The video has animated yet another national discussion on police brutality. Police response Regarding “UH cop pulled a gun on a Black theater student rehearsing. The school’s solution? Neon vests,” (Jan. 31): As a Black man, I’m deeply concerned about the biased mistreatment we often experience from police officers. But after reading the article concerning the response of a UH police officer to a witness who heard someone screaming for help and reported an assault, the officer’s response was completely warranted. It’s one thing to act out a nonviolent scene in front of the unsuspecting general public, but it’s a terrible lapse of judgment to act out a violent scene. I’m disappointed that UH administration and faculty didn’t foresee the potential deadly consequences of allowing students to act out violent scenes among the unsuspecting general public. Kevin Torrence, Spring Was it a mistake by the police? They got a report of a male threatening a female out in public. They responded. They apparently were led to believe that the male had a weapon in active use. It looks to me like they were doing their job. I think the students and the academic department responsible for the event should be scheduled for brain cell injections, hopefully smarter ones. It seems to me that a simple set of signs that says “theatrical rehearsal” around the periphery of wherever the student actors are working would probably have sufficed to keep a report of violence from going to the police. However, it is kind of nice that a true back pages story like this (and the other one about an estranged family situation) makes Page 1. Soon enough, the politicos will make sure they cover up Page 1 with their constant preening. Walt Lind, Nassau Bay Let me see if I understand this correctly. The article says that on Nov. 4, 2022, two students were practicing a scene calling for “heightened, choreographed” violence at the loading dock (not an alley as initially reported by the onlooker) next to the UH School of Theatre & Dance. Onlooker calls 911, telling the operator a Black male with tattoos was grabbing a woman, who may be white, and covering her mouth. The caller did not know if the male had a weapon. While caller is still on the 911 line, UH police officers arrive and the onlooker now tells police not once, but twice, “He’s got a knife!” What’s an officer to think at this point? Man with a knife! Seconds later, the officer tells the dispatcher that it was only a rehearsal after the students quickly let them know. Yes, the officer had his weapon drawn and the “victim” acknowledged the gun was held below the officer’s waist but started to move in his direction. Started to move in his direction? There is no indication a weapon was pointed at anyone. According to the article, UHPD advised the officer that he was following standard procedures when responding to an alleged assault involving a weapon. So, I ask, “How would the onlooker have known this was a rehearsal? How would the officers know this was a rehearsal?” The police did not make a mistake here. These officers were responding to an eyewitness onlooker’s report of an assault. The mistake was made by the UH School of Theatre & Dance for not letting the UH police know there was “heightened, choreographed” violence in a scene being played out at the loading dock. It’s the school’s fault their student is unfortunately suffering from panic attacks. Nowadays, it’s so easy to blame the police for everything. Shame on the Chronicle for headlining “Mistake by police leads to outrage at UH” in the print edition when it clearly was not their fault. Clarence Venables, Fulshear There was NO mistake. Someone sees a woman and man arguing and it seemed violent. They call the police. The police arrive, and the witness yells “He’s got a knife!” Of course they pull out a gun, which they point to the ground. They come around a corner to a loading dock, an out-of-the-way area, and the couple yell out that they’re rehearsing. No one was shot or hurt or thrown to the ground. The person who called and the police all did what they were supposed to. I found that headline very provoking in the wake of what happened in Memphis with Tyre Nichols. You owe the police an apology. I would hope if anyone saw someone yelling and being aggressive with me, they would call the police and that the police would arrive just like those officers. Actually, the two people who were rehearsing owe the apology. In this day and age, next time think where you are when rehearsing a violent scene. Elizabeth Huber, Bryan LETTERS Staff file photo University of Houston Chief of Police Ceaser Moore Jr. held a town hall with students over the incident between police and theater students. BIBLE VERSE Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Viewpoints c/o Houston Chronicle, P.O. Box 4260, Houston, Texas 77210 or [email protected]. We welcome and encourage letters and emails from readers. Letters must include name, address and telephone numbers for verification purposes only. All letters are subject to editing.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 A9 OPINION A month in, the biggest U.S. energy story of 2023 concerns something that accounts for an infinitesimal share of actual demand: gas stoves. Fresh from going to the barricades for freedom flames, House Republicans have seemingly stuck to the margins in their next campaign. They just passed a new bill targeting the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, from which President Joe Biden drew heavily last year to counter the oil-price spike sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The legislation would seek to curb the president’s ability to release SPR barrels and tie any release to a corresponding increase in the percentage of federal areas opened up for drilling. It is the latter that, as with those gas stoves, thrusts a relatively minor player into the spotlight. Enersection, an energyfocused data visualization firm based in Houston, has dissected the numbers extensively for energy production on federal lands and waters. The big takeaways are: • As with oil and gas production in general, federalarea output is close to the peak observed just before the pandemic; • Federal areas account for only about one-sixth of U.S. production. Within those data, onshore oil production is the most pertinent metric because that is where the shale basins are and, therefore, where producers are likely to react quickest to any incentive to drill. In data going back to 2003, output actually crossed above 1 million barrels a day for the first time during Biden’s tenure. And while it has declined somewhat since last summer, that coincides with a decline in oil prices — no conspiracy needed. Moreover, as Enersection laid out in an analysis published in September, roughly seven out of every 10 barrels of oil produced onshore on federal lands comes from just two counties in the entire country: Lea and Eddy in New Mexico. And between 2010 and 2020, while oil and gas companies leased about 15 million new federal acres, they allowed leases on 34 million to expire. In short, if your concern is raising U.S. oil and gas production further, the action is overwhelmingly on private and state lands, not federal acreage. Even leaving that aside, linking releases from the SPR via some mathematical formula to leasing more federal land, as the House Republicans’ bill would mandate, doesn’t make sense if your actual concern is replenishing barrels quickly. If Congress is really concerned with refilling the SPR, codifying the repurchasing parameters put forward by the Department of Energy last year would be a useful outcome. This would send a clearer signal to producers about the SPR’s role as a source of incremental demand when being refilled, in part by limiting the White House’s scope to move the goal posts. The energy transition, by its nature, does act as a brake on investment in oil and gas, particularly longer-dated projects, and is gathering pace regardless of Biden’s utterances. Where the administration has real power to facilitate domestic production, such as leasing rounds and permits, it should do so responsibly, especially in light of Russia’s energy war. Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. A former investment banker, he was editor of the Wall Street Journal’s Heard on the Street column and a reporter for the Financial Times’s Lex column. Drilling on federal land is oil’s gas stove moment By Liam Denning BLOOMBERG India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology filed a draft amendment last week to a recent media law that could have sweeping consequences for free expression in the world’s largest democracy. According to the proposed language, any information marked as “fake” by the factchecking division of India’s Press Information Bureau will need to be taken down by “online intermediaries,” a category that would include social media companies. This latest move potentially casts a pall over journalism in the country. Two industry associations — the Editors Guild of India and Digipub, a group of news sites in India — have published strong statements arguing that the amendment could give arbitrary and discretionary power to the Indian government. And they are right to be concerned. Within a few days of mooting the amendments, the Indian government contacted Twitter to take down posts linking to a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his role in the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom. The government has reportedly invoked emergency powers under a related IT law. The new amendments can only strengthen the censors’ hand in these matters. Like many democracies around the world, India is drowning under a tide of rising misinformation and outright dishonest political spin. Multiple organizations dedicated to fact-checking the skewed narratives and distortions have sprung up, and they are fighting a desperate battle. One prominent outfit, Alt News, recently reported that even the most reputable news outlets in the country ran dozens of inaccurate stories last year based on misleading and unsubstantiated claims. And when these false narratives are not shaping the news channels’ coverage, they become fodder for conspiracyminded discussions on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook — platforms with deep penetration among communities where mainstream media has little to no reach. The problem is that fake news is often weaponized by the government itself. One recent viral story on Indian social media claimed that Modi had gotten Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine in order to let Indian students exit the country. While the origin of the story might not be traceable to the government, Amit Shah, the government’s home minister, amplified this narrative in an interview, saying that both Ukraine and Russia had temporarily stopped the war at Modi’s behest. Factcheckers quickly found statements from the External Affairs Ministry from earlier in the year contradicting these claims, showing that the government had in fact not been able to do much. But the damage was done. The misinformation had gone viral, and the facts of the episode are now openly contested in the public sphere. Another fact-checking organization, Boom, reported that most of the false narratives permeating India’s public life were tied to Islamophobia, and that they were “shared with the intent of spreading demographic anxiety.” This is a political project: to disturb the delicate communal balance in India — to portray the 220 million Muslim minority as a threat to the larger Hindu population. Though stories about a supposed Christian conspiracy featuring opposition politicians Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi do at times crop up, some of the most viral stories warn about a supposed Muslim population explosion that would make Hindus a minority. Such outright fearmongering is often paired with bizarre allegations about the Taj Mahal and other Mughal and Muslim monuments in India — allegations that have purchase even with well-informed citizens. (Just recently, I was confronted by a man claiming to be an Ivy League graduate who demanded I account for the alleged presence of ancient Hindu temples that he said were discovered beneath Mecca in Saudi Arabia and the Taj Mahal in Agra.) One of the most widespread narratives in this vein focuses on the so-called “love jihad” — a wild conspiracy theory that imagines Indian Muslim men luring Hindu women into marriage, only to dump, kill or otherwise discard them, as a form of religious collective punishment. A recent tragedy involved the alleged suicide of a prominent Hindu TV actress. She was dating a Muslim man, and after scurrilous stories spread that she was a victim of “love jihad,” he was arrested and accused of this bizarre conspiracy. At least two state governments in India are now considering adopting laws intended to scrutinize interfaith marriages. The idea of a government being the final arbiter of what is true or false is disturbing in any context. In India’s case, where the government is all too frequently pursuing political goals through the weaponization of narratives, this new amendment is setting off alarm bells. Last year, Reporters Without Borders ranked India 150 out of180 countries in their annual press freedom report. Laws such as these, even if they represent an incremental tightening of the noose, will undoubtedly have a large impact on Indian society. With a high-stakes general election a year away, the amended law gives the ruling party even more latitude to misbehave — and entrench its power. Rana Ayyub is an Indian journalist and author of “Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up.” This article originally appeared in the Washington Post. India moves to police the truth, except its own By Rana Ayyub Imagine that your picture of the U.S. economy came entirely from headlines and cable news chyrons. Would you know that real gross domestic product has risen 6.7 percent under President Joe Biden, that America gained 4.5 million jobs in 2022 and that inflation over the past six months, which was indeed high last winter, was less than 2 percent at an annual rate? This isn’t a hypothetical question. Most people don’t read long-form, data-driven essays on the economic outlook. Their sense of the economy is more likely to be shaped by snippets they read or hear. And there is a yawning gulf between public perceptions and economic reality. Recent economic data has been positive all around. Yet a plurality of adults believes that we’re in a recession. In an AP-NORC survey, three-quarters of Americans described the economy as “poor,” with only 25 percent saying it was “good.” You might be tempted to say, never mind the data, people know what’s happening to the economy from personal experience. But there’s a big disconnect on that front, too. Even with 75 percent of the public saying the economy is poor, a majority of Americans rate their own financial situation positively. On average, people seem to be saying that they’re doing reasonably well but that very bad things are happening to somebody else. This “I’m OK, you aren’t” syndrome was especially clear in a Federal Reserve survey carried out in late 2021; we won’t have the 2022 results until later this year, but I expect them to look similar. According to the 2021 survey, 78 percent of households said they were doing “at least OK” financially, a record high; only 24 percent said the national economy was “good or excellent,” a record low. Assessments of local economies, for which people have some personal knowledge, were in between. Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve written about the disconnect between economic perceptions and reality. In the past, I got a lot of pushback from people insisting that the public was in deep shock over the resurgence of inflation after years of more or less stable prices. At this point, however, that’s becoming a harder position to sustain. Since last summer prices of some goods, notably of eggs, have soared, but other prices, notably of gasoline, have plunged. As I said, the overall inflation rate in the second half of 2022 was around 2 percent, which has been normal for the past few decades, while the unemployment rate in December, at 3.5 percent, was at a 50-year low. Oh, and inflation-adjusted wages, which fell in the face of supply-chain problems and the Ukraine shock, have been rising again. So what explains the public’s sour view of what is objectively a pretty good economy? Partisanship is clearly part of the story. One striking aspect of that AP-NORC survey was that Democrats and Republicans weren’t that different in their assessments of their personal financial situation; majorities of both groups rated their condition as good. But 90 percent of Republicans said the national economy was poor. A longer view, from the Michigan Survey of Consumers, finds Republicans rating the current economy worse than they did in June 1980, when unemployment was above 7 percent and inflation was 14 percent. Some of my colleagues get upset about any suggestion that economic reporting has had a negativity bias that affects public perceptions. Yet there’s actually hard evidence to that effect. The Michigan Survey asks respondents about what news they’ve heard about specific business conditions; all through 2022 — as the economy added 4.5 million jobs — more people reported hearing negative than positive news about employment. All of which raises an obviously important political question: Will Americans even notice an improving economy? To be fair, we don’t know whether the economic news will stay this good. Although many forecasters have backed off predictions of imminent recession, experts I talk to consider a growth hiccup over the next quarter or two to be likely. But let’s assume that we get past any nearterm wobbles and enter 2024 with both unemployment and inflation low. How many Americans will hear the good news? Reports say that Biden’s political team plans to “lean into the economy” for the 2024 election. Indeed, while nothing is certain in economics (or life), Biden will most likely be able to run on a record of solid growth in incomes and jobs, with the inflation surge of 2021-22 receding in the rearview mirror. But we can safely predict that many people, not all of them Republican partisans, will insist, no matter what, that his record was a disaster. And I, at least, have no idea what voters will end up believing. Paul Krugman is a columnist for the New York Times. Can we recognize a better economy? Paul Krugman NEW YORK TIMES

A10 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM register a vehicle to use the toll roads. “I think it is vitally important we try to help the underbanked,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said. The savings, however, only will happen on HCTRA-controlled tollways. In recent weeks, tolls increased along the Grand Parkway, portions of the Tomball Tollway outside Harris County — maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation — and toll lanes along Texas 288, which is maintained by the private Blueridge Transportation Group under an agreement with TxDOT. With the discount, a toll road user’s five-day weekly commute could drop in price by $10 or more each month. Someone who passes through two main lane tolling points along the Sam Houston Tollway, for example, would save 60 cents round-trip each day, or $3 per week. The discount will apply only to those with EZTags issued by HCTRA. Those paying with another transponder such as TxTag or the transponders issued by the North Texas Tollway Authority will not pay the lower tolls. Roughly 95 percent of all toll road drivers have a transponder, toll road Executive Director Roberto Treviño said. For the few remaining drivers, there will be additional changes. Drivers without transponders will be able to use the toll roads, but will pay even more, depending on the circumstances of how they are billed. For someone HCTRA has to send an invoice demanding payment, the typical $1.50 cost of a single tolling point can increase to $3. Officials said the increased cost is aimed at moving the added expense of billing to the driver, and away from toll users that go online to resolve their use. Officials said lowering costs for commuters was important, particularly as inflation and economic uncertainty make many Houston-area families reassess their budgets. Skeptics of the decrease, however, say making driving cheaper could run counter to the county’s stated goals of moving more people to transit and away from solo driving trips. “I just don’t see how making driving on suburban toll roads less expensive really helps someone who is struggling with their bills,” said Martie Moss, 33, of Westbury. “Aren’t they already not using the toll road?... Make transit free or solve child care issues.” Officials last week defended the plan, saying many struggling families rely on the toll roads and deserve the relief. By lowering rates and making EZTags free, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said, officials are appealing to “those who have historically avoided the system,” many of whom live inside the Sam Houston Tollway. [email protected] TOLLS From page A3 Staff file photo Roughly 95 percent of all toll road drivers have a transponder, toll road Executive Director Roberto Treviño said. July 2022, saying she lost patients and was exposed to “public hatred, contempt, ridicule and financial injury.” She said she feared for her safety and the welfare of her children. For example, she said, her son was not accepted at any of the four private schools he applied to for high school, and a board member told her it was because of Methodist’s statements. She said her own clinical experience showed ivermectin worked as a treatment for COVID. In court filings, Methodist argued that medical evidence backs up its statements. The hospital contended that Bowden repeated the alleged defamatory statements herself in multiple conservative media appearances and profited from the ordeal. At Monday’s hearing, which Bowden attended, the attorney for Methodist argued that the doctor’s complaint should be dismissed under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, which protects free speech. Tracy LeRoy, the hospital’s attorney, said Methodist spoke out on matters of “intense public interest,” and that Bowden qualified as a public figure by “inserting herself” into a public debate about COVID. Bowden, the attorney said, could not meet the legal standard to find the hospital defamed her by making false statements or acting with reckless disregard for the truth. Biss said a jury should decide whether the hospital made false statements, because “the court can’t say who is the winner.” Bowden could prove the hospital made false statements, in part because the hospital portrayed her as an unfit medical doctor while simultaneously using her COVID data, Biss said. Bowden previously had said she had been “sharing data” with physicians at Methodist to help them publish research. “Methodist knew the statements were false because they were relying on her data,” Biss said. Bowden continues to promote the use of ivermectin for COVID patients, despite large studies showing no meaningful benefit against the virus, and describe the COVID vaccines as dangerous, contrary to medical evidence. The World Health Organization has recommended since March 2021 that ivermectin not be used for COVID outside of clinical trials. The doctor currently is appealing another legal case against the hospital, in which she sought financial records related to its treatment of COVID patients. A judge dismissed that case as “frivolous” last August. Bowden also has joined a federal lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration, challenging the agency’s stance against the use of ivermectin for COVID. [email protected] DEFAMATION From page A3 gram administrator, in this case BakerRipley, to contract directly with child care providers to open new slots for low-income children. Providers will be paid in advance for a set number of spaces at a rate that supports highquality care and living wages for staff. This set-up will give these business owners more financial stability, Mickelson said. The program should give participating families more security, too, Mickelson said, by matching them with child care providers who already have a reserved spot and eliminating co-pays that can sometimes be too costly. Providers and families interested in the program can find more information and sign up for online updates. The program, which is open to children up to age 4, will likely begin providing service in June, according to the county. The contracted slots model stems from recommendations by a Houston and Harris County working group tasked with finding opportunities to improve child care in the region. The pandemic took a toll on the industry, forcing parents to leave the workforce as child care options dwindled and workers left the field due to low wages. Children at Risk, a Houstonbased nonprofit, reported that 25 percent of all child care centersin Texas closed in 2020. It’s unclear exactly how many of those have since reopened, Mickelson said, though it’s clear that supply still far outpaces demand. Children under 5 account for roughly 8 percent of the county’s population, and a quarter of them live in poverty, according to a February 2022 report from the working group. Child care is often the second-highest household expense behind rent, the report said. In Harris County, 72 percent of low-income children under 3 live in a subsidized child care desert and 91 percent live in a qualityrated provider desert, according to an analysis by the Texas Policy Lab at Rice University. There are an estimated 28 seats at subsidy-accepting child care providers and 14 seats at quality-rated providers for every 100 young children in Harris County, according to the analysis. Mickelson said the additional seats that will be created by the new program represent a “huge and important investment, especially in those priority communities, but it will still not meet the need.” “We still have a long way to go to meet the needs of infants and toddlers and pre-schoolers and their families, and making sure we have the supply of high-quality child care in the county,” she said. “But this demonstrates a way forward to do that.” [email protected] CHILD CARE From page A3

HOUS BU TONCHRONICLE.C SI OM • WEDN N ESDAY, FE E BRUAR S Y 1, 2023 S• SECTION B • DOW: 34,086.04, up 368.95 (1.1% ) • S&P: 4,076.60, up 58.83 (1.5%) • OIL: $78.87, up 97 cents (1.2%) • NATURAL GAS: $2.68, up 1 cent (0.3%) advanced technologies, our profit-seeking medical establishment rations care through high prices. The end of emergency pandemic measures and conservative efforts to slash government spending are poised to put quality care furTexas has the 12th unhealthiest population in the United States, and if budget-cutting politicians get their way, the number of people with preventable illnesses and chronic conditions will rise. U.S. taxpayers spend more on health care than citizens of any other wealthy country but experience worse outcomes, according to the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund. While we may have the world’s most ther out of reach. A sicker population is bad for the economy and the health care industry. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured in the country because the Republican-dominated government opposes expanding Medicaid, the health care program for low-income and disabled people. Even though the federal government would pay 90 percent of the costs, GOP lawmakers don’t want to expand the safety net as 39 other states have to include the working poor. Soon 700,000 Texans could lose their Medicaid when an emergency rule from the COVID pandemic expires, the Episcopal Health Foundation warns. Texas’ Medicaid program is already among the stingiest, limiting coverage to 3.2 million children and about 1.1 million adults who are elderly, pregnant, disabled or parents. Unlike other states, Texas lawmakers refuse to offer Medicaid to adults who do not qualify for Obamacare. During the pandemic, the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ordered states to suspend the requirement for Medicaid recipients to reapply yearly. But that suspension is over, and those on Medicaid must reapply by Tomlinson continues on B8 GOP debt ceiling fight threatens Medicare spending Chris Tomlinson STAFF COLUMNIST H-E-B, followed by Costco, have supplanted Amazon as the top U.S. grocers in an influential industry ranking. Amazon lost its lead to San Antonio-based H-E-B after the e-commerce leader held the top spot during the first two years of the pandemic, according to the new Dunnhumby retailer preference index released Tuesday. “H-E-B, Costco and Amazon are the three retailers with customer value propositions best built for long-term success,” the report said. H-E-B, while well-established in other parts of Texas, is now actively building its namesake stores inDallas-Fort Worth. It has opened stores in Frisco and Plano, and breaks ground Friday on a store in Mansfield. That store is expected to open in early summer 2024. Later this year, stores in Allen and McKinney are scheduled to open. It’s also planning to start construction on a second Frisco store in June. In 2020 and 2021, Amazon was the Dunnhumby index winner with its e-commerce lead. H-E-B ranked second in the overall ranking. By 2022, H-E-B reclaimed the top spot with a combination of “better savings and better-quality experience/assortment,” according to Dunnhumby, which generates the only grocery ranking that combines financial results with customer perceptions. The index includes the largest 63 retailers in the industry that sell food and non-food household items. “Digital has staying power but is no longer as key to driving short-term retailer momentum as it was from 2020 to 2021,” the report said. Amazon fell to third place in 2022 with Costco behind HLiesbeth Powers/Dallas Morning News H-E-B’s Plano store opened in November and Frisco in September. More locations are scheduled to open in 2023 and 2024. H-E-B reached No. 1 in overall customer preference, toppling e-commerce leader Amazon. H-E-B, Costco knock off Amazon as top U.S. grocers The popular Texas chain has reached No.1in overall customer preference By Maria Halkias DALLAS MORNING NEWS H-E-B continues on B8 TOP U.S. GROCERS The top 15 grocery stores with the highest overall customer preference scores are: 1) H-E-B 2) Costco 3) Amazon 4) Wegmans 5) Sam’s Club 6) Market Basket 7) Amazon Fresh 8) Trader Joes 9) WinCo Foods 10) BJ’s Wholesale Club 11) Target 12) Aldi 13) Shoprite 14) Walmart Neighborhood Market 15) Walmart Source: Dunnhumby Exxon Mobil posted record annual profits in 2022 as consumers struggled with high prices for gasoline, home heating and consumer goods across the globe. The energy giant said Tuesday brought in $55.7 billion in annual profits, exceeding its previous record of $45.22 billion in 2008, when a barrel of oil soared close to $150. Exxon’s bounty came as Americans shelled out $4 per gallon for gasoline throughout most of the spring and summer. At one point gasoline topped $5 a gallon. Supplies grew tight and prices rose globally after Russia invaded Ukraine and reduced energy supplies to Europe. Houston-based Phillips 66 also reported earnings Tuesday. The company said its full-year profit hit a profit of $11.02 billion on revenue of $175.7 billion. In the fourth quarter, Phillips had revenue of $40.91billion, beating Wall Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $34.3 billion. Enterprise Products is to release its earnings Wednesday, with Shell and ConocoPhillips set to report Thursday. The year marked a dramatic turnaround from 2020, when travel ground to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic and demand for fuel evaporated. That year,the price for future oil contracts plummeted below zero at one point, dozens of oil and gas companies filed for bankruptcy protection and thousands of industry workers lost their jobs. Exxon,for the firsttime in decades, lost money in 2020. Two Big Oil posts large gains Profits hit record $55.7B for Exxon, $11.02B at Phillips 66 FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Profits continues on B8 More than 200 chefs, restaurant owners and staff from around the country met in Houston this week, but it wasn’t to talk about food or sample the local restaurant scene. This was a policy conference, one where they discussed how they could play a role in advocating for food security, sustainability and support for restaurant workers. The James Beard Foundation’s Chef Action Summit brought together participants from 42 states to discuss and form policy recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill — an omnibus law passed every five years that touches agriculture subsidies, federal nutrition assistance programs, rural housing and much more — along with policies to support the restaurant industry. Attendees gathered in groups to discuss and formulate policy ideas about either nutrition security and hunger, conservation and sustainability or policies to support restaurant owners and workers. U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, and Chellie Pingree a Democrat from Maine, who are both involved in working on the Farm Bill, attended various parts of the conference, along with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston. “There’s real leadership in this town around great food and food system change, so itfeltlike a nice synergy,” said Anne Summit unites chefs to propose food policy ideas By Megan Munce STAFF WRITER Policy continues on B8 Wage growth is slowing across the country, according to new federal data, but many Houston workers can still expect an extra pop in their paychecks. The region boasts a tight 4 percent unemployment rate and businesses, including small businesses, have maintained a brisk hiring pace, giving job seekers in most sectors some leverage when it comes to pay.Wages rose 1percent across the nation in the fourth quarter, for total growth of 5.1 percent in 2022, according to data released Monday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s slightly slower wage growth than workers saw in the prior quarter and a sign that the labor market is loosening just a little. While regional data for the fourth quarter hasn’t yet been released, wage growth in the Houston metropolitan area outpaced the U.S. as a whole during the July to September quarter, and the labor market remains tight in the region. Houston led the nation’s major metropolitan regions in job growth at small business over the past 12 months “by a wide margin,” according to the latest data from Paychex, which provides payroll services to smalland medium-sized businesses in the U.S. andEurope.It works with IHS Markit, an analytics company, to produce a monthly Small Business Jobs Index based on data from 350,000 cliHouston region’s job creation, wages show continued growth By Erica Grieder STAFF WRITER Claudio Bresciani/Associated Press Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is keeping a close eye on wage growth as the central bank struggles to combat inflation. Growth continues on B8

B2 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM Business Editor Jonathan Diamond: [email protected] • 713-362-1513 WASHINGTON — Pay and benefits for America’s workers grew at a healthy but more gradual pace in the final three months of 2022, a third straight slowdown, which could help reassure the Federal Reserve that wage gains won’t fuel higher inflation. Wages and benefits, such as health insurance, grew 1 percent in the October-December quarter compared with the previous three months. That marked a solid gain, though it was slower than the 1.2 percent increase in the July-September quarter. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and economists consider the data released Tuesday, known as the employment cost index, to be the most comprehensive gauge of labor costs. Powell last year cited a sharp increase in the index as a key reason why the Fed accelerated its interest rate hikes. Powell has said that he sees rapid wage gains, particularly in the labor-intensive service sector, as the biggest impediment to bringing inflation down to the Fed’s 2 percent target. When restaurants, hotels, veterinary clinics and other services companies raise pay, they often pass along those higher costs by charging their customers higher prices. In last year’s first quarter, total worker compensation had jumped 1.4 percent — the most on records dating to 2001. Before then, quarterly compensation growth had rarely topped 1 percent. On an annual basis, wages and benefits grew 5.1 percent in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier. That matched last year’s April-June figure as the strongest such figure in the roughly two decades that the data has been tracked. With the unemployment rate matching a 53- year low, businesses rapidly raised pay to try to attract and keep workers. But now, evidence increasingly suggests that the robust pay growth of the past year is slowing. Strong wage gains, though beneficial for workers, tend to fuel high inflation. Unless companies achieve greater worker efficiencies or are willing to post lower profits, they typically pass their higher labor costs on to their customers by charging more. Those higher prices, in turn, elevate inflation. Tuesday’s report of slowergrowing labor costs, though the latest sign that inflation could continue to ease, won’t likely alter the Fed’s plans to further tighten credit in the short run. “The Fed is still likely to keep raising interest rates at the next couple of meetings, but we expect a further slowdown in wage growth over the coming months to convince officials to pause the tightening cycle after the March meeting,” said Andrew Hunter, an economist at Capital Economics. Last quarter, Hunter noted, wage growth slowed particularly sharply for restaurant, hotel and entertainment workers, a group that has enjoyed some of the biggest pay gains. With many companies in those industries struggling to fill jobs, pay and benefits grew 0.9 percent in the fourth quarter — exactly half its pace of the previous quarter. That suggested that labor demand is declining even in areas of the economy that remain most eager to fill jobs. On Wednesday, Powell and his Fed colleagues are set to raise their benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point to a range of 4.5 percent to 4.75 percent, their eighth straight rate hike. But as inflation has cooled, the central bank has been boosting rates by smaller increments. Last year, the Fed raised its key rate by three-quarters of a point four times. Overall inflation is steadily cooling, having eased to 6.5 percent in December compared with a year ago. That is down from a 40-year high of 9.1 percent in June. Powell’s concern, though, is that fast-growing wages will cause inflation to plateau at around 4 percent — still twice as high as the Fed’s target. Wage growth slowed in last quarter of ’22 By Christopher Rugaber ASSOC IATED PRE SS Lynne Sladky/Associated Press People work at a construction site in Miami. Wages and benefits grew 1 percent in the October-December quarter compared with the previous three months. American consumers are kicking off 2023 a bit less confident than they were at the end of last year as inflation and the possibility of a recession loom. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index slipped to a still-optimistic 107.1 in January, down from 109 in December. Last month’s reading was the highest the index has reached since April. The business research group’s present situation index — which measures consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions — rose to 150.9 from 147.4. Respondents continue to express optimism about the stability of their incomes and the broader U.S. job market, which has held up well even as the Federal Reserve has tried to cool the economy and with a succession of “jumbo” rate increases. The board’s expectations index — a measure of consumers’ six-month outlook for income, business and labor conditions — deteriorated to 77.8 in January from 83.4 in December. A reading under 80 often signals a recession in the coming year, the Conference Board said. The conference board said consumers’ intention to buy big-ticket items like cars held steady, but plans to purchase homes fell even further with higher interest rates and home prices. Getting a read on consumers’ view of the economy lately has been as uneven as the economy itself. Earlier this month, the government reported that Americans cut back on spending in December for the second straight month as inflation and the rising cost of using credit cards slowed consumer activity over the crucial holiday shopping season. Retail sales fell a worse-than-expected 1.1% in December, following a revised 1% drop in November, the Commerce Department reported. Solid hiring, rising pay, and savings beefed up by government financial support during the pandemic enabled most Americans to keep up with rising prices. That government assistance has long ended, however, and some Americans have dipped into savings accounts since then. Credit card defaults are on the rise with some households slow to adjust their spending to a new reality. Still, the job market is still a pillar of strength in the U.S. economy and wages continue to rise, creating a conflict for the Fed which needs to cool spending and hiring to control inflation. Inflation does appear to be in retreat, falling for the sixth straight month, to 6.5% in December. The willingness to buy a home has faded with mortgage rates that are nearly doubled what they were a year ago. The National Association of Realtors reported earlier this month that sales of previously occupied U.S. homes declined for the 11th straight month in December and 2022 sales declined nearly 18% from 2021. That’s the weakest year for home sales since 2014 and the biggest annual decline since 2008, during the housing crisis of the late 2000s. U.S. consumer confidence lags as 2023 gets underway By Matt Ott AP BUS INE SS WR ITER Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press A woman pumps gas in Valencia, Pa. The Conference Board reports its consumer confidence index slipped to a still-optimistic 107.1 in January, down from 109 in December. FedEx is rolling out a new system for evaluating its delivery contractors that rank them like Olympic medal winners, and those designated as the lowest-ranked “bronze” will be more likely to lose their service areas, according to a company memo. The evaluations are based on measures of service, safety and customer experience, FedEx said in an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg. The so-called “Service Provider Results Summary” will be updated monthly based on an algorithm that crunches the data. A contractor with a bronze rating could face forfeiture of the standard contacts that permit exclusive delivery rights in a given area, the document said. The contract changes are part of that effort to increase efficiency — and a signal to its army of more than 6,000 independent contractors that the package-volume boom times are over. FedEx didn’t provide details of the program but said it’s in the process of rolling out a data-driven dashboard for evaluating its contractor partners. “To enhance the quality of ongoing business discussions and negotiations with independent service provider companies, FedEx Ground is launching a new data-driven approach to communicating contract-specific results via an online dashboard,” the company said in a statement. “This approach is part of how FedEx Ground is adapting its business to evolving market dynamics and customer needs, and has been informed by input from many service provider businesses.” Chief Executive Officer Raj Subramaniam, who took the top job in June and faces pressure from an activist investor, has pledged to cut some $3.7 billion in costs to better align the company with falling demand for its services and boost profit margins. The new evaluation system also comes as FedEx aims to improve its competitiveness with rival United Parcel Service, which benefited from its unionized work force’s fixed wages but now faces tough negotiations this year with the Teamsters. Some of the FedEx’s own contractors sought to organize themselves last year and demand higher payments after two years of elevated package deliveries and aggressive price hikes. But FedEx quickly crushed that revolt — which wasn’t aligned with any trade union — even as it sought ways to cut costs and cope with a rapid drop in package volumes. Contractors rated as “gold” or “silver” also face new challenges to keep their routes. They will only have 14 days to accept an offer from the company to bid on service area renewals. If they don’t reply within that time frame, FedEx reserves the right to have already begun negotiations with other contractors for competing bids to those exclusive delivery service areas. FedEx calls this an Independent Service Provider Agreement. “If negotiations do not result in a tentative acceptance of the negotiated terms for a new ISPA within the two-week time period, the service provider will forgo the OFA and any outstanding offer or proposal by FedEx Ground will be revoked,” the document said. “FedEx Ground will then extend to other candidates an opportunity to execute an ISPA.” FedEx to rank contractors using new system By Thomas Black BLOOMBERG Michael Nagle/Bloomberg An independent contractor with FedEx unloads packages on Cyber Monday in New York.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 B3 102.69 AGRICULTURE Name C Date Last Price Pvs Close Day % Chg YTD % Chg Unit Live Cattle Apr 23 1.63 1.63 -0.2 0.7 usd/pd Coffee Mar 23 1.82 1.70 6.7 8.6 usd/pd Corn Mar 23 6.80 6.84 -0.7 0.1 usd/bu Cotton Mar 23 0.86 0.85 1.3 3.4 usd/pd Lumber Mar 23 524.10 516.50 1.5 36.9 usd/bd ft Orange Juice Mar 23 2.19 2.09 4.7 7.3 usd/pd Soybean Mar 23 15.38 15.35 0.2 0.9 usd/bu Wheat Mar 23 7.61 7.53 1.3 -3.8 usd/bu ENERGY Ticker Name $1K return 1mo $1K return 3mo $1K return 1yr XLE Energy Select Se 1,028 1,010 1,421 XES SPDR Oil & Gas E 1,098 1,117 1,511 USO US Oil Fund 989 969 1,109 Daily Losers Currency Last 1-Mo Ago 6-Mo Ago 1-Yr Ago Australian Dollar 1.42 1.47 1.42 1.41 Brazilian Real 5.08 5.36 5.19 5.31 British Pound 0.81 0.83 0.82 0.74 Canadian Dollar 1.33 1.36 1.28 1.27 Chilean Peso 797.49 850.58 891.95 800.60 Chinese Ren (yuan) 6.76 6.90 6.77 6.36 Colombian Peso 4,670.47 4,848.00 4,263.31 3,942.52 Euro 0.92 0.94 0.97 0.89 Indian Rupee 81.93 82.75 79.03 74.62 Japanese Yen 130.10 130.80 131.61 115.11 Mexican Peso 18.84 19.47 20.37 20.64 Norwegian Krone 9.98 9.86 9.63 8.90 S. African Rand 17.41 17.00 16.52 15.39 S. Korean Won 1,232.10 1,272.46 1,304.11 1,209.50 Singapore Dollar 1.31 1.34 1.38 1.35 Taiwan Dollar 30.05 30.73 30.00 27.84 Closing values for the most active contract of various commodities: COMMODITY PRICES INTERNATIONAL INDEXES Index Last Price Chg. % Chg YTD FTSE 100 7,771.70 -13.17 -0.2 4.3 Hang Seng 21,842.33 -227.40 -1.0 10.4 Mexico IPC 54,564.27 42.84 0.1 12.5 Nikkei 225 27,327.11 -106.29 -0.4 4.7 S&P/Toronto SE 20,767.38 195.27 0.9 7.1 The median price of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg: Value of the U.S. dollar in selected currencies: Tick Name Last Price % Chg Volume DRQ Dril-Quip Inc 30.71 6.0 453,113 RIG Transocean Ltd 6.74 3.9 17,296,859 WMB Williams Cos Inc/The 32.24 3.9 11,977,487 NBR Nabors Industries Ltd 177.54 3.6 25,318 AROC Archrock Inc 9.91 3.4 1,047,569 OIS Oil States International 8.56 3.1 496,175 OII Oceaneering International 21.35 2.9 1,491,661 NOV NOV Inc 24.44 2.9 2,925,183 AE Adams Resources & Energy 48.00 2.8 63,682 LNG Cheniere Energy Inc 152.79 2.7 1,953,181 Tick Name Last Price % Chg Volume HDYNQ Hyperdynamics Corp 0.00 -99.9 1,250 FTK Flotek Industries Inc 1.21 -3.2 494,402 HES Hess Corp 150.16 -1.1 930,526 VLO Valero Energy Corp 140.03 -0.1 2,267,475 CVX Chevron Corp 174.02 -0.1 5,127,312 CDVIQ Cal Dive International 0.00 0.0 20,000 EPD Enterprise Prod Prtnrs 25.60 0.0 5,369,546 EOG EOG Resources Inc 132.25 0.1 1,169,944 BP BP PLC 36.23 0.2 8,019,430 PAA PlainsAllAmericanPipeline 12.46 0.4 5,113,355 2022 Forecast Crude Oil 96.00 Natural Gas 6.62 METALS Name C Date Last Price Pvs Close Day % Chg YTD % Chg Unit Copper Mar 23 4.23 4.20 0.5 10.9 usd/pd Gold Apr 23 1,945.30 1,939.20 0.3 5.5 usd/oz Palladium Mar 23 1,648.30 1,628.00 0.8 -8.7 usd/oz Platinum Apr 23 1,021.10 1,020.60 0.0 -5.7 usd/oz Silver Mar 23 23.84 23.73 0.4 -0.9 usd/oz 2023 Forecast 84.12 4.87 Name C Date Open High Low Settle Chg Unit Lt Sw Crude Mar 23 77.91 79.25 76.55 78.87 0.97 barrel Natural gas Mar 23 2.69 2.75 2.61 2.68 0.01 MMBtu Gas blend Feb 23 2.51 2.55 2.47 2.54 0.04 gal Heating oil Feb 23 3.11 3.21 3.06 3.18 0.07 gal Ethanol Feb 23 - - - 2.16 0.00 gal *Trades on London Stock Exchange S&P 500 4,076.60 1.5% ENERGY PRICES BLOOMBERG HOUSTON CHRONICLE 150 MOVERS ENERGY FUTURES BLOOMBERG COMMODITY PRICE OUTLOOK ETFs - $1,000 INVESTED IN EACH A S O N D J 3,500 3,600 3,700 3,800 3,900 4,400 U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL STOCK INDEXES Cash price in U.S. dollars paid at delivery for various commodities: DAILY GAINERS DAILY LOSERS Tick Name Last Price % Chg 1-month % Chg Volume AOS A O Smith Corp 67.70 13.7 18.3 2,146,002 IP Intl Paper Co 41.82 10.7 20.8 3,250,150 PHM PulteGroup Inc 56.89 9.4 25.0 1,575,829 PNR Pentair PLC 55.38 9.2 23.1 2,303,304 GM General Motors Co 39.32 8.3 16.9 8,239,695 GNRC Generac Inc 120.60 6.6 19.8 335,890 DOV Dover Corp 151.83 5.9 12.1 872,642 LNC Lincoln National 35.43 5.9 15.3 3,284,807 SEDG SolarEdge Tech 319.13 5.7 12.7 344,370 MAS Masco Corp 53.20 5.6 14.0 573,773 Tick Name Last Price % Chg 1-month % Chg Volume PSX Phillips 66 100.27 -5.8 -3.7 1,786,406 GLW Corning Inc 34.61 -4.9 8.4 3,752,178 CAT Caterpillar Inc 252.29 -3.5 5.3 2,527,061 GEHC GE Hlth Tech 69.52 -2.8 19.1 776,288 MRNA Moderna Inc 176.06 -2.7 -2.0 2,005,879 MU Micron Technology 60.30 -2.3 20.6 8,078,621 CHTR Charter Comm 384.31 -1.7 13.3 713,669 MCD McDonald's Corp 267.40 -1.3 1.5 1,442,778 EXPE Expedia Group Inc 114.30 -1.1 30.5 694,296 HES Hess Corp 150.16 -1.1 5.9 930,526 PRIME, FED FUNDS Rate 6-month change 1-year change Bloomberg Prime Rate 7.50 36.36 130.77 Fed Funds Target 4.50 80.00 1700.00 2024 Forecast 80.00 4.38 Daily Gainers TREASURIES Bill/Note Last Yld Yld Pvs Day Clo Yld 1Day Net Chg Yld Wk Ago Yld Mo Ago Yld 3-Mo Ago Yld Yr Ago 3-month t-bill 4.66 4.66 0.00 4.68 4.37 4.07 0.19 6 month t-bill 4.82 4.78 0.05 4.85 4.76 4.54 0.46 2-year t note 4.20 4.24 -0.03 4.21 4.43 4.49 1.18 5-year t note 3.62 3.66 -0.05 3.58 4.00 4.23 1.61 10-year t note 3.54 3.54 -0.03 3.45 3.88 4.05 1.78 30-year t bond 3.65 3.65 -0.02 3.61 3.97 4.17 2.11 WHAT A U.S. DOLLAR IS WORTH IN . . . A S O N D J 10,200 11,200 12,200 13,200 SOFT/LIVESTOCK/GRAIN Ticker Name $1K return 1mo $1K return 3mo $1K return 1yr JO DJ-UBS Coffee 1,090 1,052 819 CORN Teucrium Corn 987 970 1,176 CANE Teucrium Sugar 1,089 1,203 1,162 CATL ETFS Live Cattle 1,011 1,043 1,038 COW iPath DJ-UBS Liv 971 989 1,007 Aug. 2007=100 Prices in U.S. dollars per unit for energy commodities for the contract closest to delivery: Yields for the most recently issued securities: MARKET INDEXES U.S. INDEXES Index Last Price Chg. % Chg YTD Dow Jones Ind. 34,086.04 368.95 1.1 2.8 Nasdaq Composite 11,584.55 190.74 1.7 10.7 S&P 500 4,076.60 58.83 1.5 6.2 BBG Houston 150 513.87 9.32 1.8 7.0 DJ US Total Stk 41,167.86 651.12 1.6 6.9 Russell 2000 1,931.95 46.23 2.5 9.7 Tick Name Last Price 1-day % Chg 1-month %Chg Volume KEX Kirby Corp 70.78 9.1 10.0 864,581 NR Newpark Resources Inc 4.54 6.8 9.4 711,117 NEX NexTierOilfieldSolutions 9.42 6.1 1.9 3,424,440 DRQ Dril-Quip Inc 30.71 6.0 13.0 453,113 DNOW NOW Inc 14.04 5.7 10.6 1,138,090 TISI Team Inc 7.93 5.7 51.0 15,764 STRL Sterling Infrastructure 36.39 5.6 10.9 429,704 LGIH LGI Homes Inc 113.85 5.4 22.9 206,989 CONN Conn's Inc 9.41 5.3 36.8 152,625 IESC IES Holdings Inc 39.81 5.3 11.9 15,744 Tick Name Last Price 1-day % Chg 1-month %Chg Volume PSX Phillips 66 100.27 -5.8 -3.7 7,782,507 FTK Flotek Industries Inc 1.21 -3.2 8.0 494,402 WES WesternMidstreamPartners 27.02 -2.1 0.6 974,912 HES Hess Corp 150.16 -1.1 5.9 2,707,755 AMPY Amplify Energy Corp 8.66 -1.0 -1.5 552,872 TELL Tellurian Inc 1.99 -1.0 18.5 8,014,847 TTE TotalEnergies SE 62.04 -0.8 -0.1 4,315,755 SYY Sysco Corp 77.46 -0.8 1.3 9,197,614 CADE Cadence Bank 25.58 -0.7 3.7 3,298,240 GE General Electric Co 80.48 -0.4 23.1 6,870,450 BLOOMBERG/CHRONICLE ENERGY INDEX MARKET SUMMARY The Bloomberg Houston 150 includes major companies based in Houston and significant employers in the area. J F M A M J J A S O N D J 70 90 110 Performance of various index-based investment products: Top and bottom performers based on one-day percentage change in stock price: Performance of a basket of Houston-based and other major energy companies over the past 12 months: BLOOMBERG HOUSTON CHRONICLE 150 NASDAQ 11,584.55 1.7% Name Last Price Pvs Day Unit Unleaded Gasoline - NY 2.65 2.61 gallon North Sea Brent 85.45 83.74 barrel W. Texas-Int. - Cushing 78.87 77.90 barrel Nat Gas - Henry Hub 2.66 2.85 MMBtu S&P 500 MOVERS Name Ticker Last Price Chg Day % Chg YTD 52W Low 52W High Div Yld AcdmySprts ASO 58.42 1.62 11.2 25.10 58.44 0.51 AdmsRes & AE 48.00 1.31 23.3 27.40 51.50 2.00 Amazon.com AMZN 103.13 2.58 22.8 81.43 170.83 - Amplify En AMPY 8.66 -0.09 -1.5 3.49 10.38 - APA Corp APA 44.33 0.17 -5.0 29.95 51.95 2.26 AppldOptlc AAOI 2.39 0.06 26.5 1.48 4.56 - Archrock AROC 9.91 0.33 10.4 6.28 10.44 6.05 AT&T Inc T 20.37 0.21 10.6 14.46 22.84 5.45 Bk of Amer BAC 35.48 0.18 7.1 29.31 50.11 2.48 BkrHghsCo BKR 31.74 0.72 7.5 20.42 39.78 2.39 BlckStnMin BSM 16.28 0.09 -3.5 11.17 20.24 11.06 BnchmrkElc BHE 27.99 0.82 4.9 21.11 30.00 2.36 Boeing Co BA 213.00 3.33 11.8 113.02 223.23 - BP PLC BP 36.23 0.06 3.7 25.37 36.60 3.98 BristowGrp VTOL 30.54 0.59 12.6 21.61 40.10 - Cactus Inc WHD 54.11 2.08 7.7 34.70 64.18 0.81 Cadence Bk CADE 25.58 -0.19 3.7 22.04 32.57 3.67 Carrg Svcs CSV 32.42 1.32 17.7 22.71 56.28 1.39 Castle Bsc CSTL 27.08 0.96 15.0 15.58 48.40 - CenterPtEn CNP 30.12 0.28 0.4 25.03 33.50 2.52 ChampionX CHX 33.02 0.53 13.9 16.64 33.65 0.91 CheniereEn LNG 152.79 4.08 1.9 110.65 182.35 1.03 Chevron CVX 174.02 -0.18 -3.0 129.33 189.68 3.47 ChnrEnPrtn CQP 54.57 0.75 -4.0 39.97 62.08 7.86 Civeo Corp CVEO 34.25 0.30 10.1 20.23 34.94 - CllnPtrCo CPE 42.55 1.10 14.7 31.23 66.48 - CmdnPropTr CPT 123.21 3.43 10.1 107.90 175.69 3.05 CmfrtSysUS FIX 121.04 2.98 5.2 74.14 128.68 0.50 Comcast CMCSA 39.35 0.11 12.5 28.39 50.98 2.95 ConcPhllps COP 121.87 1.34 3.3 78.30 138.49 0.57 Conn's Inc CONN 9.41 0.47 36.8 5.69 24.91 - Coterra En CTRA 25.03 0.37 1.9 20.74 36.55 10.87 Crown Cstl CCI 148.11 3.36 9.2 121.71 199.97 4.23 CrscntEnCo CRGY 12.06 0.31 0.6 10.83 19.65 5.64 CrstwdEqyP CEQP 26.90 0.21 2.7 22.88 32.96 9.74 CVR Energy CVI 33.20 0.52 5.9 15.12 41.26 4.82 CVS Health CVS 88.22 1.17 -5.3 84.82 111.25 2.74 Devon En DVN 63.24 0.90 2.8 48.86 79.40 8.54 DPntdeNmrs DD 73.95 1.30 7.8 49.52 84.08 1.78 DR Horton DHI 98.69 3.86 10.7 59.25 98.93 1.01 Dril-Quip DRQ 30.71 1.74 13.0 19.10 41.23 - DXPEntrpr DXPE 30.30 0.91 10.0 22.09 34.74 - EntrprsPro EPD 25.60 0.01 6.1 22.75 28.65 7.66 EOG Res EOG 132.25 0.15 2.1 89.96 149.10 2.49 Erthstn En ESTE 13.90 0.24 -2.3 10.65 22.25 - ExxonMobil XOM 116.01 2.45 5.2 74.03 117.78 3.14 Fltk Indst FTK 1.21 -0.04 8.0 0.75 1.97 - Fluor Corp FLR 36.75 0.54 6.0 19.80 37.73 - FrmEnTech FET 33.00 1.11 11.9 16.78 33.52 - Frprt-McMR FCX 44.62 0.64 17.4 24.80 51.99 1.34 GenElctrCo GE 80.48 -0.35 23.1 46.77 83.99 0.40 Genesis En GEL 11.29 0.15 10.6 7.61 13.44 5.31 Gespc Tech GEOS 4.76 -0.01 12.8 3.76 8.88 - Grp 1 Auto GPI 213.85 6.48 18.6 136.16 214.57 0.73 GrtLksDrdg GLDD 6.88 0.00 15.6 5.42 15.40 - Hess Corp HES 150.16 -1.61 5.9 88.86 160.52 1.00 Hess Midst HESM 30.88 0.34 3.2 24.33 35.71 7.38 Hllbrtn Co HAL 41.22 0.88 4.8 23.30 43.99 1.55 HlxEnSolGr HLX 7.93 0.12 7.5 2.47 8.14 - Howrd Hghs HHC 85.49 0.12 11.9 50.90 105.51 - Huntsman HUN 31.69 0.75 15.3 23.54 41.65 2.68 HwlttPckrd HPE 16.13 0.12 1.1 11.90 17.76 2.98 IES Inc IESC 39.81 2.02 11.9 24.94 50.18 - Insperity NSP 110.55 1.78 -2.7 83.94 121.75 1.88 IONGeophys IOGPQ - - - 0.00 1.74 - JPMrgnChs JPM 139.96 0.83 4.4 101.28 159.03 2.86 KBR Inc KBR 51.23 1.11 -3.0 41.96 56.94 0.94 Kindr Mrgn KMI 18.30 0.26 1.2 15.78 20.20 6.07 Kirby Corp KEX 70.78 5.89 10.0 55.03 75.08 - KLXEnSvcs KLXE 14.78 -0.01 -14.6 3.64 18.63 - Kroger Co KR 44.63 0.42 0.1 41.82 62.78 2.33 Lexcn Phrm LXRX 2.24 0.07 17.3 1.31 3.48 - LGI Homes LGIH 113.85 5.87 22.9 71.73 134.05 - LyndllBsll LYB 96.69 2.23 16.5 71.46 112.53 4.92 Macy's Inc M 23.63 0.31 14.4 15.10 28.21 2.67 Name Ticker Last Price Chg Day % Chg YTD 52W Low 52W High Div Yld MainStCap MAIN 39.53 0.61 7.0 31.57 45.43 6.83 Marthn Oil MRO 27.47 0.38 1.5 19.11 33.42 1.46 MgnlOil & MGY 23.61 0.67 0.7 18.01 30.31 1.95 MRC Global MRC 13.60 0.68 17.4 7.03 13.60 - Murphy Oil MUR 43.61 0.52 1.4 25.97 51.29 2.52 NatEnSvcsR NESR 7.56 0.20 8.9 5.64 10.92 - Nbrs Indst NBR 177.54 6.18 14.6 92.66 207.67 - NewparkRes NR 4.54 0.29 9.4 2.39 4.91 - NineEnSvc NINE 13.71 0.68 -5.6 1.04 17.10 - NOV Inc NOV 24.44 0.70 17.0 13.98 24.83 0.82 NOW Inc DNOW 14.04 0.76 10.6 8.51 14.04 - NRG Energy NRG 34.22 0.67 7.5 30.64 47.82 4.41 NtrlResPrt NRP 54.19 1.20 -0.3 34.83 54.98 5.54 NxTrOlfldS NEX 9.42 0.54 1.9 5.86 12.50 - OccdntlPtr OXY 64.79 0.66 2.9 36.51 77.13 0.80 Ocnrng Int OII 21.35 0.61 22.1 7.25 21.59 - OilSttsInt OIS 8.56 0.26 14.7 3.51 9.02 - OrionGroup ORN 2.87 0.02 20.6 2.10 3.57 - ParPacific PARR 26.73 0.44 15.0 11.66 28.20 - Phillips66 PSX 100.27 -6.15 -3.7 73.85 113.53 3.87 Plains GP PAGP 13.09 0.08 7.3 8.87 13.36 8.17 PlnsAllAme PAA 12.46 0.05 6.0 9.10 12.98 8.59 PNCFinSvcs PNC 165.43 2.57 4.7 143.52 214.50 3.63 PROS Inc PRO 25.20 0.46 3.9 18.09 35.12 - PrsprtyBnc PB 75.86 1.63 4.4 64.69 77.93 2.90 Pttrsn-UTI PTEN 16.80 0.10 -0.2 9.77 20.53 1.90 Pwll Indst POWL 39.70 1.42 12.8 18.81 40.41 2.65 QnxBldngPr NX 25.89 0.97 9.3 18.00 25.94 1.24 QuantaSvcs PWR 152.19 3.09 6.8 97.00 155.00 0.21 Ranger Oil ROCC 42.00 0.88 3.9 27.26 53.59 0.71 RngrEnSvcs RNGR 11.39 0.50 3.5 8.40 11.87 - Schlumbrgr SLB 56.98 0.64 6.6 30.65 62.78 1.76 Shell PLC SHEL 58.81 0.40 3.3 44.90 61.68 3.40 SlctEnSvcs WTTR 8.78 0.27 -5.0 6.02 10.43 2.28 SlrsOlfldI SOI 10.59 0.46 6.6 7.46 14.61 3.97 SlvrBw Res SBOW 26.27 1.01 -7.1 22.19 49.91 - SmmtMdstPr SMLP 17.62 0.02 5.6 11.52 24.88 - SnnvEnInt NOVA 19.48 0.73 8.2 12.47 31.47 - StellarBcp STEL 28.11 1.34 -4.6 25.49 36.09 1.85 SthwstrnEn SWN 5.52 0.12 -5.6 4.22 9.87 - StrlngInfr STRL 36.39 1.92 10.9 20.46 36.42 - StwrtInfoS STC 47.77 1.13 11.8 35.96 76.00 3.77 Sunoco LP SUN 47.73 0.37 10.7 34.26 47.97 6.92 Svc Int/U SCI 74.15 1.93 7.2 56.85 75.12 1.46 SWArlnsCo LUV 35.77 0.30 6.2 30.20 50.10 2.01 Sysco Corp SYY 77.46 -0.64 1.3 70.61 91.53 2.53 Talos En TALO 19.81 0.40 4.9 10.15 25.49 - Targa Res TRGP 75.02 1.18 2.1 55.56 81.50 1.87 Target TGT 172.14 3.46 15.5 137.16 254.87 2.51 TC Energy TRP 43.14 0.72 8.2 38.35 59.38 6.16 Team Inc TISI 7.93 0.43 51.0 5.06 30.70 - TechnipFMC FTI 13.89 0.26 13.9 5.48 13.94 - Tellurian TELL 1.99 -0.02 18.5 1.54 6.54 - TETRA Tech TTI 3.96 0.08 14.5 2.71 5.82 - Tidewater TDW 43.40 0.98 17.8 13.58 44.21 - Transocean RIG 6.74 0.25 47.8 2.32 6.83 - TtlEnrgsSE TTE 62.04 -0.51 -0.1 43.84 65.05 4.78 Untd Arlns UAL 48.96 0.75 29.9 30.54 53.26 - UntdPrclSv UPS 185.23 8.26 6.6 154.87 233.72 3.50 US Silica SLCA 12.24 0.47 -2.1 8.91 21.54 - USPhysclTh USPH 99.15 3.25 22.4 73.30 131.50 1.65 Valero En VLO 140.03 -0.16 10.4 79.65 160.16 2.91 Verzn Comm VZ 41.57 0.52 5.5 32.79 55.51 6.28 Via Rnwbls VIA 6.71 0.24 31.3 4.89 11.76 10.80 W&T Offsh WTI 6.22 0.14 11.5 3.57 9.16 - Walmart WMT 143.87 1.72 1.5 117.27 160.77 1.56 Wast Cnnct WCN 132.90 1.90 0.3 113.50 148.20 0.77 Waste Mgmt WM 154.73 1.63 -1.4 138.58 175.98 1.68 WdsdEnGrp WDS 25.98 0.43 7.3 17.49 26.93 8.39 Westlake WLK 122.75 3.30 19.7 81.29 141.19 1.16 WhtstnREIT WSR 10.41 0.28 8.0 8.15 13.66 4.61 WlgrnsBtsA WBA 36.86 0.33 -1.3 30.39 50.97 5.21 WllsFrg & WFC 46.87 0.58 13.5 36.54 60.30 2.56 WstlkChemP WLKP 25.56 0.01 8.8 19.71 29.40 7.38 WstrnMdstP WES 27.02 -0.58 0.6 21.95 29.50 7.40 METALS Ticker Name $1K return 1mo $1K return 3mo $1K return 1yr IAU iShares Gold T 1,058 1,181 1,069 SLV iShares Silver T 991 1,239 1,050 TREASURIES, INTEREST RATES Daily close and change in value for selected stock indexes: Daily close of the Nasdaq Composite index and the S&P 500 over the past six months: Top and bottom performers among Houston-based and other major energy companies: NEW YORK — Wall Street closed out a strong January with more gains on Tuesday, ahead of what many investors hope will be one of the Federal Reserve’s last hikes to interest rates for a while. Markets got a boost after a report showed that that growth for workers’ pay and benefits slowed during the end of 2022. While that’s frustrating for people trying to keep up with soaring prices, markets see it as an encouraging sign of easing pressure on inflation and possibly a gentler Fed in the months ahead. The S&P 500 rose 58.83 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,076.60. The benchmark index notched its third winning month in the last four. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 368.95 points, or 1.1 percent, to 34,086.04. The Nasdaq rose 190.74 points, or 1.7 percent, to 11,584.55. With the pace of inflation cooling since the summer, virtually all of Wall Street expects the Fed on Wednesday to announce its smallest increase to interest rates since March, at 0.25 percentage points. That would be the latest stepdown after it pushed through four straight increases of 0.75 points and then a hike of 0.50 points. Such moves try to stamp out inflation by intentionally slowing the economy and dragging down on prices for stocks and other investments. The worry is that too-high rates would cause a severe recession and drop-off in corporate profits. Such worries, combined with hopes for an easier Fed, have led to sharp swings in markets recently. They’ve hit not only day-to-day but also hour-to-hour. Analysts say much of this past month’s gains has been more about improving sentiment among investors than any big improvement in the economy or profits. “As long as the Fed is raising interest rates, you will have market volatility,” said Mary Ann Bartels, chief investment strategist at Sanctuary Wealth. “This is a market that is very bipolar,” she said. “And that’s actually healthy for a market. You don’t want one skewed too bullish,” or optimistic, and “you don’t want one skewed too bearish,” or pessimistic. “I think we’re balancing out that extreme bearishness in the market.” With seemingly everyone on the same page about what the Fed will do on Wednesday, the big question is what comes afterwards. The Fed has so far pledged to keep rates higher for longer to ensure inflation is truly defeated. Markets, meanwhile, are holding out hope that just one more small increase may be on the way in March and that cuts to rates could follow late in the year. Wall Street’s strong month gets a boost By Stan Choe and Damian J. Troise AP BUSINESS WRITERS

B4 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM CAUSE NUMBER: 2022- 31646 Plaintiff: MEYERLAND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION vs. Defendant(s): THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF JAMES W. WHITE (DECEASED) AND THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF CATHERINE WHITE (DECEASED) IN THE 165TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS CITATION BY PUBLICATION THE STATE OF TEXAS County of Harris To: THE UNKNOWN HEIRS JAMES W WHITE WHOSE RESIDENCE AND WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF CATHERINE WHITE WHOSE RESIDENCE AND WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to be and appear before the 165TH Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas in the Courthouse in the city of Houston, Texas at or before 10:00 o’clock A.M. Monday, the 27th day of FEBRUARY, 2023, being the Monday next after the expiration date of fortytwo days after this citation is issued, and you are hereby commanded and required then and there to appear and file written answer to the PLAINTIFF’S ORIGINAL PETITION AND REQUEST FOR DECLARATORY RELIEF AND ORDER FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION, filed in said Court on the 26TH day of MAY, 2022 in a suit numbered 2022- 31646 on the docket of said court, wherein MEYERLAND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION is Plaintiff(s) and THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF JAMES W. WHITE (DECEASED) AND THE UNKNOWN HEIRS OF CATHERINE WHITE (DECEASED) are Defendant(s), the nature of plaintiff’s demand being and the said petition alleging: “The nature of this suit is as follows, to wit: Plaintiff sued Defendants for delinquent HOA Assessments as to the property commonly known as 10202 Balmforth Lane, Houston, Texas 77096, legally described as: Lot Eight (8), in Block Eleven (11), of Replat “F”, Meyerland, Section Eight (8), an addition in Harris County Texas according to map or plat thereof recorded in Volume 67, Page 68 of the Map Records of Harris County, Texas (the “Property”).” Notice hereof shall be given by publishing this Citation for four consecutive weeks previous to the 27th day of FEBRUARY, 2023 in some newspaper published in the County of HARRIS, if there be a newspaper published therein, but if not, then the nearest county where a newspaper is published, and this Citation shall be returned on the 23rd day of FEBRUARY, 2023, which is forty-two days after the date it is issued, and the first publication shall be at least twentyeight days before said return day. HEREIN FAIL NOT, but have before said court on said return day this Writ with your return thereon, showing how you have executed same. WITNESS: MARILYN BURGESS, District Clerk, Harris County Texas GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL OF SAID COURT at Houston, Texas this 12TH day of JANUARY, 2023. (seal) Newspaper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Issued at the request of: BRANDI J. CROFFIE Address: 5051 WESTHEIMER, SUITE 1200 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77056 Bar Number: 24082873 Tel. Number: 713-977- 8686 MARILYN BURGESS, District Clerk Harris County, Texas 201 Caroline, Houston, Texas 77002 P.O. Box 4651, Houston, Texas 77210 By: M. JACKSON MONICA JACKSON Deputy District Clerk Cause Number: 2022-56040 Plaintiff: MAYBERRY, CHARLES DENNIS vs. Defendant: WHITLEY, HENRY (JR) AND ESTER WHITLEY (DECEASED) IN THE 11TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS CITATION BY PUBLICATION THE STATE OF TEXAS County of Harris NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: “You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not file a written answer with the Clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next following the expiration of forty-two days after the date of issuance of this citation and petition, a default judgement may be taken against you.” To: UNKNOWN HEIRS OF HENRY WHITLEY (JR) (DECEASED) AND ESTER WHITLEY (DECEASED) ADDRESS AND WHERABOUTS AARE UNKNOWN YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to be and appear before the 11TH Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas in the Courthouse in the city of Houston, Texas at or before 10:00 o’clock A.M. Monday, the 06TH day of FEBRUARY, 2023, being the Monday next after the expiration date of fortytwo days after this citation is issued, and you are hereby commanded and required then and there to appear and file written answer to the PLAINTIFFS PETITION, filed in said Court on the 06TH day of SEPTEMBER, 2022, in a suit numbered 2022-56040 on the docket of said court, wherein MAYBERRY, CHARLES DENNIS, Plaintiff(s) and UNKNOWN HEIRS OF HENRY WHITLEY (JR) (DECEASED) AND ESTER WHITLEY (DECEASED) Defendant(s), the nature of plaintiff’s demand being and the said petition alleging: QUIET TITLE SYNOPSIS: LOTS SIX (6) AND SEVEN (7), BLOCK ONE (1), URBRAN HEIGHTS, an addition in the City of Houston and recorded in Vol 317, Page 567 of the Deed of Records of Harris County, Texas, according to the map or plat thereof recorded in more fully described in a Warranty Deed dated October 12, 1981, recorded in Film Code No. 198912179 of the Property Records of Harris County, Texas. Notice hereof shall be given by publishing this Citation once a week for four consecutive weeks previous to the 30th day of JANUARY, 2023, in some newspaper published in the County of HARRIS, if there be a newspaper published therein, but if not, then the nearest county where a newspaper is published, and this Citation shall be returned on the 06th day of FEBRUARY, 2023 which is forty two days after the date it is issued, and the first publication shall be at least twenty-eight days before said return day. HEREIN FAIL NOT, but have before said court on said return day this Writ with your return thereon, showing how you have executed same. WITNESS: MARILYN BURGESS, District Clerk, Harris County Texas GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL OF SAID COURT at Houston, Texas on this 19th day of DECEMBER, 2022. (SEAL) Newspaper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Issued at the request of: MARSHALL, DESIREE F Address: 8524 HWY 6 N STE 242 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77095 Bar Number: 24052160 MARILYN BURGESS, District Clerk Harris County, Texas 201 CAROLINE, Houston, Texas 77002 P.O. Box 4651, Houston, Texas 77210 By: ____/s/______ Chambers, Wanda Deputy Clerk STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF GREENVILLE Delphine Dogan, Reginald Dogan, Plaintiff, vs. Deborah Sanchez, Defendant. IN THE FAMILY COURT C.A. #2021-DR-23-4511 NOTICE OF HEARING Please take notice that final hearing is scheduled in the above-entitled matter for March 7, 2023, at 2:00 pm. You are hereby notified to be present in the Greenville County Family Court, located at 350 Halton Road, Greenville, SC 29607. __/s/_______________ Kimberly F. Dunham 215 Whitsett Street Greenville, South Carolina 29601 864-282-8686 Attorney for the Plaintiff Greenville, South Carolina Dated:1/29/2023 Drilling Rig Auction 2.25.23 @ 2:30pm - Houston Systems 147’ X 30’ 1,200,000# hook *substructure, beams, crown, etc - OIME SL 1500 Drawworks - Canrig 1250AC Top Drive - CAT 3512 Diesel X 3 *1030KW gens X 3 - Skytop Brewster B-1300 Mud Pumps X 2 - Mud Tanks 800bbl - Axiom AX-1 Shakers X 2 - HDR Desilter *Hutchinson Hayes Centrifuge - Doghouse w/ autodriller software - SCR - 3 bay (IDM Equipment) - various handling tools - Hyundai HL-25 Frontend loader - 7 trailer temp office complex 2050 FM 1405, Baytown, TX 77523 call for detailed list 281-573-9500 Request for Proposal Drymalla Construction Company, LLC (CM at Risk) is soliciting Qualifications/ Proposals from Subcontractors/Suppliers for the Katy ISD Addition and Renovation of TH McDonald J unior High School. Katy Independent School District intends to construct a new 17,500 SF Math and Science addition to TH McDonald JHS as well as renovate the existing Junior High School facility. Qualifications/Proposals are due at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at the offices of Drymalla Construction Company, LLC, 608 Harbert, Columbus, Texas 78934, via fax 979-732-3663, or email to [email protected] m. NO PHONE BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED. A Pre-proposal meeting will be held at 3:00 PM on Thursday, February 2nd, 2023, at TH McDonald Junior High on 3635 Lakes of Bridgewater, Katy, Tx 77449 with RFI’s due by the 7th. Interested proposers are encouraged to attend. For information on how to obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposal documents call 979-732-5731, or email Michael Hungate at [email protected] or go to planroom.drymalla.com where you may register for access to the documents. YES Prep Public Schools, open-enrollment charter schools, will be accepting proposals for Building Controls Systems Upgrade projects (#YESP2023-8). Proposals must be received by 10am on February 24, 2023, through YES Prep’s ebid system, and will be opened at that date and time at 5455 South Loop E. Fwy Houston, Texas 77033. YES Prep reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or waive any or all irregularities. For further information, please contact Mehmet Bayar, Director of Procurement at [email protected]. Proposers may log in to view the bid package and submit their responses at http://www.yesprep.org/rfps YES Prep Public Schools, open-enrollment charter schools, will be accepting proposals for School bus and extracurricular transportation services (#YESP2023-7). Proposals must be received by 10am on March 8, 2023, through YES Prep’s ebid system, and will be opened at that date and time at 5455 South Loop E. Fwy Houston, Texas 77033. YES Prep reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or waive any or all irregularities. For further information, please contact Mehmet Bayar, Director of Procurement at mehmet.bayar@ yesprep.org. Proposers may log in to view the bid package and submit their responses at http://www.yesprep.org/rfps LEGAL NOTICE Harris County Department of Education Is seeking E-Rate services for E-Rate Funding (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) All interested vendors please visit: https://portal.usac.org/suite/ Form 470 Application Number: 230016094 Please see RFP at https://erate.esc12.net/R12/ Harmony Public Schools (HPS), open-enrollment charter schools, will be accepting proposals for Food Service Management Company in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Laredo, El Paso, Brownsville, Lubbock, and Odessa under the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program (#HPS20162017_H, #HPS20162017_CT, #HPS20162017_NT, #HPS20162017_ST, #HPS20162017_WT). Proposals must be received by 8 a.m. on March 07, 2023 Through Mail at 9321 W. Sam Houston Pkwy S Houston Texas, 77009, and Harmony’s ebid system, and will be opened virtually (Teams Meeting ID:267142708018 Passcode:gbMo6d). HPS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or waive any or all irregularities. For further information, please contact Elias Jimenez at [email protected]. Proposers may log into view the bid package and submit their response at: https://www.harmonytx.org/purchasing.php NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids in duplicate, directed to Harris County W.C. & I.D. No. 21, will be received until 2:00 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 15808 Avenue C, Channelview, Texas 77530, and then publicly opened and read aloud. Bids received after that time will not be accepted. The Bidder shall furnish all labor, materials, and equipment and perform all work for the construction of the following project: Becker Dr. Water Line Loop The project includes the installation of approximately 8,280 LF of new 2-inch thru 12-inch diameter water lines on Becker Street, Pine Street, Pecan Street, Fudge Street, Scales Street, Red Bud Street, and Woodland Street. Bid documents may be obtained from www.CivcastUSA.com. Bidders must register on this website in order to view and/or download specifications, plans, and bid documents for this project. There is no charge to view or download documents. Bid Surety payable to Harris County W.C. & I.D. No. 21, in an amount not less than 5% of the maximum Bid price submitted, must accompany each Bid as a guarantee that, if awarded the contract, the bidder will, within 10 calendar days of Award of Contract, enter into a Contract and execute Bonds on the forms provided in the Contract Documents. The successful Bidder must furnish PERFORMANCE and PAYMENT BONDS on the forms furnished with the PROPOSAL, in the amount of 100% of the total contract price. A pre-bid conference will be held on Thursday, February 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm, at 15808 Avenue C, Channelview, Texas 77530. All prospective Bidders are invited to attend. Attendance is not mandatory. Upon consideration of the proposals the Board of Directors plans to award a Contract; however, W.C. & I.D. No. 21 reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive any and all irregularities and technicalities, and to accept any bid which it deems advantageous to it. Each bidder agrees to waive any claim it has or may have against the Owner, the Engineer, and their respective employees, arising out of or in connection, with the administration, evaluation, or recommendation of any bid. HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 514 NOTICE OF DESIGNATION OF OFFICE AND MEETING PLACES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT TO THE RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS OF HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 514 AND TO ALL OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS: Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 514 (hereinafter called "District"), at a meeting of said Board held on January 31, 2023, changed its office to 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2400, Houston, Texas 77056, and established regular meeting places of said Board outside the boundaries of the District at 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suites 2400 and 2500, Houston, Texas 77056. All residents and taxpayers of the District and all other interested persons are invited to attend all meetings of the Board of Directors, including those at said locations. The mailing address for correspondence directed to the District is 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2400, Houston, Texas 77056. /s/ Cody R. Christoph President Board of Directors (SEAL) chron.com/Texas175 Notice To Creditors Ad $74.00* Call the Legals Team 713-224-6868 Ext. 6435 or 4204 *$74.00 includes first 36 lines and 1 Affidavit of Publication *$1.92 per line over 36 lines Texas Commission on environmenTal QualiTy NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN AIR PERMIT (NORI) RENEWAL PERMIT NUMBER 54473 APPLICATION. Powell Electrical Systems, Inc., has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for renewal of Air Quality Permit Number 54473, which would authorize continued operation of Powell Electrical Manufacturing located at 8550 Mosley Road, Houston, Harris County, Texas 77075. AVISO DE IDIOMA ALTERNATIVO. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espanol esta disponible en https://www.tceq.texas. gov/permitting/air/newsourcereview/ airpermits-pendingpermit-apps. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility's general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. http:// www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/ hb610/index.html?lat=29.643888&lng=- 95.254166&zoom=13&type=r. The existing facility is authorized to emit the following air contaminants: exempt solvents, hazardous air pollutants, organic compounds and particulate matter including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less. This application was submitted to the TCEQ on December 15, 2022. The application will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, and TCEQ Houston region 12 office, Harris County, Texas beginning the first day of publication of this notice. The facility's compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review in the Houston regional office of the TCEQ. The executive director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of the application. Information in the application indicates that this permit renewal would not result in an increase in allowable emissions and would not result in the emission of an air contaminant not previously emitted. The TCEQ may act on this application without seeking further public comment or providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met. PUBLIC COMMENT. You may submit public comments to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. The TCEQ will consider all public comments in developing a final decision on the application and the executive director will prepare a response those comments. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the TCEQ's jurisdiction to address in the permit process. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. You may request a contested case hearing if you are a personwhomay be affected by emissions of air contaminants from the facility. If requesting a contested case hearing, you must submit the following: (1) your name (or for a group or association, an official representative), mailing address, daytime phone number; (2) applicant's name and permit number; (3) the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing;” (4) a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public; (5) the location and distance of your property relative to the facility; (6) a description of how you use the property which may be impacted by the facility; and (7) a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period. If the request is made by a group or association, one or more members who have standing to request a hearing must be identified by name and physical address. The interests the group or association seeks to protect must also be identified. You may also submit your proposed adjustments to the application/permit which would satisfy your concerns. The deadline to submit a request for a contested case hearing is 15 days after newspaper notice is published. If a request is timely filed, the deadline for requesting a contested case hearing will be extended to 30 days after mailing of the response to comments. If any requests for a contested case hearing are timely filed, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for a contested case hearing to the Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. Unless the application is directly referred to a contested case hearing, the executive director will mail the response to comments along with notification of Commission meeting to everyone who submitted comments or is on the mailing list for this application. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material air quality concerns submitted during the comment period. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the Commission's jurisdiction to address in this proceeding. MAILING LIST. In addition to submitting public comments, you may ask to be placed on a mailing list for this application by sending a request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. Those on the mailing list will receive copies of future public notices (if any) mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk for this application. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/ epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC105,P.O. Box 13087,Austin,Texas78711- 3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency's public record. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the Public Education Program toll free at 1-800-687-4040. Si desea informacion en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained fromPowellElectrical Systems, Inc., 8550 Mosley Road, Houston, Texas 77075-1116 or by calling Ms. Emily Larkin, Environmental Consultant, Source Environmental Sciences, at (713) 621-4474. Notice Issuance Date: December 28, 2022 Public Notice The City of Houston (City), through its Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD), was awarded Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery for the 2016 floods (CDBG-DR16) funding from the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The GLO proposes to amend the contract with the City for CDBG-DR16 (#Contract No. 19-076-008-B357) in the following ways: • Extend the Agreement term from April 30, 2023, to April 30, 2024 • Revise or replace certain language to correct certain administrative errors and add or update required language • Revise the Revised Federal Assurances and Certifications and the Nonexclusive List of Applicable Laws, Rules, and Regulations to add or update required language The public will have fourteen-day to comment on these changes, from Wednesday, February 1, 2023 to Wednesday, February 15, 2023. For additional information on these items, contact Kennisha London at (832) 394-6197. Written comments can be submitted via email to Kennisha London at [email protected]. Upon completion of the fourteen-day public comment period, this project will be submitted to City Council for approval. For specific questions or concerns about fair housing or landlord/tenant relations, please contact Yolanda Guess-Jeffries at (832) 394-6200 Ext. 5. For any information about HCDD’s Complaints and Appeals Process, please access HCDD’s Complaints and Appeals pages at https:// recovery.houstontx.gov/complaints/ and https://recovery. houstontx.gov/request-for-appeal/. For more information on HCDD and its programs, you may access HCDD’s website at http:www.houstontx.gov/housing. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER RENEWAL PERMIT NO. WQ0010610001 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Southern Water Corp., 5710 Airline Drive, Houston, Texas 77076, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a renewal of Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0010610001 which authorizes the discharge of treated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow not to exceed 475,000 gallons per day. TCEQ received this application on October 4, 2022. The facility is located at 9517 Sunnywood Drive, in the City of Houston, Harris County, Texas 77038. The treated effluent is discharged to Halls Bayou, thence to the Greens Bayou Tidal portion of the Houston Ship Channel in Segment No. 1006 of the San Jacinto River Basin. The unclassified receiving water use is limited aquatic life use for Halls Bayou. The designated uses for Segment No. 1006 are navigation and industrial water supply. All determinations are preliminary and subject to additional review and/or revisions. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the app1ication or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. https://gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/ LocationMapper/?marker=-95.416388,29.902222&level=18. The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Aldine Branch Library, 11331 Airline Drive, Houston, Texas. ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ permitting/wastewater/plain-language-summaries-and-public notices. El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/plainlanguage-summaries-and-public notices. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a publicmeeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ holds a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments, the Executive Director will consider all timely comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period. TCEQ may act on an application to renew a permit for discharge of wastewater without providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The Executive Director may issue final approval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will not issue final approval of the permit and will forward the application and request to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and/or (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. All written public comments and public meeting requests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087 or electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/ comment within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www.tceq. texas.gov/goto/comment, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Any personal information you submit to the TCEQ will become part of the agency’s record; this includes email addresses. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Southern Water Corp. at the address stated above or by calling Mr. Daniel Parks, WaterEngineers, Inc., at 281-373-0500. Issuance Date: January 20, 2023

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 B5 LEGAL NOTICE Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Beer & Wine Permit by Davin Morris dba The Mecca of Daiquiris, LLC, to be located at 2902 Almeda-Genoa, Suite B, Houston, Harris County, Texas. Officers of said corporation are Davin Morris (Managing Member) and Adrian Scott (Managing Member). Youvoted! chron.com/best Getaheadinyourcareer. chron.com/education Familyactivities chron.com/familyguide Texas Commission on environmenTal QualiTy NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER NEW PERMIT NO. WQ0016190001 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 535, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2600, Houston, Texas 77027, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a new Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0016190001, to authorize the discharge oftreated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow not to exceed 600,000 gallons per day. TCEQ received this application on July 13, 2022. The facility will be located approximately 0.4 miles southeast of the intersection of Bauer Hockley Road and Hopfe Road, in Harris County, Texas 77433. The treated effluent will be discharged to an unnamed ditch, thence to Little Cypress Creek, thence to Cypress Creek in Segment No. 1009 of the San Jacinto River Basin. The unclassified receiving water uses are minimal aquatic life use for the unnamed ditch and high aquatic life use for Little Cypress Creek. The designated uses for Segment No. 1009 are primary contact recreation, public water supply, and high aquatic life use. In accordance with 30 Texas Administrative Code Section 307.5 and the TCEQ’s Procedures to Implement the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards (June 2010), an antidegradation review of the receiving waters was performed. A Tier 1 antidegradation review has preliminarily determined that existing water quality uses will not be impaired by this permit action. Numerical and narrative criteria to protect existing uses will be maintained. A Tier 2 review has preliminarily determined that no significant degradation of water quality is expected in Little Cypress Creek, which has been identified as having high aquatic life use. Existing uses will be maintained and protected. The preliminary determination canbe reexaminedandmaybemodified if new information is received. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. https://tceq.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/ index.html?id=db5bac44afbc468bbddd360f8168250f&m arker=-95.764444%2C30.033055&level=12 The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review ofthe application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Lone Star College—CyFair Library, 9191 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress, Texas. ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https:// www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/plainlanguage-summaries-and-public-notices. El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https:// www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/plainlanguage-summaries-and-public-notices. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ holds a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments, the Executive Director will consider all timelycommentsandpreparearesponse toall relevant and material or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/ activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The Executive Director may issue final approval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will not issue final approval of the permit and will forward the application and request to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and/ or (2) the mailing listfor a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. All written public comments and public meeting requests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087 or electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/comment within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/ comment, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Any personal information you submit to the TCEQ will become part of the agency’s record; this includes email addresses. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 535 at the address stated above or by calling Mr. Jonathan Nguyen, Quiddity Engineering, at 512-685-5156. Issuance Date: January 18, 2023 Texas Commission on environmenTal QualiTy NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN WATER QUALITY PERMIT RENEWAL PERMIT NO. WQ0010530001 APPLICATION. Harris County Water Control and Improvement District No. 70, 2935 Foley Road, Crosby, Texas 77532, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to renew Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0010530001 (EPA I.D. No. TX0025402) to authorize the discharge of treated wastewater at a volume not to exceed a daily average flow 275,000 gallons per day. The domestic wastewater treatment facility is located at 2425 Foley Road, Crosby, in Harris County, Texas 77532. The discharge route is from the plant site to a drainage ditch; thence to an unnamed tributary;thence to Gum Gulley;thence to San Jacinto River Tidal. TCEQ received this application on December 22, 2022. The permit application is available for viewing and copying at Edith Fae Cook Cole Branch Library, 135 Hare Road, Crosby, Texas. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. h tt p s : / / g i s w e b .t c e q .t e x a s . g o v / L o c a t i o n M a p p e r / ? m a r k e r = - 95.120833,29.947777&level=18 ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas. gov/permitting/wastewater/plainlanguage-summaries-and-publicnotices. El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www. tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/ plain-language-summaries-and-publicnotices. ADDITIONAL NOTICE. TCEQ’s Executive Director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of the application. After technical review of the application is complete, the Executive Director may prepare a draft permit and will issue a preliminary decision on the application. Notice of the Application and Preliminary Decision will be published and mailed to those who are on the countywide mailing list and to those who are on the mailing list for this application. That notice will contain the deadline for submitting public comments. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting on this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ will hold a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments, the Executive Director will consider all timely comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments, and the Executive Director’s decision on the application, will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision and for requesting a contested case hearing. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period and,the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individualmember ofthe group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material waterqualityconcerns submitted during the comment period. TCEQ may act on an application to renew a permit for discharge of wastewater without providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing listfor a specific applicant name and permit number; and/ or (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas. gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at https://www14.tceq. texas.gov/epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address, and physical address will become part ofthe agency’s public record. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas. gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Harris County Water Control and ImprovementDistrictNo.70attheaddress stated above or by calling Mr. Jacob M. Floyd, P.E., Langford Engineering, Inc., at 713-461-3530. Issuance Date: January 18, 2023 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER RENEWAL PERMIT NO. WQ0014936001 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Harris County Municipal Utility District 500, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2600, Houston, Texas 77027, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a renewal of Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0014936001, which authorizes the discharge of treated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow not to exceed 280,000 gallons per day. TCEQ received this application on August 3, 2022. The facility is located at 17035 Mound Road, in the City of Cypress, Harris County, Texas 77433. The treated effluent is discharged directly to Cypress Creek in Segment No. 1009 of the San Jacinto River Basin. The designated uses for Segment No. 1009 are primary contact recreation, public water supply, and high aquatic life use. All determinations are preliminary and subject to additional review and/or revisions. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. https://gisweb.tceq. texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=- 95.688611,29.956944&level=18 The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Lone Star College – CyFair Library, 9191 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress, Texas. ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas. gov/permitting/wastewater/plainlanguage-summaries-and-publicnotices. El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www. tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/ plain-language-summaries-and-publicnotices. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ holds a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments, the Executive Director will consider all timely comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/ we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period. TCEQ may act on an application to renew a permit for discharge of wastewater without providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The Executive Director may issue final approval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will notissue final approval ofthe permit and will forward the application and request to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and/or (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. All written public comments and public meeting requests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087 or electronically at www.tceq. texas.gov/goto/comment within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas. gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/ goto/comment, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Any personal information you submit to the TCEQ will become part of the agency’s record; this includes email addresses. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas. gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Harris County Municipal Utility District 500 at the address stated above or by calling Ms. Brook Pope, P.E., EHRA Engineering, at 713-337-7489. Issuance Date: November 10, 2022 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER NEW PERMIT NO. WQ0016141001 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Astro Rosenberg, L.P., 2450 Fondren Road, Suite 210, Houston, Texas 77063, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for new Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0016141001,toauthorize thedischargeof treated domestic wastewater at an annual average flow not to exceed 1,200,000 gallons per day. TCEQ received this application on April 4, 2022. The facility will be located approximately 1.3 miles southwest of the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 360 and Highway 59, in Fort Bend County, Texas 77417. The treated effluent will be discharged to Snake Creek, thence to San Bernard River Above Tidal in Segment No. 1302 of the BrazosColorado Coastal Basin. The unclassified receiving water use is high aquatic life use for Snake Creek. The designated uses for Segment No. 1302 are primary contact recreation, public water supply, and high aquatic life use. In accordance with 30 Texas Administrative Code Section 307.5 and the TCEQ’s Procedures to Implement the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards (June 2010), an antidegradation review of the receiving waters was performed. A Tier 1 antidegradation review has preliminarily determined that existing water quality uses will not be impaired by this permit action. Numerical and narrative criteria to protect existing uses will be maintained. A Tier 2 review has preliminarily determined that no significant degradation of water quality is expected in Snake Creek, which has been identified as having a high aquatic life use. Existing uses will be maintained and protected. The preliminary determination can be reexamined and may be modified if new information is received. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the application or notice. For the exactlocation, refer to the application. https://tceq.maps.arcgis.com/ apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=db5b ac44afbc468bbddd360f8168250f&marker=- 95.94058%2C29.465938&level=12 The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutoryandregulatoryrequirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Albert George Branch Library, 9230 Gene Street, Needville, Texas. ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ permitting/wastewater/plain-languagesummaries-and-public-notices. El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ permitting/wastewater/plain-languagesummaries-and-public-notices. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ holds a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments,the Executive Director will consider all timely comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affectedmember’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Followingthecloseofallapplicablecomment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The ExecutiveDirectormayissuefinalapproval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will not issue final approval ofthe permit and willforward the application and request to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and/ or (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. All written public comments and public meeting requests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087 or electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/ comment within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas. gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/ goto/comment, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Any personal information you submit to the TCEQ will become part of the agency’s record; this includes email addresses. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/ goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Astro Rosenberg, L.P. at the address stated above or by calling Mr.JonathanNguyen,QuiddityEngineering, at 512-685-5156. Issuance Date: January 18, 2023 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER NEW PERMIT NO. WQ0016115001 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Woodmere Development Co., Ltd, 15915 Katy Freeway, Suite 405, Houston, Texas 77094, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for new Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No.WQ0016115001,to authorize the discharge of treated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow not to exceed 250,000 gallons per day. TCEQ received this application on February 24, 2022. The facility will be located approximately 1.64 miles northwest of the intersection of Crosby Huffman Road and Huffman Eastgate Road, in Harris County, Texas 77336. The treated effluent will be discharged via pipe to Detention Pond B, thence to Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) ditch Q136-00-00, thence to Cedar Bayou Above Tidal in Segment No. 0902 of the Trinity-San Jacinto Coastal Basin. The unclassified receiving water uses are limited aquatic life use for Detention Pond B and HCFCD ditch Q136-00-00. The designated uses for Segment No. 0902 are primary contact recreation and high aquatic life use. In accordance with 30 Texas Administrative Code Section 307.5 and the TCEQ’s Procedures to Implement the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards (June 2010), an antidegradation review of the receiving waters was performed. A Tier 1 antidegradation review has preliminarily determined that existing water quality uses will not be impaired by this permit action. Numerical and narrative criteria to protect existing uses will be maintained. A Tier 2 review has preliminarily determined that no significant degradation of water quality is expected in Cedar Bayou Above Tidal, which has been identified as having high aquatic life use. Existing uses will be maintained and protected. The preliminary determination can be reexamined and may be modified if new information is received. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. https://tceq.maps.arcgis. com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id= db5bac44afbc468bbddd360f8168250f&mar ker=-95.065%2C30.050833&level=12 The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at the Atascocita Branch Library, 19520 Pinehurst Trail Drive, Atascocita, Texas. ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ permitting/wastewater/plain-languagesummaries-and-public-notices. El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ permitting/wastewater/plain-languagesummaries-and-public-notices. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a publicmeetingis toprovide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ holds a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments, the Executive Director will consider all timely comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of factthat you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The Executive Director may issue final approval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will not issue final approval of the permit and will forward the application and request to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and/ or (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. All written public comments and public meeting requests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087 or electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/ goto/comment within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas. gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/ goto/comment, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Any personal information you submit to the TCEQ will become part of the agency’s record; this includes email addresses. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/ goto/pep. Sidesea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Woodmere Development Co., Ltd at the address stated above or by calling Ms. Ashley Broughton, P.E., LJA Engineering, Inc. at 713-380-4431. Issuance Date: January 18, 2023

B6 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM Request for Proposals Daily Home-to-School, Field Trip, and Other Transportation Services for 4MATIV Technologies in management of services for Houston Charter Schools: Etoile Academy Houston Classical Charter School Reve Preparatory Charter School Yellowstone Schools Bloom Academy Notice to Offerors from 4MATIV Technologies, Inc (“4MATIV”), Transportation Manager Request for Proposal (“RFP”) forms may be obtained by email from [email protected] on or after 1:00 PM, Central Standard Time (CST), Friday, January 27, 2023. Proposals shall be submitted via email in MS Word or PDF form to [email protected] and shall include the subject line: “Response to 4MATIV RFP for Houston Charter Schools – [OFFEROR NAME]” Proposals will be received at the above email address until 11:59 PM, February 28, 2023. Proposals received after 11:59 PM, February 28, 2023 will be rejected. Faxed or hard-copy mailed proposals will be rejected and not considered. 4MATIV’s official contact for all correspondence, inquiries, and submissions related to this RFP is Carl Allen. His email is [email protected]. ALL QUESTIONS ARE DUE BY 11:59 PM, February 17, 2023. Questions will be answered and all questions shared via email with all prospective offerors and any amendments will be issued no later than February 22, 2023. Each Offeror is invited to submit a single technical proposal (containing all required forms outlined herein) & pricing sheet to 4MATIV that addresses transportation services for one or more of The Schools. Offerors may submit multiple proposals for transportation services to one or more of The Schools, or to operate some subset of the system’s total routes, as paired/tiered routes or stand-alone. Multiple pricing sheets may be submitted if pricing proposals are contingent on award of one or more of the services in combination. All proposal respondents will be responsible for the costs associated with the preparation of the requested proposals. Neither The Schools nor 4MATIV will be held liable for these costs. The Schools and 4MATIV are the sole judges of the value and merit of the proposals and reserve the right to reject any or all proposals. Under no circumstances shall 4MATIV or The Schools be liable to any Offeror for any direct or indirect expenses, costs, or damages incurred by the Offeror in respect to its proposal or the rejection of the same for any reason. All decisions made by 4MATIV with the direct input of The Schools regarding the RFP process, including the final award(s), shall be made within their sole discretion and shall be final. Successful offeror(s) will enter into a contract with 4MATIV Technologies in its capacity as transportation manager for The Schools, or in some cases, at a schools’ discretion, a vendor contract may be directly with a school. All proposals must be submitted with the enclosed offer form, signed felony conviction notice, conflict of interest questionnaire, and any other requested documents/information as set forth in this RFP. Any proposal submitted that is incomplete may be disqualified. Offers submitted on other than authorized forms or with different terms or provisions may be considered to be non-responsive. NOTICE OF EXEMPTION It is the intention of Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 212, Magnolia Woods Municipal Utility District No. 1, and Magnolia Woods Municipal Utility District No. 2 (the “Districts”) to hold elections on May 6, 2023, without providing a voting station that meets the requirements for accessibility under 42 U.S.C. Section 15481(a)(3) on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance. The Districts invoke an exemption from the acquisition, lease, or use of an electronic voting system for the election. Any voters in the Districts may request the use of a voting station that meets the accessibility requirements for voting by a person with a disability by contacting the person below. The request must be received no later than the 45th day before Election Day in accordance with Section 49.111(d) of the Texas Water Code. Please include the requesting voter’s name, address, telephone number and e-mail address (if applicable). Send request to: Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 212, Magnolia Woods Municipal Utility District No. 1, and Magnolia Woods Municipal Utility District No. 2, Linda F. Sotirake, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2600, Houston, Texas 77027, (713) 860-6424, (713) 860-6624 (facsimile), [email protected]. AVISO DE EXENCIÓN Es la intención del Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales Nro. 212 del Condado de Montgomery, el Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales Nro. 1 de Magnolia Woods y el Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales Nro. 2 de Magnolia Woods (los “Distritos”) realizar elecciones el 6 de mayo de 2023 sin proveer una estación de votación que cumpla con los requisitos de accesibilidad de la Sección 15481(a)(3) del 42 U.S.C. el día de elección y durante el periodo de votación anticipada en persona. Los Distritos invocan una exención para la adquisición, el arrendamiento o el uso de un sistema de votación electrónico para la elección. Cualquier votante en los Distritos podrá solicitar el uso de una estación de votación que cumpla con los requisitos de accesibilidad para que una persona con una discapacidad pueda votar si se comunica con la persona mencionada abajo. El pedido debe ser recibido a más tardar el 45.º día anterior al Día de Elección de acuerdo con la Sección 49.111(d) del Código de Agua de Texas. Recuerde incluir el nombre, la dirección, el número de teléfono y la dirección de correo electrónico (si corresponde) del votante que realiza el pedido. Envíe el pedido a: Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales Nro. 212 del Condado de Montgomery, Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales Nro. 1 de Magnolia Woods y Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales Nro. 2 de Magnolia Woods, Linda F. Sotirake, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2600, Houston, Texas 77027, (713) 860-6424, (713) 860-6624 (fax), [email protected]. LEGAL NOTICE In accordance with Chapter 34 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances, the Houston Police Department gives notice that within the next 30 days it expects to petition a municipal court to dispose of property that is currently held in the below listed cases. If you believe that you may have a claim to any property held in one of these cases, or if your name is listed next to one of these cases, you are urged to contact the division concerned as listed below. The persons or businesses identified in this notice may have a potential claim, but are in no way guaranteed to be awarded any of the property being held. Those persons or businesses listed are not necessarily criminal defendants, suspects or the targets of any investigation. Cases being submitted by the Burglary and Theft Division: 1092350-22 Rosalba Campuzano 1339093-22 Valu Pawn 1214620-22 Darnell Jenkins 1339093-22 Erie Home Construction 1214620-22 Chance Davis 1339093-22 Tristian Weathers 220756-21 Friendly Store 188578-22 Dylan Adams 220756-21 Kadeem Perrino 876536-00 Lone Star Gold Exchange 220756-21 Lamar Felder 391387-22 Miguel Hernandez 220756-21 Daelieon Spiller 1002273-22 Motorola APX 400 radio 342040-13 Ngoc Nguyen 0953893-22 DJI Mavic Air Drone 119976-10 State Farm Lloyds 1737172-21 $7500 US Currency 119976-10 Gold and Dollar Pawn 119976-10 Steven Scott 656352-11 Faustino Alarcon 1003283-22 Cash America Pawn Any questions regarding the information contained in this notice for the above listed case numbers should be directed to the Property and Financial Crimes Division Property Detail at 713.308.0900. NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS February 1, 2023 City of Houston, Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) 2100 Travis St., 9th floor Houston, TX 77002 (832) 394-6183/(832)394-6056 This notice shall satisfy procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Houston, HCDD. REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or about February 9, 2023, Department will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for the release of Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, (P.L. 117-103) (the Act), Congress made available “grants for the Economic Development Initiative for the purposes of Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending” and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for a project known as Bissonnet Social Services Hub. These Community Project Funding (CPF) awards and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) are administered by HUD. Project Location: 10425 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77099 Project Description: This project, Bissonnet Social Services Hub will acquire and proceed with site preparation to rehabilitate the property, as well as co-locate the outreach efforts of community organizations, City agencies, County partners and healthcare providers to support the Alief Westwood Complete Communities Action Plans goals: • Promoteworkforce development opportunities and host job fairs by connecting residents to available job and training programs and growing job sectors • Connect residents to available health resources by making an inventory of available healthcare resources and making healthcare more accessible through diverse outreach strategies. • Expand and connect residents to mental healthcare by building on programs available at area schools and connecting vulnerable populations, such as sex workers, to services they need • Address blight and nuisance properties by making an inventory of abandoned, vacant, and dangerous buildings and developing a plan to address blight and ensure proper maintenance of properties • Expand actions to prevent human trafficking and provide resources to victims by advocating for police to address challenges of human trafficking and developing strategies across agencies to improve outreach, information, and service delivery for the victims of human trafficking • Address nuisance properties to improve safety The property is located at 10425 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77099. The existing building is on 2.99 acres (130,244 sq. ft) to the south of Bissonnet Street and southwest of Brooklet Drive. The subject property is developed with a vacant commercial building and associated parking lot area within a gated fenced area. It is accessible from Bissonnet Street through a driveway along the northern perimeter and from Brooklet Drive through a driveway along the eastern perimeter. The City of Houston has classified the project as Categorically Excluded activity/project per (24 CFR 58.35(a), and subject to laws and authorities at §58.5: 24 CFR 58.35(a)(1), 24 CFR 58.35(a)(3)(iii) (A),(B), 24 CFR 58.35(a)(5), and 24 CFR 58.35(a)(6). Funding Information Grant Number HUD Program Uses Funding Amount B-22-CP-TX-0860 Community Project Fund (CPF) Acquisition & Site Preparation $1,764,000.00 B-22-CP-TX-0860 Community Project Fund (CPF) Pre-Development $16,000.00 B-22-CP-TX-0860 Community Project Fund (CPF) Administration $220,000.00 B-22-MC-48-0018 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Acquisition $1,400,000.00 Estimated Total HUD Funded Amount: $3,400,000.00 ($3,164,000.00 Acquisition & Site Preparation covered by this Public Notice and HUD Request for Release of Funds; $236,000.00 of Administration and Pre-Development covered by separate clearance review). Estimated Total Project Cost (HUD and non-HUD funds) [24 CFR 58.32(d)]: $6,316,000.00 ($3,400,000.00 HUD funds, $2,916,000.00 non-HUD funds) This project proposes to use the following funding, including: Budget Breakdown: Activity Source Amount Acquisition & Site Preparation... CPF …………………………… $1,764,000.00 Site Preparation ……………….. OTHER NON-CPF……… $336,000.00 Acquisition ……………………. CDBG NON-CPF ………… $1,400,000.00 Pre-Development ………………. CPF …………………………… $16,000.00 Construction, Renovation, & Rehabilitation ………………….. OTHER NON-CPF ……… $1,280,000.00 Programming / Services OTHER NON-CPF ……… $1,300,000.00 Administration ………………… CPF …………………………… $220,000.00 Total ……………………………………………………………………………………$6,316,000.00 PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the City of Houston, Housing and Community Development Department, ATTN: Environmental Review Officer, 2100 Travis, 9th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002 or by email to [email protected]. The ERR can be accessed online at the following website https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/environmental-review/ environmental-review-records/. All comments received by the close of business on February 8, 2023 will be considered by the City of Houston prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Commenters should specify which part of this Notice they are addressing. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The City of Houston certifies to HUD that Sylvester Turner, in his capacity as Mayor consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City of Houston to use Program funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Houston certification for a period of seven days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Houston; (b) the City of Houston has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objectionsmust be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD), 1331 Lamar Street, Suite 550, Houston, Texas 77010 or by phone at (713) 718-3199, or e-mail at CPD_COVID-19OEE[email protected] (environmental), [email protected]; (general). Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period. Sylvester Turner, Mayor City of Houston TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMBINED NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN WATER QUALITY PERMIT RENEWAL AND NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER RENEWAL PERMIT NO. WQ0000535000 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Valero Refining-Texas, L.P., 9701 Manchester Street, Houston, Texas 77012, which operates Valero Houston Refinery, a petroleum refinery, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a renewal of Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0000535000, which authorizes treated processwastewater, utility wastewaters,andprocessareastormwaterat a volume not to exceed a daily average flow of 3,300,000 gallons per day via Outfall 001; postfirst flush stormwater, steam condensate, fire water, cooling tower overspray, heat exchanger cooling water backwash, hydrostatic test water, and water softening wastewaters at an intermittent and flowvariable rate via Outfall 002; uncontaminated stormwater, steam condensate, fire water, and hydrostatic test water at an intermittent and flow-variable rate via Outfalls 003, 005, 006, 007; and non-process area stormwater, steam condensate, fire water, cooling tower overspray, heat exchanger cooling water backwash, hydrostatic test water, boiler blowdown, and water softening wastewaters at an intermittent and flow-variable rate via Outfall 008. The TCEQ received this application on June 2, 2022. The facility is located at 9701 Manchester Street, in the City of Houston, Harris County, Texas 77012. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. h t tps:// tceq.maps.arcgis.com/apps/ webappviewer/index.html?id=db5bac4 4afbc468bbddd360f8168250f&marker=- 95.255%2C29.722222&level=12 The effluent is discharged via Outfalls 001, 002, 003, 005, 006, and 008 directly to Houston Ship Channel/Buffalo Bayou Tidal; and via Outfall 007 to the tidal portion of Sims Bayou (which is considered part of the Houston Ship Channel/ Buffalo Bayou Tidal in Segment No. 1007 of the San Jacinto River Basin. The designated uses for Segment No. 1007 are navigation and industrial water supply. The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Park Place Regional Library, 8145 Park Place Boulevard, Houston, Texas. ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ permitting/wastewater/plain-languagesummaries-and-public-notices El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/ wastewater/plain-language-summariesand-public-notices This combined notice is being issued because the original Notice of Receipt of Application and Intent to Obtain a Water Quality Permit did not accurately described the outfalls, wastestreams, and flow regimes requested under this application. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit written or oral comment or to ask questions about the application. Generally, the TCEQ will hold a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for public comments, the Executive Director will consider the comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. The response to comments, along with the Executive Director’s decision on the application, will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments or who requested to be on a mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how youwould be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/ we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period, TCEQ may act on an application to renew a permit for discharge ofwastewaterwithout providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The Executive Director may issue final approval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or a timely request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will not issue final approval of the permit and will forward the application and requests to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be added to: (1) the permanent list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. All written public comments and public meeting requests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, TCEQ, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087 or electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/ eComment/ within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/ epic/eComment/ or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address, and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, toll free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. Further information may also be obtained from Valero Refining-Texas, L.P. at the address stated above or by calling WWMs. Iuliana Voicu, Staff Environmental Engineer, at (713) 924-1040. Issued: January 17, 2023

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 B7 Ashmore, James Countee, Doris Hamm, Beulah Johnson, Dave Sr. Leggett, Robert Jr. Meyers, Janet Nelson, Larry Siragusa, Susan Spies, Ricky Stewart, Vera Jim Ashmore passed away peacefully and in the presence of his family in Richmond, Texas, on Saturday, the 28th of January 2023. He was 86 years of age. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, and coach to many. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Richmond and former HISD Athletic Director. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 3rd of February, at First Baptist Church of Richmond, 502 S 5th Street in Richmond, Texas. A funeral service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 4th of February, also at First Baptist Church of Richmond, where the Sr. Pastor, Rev. Ryan Chandler and Pastor Emeritus, Rev. John Lockhart are to officiate. The interment service will follow later that afternoon at one o’clock, at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Road in Houston. Please visit Mr. Ashmore’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where fond memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared with his family. JAMES D. ASHMORE 11/10/1936 - 01/28/2023 Beulah Mae Hamm, age 94, of Humble, Texas passed away on Friday, January 27, 2023. She was born in Houston, Texas on Summer Street in the Heights to Robert Lee Railey Sr. and Elsie Gertrude Railey. She had two brothers Robert Lee Railey Jr. and Donald Edward Railey, both are deceased. Growing up her family moved several time due to her father’s job, they lived in Lake Arthur, New Iberia, and Houma Louisiana, the last moved the family made was to Port Arthur, Texas where Beulah went to Thomas Jefferson High School Class of 1946. Also she went to Port Arthur Business College. She met George Edward Hamm Sr. in Port Arthur and they married on June 11, 1950. They were married for 61 years until George passed way October 26, 2017. In her younger years, she loved to bowl. She was in George’s company recreation bowling group and they participated in several tournaments. Also enjoyed baking and needlepoint. She made almost all the ornaments for the Christmas tree. The thing that she really enjoyed doing was traveling after George retired they traveled all over. Hawaii Several times, Europe, England, Cruised the Mediterranean, Cruised Alaska, all over the United States, Mexico, Canada. She is survived by his two sons George Edward Hamm Jr. (Buster) and wife Sylvia Georgie, and Michael Lee Hamm; along with several nieces and nephews. Also extended family Nancy, Russell, Emily, Shooter, and Betsy Broaddus. Services will be held at Brookside Funeral Home at 2:00 PM on Thursday February 2, 2023. A visitation from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM. For those that would like we will be have lunch from 11:30 – 1:30 PM. BEULAH HAMM 01/31/1928 - 01/27/2023 Robert Larry Leggett, Jr. 51, of Missouri City, TX passed away at his home on January 27th, 2023. Robbie is survived by his parents Robert “Larry” Leggett, Sr., Diana Leggett and his brother John Leggett. A graveside service will be held in his honor on 02/03/2023 at Memorial Oaks Cemetery, located at 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079. Visitation will be at 11:00 AM, followed by a graveside service at 12:00 officiated by Dr. Taylor Sandlin, Senior Pastor at Sugar Land Baptist Church. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.memorialoaksfunerals. com for the Leggett family. ROBERT “ROBBIE” LARRY LEGGETT JR. 09/18/1971 - 01/27/2023 Susan Marie Cashiola Siragusa, 65, passed away peacefully into the loving arms of our Lord Jesus Christ on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. She is preceded in death by her father, Tommy Cashiola, Sr. She is survived by her beloved mother, Shirley D. Lira Cashiola; brother, Tommy Cashiola Jr.; as well as aunts, uncles, numerous cousins, friends and neighbors. She was born on September 19, 1957. Susan attended Holy Ghost School, graduated from Bellaire High School and went on to Sam Houston State University and University of St. Thomas. Her hobbies were dancing, fishing, gardening, cooking and baking. Susan had a tender heart and was a loving and devoted daughter and sister. She loved angels, and is now our little angel watching over us alongside her father, Tommy Sr. in heaven. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 3, 2023 at St. Michael Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road, Houston, Texas 77056. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the SPCA in the name of “Nikki” her dog or to a favorite charity. Condolences may be offered at www. millerfuneral.com SUSAN CASHIOLA SIRAGUSA 09/19/1957 - 01/25/2023 Lt. Col. Dave Mckinley Johnson, Sr, USA, Ret. passed away on (Wednesday), January 25, 2023 at the age of 97. After several months of declining health Dave died peacefully with his beloved wife “Bea” nearby. Dave was born on October 29, 1925 to McKinley Johnson and Fannie Marbrough Johnson. Shortly after graduating from high school, Dave entered the Army and pursued a distinguished 22 year career as a pilot, spending many of those years at postings around the country and the world including South Korea, Okinawa, Japan, and two tours of Vietnam piloting a Huey Cobra helicopter. Dave earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston, and enjoyed a second career as a public works director for the City of Houston following his military service. Dave married the love of his life, Junior Beatrice “Bea” Dailey on December 27, 1950. Dave once said the moment he first laid eyes on Bea he knew she was “the one”. Dave is survived by his beloved wife of 72 years along with 3 sons, Dave Johnson Jr, Wayne Johnson, and Michael Johnson and his brother George C Woodard. He is predeceased by two sons, Ronald Johnson and Curtis Johnson, grandson Janadrick Drones and brothers Lester Johnson and McKinley Johnson. Dave also leaves behind three grandchildren, Ron Johnson, Bailey Johnson (husband Andrew Alfred), and Sydney Johnson. Amy Harrell was also much loved by Dave as a granddaughter. He was blessed with eight great grandchildren and an extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Throughout his life Dave placed family above all else and always gave so much more than he received. He was a ray of light for family and friends seeking comfort and support, and was always there to provide aid to those in need. His selfless actions will continue to inspire family and friends who will remember and cherish his deep and abiding love and devotion. Dave’s visitation will be held on (Thursday) February 2, 2023, from 8:45a.m.- 9:55a.m. Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. Both services will be held at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church 4600 Reed. Interment Houston Memorial Gardens. LTC. RET. DAVE M. JOHNSON SR. 10/29/1925 - 01/25/2023 It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Ricky Wayne Spies. Ricky was born November 5, 1968 and passed away January 25, 2023 at Memorial Herman Hospital after a short but courageous battle with cancer. Ricky is preceded in death by his father Virgil Spies, Sr. and is survived by his loving mother, Lillian; brother, Virgil and wife Sandy; beloved nephew, Seth Spies; aunt, Betty Jane Williamson and husband Jimmy. Ricky liked the Houston Astros, the Houston Texans, “when they were winning”, his GMC truck, and rock music. He also loved his two cats “Bebo” and “Molly”. Special thanks to the Gaw family and Sherry and Harlan Colvin for their loving care and support during this difficult time. The service will be held Saturday February 4th @2:00 P.M. with early visitation @1:00 P.M at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Dayton. RICKY SPIES 11/05/1968 - 01/25/2023 Larry Alan Nelson of San Antonio, Texas passed away on January 25, 2023 at the age of 74. He was born on October 28, 1948 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He worked for Continental Airlines for 40 years, starting on the ramp in Colorado Springs, ending as managing director of catering services in Houston, with multiple stops along the way. One such stop, which was a great ice-breaker, included three years in the Fiji Islands. His career in the airline industry took him all around the world where he formed lasting friendships, and provided rare and special experiences for him and his family. He loved his family, the friends he made along the way, playing golf, cheering for the Denver Broncos, and especially rooting for and supporting his sons’ and grandchildren’s activities. Larry is preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Vera, sisters Joanne and Barbara, and brother Jack. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Caroline; sons, Aron and Todd; and grandchildren, Madison and Noah. Larry was a Vietnam veteran, and although he rarely spoke about his time in service he found a deep sense of honor later in life. The family would like to thank Four Seasons Hospice and Season’s Alzheimer’s Care for the care and compassion they showed our loved one in their final days. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in their honor to the Alzheimer’s Association (http://www. alz.org/donate). LARRY NELSON 10/28/1948 - 01/25/2023 Our Beloved Janet Pack Meyers, of Sugar Land, Texas passed away January 31, 2023. Janet was born October 22, 1946. She leaves behind a loving family: her husband of 56 years, Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers of Sugar Land (TX); son Michael Meyers of Denver (CO); daughters Debra Meyers of Sugar Land, and Jennifer Meyers Mulder of Katy (TX); son-in-law Eric Mulder; grandson Garrett McCart; granddaughters Averie Mulder and Audrey Mulder all of Katy, and sister Mary Louise Pack Mathews of Boerne (TX) and her family. After the family moved to Sugar Land in 1976, Janet became very involved in her Church, Sugar Creek Baptist, her children’s schools: Dulles Elementary, Dulles Junior High, and Dulles High, and in her community, volunteering for many charity and community events. Janet was very passionate about and dedicated so much of her time to family and community. All who knew her will sorely miss her. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a gift in her honor to the Second Mile Mission Center. JANET MEYERS 10/22/1946 - 01/31/2023 VERA L. STEWART 01/28/1929- 01/20/2023 “Each life leaves a legacy, Embossed upon our hearts. A touch that lingers, When our time has come to part.” Our beloved matriarch, Mrs. Vera L. Stewart, entered her Heavenly home on January 20, 2023. Her life will be honored and celebrated on Friday, February 3, 2023, 2 p.m. in the Rose Chapel at Mabrie Memorial Mortuary. DORIS RICHARDINE COUNTEE 05/24/1928- 01/21/2023 “There is perfect joy and beauty in this everlasting light.” The life of Ms. Doris Richardine Countee will be celebrated on Thursday, February 2, 2023, 11 a.m. at Mabrie Memorial Mortuary. Visitation will be prior to service, 9 - 10:45 a.m. Livestream access is available on her profile at www. mabriemortuary.com.

B8 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM years later, Exxon booked $12.75 billion in profits and $95.43 billion in revenue in just its final quarter. “While our results clearly benefited from a favorable market, the countercyclical investments we made before and during the pandemic provided the energy and products people needed as economies began recovering and supplies became tight,” said CEO Darren Woods. “We leaned in when others leaned out.” Exxon achieved its bestever annual refining output in North America and the highest globally since 2012, the company said. It completed the expansion of its Beaumont Refinery and expects to be able to process 250,000 barrels per day of crude oil there in first quarter of this year. The price of oil ranged between $70 to $90 for a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude during the quarter. Domestic natural gas prices, which affect the cost of home energy and electricity, ranged from $6 to $7 per million British thermal units during the quarter, according to FactSet,which was a higher price than most Americans have paid in recent years. Exxon closed 2022 on a strong note, but softer oil and natural gas prices in the fourth quarter — compared to earlier in the year — had animpact, said Peter McNally, global sector lead at Third Bridge. “The big picture here for Exxon Mobil is that the company has financial flexibility and plenty of investment options,” McNally added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. PROFITS From page B1 McBride, the foundation’s vice president of programs. Food waste in Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, has an outsized impact, said Chris Wood, president of Moonshot Compost.Wood co-founded the Houston-based company in 2020 to pick up food waste from residences and businesses and bring it to industrial composting facilities. Though only 10 percent of the company’s subscribed clients are commercial, they produce 90 percent of the waste Moonshot collects to be made into nutrient-rich compost, Wood said. Wood’s message focused on the importance of storytelling. Moonshot’s online dashboard gives businesses data on how much food waste they’ve diverted from landfills, providing them a metric of impact that they can communicate to customers and investors. Participants also heard from Chris Williams, owner of Lucille’s in the Museum District. While Houston has the country’s largest food bank, Williams told the Houston Chronicle he wanted the conference to generate policies to fight food insecurity that go beyond what he called Band-Aids, such as distributing food. Williams is also executive director of Lucille 1913, a nonprofit bringing fresh food to Kendleton in Fort Bend County, a community that without a nearby grocery store.With the assistance of the Fort Bend County Judge’s office, Lucille 1913 runs a farm in Kendleton where community members are paid to learn how to grow nutrient-rich crops that cater to the local palette and preferences. “We need to truly invest in farming initiatives, and the access and the education that goes with it,” Williams said. “If you don’t have access to the land, if you don’t have access to someone who is going to hold your hand through the learning, then you don’t have access.” To cap off the conference, groups presented policy ideas that the foundation plans to organize into recommendations to send to elected officials as they hold hearings in the 2023 Farm Bill. As chefs, the attendees had a unique perspective as to how federal food policy impacts local communities, according to Cheetie Kumar, a North Carolina-based chef and restaurateur who spoke on a panel about industry support. “Chefs are essentially the connecting point between all these different parts of every local economy. A lot of us in this sector are sourcing from farmers in our communities, and we have restaurants that are very anchored in a neighborhood, town or city,” she told the Chronicle. “The role that we have is one of building bridges.” [email protected] Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Felipe Riccio, chef and partner with Goodnight Hospitality, of Houston, center, and others participate in a discussion titled industry support during the Chef Action Summit in Houston. POLICY From page B1 E-B. The rest of the new list includes another regional grocery powerhouse, Rochester, N.Y.- basedWegmans, in fourth place and warehouse club stores moved up the list. Sam’s Club rounds out the top five grocers. The retailers in this group have $924 in grocery sales per square foot and a 5-year compound annual sales growth rate of 7.3%. The top 15 retailers together had an average of 59% of their customers saying they have a strong emotional connection with the grocers. H-E-B is the largest privately owned company in Texas, with annual sales of almost $39 billion from its four concepts H-E-B, Dallas-based Central Market, Mi Tienda and Joe V’s Smart Shops. The 118- year-old grocer operates stores in Texas and Mexico and has said its geographic focus is part of its success. “We’ve chosen to serve a state rather than a segment of customers. So we’re trying to serve everyone in Texas and northern Mexico,” said HE-B president Craig Boyan said last month on a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas podcast. “That means we have to be successful by serving every different income level and ethnicity and demographic type.” H-E-B From page B1 ents. The Paychex national jobs index stood at 99.56 in January, an increase of 0.18 from December but down 1.75 percent compared with January 2021. In Houston, the jobs index stood at at 103, up 0.53 percent over the past 12 months and the highest in the nation. Second-place Chicago had an index reading of 101.53, while Dallas tumbled from second place to fifth over the month, dropping 1.23 points to 100.82. An upward trend in the index reflects a strengthening job market; a downward trend means the opposite. A softening in wage growth nationwide might also mean fewer or smaller interest-rate hikes this year. The Federal Reserve is still widely expected to announce another hike this week. But Fed Chair Jerome Powell made it clear he’s keeping a close eye on this data point, because wages — compensation costs, from an employer’s perspective — can affect inflation, which stood at 6.5 percent in December. “Reducing inflation is likely to require a sustained period of belowtrend growth and some softening of labor market conditions,” Powell said in December, after announcing the seventh rate hike of 2022. GROWTH From page B1 March 31. “Children would be the largest group potentially to lose health insurance,” Laura Dague, an associate professor at the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M, said. “While the majority of enrolled children will still be eligible for coverage, the potential for large-scale loss of coverage exists because of confusion.” The Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued an alert this week calling on recipients to reapply. “Our priority right now is to promote awareness and to help our clients understand the timeline and the steps that need to be taken to redetermine eligibility,” Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young said. Republicans in Congress, though, present a long-term danger to Medicaid and Medicare, the health program for those over 65. A group of fringe Republicans is holding the U.S. economy hostage in return for cuts to the federal budget. If folks like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida do not get significant reductions they will either oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, allow the federal government to default on its debts or both. For a glimpse of what they have in mind, check out the Republican Study Committee’s “Blueprint to Save America.” GOP lawmakers promise the plan “would balance the federal budget in just seven years, cut spending by $16.6 trillion over 10 years and reduce Americans’ taxes by $3.9 trillion, while increasing investments in our military by 5 percent.” Medicare and Medicaid are among the largest segments of the federal budget, and Congress cannot balance the budget without slashing them or raising taxes. The Republicans would cut the federal share of Medicaid funding to 31 percent from 62 percent. Based on the current budget, Texas lawmakers would have to raise Medicaid spending to $61 billion from $25.1 billion to maintain existing services, wiping out the state’s current surplus. The more disturbing proposal, though, is reducing Medicare costs from 3.2 percent of the nation’s economic activity to 2.6 percent. Republicans would raise the age of eligibility to 70 from 62 by 2040. The minimum age for collecting Social Security would also rise to 70. These proposals come as Americans’ life expectancy is dropping. Maternal deaths remain shamefully high. I agree with Republicans that Texas and the United States spend too much on health care for what we get. The problem is not the needy patients, though, but the greedy companies. Slashing government spending will not bring down prices so high they generate huge profits and massive waste in every corner of the industry. Whether it’s overtreatment by doctors, overcharging by hospitals, skimming by pharmaceutical benefit managers or patent-gaming by drug companies, there are plenty of places to reduce costs through greater competition and regulation. The health care industry’s profiteering costs us all, whether in higher taxes, insurance premiums or out-of-pocket costs. Slashing government spending will only make people sicker with more complicated conditions that are more expensive to treat. The economy relies on a healthy workforce paying taxes and consuming goods. Boosting health should take priority over misguided cost-cutting. Chris Tomlinson, named 2021 columnist of the year by the Texas Managing Editors, writes commentary about money, politics and life in Texas. Sign up for his “Tomlinson’s Take” newsletter at HoustonChronicle.com/ TomlinsonNewsletter or Expressnews.com/TomlinsonNewsletter. twitter.com/ cltomlinson ctomlin[email protected] TOMLINSON From page B1 EVERETT, Wash. — More than a half-century ago, Boeing unveiled the 747, a massive and striking airplane that captured the public imagination and brought air travel to the masses. The jet has been a workhorse since, ferrying passengers and cargo around the world. But its days are numbered: On Tuesday, Boeing plans to hand over the last 747 it will ever make. With a distinctive hump, the 747, nicknamed the “Queen of the Skies,” is perhaps the most widely recognizable commercial airplane ever built. The plane transformed air travel and became a symbol of American ingenuity. It could still be flying decades from now, a longevity that aviation historians said was testament to the work that engineers, designers and others put into repeatedly remaking the airplane. “It’s one of the great ones,” said Shea Oakley, who runs an aviation history consulting firm and is a former executive director of the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey. “If you had to make a list of the 10 most important airplanes ever built since theWright Flyer, the 747 needs to be on that list. It was a quantum leap.” The 747 is composed of about 6 million parts produced all over the world. But the final, awe-inspiring work of assembling them into an airplane was completed at a factory in Everett,Wash. That plant, generally regarded as the world’s largest building by volume, was built for the 747 in the 1960s. The plant has been used to make other planes, but it has remained home to the 747 down to the final one: No. 1,574. Seen from a distance, the specialists working on exposed sections of a 747 appear tiny, like miniature surgeons operating on parts of a blue whale. Often under bright, white lights and supported by lifts, rolling staircases and other structures, they install, arrange, assemble and test the guts and shell of the plane. Production of the last 747 started in September and was typical of how its predecessors were made. In one bay of the factory, workers constructed the wings, starting with the spars that serve as the backbones and then added parts called the ribs and skin. In another bay, they build sections of the body, or fuselage, and then added wiring, plumbing and hydraulics, said Steve Kopecki, director of manufacturing for the 747. Over the years, as engineers and designers worked on the plane, Boeing’s financial situation dimmed. Airline orders were slowing and costs for the 747 and the supersonic jet, which the company would abandon in 1971, were soaring. Some airlines still use the plane for passenger flights, including Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China. But the 747 has increasingly fallen out of favor with many airlines and will probably end its life carrying cargo. The last of the airplanes produced were all 747-8 freighters for Atlas Air, which operates the largest 747 fleet in the world and leases out airplanes and crews for cargo or passenger operations. Boeing produces its last 747 By Niraj Chokshi NEW YORK T IME S Lindsey Wasson/New York Times The last Boeing 747 jumbo jet made returns to Paine Field in Everett, Wash., after a test flight.

HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM SPORTS • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 • SECTION C Jim Crane introduced his new general manager with a minute of prepared remarks, reading from a sheet of paper praising Dana Brown’s baseball acumen and assorted experiences within the game. Crane called Brown “analytics savvy,” praised his “great people skills” and sounded enthused that Brown — unlike his predecessor — played professional baseball. One line from Crane’s opening remarks last week offered more evidence of a fit between Brown and Houston’s organizational philosophy, one often averse to free-agent bidding wars and built around a core of homegrown talent. “(Brown is) seasoned at player acquisition, development and retention,” Crane said. “They were alASTROS Locking up young players a priority By Chandler Rome STAFF WR ITER Astros continues on C7 Karen Warren/Staff photographer Dana Brown joins the Astros after spending the past four years in the Atlanta Braves’ front office. INSIDE Astros release full 2023 schedule. C7 Mets sign batting champion McNeil to $50 million extension. C7 The gang is (mostly) back together. The University of Houston will renew old rivalries, among them with visiting TCU and Texas, and leave the state only twice during its inaugural season in the Big 12. The Cougars’ ninegame league schedule, released Tuesday, begins Sept. 16 against national championship runner-up TCU at TDECU Stadium. The headliner of the home schedule is a longawaited matchup with the Longhorns on Oct. 21. It will be the first meeting between the schools since 2002. UH makes road trips to visit Texas Tech (Sept. 30) and Baylor (Nov. 4). All four schools, along with UH, were members of the Southwest Conference, which broke up after the 1995 season. “To be able to play as many teams in the state of Texas, including our nonconference games, where people can get in a car and drive here is what we have been yearning for deUH FOOTBALL Debut Big 12 game at home vs. TCU By Joseph Duarte STAFF WR ITER UH continues on C5 DeMeco Ryans is special. He is a Texan. He is a coach. This is where he belongs. Hiring the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator will be one of the best moves the organization has ever made. It ranks right up there with the time Charley Casserly drafted Ryans with the first pick of the second round of the 2006 draft. Cal McNair and Nick Caserio will look like geniuses in a few years. Feel free to bail from this column now, because DeMeco Ryans is my guy. Sean Payton is a proven coach and probably would have done a great job with the Texans, but even asking price aside, Ryans lifting the Texans to new heights is a story I can’t wait to write. Do note: I am biased and will be biased with every word going forward. Oh, I’ll offer critique as necessary — when the games start and Ryans messes up on the job, as all first-time head coaches do — but every word will be gently typed because we’re talking about our guy DeMeco. I am unabashed by the respect and admiration I have for him. Ryans distinguished himself from day one — his first day on campus at Alabama and his first with the Texans. He carries himself in a manner that commands respect. Outstanding student, player, citizen. Ryans has always been straightforward and honest, but he never performs for media. TEXANS: DEMECO RYANS RETURNS A FITTING DECISION Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle DeMeco Ryans is coming off a two-year stint as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, with that success paving the way for his new position. Giving man destined to be a head coach his shot in Houston feels so right JEROME SOLOMON COMMENTARY Solomon continues on C3 MORE ON THE HIRE DeMeco Ryans becomes the Texans’ sixth head coach. A1 Move has widespread support. C3 Timeline of Ryans’ career. C3

C2 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM BENGALS BILLS JAGUARS AFC TITLE GAME NFC TITLE GAME Jan. 29 at Kansas City Jan. 29 at Philadelphia AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND Jan. 21 at Kansas City CHIEFS AFC WILD-CARD ROUND First-round bye Jan. 14 at Jacksonville, Fla. Jan. 15 at Cincinnati Jan. 15 at Orchard Park, N.Y. 1 CHIEFS (14-3) 5 CHARGERS (10-6) 4 JAGUARS(9-8) 6 RAVENS (10-7) 3 BENGALS (12-4) 7 DOLPHINS (9-8) 2 BILLS (13-3) NFC WILD-CARD ROUND First-round bye Jan. 16 at Tampa, Fla. Jan. 15 at Minneapolis Jan. 14 at Santa Clara, Calif. EAGLES (14-3) 1 COWBOYS (12-5) 5 BUCCANEERS (8-9) 4 GIANTS (9-7-1) 6 VIKINGS (13-4) 3 SEAHAWKS (9-8) 7 49ERS (13-4) 2 NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND Jan. 21 at Philadelphia 23 41 Jan. 22 at Santa Clara, Calif. 30 31 31 34 Jan. 22 at Orchard Park, N.Y. 31 24 17 24 31 14 20 27 GIANTS EAGLES 7 38 27 10 COWBOYS 49ERS 12 [] 19 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12 State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. (Fox) SUPER BOWL LVII CHIEFS EAGLES 49ERS 31 EAGLES BENGALS 7 CHIEFS 23 20 Sports Editor: [email protected] • 713-362-2734 • [email protected] NFL MOBILE, Ala. — For teams that didn’t make the Super Bowl, there’s always next year. And the one benefit of losing is that they get a head start on the offseason. The Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off this week, and multiple teams have descended upon Mobile, Ala., to get a look at some of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL draft. With 11 picks in this draft, the Texans could use a few that pan out superbly. Among their needs are quarterback, wide receiver, center, guard, linebacker, defensive end, defensive tackle, safety, backup running back and cornerback. Some of these positions will be addressed in free agency, but some can be addressed in the draft. There will be three Senior Bowl practices beginning Tuesday and ending Thursday. Here are some players participating in the Senior Bowl whom Texans fans should keep an eye on: Quarterbacks • Max Duggan (TCU): More than likely, The Texans will draft a quarterback with the second overall pick, and it won’t be Duggan. But if by chance they decide to pass on a quarterback with one of their first few picks, Duggan is expected to be available in the later rounds. Duggan, 21, is a projected Day 3 pick (rounds four to seven). He burst onto the scene last season, leading the Horned Frogs to a 12-2 record and the national title game against Georgia in January. The 6-foot-2, 210- pound quarterback was a Heisman finalist after passing for 3,698 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for nine touchdown and 432 yards. He finished second in Heisman voting behind USC quarterback Caleb Williams. • Hendon Hooker (Tennessee): Hooker finished fifth in Heisman voting after passing for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 430 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 218- pound quarterback led Tennessee to an 11-2 season that was its best in many years. Hooker, 25, suffered an ACL injury in Tennessee’s final game of the season in November. He accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl but won’t participate in on-field activities. He’ll still be able to do interviews with teams and media. Because of the injury and his age, he’s projected to be a Day 3 pick. • Clayton Tune (UH): Tune is 6-3, 220 pounds and considered a Day 3 prospect. During his senior season, he passed for 4,074 yards, 40 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Cougars finished the year with an 8-5 record and a win in their bowl. Wide receivers • Nathaniel “Tank” Dell (UH): Dell might be small, but he can definitely ball. The 5-10, 165-pounder was in the top two statistically in nearly every receiving category. He was second in the country with 109 catches. He also had 1,398 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns, both of which led the nation. Dell is projected to be a Day 3 pick because of his size. But with a solid performance in the Senior Bowl, he could move up. • Jayden Reed (Michigan State): Reed, who is 6-foot, 180 pounds, finished with 55 catches for 636 yards and five touchdowns in 2022. When he was a junior, he had 59 catches for 1,026 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Spartans. Reed is also projected to go on Day 3. Linebackers • Ivan Pace Jr. (Cincinnati): Pace played only one season at Cincinnati after transferring from Miami (Ohio). He finished his only season with the Bearcats with 137 tackles, 21½ tackles for loss, 10 sacks and three forced fumbles. Pace is 6-foot and 240 pounds, so he’s slightly undersized. He’s projected to go on Day 3. • Isaiah Land (Florida A&M): He is considered one of the top pass rushers and outside linebacker in the country. Land, who is 6-4, 225 pounds, had seven sacks last season. He is projected to be a late-Day 3 pick. Other Texas ties • Linebacker: DeMarvion Overshown (Texas), Dee Winters (TCU) • Offensive line: Steve Avila (TCU) • Wide receiver: Derius Davis (TCU) • Running back: Roschon Johnson (Texas) • Defensive lineman: Dylan Horton (TCU) [email protected] twitter.com/jonmalexander SENIOR BOWL Draft prep at showcase crucial for Texans By Jonathan M. Alexander STAFF WR ITER Photos by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Contributor UH quarterback Clayton Tune (3), who threw for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns last year, is expected to be a Day 3 pick in the NFL draft. While undersized, UH receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell was in the top two in the country in most major receiving categories. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos have agreed to a deal with the New Orleans Saints that will make Sean Payton their head coach, a person with knowledge of the accord said Tuesday. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn't announced the agreement, said the Broncos would send their first-round pick, No. 29 overall, in this year's draft to the Saints along with a future second-rounder. Payton remained under contract with New Orleans after stepping down from the Saints last season and working in broadcasting this season. The Broncos, who went 5-12 this season and extended their playoff drought to seven years, fired rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett on Dec. 26 after he went 4-11. Interim coach Jerry Rosburg went 1-1. Payton's top task will be to get quarterback Russell Wilson back to his winning ways after the 11-year pro had his worst statistical season following his blockbuster trade from Seattle for four premium draft picks and three players. The Broncos dealt their firstand second-round picks to the Seahawks for Wilson. They got back into the first round by trading pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins, who sent the Broncos a firstrounder originally owned by the San Francisco 49ers. That selection, the 29th overall pick, now belongs to the Saints. Payton also interviewed for the Carolina Panthers' head coaching vacancy. Rodgers in no hurry to decide his future Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he doesn’t expect to make a decision on whether to play next season until after the Super Bowl. Rodgers, 39, has said he is still making up his mind on whether he wants to return to the Packers for a 19th season, retire or request a trade. The four-time MVP also has noted the possibility the Packers may want to move him. “It’s going to be a little more time for my decision,” Rodgers said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on SiriusXM and YouTube. “I feel confident that in a couple of weeks I’ll feel definitely more strongly about one of the two decisions.” The first decision is whether he wants to play at all. “You’ve got to be cognizant of what was going through your mind during the season,” Rodgers said. “Did you enjoy the grind as much? Did you enjoy practice? Did you enjoy the meeting time? Did you enjoy the routine? And not forget about those feelings and make an emotional response either way. I think that’s important.” Rodgers was the league MVP in 2020 and 2021, but didn’t perform as well this season while playing with a broken right thumb and dealing with the absence of star wideout Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in March. Titans make switch to synthetic turf The Tennessee Titans are tearing up the grass field at Nissan Stadium and replacing it with a synthetic surface before the 2023 season. The team, which already has started work, is making the change after reviewing injury rates and knowing how difficult it is to grow grass at Nissan Stadium since it opened in 1999. Ravens QB Huntley named to Pro Bowl Tyler Huntley, who played in six games for the Ravens this season filling in for injured quarterback Lamar Jackson, has been named to the Pro Bowl roster as a replacement for injured Buffalo Bills starter Josh Allen. The AFC roster initially included three quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Allen. However, with Mahomes preparing for the Super Bowl and Allen sitting out, two alternates were added to the roster. NOTEBOOK Broncos reach deal with Saints to hire Payton as coach W IRE REPORTS Gary McCullough/Associated Press Former Saints coach Sean Payton will take over a Broncos team that went 5-12 and won’t have a first-round pick in the draft.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 C3 DOM CAPERS 2002-05 W-L-T 18-46-0 Pct: .281 PLAYOFFS Did not qualify GARY KUBIAK 2006-13 W-L-T 61-64-0 Pct: .488 PLAYOFFS 2-2, two division titles WADE PHILLIPS-X 2013 W-L-T 0-3-0 Pct: .000 PLAYOFFS Did not qualify BILL O’BRIEN 2014-20 W-L-T 52-48-0 Pct: .520 PLAYOFFS 2-4, four division titles ROMEO CRENNEL-X 2020 W-L-T 4-8-0 Pct: .333 PLAYOFFS Did not qualify DAVID CULLEY 2021 W-L-T 4-13-0 Pct: .225 PLAYOFFS Did not qualify LOVIE SMITH 2022 W-L-T 3-13-0 Pct: .206 PLAYOFFS Did not qualify TEXANS COACHING HISTORY TEXANS DEMECO RYANS RETURNS As word spread that the Texans are hiring DeMeco Ryans as their next head coach, Texans players — both current and former — gave their immediate approval of the hire. "Welcome home, Cap," former Texans linebacker Brian Cushing posted on his Instagram story, using the nickname team captain Ryans garnered during his six seasons playing in Houston. Former Texans offensive tackle Wade Smith, who was teammates with Ryans for two seasons in Houston, echoed those sentiments. "Welcome home Cap. It’s a GREAT DAAAYYYY to be a #Texan!," he tweeted. J.J.Watt, who spent his rookie season learning from Ryans, was even more emphatic. "LET’S GOOOOOOO!!!!!!," Watt posted on Twitter. "You want to reenergize and reignite the incredible Houston fan base, this is a hell of a start!! Cannot wait to see what Meco does. One of the best teammates & leaders I’ve ever been around." Several other Texans from the past also showed their support for their former teammate, including tight end Owen Daniels, defensive tackle Travis Johnson and offensive lineman Chester Pitts. “Cap is back baby! Let’s go!” Daniels tweeted. “Welcome home brother,” from Johnson. Tweeted Pitts: “You got to love it!!! Congrats to my guy Meco! El Capitan! Great day in the city. I know he will do whatever it takes to make sure the Texans win a Super Bowl!” Texans right tackle Tytus Howard tweeted, "Yessirrrrr," with several fire emjois. Pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, who just finished his third season with the Texans, responded to the news with just eyeball emojis. Kevin Cooper, who was the Texans' senior director of communications when Ryans played in Houston, called Ryans "special" and tweeted that "he's going to fix what has gone wrong, then he's going toWIN." In San Francisco, linebacker FredWarner, a 2018 third-round pick who has counted Ryans as his position coach or coordinator throughout his career, said it was difficult when he saw Ryans after the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. “Seeing him was emotional,” said Warner, an All-Pro. “It was the first time it kind of hit me that this was the last one with him, and we came into this thing together. I owe everything to him. He’s the reason I’m the player I am today. He’s fully deserving to go on and be a head coach. It hit hard today, for sure.” Ryans began his career in 2017 as a 49ers quality control coach. At the time, then defensive coordinator Robert Saleh identified the low-level rookie coach as a rising star. “DeMeco is probably going to be a head coach one day,” Saleh said. “So I’ll be asking him for a job I’m sure not long from now. He’s got that type of football I.Q., that type of presence and is as knowledgeable as it gets.” Ryans spent three seasons as the 49ers’ inside linebackers coach before assuming Saleh’s spot in 2021. The 49ers ranked third in the NFL in total defense in Ryans’ first season as a coordinator before they led the NFL in points and yards allowed per game in 2022. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle contributed to this report. [email protected] twitter.com/chron_mattyoung REACTION Players celebrate Ryans’ return By Matt Young STAFF WR ITER Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle The 49ers ranked third in the NFL in total defense in DeMeco Ryans’ first season as defensive coordinator and led the league in points and yards allowed per game in the 2022 season. Notable events in the football career of DeMeco Ryans, who was hired as the Texans’ sixth head coach Tuesday. Jan. 14, 2002 — Ryans, a senior linebacker at Lanier High School in Bessemer, Ala., commits to play for Alabama. Dec. 15, 2005 — Ryans, who led an Alabama unit that led the nation in scoring defense, is named a first-team Associated Press All-American. April 29, 2006 — With the 33rd overall pick in the NFL draft, the Texans select Ryans. Sept. 10 — Ryans is an immediate starter, making 13 tackles in a season-opening loss to Philadelphia. It’s the first of nine double-digit tackle games for him as a rookie. Jan. 3, 2007 — Ryans is voted the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year finishing with 156 tackles, the most for any rookie in two decades, and also had 3½ sacks. Dec. 19 — Ryans is named to his first Pro Bowl as the AFC’s starting middle linebacker. Jan. 10. 2008 — Ryans is an All-Pro second teamer. Oct. 17, 2010 — Coming off his second Pro Bowl season, Ryans ruptures his left Achilles tendon in a Week 6 home win over Kansas City, ending his season. Sept. 11, 2011 — Ryans returns for the Texans’ season-opening win over the Colts at home, making six tackles. Dec. 11 — The Texans clinch their first playoff berth with a 20-19 win at Cincinnati. Jan. 7, 2012 — For the first time in his NFL career, Ryans does not start a game, a wild-card win over Cincinnati in the Texans’ playoff debut. Jan. 15 — Ryans starts the Texans’ divisional-round playoff loss at Baltimore, making seven tackles in what turns out to be his last game with the franchise. March 21— Needing salary-cap space, the Texans trade Ryans to Philadelphia. Nov. 2, 2014 — In his return to Houston, Ryans is carted off in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ win with another torn Achilles tendon that ends his season. Jan. 3, 2016 — Ryans plays the final game of his 10-season career, recording four tackles in a road win at the Giants. Oct. 16 — Ryans files a lawsuit against the Texans, the NFL, Harris County Convention Sports Corp., SMG — which manages NRG Stadium — and StrathAyr Turf Systems seeking more than $10 million in damages for the Achilles tendon injury he suffered in 2014 at NRG Stadium. Feb. 22, 2017 — Ryans is hired as a defensive quality-control coach by new 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, a Texans assistant when Ryans was a player in Houston. Feb. 28, 2018 — After one season on staff, the 49ers promote Ryans to inside linebackers coach. Jan. 18, 2021 — After Robert Saleh leaves to become the Jets’ head coach, the 49ers promote Ryans to defensive coordinator. Jan. 30, 2022 — Ryans’ first season as 49ers defensive coordinator ends with a narrow road loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. Jan. 20, 2023 — Ryans interviews with the Texans via Zoom for the head coaching vacancy created by Lovie Smith’s firing. He also interviews with a Denver contingent that flew to San Francisco. Jan. 29 — The 49ers’ season ends with an NFC Championship Game loss at Philadelphia. Jan. 31 — Ryans interviews with the Texans a second time, and his hiring as head coach is announced hours later. Greg Rajan CAREER TIMELINE That businesslike approach is why his teammates always looked to him as if he were a coach. A country boy who is as smart off the field as on, Ryans was a three-time academic All-SEC honoree and on the dean’s list every year. Oh, yeah — he also he led the Crimson Tide in tackles three times. Then, in his first year with Houston, he tied for the NFL lead in tackles and was named defensive Rookie of the Year. He was an All-Pro selection in his second season. Just the mention of his name should take you back to the good ol’ days. When the Texans came of age. Became a winning organization. When they went from being a laughingstock to playoff team and had some of us believing they could make it to a Super Bowl. (OK, I am abashed about picking them to do that.) Don’t you miss those days? Ryans was a joy to watch and cover, and he was good from the get-go. I once wrote about the first running play he saw as the Texans’ middle linebacker. Donovan McNabb gave the ball to Brian Westbrook, but the ever-intelligent Ryans saw the play coming before the snap and blasted Westbrook for a 2-yard loss. Ryans was so impressive early on that he was named a team captain midway through his rookie year, a rare designation for a first-year player. “He’s as good as I’ve been around,” coach Gary Kubiak said at the time. “The thing about him is he’s a worker, he hasn’t missed a day, cares about what’s going on, and I think the type of person that he is has really helped him become a great player pretty quickly.” This was after just eight games. A few years later, Ryans was the first player I saw wearing a championship cap after the Texans clinched a division title and their first trip to the playoffs. Ryans fell to his knees in prayer on that day in the visiting locker room in Cincinnati after the team watched the end of the Saints-Titans game that locked up the postseason berth. He had put in a lot of work to help the Texans get that far. He wasn’t healthy that year, but he played every game. Two games into the 2011 season, Wade Phillips said Ryans knew the Texans defense better than he did, and Phillips is the one who invented it. I felt Ryans’ pain when he tore his Achilles tendon a year after I tore mine. I hurt when he hurt as he was slow to return to form. And I celebrated when he got healthy and led the Eagles in tackles in backto-back seasons. But he didn’t look right in Eagles green. He didn’t look right in whatever color that is the 49ers wear. Ryans belong in deep steel blue. As soon as Ryans became a coach, it was clear that one day he would be a head coach. That it is with the Texans seems right. Ryans belongs here. And the Texans made a smart decision to bring him home. [email protected] twitter.com/jeromesolomon SOLOMON From page C1 Brett Coomer/Staff photographer DeMeco Ryans (59) earned the respect of his coaches and fellow players early in his six-season tenure with the Texans. x-Interim coach

C4 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HHHH HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE W L Pct GB Denver 35 16 .686 — Memphis 32 18 .640 2½ Sacramento 28 21 .571 6 L.A. Clippers 29 25 .537 7½ Golden State 26 24 .520 8½ Dallas 27 25 .519 8½ Phoenix 27 25 .519 8½ Minnesota 27 26 .509 8½ Utah 26 26 .500 9½ New Orleans 26 26 .500 9½ Oklahoma City 24 26 .480 10½ Portland 24 26 .480 10½ L.A. Lakers 24 28 .462 11½ San Antonio 14 37 .275 21 Houston 12 38 .240 22½ EASTERN CONFERENCE W L Pct GB Boston 36 15 .706 — Milwaukee 34 17 .667 2 Philadelphia 32 17 .653 3 Brooklyn 31 19 .620 4½ Cleveland 31 22 .585 6 Miami 29 23 .558 7½ New York 27 25 .519 9½ Atlanta 25 26 .490 11 Washington 24 26 .480 11½ Indiana 24 28 .462 12½ Chicago 23 27 .460 12½ Toronto 23 29 .442 13½ Orlando 20 31 .392 16 Charlotte 15 37 .288 21½ Detroit 13 39 .250 23½ Monday’s results Orlando 119, Philadelphia 109 Brooklyn 121, L.A. Lakers 104 Golden State 128, Oklahoma City 120 Washington 127, San Antonio 106 Sacramento 118, Minnesota 111 (OT) Dallas 111, Detroit 105 Phoenix 114, Toronto 106 Portland 129, Atlanta 125 Tuesday’s results Miami 100, Cleveland 97 L.A. Lakers 129, New York 123 (OT) L.A. Clippers 108, Chicago 103 Milwaukee 124, Charlotte 115 Denver 122, New Orleans 113 Wednesday’s games Orlando at Philadelphia, 6 p.m. Portland at Memphis, 6 p.m. Washington at Detroit, 6 p.m. Brooklyn at Boston, 6:30 p.m. Golden State at Minnesota, 7 p.m. Oklahoma City at Houston, 7 p.m. Sacramento at San Antonio, 7 p.m. Toronto at Utah, 8 p.m. Atlanta at Phoenix, 9 p.m. AT A GLANCE LEBRON WITHIN 89 POINTS OF BECOMING TOP SCORER LeBron James moved within 89 points of breaking the NBA’s career scoring record and climbed into fourth place on the assists list, finishing with a triple-double in his return to Madison Square Garden as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 129-123 on Tuesday night. James had 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, with the points giving him 38,299 for his career. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the leader with 38,387. But James’ game has always been about more than scoring, as he proved again Tuesday. He fed Dennis Schroder for a 3-pointer that snapped a 118-all tie with 3:13 left, grabbed his 10th rebound later in the extra period and then powered to the basket for a 127-121 lead with 19 seconds to go. James had earlier moved ahead of Mark Jackson and then Steve Nash into fourth place on the assists list during his first game at Madison Square Garden in three years. Anthony Davis added 27 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who had dropped two straight to open their trip. Both James and Davis had sat out their loss Monday in Brooklyn. Jalen Brunson scored 37 points and Julius Randle had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. TUESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 18 rebounds as the Bucks beat Charlotte for their fifth straight win. The Bucks withstood a tripledouble from Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, who had 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. … Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists as the Nuggets held off the Pelicans. The Western Conference leaders improved to 16-0 when Jokic has a triple-double … The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points in a win over the Bulls. Wire reports NOTEBOOK UP NEXT ROCKETS VS. THUNDER When/where: 7 p.m. Wed. at Toyota Center. TV/radio: ATTSW; 790 AM, 93.3 FM (Spanish), 1010 AM (Spanish) The Rockets are getting quite used to being shorthanded, with seemingly every game an exercise of musical chairs to see who will be on the injury report and who will not. Wednesday’s home game against the Thunder will be no different. The Rockets will get starting center Alperen Sengun back after he missed Saturday’s win against the Pistons with an illness. But Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. remains out for the 10th straight game with a bruised big toe, while his backcourt mate Jalen Green is out for a second consecutive game with a bruised right calf. Things are slightly looking up, as Houston got its only two wins of the month within the past four games. The Rockets have also beaten the Thunder in the past three meetings, including a 118-105 win at Toyota Center in November. But Oklahoma City is surging right now, with six wins in its past nine games to put the Thunders’ rebuild ahead of schedule and the team two games back from the 10th seed in the Western Conference. Here are five things to watch in Wednesday’s game: Rolling Thunder The Thunder have won nine games in January, six against teams in playoff position, including takedowns of the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics and Western Conference-leading Nuggets. Oklahoma City trails only Denver for the NBA’s second-best net rating this month, ranking third in offensive rating and tied for sixth in defensive rating. The Thunder are scoring 121.1 points per game in January, fourth in the NBA, and shooting a leaguebest 40.7 percent on 3- pointers. Defense has been a major difference, with the Thunder holding their opponents to 113.4 points per game, 46.2 percent shooting, 33.6 percent 3-point shooting and forcing 16.1 turnovers per game in January after allowing 116 points per game, 46.8 percent shooting, 36.9 percent 3-point shooting and forcing 16.3 turnovers per game in December. Clash of rising stars Both the Rockets and Thunder have fortified their rebuilds with rising stars, or at least players deemed as such by the NBA in Tuesday’s announcement of the Rising Stars roster for All-Star weekend. Houston is the only NBA team that had three players picked for this year’s Rising Stars games, with Green and Sengun selected for the second year in a row and rookie Jabari Smith Jr. getting an invite as well. Oklahoma City is one of five teams with two players on the Rising Stars roster, rookie guard Jalen Williams and secondyear guard Josh Giddey. So Wednesday’s game at Toyota Center will feature more than 17 percent of the 28-player pool for the Feb. 17 event in Salt Lake City, which includes seven NBA G League players in addition to 11 NBA rookies and 10 NBA second-year players. Filling Green’s shoes Wednesday will be just Green’s second game missed due to injury this season. The Rockets are 1-1 when he does not play, losing to the Clippers when Green was suspended and beating the Pistons on Saturday when he sat out with a bruised calf. Green is Houston’s leading scorer, secondleading assist maker and leader in 3-point field goals per game. The second-year guard, who will turn 21 next week, has shown he is capable of taking over a game. He has eight 30-plus-point performances this season, five of which were in Rockets wins against Minnesota, Orlando, Atlanta, Phoenix and Milwaukee. Coach Stephen Silas on Tuesday refuted the idea that the young Rockets need Green to lead them to unexpected wins, saying, “I don’t think it’s just on Jalen, I think it’s on the whole group.” Yet the scouting report opposing teams have for the Rockets is made much easier when Green isn’t on it, and easier still when Porter isn’t, either. Other Rockets like Sengun, K.J. Martin, Eric Gordon and Tari Eason have stepped up and played well when the team has been shorthanded, but the Rockets do not have among them a go-to guy or high-volume scoring guard to fill the void left when Green is not on the court. Rotation up for grabs Almost to the All-Star break, the Rockets still have a job opening for backup center behind Sengun. It is unclear whether the position is full-time or part-time. Usman Garuba appeared to have won the job when he played in five straight games from Jan. 13-21, but then Silas gave it to Bruno Fernando for the next three games. On Saturday in Detroit, with assistant coach John Lucas leading the team while Silas attended his father’s memorial and Sengun out sick, the Rockets started Smith at center, played Fernando for 16 minutes and Garuba for 19. “It’s just matchupbased sometimes, and when I make a change, I don’t want to just make a change for one game,” Silas said. “I want to give guys a good stretch of games so we can really evaluate.” The same goes for the guards who are getting minutes that typically belong to Porter and Green, Silas said. The Rockets have featured a different starting backcourt in each of the past three games. Josh Christopher has played in the past 10 consecutive games and earned his first start of the season against Cleveland on Jan. 26. Daishen Nix started his first game of the season on Jan. 15 in Los Angeles, did not play in five games after that, came off the bench against Cleveland and started again in Detroit. TyTy Washington has logged DNPs in three of the past eight games. “I don’t plan on switching it up too much. But whoever wants it, can take it,” Silas said of his guard rotation. “So that’s the great part of this opportunity for those guys is the opportunity is there for them to take.” Turnover discrepancy As the NBA’s worst turnover offenders, the Rockets generally have a large turnover discrepancy compared to any team in the league. The gap is particularly wide with the Thunder, who average the eighth-fewest turnovers in the NBA, 13.8 per game compared to the Rockets’ 17.1. The Thunder accomplish this while playing at a pace that ranks as the third-fastest in the NBA, behind only the Warriors and Lakers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey, the team’s top two scorers and assist leaders, have assist-to-turnover ratios of 1.85 and 1.90. On the other side, Oklahoma City is averaging the second-most points off turnovers in (20.2), trailing only the Toronto Raptors (20.9). [email protected] twitter.com/danielle_lerner FIVE THINGS TO WATCH: ROCKETS VS. THUNDER Full lineup still nowhere in sight By Danielle Lerner STAFF WR ITER Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Rockets forward Bruno Fernando has split time with Usman Garuba as the team’s backup center, logging 16 minutes Saturday against Detroit to Garuba’s 19. Three weeks after he injured his toe during the first of the Rockets’ two games in Sacramento, point guard Kevin Porter Jr. seems no closer to returning. Porter will miss his 10th consecutive game on Wednesday when the Rockets play the Thunder. He said on Tuesday that he has not begun any basketball activities and has no target return date in mind. Porter has not practiced since his injury. Although the Rockets have continued to describe his ailment as a left foot contusion, Porter and coach Stephen Silas both said the problem is pain in Porter’s left big toe. That is as specific a diagnosis as has been revealed. “It’s just irritated. It’s something to do with my joint, but it’ll be fine,” Porter said. “We’ve just been taking it a day at a time, really. You know, I sometimes shoot in my free time. I dribble the ball all day every day when I'm at home, and I do those little things but as far as participating, everything like that, we're taking it a day at a time.” Porter’s injury occurred on Jan. 11 when he collided with teammate Jae’Sean Tate, who was pushed into Porter by Kings guard Malik Monk in a foul that was later upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty 1, a foul that the NBA deems “unnecessary.” “Monk, he's not a dirty player, so I don't think it was intentional but it was a freakish accident,” Porter said. “At the time it was bad. I tried to reject it right when JT (Tate) was coming off the wiper, and you know, it was a physical wiper. So it was just a freakish accident. I think it was just unfortunate.” Porter said that initially, he did not think the injury would linger as long as it has. This is his longest absence since he missed 12 consecutive games during the first half of last season while dealing with a bruised thigh. Adding insult to injury in Sacramento was how well Porter had been playing. In his last 10 games prior to the injury, Porter averaged 22.7 points, 6.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds while making 50 percent of his field goals and 41.4 percent of 3-pointers. “I always tell myself it sucks, but injuries are a part of the game,” he said. “I try not to get too low and I try not to get too high with things, so just when it happens, just staying poised and attacking it how I can and controlling what I can has been keeping me in the right headspace.” While the physical part of his rehab has progressed slower than normal and will likely necessitate an adjustment period upon his eventual return, Porter refuted the idea that his mental bounceback will require the same patience. “Nah, I stay ready,” he said. “And I'm gonna be ready when it's time.” Danielle Lerner Green, Sengun join Rising Stars The Rockets’ rebuilding has relegated them to the bottom of the standings, but the NBA on Tuesday declared them to have a plentiful collection of Rising Stars. Second-year players Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun were named to return to the Rising Stars Challenge during the All-Star weekend along with rookie Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets are the only team that will have three representatives in the Rising Stars games on Feb. 17 in Salt Lake City. The Rockets also had three players in the Rising Star tournament last season with Tate, Green and Sengun playing in Cleveland. Tari Eason, who leads NBA rookies in steals per game while ranking fifth in rebounds and averaging 8.4 points per game, was not included in the player poor for the Rising Stars games. Green is the leading scorer among secondyear players, averaging 21.7 points per game. Sengun is the leading rebounder, averaging 8.9 per game, in addition to his 15.5 points per game on 57.5 percent shooting and 3.6 assists. Smith, the third pick of the draft, has averaged 11.9 points, sixth among rookies, and is third in rebounds, averaging seven per game. Jonathan Feigen ROCKETS NOTEBOOK Porter still not practicing after left foot injury Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. will miss his 10th straight game on Wednesday against the Thunder. STAFF REPORTS

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 C5 AUSTIN — It has been a few years since February’s national signing day was the main event of the offseason for college football programs. The advent of the early signing period in 2017 has steadily shifted the focus to the end of the year. To wit: Texas signed 24 high school seniors in December and added four more college veterans from the NCAA transfer portal. The traditional signing day isn’t obsolete, though. Coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are still working to add a few more prospects to the program’s 2023 class, which features the nation’s top quarterback (Arch Manning), running back (Cedric Baxter Jr.) and linebacker (Anthony Hill) and ranks third in the nation overall, per 247Sports’ rankings. “I thought we addressed a lot of needs that we felt like we had, but also kind of addressed the progress of our program and where we wanted to head,” Sarkisian said Dec. 21. “I felt like we needed to really solidify the linebacker position, and I thought we did that really well in this class. I thought we recruited two really good runners, got a quarterback, got two good receivers, got three really good (defensive backs), got big upfront on the O- and D-line, got two good tight ends.” Even with 14 new freshman and that quartet of transfers now on campus, Texas has remained active in its pursuit of a few lingering blue-chip prospects to stack on top of the Big 12’s top-ranked signing class. Here’s a brief look at three of Sarkisian’s top targets heading into Wednesday’s national signing day. Warren Roberson, DB, Red Oak, 6-0/180 Red Oak’s Warren Roberson committed to TCU on Halloween but opted not to submit his national letter of intent during the early signing period. That’s created an air of intrigue around the fourstar safety, who last week took an official visit to Texas. Ranked No. 22 at his position, he is the only top-50 safety yet to sign this cycle, according to 247Sports. While he also showed potential at receiver and in the return game at Red Oak, Roberson is expected to start his collegiate career in the secondary. Roberson also took official visits to Arizona State and USC this month, a sign he still wasn’t fully settled on signing with the Horned Frogs even after first-year coach Sonny Dykes guided the program to the College Football Playoff championship game. Duce Robinson, TE, Phoenix Pinnacle, 6-6/225 The nation’s No. 1 tight end, Phoenix Pinnacle superstar Duce Robinson reportedly will delay his decision beyond national signing day, according to Chad Simmons of On3Sports. As a senior, Robinson recorded 84 receptions for 1,614 yards with 14 touchdowns in 14 games. As a junior he finished with 972 yards and eight scores on 60 catches Texas has made a late push to sign Robinson, who’s also weighing offers from reigning national champion Georgia, USC and Alabama. But Robinson, an elite baseball talent, might never step onto a collegiate campus as a football player. The towering 6-6 athlete is considering all of his options, which includes entering the 2023 MLB draft. Robinson recently worked out with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jonathon Davis, DL, Monticello (Miss.), 6-5/305 Texas didn’t offer Monticello (Miss.) three-star defensive lineman Jonathon Davis until Jan. 21. But with Texas likely moving into the SEC next year, Sarkisian remains eager to load up on beefy linemen. The late bloomer has received several offers this month, with Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Coastal Carolina also getting into the mix. Ranked sixth among in-state prospects and 48th among all defensive lineman, he reportedly is leaning toward Missisippi State or Ole Miss. [email protected] twitter.com/nrmoyle TEXAS FOOTBALL Horns to put final touches on elite class By Nick Moyle STAFF WR ITER Tim Warner/Getty Images Texas already has landed the No. 1 quarterback in the 2023 class, Arch Manning, center, and is making a late push to add No. 1 tight end Duce Robinson, right. cades,” said Chris Pezman, UH’s vice president for athletics. The rest of the home schedule includes West Virginia (Oct. 12), Cincinnati (Nov. 11) and Oklahoma State (Nov. 18). Along with Texas Tech and Baylor, the road portion of the schedule includes defending Big 12 champion Kansas State (Oct. 28) and UCF (Nov. 25). Inclusion in a Power Five conference has been UH’s desire for decades, a journey that has taken them from 17 years in Conference USA to the last 10 in the American Athletic Conference. The dream became a reality for the Cougars in 2021 after Texas and Oklahoma accepted an invitation to join the Southeastern Conference, opening the door for UH, Cincinnati, Central Florida and BYU to join the Big 12. The four newcomers will officially join the Big 12 on July 1. After years of making long road trips and hosting teams with no geographical appeal, the Cougars will, in their first Big 12 season, renew some of the biggest rivalries in program history. “It’s a new frontier for us,” Pezman said. • Texas has not played on the UH campus since 2001. The Cougars’ last win over the Longhorns was in 1991. • Baylor and UH last played in 1995; a replacement game set up in 2021 never happened due to COVID issues. • UH and TCU met four times as members in C-USA (2001-04) and last played in the 2007 Texas Bowl. • UH and Texas Tech have played four times in the last six years, including the Red Raiders’ 33-30 win in double overtime in Lubbock last season. Getting a marquee opponent such as TCU — which became the first Texas school to qualify for the four-team College Football Playoff and reached the title game — as the Big 12 opener at home was a major coup for UH, along with a visit by the Longhorns in what could be their final year in the Big 12. “I can’t be more excited and can’t wait,” Pezman said. “It’s hard to look ahead with what we have going on with all of our other programs this spring, but it’s exciting.” UH has wanted to play the Longhorns for years, even discussing a lesser buyout for former football coach Tom Herman in 2016 in exchange for a home-and-home football and men’s basketball series. UT officials balked at the proposal. “When we saw that was a possibility (to play UT in our first season in the Big 12), we were very excited to say the least,” Pezman said. UH’s only open date comes Oct. 7, sandwiched between the trip to Lubbock and a Thursday night game against West Virginia, the first meeting between the schools and a reunion for Cougars coach Dana Holgorsen and his former team. UH will play seven home games, including the season opener against UTSA on Sept. 2 and another nonconference game Sept. 23 against Sam Houston, which makes the transition to FBS and Conference USA. With the Sept. 9 Bayou Bucket clash at Rice, another former SWC member, the Cougars play six of their first seven games inside the city limits. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle in late January, Pezman said the school has no plans to move any Big 12 games to NRG Stadium. “We’re not moving any games anywhere else,” Pezman said. “That’s not happening. We have a chance to really take advantage of being on campus. We built a stadium for a reason. TDECU extended their naming rights for a reason. Our fans deserve that.” The Cougars won’t play Oklahoma, Iowa State, BYU or Kansas in 2023. The Big 12 Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the regular-season standings will play in the game. [email protected] twitter.com/joseph_duarte UH From page C1 Leslie Plaza Johnson/Contributor UH will host TCU, Texas, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State in its debut Big 12 season. Rory McIlroy made birdie on the final hole Monday to edge Patrick Reed in Dubai, in a tournament rife with conflict and controversy. Max Homa surged past Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa, among other top players, to take the PGA Tour event Saturday in San Diego. Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson used to reliably make the mid-winter trip to the Monterey Peninsula, becoming the tourpro faces of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am over the past 15 years. None of those players are coming to Pebble this week. Let’s be honest: The professional field for this AT&T is woefully short on big names, in part because of the lingering feud between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The only top 20 players at Pebble, according to the latest world ranking, are Patrick Cantlay (No. 5), Matthew Fitzpatrick (10) and Jordan Spieth (16). And of those three, only Spieth resonates with casual fans. So the tournament’s totally transparent strategy: Celebrities, celebrities, more celebrities. The 2023 edition will severely test Bing Crosby’s unique concept. He long ago launched the “Clambake” as an uncommon way for the sports and entertainment worlds to mingle, decades before Greg Norman grabbed piles of shady Saudi Arabian cash and upended the game. Top golfers always showed up over the years — witness Mickelson’s five wins and Tiger Woods’ stirring charge to victory in 2000 — but the Crosbyturned-AT&T stood out because of its enduring, good-natured vibe. Laughter, smiles, fun. The golf matters, sure, but in a different way. Nowit will fall on Buster Posey, Gareth Bale and Jason Bateman, most notably, to keep the Pro-Am relevant on Northern California’s crowded sports landscape. This is a familiar lament, because the AT&T has long struggled to attract marquee pros. They historically stayed away because of sketchy weather, long rounds and bumpy greens. Tournament officials shrunk the field, shortening the rounds. Mother Nature mostly cooperated. Some players came back. Now the challenge is magnified by the PGA Tour’s fight with LIV Golf, which lured Mickelson, Johnson, Reed and other top players. Any sense of decorum disappeared into a rare, lively tussle. The tour responded by throwing its own bundles of cash at certain “designated” events, intended to bring its top players together more often. Next week’s tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz., landed the coveted “designated” label and a $20 million purse, as did the following week’s event in Los Angeles. This week’s purse at Pebble is $9 million, creating another sizable obstacle for tournament director Steve John to overcome. It’s akin to John trying to post up 7-footer Pau Gasol, one of this year’s first-time celebrities. “It is weird to think golf could change that quickly,” John said. “But evolution is good, change is good in all sports. Maybe we’ll look backin three years and say, ‘This is good, I get it.’ … “Would I love to have Phil and Dustin here? Absolutely. They’re past champions. But I can’t, that’s beyond my control.” John thus leans on his event’s distinctive format and extraordinary setting. That’s a selling point more than ever: Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course, all tucked alongside the gorgeous coastline. Those blimp shots are still invigorating, especially for house-bound folks in the frigid East and Midwest. John also has made a conscious effort to keep the amateur/celebrity field fresh. Bill Murray and Ray Romano can only carry the banner for so long. That’s why the presence of Posey, a three-time World Series champion with the Giants, can only help. Posey will play in the Pro-Am for the first time since 2015. Also consider Bale, a global soccer star (with nearly 50 million Instagram followers) making his tournament debut. Bateman, an actor known for his work on “Arrested Development” and more recently “Ozark,” also will play for the first time, alongside his friend Will Arnett (also from “Arrested Development”). Even so, Crosby’s idea had more of a fighting chance with big-time pros when the playing field was level with other PGA Tour events. That’s not the case anymore. The battle with LIV prompted tour officials to create two tiers, and Pebble clearly did not come out aheadin the split. Maybe the tour will rotate “designated” events from year to year, to spread its resources more equitably. Or maybe tournaments such as the AT&T are simply on their own, left to navigate golf’s new world order without a blueprint. “It’s a valid question,” John said. “We have our own unique model with the pro-am, the celebrities and athletes, great history and tradition. … We’re the only tournament on the PGA Tour with three top 100 courses.” In a curious twist, the AT&T occasionally turns to the “secret sauce” of its celebrity field to boost the pro list. One example: Webb Simpson will return for the first time in six years, in part because he’s friends with comedian Nate Bargatze, who is making his Pro-Am debut. John smartly played along, granting Simpson’s request to team with Bargatze. Simpson brings some cachet, as a seventime tour winner. He’s no McIlroy or Mickelson, but John must take small victories wherever he can. It’s a new day in golf, even for old favorites like the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. GOLF Pebble Beach loses star power as PGA tries to combat LIV Meg Oliphant/Getty Images No. 9 Patrick Cantlay is the highest of the three top 20 players in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. By Ron Kroichick SAN FRANC ISCO CHRON ICLE 2023 UH SCHEDULE Date Opponent Sept. 2 vs. UTSA Sept. 9 at Rice Sept. 16 vs. TCU Sept. 23 vs. Sam Houston Sept. 30 at Texas Tech Oct. 12 vs. West Virginia Oct. 21 vs. Texas Oct. 28 at Kansas State Nov. 4 at Baylor Nov. 11 vs. Cincinnati Nov. 18 vs. Oklahoma State Nov. 25 at Central Florida

C6 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HHHH HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM COLLEGE BASKETBALL FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Davonte Davis and Ricky Council IV scored 19 points apiece and Arkansas never trailed in an 81-70 victory over Texas A&M on Tuesday night. Davis sank 4 of 8 shots from 3-point range for the Razorbacks (15-7, 4-5 Southeastern Conference). Council added six rebounds and four assists. Jordan Walsh had 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Anthony Black pitched in with 11 points, seven assists and five boards. Makhel Mitchell totaled nine points, 13 rebounds and a season-high seven blocked shots as Arkansas finished with 13 blocks. Henry Coleman III and Wade Taylor IV both scored 18 to lead the Aggies (15-7, 7-2), who have won just one game in the last 35 years on Arkansas' home floor. Coleman added 15 rebounds. Tyrece Radford contributed 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. A&M, which came in making an average of 18.7 free throws per game — second in the nation — hit just 14 of 24. NO. 8 KANSAS 90 NO. 7 KANSAS STATE 78 Jalen Wilson had 20 points, Kevin McCullar Jr. added 16 points and 13 rebounds, and the Jayhawks avenged a loss to the visiting Wildcats just a couple of weeks ago. Dajuan Harris Jr. scored 18 for Kansas (18-4, 6-3 Big 12), which built a 12-point halftime lead before coasting to its 17th straight home win over Kansas State in the 10th matchup of top-10 teams in series history. Markquis Nowell scored 23 points and Keyontae Johnson had 22 for the Wildcats (18-4, 6-3), who were trying for their first regular-season sweep of their rival in four decades. NO. 15 TCU 76, WEST VIRGINIA 72 Damion Baugh had 16 points and 10 assists, big man Eddie Lampkin Jr. made an unexpected return from injury and the Horned Frogs overcame the absence of top scorer Mike Miles Jr. to beat the Mountaineers at Fort Worth. JaKobe Coles had 17 points, Shahada Wells 16 and Xavier Cork 15 for TCU (17-5, 6-3 Big 12), which wrapped up the first half of its conference schedule in a four-way tie with Kansas State, Kansas and Iowa State for second place, one game behind Texas. Miles is out with a hyperextended right knee. Lampkin missed two games with a high ankle sprain but made a surprise appearance afte 5½ minutes and scored two points in eight minutes of action. NO. 4 ALABAMA 101 VANDERBILT 44 Brandon Miller scored 22 points to help the host Crimson Tide rout the Commodores for the school's largest margin of victory over a SEC opponent. Alabama shot 59 percent from the field and 46 percent on 3-pointers in the fourth largest win in school history. BOSTON COLLEGE 62 NO. 20 CLEMSON 54 Makai Ashton-Langford had two key driving baskets in the closing two minutes and finished with 15 points to help the host Eagles beat the Tigers. BC held Clemson to one field goal — with 18 seconds left — in the final 13:16. MARYLAND 66, NO. 21 INDIANA 55 Jahmir Young scored 20 points, Donta Scott added 19 and the Terrapains snapped the Hoosiers’ five-game winning streak with a victory at College Park, Md. Women NO. 20 OKLAHOMA 101, TCU 78 Madi Williams scored 11 of her 26 points in the first half to help the Sooners roll to a home win and snap a two-game skid. TUESDAY’S GAMES Hogs enjoy block party at expense of Aggies W IRE REPORTS Texas, being Texas, thinks it has options. Rodney Terry can prove it doesn’t need them. Texas, being Texas, thinks it can hire any coach it wants. Terry can spare it the danger of pursuing the wrong one. Texas, being Texas, thinks its situation is complicated. Terry can show it doesn’t have to be. For now, all the Longhorns are letting Terry be is a caretaker. He’s the man in charge of one of the best college basketball teams in the country, one that looks formidable and well-prepared and almost uncharacteristically poised in big moments. But there’s an “interim” in front of Terry’s job title, and it’s almost certain to stay there for at least the next six weeks. “Hold the rope!” Terry urged his players this week, but he’s trying to do more than that. His Longhorns, ranked No. 10 in the country, are sitting atop a conference they haven’t won since 2008, beating opponents that have tormented them for years, and putting themselves in position to end one of the most mystifying NCAA tournament droughts the sport ever has seen. And if they end up making the leap 14 previous Texas men’s basketball teams couldn’t? The Longhorns would be crazy to assume they can do better than the leader they did not choose but might have needed all along. Granted, we’re getting ahead of ourselves, which is something Texas has done before. This is far from the first time over the past decade and a half when the Longhorns have looked like national contenders in January. The long-standing tradition is to have all of that enthusiasm and goodwill disintegrate by mid-March. If that happens again, there will be resistance, if not refusal, to sticking with Terry, the 54-year-old Texan and coaching lifer who took over when Chris Beard was arrested on a domestic violence charge in early December. Beard was suspended, then dismissed, and Terry is handling everything from recruiting to gameplanning to appearing on the Longhorn Network show that now bears his name. Texas, of course, has made no announcements about Terry’s role beyond this season, and isn’t commenting on any potential search. But with their deep-pocketed donors and unwavering belief in their own appeal, the Longhorns tend to aim high during coaching searches, whether their targets are realistic or not. Another first-weekend NCAA tournament exit this March probably will lead to another round of big-name hunting. Terry doesn’t fit that description. The St. Edward’s alumnus, who served 10 seasons as a Texas assistant for Rick Barnes before head coaching stints at Fresno State and UTEP, is the kind of guy who never would have received an interview for the job he has now under normal circumstances. But as Beard’s top assistant, he got the gig by default last month. Nothing, though, about his tenure so far has suggested he’s just a place-filler. The Longhorns are 12-3 under Terry, including Monday’s rousing 76-71 victory over a No. 11 Baylor program that had beaten UT in 12 of the previous 13 meetings. They’re finishing games strong. With rare exceptions, they’re defending well. With even rarer exceptions, they’re scoring like crazy. And they’re doing this for a man who still doesn’t know if he’ll be allowed to keep his job into April, and doesn’t seem to be bothered by this. “We’re just living in the moment,” Terry said Monday. “I’m having fun.” He might as well, because the truth is he can’t guarantee himself of anything until March. The Longhorns, who year after year land elite recruits who go on to the NBA, have not made the Sweet 16 since 2008. It’s, to use a term favored by Terry’s mentor, “baffling.” And if that streak continues, the job of ending it might be passed along to another coach. But if Terry ends it? How can UT justify not rewarding him with a new contract and a permanent title? Barnes couldn’t get to the Sweet 16 with Kevin Durant or Avery Bradley or Myles Turner. Shaka Smart couldn’t get there with Jarrett Allen or Mo Bamba. Beard couldn’t get there with the nucleus Terry has now, plus veteran guards Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey. Terry isn’t just trying to maintain the status quo. He’s making the team better. If that leads to the Sweet 16, he should get the chance to do it again. Does it seem silly to base a huge decision regarding the future of the program on one weekend of the NCAA tournament? Sure, but that’s the nature of college basketball. Everybody’s judged by March Madness, fairly or not. It only makes sense that if Terry passes where his predecessors failed, the Longhorns should be ecstatic to keep him. It's not as though he has any glaring weaknesses. The two national Top 20 recruits in Texas’ current signing class have made public statements reaffirming their commitment to the Longhorns under Terry. The talent should keep flowing into Austin, just as it always has. But because Texas is Texas, there will be talk of a higher standard than the Sweet 16, however historically inaccurate that is. Because Texas is Texas, there will be a temptation to overthink this. Because Texas is Texas, there will be way too many people in power weighing what they believe is a tough decision. Meanwhile Terry, doing more than holding the rope, has a chance to show them it can be easy after all. [email protected] twitter.com/mikefinger Monday’s game No. 10 Texas 76 No. 11 Baylor 71 BAYLOR (16-6) Bridges 6-10 0-0 13, Thamba 1-4 3-4 5, Cryer 7-17 2-2 19, Flagler 4-12 1-1 11, George 5-18 5-5 17, Bonner 1-3 1-2 3, Ojianwuna 1-3 0-0 2, Lohner 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 25-68 13-16 71. TEXAS (18-4) Allen 7-10 4-5 18, Disu 1-2 3-4 5, Mitchell 2-2 1-4 5, Carr 2-8 0-0 5, Hunter 5-17 0-0 13, Rice 5-7 7-8 21, Cunningham 1-1 0-0 2, Bishop 1-3 1-2 3, Morris 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 26-55 16-23 76. Halftime: Texas 38-36. 3-Point Goals: Baylor 8-26 (Cryer 3-6, Flagler 2-7, George 2-8, Bridges1-3, Bonner 0-2), Texas 8-22 (Rice 4-5, Hunter 3-12, Carr1-3, Morris 0-2).Fouled Out: Thamba.Rebounds: Baylor 29 (Bridges 7), Texas 35 (Mitchell 7). Assists: Baylor 9 (Flagler 4), Texas 14 (Allen 4). Total Fouls: Baylor 17, Texas 18. UP NEXT TEXAS AT KANSAS STATE When/where: 3 p.m. Saturday at Manhattan, Kan. TV/radio: ESPN2; 790 AM. College basketball fans are always arguing about how their teams stack up — and how their conferences compare. Partisans of all the big leagues love to crow on message boards about their dominance or disparage competing conferences. So, as the men’s basketball season heads into its final months, which conference is on top? The Big Ten? Sure, Purdue is No. 1. The Southeastern Conference? Yep, Tennessee is No. 2. Arizona and UCLA of the Pac-12 are playing well, too. But the best and deepest conference this season is the Big 12. To be sure, the Big 12 has been consistently strong in recent years. The past two national titles went to Kansas and Baylor, after all. But what’s different this season is its depth: Not just three or four teams, but eight or nine in the 10-team Big 12 are playing at a high level this season. Going into Tuesday’s games, the Big 12 had six teams in the top 15 of The Associated Press Top 25, six in the top 20 of Ken Pomeroy’s computer ratings and six in the top 25 of Jeff Sagarin’s ratings. ESPN’s Bracketology currently predicts that the conference will get NCAA tournament bids for eight of its 10 teams, with a ninth just missing out. Last season, it got six teams in. The dominance was made even clearer Saturday, when Big 12 teams were 7-3 against SEC teams in their interconference challenge event. In the most eyeopening game, unranked Oklahoma, which is only 2-6 in Big 12 play, smashed then-No. 2 Alabama 93-69 behind 30 points from guard Grant Sherfield. The Big 12’s success has come even though the depth brings with it an unfortunate handicap: The teams have to play most of the second half of the season against one another. So almost every night a strong Big 12 team is losing to another strong Big 12 team. Those extra losses on the record often bring less respect from Top 25 voters and sometimes the NCAA seeding committee. Nevertheless, ESPN’s Bracketology projects the Big 12 to receive two 2 seeds (Kansas and Texas), a 3 seed (Kansas State) and three 4 seeds (Baylor, Iowa State and TCU) of its eight projected tournament teams. Even the teams at the bottom of the Big 12 are pretty good. Oklahoma, Alabama’s recent vanquisher, is tied in second-tolast place in the conference standings but is ranked in the 30s or 40s nationally by computers and could well make the tournament. Last-place Texas Tech has a 1-8 conference record but is still ranked in the top 65 by most computers and won its challenge game as well, beating LSU. Like all conferences, the Big 12 will lose some quality players to the NBA next season, with Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson of Kansas and Keyonte George of Baylor projected to be firstround draft picks. But the conference will also get a potential jolt: The Big 12 next season will add BYU, Central Florida and Cincinnati, respectable programs if not currently world-beaters. And it also will add Houston, which is currently the No. 3 team in the country. That should help take some of the sting out of losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC for the 2025-26 season, if not earlier. In the end, the Big 12 will inevitably be judged by how it performs in the NCAA tournament, and the one-and-done nature of that event leaves a wide range of possible outcomes. But as of now, the conference is looking as robust as it has in years. Big 12’s depth makes it best in the nation By Victor Mather NEW YORK T IME S Garett Fisbeck/Associated Press Milos Uzan (12) and Oklahoma showed how good the depths of the Big 12 are with an upset win over then-No. 2 Alabama. TEXAS Terry more than just a placeholder MIKE FINGER COMMENTARY Stephen Spillman/Associated Press Texas interim head coach Rodney Terry, with forward Dillon Mitchell, has led No. 10 Texas to a 12-3 record since taking over for fired Chris Beard, including a big win Monday over No. 11 Baylor.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 C7 MLB The Astros signed reliever Ty Buttrey to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to major league spring training. Buttrey, who announced the news on his Twitter account, pitched for the Los Angeles Angels from 2018-20. He compiled a 4.30 ERA and 1.296 WHIP across 115 innings during his Angels tenure, most of which he spent as a lateinning option. Buttrey briefly retired from the sport in 2021 at 28, citing his “love and passion for this game (starting) to diminish.” Buttrey’s decision came after he did not make the Angels’ opening day roster out of spring training. “I’m tired of pretending and lying to the best fan base in the world,” Buttrey wrote in a sincedeleted Instagram post announcing his retirement . “Life is super simple, find your true passion, find people you love and don’t give a damn what any person outside those lines thinks. People love to have control over others.” Buttrey ended his retirement and returned to baseball last season. He threw 361⁄3 innings and sported a 5.94 ERA for the Angels’ Class AAA affiliate in Salt Lake City. A fourth-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2012, Buttrey throws a four-seam fastball that averaged 96.1 mph during his last major league season paired with a slider and changeup. Chandler Rome Mets, 2B McNeil reach 4-year deal Batting champion Jeff McNeil and the New York Mets finalized a $50 million, four-year contract Tuesday that avoided a salary arbitration hearing. The move was the latest by the high-spending Mets, who added pitcher Justin Verlander and David Robertson, catcher Omar Narváez and outfielder Tommy Pham and also reached a $162 million, eight-year deal to keep outfielder Brandon Nimmo. “It starts with ownership,” McNeil said at a news conference. “They want to put a winner on the field. It’s been pretty amazing to see what that’s looked like the last few years.” He gets $6.25 million this year, $10.25 million in 2024 and $15.75 million in each of the following two years. The Mets have a $15.75 million option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout, a season that, if exercised, would make the agreement worth $63.75 million over five years. A two-time All-Star, McNeil led the majors with a .326 average last season. The second baseman asked for a raise from $3 million to $7.75 million this year, while New York offered $6.25 million. Ex-Astro Fowler retiring at 36 Dexter Fowler says he is retiring at age 36 after 14 major league seasons. An All-Star outfielder in 2016 when he won a World Series title with the Chicago Cubs, Fowler hit .259 with 127 homers and 517 RBIs. A 14thround pick by Colorado in the 2004 amateur draft, Fowler played for the Rockies (2008-13), Houston (2014), the Cubs (2015-16), St. Louis (2017- 20) and the Los Angeles Angels (2021). “From an 18-year-old draft pick in Colorado to a ‘vet’ in Anaheim there are a few things I will never forget,” Fowler wrote on Twitter. “Getting THAT call to the big leagues in September 2008. Wow. My world was spinning. My first ‘you’ve been traded to Houston’ heart pounding call. The feeling of bliss while hearing the words ‘All-Star.’ … Soaking wet and freezing on the field with tears in my eyes after winning the World Series in Chicago. … I’m mostly proud to look back at my career knowing that I played the game the right way and did my best to make a positive impact beyond the win.” Rays, Díaz agree to 3-year contract Tampa Bay Rays infielder Yandy Díaz agreed to a $24 million, threeyear contract on Tuesday that avoided a salary arbitration hearing. Díaz’s agreement could be worth $36 million over four seasons. The 31-year old will receive $6 million this season, $8 million in 2024 and $10 million for 2025. The 2026 club is $12 million with no buyout. There is a $1 million assignment bonus that would be payable by receiving team. Díaz has spent parts of six seasons in the majors with Cleveland (2017-18) and Tampa Bay (2019-22). He has a career average of .278 with 39 home runs and 198 RBIs. Acquired by the Rays in a three-team trade on Dec. 13, 2018, Díaz hit .296 with nine homers and 57 RBIs in 137 games last season. He notched career highs with 71 runs, 140 hits, 33 doubles, and 78 walks. Díaz was the third Rays’ arbitration-eligible player to reach a deal. MLB NOTEBOOK Astros sign Buttrey to minor league deal STAFF AND W IRE REPORTS Ralph Freso/Getty Images Reliever Ty Buttrey spent last season with the Los Angeles Angels’ Class AAA team in Salt Lake City, where he amassed a 5.94 ERA in over 36 innings. ways able to extend some of their player contracts.” The Atlanta Braves signed seven players to long-term contract extensions during Brown’s fouryear tenure as vice president of scouting, putting the club in an enviable position for the foreseeable future. Braves first baseman Matt Olson, third baseman Austin Riley, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and catcher Sean Murphy are all under team control through the 2028 season as a result of the extension frenzy, as are reigning National League Rookie of the Year Michael Harris, an outfielder, and runner-up Spencer Strider, a starting pitcher. Second baseman Ozzie Albies’ deal has two team options that could keep him in Atlanta through 2027. Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos and Liberty Media — the Braves’ ownership group — deserve far more credit for engineering the plan, but it’s clear Brown’s association to it was attractive to Crane. In World Series MVP Jeremy Peña, budding superstar Kyle Tucker and a stable of young starting pitchers, Houston has several compelling cases for contract extensions. Jose Altuve’s contract expires after next season, too, putting the onus on Brown to decide when its time to reup with the face of his new franchise. Brown and Crane both mentioned “player retention” during last week’s introductory news conference, a subtle hint at reinforcing a strategy Crane has deployed since purchasing the team in 2011. Crane has long been against the decade-long deals that dominated the free-agent market this winter, opting instead to bolster his team through trades or contract extensions. He’s never given anything longer than a four-year deal to a domestic free agent. Crane’s largest free-agent guarantee remains the $52 million he gave Josh Reddick prior to the 2017 season. Three of Crane’s biggest financial commitments in his ownership tenure arrived via contract extensions: a five-year, $100 million pact with Alex Bregman in 2019, Yordan Alvarez’s six-year, $115 million deal signed last year and Altuve’s five-year, $151 million contract from 2018. Altuve’s deal remains the largest Crane’s ever authorized. Alvarez’s sixyear extension is the longest. Each of the Braves’ seven extensions carried at least six guaranteed years. Riley received $212 million across 10 years, and Olson got $168 million for eight seasons. Unless Crane completely alters his philosophy, expecting deals of such magnitude is farfetched. Riley signed his extension in the middle of last season, one that garnered him a National League AllStar selection and a sixthplace finish in MVP voting. Olson agreed to his deal after Atlanta acquired him from the A’s last spring. At the time of their deals, Riley had three years of arbitration eligibility remaining and Olson two. Both had cemented themselves as cornerstone-type players — Riley won a Silver Slugger in 2021 and finished seventh in MVP voting, while Olson had already won two Gold Gloves and appeared in two separate MVP votes. Their payouts proved that. Where Atlanta differs from its peers is its desire to lock up premier players with a short track record. Acuña and Harris signed their extensions with less than one year of major league service time. Strider signed his following his first full major league season. Acuña and Harris each eventually captured Rookie of the Year honors. Strider finished as the runner-up and then received a six year, $75 million reward. Acuña’s eight-year, $100 million contract illustrates the peril some players and representatives have with this strategy. Since signing his deal, Acuña has made three All-Star teams, twice finished in the top-12 of MVP voting and won two Silver Sluggers, inviting wonder how much more money he could earn through arbitration or on the open market. His extension is viewed by many in the industry as extremely team friendly. Atlanta holds a $17 million club option for both the 2027 and 2028 seasons. If both are exercised, Acuña won’t be a free agent until age 31. Harris has a similar contract structure, with two club options in 2031 and 2032 that could keep him away from free agency until age 32. Given the exorbitant free-agent contracts handed out this winter, it’s worth wondering if younger players might pause in their pursuit of these types of deals. Any player considering an extensionmust weigh immediate financial security against the possibility of skyrocketing his value on the open market. Alvarez chose the former when agreeing to his extension last season — months before he was to enter the arbitration process. Bregman signed his extension before arbitration, too. Alvarez’s deal is the fifth-largest ever given to a player before reaching arbitration. Harris, Strider, Acuña and Murphy all agreed to their extensions prior to reaching arbitration. None could match Alvarez’s major league production. Alvarez is now an Astro through the 2028 season. No everyday player is under contract longer. Tucker and the team are $2.5 million apart during his first winter of arbitration eligibility and appear headed to a hearing after attempts to negotiate a multiyear deal fell apart last season. Houston is also scheduled to take starter Cristian Javier to an arbitration hearing. Any of Javier, Framber Valdez or José Urquidy is a compelling extension candidate. Peña and Luis Garcia fit the mold of many Braves extensions — young players who broke out and haven’t yet reached arbitration.With a full major league season this year, Hunter Brown could add himself into that category, one Dana Brown must sort out. [email protected] twitter.com/chandler_rome ASTROS From page C1 7:10 Source: Houston Astros Home Away 2023 Astros schedule Schedule subject to change. 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 13 24 25 26 27 28 29 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 28 29 30 24 25 26 27 DET 7:10 DET DET 1:10 CWS 1:10 MIN 3:10 PIT 5:35 MIN 1:10 MIN 1:10 CWS 7:10 CWS 1:10 PIT 5:35 PIT 11:35 TEX 7:10 TEX 6:10 TEX 6:08 TB 5:40 TB 5:40 TOR 7:10 TOR 7:10 TOR 7:10 ATL 6:20 ATL 6:20 PHI 7:10 PHI 6:10 TB 5:40 March/April May June All-Star break July 7 1 CLE 7:10 5 NYY 12:05 4 NYY 6:05 3 NYY 6:15 2 CLE 1:10 14 MIA 5:40 6 NYY 12:35 12 LAA 6:15 11 LAA 7:10 10 BAL 11:35 9 BAL 6:05 8 BAL 6:05 21 BOS 7:10 13 LAA 1:10 19 SEA 6:10 18 SEA 7:10 16 MIA 17 5:40 15 MIA 5:40 28 BOS 6:10 27 BOS 7:10 26 DET 5:10 25 DET 6:10 24 BOS 1:10 23 BOS 7:10 20 SEA 12:05 27 DET 12:40 30 BOS 31 3:10 29 BOS 6:10 2 TEX 1:35 1 TEX 3:05 10 8 SEA 6:15 7 SEA 7:10 6 SEA 7:10 5 COL 1:10 4 COL 3:10 3 TEX 1:05 17 9 SEA 1:10 15 LAA 8:07 14 LAA 8:38 11 12 13 23 OAK 3:07 23 ATL 12:30 30 PHI 6:08 16 LAA 3:07 22 OAK 8:07 21 OAK 8:40 20 OAK 8:40 19 COL 2:10 18 COL 7:40 29 TB 6:15 28 TB 7:10 26 TEX 27 7:10 25 TEX 7:10 4 LAA 1:10 3 LAA 3:10 2 LAA 7:10 11 CLE 12:40 10 CLE 5:10 9 CLE 6:10 8 TOR 6:07 7 TOR 6:07 1 LAA 7:10 6 TOR 6:07 5 TOR 6:07 18 CIN 1:10 17 CIN 3:10 16 CIN 7:10 15 WAS 7:10 14 WAS 7:10 13 WAS 7:10 12 25 LAD 3:10 24 LAD 6:15 23 LAD 9:10 21 NYM 22 1:10 20 NYM 7:10 19 NYM 7:10 30 TEX 7:05 28 SL 6:45 29 SL 6:15 27 SL 6:45 26 4 TEX 3:05 2 NYY 6:10 1 NYY 7:10 11 OAK 7:10 3 NYY 1:10 9 SD 6:10 8 SD 7:10 TEX 76 7:05 5 TEX 7:05 18 BAL 7:10 10 SD 1:10 16 KC 6:10 15 KC 7:10 13 OAK 14 6:10 12 OAK 7:10 25 SEA 8:40 1 ARI 2:10 17 KC 1:10 24 KC 1:10 23 KC 6:10 22 KC 7:10 20 BAL 21 1:10 19 BAL 7:10 30 ARI 7:10 29 ARI 8:40 27 SEA 28 8:40 26 SEA 8:40 August Sept./Oct. SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 30 TB 1:10 24 TEX 7:10 31 CLE 7:10 CWS 6:08 SEA 3:10 SEA 8:40 SEA 9:10 SF 7:10 SF 7:10 SF 1:10 CWS 1:10 CWS 6:15 CWS 7:10 LAA 3:07 LAA 8:38 LAA 8:38 OAK 1:10 MIL 6:40 OAK 3:10 OAK 7:10 CUBS 7:10 CUBS 7:10 CUBS 7:10 OAK 3:07 MIN 3:10 MIN 7:10 31 MIN 7:10 OAK 3:07 OAK 8:40 MIL 6:40 MIL 12:10 Karen Warren/Staff photographer Astros owner Jim Crane, left, praised new general manager Dana Brown as “seasoned” in retaining young talent during his time with the Atlanta Braves.

C8 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HHHH HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM Honolulu Anchorage Havana Belmopan Cancún Villahermosa Mérida Mexico City Guadalajara Monterrey Chihuahua Hermosillo Veracruz Acapulco El Paso New Orleans Dallas Washington New York Miami Atlanta Detroit Houston Chicago Minneapolis Phoenix Salt Lake City Denver Los Angeles San Francisco Portland Little Rock Seattle Boston Montreal Ottawa Toronto Thunder Bay Winnipeg Regina Saskatoon Calgary Vancouver | Go to AccuWeather.com Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2023 HOUSTON’S SEVEN-DAY FORECAST METRO AREA OUTLOOK NORTH AMERICA TODAY UV TODAY COMFORT INDEX RIVERS, CREEKS AND BAYOUS Yesterday’s readings by the Houston Health Department: Note: No measurements on weekends; charts in Sunday and Monday papers reflect forecast ratings from the previous Friday. Count percubicmeter of air Low Medium Heavy Extremely heavy Tree pollen Weed pollen Grass pollen Mold spores Values indicate the exposure to the sun’s Ultraviolet rays. 0-2, Low 3-5, Moderate 6-7, High 8-10, Very high 11+, Extreme Today’s forecast for the entire metro area by the TCEQ: Good Moderate Unhealthy for sensitive groups Unhealthy Very unhealthy Hazardous Ozone watch The comfort index takes into account how the weather will feel based on a combination of factors. A rating of 10 feels very comfortable while a rating of 0 feels very uncomfortable. KEY TO CONDITIONS SUN AND MOON POLLEN AND MOLD AIR QUALITY NATIONAL 8 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 10 a.m. COASTAL FORECAST FOR THE RECORD INTERNATIONAL GALVESTON TIDES 110s 100s 90s 80s 70s 60s 50s 40s 30s 20s 10s 0s -0s -10s T-storms Rain Showers Snow Flurries Ice Jet stream TEXAS TEXAS LAKES Cold front Warm front Stationary front NATIONAL cont. WEATHER Highs Feet Lows Feet Flood Latest 24-hr. Location stage stage chg. Full Latest Release pool level cfs s - sunny pc - partly cloudy c - cloudy sh - showers t - thunderstorms r - rain sf - snow flurries sn - snow i - ice Temperature Degrees F Precipitation Inches Other readings 43 38 TODAY Cloudy with showers 45 36 Cloudy with a shower and t-storm THURSDAY 59 36 FRIDAY Sunny to partly cloudy and warmer 60 45 SATURDAY Mainly cloudy 71 51 SUNDAY Pleasant with periods of sun 71 57 MONDAY Pleasant with clouds and sun 71 53 TUESDAY Cloudy with a couple of showers GALVESTON BAY: Wind from the north-northeast at 8-16 knots today. Seas 1-3 feet. Visibility less than 2 miles at times in showers. Tonight: Wind from the north at 7-14 knots. Seas 1-3 feet. Cloudy with heavy thunderstorms. MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL TO HIGH ISLAND OUT 20 TO 50 MILES: Wind from the north at 10-20 knots today. Seas 1-3 feet. Visibility less than 2 miles at times in showers. Tonight: Wind from the north at 10-20 knots. Seas 2 feet or less. Rain and drizzle late. Canyon Dam 909 898.28 63 Conroe 201 201.30 1063 Houston 41.73 44.11 N.A. Lake Travis 681 639.27 111 Livingston 131 131.55 N.A. Brays Bayou South Main 54 17.10 -1.00 Brazos River Bryan 43 7.59 -0.11 Hempstead 50 14.56 +1.82 Richmond 48 9.02 +0.36 Buffalo Bayou Piney Point 50 34.64 +5.31 Shepherd Dr. 23 2.02 -4.38 Clear Creek Friendswood 12 0.85 -0.63 Colorado R. Austin 29 10.91 -0.15 Bastrop 25 2.45 -0.01 La Grange 32 2.60 -0.17 Columbus 34 9.77 -0.57 Wharton 39 10.54 +0.67 Bay City 44 4.47 +0.45 Greens Bayou Eastex Fwy. 61 40.39 -6.09 Guadalupe R. Hunt 12 7.76 -0.01 Comfort 26 3.36 +0.04 Spring Branch 36 1.87 -0.02 New Braunfels 13 9.42 -0.01 Gonzales 31 11.30 none Cuero 20 7.39 +0.48 Victoria 21 4.99 -0.91 Dupont 20 10.79 -0.51 Little River Little River 30 1.28 -0.01 Cameron 30 1.13 +0.04 Navasota R. Easterly 19 5.40 -0.42 Neches River Evadale 19 14.34 -0.22 Pine Island B. Sour Lake 25 26.49 +0.54 Sabine River Bon Wier 30 23.66 +2.36 Deweyville 24 24.85 -0.06 Orange 4 0.92 -0.17 Burkeville 43 24.93 +4.86 San Bernard R. E. Bernard 17 17.83 +0.87 E. San.Jac. R. Cleveland 19 14.12 +2.25 W. San.Jac. R. Conroe 116100.98 -2.91 San Jacinto R. Sheldon 10 8.32 +4.24 Sims Bayou Telephone Rd. 30 1.50 -0.71 Trinity River Goodrich 36 13.77 +1.18 Liberty 26 19.26 +3.81 Village Creek Kountze 20 14.20 +0.08 White Oak B. Heights Blvd. 48 8.89 -4.60 4:43 p.m. 1.1 --- --- 7:30 a.m. -0.7 --- --- Today Thu. Cleveland 28/21/pc 37/13/s Columbus 30/22/pc 40/15/pc Denver 34/20/s 39/23/s Des Moines 36/17/pc 27/-4/s Detroit 26/16/pc 34/6/pc Duluth 14/1/c 6/-23/s Fairbanks 8/1/sn 9/-4/sn Great Falls 40/16/c 44/34/c Hartford 35/21/s 40/18/pc Honolulu 83/68/pc 82/69/pc Indianapolis 29/21/pc 37/15/pc Jackson, MS 44/41/c 46/37/t Juneau 34/27/sn 32/27/sn Kansas City 38/23/c 45/12/s Las Vegas 55/37/s 57/42/s Little Rock 31/31/i 43/28/r Los Angeles 65/44/s 68/51/s Memphis 35/32/i 40/30/r Miami 84/71/s 84/71/pc Milwaukee 27/18/pc 28/-1/s Minneapolis 19/10/pc 14/-10/s Nashville 40/35/i 42/29/r New Orleans 64/60/c 72/47/t New York City 38/30/pc 42/26/pc Oklahoma City 33/29/i 48/23/c Orlando 84/63/pc 85/65/pc Philadelphia 40/28/pc 40/29/c Phoenix 67/41/pc 65/47/s Pittsburgh 29/20/pc 38/12/pc Portland, OR 48/30/c 49/42/c Sacramento 58/34/pc 57/43/c St. Louis 32/26/c 44/17/c Salt Lake City 29/19/pc 37/23/s San Diego 64/42/s 65/47/s San Francisco 57/43/pc 59/49/c Santa Fe 43/18/pc 46/19/s Seattle 47/34/c 48/42/c Tucson 63/37/pc 64/43/s Washington, DC 42/30/pc 42/33/sh Today Thu. Africa Cairo 63/49/pc 63/49/c Cape Town 79/63/pc 77/60/s Casablanca 63/40/s 62/38/s Dakar 78/64/s 78/64/s Johannesburg 70/59/t 75/59/t Lagos 93/78/pc 91/79/t Asia/Pacific Beijing 42/15/pc 34/18/c Ho Chi Minh City 88/75/sh 91/77/sh Hong Kong 71/64/s 72/62/c Islamabad 69/46/pc 70/45/pc Jakarta 87/76/t 87/76/r Karachi 81/52/pc 83/55/pc Kuala Lumpur 89/75/sh 88/73/t Manila 89/78/s 90/77/s New Delhi 69/50/pc 74/49/pc Seoul 42/17/pc 36/22/c Shanghai 60/36/s 51/38/c Singapore 84/77/t 84/76/t Sydney 82/69/s 90/70/s Taipei 72/60/s 65/59/r Tokyo 53/42/c 50/37/pc Canada Calgary 19/1/sn 24/23/sn Edmonton 11/-6/sn 5/2/c Montreal 17/12/s 31/-7/sn Toronto 22/17/pc 32/-2/pc Vancouver 42/33/sh 45/40/c Winnipeg 5/-23/c -11/-27/s Europe Amsterdam 48/45/r 49/45/sh Athens 55/42/s 60/45/pc Berlin 42/37/r 42/31/sn Copenhagen 43/35/r 39/31/pc Dublin 50/45/pc 53/48/c Frankfurt 46/43/sn 47/44/r Geneva 45/33/c 45/30/c Istanbul 47/40/pc 51/39/pc London 51/42/c 54/44/pc Madrid 56/27/s 58/23/s Moscow 34/26/sn 31/29/c Paris 49/40/c 51/44/c Prague 41/34/sn 40/33/sh Rome 57/40/pc 58/38/s Stockholm 31/22/sf 28/18/c Vienna 46/37/sn 44/34/sh Warsaw 40/35/sn 37/28/sn Zurich 44/36/sn 44/36/c Latin America Bogota 68/42/pc 67/42/pc Buenos Aires 80/70/pc 76/68/t Caracas 87/72/s 87/73/s Havana 88/69/s 89/64/s Kingston 87/76/s 86/74/pc Lima 78/69/c 80/69/pc Rio de Janeiro 90/78/t 87/78/c San Juan 82/73/pc 83/71/sh San Salvador 90/66/s 91/66/s Santiago 88/59/s 94/57/s Sao Paulo 79/69/t 78/66/t St. Thomas 83/73/s 83/72/pc Mexico Acapulco 87/69/s 87/70/s Cancun 83/74/s 83/70/pc Guadalajara 81/46/s 81/44/s Guanajuato 77/46/pc 77/45/s Mazatlan 77/60/pc 77/58/pc Merida 92/68/s 92/70/pc Mexico City 76/46/s 77/48/s Puerto Vallarta 81/61/pc 81/61/s Tampico 70/63/c 69/58/sh Veracruz 80/69/pc 79/69/sh Middle East Baghdad 64/48/pc 62/40/pc Beirut 61/49/r 61/54/pc Dubai 83/62/s 80/64/s Jerusalem 52/39/r 51/41/pc Kabul 38/26/c 43/26/c Mecca 78/60/pc 79/60/s Riyadh 79/58/s 76/47/s Tehran 51/33/s 50/35/s Tel Aviv 62/51/r 63/51/pc Today Thu. Today Thu. Abilene 30/29/i 43/26/sh Amarillo 38/23/c 50/23/pc Austin 34/32/r 45/36/c Beaumont 54/43/sh 45/40/t Brownsville 48/43/sh 53/41/c Bryan/College St. 35/34/r 44/34/sh Corpus Christi 46/37/sh 50/39/sh Dallas/Ft. Worth 31/31/i 40/31/c El Paso 51/35/sh 58/34/s Galveston 59/45/sh 47/43/t Kingsville 45/37/sh 54/39/pc Laredo 44/37/sh 60/39/sh Longview 35/32/r 43/30/sh Lubbock 32/28/i 50/24/pc McAllen 42/41/sh 58/41/pc Midland/Odessa 33/32/i 48/26/sh San Angelo 31/31/i 42/27/sh San Antonio 34/33/i 49/38/pc Texarkana 31/30/i 43/33/sh Victoria 45/35/sh 45/36/sh Waco 31/31/i 40/30/c Albany, NY 29/19/pc 38/7/pc Albuquerque 48/23/pc 49/25/s Anchorage 31/27/sn 30/24/sn Atlanta 56/48/c 52/41/r Baltimore 40/26/pc 40/33/sf Billings 34/16/pc 36/29/pc Birmingham 50/44/c 49/35/t Boise 37/14/c 41/28/pc Boston 32/24/s 38/22/pc Buffalo 25/22/c 33/6/pc Charleston, SC 69/51/c 66/48/c Charlotte 51/43/sh 46/42/r Chicago 29/19/pc 31/2/s Cincinnati 33/24/pc 40/20/pc George Bush Intercontinental Airport through 3 p.m. Tue. High 43 Low 36 Normal high 65 Normal low 45 Record high 82 in 1911 Record low 14 in 1949 24 hours through 3 p.m. Tue. Trace Month to date 6.58 Normal month to date 3.76 Year to date 6.58 Normal year to date 3.76 Top wind speed 14 mph High barometer 30.26 in. Low barometer 30.17 in. High dewpoint 41° Low dewpoint 36° Average dewpoint 38° High humidity 100% Low humidity 92% TODAY: Cloudy with showers. High 40 to 45. Winds north-northeast 7-14 mph. TONIGHT: Chilly with showers and a heavier thunderstorm. Low 35 to 40. Winds north-northwest 6-12 mph. Medium 28 None 0 Low 4 Low 2640 0 1 1 1 0 0 Sunset tonight 5:58 p.m. Sunrise Thursday 7:11 a.m. Moonrise today 2:26 p.m. Moonset today 4:22 a.m. Full moon Last quarter New moon First quarter Feb 5 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 27 Today Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. 0 0 5 5 10 10 Television Col. basketball Penn St. at Purdue Big Ten 5:30 p.m. Col. basketball Creighton at Georgetown CBSSN 5:30 p.m. Col. basketball Providence at Xavier FS1 5:30 p.m. Col. basketball Marquette at Villanova (w) FS2 5:30 p.m. Col. basketball Pittsburgh at North Carolina ACC 6 p.m. Col. basketball Tennessee at Florida ESPN2 6 p.m. Col. basketball East Carolina at South Florida ESPNU 6 p.m. Col. basketball Georgia at Auburn SEC 6 p.m. Col. basketball Minnesota at Rutgers Big Ten 7:30 p.m. Col. basketball Seton Hall at St. John’s CBSSN 7:30 p.m. Col. basketball Villanova at Marquette FS1 7:30 p.m. Col. basketball Florida St. at North Carolina St. ACC 8 p.m. Col. basketball Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma ESPN2 8 p.m. Col. basketball SMU at Tulane ESPNU 8 p.m. Col. basketball LSU at Missouri SEC 8 p.m. Col. basketball New Mexico at Utah St. FS1 9:30 p.m. Col. football National Signing Day Special ESPN2 ESPNU noon 1:30 p.m. Col. football Signing Day Special Big Ten 1 p.m. Col. football Signing Day Special ACC 5 p.m. Col. golf Southwestern Invitational Golf 3:30 p.m. Col. wrestling Menlo at Stanford Pac-12 8 p.m. Golf World: Ras Al Khaimah Classic Golf 2:30 a.m. Thu. NBA Brooklyn at Boston ESPN 6:30 p.m. NBA Oklahoma City at Rockets ATTSW 7 p.m. NBA Atlanta at Phoenix ESPN 9 p.m. NHL Carolina at Buffalo TNT 6:30 p.m. Soccer Al Ahly vs. Auckland City FS2 12:30 p.m. Tennis WTA: Thailand Open Tennis Tennis Tennis 5 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 1 a.m. Thu. Tennis WTA: Lyon Open Tennis Tennis Tennis 5 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 1 a.m. Thu. Radio Col. basketball Villanova at Marquette 610 AM 7:30 p.m. NBA Oklahoma City at Rockets In Spanish 790 AM 93.3 FM, 1010 AM 7 p.m. ON THE AIR Odds Home team capitalized College basketball Wednesday FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Creighton 14½ Georgetown PURDUE 10½ Penn State XAVIER 2½ Providence CINCINNATI 15½ Tulsa LA SALLE PK G. Washington GEORGE MASON 4½ UMass FURMAN 10½ Chattanooga AUBURN 11½ Georgia Tennessee 6½ FLORIDA Georgia Tech 1½ LOUISVILLE RICHMOND 4½ St. Bonaventure SOUTH FLORIDA 8½ East Carolina Wofford 1½ E. TENN. STATE Samford 5 W. CAROLINA SAINT JOSEPHS 4½ Rhode Island NORTH CAROLINA 8½ Pittsburgh BRADLEY 6½ Southern Illinois NBA Wednesday FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG MEMPHIS 5½ OFF Portland PHILADELPHIA 8½ OFF Orlando Washington 6 234½ DETROIT BOSTON 8 230½ Brooklyn Golden State 2½ 240 MINNESOTA Sacramento 7½ OFF SAN ANTONIO UTAH 3 244 Toronto Oklahoma City 5 231½ HOUSTON PHOENIX OFF OFF Atlanta NFL Sunday FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG PHILADELPHIA 1½ 49½ Kansas City NHL Wednesday FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG LINE Boston -122 TORONTO +102 Carolina -154 BUFFALO +128 Colleges Men’s basketball Tuesday’s results Top 25 No. 4 Alabama 101, Vanderbilt 44 No. 8 Kansas 90, No. 7 Kansas St. 78 No. 15 TCU 76, West Virginia 72 Boston College 62, No. 20 Clemson 54 Maryland 66, No. 21 Indiana 55 Nevada 75, No. 22 San Diego St. 66 No. 23 Miami 92, Virginia Tech 83 No. 24 UConn 90, DePaul 76 EAST Akron 81, Buffalo 64 Boston College 62, Clemson 54 Fordham 75, Saint Louis 65 Maryland 66, Indiana 55 Quinnipiac 72, Marist 66 SOUTH Alabama 101, Vanderbilt 44 Duke 75, Wake Forest 73 Miami 92, Virginia Tech 83 Mississippi St. 66, South Carolina 51 VCU 61, Davidson 59 MIDWEST Ball St. 69, Bowling Green 60 Dayton 85, Loyola Chicago 81 (OT) E. Michigan 90, Ohio 79 Illinois 72, Nebraska 56 Iowa 86, Northwestern 70 Kansas 90, Kansas St. 78 Kent St. 81, Cent. Michigan 69 N. Illinois 73, W. Michigan 59 Toledo 81, Miami (Ohio) 78 UConn 90, DePaul 76 SOUTHWEST Arkansas 81, Texas A&M 70 TCU 76, West Virginia 72 FAR WEST Boise St. 59, Air Force 52 Nevada 75, San Diego St. 66 UNLV 83, Colorado St. 71 Wyoming 85, Fresno St. 62 Women’s basketball Tuesday’s results Top 25 No. 20 Oklahoma 101, TCU 78 No. 25 South Florida 72, East Carolina 48 EAST Seton Hall 68, St. John’s 58 SOUTH South Florida 72, East Carolina 48 MIDWEST Georgetown 44, Xavier 41 SOUTHWEST Oklahoma 101, TCU 78 Hockey NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic GP W L OT Pts GF GA Boston 50 38 7 5 81 187 109 Toronto 51 31 12 8 70 173 136 Tampa Bay 48 32 15 1 65 175 141 Buffalo 49 26 19 4 56 185 165 Florida 52 24 22 6 54 178 183 Ottawa 50 24 23 3 51 151 159 Detroit 48 21 19 8 50 145 160 Montreal 51 20 27 4 44 134 189 Metropolitan GP W L OT Pts GF GA Carolina 50 33 9 8 74 168 135 New Jersey 49 32 13 4 68 171 131 N.Y. Rangers 49 27 14 8 62 157 129 Washington 53 27 20 6 60 166 152 Pittsburgh 49 24 16 9 57 161 153 N.Y. Islanders 52 25 22 5 55 148 144 Philadelphia 51 21 21 9 51 142 162 Columbus 51 15 32 4 34 131 198 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central GP W L OT Pts GF GA Dallas 51 28 13 10 66 173 133 Winnipeg 52 32 19 1 65 167 137 Minnesota 48 27 17 4 58 151 138 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 151 133 Nashville 48 24 18 6 54 137 141 St. Louis 51 23 25 3 49 156 185 Arizona 50 16 28 6 38 131 177 Chicago 48 15 29 4 34 118 176 Pacific GP W L OT Pts GF GA Seattle 49 29 15 5 63 177 151 Los Angeles 53 28 18 7 63 173 183 Vegas 51 29 18 4 62 160 148 Edmonton 50 28 18 4 60 187 163 Calgary 50 24 17 9 57 160 153 Vancouver 49 20 26 3 43 166 196 San Jose 51 15 25 11 41 157 196 Anaheim 50 16 29 5 37 125 205 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Monday’s result Winnipeg 4, St. Louis 2 Tuesday’s results Ottawa 5, Montreal 4 Washington 4, Columbus 3, OT Carolina 5, Los Angeles 4, OT Wednesday’s games Boston at Toronto, 6:30 p.m. Carolina at Buffalo, 6:30 p.m. Thursday’s games No games scheduled Tennis WTA Copa Oster Tuesday At Cali, Colombia Women’s Singles Round of 32 Carole Monnet, France, def. Jamie Loeb, United States, 6-3, 6-4. Valeriya Strakhova, Ukraine, def. Maria Fernanda Herazo Gonzalez, Colombia, 6-2, 6-2. Martina Colmegna, Italy, def. Maria Carle (4), Argentina, 6-4, 6-2. Carolina Alves, Brazil, def. Caroline Dolehide (5), United States, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (4). You Xiaodi, China, def. Maria Paulina Perez Garcia, Colombia, 6-0, 6-4. Emiliana Arango, Colombia, def. Carol Zhao (7), Canada, 6-4, 6-3. Yuliana Lizarazo, Colombia, def. Whitney Osuigwe, United States, 4-2, ret. Elvina Kalieva, United States, def. Hailey Baptiste (6), United States, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-4. WTA Lyon Open Tuesday At Lyon, France Women’s Singles Round of 32 Anna Bondar, Hungary, def. Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Spain, 6-4, 6-4. Erika Andreeva, Russia, def. Anna Blinkova (8), Russia, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 4-0, ret. Danka Kovinic (7), Montenegro, def. Viktorija Golubic, Switzerland, 6-1, 6-4. Alycia Parks, United States, def. Julia Grabher, Austria, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Zhang Shuai (2), China, def. Madison Brengle, United States, 6-3, 6-2. Caroline Garcia (1), France, def. Tereza Martincova, Czech Republic, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Clara Burel, France, def. Ana Bogdan, Romania, 7-5, 6-4. Transactions BASEBALL MLB American League BOSTON REDSOX: Agreed to terms with LHP Matt Dermody on a minor league contract. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Named Justin Jirschele manager for Charlotte (IL), Lorenzo Bundy manager for Birmingham (SL), Guillermo Quiroz manager for Winston-Salem (SAL), Patrick Leyland manager for Kannapolis (CRL) and Danny Gonzalez manager for the Arizona Complex League. Named Nicky Delmonico hitting coach, Danny Farquhar pitching coach and Donnie Veal assistant pitching coordinator for Birmingham. Named Blake Hickman pitching coach for Kannapolis. SEATTLE MARINERS: Claimed LHP Tayler Saucedo off waivers from the New York Mets. Designated RHP J.B. Bukauskas for assignment. TAMPA BAY RAYS: Agreed to terms with INF Yandy Diaz on a three-year contract. TORONTO BLUE JAYS: Named Jeff Ware assistant pitching coach/bullpen and David Howell assistant pitching coach/strategy. National League NEW YORK METS: Agreed to terms with INF/OF Jeff McNeil on a four-year contract. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: Named Anthony Contreras manager, Cesar Ramos pitching coach, Ryan Buchter assistant pitching coach, Joe Thurston hitting coach and Pat Listach bench coach for Lehigh Valley (IL). Named Al Pedriquemanager, Brad Bergesen pitching coach, TylerHenson hitting coach for Reading (EL). Named Greg Brodzinski manager, Phil Cundari pitching coach, Brady Lail pitching development coach, Brock Stassi hitting coach and Chris Adamson bench coach for Jersey Shore (SAL). Named Marty Malloy manager, Matt Hockenberry pitching coach and Chris Heintz hitting coach for Clearwater (FSL). WASHINGTON NATIONALS: Agreed to terms with RHP Willy Peralta on a minor league contract. BASKETBALL NBA DALLAS MAVERICKS: Signed F Chris Silva to a 10-day contract. FOOTBALL NFL CINCINNATI BENGALS: Signed TEsNick Bowers and Tanner Hudson, QB Jake Browning, DEs Owen Carney and Raymond Johnson III, OT Devin Cochran, S Yusuf Corker, DT Domenique Davis, G Nate Gilliam, LB Keandre Jones, WR Kwamie Lassiter II and CB Marvell Tell III to reserve/ futures contracts. NEW YORK JETS: Signed WR Diontae Spencer to a reserve/futures contract. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Signed DL Alex Barrett, OLs Alfredo Gutierrez, Keith Ismael, Leroy Watson and Jason Poe, S Tayler Hawkins, DB Qwuantrezz Knight, WRs Tay Martin and Dazz Newsome and LB Curtis Robinson to reserve/futures contracts. HOCKEY NHL BOSTON BRUINS: Recalled LW Jakub Lauko and C Vinni Lettieri from Providence (AHL). BUFFALO SABRES: Reassigned C Matej Pekar from Rochester (AHL) to Cincinnati (ECHL). DETROIT RED WINGS: Placed G Jussi Olkinuora on waivers. ST. LOUIS BLUES: Returned C Nikita Alexandrov and LW Jake Neighbours to Springfield (AHL). SAN JOSE SHARKS: Reassigned G Zachary Emond from Wichita (ECHL) to San Jose (AHL). SCOREBOARD Chelsea was set to complete another staggering spending spree by its new American ownership — more than $350 million this time — by signing Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez for a British-record fee on the final day of the January transfer window on Tuesday. Negotiations between Benfica and Chelsea ended with the Premier League club agreeing to pay the release clause of $131.4 million in the 22- year-old World Cup winner’s contract. Chelsea has spent more this month than every club in the top leagues in Spain, Italy, Germany and France combined and was set to end January having signed eight players, including Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk ($108 million) and France center back Benoît Badiashile ($40 million). The club also sold midfielder Jorginho to Premier League leader Arsenal. MOTOR SPORTS NASCAR bans Chastain’s move NASCAR has essentially banned the “Hail Melon” video-game move driver Ross Chastain used at Martinsville Speedway to make the championship finale. Chastain last year mashed the gas and deliberately smashed into the wall so that the energy would speed his car past his rivals. The move advanced him to the last spot in NASCAR's titledeciding final race. Fellow competitors thought Chastain's trick was dangerous and not in the spirit of fair competition. NASCAR said the pass Chastain made will be a penalty in 2023. MISCELLANEOUS Cal fires coach for abusive acts Longtime University of California women's swimming coach Teri McKeever was fired following an investigation into alleged harassment, bullying and verbally abusive conduct, the school said in a statement. McKeever led the Golden Bears to four NCAA team titles over 29 years. She coached the U.S. women's swim team at the London Olympics in 2012. LPGA event off: The Blue Bay LPGA, scheduled for March 9-12 on Hainan Island, has been canceled by the China Golf Association for the third time in four years because of what the LPGA Tour described as ongoing COVID-19 matters. Zverev cleared: German tennis player Alexander Zverev will not face disciplinary action after an investigation into domestic abuse allegations against him found “insufficient evidence” to substantiate the claims. AROUND SPORTS Chelsea leads way with transfer spree W IRE REPORTS HIGH SCHOOL EXTRA For weekly updates on basketball and soccer rankings and top performers for boys and girls, scan this code.

HOUSTONCH F RONICL L E.COM A• WEDN V ESDAY, F O EBRUARY R 1, 2023 • SECTION D Nearly two decades after my first food story was published in a newspaper, it finally happened: I felt lost in a restaurant. A friend and I secured 9 p.m. reservations on a recent Saturday at the buzzy Sushi by Hidden in Rice Village. We stood with other diners in a gallery space lit like a surgery room filled with trippy NFT art before a hostess led us through a secret door covered with a cheeky Mona Lisa reproduction. Inside, the sparsely decorated dining room radiated warmth as soft lighting bounced off a gray marble-like bar with 10 seats. Each customer was given a pale pink Nyquil-size glass filled with lychee sake to kick off the timed, 30- minute dinner. Enter existential crisis: After breezing through the first two weeks of my self-imposed Dry January challenge, I felt cornered. This wasn’t about figuring out where to place a fork or how to swirl a glass of chardonnay like a sommelier. Would refusing to raise a complimentary toast with the sushi chefs be considered rude? Did such a piddling amount of alcohol really count? This is for work, so it’s OK, right? At least one study claims up to a third of Americans now give up drinking in January, ESSAY Dry January was a challenge — and a fresh start By Bao Ong STAFF WRITER Ken Ellis/Staff illustration Dry continues on D3 W ith little more than a rickety stove from the scratch-and-dent section of Montgomery Ward and a dream, Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi and her thenhusband Patrick McCurdy launched what would become a San Antonio restaurant institution in 1992. Within months of opening Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Co. on North St. Mary’s Street, the two were inundated with throngs of customers lined up for scratch-made pastries, freshly baked bread, soup, sandwiches and more. Civic movers and shakers could often be spotted hashing out big plans over a plate of meatloaf. Worshippers could be found gathered around tables in prayer during Sunday services. And almost nobody left without noshing one of the bakery’s famous chocolate fudge cupcakes. Joseph’s Storehouse closed in 2015, but those beloved recipes have returned in the form of a new cookbook, Sergii Koval/Shutterstock A recipe for tortilla soup is included in Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi’s new cookbook, “Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Company: From My Heart to Yours.” A taste of the past San Antonio cafe brought back to life in cookbook that features some of its most beloved recipes By Paul Stephen STAFF WRITER Joseph’s continues on D7

D2 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM the glass and sip on it. I like the unfussiness — particularly if I am sick and taking it in that condition.” Since my last bout of COVID and the winter cold I’ve been expecting any day now, I was feeling, if not healthy as a horse, at least equine-adjacent. So I mixed up a few old-school toddies, mostly with a variety of Highland and Islay Scotches and Irish pot-still whiskies. Rarely has something so simple been so pleasing; it seems most any proportion of richly flavored spirit with honey and steaming hot water is delicious. A strip of lemon peel expressed into the mug and dropped in — making it a “skin” rather than a toddy, per the old lingo — was a happy addition. But I also love the bells-andwhistles toddies that good bars are making. At Bar Goto and Bar Goto Niban in New York, Kenta Goto serves a Yuzu Hot Toddy, made from the Japanese citrus (both marmalade and bitters), gin and barley shochu. The fruit, Goto wrote in an email, “is very aromatic — people in Japan often throw whole yuzu in the bath for a luxury soak.” In the Washington, D.C. area, Service Bar has been pouring an almond variation as its main toddy for a few years, partner Chad Spangler said. The drink has Spanish brandy, vermouth and nocino (walnut liqueur), and the bar adds flavor with a hot tea that includes apples, almonds, hibiscus and black tea leaves, a blend he says smells like Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. Service Bar always upgrades the water component in toddies: “One of my favorites is a saffron toddy where we use saffron water,” Spangler said. “We’ve done a blend of gingerrooibos tea and apple cider, and we’re working on one right now that would be chai and toasted coconut.” I tried to split the difference between basic and baroque on the other two recipes that follow, which are a little more complex than the classic but remain easy to execute at home. If you’re aiming to try toddy experiments of your own, here are a few tips: Curate your ingredients. Prefer to keep it simple? It’s doubly important that you really like the spirit you’re using as a base. Go for something with robust flavor; this is not the place for neutral spirits such as vodka. Watch your proportions. The percentage of the nonalcoholic components to alcohol matters. “If you have 2 ounces of gin in a saucer cup and pour hot water on it, the ethanol is going to pretty much dominate,” Spangler said “You still want to make sure you get all those other flavors, so if you’re using a cognac, you’re going to want to be able to smell the vanilla, the caramel and everything that makes it wonderful and balancing it with other spice elements” in the drink. Take care with both spirit and citrus when applying heat; don’t boil them. Alcohol will cook off, and lemon juice can take on rancid notes. A good toddy “pays attention to how the drink will taste and smell when served at a high temperature,” Goto said. “Working with heated lemon juice and spirits requires different proportions to be balanced.” The hot toddy is not penicillin. The only thing a hot toddy will cure is a bored palate and the winter chill. That’s more than enough. I s the hot toddy a simple concoction, mothered by necessity and measured by eye, best thrown together by a gruff septuagenarian and served to shivering travelers who’ve stumbled into a downat-heel pub, seeking respite from the sleet? Or is the hot toddy a finer, finicky device, a craft beverage that rewards tinkering and upgrades, consideration of the flavor of spirits and the means and ratios of dilution, the interplay between sweet and tart and boozy in the warm aromatic steam drifting toward your winter-wan face? Yes. Yes it is. Today, the hot toddy will adjust to your style, at turns as simple or complex as you want it to be. Just don’t ask it to cure your cold. In his bartender’s manual, first published in the late 19th century, Jerry Thomas depicts a roster of toddies, some served hot, some cold. Most are no more complex than water, sugar and spirit, sometimes with nutmeg grated on top. That’s the Toddy 101. Of course, the toddy has been evolving for a long time since, with shifts to honey as a sweetener, lemon added for flavor and to enhance the drink’s purported medicinal properties. And when the cocktail renaissance got a hold of it in the early 2000s, when old drinks were being rejiggered, blinged out and bolstered by the dozen, the toddy got plenty of polishing. If the Jerry Thomas toddy brushed past these 21st-century “toddies” in a crowd, it wouldn’t recognize its progeny. The toddy has long had a side-hustle as a home remedy. It “gets mentioned by name as a soothing comfort drink for people with particular winter diseases, like colds and flus, as something that was given to soothe people, sometimes in their final moments,” said Camper English, a San Francisco-based cocktail and spirits writer and author of the fascinating recent book, “Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine Spirits, and Cocktails.” (If you’re making clear cocktail ice in your own freezer, you probably have English’s freezing studies to thank.) The hot toddy anecdote in his book calls to mind too many more recent stories of overwhelmed health care personnel: “During the 1918 influenza epidemic, staff at one hospital reported, ‘We could give them a little hot whiskey toddy; that’s about all we had time to do.’ The effectiveness of whiskey against the flu was debated, but many doctors agreed it could soothe the suffering of patients in any case.” Note the distinction between soothing and curing: Essentially, these poor nurses and doctors were using alcohol as a sedative, not as something they expected to get patients off their deathbeds. I want to make sure that’s clear. Not only are the health risks of alcohol abuse clear, but in the wake of a pandemic (are we in the wake? The side-sploosh? The doldrums?), in which people have seized upon bits of data and half-truths to promote horse dewormer, volcanic ash and UV light as “cures” for COVID, I am no longer as tickled by folk remedies as I once was. Snake oil is snake oil, even if the snake you’re lickin’ is a delicious hot toddy. Or as the disclaimer in English’s book puts it: “If you need medicine, talk to your doctor. If you need a cocktail, see your local mixologist.” But given the bleary haze that can set in during a head cold, it’s little wonder that the light anesthesia provided by the simple toddy is beloved. “I’ve never once measured the ingredients in a hot toddy,” English said. “It’s a sloppy drink that you just put stuff in SEASONAL By M. Carrie Allan WASHINGTON POST Photos by Scott Suchman/for the Washington Post To get the full effect of a Honeyed Hot Toddy, be sure to serve with grated nutmeg and a lemon peel. A hot toddy won’t cure your cold, but it will warm your spirits HONEYED HOT TODDY Many upgrades have been made on the simple toddy, which in its early appearances contained nothing more than spirit, sugar and water — and, per early bartending manuals like Jerry Thomas’ “How to Mix Drinks,” was often served cold. But if you’re looking for a simple winter warmer, the combination of a richly flavored whiskey (try your preferred Highland or Islay single malt or an Irish pot still), honey and boiling hot water will steam you right up. Expressing a lemon peel over the surface and dropping it in gets you what Thomas would have called a “skin,” but we just call it delicious. • 2 cups water • 2 ounces whiskey • 1 tablespoon honey • Lemon peel, for garnish (optional, but recommended) • Whole nutmeg, for garnish (optional, but recommended) Instructions: In a small pot or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the whiskey and honey to a heatproof mug. If the honey sticks to the spoon, hold it over the mug and pour the boiling water slowly over the bowl of the spoon until the honey dissolves off. Continue to add more boiling water to the mug: You want 3 to 4 ounces (about ½ cup) water in total. If using, express a lemon peel over the surface of the drink, then drop the peel into the mug. Grate a little nutmeg over the top, if using, and serve. Makes 1 serving From M. Carrie Allan APPLE HOT TODDY (MODERN) Jerry Thomas’ apple toddy recipe, from his classic “How to Mix Drinks” bartender’s manual, first published in the late 19th century, calls for half a baked apple. But if you don’t feel like waiting 40 minutes for an apple to bake, and then figuring out how to stuff that hot mushy apple into a mug while leaving room for brandy, sugar and boiling water, try this recipe for a nice apple-forward toddy. Use a dark, robust-flavored maple syrup. Note that the mixing technique suggested here, in which you float one half of a Boston shaker inside another that’s full of hot water, helps preserve as much heat as possible — if you don’t have a Boston shaker, you can make this drink in a small metal bowl set over a small pan of simmering water (a makeshift double-boiler). • 3 cups water • 1 ½ ounces apple brandy, such as Laird’s • ¾ ounce maple syrup • ½ ounce fresh lemon juice • ½ ounce apple liqueur, such as Berentzen • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, for garnish (optional) Instructions: Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of both tins of a Boston shaker. In a small pot or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil. Fill a heatproof mug with some of the boiling water to keep the mug warm while you make the drink. Pour about 1 cup of the boiling water into the smaller tin. Lower the larger tin into the smaller one (it will float in the hot water, but the bottom will be submerged, warming the ingredients). Keep the remaining hot water on the stove over low heat. In the floating tin, stir together the apple brandy, maple syrup, lemon juice, apple liqueur and Angostura bitters until combined and warmed through. Discard the hot water in the mug, then pour the contents of the shaker tin into the emptied mug. Top with 3 to 4 ounces of the simmering water. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, if using, and serve. Makes 1 serving From M. Carrie Allan THIS LITTLE FIGGY STAYED HOME HOT TODDY In this definitely-not-traditional hot toddy, the rich molasses notes of black rum (try Cruzan Black Strap or Myers’s Original Dark) combine beautifully with Liber’s spiced fig syrup. Note that the mixing technique suggested here, in which you float one half of a Boston shaker inside another that’s full of hot water, helps preserve as much heat as possible — if you don’t have a Boston shaker, you can make this drink in a small metal bowl set over a small pan of simmering water (a makeshift double-boiler). Liber and Co.’s syrups can be found at some drink specialty stores (call to confirm) or online. • 3 cups water • 2 ounces black rum • 1 ounce Liber & Co.’s Caramelized Fig syrup • ½ ounce fresh lemon juice • 1 dash Angostura bitters • Clove-studded lemon wheel for garnish (optional) Instructions: Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of both tins of a Boston shaker. In a small pot or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil. Fill a heatproof mug with some of the boiling water to keep the mug warm while you make the drink. Pour about 1 cup of the boiling water into the smaller tin. Lower the larger tin into the smaller one (it will float in the hot water, but the bottom will be submerged, warming the ingredients). Keep the remaining hot water on the stove over low heat. In the floating tin, stir together the rum, fig syrup, lemon juice and Angostura bitters until combined and warmed through. Discard the hot water in the mug, then pour the contents of the shaker tin into the emptied mug. Top with 3 to 4 ounces of the simmering water, float the clove-studded lemon wheel on top, if using, and serve. Makes 1 serving From M. Carrie Allan This Little Figgy Stayed Home Hot Toddy Apple Hot Toddy

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 D3 I’m always on the lookout for clever ways to cook fish, so when I stumbled upon the five smart schnitzel recipes in author Donna Hay’s “The Fast Five” cookbook, I was intrigued by the simplicity of them all but decided to try the fish one first. Hay, an Australian cookbook author and personality, schnitzels not only fish but also eggplant, mushrooms, chicken and cauliflower with simple techniques. She creates flavorful breadcrumb coatings that get boosts from what she calls “ingredient heroes.” For the fish, those ingredients are capers, fresh dill and lemon zest. The fish fillets are dipped in an egg wash, then placed on a lined baking sheet and covered generously with the breadcrumb mixture, which you press firmly to coat one side. Hay recommended pressing the breadcrumbs into both sides and flipping the fish, but the fillets I had were fairly thin, so I saw no need to do that. The result is a thin, crisp, golden fillet, with a coating so tasty that I could eat it by the spoonful. Bonuses: There’s no frying involved, the cleanup is easy and I was sitting down to eat about 30 minutes after I started cooking. I decided to make the coating again, but as a sprinkle, by placing the crumbs and capers in a skillet with a little olive oil and frying them until the crumbs turned golden. Then I stirred in the fresh dill and zest and generously sprinkled it all atop salmon fillets, giving my simple, ho-hum weeknight meal a needed flavor jolt. If you try this topping and love it as much as I do, keep it in your back pocket and sprinkle it over other pan-fried fish and shrimp, too. Hay describes the recipes in her cookbook as “shortcuts to deliciousness.” These flavorful breadcrumbs certainly qualify. QUICK DISH By Ann Maloney WASHINGTON POST Rey Lopez/for the Washington Post A special breadcrumb mixture gives Caper and Lemon Fish Schnitzel an extra boost of flavor. Caper-and-lemon fish schnitzel delivers a crisp crust with no frying CAPER AND LEMON FISH SCHNITZEL Time: 35 minutes Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 days. • 4 (6-ounce) white-fleshed fish fillets, such as snapper, catfish or tilapia • ½ teaspoon fine salt • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper • 1½ cups (4 ounces) panko or fresh sourdough breadcrumbs • ¼ cup (½ ounce) fresh dill fronds, minced • 2 tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed and • chopped • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest • 1 large egg • 1 tablespoon water • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling • Lemon wedges, for serving Instructions: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Pat the fish dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper. In a medium shallow bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, dill, capers and lemon zest until combined. In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the egg with water until well blended. Dip a fish fillet in the egg wash and lift, allowing the excess to drip off. Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet and cover generously with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly to coat one side. Drizzle generously with oil and repeat with the remaining fillets. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the crumbs are golden and crisp. (The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fish.) Remove from the oven and, using a thin spatula, transfer the fillets to plates. Serve warm, with lemon wedges for squeezing. 4 servings Nutrition information per serving (1 fillet): Calories: 268; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 109 mg; Sodium: 589 mg; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 1 g; Protein: 39 g Adapted from “The Fast Five” by Donna Hay (HarperCollins, 2022) With thoughts of the Super Bowl this year in Arizona. I decided on an Arizona-inspired meal. Chimichangas are fried burritos and a popular dish in the state. They’re usually made with a flour tortilla filled with meat, cheese and spices. There are many stories as to their origin, which is based on Mexican burritos. One is of a Mexican restaurant owner in Arizona named Woody Johnson who would deep-fry leftover burritos as an experiment. They were so successful that they became a staple on his menu. Chimichangas can also be panfried. For this quick recipe, I used bought, cooked chicken breast and filled the tortillas with chicken, salsa, cheese and spices. It’s a good way to use leftover meats and vegetables. You can use this recipe as a guide to amounts. Helpful hints: You can use any type of cooked meat. Use mild or hot salsa; heat is up to you. A quick way to slice scallions is to snip them with a scissors. SAVORY Chimichangas are perfect for a Super Bowl gathering By Linda Gassenheimer TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Linda Gassenheimer/Tribune News Service Pan-fried chimichangas are quick and easy to make on game day. CHIMICHANGA • ½ pound cooked chicken breast • ¼ cup salsa • 2 teaspoons ground cumin • 2 scallions, thinly sliced • 4, 10-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas • ½ cup shredded Mexican-style cheese (such as colby jack) • 1 tablespoon olive oil • ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro • 2 tomatoes, sliced Instructions: Coarsely chop chicken breast using a sharp knife or in a food processor. Add the salsa and then add the ground cumin and scallions. Mix well. Place the 4 tortillas on a countertop. Divide the chicken mixture into 4 parts and add each part in a line down the middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken mixture. For each tortilla, fold in the two sides that are at the end of the line of food. Then fold the other two sides tightly over the filling. This will make a small packet. Place them seam side down. Heat a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the packets, seam side down. Cook 3 minutes. Carefully, turn them over and cook another 3 minutes. They should be golden brown and crisp. Cook a minute longer if needed. Remove to two dinner plates. Place a spoonful of sour cream in the center of each chimichanga and sprinkle cilantro over the sour cream. Arrange sliced tomatoes on the side. Yield 2 servings. Per serving: 678 calories (40 percent from fat), 29.9 g fat (11.6 g saturated, 8.1 g monounsaturated), 147 mg cholesterol, 51.1 g protein, 57.4 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 801 mg sodium. From Linda Gassenheimer Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.” hoping to reap some health benefits while taking another step toward new-year-new-me resolutions. Some succeed, others do not. The Dry January movement is not new, of course. But today’s conversation surrounding alcohol-use disorder — the preferred catch-all term — is taking place on a backdrop that now includes a growing industry of nonalcoholic beverages, restaurants selling actually drinkable zero-proof cocktails and a “sober-curious” movement among Gen Z and millennials. I’m no teetotaler, but since myself and others started drinking more during the pandemic, I’ve tried to be — pardon the wellness buzzword du jour — more mindful. As a food writer, temptation lurks around every corner when the job description includes searching for Houston’s top restaurants and bars. The city’s expansive dining scene means there’s a new opening or two to check out each week. The ritual of drinking is a powerful one, whether you’re dining out for work or pleasure. Maybe it’s gathering with friends for happy hour, a date or celebratory meal. Whatever the case may be, ordering a drink — even if it’s not an alcoholic one — is drilled into anyone that’s been through a fast-food drive-thru lane or Michelin-starred restaurant. As a new Houstonian, I checked 31 spots off my bucket list one month. According to my digital black book, I’ve eaten and drank at over 200 spots in and outside the Loop in my first six months living here. Even during the slower month of January, I’ve been racking up calories while downing tacos, reporting on Lunar New Year and helping a colleague eat crawfish. Outside of Dry January, many of these meals usually commence with a gin martini or include a glass of wine. On average, I dine out at least 3 to 4 times each week, and sometimes, it’s twice that amount — in one day. Let’s just say the math probably adds up to more than the maximum recommended two drinks per day for a male. Headlines like “Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health” popping up made it easier to stay sober this month. Workrelated meals at restaurants like Eunice, Musaafer and Kau Ba all offered nonalcoholic cocktails that I would order again, even if I weren’t participating in Dry January. It’s all worth noting that Houston’s diverse dining scene is full of places that cater to people who don’t drink. I met up with a friend at a Turkish restaurant in Katy where we both sipped on tea in between bites of kebabs and hummus. Another friend, who doesn’t drink year-round, and I checked out the Belly of the Beast pop-up at Tenfold Coffee one week, and there was power in numbers. One evening at home, I poured sparkling water into a wine glass. I didn’t get the same pleasure of drinking a boozy cocktail, but the one part I did enjoy was that I felt like I had a clear choice. It wasn’t just a reflexive move on my part. I’m coming out of January feeling like I have a fresh start since that shot of sake appeared at Sushi by Hidden. (My friend wound up downing hers and placed her cup in front me to make it less awkward.) The next drink is something I’ll appreciate. Maybe it’ll be on Feb. 1 or a week after this Dry January challenge ends. Or longer. But one thing feels more clear after a month of sobriety: I feel more in control of when and how much to drink. [email protected] DRY From page D1

D4 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM ACROSS 1 Unexpected obstacle 5 “Pronto!” letters 9 Suffers after a Pure Barre class, say 14 __Top ice cream 15 Four Corners state 16 “Ifonly!” 17 “Willdo!” 18 Emperor after Claudius 19 __ touch 20 Forgettableband with amemorable song 23 JazzpianistMcCoy 24 Unnecessary 28 Pie crust fat 31 Ace apresentation 32 “Pipedown!” 37 Lingerie selection 38 Musical ability 39 Old PCplatform 41 Snaky fish 42 Shopping cart fillers 45 Spot for spare change 48 Cook’sIllustrated offering 50 Lakebirdwith a wild laugh 51 Sotheby’sauctions, e.g. 54 Fragrance 58 Elementof irony, andwhat canbe found in each set of circled letters? 61 Like 18-Across 64 Goalie’s success 65 Per-hour amount 66 Not sleeping 67 Diva’sbigmoment 68 Simpsondaughter voicedby Yeardley Smith 69 Came to a close 70 Shout 71 Opening for a hotel key card DOWN 1 “Askme anything!” 2 Mary Poppins, for one 3 Outof thisworld? 4 Went to a tutoring session, say 5 Many a godmother 6 Fret (over) 7 Judgewho hit 62 home runs in 2022 8 Galaxy, forone 9 Setone’s sightson 10 “All the Birds in the Sky”Nebula winner __ Jane Anders 11 Monopolize 12 Prefixwithdermis 13 Triple __:orangeflavored liqueur 21 Baghdad’s country 22 Room thatmay have a sectional sofa 25 Respected leader 26 Cucumber salad, coconut rice,etc. 27 Panache 29 Bacardi liquor 30 Blu-raybuy 32 Knightleyof “Bend It Like Beckham” 33 “Peter,Peter, pumpkin __ ...“ 34 Build 35 Old nameofTokyo 36 Work hard 40 __-cone 43 Error 44 Brought about,as amovement 46 Like a red-carpet event 47 Opens,as a fern frond 49 Former quarterback Manning 52 Writing contest entry,maybe 53 Long look 55 “Reply all”medium 56 “Untrue!” 57 October 31option 59 Malicious 60 Handout cards 61 “Insecure” starIssa 62 Woolf’s “A Roomof One’s __” 63 Fit tobe tied Tuesday’s unlisted clue: RIDE. Wednesday’s unlisted clue hint: EARTH ROTATES AROUND IT’S —. Anthrax Axle Coax Earwax Flaxseed Halifax Hoax Maximize Saxony Saxophone Syntax Taxation Taxidermy Thorax Waxing WORDS WITH AN “AX” AMERICAN WOMEN ASTRONAUTS irmly believe knights should not kill every f I ANSWER: dragon. Some things are better left unslayed. Defending against four hearts, East wisely won West’s spade lead and returned the suit. He was hoping to weaken declarer’s trump control instead of playing for ruffs via a club shift. South ruffed the second spade and advanced the heart queen, keeping dummy’s top cards in case of a further spade force. East ducked smoothly, and when declarer ran the heart nine, East won and returned a trump. Declarer could now take no more than nine tricks. East defended well, but declarer might have smelled a rat when he saw West follow with the heart 10. He would surely cover the heart queen from the king-10, and although the 10 could be a falsecard, most defenders would simply follow up the line. A practical declarer should assume it to be a true card. Had South diagnosed the 4-1 break, he might have switched to a crossruff. He would lead out the diamond king, knowing the ace was on his left after East’s original pass. If West ducked, declarer would lead the diamond queen next, putting the safe hand on lead. West would win and, unable to continue spades effectively, he would return another diamond, ruffed in dummy. Next would come a spade ruff and two rounds of clubs ending on table, followed by a fourth spade. If East discarded, declarer would ruff and play a club, eventually scoring both of dummy’s hearts. If East ruffed in with the king to return a trump, declarer would draw trumps and reach his hand with a club. ANSWER: You could start with a negative double, but you might struggle to get both the strength and shape of your hand across if West raises spades emphatically. It is better to bid two clubs because then you can back in with a double in relative comfort later on. In general, with game-forcing values, it is logical to bid your long suit first. YESTERDAY’S ANSWERS LEAD WiTh ThE ACES LOOKiNG BACK BiRThDAYS DAiLY CROSSWORD CRYpTOquip WORD SLEuTh JumBLE SuDOKu ACES ON BRiDGE By Bobby Wolff By Wendy L. Brandes ©2023 Tribune Content Agency 2/1/23 Find the listed words in the diagram. They run in all directions — forward, backward, up, down and diagonally. ©2023 King Features Syndicate Inc. The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error. ©2023 King Features Syndicate, Inc. Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. ©2023 King Features Syndicate, Inc. ©2023 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc. ©2023 Dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication for UFS 1790: the U.S. Supreme Court convened for the first time in New York. (However, since only three of the six justices were present, the court recessed until the next day.) 1862: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” a poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly. 1865: abolitionist John S. Rock became the first Black lawyer admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. Actor Garrett morris is 86. Bluegrass singer Del mcCoury is 84. TV personality-singer Joy philbin is 82. Princess Stephanie of Monaco is 58. Actor Sherilyn Fenn is 58. Comedian-actor pauly Shore is 55. Rapper Big Boi (Outkast) is 48. TV personality Lauren Conrad is 37. Actor-singer heather morris is 36. Actor and mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey is 36. Rock singer harry Styles (One Direction) is 29. All times Central. Start times can vary based on cable/satellite provider. Confirm times on your on-screen guide. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Disney+ Feature Film Exclusive This blockbuster entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes its streaming debut. The story finds Queen Ramonda (Golden Globe winner Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba’s Ayo) fighting to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. (Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed T’Challa in Black Panther and other Marvel Cinematic Universe titles, passed away in 2020.) As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. The film introduces Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor, the ruler of a hidden undersea nation, and also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli. Gunther’s Millions Netflix New Series This four-part limited series delves into a shocking, surprising and true story that reads like a fairy tale: the tale of Gunther VI, the German shepherd who inherited $400 million from a mysterious countess. For the past three decades, the dog’s riches have been built into a vast empire across two continents, including luxurious mansions, a glamorous entourage and even a pop music group. But as any good pup can tell you, it’s always worth digging a little deeper. Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong ABC, 7 p.m. This fifth installment of ABC’s Singalong franchise invites viewers to enjoy classic Schoolhouse Rock! hits that are still as educational as they are catchy, all in celebration of the beloved animated/musical interstitial series’s 50th anniversary. Ryan Seacrest returns as host, with celebrity performances including Black Eyed Peas (“Three Is a Magic Number”), Julianne Hough (“Interplanet Janet”), Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen (“I’m Just a Bill”), Raven Symone and Kal Penn (“Interjections!”), Ne-Yo (“Verb: That’s What’s Happening”) and more. Name That Tune FOX, 7 p.m. Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, Amber Riley and Chris Colfer play the musical guessing game in the new episode “FOX Legends.” Tough as Nails CBS, 9 p.m. Crew members compete in pairs to shrinkwrap a large container, with the last couple to finish facing the overtime challenge and the possibility of individual elimination in the new episode “Rise and Grind.” The Ark SYFY, 9 p.m. New Series Dean Devlin (Independence Day) created this series set 100 years in the future, when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions, on a spacecraft known as Ark One, encounters a catastrophic event that causes massive destruction and loss of life. Facing a lack of life-sustaining supplies and a loss of leadership, and with more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive. WEDNESDAY February 1, 2023 ALEKSANDAR LETIC, ARK TV HOLDINGS INC. / SYFY ‘The Ark’ What to watch Zero Hour! (1957) TCM, 3:30 p.m. Although this 1957 airplane-in-distress drama takes itself very seriously, fans of the 1980 movie Airplane! may find themselves chuckling throughout the film. Airplane! is basically a shot-for-shot parody of Zero Hour! at many points, and those familiar with the comedy will recognize some of the character types and/or names (like CATCH A CLASSIC PARAMOUNT PICTURES / PHOTOFEST Dana Andrews’ Ted Stryker), the plot and stretches of dialogue that Airplane! lifted from Zero Hour! The screenplay for the drama was written by Arthur Hailey, who also wrote the novel Airport, which inspired several of the ’70s disaster films that were also spoofed in Airplane! While played straight, Zero Hour! can’t really escape its association with the zaniness of Airplane!, and that makes it a unique watch. Even for those unfamiliar with the comedy, the heightened melodrama and some over-thetop plot elements of this movie make it a bit humorous in its own right, and it’s tempting to want to go back and say to the creators of the film, “Surely, you can’t be serious.” — Jeff Pfeiffer

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 D5 ROYAL stARs Dear Abby:I don’t know whatto do about my 18-year-old niece. She walks around the house in her underwear. She’s been doing itfor the lasttwo or three years.It wouldn’t matter, I suppose, ifit were justin front ofimmediate family living there, but she also does itin front of workmen,the cleaning women, answering the door, going out to getthe mail, etc.I’m really disgusted. I spoke to my brother (her father) briefly aboutit. His response was, “She lives here.” Is there anything I can do or say to get her to keep herself a little better covered? Modestin Massachusetts Dear Modest: Yes,there is.If her family doesn’t objectto her walking around the house in her underwear,that’s their prerogative. But “someone” should remind your niece that doing itin front of workmen, household staff and the mail carrier is disrespectfulto them. Dear Abby: My friend is always sending me pics offood and beverages he thinks look appetizing.The problem is, the cut of steak he usually eats is cheap and unhealthy-looking.Itry to tell him that better-quality meat often has less fat and cholesterol, but he tunes me out. He drinks a lot of wine,too, and I don’tthink that’s good either.I’m trying to help him because I am concerned about his health. He is 56 and has gained a lot of weight. How can I keep him from a cardiovascular emergency? HealthierEater Dear Healthier: Your friend is an adult. You can’t “keep him” from doing anything. Because he isn’t open to your helpful suggestions and the photos make you upset, quitlooking atthem. Acceptthat when he makes the decision to change his eating and drinking habits,the motivation has to come from within (or from his doctor). Dear Abby:Ilive in a very smalltown where everybody knows everything.I own my home and attend a church with a small congregation.When a food pantry opened,I reluctantly began going in to supplement my food budget.The volunteers are all locals, and I know many of them. One woman, who also attends my church, volunteers there as well.This woman has adopted a smirk and a hard stare in my direction when she sees me now.While I work hard at not caring about what people think,this is a tough one. How should I handle her? Shamed in NorthCarolina Dear Shamed: Handle it by discussing it with whoever has organized and manages thatfood bank. Also mention itto your pastor.Ifthe church member is behaving as you say she is, she should be told to stop embarrassing you, because itis unchristian and uncalled-for. Dear Heloise:I’ve always disliked soft cookies.To me, they always seem to have been taken out ofthe oven too early.Ilove a nice crisp cookie like my mother used to bake. So, ifthe cookies I bought are soft,I place them in my toaster oven for three to five minutes at 350 F, and they come out crispy and warm. Roy S., Dickinson, North Dakota Dear Heloise:I’ve baked bread most of my adultlife.Ilove the way it makes my house smell, and I know exactly whatis in my food.Two days ago,I made cinnamon bread, and my darling husband decided to cut a slice off. He started atthe top, and I stopped him and explained that with fresh bread, you don’t cutfrom top to bottom. You lay it on its side and cutfrom side to side with a serrated knife.Cut gently and slowly, so as notto squash the softloaf. Tula G., Amarillo,Texas Tula, baking homemade bread from scratch is becoming a lost art, butit really does make the house smell like a slice of heaven.The taste is also fresh and delicious.Thanks for your hint. Heloise today’s Birthday (Feb.1). You are an optimist with a strong spirit. You have a firm sense of morals, and you value justice.This yearis a time of new beginnings, adventures and major changes in yourlife. Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST today. After that, the Moon moves from Gemini into Cancer. Aries (March 21-April19) HHHH After the Moon Alert today, you will love to cocoon at home and relax among familiar surroundings.Tonight: Cocoon. taurus (April 20-May 20) HHHH During the Moon Alert today, avoid important financial decisions or spending money. (Except for food or gas.) Tonight: New knowledge. Gemini (May 21-June 20) HHH This is a poor time to make important decisions or spend money on anything other than food or gas. Be aware of this.Tonight: Money ideas. Cancer (June 21-July 22) HHHHWhen the Moon Alert is over, the Moon will move into your sign, which will give you a slight advantage over all the other signs.Tonight: You win! Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH After the Moon Alert is over today, enjoy socializing with friends and groups. But during the time of the Moon Alert, postpone important decisions and expenditures.Tonight: Solitude. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHHHH Time spent with friends and groups will be easygoing and friendly today. However, during the Moon Alert, avoid important decisions. Tonight: Patience. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHH Today there is a Moon Alert taking place at the top of your chart, which is why it’s important not to volunteer for anything or agree to anything when talking to bosses, parents, teachers or authority figuresTonight: You’re noticed. scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHH it’s a poor time to make important decisions, especially financial ones about inheritances or shared property.Tonight: Spread your wings! sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHH In some ways, it will be best to cooperate with others today, especially partners and close friends. Nevertheless, during the Moon Alert, you don’t want to agree to anything important. Tonight: Check your finances. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan.19) HHH This is a dicey day at work because until 3:30 p.m. EST (12:30 p.m. PST), there is a Moon Alert, which can make things quite loosey-goosey. This is also a poor time for agreements or important decisions.Tonight: Cooperate with others. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb.18) HHHHH This is a creative day for you because your mind is freewheeling and willing to think outside the box. In fact, write down your creative ideas for consideration later.Tonight: Get organized. Pisces (Feb.19-March 20) HHHHH After the Moon Alert is over today, which is 3:30 p.m. EST, you will feel playful and eager to socialize! Make plans to socialize with friends.This will also be an excellent time to enjoy the arts.Tonight: Accept invitations to party! www.DearAbby.com Andrews McMeel Syndication [email protected] King Features Syndicate King Features Syndicate BLOndie BeetLe BAiLeY CuRtis sheRMAn’s LAGOOn GARfieLd B.C. ARGYLe sweAteR hOCus fOCus BizARRO hAGAR the hORRiBLe MOtheR GOOse And GRiMM BRewsteR ROCkit: sPACe GuY! Rex MORGAn, M.d. PhAntOM

D6 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM Luann Peanuts Red & RoveR BaLdo Hi & Lois HeaRt of tHe City BaBy BLues famiLy CiRCus Ziggy saLLy foRtH diLBeRt CRanksHaft Wumo RHymes WitH oRange f minus mutts Zits PeaRLs BefoRe sWine BReaking Cat neWs WaLLaCe tHe BRave CandoRviLLe

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 D7 titled “Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Company: From My Heart to Yours,” self-published by McCurdy-Buonacorsi late last year. The nearly 500-page tome includes more than 700 recipes, many of them exact replicas of the dishes served at Joseph’s Storehouse. McCurdy-Buonacorsi started the project with one simple goal: passing on her culinary legacy to her children. She left the bakery in 2000, when she and McCrudy divorced, and married Gary Buonacorsi eight years ago. “Between my husband and I, we have nine kids and 14 grandchildren,” she said. “As my kids have grow and gotten married, my sons and daughters never really needed to learn how to cook.” With the next generation in mind, McCurdy-Buonacorsi designed the new book to be as much a cooking tutorial as a tribute to Joseph’s Storehouse. Recipes are spelled out in painstaking detail and provide a solid foundation for how to navigate a kitchen with grace and confidence. “I wanted to write it very detailed as if someone had never been in a kitchen. I feel like anybody can follow these recipes an they’ll be successful,” she said. “It’s like a culinary class in a textbook.” McCurdy-Buonacorsi printed an initial run of 25 copies. After she passed the title along to her family members, she offered the remaining books for purchase in a Facebook post. She was recovering from a case of COVID-19 at the time, but that didn’t stop the book from going viral. “I started getting all these people wanting copies, and I got overwhelmed,” she said. “I’ve had probably 300 to 400 people contact me. It’s been wild. It really has.” Not bad for a tribute to a little restaurant that could. McCurdy-Buonacorsi said the early days at Joseph’s Storehouse were a master class in shoestring budgeting. The scratch-and-dent stove required just the right jiggle of the burner to even light. Her then-husband was cooking at the restaurant on their backyard grill. She was caring for a newborn in a makeshift nursery inside a closet equipped with a crib during 16-hour work days. The business didn’t even have a sign for the first couple years. “I was so exhausted and so sleep deprived and so stressed out,” she said. “It was fun. It was exciting. But it was absolutely exhausting. And we’d get up in the next morning and do it again.” A few years after opening, the restaurant received an unlikely windfall. Patrick McCurdy overheard a San Antonio radio promotion promising $10,000 to the 99th caller and strategically picked up the phone. “I kept saying ‘get off the phone, we have work to do.’ But guess what? He was the 99th caller,” she said. “We took that money and put some awesome stuff in. A commercial stove, we bought a Vent-AHood, purchased a convection oven for the baking side of the restaurant.” In the following years, Joseph’s Storehouse would expand into a second location and launch a wholesale bakery operation equipped with 10 ovens near the airport. And it would grow a legion of fans who, eight years after the business closed, still have a hankering for McCurdy-Buonacorsi’s carrot cake, pumpkinpraline muffins and, of course, chocolate fudge cupcakes. “There’s a lot of history in that restaurant,” McCurdyBuonacorsi said. “I didn’t realize how much of an impact it had on so many people in San Antonio for so many years. It’s really touching.” McCurdy-Buonacorsi has shared four recipes from her new book, including chocolate brownies, King Ranch Chicken casserole, pumpkinpraline muffins and tortilla soup, all as they were prepared at Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Co. To purchase your own copy of the book — it’s $105 for a hardcover with color photos or $55 for a hardcover with black-and-white photos — visit store.bookbaby.com. [email protected] | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen Staff photographer file photo Former San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza, right, dines with Andrew Ozuna at Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Co. in 2001. JOSEPH’S CHOCOLATE BROWNIES BROWNIES • 2 sticks salted butter, softened and room temperature, plus more to grease a pan • 1 cup granulated sugar • 4 eggs, room temperature • 2 cups Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup • ½ teaspoon kosher salt • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) • Softened butter for greasing the pan ICING • 1 stick salted butter, room temperature • 1 cup granulated sugar • ¼ cup whole milk • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips • ½ cup small marshmallows • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract For the brownies: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with softened butter. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 2 sticks of butter and the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each addition. Stir in the Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, salt and vanilla and mix until incorporated. The batter might look curdled or grainy at this point. It’ll come back together when you add the flour. With the mixer on low, add the flour in 3 batches and mix just until the flour is incorporated after each addition and scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Stir in the chopped nuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. For the icing: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and milk and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Swirl the pan and use a damp pastry brush to brush off any sugar that has stuck to the sides of the pan. Boil for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallows and vanilla and mix until smooth. Pour over the warm brownies immediately and with an offset spatula or a spoon and spread to even out the icing. Makes 12 brownies From “Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Company: From My Heart to Yours” by Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi JOSEPH’S From page D1 JOSEPH’S KING RANCH CHICKEN STOCK • 1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken, excluding livers and gizzards • 4 quarts water • ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves • 1 large carrot, sliced • 3 celery ribs, sliced • 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper CASSEROLE • Softened butter for greasing the baking dish and foil • 4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 1 cup chopped yellow onion • 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper • 1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper • 1 jalapeño chile, seeded, deveined and chopped • 3 garlic cloves, chopped • 1 tablespoon chili powder • 1 tablespoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1 teaspoon black pepper • ¼ cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup reserved chicken stock, (above), plus more if needed • 1 cup heavy cream • 1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained and diced • 1 (4½-ounce) can green chilis, undrained and diced • 1½ cups crème fraîche • 3-4 cups shredded cooked chicken (above) • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese • 18 (6-inch) white corn tortillas • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish For the stock: Place the chicken and the next 7 ingredients in a large stock pot and cook for 1½-2 hours until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the stock. Strain the stock and discard the vegetables and set aside, reserving the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove from the bone and shred, discarding the skin and bones and set aside for later. For the casserole: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and one side of a sheet of aluminum foil that is large enough to cover the casserole dish with softened butter. Melt the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, red and green bell peppers and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt and black pepper and cook, stirring constantly for 1 more minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup of the reserved stock and the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Ro-Tel tomatoes, green chiles and crème fraîche. Add the reserved shredded chicken and stir until well blended. Use more of the remaining reserved stock to the mixture if you want to thin it out a bit. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl. Heat the remaining chicken stock and dip the tortillas into the warm stock to soften. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 6 tortillas, overlapping slightly to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 1⁄3of the chicken mixture, 1⁄3of the cheese mixture and 6 more tortillas. Top with ½ of the remaining chicken mixture, ½ of the remaining cheese mixture and the remaining 6 tortillas. Sprinkle with the remaining chicken mixture and cheese. Cover lightly with the greased sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until the cheese is lightly browned and melted, 5-10 more minutes. Let stand 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves and serve. Makes 10 servings From “Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Company: From My Heart to Yours” by Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi JOSEPH’S PUMPKIN-PRALINE MUFFINS MUFFINS • Nonstick cooking spray • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon • ¼ plus 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg • ¼ teaspoon baking soda • Pinch of ground cloves • 1 stick salted butter, softened • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed • 2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pure pumpkin, preferably Libby’s • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole fat buttermilk, room temperature TOPPING • 6 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed • 2 tablespoons full fat sour cream • 2⁄3 cup chopped pecans Instructions: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 12-cup regular-size muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and cloves in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture in 3 batches and the buttermilk in 2 batches, alternating, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until just combined after each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Using a 4-tablespoon scoop or measuring cup, spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans. For the topping: mix the brown sugar, sour cream and pecans. Evenly sprinkle the topping mixture over each muffin. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffins comes out clean, 14-16 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven and wait a couple of minutes, then gently tip the muffins sideways in their cups. If you pull and the muffins don’t budge, run a knife around the edges of the cups to help them along. If you pull on a muffin, and it starts to crumble, give them another 5 minutes before attempting to remove. Remove the muffins from the pans to a wire rack to cool. Makes 24 muffins From “Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Company: From My Heart to Yours” by Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi JOSEPH’S TORTILLA SOUP STOCK • 1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken, excluding livers and gizzards • 4 quarts water • ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves • 1 large carrot, peeled and quartered • 3 celery ribs, quartered • 1 large, yellow onion, peeled and quartered • 2½ teaspoons kosher salt • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper SOUP • 12 cups chicken stock (above) • 4 cups shredded chicken (above) • 16-ounces picante sauce, preferably Pace • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • ½ teaspoon chili powder • 1 small, zucchini, sliced • 1 red bell pepper, chopped • 2 cups frozen white sweet corn • 3⁄4 cup chopped green onions • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • ½ cup uncooked white rice • 3 cups tortilla chips, broken up, plus more for garnish • 1½ cups cubed avocado • 1½ to 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, for garnish For the stock: Place the chicken in a large stock pot, with the water, cilantro, carrot, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium to medium-low heat for about 1½-2 hours, until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the stock. Cool and remove the meat from the bones and shred it into relatively large pieces. Strain the stock, discard the vegetables and return 12 cups of the stock to the pot. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. For the soup: Combine the shredded chicken, picante sauce, cumin, chili powder, zucchini, red bell pepper, corn, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste into the strained chicken stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the rice and cook for another 30 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust to taste. Place 2-3 tablespoons of tortilla strips and 1 tablespoon of chopped avocado into individual serving bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls and garnish with Monterey Jack cheese and additional tortilla strips. Makes 8 servings From “Joseph’s Storehouse Baking Company: From My Heart to Yours” by Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi MaryLucky/Shutterstock ‘JOSEPH’S STOREHOUSE BAKING COMPANY: FROM MY HEART TO YOURS’ Michele McCurdy-Buonacorsi’s new cookbook contains many recipes from the restaurant she co-founded.

D8 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2023 HOUSTON CHRONICLE | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM More so than other vegetables, broccoli or broccolini needs to be cooked just right to be served at its best. It is better slightly undercooked than overcooked, because the latter can result in a soggy dish devoid of flavor. Roasting or grilling guarantees good results. I always cook broccoli with something fragrant — usually an aromatic spice such as cardamom, nutmeg or mace. A quick little grating of nutmeg at the end, or the florets tossed with cardamom, black pepper and olive oil, can transform broccoli. A squeeze of lemon or orange juice at the end can add even more fragrance and a smear of yogurt on the bottom can add a creamy luxurious finish. Anita Jaisinghani is the chef-owner of Pondicheri restaurant in Houston. Her website is india1948.com. Her new cookbook, “Masala” (Ten Speed Press), is out now. Email: [email protected] Ajna Jai/Contributor CARDAMOM ROASTED BROCCOLINI • 2 bunches broccolini • 1½ teaspoon sea salt • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1½ teaspoon ground green cardamom • 4 tablespoons olive oil • 1 cup plain thick yogurt • ½ teaspoon sea salt • Few pomegranate seeds • A tablespoon of sliced toasted almonds • Juice of 1 lime Instructions: Cut and discard the bottom inch of the broccolini stems and toss the remaining florets with salt, pepper, cardamom and olive oil. Spread over a hot backyard grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Alternately, preheat the oven to broil and lay the broccolini flat on a small baking pan and cook until the vegetable is bright green and has a little bit of char, approximately 5 minutes. To serve, combine a cup of plain yogurt with salt and spread it over the bottom of a platter. Lay the broccolini over it, squeeze the juice of a lime and sprinkle with toasted almonds and pomegranate seeds and serve. NOTES & VARIATIONS • The inside seeds of the green cardamom pod can be purchased separately. These do not need to toasted and, once ground, will keep for a month or two in a dark spot away from light. To grind, use a small coffee grinder. • Instead of yogurt, you can serve broccolini with a cup of hummus or tahini. Serves 4 From chef Anita Jaisinghani Cardamom roasted broccolini is an aromatic delight Anita Jaisinghani HOUSTON HARVEST Most Houstonians who celebrate carnival season before the start of Lent are well familiar with the traditional king cake. And most have their favorite local purveyor for the ring-shaped cake enjoyed through Mardi Gras. But king cake flavors are available in forms beyond actual cake. Locally, restaurants and bars are whipping up king cake-flavored cocktails, coffee drinks and various desserts invested with the traditional cinnamon flavors and garnished with the familiar colored sugars. If you’re looking to get an atypical king cake fix, here are some places to indulge through Mardi Gras, Feb. 21, and beyond. Eunice King cake milk punch, made with Screwball Peanut Butter Bourbon, cream, orgeat, vanilla and cinnamon syrup (and topped with colored sugars) is available through Fat Tuesday at this posh Greenway Plaza restaurant. 3737 Buffalo Speedway; eunicerestaurant.com The Waffle Bus Both locations are featuring king cake waffles, made with sweet cream, cinnamon sugar, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, frosting and colored sugars. Each order ($9.99) comes with Mardi Gras beads. 1835 N. Shepherd and 1540 W. Alabama; thewafflebus.com Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House Chef Joe Cervantez drew on his years at Brennan’s of Houston to create King Cake Bread Pudding, a mashup of two New Orleans classics ($9.99). 113 6th, San Leon; pier6seafood.com Rainbow Lodge Mardi Gras Milk Punch, a classic bourbon milk punch invested with king cake spices and Mardi Gras colored sugars ($10), is available through Feb. 21. Rainbow Lodge, set in a romantic log cabin near the Heights, also offers the cocktail as a kit, serving four, for $40. 2011 Ella; rainbow-lodge.com Kolache Shoppe All three locations will offer king cake kolaches in February. The pastries are filled with cinnamon cream cheese and pecans and finished with an almond vanilla glaze and colored sugars ($2.75 each); available on weekends through Feb. 21. Houston and Kingwood; kolacheshoppe.com Lagniappe Kitchen & Bar The Heights restaurant and coffee shop knows its Mardi Gras traditions. In addition to king cakes, it is offering a king cake latte made with caramel and vanilla syrups; iced or hot all through carnival season. 550 Heights Blvd.; lagniappeheights.com PJ’s Coffee The New Orleans-born coffee house is offering several Mardi Gras-flavored drinks through Feb. 28, including king cake latte (garnished with whipped cream and purple sugar), king cake cold brew and king cake velvet ice made with king cake cold brew coffee. 2222 West Loop S. inside Royal Sonesta Houston and 12640 Broadway in Pearland; pjscoffee.com [email protected] MARDI GRAS Savoring the flavors of king cake — without the cake By Greg Morago STAFF WRITER Joe Cervantez King cake bread pudding is offered at Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House in San Leon. Carla Gomez King cake-flavored kolaches are available at Kolache Shoppe locations. Sergio Trevino The Waffle Bus offers king cake waffles; each order comes with Mardi Gras beads. PJ’s Coffee PJ’s Coffee offers three king cake-flavored drinks through Feb. 28. Alex Montoya A king cake-inspired milk punch is available through Mardi Gras season at Eunice restaurant.