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Governor Abbott Appoints Carson And Hellums To Health And Human Services Transition Legislative Oversight Committee
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Bonnie Hellums and Wayne Carson, Ph.D. to the Health and Human Services (HHS) Transition Legislative Oversight Committee for terms at the pleasure of the Governor. The Committee was created to make recommendations regarding the reorganization of HHS into a system that is more efficient and effective in client service delivery.
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5 Ways Families Can Reduce Summer Learning Loss for Back to School
Post-summer “brain drain” or summer learning loss for students is real, according to Harris County Department of Education Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment for Kids (CASE for Kids) Director Lisa Thompson-Caruthers. Most teachers spend at least three weeks re-teaching last year’s lessons at the beginning of each school year, she said.
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USDA Forest Service Awards First Community Forest Conservation Program Grant in Texas
Through the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, the USDA Forest Service awarded the first grant to a project in Texas. The funds will benefit a community forest project on Sink Creek in the city of San Marcos, Hays County, Texas.
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“Carla Coleman - 2019 Sickle Cell Houston Walk Chair ”
Carla has served the Sickle Cell Disease “SCD” Community for many years as a Community Outreach Specialist (CCHW) with the UT Health System, where she promoted public awareness to health education services, wellness issues and resources for the SCD and Gerontology communities.
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Governor Abbott Announces New Uber Hub in Dallas
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Uber Technologies, Inc. will establish a new U.S. General and Administrative Hub that will house various corporate functions in Dallas, Texas. Uber is a multinational company that offers ride hailing services, food delivery, and other forms of transportation worldwide. The project will create 3,000 new jobs and more than $75 million in capital investment. A Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant of $24,000,000 has been extended to Uber Technologies, Inc.
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Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Urban Harvest and Clear Channel Outdoors Launch Public Service Campaign to Promote Farmers Markets that Bring Local Produce to Houston’s Food Deserts
Initiative Includes Double Up Houston Program that Allows SNAP Recipients to Purchase $40 of Produce for $20
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Clear Channel Outdoor and Urban Harvest on Saturday, Aug. 17 launched a public service campaign, including 13 donated billboards, to promote the Double Up Houston program that allows families to use their SNAP benefits to bring home double the amount of fresh locally grown food from participating farmers markets.
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The Hungry Free Summer
School bells ringing are a bigger relief for some families than just getting children out of the house. It means that their children will have two well-balanced meals a day at school. One in six children across America doesn’t know where their next meal will come from. Texas is a distant 43rd for children’s overall well-being with a devastating 25% of the children living in poverty. Houston ranks second in the nation for children living with food insecurity. Harris County has the second highest rate of child food insecurity in the nation. A hungry free summer seems unobtainable but in summer 2019 it was made possible.
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Hunger Free Summer Initiative Dishes Out 400K Meals
Growing children need the basics – food, shelter, and water. Simple yet complicated at the same time. Simple as these are common that many have access to but not all can obtain due to life circumstances. This setup is not good for any human being but it is especially detrimental to children in their early years of life.
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Houston “To Showcase the City” During Convention
Mayor Turner describes Convention as “an infusion of fresh air”
After two years of preparation, 50,000 will be in Houston to attend the Spanish-language “Love Never Fails”! International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses August 23-25, 2019, at NRG Stadium.
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ACLU of Texas Statement on Plano’s Rape Crisis Center
The Plano City Council will hold a council budget workshop this Saturday to discuss the possible defunding of The Turning Point, the only rape crisis center in Collin County. Two city council members expressed concern about the center providing emergency contraception, such as the high dosage version of oral birth control known as Plan B, to survivors of sexual assault.
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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Announces Gun Violence Prevention Summit and Roundtable
Jackson Lee: “If we are serious about tackling gun violence, then we must take reasonable, commonsense steps towards that end. This is why, on September 3, 2019, I will be hosting a gun violence prevention summit and roundtable. This meeting will include members of law enforcement, medical professionals, statisticians, parents and community leaders. It will include stakeholders who, like me, are sickened by the incidences of mass shootings and gun violence. It will require attendees to explore how, collectively, we can stem the tide of this uniquely American scourge. All attending will recognize that this time cannot be a time where we do nothing. We must do something. This includes urging the Senate to pass pieces of legislation which have already cleared the House of Representatives. In February, the House passed H.R. 8, legislation designed to implement universal background checks in all gun purchases, and H.R 1112, which would close the “Charleston Loophole.” Passing commonsense gun violence prevention legislation also means ensuring that weapons of war are not readily accessible to the wholesale public, enabling the most perverse and dangerous to inflict carnage. This includes limiting the amount of ammunition readily available, so that the bloodshed inflicted by the shooter in Dayton is not again replicated.”
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Harris County Democratic Party Statement on Representative Jessica Farrar's Retirement
We are beyond grateful for Representative Jessica Farrar's 25 years of service in the Texas Legislature. Representative Farrar was a devoted fighter for the people of her district and a fierce advocate for the rights of women.
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Beyond the Rhetoric: Congressional Black Caucus – Warriors or Wimps?
Let us start this by looking at the stated goals of the Congressional Black Caucus. According to Wikipedia: “The caucus describes its goals as ‘positively influencing the course of events pertinent to African Americans and others of similar experience and situation’, and ‘achieving greater equity for persons of African descent in the design and content of domestic and international programs and services.”
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Adult Congenital Heart Association to Host Regional Conference in Houston
Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their families to receive the educational tools necessary to take control of their CHD, including a session featuring R.C. Slocum
The Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), the only non-profit organization in the country dedicated solely to the unique social, educational and medical needs of the 1.4 million adults in the U.S. with congenital heart defects, is hosting its Houston Regional Conference Saturday, August 24.
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OpenStax partner schools expected to save students $9.1M on textbooks
Students at nine U.S. colleges and universities that partnered with Rice University-based nonprofit publisher OpenStax last summer are expected to save $9.1 million on textbooks and other course material costs in the upcoming academic year.
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Tiff's Treats Opens Warm Cookie Delivery Store in Charlotte, N.C.; Grand Opening Saturday, August 24, to Feature Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick
Charlotte expansion brings Tiff's Treats store count to 52
Tiff's Treats, the Austin, Texas-based company that pioneered warm cookie delivery, has announced its first Charlotte location is now open at 7314 Waverly Walk Avenue, Suite E3, with a grand opening this Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. to be attended by actress/model Brooklyn Decker and tennis star Andy Roddick, brand ambassadors for Tiff's Treats.
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UH and TSU to be Early Voting Locations in November 2019 Election
Harris County Clerk Dr. Diane Trautman announced today that the University of Houston and Texas Southern University will serve as Early Voting and Election Day polling locations for the November 5, 2019 General and Special Elections.
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Governor Abbott Appoints Hughs As Texas Secretary Of State
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Ruth Ruggero Hughs as the Texas Secretary of State. The Secretary serves as Chief Election Officer for Texas, assisting county election officials and ensuring the uniform application and interpretation of election laws throughout Texas. The Office of the Secretary of State also provides a repository for official and business and commercial records required to be filed with the Office.
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Stacey Abrams to Launch Program Combating Voter Suppression in Battleground States
Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will expand the voting rights organization she founded ahead of the 2020 elections into several battleground states, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Comcast Announces Largest Ever Expansion Of Its Internet Essentials Program
Comcast announced it is significantly expanding eligibility for its broadband adoption program Internet Essentials to include all qualified low-income households in its service area. Comcast estimates that more than three million additional low-income households, including households with people with disabilities, are now eligible to apply.
