Heights – Hey there!
Happy Monday — and welcome to another little “what’s happening behind the scenes” brain dump! Ha! First of all, you guys are keeping me busy!
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The number of tips, questions, and “hey, have you seen this?” messages I’m getting is honestly amazing. But I’ve noticed a shift lately: more and more of your tips are turning into the kind of stories that require some serious digging. And I love that.
The only catch? Those stories take time. Actually understanding the history, the context, the players involved, and why this issue matters in the first place. I find myself posting less, but hopefully giving you better information.
A perfect example? Norhill. I knew diving into the design guidelines would be opening a can of worms. And yeah… I was right. I’ve heard from residents with VERY different opinions, but what’s interesting is that so many of those conversations circle back to the same big questions: Who makes the rules? Who has authority? And how do we balance protecting what makes the Heights special while still allowing neighborhoods to grow and change? I’ve got my first story out, but don’t worry... this one is not done. Look for a Part 2 this week as I keep digging and work on getting more answers from the city and neighborhood leaders.
Meanwhile…
🚗 Car thefts in the Heights: I know. I hear about this ALL the time. I’m currently waiting on an open records request from HPD so we can see the data and answer the bigger question: is this crime actually increasing, or does it just feel that way because we’re all talking more about it online?
And speaking of things we’re seeing online…
🐺 Coyotes?! Yep. That was another fun DM I got last week. 😂 I’m curious — are y’all seeing more of them, or are we just noticing and posting about them more, too? I posted a screen grab from Nextdoor about three coyotes at Beall St. @ W. 14th above (posted by Charla Allen, sent to me by one of you!) Sometimes that’s the tricky part of reporting: social media is an incredible way to spot trends, but it’s also my job to ask, “What does the actual data show?” Bottom line, we all know wildlife is all around us, but is several sitings in a week normal for this area? I’ve been sent a few different posts. Otherwise, the tip came with some great questions: “Does COH address inner-city coyotes? If yes, do they re-home them outside of residential neighborhoods or what happens next?” That’s something I don’t know the answer to..but I would love to find out.
🏫 HISD starts this week?! How is it already August?!
I also got a great question about construction around Harvard Elementary, specifically whether students can safely walk along the sidewalks with some areas blocked off. I’m looking into that this week too.
And trust me… there are SO many more stories happening behind the scenes right now. One thing I’m always trying to remind myself (and explain along the way): not every message automatically becomes a news story. Sometimes the best reporting starts with a tip, but the question becomes: “What can journalism actually help answer here?”
Is there a bigger issue? A pattern? Data we can look at? Someone who needs answers. That’s the fun part.
I hope you’re enjoying following along with this account as much as I’m enjoying building it. Keep sending me your tips, questions, and random Heights observations. Make it a great week!❤️