5 things for Houstonians to know for Friday, Nov. 5

Maria Diaz receives her vaccine against COVID-19 at a 24-hour vaccination event in Austin at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex on March 6. (Sergio Flores For The Texas Tribune, Sergio Flores For The Texas Tribune)

Here are things to know for Friday, Nov. 5:

1. Alief ISD police investigating after parents say 12-year-old daughter was given THC-laced cookie at school

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Alief ISD Police are investigating allegations a student distributed cookies, believed to be laced with THC, to other students during a lunch break, district officials confirmed Thursday.

A district official confirmed to KPRC 2 the incident occurred Wednesday in the cafeteria at Ann Osterloh O’Donnell Middle School.

“The student distributing the edibles will be disciplined according to district policy. All parents of students involved have been contacted by school officials,” Alief ISD wrote in a statement to KPRC 2.

Alief ISD did not disclose the number of cookies distributed, but said: “parents of students involved have been contacted by school officials.”

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2. 23-year veteran HPD officer accused of sexually assaulting a child posts $260K bond

A 23-year veteran Houston police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting a child has posted a $260,000 bond.

Tung Tran, 50, was in court for arraignment Thursday. The hearing will be reset for two weeks so that Tran has time to hire an attorney.

The sergeant for the Houston Police Department is facing two counts of aggravated assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

“Child abuse cases in general. Generally they are people that know the victims and the victims family and they gain the trust or that family and they violate it that trust especially the trust of a child,” Janna Oswald with the district attorney’s office said.

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3. Houston area lawyer says he believes Texas is going to fight back against the big business vaccine mandate

Time is winding down for companies with 100 or more employees to get their workers fully vaccinated or tested weekly, as part of a new federal mandate.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its vaccine guidance for about two-thirds of the nation’s private-sector workforce on Thursday.

The agency, which oversees safety in the workplace, is using an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to require businesses with at least 100 employees to require proof of vaccination status or have unvaccinated workers to test weekly for Covid-19, starting January 4, 2022.

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4. Avoid becoming a victim of ‘jugging’: Here are 3 things you can do to protect yourself

The crime is called “jugging” and it refers to a type of robbery where the bad guys work in teams of two to rip you off.

The first guy is the spotter, the person who first targets the victim to be attacked.

The second player is the driver, who will help the spotter make his or her getaway once the theft has been accomplished.

Juggers, police say, are thieves who are out to rob you while you are out shopping, going to the ATM to withdraw money or filling up your gas tank at the gas station.

Once a crime where the thieves simply tried to steal packages or a purse or a wallet from your car, now police say juggers have developed a new game plan.

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5. Dusty Baker hopes to be back with Astros, meets with front office Thursday afternoon

Dusty Baker will meet with the Astros’ front office this afternoon with hopes of being back next season.

At Houston native Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack charity softball game, Baker briefly spoke to reporters about the postseason.

“It felt good, it felt really good,” said Baker, alluding to the Astros’ trip to the World Series. “But next year at this time, I want to feel great.”

However, whether or not Baker will be back with the Astros next year at this time remains to be seen. This will be a decision that GM James Click and Jim Crane will have to make, as Baker’s contract is expired and he currently has no deal in place.

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