📰 This Week in Investigations: Mail theft, hurricane aftermath, and ongoing issues

🚨 Hey, Crime Buffs — We’re Back! 👀🔍

HOUSTON, Texas – Heading into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, try not to forget about us! Every Thursday, just in time for lunch, take 10-15 minutes to catch up on some news you need to know.

Here’s a look at some stories we’ve been digging deeper into.

We’ll recap all the exciting happenings today, reflect on the week’s highlights, and give you some insights into what’s coming up next week. Let’s dive in! 🚀

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🔦 IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Investigations That Keep Echoing

🔥 We’re kicking off this week with a story that impacts you at home!

Amy Davis is looking into the problem of mail theft.

New Texas law, SB 1281, targets mail theft by expanding the definition to include stolen checks, money orders, and other financial papers, as well as now counting copying mailbox keys and locks as a crime.

• New Texas law targets rising mall theft

This is not the only story Amy is tracking; she’s following CenterPoint outages from 2024 to 2025 at four homes because they had a few of them, and she found overall decreases in outages this year. We’ll see how that holds up through the summer.

To track power outages, residents can file a complaint with the Public Utility Commission.

• Repeat power outage? How to check the power outage records from your home

Hurricane season is here, and while there are several ways you can plan and prepare, storms might bring issues you can’t predict.

Joel Eisenbaum is diving into issues affecting Houston’s Northview subdivision after residents raised concerns about trees falling due to storms.

• Top 5 Houston neighborhoods with the most power outages

Walter Kingsley, a resident of Northview, said, “These trees are dangerous when they fall. They’re old and they can fall any time.”

Multiple agencies are denying responsibility for maintaining these trees. That is why Joel reached out to the neighborhood’s HOA to find out who is exactly responsible for the trees.

• Towering storm-damaged trees threaten Houston homes as Hurricane season begins

He kept a tight pulse on recycling pickup issues affecting residents throughout the city by identifying who is responsible from the top down, looking to find you answers.

• Houston Solid Waste Management director resigns talks about challenges with recycling program

There have still been significant delays in recycling pickups across Houston. Mark Wilfalk, the director of Houston Solid Waste Management, has resigned from the agency, as delayed Houston-area recycling pickups continue to rise.

Wilfalk told Joel he came into the position with proposed solutions to address the 33,000 complaints about missed pickup services, but the city rejected his plans.

A new interim director is now taking over, inheriting the issues still affecting many residents.

• Brady Notices filed after Houston crime scene tech terminated

Robert Arnold is continuing the ongoing investigation into the NOAA’s weather radio transmitter repair. More than 90 days after a fire destroyed the transmitter, Galveston County residents are still without signal during what is expected to be an above-average Hurricane season.

The NOAA tells 2 Investigates they do not have an estimated timeline for restoring services to residents.

Houston Congressman Randy Weber has reached out following constituents’ concerns, and those answers are expected to come soon.

NOAA said they would inspect the transmission site, so we will keep you updated.

• 93 days later: No timeline for NOAA weather transmitter repair

Mario Diaz reported on a court hearing that took place involving a large private African art collection secretly stored in an old Harris County maintenance shed.

Previously reported by 2 Investigates, the art is now set to be sold sometime in July, even though Sam Njunuri is still claiming the art is his.

• Going, going, gone? Court hearing on sale of African Art uncovered by 2 Investigates

That’s a wrap for this week, folks! We’ll see you next week, same time and place. Can’t wait! 😂