CITY COUNCIL

The lawyer for a small Kansas newspaper raided by police last month said he believes officers didn't follow the search warrant's requirements to only seize computers believed directly involved in suspected identity theft.

One of the reporters who works at the small Kansas newspaper that was raided by authorities earlier this month filed a federal lawsuit against the police chief Wednesday.

Newly released video shows the 98-year-old mother of a Kansas newspaper publisher confronting police officers as they searched her home in a raid that has drawn national scrutiny.

In a preliminary vote, City Council members voted 5 to 2 in favor of annexing Municipal Utility District (MUD) No. 2.

Recent surveys cite crime, economic concerns and infrastructure as top issues.

Democratic leaders in major U.S. cities are finding themselves politically squeezed when it comes to addressing homelessness.

Texas Southern University’s Aviation Science and Technology program is reaching new heights with the approval of a training facility at the Houston Spaceport.

Mayor Sylvester Turner addressed rumors Wednesday about the state’s possible takeover of the Houston Independent School District.

Spencer Cronk, who headed the city since 2018, fell out of favor with council members after communication failures that mirrored problems from the 2021 winter storm.

A local attorney is threatening more lawsuits as a new City Council, backed by the local Republican Party, gets to business.

City councils are typically nonpartisan. Odessa residents are wondering if that’s still the case after the local Republican Party helped elect new council members.

Some local leaders say they worry the changes violate state law, while residents who supported decriminalizing marijuana say the pushback disrespects democracy.

The League of United Latin American Citizens sued the city Monday, asking a federal court to halt its practice of electing five of its 16 council members through at-large elections.

Los Angeles' new mayor has outlined her vision to turn around a troubled City Hall and restrain an out-of-control homeless crisis in the nation's second-largest city.

Voters in Portland, Oregon, have approved a ballot measure that will overhaul the city's government, spurred by growing concerns over homelessness and a desire to make City Hall more inclusive.

U.S. Rep. Karen Bass has pulled ahead of developer Rick Caruso in their back-and-forth contest to become mayor of Los Angeles.

Residents of Houston’s first historically Black community, founded by ex-slaves, notched a victory this month in a debate over redistricting the city’s 11 council districts.

The president of the Los Angeles City Council has resigned from the post after she was heard making racist comments and other coarse remarks in a leaked recording of a conversation with other Latino leaders.

City leaders in Galveston are considering making changes to the city’s golf cart ordinance after four people were killed in a crash on Saturday.

Nearly a half-century after arson killed 32 people in a New Orleans gay bar, the City Council has renewed the search for the remains of four victims — three of them never identified.

Public hearings begin Wednesday as Houston City Council reviews new redistricting maps.

City Council is planning to hold three hearings to receive comments, suggestions and alternative plans from the public to get its intake on the proposed redistricting plan, according to a release.

Uvalde’s mayor said city officials could be prosecuted for releasing details of the investigation. Pete Arredondo, the City Council member and school district police chief, was absent for the second straight meeting.

Relatives of the victims and other members of the community also called for the ousting of Pete Arredondo, who is the police chief of the city’s school district and a newly elected council member.

Mayor Sylvester Turner and City Council members approved a contract with the Houston Police Officers’ Union to increase police officers pay on Wednesday.

Houston City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to amend several ordinances related to Houston-area pet owners and shops.

Minneapolis voters are deciding whether to replace the city’s police force with a new Department of Public Safety.

An 1833 statue of Thomas Jefferson will be removed from New York’s City Council chamber by the end of the year.

Los Angeles leaders have voted to enact one of the nation’s strictest vaccine mandates.

Houston City Council is one vote away from issuing a huge increase in water bills for residents.

Homicide rates are rising once again across the country after last year’s spike, and Houston is faring worse than the largest U.S. cities.

Mayor Turner and Houston’s City Council announced on Wednesday that the proposed $5.1 billion FY 2022 operating budget was passed.

One of the latest Houston-area homes to receive historic landmark designation is now listed on the real estate market.

A video that shows a portion of a recent deadly police shooting in Portland, Oregon, has circulated on social media and evening news broadcasts.

Across the Houston area, residents cast their ballots for a number of races and propositions.

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2019 file photo, Alderman Robin Rue Simmons, 5th Ward, proposes a reparations fund during a City Council meeting in Evanston, lll. The City Council on Monday voted 8-1 to begin making good on its pledge to distribute $10 million over the next 10 years with the distribution of $400,000 to eligible Black households. "It’s going to be many programs and initiatives, and more funding.”AdThe City Council acted after dozens of citizens addressed the body and the plan received some pushback from several. Alderman Cicely Fleming, the lone vote against the plan, said she supports reparations, but what the City Council was debating is a housing plan that is being called reparations. President Joe Biden has even expressed support for creating a federal commission to study Black reparations, a proposal that’s languished for decades in Congress.

Defense attorney Eric Nelson also raised the possibility of renewing his previously unsuccessful motion to move Derek Chauvin's trial to another city. AdMayor Jacob Frey deferred questions about the timing of the settlement to City Attorney Jim Rowader, who declined to comment. Potential jurors questioned later didn't mention hearing of the settlement, and neither attorneys nor the judge directly asked if they were aware of it. At least four potential jurors dismissed Monday said they couldn’t be impartial. Three other former officers face an August trial on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter.

HOUSTON – The new Houston city secretary has made history as being the first African-American to be appointed after being selected by Mayor Sylvester Turner. Houston native Patricia Jefferson Daniel will succeed beloved city secretary Anna Russell, who died last year after serving that role for nearly seven decades. “No one can ever fill Anna Russell’s shoes, but I am honored to follow in her footsteps to support Mayor Turner, City Council, and serving the people of Houston,” Daniel said. ”(Patririca) Daniel brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to the position of City Secretary and will be an asset to the office as they move forward,” Turner said. She has been the Interim City Secretary since 2018 and I am proud to make her role permanent.”Daniel is an honors graduate of Jack Yates Senior High School and attended Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

HOUSTON – Big Tex Storage is slated to move into Houston Heights and some residents are not happy about it. Heights residents are protesting the seven-story building project, one of the tallest buildings in Houston Heights, located on 11th Street near Studewood. Big Tex also operates storage facilities in Houston: River Oaks, Garden Oaks, Montrose. Our Heights facility will bring a first-class storage experience to the Heights neighborhood. Statement from Abbie Kamin, Houston City Council Member (District C):As a City with no zoning, we need stronger neighborhood protections.

A federal prosecutor on Friday announced that additional law enforcement resources will be sent to the state's capital. A federal prosecutor has joined the ongoing political fight over police funding in Texas, pinning a yearlong increase in Austin homicides in part to the state capital’s budget cut that went into effect in October. The operation will focus on shootings, repeat crimes, robberies and violent crime on military bases in the surrounding area. “We saw a rise in violent crime in the very early months of 2020, before the reimagining and the defunding conversations came up,” Greenwalt said. Overall, violent crime has dropped slightly in Austin compared to last year, and property crime has stayed steady.

The footprint of the production hub will grow with a private land purchase and a lease involving state trust land. She said the partnership with Netflix should send a signal that New Mexico is the place to be for film and television production. As part of the proposed investment, Netflix has committed to providing training programs in partnership with the New Mexico Film Office, local universities and industry organizations. Since coming to New Mexico in 2018, Netflix said it has spent more than $200 million, used more than 2,000 production vendors and hired more than 1,600 cast and crew members. Netflix is in production in New Mexico on the original films “The Harder They Fall" and “Intrusion" and is expected to soon begin filming “Stranger Things 4" in Albuquerque.

HOUSTON – A date for the runoff in the race for Houston City Council District B seat has been set, more than a year after the original election. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins announced Wednesday that the deciding contest between Cynthia Bailey and Tarsha Jackson will be held Dec. 12. Jackson finished first in the 2019 general election but did not garner enough of the vote to avoid a runoff with Bailey, the second-place finisher. “It’s a shame that it has taken this long to determine the future of District B, but I’m glad that this matter will soon be put to rest,” Hollins said in a written statement. “Voters in District B will have an important decision to make this December.”The District B seat is still filled by Councilman Jerry Davis, who was to vacate the seat because of term limitations.

PEARLAND – A Pearland councilmember Woody Owens is sharing his response to controversial posts he shared on his Facebook page. That bigotry, hatred, those dog whistles are just unacceptable.”The Brazoria County NAACP alerted KPRC 2 of the posts and sent them in. The screenshots showed Owens' shared posts, which were mostly memes. During the interview, Owens shared the sentiments of the Confederacy during the Civil War era. Owens maintains they have shared posts, not commenting on right or wrong.

HOUSTON – Houston City Council has passed an ordinance Thursday that prohibits vehicles to park in dedicated bicycle lanes. Mayor Sylvester Turner, who listened to bicyclists, said in a statement the city is taking a step further to protect the designated bike lanes for Houstonians to enjoy. “The ordinance is an opportunity to promote safety and educate those who park in dedicated bicycle lanes without realizing how it impedes access," Mayor Turner said in a statement. A flyer will be distributed to vehicles parking on the bike lanes during a 90-day warning period, however no word on when the 90-day period will start. The ordinance is also a commitment by the city of Houston to become a bike-friendly city by the year 2027, according to the release.

Dozens of protesters took to the streets of Las Vegas Monday to protest a strict new homeless ordinance set to take effect in February. The ordinance makes it illegal to sleep on public streets and sidewalks if there are shelter beds available. But, definitely not fining and imprisoning them and making it harder for them to get a job or get on a lease," protester Katie Krikorian said. “It shows how far removed from real society the City Council is if they think imprisoning people, or fining them, is helping them," Krikorian said. The protest remained peaceful, but tensions rose towards the end.

The resolution was introduced after MLB revealed in a report Jan. 13 how the Astros used a sign-stealing system instituted by then-coach Alex Cora during the 2017 season, when Houston beat Los Angeles in the World Series. The Red Sox are under investigation for possibly stealing signs in Cora's first season as manager in 2018, when Boston beat the Dodgers. The resolution requests “that in addition to the penalties already imposed, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball remove the 2017 and 2018 World Series titles from the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox." It requested the commissioner to recall the World Series trophies and award them to the Dodgers. Days later, the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora, who was an Astros coach in 2017 and was cited in the MLB report for his role in Houston's cheating.

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – A Waller County grand jury decided Friday to indict Prairie View police Officer Michael Kelly for official oppression for the arrest of City Council member Jonathan Miller, according to Waller County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Noah Johnson. According to Prairie View police, officers were questioning four men about recent disturbances or suspicious activity in the area when Miller interrupted the investigation. One of the witnesses recorded the incident with his cellphone. Police said Miller resisted arrest and that is when they deployed a Taser. The officers in October's incident included a female officer who was also involved in the Sandra Bland arrest, the chief said.