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Astronomical society hosting park event Saturday

The South Texas Astronomical Society is hosting another event Saturday night at Resaca de la Palma State Park in Brownsville, opening up the heavens at the observatory. The popular event at UTRGV’s Cristina Torres Memorial Observatory begins at 8 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. Event organizers at the society urge that everyone planning to attend purchase their $4 Park Day Pass before the event. Children 12 and under are free. Those who already own telescopes are urged to bring them along.

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Astronomical society hosting park event Saturday

The South Texas Astronomical Society is hosting another event Saturday night at Resaca de la Palma State Park in Brownsville, opening up the heavens at the observatory. The popular event at UTRGV’s Cristina Torres Memorial Observatory begins at 8 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. Event organizers at the society urge that everyone planning to attend purchase their $4 Park Day Pass before the event. Children 12 and under are free. Those who already own telescopes are urged to bring them along.

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Valley kids enjoy pumpkin patch event

Families in Los Fresnos got a unique pumpkin patch opportunity Saturday afternoon with the first Christian Vaquero Kids Day event from 12:30-5:30 p.m. at the Los Fresnos Rodeo Grounds. In addition to amusements, The Table of Los Fresnos held a closing and opening worship service for attendees, with discussions and music in the arena stands. At the community gathering, Bresson said it was essential to have an element of worship as families come together to spend quality time at the event. “We want to make sure that kids understand and hear the good news of Jesus,” Bresson said. “It’s family-friendly, with a lot of great people out here and good music for some wholesome family fun for us,” she said.

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Josh Abbott Band to perform at Harlingen’s Freedom Fest

The City of Harlingen welcomes the Josh Abbott Band for Freedom Fest, the annual Fourth of July event, happening Saturday from 4-9 p.m. at Lon C. Hill Destination Park, 1216 Fairpark Blvd. The event is free, and everyone is welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets. A fireworks display will start immediately after the concert. Freedom Fest will also feature a car show, an adult beverage garden, food vendors, and a child’s play area.

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Kamp Houston organizes rodeo-themed event for the community

HOUSTON – Kamp Houston announced a rodeo-themed family-friendly weekend from Friday to Sunday kicking off March 26, 2021. The three-day event will feature rodeo-style food and drinks, carnival rides, bull riding, a petting zoo, BBQ cookoff and prizes, according to the organizers. The menu will feature a “Kamp Out” barbeque plate and seafood boil. The event will also feature local vendors selling merchandise and products. Guests are encouraged to take a rideshare option to get dropped off as parking is limited.

Over 14 million Texans still don’t have safe drinking water in their homes

HOUSTON – More than 14 million Texans still do not have safe drinking water in their homes after a powerful winter storm burst pipes and knocked out power across the state this week. Toby Baker, executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said the number of the state’s 7,000 public water systems affected by the winter storm has increased from Friday to 1,445, but the population affected by those water systems has dropped slightly to 14.3 million. He said about 156,000 homes have no water service at all, which is down from 352,000 reported Friday. Kidd said the state has also ordered 250,000 meals-ready-to-eat to be distributed with another 5 million meals on the way. Kidd said Texans can also help the state complete its damage assessment faster by completing an online form to report damage that their property has sustained.

American Heart Association taking annual ‘Heart Ball’ virtual this year

HOUSTON – February is National Heart Month, and the American Heart Association has a great way for Houstonians to get involved in their life-saving mission. Their annual (and very glamorous) ‘Heart Ball’ fundraising event is now set to be an exciting virtual experience this year, happening Thursday, February 11. Even though guests won’t be gathering all this year, they can dress up in ball gowns and tuxes - or cozy up in their loungewear and enjoy this signature event from the comfort of their own homes. His performance will deliver a message of hope, similar to that of his most recent performance at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration concert. Watch as Lauren Kelly chats with the Heart Ball chairs, Lisa and Jerry Simon about the big event.

Answers to the top 13 questions asked during our Ask 2 Town Hall on coronavirus vaccine

A panel of experts answers questions about the coronavirus vaccine during an Ask 2 Town Hall on Jan. 13, 2021. KPRC 2 is always working to get answers to your questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. Imelda Garcia, associate commissioner of the Department of State Health Service and chair of the state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel, explained. Dr. James McCarthy, of Memorial Hermann, said you should not get the COVID-19 vaccine while you are actively infected with the virus. Follow the latest coronavirus vaccine headlines and submit your questions about the vaccine at Click2Houston.com/vaccine.

Abbott says state moving to vaccinate Texans as quickly as possible

ARLINGTON, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday the state government is shifting priorities in an effort to get Texans vaccinated against the coronavirus as quickly as possible. Speaking at a mass-vaccination site in Arlington, Abbott said the state is moving from a smaller vaccination administration model to a hub model aimed at vaccinating thousands of people at larger sites. “It allows communities to have several locations capable of vaccinating thousands of people in a single day,” Abbott said. The governor said the state is also working to open sites aimed at administering the coronavirus antibody therapy to help people have shorter stays in a hospital.

‘Sneakiest of viruses’: Officials urge vigilance as coronavirus vaccine arrives in Houston

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that while the coronavirus vaccine has arrived in the city, people should remain vigilant to control the spread of the virus. He said an additional 745 cases were reported by the Houston Health Department on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in the city to 104,962. Dr. Lauren Hopkins, of the Houston Health Department, said the survey found that 13.5% of the people whose blood were tested for coronavirus antibodies were positive. Building confidence in the vaccinePersse said the technology used to create the coronavirus vaccine was originally developed 15 years ago when the SARS virus was prevalent. Turner encouraged hospitals who receive the vaccine to make the vaccination process transparent so that people can see the process.

AstroWorld Festival 2020 has been postponed, but Travis Scott says event will make a return in 2021

HOUSTON – With almost every event getting cancelled this year due to the pandemic, AstroWorld 2020 joins that list. However, Houston rapper Travis Scott, who brought his own AstroWorld festival to Houston’s NRG park since 2018 took to Twitter to announce the event will make a return in 2021. “See you next year at AstroWorld Fest 2021...can’t wait to turn the (expletive) up! Stay Safe!” the Twitter post read, captioned “THE PARTY NEVER ENDS.”This year’s event was supposed to take place Nov. 9, and the lineup has not been announced. Fans are encouraged to sign up for updates on the AstroWorld website.

Trump, Biden go at it -- from a distance -- in town halls

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to participate in a town hall with moderator ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. The presidential rivals took questions in different cities on different networks: Trump on NBC from Miami, Biden on ABC from Philadelphia. The town halls offered a different format for the two candidates to present themselves to voters, after the pair held a chaotic and combative first debate late last month. Trump was Trump. ReplaysYou can watch a replay of the two town halls below.

Local comedian Crystal Powell bringing the laughs to Houston for all-female comedy tour

HOUSTON – From small town Texas, to the bright lights of Hollywood, local comedian Crystal Powell has performed alongside some of the biggest names in comedy. Crystal grew up in Houston, splitting her time between here and LA. She got her start in comedy after losing her parents a young age, and then channeling her comedic talents to help herself (and others) heal. Crystal is currently on the all-female ‘Funny By Nature Comedy Tour,’ presented by Vivica A. Fox, which stops on Houston on Saturday, October 24th.

The Mayors Back 2 School Fest is going to look a little different this year. How to register or volunteer

HOUSTON With the coronavirus pandemic raging on, the Mayors Back 2 School Fest is going to look a little different this year. The event, which is being presented by Shell and is in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, is designed to help economically disadvantaged elementary school students and their families prepare for the school year. In a press conference earlier this week, Mayor Sylvester Turner said the event would be conducted as a drive-thru. While there is much uncertainty during this time, a critical need for assistance with basic school supplies, food, and personal protection equipment for students still remains, according to the website. Houstonians can register for the event and students will receive food, masks, backpacks and school supplies for free.

Hilton Americas Houston set to host its first big event since March

HOUSTON – The Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston is preparing for its first big event since the COVID-19 breakout in mid-March. The EventThe hotel is hosting an event for a group that’s having a dinner for 200 guests in one of its ballrooms. “We have taken every precaution -- from the kitchen to the dining room, making sure that our team members and our guests are safe,” said Jacques D’Rovencourt, the general manager of Hilton Americas. Precautions and safety measuresThe guests will be seated at the larger 72-inch banquet rounds, which will be spaced six feet apart. Hilton said it has consulted with medical experts at the Mayo Clinic and other industry experts to make sure Thursday night’s rollout is appropriate.

Ticketmaster, LiveNation backtrack, ease refund policy for postponed and rescheduled events

HOUSTON – Ticketmaster and its parent company LiveNation appear to be easing up and relaxing a stringent refund policy that stuck thousands of consumers with the cost of event tickets, even when the events were canceled on the originally scheduled date. We told you about Phyllis Bailey’s efforts to get a refund when the March concert she planned to attend was rescheduled for August. She wanted a refund instead, but Ticketmaster declined her request. Ticketmaster told her she wasn’t eligible for a refund because her tickets would “still be good” for the new show on March 24, 2022. For cancelled shows fans can choose to receive up to 150% of their ticket value as Concert Cash, and for rescheduled shows they will receive Concert Cash once they attend the new date.