As families across Harris County struggle with rising housing, food and health care costs, county leaders are pointing residents toward apprenticeship programs and safety-net services designed to help them earn more and access care.

Attorneys for a woman identified as Jane Doe have filed a federal lawsuit against several Houston-area hotel operators, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, alleging the businesses enabled and profited from a sex-trafficking scheme allegedly organized by a former Klein Cain High School teacher and her adult son.

Royce Witchet, a 15-year-old described by his mother as loving, protective and passionate about sports and music, was fatally shot near Westfield High School and the Spring ISD administration building on Tuesday.

A 15-year-old was fatally shot on a sidewalk near Westfield High School shortly after dismissal; investigators believe the victim attended the school but say the shooting did not occur inside campus.

Residents and workers near the 8000 block of North Antoine Drive had been complaining for months about a massive illegal dump site in an abandoned parking lot. After repeated calls to officials went unanswered, the Harris County Health Department finally cleaned the site last week.

A 15-year-old was fatally shot on Ella Boulevard near Westfield High School. Harris County authorities and drone units are searching for a male suspect who fled on foot.

Authorities confirm a student has died after being shot near Westfield High School Tuesday.

With the voter registration deadline Oct. 5 approaching, Harris County officials urge residents to check if their registrations are on the county’s roughly 300,000-person suspense list.

Harris County residents are urged to register or verify their voter registration before the October 5 mail-in postmark deadline for the November 3 election; mail applications must be postmarked by Oct 5.

Pasadena ISD teachers and employees are fighting back against a proposed health insurance change they say could devastate their finance, and some are now seeking a court order to stop the district from voting on the plan tomorrow night.

The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office is warning residents about a scam involving payment apps such as Venmo, Zelle and Cash App.

Jeremy Porter, 47, is charged with capital murder after 5-year-old Zah’Layah Walton was killed when someone opened fire on her family’s car in Cypress.

Jeremy Porter, 47, is charged with capital murder in the shooting death of 5-year-old Zah’Layah, who was riding in her family’s car during an apparent road rage shooting in Cypress.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said information from automated license plate readers helped authorities identify and capture the suspect accused of opening fire on a vehicle with a mother and five children inside, killing a 5-year-old girl over the weekend.

A road-rage incident involving a black Chevrolet Camaro, a silver Cadillac Escalade, and a white truck stretched for miles along Houston’s 610 Loop, resulting in shots fired, a crash and two people shot.

Detectives with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are investigating homicide tonight at an apartment complex on Uvalde Road near Wallisville Road.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is investigation a shooting Sunday night the Alief area. According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the off-duty deputy a man on Rio Blanco which is near Bellaire and Winkelman Rd in Mission Bend.

A Houston teen is charged with capital murder following a deadly encounter involving an alleged robbery. Here's where Houston-area residents can find police-designated safe exchange zones for online transactions and tips to stay safe.

A 5-year-old girl, Zah’layah, was killed and two other children injured when a vehicle carrying a mother and her five children was shot at around 11:30 p.m. on Grant Road near Jones Road in northwest Harris County.

Twenty-one men aged from their early 20s to late 60s were arrested Sept. 16 in an undercover prostitution sting by the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

A 5-year-old girl was killed and two other children injured after gunfire struck a vehicle carrying five children in northwest Houston late Saturday night, authorities said.

Harris County homeowners facing a higher county property tax rate may be able to lower their tax burden by making sure they are receiving all the exemptions they qualify for.

A 17-year-old, Anthony Castro, was arrested and charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Victor Thomas Gonzalez, who had been chasing suspects after an alleged armed robbery.

Amid an ongoing extradition battle, Harris County prosecutors on Friday filed formal notice with the state court that they will not seek the death penalty for Lee Gilley, the Houston man accused of murdering his pregnant wife before fleeing the U.S. while on bond.

Life Flight responded to a home in the Humble area Friday after a 2-year-old child was found in a swimming pool, according to deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office.

Property taxes remain a major concern for Harris County homeowners, with higher tax rates translating into higher tax bills for property owners following Thursday’s vote by Harris County Commissioner’s Court to increase the county’s tax rate.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling out Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey over the county’s newly approved property tax increase, arguing that his decision to vote against it did not stop the hike from passing.

A teenage boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition Friday after being struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross the HOV lane on the North Freeway, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Former Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo general counsel Jeffrey Downing pleaded guilty to online solicitation of a minor, accepting five years of deferred adjudication and a 10-year sex offender registration requirement. Arrested in May 2024 after communicating on Kik with an undercover investigator who posed as a 15-year-old, Downing — who described himself as “a cowboy lawyer” — exchanged explicit messages and photos and offered gifts. The third-degree felony carried potential prison time, but prosecutors waived a jury trial and the judge imposed the sentence. Downing, who joined HLSR in October 2022 and has no prior criminal history, remains free on bond and retains an active Texas bar license.

Three Harris County commissioners voted Tuesday to raise property taxes and immediately after the vote, they made clear who they believe is responsible.

A man charged in the fatal shootings of two separate Harris County teenagers will be held without bond pending trial, Judge Hazel Jones ruled on Thursday.

Is Harris County really growing? A Rice University professor said the numbers tell a more complicated story — and local businesses in Southwest Houston said they are feeling the effects firsthand.

The Forgotten Third, a Houston-based nonprofit focused on gun violence prevention, says Harris County will not renew funding for its R.E.S.E.T. program — a reentry initiative designed for young adults coming out of prison.

Harris County is putting $1.4 million toward around-the-clock ankle monitor oversight, a direct response to the high-profile case of a capital murder defendant who cut off his device and fled to Italy months before his scheduled trial.

Harris County homeowners will pay more in property taxes after Commissioners Court approved higher tax rates Thursday. County estimates show the increase could add more than $190 a year.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is criticizing the county’s newly approved budget, calling it “irresponsible” and “unsustainable” after Commissioners Court approved the largest property tax hike in county history.

A former Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center manager pleaded guilty to seven felony counts after investigators uncovered hidden cameras used to secretly record people in hospital bathrooms and dressing rooms.

Harris County commissioners will vote on a proposed property tax rate increase—the largest in county history if approved—that would raise county spending by about $327 million.

A man was hospitalized after being shot during a drive-by shooting at AMF Diamond Lanes in the 200 block of North Forest Boulevard, Harris County.

One domestic violence care advocate said the county’s program that provides money to survivors to pay for basic needs could be a model for the rest of the state.

A body was found Wednesday during the search for a 74-year-old man who disappeared while looking for a part from a crashed remote-controlled aircraft in northwest Harris County.

Harris County deputies and volunteers from Texas EquuSearch are searching for a 74-year-old man who has been missing for more than 24 hours.

With Election Day approaching, Harris County election officials are testing thousands of pieces of voting equipment as part of an effort to demonstrate how ballots are handled and build public trust in the process.

Harris County homeowners are facing another increase in their county property-tax burden as commissioners move forward with a budget that would increase spending by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Alief ISD says a staff member at Hastings High School was injured during an incident involving a student Monday morning.

Harris County deputies are investigating at two separate scenes after a person was shot and killed Sunday.

It has been 18 years since Hurricane Ike made landfall near Galveston, bringing heavy rain, wind, and historic storm surge to the Texas coast.

A fatal heavy-truck crash on south Beltway 8 near I-59 after West Airport Boulevard has closed the westbound main lanes, according to Harris County Precinct 7 Constable’s Office and Houston TranStar.

Harris County deputies are seeking 31-year-old Alex Donaldo Gonzalez Aleman, accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile girl after allegedly giving her alcohol during an incident near the 13800 block of Ella Boulevard on Feb. 10.

Mortgage rates are hovering near seven percent, putting added pressure on Houstonians trying to buy a home. For some buyers, the higher rate is enough to pause their search. But housing experts say a higher rate does not necessarily mean homeownership is off the table.

A 72-year-old woman using a walker was struck and killed by a westbound white Nissan Altima while crossing in a crosswalk near Houston’s Texas Medical Center around 4:40 a.m.

Houston-area high school graduations that were traditionally held in Reliant Stadium will move to Reliant Arena to accommodate scheduling demands at Reliant Park.

Harris County will host a free Clean Slate Day on Sept. 26 at Fallbrook Church to help residents aged 18–30 expunge certain Class A and B misdemeanor records that were dismissed or resulted in acquittal.

A 76-year-old West Harris County woman says she was left frustrated after a nearly $11,000 furniture purchase from La-Z-Boy did not fit in her living room the way she was told it would.

Harris County is extending its $20-an-hour living wage standard to 222 employees at the Harris Center who provide mental health and disability services to residents across the region.

Firefighters with the Little York Fire Department responded to a sidewalk near Heritage Elementary after reports that a puppy was stuck underground.

A home can represent decades of work. It can provide stability, hold a family’s memories and become something parents and grandparents hope to pass down.

A Houston man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to animal cruelty in a case involving an emaciated puppy that was hung by its neck, according to Harris County Constable Precinct 1.

Surveillance footage led deputies to identify Ellis, who has prior convictions including aggravated robbery and a previous indecent exposure charge dating back to 2008.

Harris County commissioners have tentatively approved a proposed property tax rate increase as part of the county’s budget process, with another vote and public hearing scheduled for September 17.

A Harris County grand jury will decide whether a Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital security guard faces charges in the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man inside the emergency room over the weekend.

Houston-area law enforcement agencies reported nearly 300 arrests for suspected drunk driving over the Labor Day weekend as deputies and officers increased patrols across Harris County.

Republican Orlando Sanchez and Democrat Letitia Plummer have secured their parties nomination for Harris County Judge and now are set to debate each other.

Lee Gilley has been transferred to a new prison in Ivrea, Italy, in recent weeks after Italian media reports he was allegedly threatened by other inmates at the prison in Turin, according to reporting by la Repubblica.

A 34-year-old man was found sleeping in a bedroom across the hallway from where his mother's decomposing body was inside a duffel bag, wrapped in bloody sheets and a rug. He's now charged with tampering with evidence.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling for greater transparency and stronger oversight of the county’s Flock camera program.

Deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office were called to Tigris Lane in the Cypress area after getting calls about a missing 17-year-old autistic boy.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is calling for a special commissioners court meeting to address privacy, oversight, and data access concerns surrounding the county’s use of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras.

Authorities in northwest Harris County are searching for 12-year-old Gavin Boker, who was reported missing Saturday. Gavin has autism, prompting heightened concern.

A man was shot and killed in the 500 block of Gulf Bank Road in north Houston, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

A food delivery drone operated by Zipline crashed Friday morning onto the southbound lanes of Highway 6 near Timber Creek Place Lane.

Harris County detectives executed coordinated search warrants at three locations tied to suspected chop shop operations, recovering four stolen vehicles and 252 vehicle parts while arresting a man who fled from one scene.

Afternoon thunderstorms left puddles and standing water along Hwy. 290 in northwest Harris County, with traffic cameras showing vehicles driving through water on the feeder road and exit ramp at Mueschke

Harris County Constable Precinct 4 deputies are investigating a hit-and-run after a juvenile pedestrian was struck near North Mist Drive and North Vista Drive by a gray work van with numbers on the侧;

A man was found shot to death Friday morning in north Harris County, according to authorities.

Harris County violence prevention workers are using their own lived experiences to stop shootings as county leaders push for millions more in funding.

Harris County Sheriff deputies responded to reports of a wrong-way driver near Mueschke Road and FM 2920 in northwest Harris County. According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, deputies tried to pull over the vehicle but the driver took off then crashed into six other vehicles.

Harris County Precinct 4 deputies and Cy-Fair Fire Department are responding to a residential fire in the 8300 block of Shadow Wind Drive that may have been sparked by lightning amid passing storms.

If you live in Houston or northern Fort Bend County, you may be wondering: Where was all the rain from Tropical Storm Edouard?

Authorities say the westbound lanes of SH-99 Grand Parkway are closed at Highway 249 after a person fell from the overpass at the location.

Forecasters warned that the risk of flooding could continue in East Texas into Thursday as the tropical storm’s remnants move slowly north.

The Harris County Pct. 4 Constable’s Office says a puppy is now recovering thanks to the actions of a young boy in Cypress.

A 27-year-old woman was killed early Saturday morning after a suspected wrong-way driver crashed head-on into her car on the Eastex Freeway, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities are asking the public for help finding a missing 72-year-old man.

A woman is dead and a man is in the hospital in critical condition after a shooting authorities are calling a possible murder and attempted suicide.

A 4-year-old girl died after investigators said she accidentally shot herself inside a northwest Harris County home Thursday night.

Precinct 4 Constable deputies are investigating after a 9-year-old riding an electric dirt bike was struck by a vehicle on Pinto Point Drive in the Creekside Park area near Kuykendahl Road.

Strong storms have developed and are moving through Southeast Texas as Tropical Depression Edouard continues moving through the state.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office says a man was found dead at a residence on Stone Side Drive. A 30-year-old suspect, identified as the victim's son, is in custody.

Coming off their 7th UIL State Championship season, the North Shore Mustangs are just two days away from the start of their 2026 season on Friday night.

Harris County and El Paso County joined the city of Columbus, Ohio, and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, in a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A search warrant filed in Harris County alleges a UT MD Anderson Cancer Center instructor transferred more than 3 terabytes of biomedical research data to a personal external hard drive after being placed on administrative leave late last month, prompting an investigation into possible theft of trade secrets.

A driver was killed after crashing into the back of a USPS truck late Tuesday night in northwest Houston, according to the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office.

Nine years after Hurricane Harvey turned streets into rivers and flooded neighborhoods across the Houston area, Harris County has more flood-control infrastructure in place. But is the region ready for another storm of that magnitude?

Houston renters who lived in certain apartment communities between 2018 and 2025 may be eligible to submit a claim as part of a proposed nationwide settlement involving apartment owners and property managers accused of participating in a scheme that inflated rents.

A Houston-area man was arrested after detectives found what they say are thousands of images of AI-generated child pornography at his home, Harris County Constable Precinct One Alan Rosen announced Monday.

Some government officials said they understand the community’s anger, but warn that many of these contracts fall outside their jurisdiction.

A Harris County man, Maximiano Torres, 28, was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor after an undercover operation by the Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

A child died after being ejected from a Toyota pickup during a collision with a Harris County sheriff’s vehicle in northwest Houston early Sunday morning.

A fatal crash involving a semi-truck and a pickup truck occurred early Saturday morning in the 2600 block of West Mount Houston Road in northwest Harris County.