🌱 Houston Sports Icon Franklin Dead At 79 + Rent Relief Runs Dry

Carlos Hernandez
Updated ·3 min read

Happy Friday, people of Houston! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening today.

First, today's weather:

Rather cloudy and cold. High: 46 Low: 31.

Here are the top five stories today in Houston:

1. A precautionary lockdown that was placed on Thursday morning at Cypress Park High School because of a "phone call" the school received was lifted just hours later. The Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to the incident to back up Cy-Fair police. (Houston Patch)

2. Ron Franklin, a well-known voice in Houston sports who rose to national acclaim at ESPN, died on Tuesday at age 79. Franklin was a commentator for the Houston Oilers before taking the same job with University of Texas athletics from the 1970s to the 1980s. (Chron)

3. Harris County has received nearly $300 million in federal funding for pandemic rent relief, but most of it has already been distributed or allocated. The dried-up funds are expected to cause a tsunami of evictions. (ABC 13)

4. A father was arrested and charged with murder after police said he shot and killed his son in southwest Houston on Tuesday. The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. in the 6200 block of Rollingbrook Drive. (Click2Houston)

5. Harris County police made 24 citations for illegal fake paper license plates violations on the Hardy Toll Road in the first 24 hours of the "Tag You’re It" campaign. Harris County recently approved a study be done to determine the financial loss fake tags pose. (Houston Chronicle)

From our sponsor:

Tackling a big to-do list around the house to start the new year? Our partners at Thumbtack, the home services app, have made hiring trusted local pros for pretty much any job extremely easy and intuitive. In minutes, you can find a painter, plumber, roofer or someone to help with small jobs such as trash hauling or appliance repair. And Thumbtack's rating system can give you confidence that you're hiring a quality pro you can count on. Click here to get started.

Today in Houston:

  • CodeLaunch Houston Kickoff at The ION. (5:00 PM)

  • Elton John In Concert at Houston Parks and Recreation Department (7:30 PM)

  • Friday Night Street Night at Houston Motorsports Park. (7:30 PM)

  • Robert DeLong at The Bronze Peacock At House of Blue Houston. (8:30 PM)

  • Matteo Lane at Houston Improv. (8:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) is hiring a Communications and Marketing Manager to help support CAMH’s mission, values, vision, and core commitment to visitor experience, community engagement, and institutional impact. (Facebook)

  • Houston Independent School District has announced the selection of Chief Engagement Officer. (Facebook)

  • Houston Public Library's Johnson Neighborhood Library will be closed for maintenance starting Monday, January 24th, through Monday, February 21st. In the meantime, officials ask people to visit Mancuso Neighborhood Library or Young Neighborhood Library. (Facebook)

  • Houston-based law firm, Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., Injury and Accident Lawyers has recently announced the launch of a new webpage called Meet Houston Missions. The page is not affiliated with any church or religious group. (Patch)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

Loving the Houston Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

  • Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe

  • Get your local business listed in front of readers

  • Send me a news tip or suggestion at houston@patch.com

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update!

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

This article originally appeared on the Houston Patch