🌱 La Tiendita Opens + Houston Oil Executive Freed From Venezuela

Carlos Hernandez
Updated ·4 min read

Morning, Houston! Here's everything you need to know to get this Friday started off right.

First, today's weather:

An a.m. shower, then rain. High: 64 Low: 32.

Looking for a new way to advertise your local business? We can help you quickly and easily reach potential customers directly in their inboxes. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories today in Houston:

1. A 14-year-old boy will be tried as an adult in the 2021 killing of a Beaumont man, according to a report from KMBT-TV. The teen was indicted on a first-degree murder charge on Wednesday by a Jefferson County grand jury. (Houston Patch)

2. A Houston man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering a Marine Corps veteran during a home invasion in Cypress in 2018, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Thursday. 22-year-old Dwayne Ernest Wharton was convicted of capital murder by a jury earlier this week for killing 47-year-old Leandro Morales Jr., who was home with his wife when Wharton and another man smashed through the back door in November 2018. (CW 39)

3. Plans are now underway to close a major gap in Houston's bike network that will connect more people to the Texas Medical Center, NRG Park and other places south of downtown Houston. The commissioner's office also plans to work with the Metropolitan Transit Authority in the future to extend the path east into Third Ward. (Laredo Morning Times)

4. An American oil executive freed from custody in Venezuela said that even as he celebrates with his family the end of a long “nightmare,” he's praying for the release of five colleagues who are still imprisoned and "deserve the same blessings." Gustavo Cardenas arrived to his home in Houston at 4 a.m. Wednesday after flying overnight from Caracas with a senior State Department official. (CW 39)

5. "La Tiendita" or the "Little Market" is now open and working to start bridging the food insecurity gap in the community. It is working with The Tejano Center and fully stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and bread thanks to the Houston Food Bank and other local grocers. (ABC 13)

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:

  • Women's Leadership Conference & Business Expo at Houston Hispanic Chamber Commerce. (7:30 AM)

  • Celebrate the Rodeo With Frost: Chuck Wagon Breakfast. (7:30 AM)

  • Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2022. (6:45 PM)

  • Houston Rockets Vs. Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center.(7:00 PM)

  • Seong-Jin Cho Plays Chopin at Houston Parks and Recreation Department. (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • A measure to set a minimum down payment to bond out on certain offenses failed to pass the Harris County Bail Bond Board on Wednesday, despite broad support. (Houston Public Media)

  • Houston's Modern Homes Tour is back in person, with houses from River Oaks to Braeswood. (Houston Chronicle)

  • There are 7 newly reported COVID-19 deaths of Houstonians as of 3/10, bringing the city’s total deaths since the start of the pandemic to 4,282. (Twitter)

  • Jackson Street BBQ in downtown Houston has closed down after 8 years. (Houston Chronicle)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

  • Virtual Medicare 101 with Sid Martinez (March 22)

  • Online Discussions on the Effectiveness of Drug Addiction Treatment in a Houston Addiction Treatment (March 31)

  • Add your event

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

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right! I'll see you around.

— 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