AV's H -Town Headlines

Rap Concert At Toyota Center Ends Early When Man Shows Up With A Gun

A suspect is in custody after reportedly bringing a gun to Toyota Center on Tuesday night, causing a rap concert to end 15 minutes early.  Houston native Don Toliver was performing before a sold-out hometown audience when the show ended abruptly.  Joshua Biosah is charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon after a security guard reportedly noticed he had a gun inside the venue.  Toliver has been on an international tour since March, and has performed in more than 20 cities without encountering any similar incidents.

Wastewater Could Give Texas an Outbreak Heads-Up

  Texas sewage could soon help forecast disease outbreaks.  A team led by Baylor College of Medicine just landed 10 million dollars from a private foundation pair wastewater testing with extreme weather patterns.  The project builds on a network across 15 Texas cities that can spot rising virus levels in sewage before diagnosed cases climb.  Researchers say pairing those signals with environmental changes could help health officials detect threats and respond before outbreaks become serious.  The team will spend the next five years building the forecasting system.

Houston Scientists Finding Driver of Recurring Arthritis

MD Anderson researchers are uncovering why some cancer patients develop recurring arthritis after immunotherapy.  A new study from the Houston center shows these joint flare-ups act like an immune memory.  Scientists comparing joint fluid found key inflammatory cells return for later attacks and act much more aggressive.  Researchers say identifying these cell markers could help doctors spot high-risk patients early, and eventually guide targeted treatments that manage the joint pain without weakening cancer therapies.

Houstonians To Vote On Pot Enforcement, No-Knock Warrant Ban In November

Houston residents will vote this November on enforcement of low-level pot possession and no-knock warrants.  City Council members passed an ordinance on Wednesday to place a charter amendment on the ballot.  If voters approve, the measure will ban the use of no-knock warrants and make low-level marijuana possession the lowest law enforcement priority for Houston police.  Mayor John Whitmire says low-level pot possession hasn’t been a top enforcement priority for the HPD for years. 

Pay Hikes On The Way For Houston Airport Workers

  Houston airport workers have pay increases on the way as the result of an executive order announced on Wednesday by Mayor John Whitmire.  The mayor made the announcement in a news conference at City Hall, where he was joined by City Councilman Joaquin Martinez, SEIU Texas President Elsa Flores, and labor leaders.  Effective immediately, the minimum wage for contracted airport workers will increase to 20 dollars an hour.  The wage will rise in increments to 23 dollars an hours in 2028.

Body Of Missing Texas City Fisherman Found In Moses Lake

Texas City police are identifying an elderly man whose body was recovered from Moses Lake on Wednesday.  Investigators say 74-year-old Robert Gass went fishing in the lake late Tuesday afternoon.  Gass’s neighbor reported a capsized boat near the flood gate of Moses Lake around 2:30 p.m. the next day.  The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office boat and dive team searched for Gass, along with the Texas City police and fire departments.  They recovered Gass’s body from the middle of the lake on Wednesday evening.