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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
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Saturday, June 8, 2024 • Vol. 69 • No.23
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Accused murderer out on bond charged in another fatal domestic violence case on E 36th Street By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
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The suspect arrested in last week’s alleged murder of Myanda Thomas in the Independence Heights area, Antonio Cornell Williams, was reportedly out on bond in connection with the 2019 murder of another woman in Fort Bend County. Charges have been filed against a sus-
pect arrested in the fatal shooting of a woman at 709 East 36th Street about 8:45 a.m. on Friday, May 31. The suspect, Antonio Cornell Williams, 36, is charged with murder in the 174th State District Court. Williams, who is accused in the death of 33-yearold Myanda Thomas, remains hospitalized after sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound. HPD Homicide Division officials said HPD patrol officers responded to a
shooting at the above address and found an unresponsive woman with multiple gunshot wounds in the bedroom. Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the woman deceased. A preliminary investigation determined the woman and her boyfriend (Williams) got into a physical altercation that led to a shooting. Williams then See MURDER P. 4
FEARS FOR SEARS
Garden Oaks sculptor crafts statue for Booker T. Washington High School
It’s hurricane season! Get ready before the storm
COMMUNITY REPORTS
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City announces compromise on Shepherd/ Durham project
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Sears1: The bus stop, signage, and grand live oak the community hopes to preserve.
Main Squeeze Juice Co. opens in the Heights
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Congresswoman announces cancer diagnosis
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“Come See the Softer Side of Sears”: The 1993 official Sears slogan wasn’t enough to prevent this inevitable store closure, but a local civic group and residents are working hard to ensure an iconic tribute is not forgotten The last remaining Sears store in Houston closed its doors in 2020 during the peak of the pandemic, and the building remains vacant to the present. The property is located at 4000 N. Shepherd in the heart of the Garden Oaks community and once belonged to the retail giant. Sears productivity had been declining exponentially for years, prior to its inevitable bankruptcy filing. The
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
With a little tender loving care and a preservation nod, this bus stop could be a part of the Garden Oaks community for generations to come.
failure of the retailer has often been attributed to an unprecedented lack of innovation. As of April of this
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THE INDEX. People ���������������������������������������2 Topics ����������������������������������������5 Classifieds ���������������������������������7 Local Culture �����������������������������8
year, there are only 11 Sears stores remaining; ten sprinkled throughout the United States; the majority being in California and one location in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Sears.com still remains operational for on line purchases. Residual Sears entities are now owned by the Illinois corporation, Transformco. The former store’s vast structure, sprawling over more than 11.5 acres, was never again occupied or leased. However, the expansive parking lot was repurposed and became home to various mobile for-profit medical testing and treatment sites in the wake of pandemic and postpandemic COVID, Influenza, Strep and RSV outbreaks. The community has waited patiently for word on the property plans for development. Progress is often a double-edged sword. The abandoned property See SEARS P. 4
A school in Houston Independent School District recently received a historical bronze sculpture, a testament to our community’s rich history and shared pride. Houston Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon, known for her Alice in Wonderland Sculpture in Evelyn’s Park, also has a trend of creating school mascots. Her collection includes the Grambling Tiger at Grambling University, the Prairie View Panther at Prairie View A&M, and a new sculpture of Carlson Tough at Tough Elementary for Conroe ISD, which she installed last December. On May 18th, 2024, amidst the cleanup from the Houston storm, Mongeon added one more school sculpture to her list. This time, she celebrates in her neighborhood with the unveiling of “THE VISION” Community Statue Project featuring Booker T. Washington. Houston ISD states, “This sculpture is the third statue of an African American in the City of Houston, after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and former U.S. Rep. George Thomas “Mickey” Leland, and the first in the historically black neighborhood of Independence Heights.” This eight-year project not only memorializes one of the most outstanding educators in African American history but also symbolizes the future of education. It is more than just a statue; it is a new park with a rocket and a wind turbine that provides electricity to the park, both of which are a part of the edSee SCULPTURE P. 4
Photo courtesy of Bridgette Mongeon
Mayor John Whitmire came to the artist’s studio when the sculpture was in clay.
LiteraCYCLE, a new summer literacy program, brings fun to summer reading By RUBENA GRACIA The Leader News Contributor
ARTECHOUSE launches permanent exhibition in the Heights
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
Conservation efforts underway to preserve oak tree, sign, bus stop By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY The Leader News Contributor
Sip and Support: Sale of Periwinkle Cocktails benefits children with cancer
2022 Photo released by HPD
CHARGED: Antonio Cornell Williams
Students always look forward to taking a break during the summer. But this year, they can have fun while continuing to improve their reading skills. CYCLE will launch its inaugural Summer LiteraCYCLE Challenge, which will take place June 1 through August 31. “We’re fervently committed to our mission of improving second grade literacy at Title One schools in the greater Houston area,” said Rebecca Roberts, executive director of CYCLE. “While 2022-2023 reports suggest that
Photo courtesy of CYCLE
A May 18, 2024, bike distribution event at Piney Point Elementary School.
46% of second and third graders are reading at their current grade level, this doesn’t align with what we’re hearing from educators or seeing firsthand in our partner schools. You’d be hard pressed to find a Title I school where even 40 percent are reading at average or above average levels for their grade. This is exactly why we’re creating a public literacy challenge. We want to encourage as many Houston-area families as possible to foster a love of reading in a fun and approachable way.” Students who enter the challenge are encouraged to read a new book, read a book a month, and visit local Little Free Libraries. The students then have
the opportunity to win prizes, such as family tickets to Dig World and Color Factory. The mission of CYCLE, which stands for Changing Young Children’s Lives through Education, is to improve second grade literacy at Title One schools in the Greater Houston area. They envision every student in the Greater Houston area achieving gradelevel reading or above by the end of third of grade, putting them on the path to success and empowering them to reach their full potential in school and life. CYCLE rewards students with
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See LITERACYCLE P. 4