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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
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Saturday, November 16, 2024 • Vol. 69 • No. 46
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Family of man who died after a night out brings lawsuit against McIntyre’s Heights
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By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com Two years after 26-year-old Delano Burkes’ body was discovered in the Houston Ship Channel, his family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against McIntyre’s, a popular sports bar located on 20th Street in the Heights. The family alleges gross negligence on the part of the establishment, claiming that the bar’s actions and decisions contributed to Burkes’ untimely death. McIntyre’s and its legal representatives, who say they have not yet
been served with the lawsuit, strongly deny the allegations. “[...] The incident was thoroughly investigated by the Houston Police Department almost two years ago during which my client fully cooperated,” McIntyre’s attorney, Philip Robert Brinson, told The Leader in an emailed statement. “[...] Despite the tragic nature of Delano Burkes’ death on the night of November 12, 2022, my client vehemently denies the allegations contained within Plaintiffs’ Original Petition, will vigorously defend itself against the causes of action asserted, and is confident
that discovery conducted during the pending litigation will produce compelling evidence that will fully exonerate McIntyre’s from all claims brought by the heirs and representatives of the Estate of Mr. Burkes.” According to the lawsuit filed in Harris County District Court on Nov. 8, Burkes was last seen at McIntyre’s “on or about November 12, 2022”, several days before his body was found on Nov. 25, 2022. The lawsuit accuses the bar of overserving alcohol to Burkes, despite his apparent intoxication. Additionally, it claims that staff forcibly removed him from the
POPCORN, PROTESTS, AND PRESERVATION
Heights area restaurants earn accolades with Texas MICHELIN Guide entry
Catholic Charities hosts 2024 Wine & Dine Nov. 16
Page 3 Heights Theater has been a local landmark on W 19th St for nearly a century.
By JULIANNE GUTIERREZ Special to The Leader
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Julianne Gutierrez is a student at the University of Houston, double majoring in Journalism and History. Julianne says that she has always noticed the retro facade of the Heights Theater whenever she visits W. 19th Street and chose the historic movie house as a topic for one of her assignments.
Friends For Life Pet of the Week: Liberty
From a distance, a boy sees the curvature of the Spanish colonialstyle building. He races down W 19th Street in the Houston Heights, hoping he’s on time to buy some ice cream from Ebert Armstead’s Heights Confectionery and catch the
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Topics ����������������������������������������4 Classifieds ���������������������������������7 Local Culture �����������������������������8
By CHARLIE HARDWICK The Leader News Contributor One of the many benefits of living in the Bayou City, as most Houstonians will tell you, is the city’s immense cornucopia of diverse restaurants throughout the city. Houston has a large ethnic population yielding a wonderful variety of cuisines from all over the world, while the city’s economy affords many restaurateurs the ability
We empower people to thrive. S TE LL A R . BA N K NML S # 4 5 1 3 1 2
Kids’ Meals 16th Annual Harvest Luncheon: A transformative $3 million donation from ExxonMobil
Plaque designating Heights Theater a nationally registered historic place.
latest Western film at the Heights Theatre. The long vertical sign with the theater’s name and marquee comes into view. His heart races, and his feet pound against the ground as he nears the movie house, almost knocking down a businessman heading home from work. The boy has been working hard, delivering
The 16th Annual Harvest Luncheon, one of Kids’ Meals’ most significant fundraisers, took place last week at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Houston, gathering hundreds of supporters dedicated to the organization’s mission of ending childhood hunger. Kids’ Meals, a Garden Oaks-based nonprofit, provides free, nutritious meals delivered directly to the doors of Houston’s neediest preschool-aged children and partners with families to help break the cycle of poverty. Hosted by Khambrel Marshall, the event was co-chaired by Mayor John Whitmire’s daughters, Sarah and Whitney Whitmire, with Mayor Whitmire himself in attendance. The biggest announcement of the day came when ExxonMobil’s global manager of corporate giving, Alvin Abraham, took the stage to reveal a $3 million donation from ExxonMobil to the Kids’ Meals Building Hope Capital Campaign. This major contribution will fund a new 50,000-square-foot facility, which will be named the Kids’ Meals ExxonMobil Campus. See KIDS’ MEALS P. 2
newspapers that left his shoulder sore. But it was worth it if he got to watch the Durango Kid and Smiley “Foggy” Burnett face off against the bad guys for just 9 cents per ticket. Finally, he reaches the confectionery door, buys his ice cream with hardearned money, and heads next door to purchase his movie ticket. Without a television at home, the theater is a blessing for him and the entire Heights community. According to the City of Houston Protected Landmark Designation Report, the Heights Theater has been located at 339 West 19th Street for almost a hundred years, although it originally stood just a minute away from its current location. The storefront building, built in 1922,
Submitted image
Exxon Mobil announced a $3M donation at the Kids’ Meals Harvest Luncheon.
See THEATER P. 5
National survey finds Tia Maria’s has the best-priced menu in Houston
Community Calendar: Check out the many events coming up
People ���������������������������������������2
Photos by Julianne Gutierrez
The resilient story of Heights Theater
Membership-based pet care: Modern Animal set to open later this year
THE INDEX.
See MCINTYRE P. 3
By LISA MORALES The Leader News Contributor
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premises, despite recognizing that he was in no condition to get home safely. According to Houston Public Media, HPD spokesperson Jodi Silva stated at the time that it was “definitely a possibility” for someone to be swept from the Heights area to where Delano Burkes’ body was found, near 9601 High Level Road, if they had fallen into White Oak Bayou. McIntyre’s is located just a few blocks from White Oak Bayou, which flows into Buffalo
to offer fair-priced menu options. Tia Maria’s, a favorite among Oak Forest and Heights area residents, was recently highlighted in a national survey for having the fairest prices in town.
THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT One good resource many diners turn to in making their dining choice are reviews on Google or Yelp. By the same token, these platforms are
a way for restaurants to view their patrons’ experience, as diners will often turn to these internet platforms to write reviews. A company called Preply, a language learning platform, conducted an analysis of the language used in 57,245 reviews, spanning over 10,000 restaurants in 50 U.S. cities, to identify the most fairly priced restaurants in the United States. See TIA MARIA’S P. 3
Photo courtesy of Tia Maria’s
Allegiance Bank and CommunityBank of Texas have come together as Stellar Bank. While our name has changed, our commitment to serving our customers and supporting our local communities will stay the same. We look forward to a bright future together.
2222 North Durham | 281.517.8760 Margaret Vandever, Bank Office President Cecilia Rodriguez, Office Manager