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Saturday, February 14, 2026 • Vol. 71 • No. 6
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Kamin touts public safety push, infrastructure pipeline and resiliency work in 2025 District C recap STAFF REPORTS
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INSIDE.
Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin opened 2026 with a look back at what her office called a year of “unique challenges” in District C—highlighting constituent service volume, a slate of public safety initiatives, major infrastructure planning, and flood mitigation investments across the district. In her year-end newsletter, Kamin thanked residents for their engagement and credited her five-person team with
safety as a top priority in 2025, led by the launch of SAFEWATCH Houston— described as a first-of-its-kind firearm injury dashboard funded with $300,000 and developed with the Houston Health Department. The dashboard compiles data from the Texas Medical Center’s three Level I trauma centers, HPD nonfatal injury data, EMS/911 calls, hospiPublic safety priorities: gun tal visits, and medical examiner fatality violence, domestic violence, data. The newsletter noted that in 2024 and neighborhood enforcement there were more than 200 trauma cenKamin’s recap emphasized public ter visits tied to unintentional firearm
handling “tens of thousands” of emails in 2025, responding to more than 2,600 inbound calls, and closing 2,800 constituent cases. She said staff also attended multiple neighborhood events each week, ranging from HOA meetings to super neighborhood briefings and community celebrations.
LIVING LEGACY
injuries, with about half involving children. Her office also continued a $75,000 #LockItUpSafe safe firearm storage partnership with HPD and BeSMART, distributing free gun locks and safes through school and community events, including stops at Baker Montessori, Waltrip High School, Garden Oaks Montessori, and Field Elementary. On domestic violence, the newsletter said Kamin was recognized by See KAMIN P. 2
No Bull: Heights Rodeo promises family fun By BETSY DENSON The Leader News Contributor
SWM Presidents Day holiday collection and facility schedule
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Houston SPCA to host Valentine’s Weekend Pet Adoption Event
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Workers lower Trees For Houston’s one-millionth tree, a live oak, during a ceremonial planting at Sam Houston Park.
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Trees For Houston marks one-millionth tree with live oak planting in downtown Houston Communities In Schools of Houston announces achievements and statistics for 2024-25 school year
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FREEKICKS Program to upgrade soccer fields at Moody and Keith-Wiess parks ahead of World Cup
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By JUHI VARMA The Leader News Contributor
Ward, Executive Director of Trees For Houston. In an emailed statement, Ward said the Kellum-Noble House was chosen for its symbolism, linking Houston’s built history with living nature. Sam Houston Park, the city’s first municipal park, connects historic homes and cultural heritage with Houston’s natural patrimony through its trees and canopy. “Trees bring beauty and shade to our neighborhoods and improve the air we breathe,” said Mayor John Whitmire. “Each tree is a symbol of our resilience and reflects who we are as a city today—and the legacy we are building for the future.”
Oak Forest nonprofit Trees For Houston (TFH) has reached a major milestone, planting its one-millionth tree. In partnership with Chevron, the organization marked the occasion with a live oak planted at the historic 1847 Kellum-Noble House in Sam Houston Park. Community leaders and elected officials, including Mayor John Whitmire, attended the event to recognize the organization’s urban forestry efforts across Greater Houston. “Reaching one million trees is a milestone built over four decades Houston’s tree canopy by volunteers, supporters, and From cleaner air and cooler partners who believed Houston’s neighborhoods to lower energy neighborhoods deserve a healthSee TREES P. 2 ier, greener future,” said Barry
It is, in fact, their first rodeo. The Houston Heights Association is throwing a neighborhood-sized party on Feb. 21, transforming the Heights Fire Station into a family-friendly celebration of all things Western. The inaugural Heights Rodeo runs from 2 to 6 p.m. and features a petting zoo, pony rides, a mechanical bull, carnival-style games, food trucks, live entertainment and a local artisan market. “This really is just us planning a party for our neighborhood,” said Hannah White, pastor at Village Heights Church and former president of the Houston Heights Association. “It’s us using our talents and our connections to build community because this is our community.” The event operates on a ticketbased system for activities and games. Attendees can purchase 40 tickets for $40 or 100 tickets for $80 at the event. Individual activities require varying amounts of tickets, with the petting zoo costing six tickets and the mechanical bull requiring eight. “It’ll feel very carnival-esque,” White said. The second floor of the fire station will host a local artisan market featuring 19 vendors and growing. Participants include Joy and Jo’s Children’s Boutique, Wilson Mobile Book Emporium, Two and Ten Ceramics, Charti B Needlepoint, and food vendors like The Pop Shop, Citizen’s Catering and Saint Arnold’s. Six underwriters have stepped up to support the event: Bungalow Blue Boutique, Heights Law Group, Kasia McCormick of Compass Heights, PFA Financial’s Lauren Lindsay, Furnish The Party and Village Heights Church. See RODEO P. 3
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Local nonprofit Trees For Houston (TFH), working alongside Chevron, marked the planting of its one-millionth tree by placing a live oak at the historic 1847 Kellum-Noble House in Sam Houston Park.
Malala Yousafzai mural restored after vandalism, draws praise from Nobel laureate’s father Save the Date: See what’s happening in the neighborhood and around town
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By BETSY DENSON The Leader News Contributor The Malala Yousafzai mini mural at Ella and TC Jester is back, and its restoration caught the attention of the subject’s father. Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala’s father, tweeted City Council Member Abbie Kamin to say how beautiful the mural looked after Noah Quiles of UP Art Studio cleaned off the vandalism last week. Kamin had visited the site while the work was being done.
“These murals mean so much to the neighborhood and are having a global reach,” Kamin said. Someone had painted beige over Yousafzai’s portrait and scrawled graffiti on the utility box, the third time the mural has been defaced since Houston artist Jessica Padilla created it in 2019. But an industrial clear coat applied after the second restoration let Quiles scrub away the damage, no repainting required. See MALALA P. 3
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Photo courtesy of Abbie Kamin’s office
Noah Quiles and Council Member Abbie Kamin stand next to the restored mural of Malala Yousafzai.