Inside Today: Woman found dead after local apartment fire • Page 2
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Saturday, December 31, 2022 • Vol. 67 • No. 51
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INSIDE.
Community boosting Winter Street artists By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Jack Potts is having to rebuild everything. For seven years, he has nurtured what he called a hub for everyone at Bohemian Photography at Winter Street Studios in Sawyer Yards. But now, everything is gone. Potts said he lost most everything related to his work – which he conservatively estimated to be worth about $250,000 – as a result
of the fire that was set last week at Winter Street Studios. “Every piece of gear I had collected, saved for, sacrificed to buy, was destroyed in a few hours,” he said. But supporters say the community is also coming together to support Potts and other artists who had work or studios – or both – damaged or destroyed in the fire. “I hate those old clichés of how good comes out of trag-
edy – it’s the truth though,” said artist and Leader columnist Mitch Cohen, who hosts the First Saturday Arts Market at Sawyer Yards. “I’ve watched it happen all week.” Many artists had studios and work either damaged or destroyed at the studio as a result of the fire that broke out in the early morning hours on Dec. 20. According to the Houston Fire Department, crews from stations See Artists P. 5
Photo from GoFundMe.com Bohemian Photography owner Jack Potts stands in front of his destroyed studio at Winter Street studios last week.
TOP STORIES OF
2022
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Holiday hoops Several local high school basketball teams picked up key wins last week
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Staff file photo Heights-area residents cross the MKT Bridge during its re-opening earlier this year. The bridge re-opened in May after being closed for nearly two years due to damage from a fire.
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Art Valet Myths, Legends, and The Holy Spirit, featuring a series of oil on canvas paintings by Susan Sheets, are on display Jan. 7.
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THE INDEX. Sports............................................................. 4 Church........................................................... 5 Coupon......................................................... 6 Classifieds.................................................. 7 Food/Drink...............................8
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
A highway expansion project that has drawn pushback from some local residents and advocate groups looks like it could be moving ahead. On Dec. 19, the city of Houston announced that the city has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) regarding the the expansion, which is called North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP). The project would widen Interstate 45 from downtown north to Beltway 8 in Houston in an effort to improve traffic flow, hurricane evacuation routes and stormwater drainage, along with accommodating high-occupancy, electric and self-driving vehicles. It would also add bike and pedestrian infrastructure
Man fatally shot A man was shot and killed at a local shopping center last week, according to police
Nibbles and Sips Leading this week’s column, Spanish Flowers has opened a new Heights spot
I-45 expansion project likely moving ahead
2022 marked by expansion, growth Compiled by Landan Kuhlmann
landan@theleadernews.com
The year 2022 was one to remember in our area. From multiple expansion projects to significant additions or re-openings, there have been plenty of stories dominating Leader headlines this year. Each year here at The Leader, our staff attempts to assess what the most meaningful stories were to our communities in the Heights Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, and surrounding communities. From feel-good features to the hard news, there was no shortage of impactful local stories this year. Ultimately, many of our top stories of the year represented growth, progress, and expansion on various fronts from infrastructure to connectivity. This is not all of the stories that happened this year, but each is one that our staff felt was important to our readers and this community we hold so dear. So without further ado, here are the top 10 stories of their year as selected by our staff. We attempt-
Staff file photo Heights resident Alexandra Forseth, whose father and uncle are among the Citgo executives released this year, speaks during a community rally at Candlelight Park in 2019.
ed to place the most relevant and impactful stories near the top. Citgo 6 executives released from Venezuela
Families of five oil executives, including two family members of a local resident, were finally been reunited with their families earlier
this year after being imprisoned abroad for nearly five years. Five Citgo executives, including the father and uncle of a Heights resident, and two other men were on their way home after being jailed in Venezuela since shortly before Thanksgiving 2017. Heights resident Alexandra Forseth’s father, Alirio Zambrano, and her uncle, Jose Luis Zambrano, were among those released. Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell, and Jose Pereira were the other Citgo executives who are coming home, while former U.S. Marine Corporal Matthew Heath and Florida man Osman Khan were also released. Rallies had been held at Candlelight Park locally, and in Washington, D.C., over the last several years as families urged federal government intervention to bring the men home. City begins work on 11th Street Bikeway
Work began in October on the 11th Street Bikeway project in the Heights, which received See 2022 P. 5
“I will continue to support the project as long as my goals of resilience, multimodal transportation and equity are met,” Mayor Turner says. “Coming together under this MOU provides a path forward that will benefit us all.” Advocates for the project say it would help reduce congestion in Houston. The plan has been delayed due to factors such as a federal civil rights investigation and a lawsuit filed by Harris County last March. County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement Dec. 19 the county “was seeking a project that would consider additional feedback from the county and city as well as local residents.” The new resolution, he said, does that. “The agreements provide for elements of pedestrian and bike connectivity, funding for air monitors, noise barriers for nearby communities, and additional public input options throughout the construction period,” he said However, opponents argue the freeway expansion would increase pollution and flooding risks, worsen traffic congestion and displace more than 1,000 homes and businesses in lowincome communities of color. A group called Stop TxDOT I-45 responded to the announcement by saying TxDOT “has yet to adequately respond to community concerns See I-45 P. 6