The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.
The pastor of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs is running for a seat in the Texas Senate. Frank Pomeroy’s church was the site of the 2017 mass shooting where 26 people were killed.
Joey Palacios with Texas Public Radio reports Pomeroy will run as a Republican.
Pomeroy made the announcement after church service on Sunday. Several of the survivors were in the audience. He says he’s running because he believes civility and godliness were falling out of political conversations. His full platform isn’t set yet, but on gun violence, he says the problem comes from mental issues and morality.
“We continue to go back to the inanimate object – we keep going back to the firearm and things of that nature rather than addressing the heart condition of people,” Pomeroy said.
Pomeroy and his wife were out of town during the shooting. Their 14-year-old daughter was among the dead. He’s running in Senate District 21 which has been represented by Democrat Judith Zaffirini since 1987. The district stretches from Seguin, where Pomeroy lives, to Laredo along the border with Mexico.
New state laws passed in response to Hurricane Harvey are set to take effect in September. Sunday marked two years since the devastating storm made landfall along the Gulf Coast, drenching the region in rain.
Gov. Greg Abbott marked the occasion with a ceremonial bill signing in Fulton, a South Texas fishing community. One of the measures seeks to help local governments better respond to disasters.
Abbott told KRIS-TV, the local NBC-affiliate in Corpus Christi, that it was inspiring to see how coastal communities have rebuilt since Harvey…
“And to see the spirit and strength and resiliency of Fulton and Rockport have – this is what Texas is all about,” Abbott said.
Abbott also participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Fulton Fishing Pier, which was destroyed by Harvey. The Corpus Christi Caller Times reports that rebuilding the pier will mark the final stage of hurricane recovery for that town.
NBA superstar James Harden is donating more than $240,000 to the City of Houston to renovate outdoor basketball courts.
The Houston Rockets player made the announcement with Mayor Sylvester Turner Saturday.
Mayor @SylvesterTurner & @HoustonRockets MVP @JHarden13 announced @_3thehardenway‘s donation (est. $240K+) to upgrade basketball courts at ⛹🏾♂️ Tuffly Park (#KashmereGardens) & ⛹🏾♀️ Highland Park (#AcresHomes) 🏀🏀🏀 #HouNews #CompleteCommunities #JamesHarden #JHTownWeekend #TeamUp pic.twitter.com/uOWxVCvdtU
— HoustonTalentScouts (@yournextbest) August 25, 2019
“Being raised in LA, growing up, playing outside in the parks and things like that – we need that more and that’s one of the reasons I came up with this idea and also with Mayor Turner,” Harden said.
More than 100 neighborhood children received backpacks and bicycles. pic.twitter.com/y57sRSA7Xh
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 24, 2019
More than 100 kids received backpacks and bicycles at the event.
Seven Texas counties are now under a State Disaster Declaration due to severe drought. The dry conditions have resulted in an increased threat of wildfire. The counties are located in South Texas and the Panhandle.
