Weird Houston News You Missed Recently – Houstonia Magazine
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By Uvie Bikomo Published in the Summer 2024 issue of Houstonia Magazine
Don’t mess with Texas.
Image: Houstonia Composite and Chelsey Bird, Alexander Oganezov, Vibe Images/shutterstock.com
Every day in Houston is a wild adventure. In our Only in Houston column, catch up on the strangest news that’s happened in the city recently.
A League City resident reeled in a whopper of a surprise: a catfish cruising down Main Street. The slippery fellow was found chillin’ by the gutter, far from its usual aquatic quarters. Thankfully, Public Works scooped up the surprisingly resilient fish before it ended up flattened into street sushi.
Queen Bey’s mama and a horde of other locals came to Galveston’s defense after one Charles Barkley threw some shade on its not-so-crystal-clear waters. Even though the former athlete backtracked with an apology, the whole thing turned into a splashy social media debate—is the water dirty or misunderstood? Don’t worry, things have been cleared up; we now know the brown hue is more nutrient-rich than ick factor and perfectly safe for swimming, thank you very much.
Houstonians had high hopes for the 2024 solar eclipse, but Mother Nature had other plans. While lucky Texans in other cities got a glimpse of the sun’s grand disappearance, Houstonians were left staring at the clouds, which kept the big reveal under wraps. Local social media feeds were stormed with an array of posts about the less-than-spectacular cosmic event. At least NASA live streamed it.
Turkey Leg Hut seems to have hit a bit of a wing snag as owner Nakia Holmes filed for bankruptcy in March. This comes after a rough patch for the restaurant, including a fire and a very public squabble with her ex-husband and former co-owner, Lynn Price. Despite the recent feather-ruffling, the local staple is still serving its famous leggy meals.
You can turn anything into a pool these days.
Image: Houstonia Composite and kot2626, Svetlana Sultanaeva, HAKINMHAN, Lena Zajchikova/istock.com
A posh River Oaks condo complex has a peculiar luxury perk—a swimming pool shaped in a manner that leaves little to the imagination. Some say it was a salty contractor’s revenge, while others claim it’s simply a product of the architect’s wild creativity. Whatever the reason, one thing’s for sure: it’s bound to make a splash… literally!
A new purr-dise has opened its doors in Katy Asian Town. Cat Haven Lounge lets visitors mingle with rescue cats while enjoying the cozy atmosphere and free Wi-Fi. This new venture aims to tackle cat overpopulation by pairing adorable adoptables with eager pet seekers. It’s a win-win for everyone.
A local car dealership’s marketing strategy just shifted gears into high pun drive. Central Nissan Houston’s TikToks show hilarious (but hopefully fake) injuries that magically transform into car sales pitches. From mishaps on gurneys to motorcyclists meeting their match with potholes, each calamity seamlessly transitions into a pitch for a brand-new Nissan. Seems the dealership’s comedic approach is steering them toward success.
The suburban streets of Katy witnessed an unexpected ensemble of celebrity voters, including Drake, 50 Cent, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and The Game, all harmoniously registered to a single modest beige house, a Houston Chronicle investigation found. Though the homeowners were baffled by the A-list registrations, it was likely orchestrated by an unknown prankster armed only with legal names and birthdates. Despite the Hollywood hoopla, none of the artists cast ballots, leaving the prank more like a chart-topping flop.
Peacocks lurk in our midst.
Image: Houstonia Composite/Shutterstock.com photos
It’s no longer a walk in the park for residents of the Heathwood neighborhood in the Memorial area. Locals walk their dogs with caution, fearing not muggers or miscreants but rather the colorful menace of peacocks lurking in their midst. From vandalizing property to frightening children, these feathered fiends have been causing havoc while continually multiplying. Best of luck to those poor residents.
There’s a big fight brewing on Montrose Boulevard as residents are mad about a plan to fix up the sidewalks and drainage, which would mean chopping down some old trees. Locals staged a crafty protest, wrapping mature live oak trees in “yarn graffiti” to save them from removal. The knotty dispute still has neighbors divided over whether to embrace change or preserve the neighborhood’s quirky charm.
Houstonians shelled out patience along with a few bucks for chargrilled oysters over the weekend, enduring lines longer than a Texas highway during rush hour. Strategically located across from Turkey Leg Hut, a pop-up sizzled with drama as Lynn Price, freshly booted from his previous gig as the Third Ward staple’s cofounder, showcased unique creations that caused a weekend frenzy. Some customers were left wondering if Price was trying to stir the pot with his new venture, right next door to his former business partner—and ex-wife. A few days later, the Turkey Leg Hut office caught fire.
In a quirky quest to curb speeding along Chimney Rock Road, Houston resident Mark Gardner has turned his front yard into a makeshift speed trap, armed with a radar gun and a Wi-Fi-enabled dashcam on a wooden stand. He created the DIY speed zone to document the daredevils breezing through his neighborhood at alarming speed, uploading the edited footage to YouTube. Seems Gardner is going the extra mile to put the brakes on reckless driving.
Dogs tore up cars at a dealership, in the latest strange Houston news.
Image: Houstonia Composite/Shutterstock.com photos
In a tale—or should we say, tail?—of automotive chaos, a dealership in the Cypress area faced a ruff situation when two stray dogs went on a car-shredding spree, leaving behind a hefty bill of over $350,000 in damages. With the adorable canine culprits now in custody, the dealership crew looks forward to a future where the only scratches are on paperwork, not cars.
Talk about a leaky defense! The Houston weather decided to join the pre-game festivities at NRG Stadium before the National Championship game between Michigan and Washington in January, causing quite a splash as rain leaked into the arena. Tornado warnings added a twist to the already eventful day, with some joking that even the weather was throwing a few twists into the storyline. Despite the watery chaos, Michigan managed to win the game with a 21-point lead.
Love is in the air, but so are warrants in Brazoria County. In a not-so-heartwarming move, the local constable’s office is playing cupid with a Valentine’s Day special for those with outstanding warrants. They’re offering a “Wednesday Night Special” complete with what the constable is calling “a fun ride in a fancy car (with lights!),” a stay in “luxurious accommodations,” plus a “fancy set of bracelets”—we’re curious who will be falling for that.
In an act against the ban on cellphones at HISD’s Madison High School, students staged a call-to-action by walking out several days in early February. They were united in their quest for a more comprehensive solution to the underlying issues with superintendent Mike Miles’s new policies, determined to ring in change and not let their concerns be put on hold. The clash left the school caught in a communication breakdown with no immediate resolution in sight.
Upscale living turns into condo chaos in a posh Galleria townhouse haven as residents report wild sex parties and violence at an Airbnb. The short-term lease property has led to neighbors dealing with filth, blocked driveways, gun-toting weed smokers, and even balcony bonanzas in the form of Monday morning balcony sexcapades.
This one took us roaring down memory lane: In spring 2021, a 9-month-old mischievous Bengal tiger named India took a casual stroll down a residential Houston street, causing a wild uproar and triggering a regionwide search. The big cat’s story had a paw-sitively wild twist: he was owned by a murder suspect. Sadly we reached the tail end of India’s journey in December 2023, as he passed away at a wildlife sanctuary in north Texas. One thing is certain: the once-roaming tiger definitely left an unforgettable paw mark on Houston.
Preparing to wrap up 2023, Houston officials fired up a plea: Please, for the love of God, don’t shoot your celebration into the air. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner warned against trigger-happy antics, with officers, marked and unmarked, ready to rain on the parade. From what we heard, it appeared not all Houstonians followed these guidelines, but let’s hope for a bulletproof 2024.
Greyhound has left downtown Houston.
Image: Houstonia Composite/Shutterstock.com photos
Houston leaders found themselves in the dark as Greyhound’s plan to close its downtown hub and relocate to a smaller terminal in the East End blindsided them. The transportation company’s covert move, lacking city approval, irked officials, who deemed Greyhound “bad neighbors.” Wonder if travelers knew about the abrupt change or were just ghosted?
Houstonians were treated to an explosive mystery as dazzling fireworks lit up the sky on October 28, sparking a social media frenzy. The lavish affair turned out to be the grand finale of River Oaks Country Club’s 1920s-themed centennial celebration. The soiree featured an elephant, a Champagne tower, a live band, and more.
There was high-flying drama at Hobby Airport as two private planes had a not-so-friendly tango on the tarmac on November 22. A taxiing plane from Pennsylvania bumped up to a parked jet from Down Under, leaving them in a nose-to-wing embrace. This rom-com sequel came just weeks after a previous collision that turned Hobby into a brief airport shutdown theater.
Image: Houstonia Composite/Shutterstock.com photos
A Frontier Airlines flight turned into a holy roller coaster on November 21 when a passenger claimed she’d been kidnapped and possessed. Chaos ensued at 30,000 feet with shouts, seat-climbing acrobatics, and even a mid-air gospel concert. The heavenly harmonies failed to pacify the unruly passenger, leading to a diversion to Dallas for her dramatic exit. The airline remained tight-lipped about the celestial disturbance, leaving passengers to wonder if flying had taken an unexpected detour through the Twilight Zone.
In a purr-plexing tale at Lake Conroe, a Kingswood resident reeled in more than he bargained for. Wrapping up a day of catfishing on November 29, he spotted a feline friend in a fishy situation under the FM 1097 bridge. The poor kitty was floating and barely clinging to life. The savior rescued the kitty, who had to have used up a couple of lives drifting along. Now, the little daredevil is recovering with the fisherman’s family, hoping to find a forever home.
All aboard a wild eviction drama. Railway Heights Market took a detour and rebranded as Junction HTX, but the real twist was the vendors getting an abrupt eviction text. The once-promising food hall hit a major derailment, leaving vendors flipping out. In a bittersweet ending, a tenant hosted an eviction party, grilling burgers for the last hurrah. Is this the end of the line for Junction HTX, or just a stop on the way to more culinary chaos?
The beta testing of self-driving Cruise cars in Houston hit a speed bump when malfunctioning traffic lights left a line of autonomous vehicles stuck at a Montrose intersection. While human-driven cars obeyed the police’s commands, the driverless ones seemed oblivious, leading to a humorous standoff. The vehicles eventually cleared the intersection, but it seems the autonomous future still has a few quirks to work out.
From a modest trickle of water emerged a fully fledged fountain on a Heights street, nearly turning a few inland homes into waterfront properties. City workers took a whopping four hours after the geyser appeared to tackle this aquatic spectacle. Residents had been dealing with this water line break for over a week, flooding the phone lines with reports, but it took dialing the mayor and their local councilwoman to get it fixed.
Image: Houstonia Composite/Shutterstock.com photos
A white Dodge pickup truck has been lodged in Buffalo Bayou since last November. The truck, which has since been spray-painted and even hosted an alligator gar, belonged to a then-missing individual whose body was later pulled from the water nearby. Challenging access and bureaucratic confusion delayed the truck’s removal, leaving it as a distinctive fixture.
Someone in Houston unleashed their inner comedian by reprogramming a digital sign on Westheimer and Montrose to display a, err, cheeky message: “Go Fuck Yourself.” Social media users, enjoying the humorous twist on their morning commute, couldn’t help but applaud the boldness. It was the talk of the town all day, leaving authorities perplexed as to who was behind this witty stunt.
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