NEW: Last week, we reported that the river authority in Kerr County spent down its 3.4m reserve & lowered taxes instead of paying for an upgraded flood warning system

This week they promised to spend at least $1.5m on flood protection & mitigation measures

www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

EXCLUSIVE: @keribla.bsky.social
got the text messages of key Kerrville city officials in the wake of the devastating July 4 floods. Among the highlights -- "the county is reacting poorly"
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

NEW: Despite having $3.4 million in reserves, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority in Kerr County chose to cut taxes and turn down a 0% interest loan from the state rather than fund a $1 million flood warning system upgrade. W/
@keribla.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

Thanks! Some citizens did advocate for rejecting the funding, but other news reports indicate that Kerr County did end up spending the $10 million it was awarded in ARPA funding, mostly on emergency radio communications. See here: www.hccommunityjournal.com/article_fd3f...

NEW: After the July 4 flood, a Kerr official said “nobody saw this coming." But it seems they did - a 2016 study recommended key flood alert system improvements. The county has been trying to get the state to fund it ever since. W/ @neenareports.bsky.social: www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

NEW: We asked TX leaders if they're REALLY sure CenterPoint is giving back $100s of millions consumers spent on unused generators -- since documents indicate otherwise.
They pointed us to a spreadsheet that is VERY scant on detail. w/
@clairehao.bsky.social
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

Incredible story today from
@raschuetz.bsky.social: Attorneys representing the Houston Housing Authority filed a legal brief with fake quotes. These lawyers are getting paid $280/an hour with YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

NEW: Following our report that a Houston man was jailed for 18 years without a trial, authorities say the investigation into the murder he was charged with - that of Joel Osteen's great-aunt - is "very much active."
High-profile Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee is now representing the man.
t.co/1aS4jftjRr

MUST-READ from @clairehao.bsky.social:
TX leaders, incl. Dan Patrick, claim CenterPoint will refund consumers >$900M for its massive, mostly-unused generators. But the utility had already agreed to a huge chunk of those refunds for unrelated reasons. 👀
www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...

NEW (and my first BlueSky post!): How overwhelmed is the Houston-area criminal justice system? Read my story about a man who spent 18 years in the Harris County jail pre-trial. www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...

Thanks Keri!!