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Saturday, July 30, 2022 • Vol. 67 • No. 30
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Bail reform back in spotlight after local fatal shooting By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com A man who spent seven years in prison for aggravated robbery and recently bailed out of jail after being charged in 2021 with felon in possession of a weapon has been accused of shooting and killing a man while out on bond last month. The shooting and circumstances surrounding it has some, such as Jaime Zamora, who lives in nearby Garden Oaks, wondering how this could have
happened. “I don’t understand how someone with an extensive felony criminal history could be granted a PR bond,” Zamora said. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg also called the use of a PR bond in Allen’s case a decision that “defies common sense.” On June 22, the 28-yearold Allen was arrested and charged with murder and unlawful carrying of a weapon with a felony conviction in connection with the shooting death of
29-year-old Luis Espinoza, according to Harris County Court records. He remained in jail as of Tuesday, according to court records. The Leader left voicemails with the office of Dallas Craig Hughes, listed in court records as Allen’s appointed defense attorney, on Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday requesting comment on this story. Those calls were not returned as of Wednesday afternoon. About seven months prior to the shooting of
Espinoza, Allen was arrested on Dec. 18, 2021, on a Felon in Possession of a Weapon charge according to court records. That was a little more than two weeks after he was released from prison on parole after serving time for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. “We’re seeing a lot of those (Felon in Possession of a Weapon) defendants being released on PR bonds on those charges,” Allen
See BAIL P. 8
Back to business
Houston receives first monkeypox vaccine shipment By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Cooling off It may be summer in Houton, but Art Valet Mitch Cohen has the scoop on his upcoming indoor market.
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A cut above From the prime rib on down, Laurenzo’s was a hit for Dan Greer in this week’s food review.
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Photo by Ana Guzman Though it might not be quite the packed house, White Linen Night is returning to the Heights next weekend, giving area businesses a chance to make up for lost revenue with no in-person event since 2019. Dear Tabby In this week’s column, Tabby has some tips for dog owners whose pooches are guarding resources by growling.
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THE INDEX. Church........................................................... 3 Classifieds................................................ 7 Coupons....................................................... 6 Food/Drink................................................. 5 Opinion......................................................... 3 Public Information............................. 8 Puzzles.......................................................... 3
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Return of White Linen Night to boost 19th Street shops By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
For all the businesses lining West 19th Street in the Heights, the return of White Linen Night means they will have a chance to make up for thousands of dollars lost in revenue the last two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. And though it is not going to be exactly the same, the event – which is typically hosted on the first Saturday of August each year – is still a welcome sight to business owners along the Heights’ main street as they continue to seek additional revenue in a post COVID-19 world. “I’m looking forward to it this year,” said Chrissie Ramirez, owner of Casa Ramirez FOLKArt at 241 W. 19th St. “I think it should be a good turnout…it’s going to be a nice boon to everybody here. It’s a great opportunity for brand new businesses as well as existing businesses like us.” The event will not have
barricades on 19th Street between Ashland and Yale streets as per usual, according to event organizer Sara Jackson, though multiple area businesses will host White Linen-themed events. But several business owners said it is still a boon to have the night back in any form. It was created in 2006 as an effort to bring attention to small and independentlyowned businesses, and drew more than 50,000 attendees during the last in-person event three years ago. “August is a slow month for retailers and this gives people a reason to come out and shop,” said Kristal Kirksey, owner of Jubilee in the Heights at 345 W. 19th St. “White Linen has really put the Heights on the map and we always get new customers who have never been to 19th Street. Even if they don’t shop that night, they remember us and come back.” It has been particularly
slow the last two years, business owners said, with no in-person events having been held along 19th Street since 2019 because of the pandemic – though some still held individual events last year. For We Olive & Wine Bar situated at 249 W. 19th St., owner Luis Rabo said WLN brings in three times the revenue and usually stands as one of the wine bar’s top five revenue days of the year while bringing in new customers who he said didn’t know the wine bar was there until visiting during White Linen Night. That, he said, was the most detrimental effect to We Olive over the last two years. “We obviously didn’t get that incremental revenue bump that a typical WLN would give us,” he said. ”However, most importantly, our business didn’t get the folks that would come back to visit us after WLN. … We’re looking forward to introducing ourselves to a bunch of new clientele
that may have never visited us before.” Harold’s Tap Room and Restaurant, 350 W. 19th St., was also down 280 percent in sales revenue on the night White Linen Night would typically occur in 2021 compared to the $25,000 it brought in during the last in-person event in 2019, according to owner Alli Jarrett. The restaurant will have a musical performance by the Zydeco Dots and face painting, among other festivities, during White Linen Night in efforts to help bring in customers and recoup revenue that has been lost over the last several years. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to have a solid revenue night (on Aug. 6),” Jarrett said. “We need it with everything going on.” Kirksey said Jubilee typically doubles or triples their sales on White Linen Night compared to typical Saturdays, and sees at
On Friday, the Houston Health Department announced that it has received a first shipment of more than 5,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine, according to a news release sent out last week. More than 1,700 people can potentially be treated with the vaccination, the city said, which is a two-dose series administered four weeks apart. “While the threat of monkeypox to Houston’s general population remains low, we welcome this vaccine shipment and look forward to receiving more as long as there is a need in the community,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “I have asked our health department to remain vigilant in its work to educate and advocate on behalf of individuals considered most at-risk.” A Monday report from KHOU said the Houston/Harris County region has a total of 57 confirmed monkeypox cases. The Houston Health Department announced the first case of monkeypox in the city on June 18. According to an article from CNN, the current monkeypox case count is up to more than 2,900 nationwide. Officials said in the release that the overall risk in Houston remains low. Monkeypox symptoms include a rash or sores that look like pimples or blisters, fever, headache, weakness, chills and swollen lymph nodes, according to the health department. It can last 2-4 weeks, the department said, and be spread from person to person through prolonged face-to-face contact, intimate contact, and or close contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. Those deemed in close contact or as high-risk patients will be vaccinated first, according to the health department. “Our department has for weeks strongly advocated for an increase in the supply of monkeypox doses dedicated to the Houston area,” health department director Stephen Williams said. “The shipment represents a significant step forward in protecting people at highest risk for this disease in our community.”
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Outdoor classroom coming to local middle school By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Photo from Facebook Pictured is an artist’s rendering of the new outdoor classroom coming to Frank Black Middle School. It will be finished by Aug. 12.
When students return to Frank Black Middle School for the first day of school on Aug. 22, there will be a new amenity waiting for them. Construction is almost complete on the school’s first outdoor classroom, according to project organizers, which aims to add to the school’s existing outdoor space while offering an enhanced alternative natural learning environment. Masters students in
the graduate design/build studio(GDBS) program at the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design are designing the classroom, which should be complete by Aug. 12. “Students learn in many different ways,” said FBMS parent Dianne Murata, an interior designer who along with her husband Robb Runge helped initiate the project. “Nature has always been important to us, so the ability to learn in an environment surrounded by nature and fresh air makes for
nurturing experience. It provides a place for teachers and students to change their scenery, like standing up from your desk once in a while.” The project was started with a $28,000 donation from an FBMS family. The Leader requested a full breakdown of the project costs, but Runge declined to provide it, saying he could not remember the exact total cost or donation totals. The project began back in See CLASSROOM P. 2