Here are things to know for Wednesday, Feb. 23:
1. Funeral arrangements for 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez released to public
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The details for 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez’s funeral have been released to the public.
Arlene was shot and killed when her family’s vehicle was struck after a robbery at a southeast Houston Chase Bank ATM drive-thru on Valentine’s Day.
The community has had an outpouring of love and support for the family with vigils, a march for justice, trail rides and donations since her death. On Monday, the Spanky’s Pizza shop on Telephone Road donated 30% of sales to Arlene’s family. The family was heading to Spanky’s that night for dinner when Arlene was fatally shot.
The public is invited to attend her funeral on Friday at 1 p.m. at Grace Church Houston, 14505 Gulf Freeway.
2. 77-year-old man struck by deputy patrol car while walking on Clay Road in Katy, HCSO says
A 77-year-old old man is recovering in the hospital after he was struck by a Harris County sheriff’s deputy’s patrol vehicle Tuesday, authorities said.
It happened near 21411 Clay Rd. in Katy around 11 p.m.
Authorities said a deputy with District 4 was en route to a scene where a suspicious vehicle was reported when he hit the pedestrian.
The deputy was reportedly traveling at the speed limit when he saw the man, who had on all black, walking in the moving lane of traffic. The deputy swerved to his right and the pedestrian moved to the right at the same time, according to HCSO.
3. Registered sex offender gets 20-year sentence after beating ex-girlfriend with brick, stuffing her in trunk of vehicle
A registered sex offender who brutally beat his girlfriend, then stuffed her inside of the trunk of a vehicle, has been sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, according to the Galveston County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
Frederick Lee Averette pled guilty to aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury in a family violence relationship, and assault of a public servant.
According to investigators, on Feb. 9, 2020, Averette went to the victim’s residence in the early morning hours and waited for her. Once his ex arrived home, Averette attacked her with a brick, striking her multiple times and knocking her to the ground. He kept hitting the woman as she lay on the ground and then began to drag her to the trunk of her vehicle.
4. Dozens of dementia patients forced to move after assisted living facility abruptly shuts down in Humble
Dozens of people who live at Autumn Grove Cottage facilities, who suffer from various levels of memory loss, just learned they have to be out of the facility by Friday.
“I live 10 minutes from here, and this is perfect. I could come bring my dog and visit my husband,” said Claudia Simon whose husband, Al Simon, lives at the facility located in Humble.
She said her husband is in the final stages of dementia. She was relieved to find Autumn Grove Cottage in Humble where she said he had been living amongst a great staff for the past several months.
“I had been through two other places with him. This place was so perfect,” Simon said.
But now, there’s a major problem.
5. Texas tops the nation in teens who give birth multiple times
While teenage birth rates have declined significantly across the country in recent decades, Texas remains above the national average, consistently ranking in the top 10 states. Out of all births in Texas, around 6% were teen births in 2019 and 2020.
And a startling proportion of teenagers who gave birth in Texas in 2020 — more than 1 in 6 — already had at least one other child. Analysis by The Texas Tribune using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Texas had the highest rate of these so-called “repeat teen births” in the country, along with Alabama. In the last decade, the state has been in the top five states for repeat teen birth rates.