Isiah Factor | The Insite

Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart will host a Swearing-in Ceremony for newly elected Harris County officials on January 1, 2013, 12 p.m. (noon), at the 1910 Courthouse located at 301 Fannin Street.

“It is a privilege and an honor to administer the Oath of Office to the 2013 Class of Elected Officials in a historic building that has been the epicenter of government in Harris County for over a hundred years,” Stanart said. The Texas Constitution provides that all elected and appointed officials are required to take the official oath before entering upon the duties of office.

 “It is fitting that on the first day of a new year and the first day of office for our newly elected officials that they take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and the State of Texas.  The citizens of Harris County can expect no less,”  Stanart said.

The Swearing-in Ceremony will take place in the First Court of Appeals Courtroom, located on the second floor of the Courthouse.  Harris County Treasurer, Orlando Sanchez and former State Representative Rick Noriega will be providing words of wisdom to mark the special occasion.  The program is scheduled to last one-hour.  Complimentary parking will be available in the Congress Plaza Garage, 1019 Congress Street.

 The historic Harris County Courthouse was reopened in 2011 after going through major renovation approved by Commissioners Court in 2003.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge has ruled that the state may cut off funding to Planned Parenthood’s family planning programs for poor women.
 
   Attorney general spokeswoman Lauren Bean said Judge Gary Harger has ruled that Texas may exclude otherwise qualified doctors and clinics from receiving state funding just because they advocate for abortion rights. The state has long banned the use of state funds for abortion.
 
   At issue Monday was whether Planned Parenthood and other abortion-rights groups could continue to provide preventive health care to poor women as part of the Women’s Health Program. The program provides check-ups and birth control to 110,000 poor women and 48,000 of them go to Planned Parenthood clinics.

Planned Parenthood asked for a restraining order against enforcing the ban on them, arguing it violates state law.

A Houston woman is getting support from social media after being kicked out of a very popular retail store. That woman, who was nursing her child at the Hollister clothing store in Houston’s Galleria Mall, says she was yelled at and told to leave by the manager. After the report by reporter Damali Keith aired on Fox 26 there has been an outpouring of support. Some Houston mothers have scheduled what they call a nurse-in for January 5th. They plan to go to the store and nurse their children at the business. So far there hasn’t been any response from Hollister’s corporate office on the breast feeding incident. The Factor will keep you updated!

Protest is scheduled for 3 pm – January 5th at the Hollister store in the Galleria!

Freshly freed Katt Williams had a front row seat last night as good friend Suge Knight got into a CRAZY brawl outside a Hollywood club … that ended with Suge nearly mowing down some people in his SUV … just hours after Katt was released from jail.It all went down outside the Eden club. When the video (which is understandably shaky) starts, the massive brawl is already in full swing and you can see Suge trying to go after someone while Katt gets away from the action, walking behind a dumpster. As the camera pans back, you can see Suge on the left side of the frame in a tan long-sleeved shirt. Suge can be seen connecting with some sort of punch, but the actual blow is blocked from view.The next time we see Katt, he’s making his way to a black SUV while being chased by someone. Katt appears to get in the car before the guy is able to catch up to him.Suge then gets into a white SUV and guns it, nearly hitting several people on his way out of the parking lot. Katt and Suge were detained and cited by police a little over a week ago and Katt was just arrested Friday for child endangerment and had only been out of jail for a few hours before the brawl went down.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/12/29/katt-williams-suge-knight-fight-video/#ixzz2GZLJz9Z7

Macy’s department store workers in Houston say they were powerless to do anything about it so they just rang up the sales.

Those workers tell the Factor somehow there was a mistake made on pricing in the men’s department.

One worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said all of their clearance shirts were mistakenly labeled $9.99.

This worker said shirts that were on the average $50 and $60 were going for $9.99 this past Saturday.

The Macy’s employee says people bought them by the dozens.

Then the phone rang.

I’m told corporate called and the store and said the near free shirt giveaway must stop.

Workers said at 5 pm the plug was pulled and the mislabeled shirts were restored to the appropriate price.

I’m mad I missed that sale.

Did you get one of the $9.99 shirts at Macy’s Saturday?

STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W. BUSH

HOUSTON — Following is a statement by the Office of George H. W. Bush:

“President Bush’s condition has improved, so he has been moved today from the intensive care unit to a regular patient room at The Methodist Hospital to continue his recovery. The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.”

Xrossover Vest Creator Denario Edgar

The primary goal of DKEdgar Incorporated is to provide athletes, both male and female, of all ages with effective, durable, skill-enhancing equipment. The company also seeks to make these items an affordable training alternative. Specifically, the XrossOver Vest will improve any basketball player’s shooting, passing, and dribbling skills.

DKEdgar Incorporated has launched the XrossOver Vest to a core target market ages 7-17. Through research it has been found that at this stage in life that most athletes develop their skills and form. It is also done at the expense of their parents.

The affordability of the product plays a key role in the niche that the company will fill in the sports market. Especially considering the price of basketball training camps that parents have to pay each year. With the XrossOver Vest, parents can make a one time investment in their young athlete’s development.

The entire country is still mourning the loss of the victims in that shooting in Newtown, Conneticut. 

It’s where 20 children and adults were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary school.

Memorials are cropping up all over the country including Flushear.

That’s where four brothers came together and created this memorial for the victims of that horrific shooting.

Their efforts in Fulshear were brought to my attention by their grandmother Cheryl Stalinsky.

She writes:

Thought you might like a feel good story.  My grandsons, who are all brothers pictured L-R, Gage 14, Ethan 10, Caleb 8, and Cole 6 decided to memorialize the victims of Sandy Hook shooting.

They are students of Lamar Consolidated and live in Fulshear.

Cheryl Stalinsky

Here’s a list of events to keep you busy on New Year’s Eve in Houston.  This is a schedule compiled by New Years Eve Live:

Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Enforcement Division arrested 21 drunken drivers during the Christmas holiday weekend. Six were third-time offenders.

The HCSO joined the Texas Department of Public Safety for a weekend crackdown on drunken drivers, especially in high-risk locations at times when alcohol-related crashes are most frequent.

The drivers charged with DWI for the third time were (photos attached as jpegs):

DIGGS, DESHAWN ROBERT          (DOB 07-14-87)

CABRAL, ARTHUR                           (DOB 11-02-64)

SAUL, DAVID PRESTON                 (DOB 10-17-53)

VENTURA, ROBERTO                     (DOB 11-12-83)

SALAZAR, ROLANDO                      (DOB 10-14-67)

WINGARD, MICHAEL AARON         (DOB 08-02-76)

“These were probably not the only time these individuals drove while drunk,” said Sheriff Adrian Garcia. “These are just the only times they got caught.”

HCSO Traffic Enforcement and Patrol deputies will be on high alert during the New Year’s Eve weekend as well. While much of the public will be out celebrating, HCSO deputies will be working to put behind bars those who decide to break the law, hoping to end Harris County’s deplorable status as first in the nation for DWI-involved fatalities.

“We want the residents of Harris County to celebrate the holidays and enjoy the company of family and friends, but not if that means behaving in a way that will bring harm to themselves, their loved ones or innocent strangers on the roadways,” said Sheriff Garcia.  

During the 2011 holiday season (November 21 through December 31), the HCSO alone reported 12 drunken driving deaths, and made 258 arrests.

Following is a statement by Bush family spokesman Jim McGrath on President Bush’s condition:

“President Bush remains in the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital, where he continues to improve. The President is alert and, as always, in good spirits — and his exchanges with doctors and nurses now include singing. The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes and, like their doctors, are cautiously optimistic that the current course of treatment will be effective.”

Hollister, the clothing store in Houston, allegedly kicked this woman out of their store in the Galleria. She tells Damali Keith of Fox 26 she was breast feeding her child. That mother says the manager she only knows by Preston told her to leave even though her breast area was covered…Hollister has yet to respond to Fox 26 News!