On Sheinelle Returning
Folks know Commentary watches “Today” every morning. I was glad to hear Savannah Guthrie announce that Sheinelle Jones would be returning at the end of this week. See this from the “Today website:
Sheinelle Jones is returning to TODAY following the devastating death of her husband, Uche Ojeh, in May.
The 3rd Hour of TODAY co-host will be back in Studio 1A beginning Friday, Sept. 5. She will share a deeply personal interview with Savannah Guthrie, in which she opens up about how she and her children are grieving the loss of their father, why she calls her experience a “beautiful nightmare” and her message of hope for anyone facing their own struggles.
I will be watching. The featured photo is from last Halloween on “Today” with Sheinelle as Beyoncé, err Foxxy Cleopatra.
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This story is on the front page of today’s hard copy of the Chron:
Leaders of three Kerr County youth camps wrote to Texas House lawmakers Friday opposing legislation that would prohibit the state from licensing camps with cabins in the 100-year floodplain.
Directors at Camp Waldemar, Camp Stewart and Vista Camps wrote that the proposed legislation — which passed the House but awaits approval by the Senate — would cost the camps millions of dollars in rebuilding costs and likely force them to close.
The three camps didn’t report any deaths due to the floods, but they all have structures located in the 100-year floodplain. A Texas Tribune analysis found two-thirds of the structures at Camp Stewart and a third at Camp Waldemar are in the floodplain.
Camp Mystic, where 27 girls and counselors died, has several buildings, including its dining hall and recreation hall, located in a floodway, an area deemed “extremely hazardous” by local officials, Hearst Newspapers found.
State Rep. Donna Howard, an Austin Democrat, introduced the floodplain prohibition amendment to House Bill 1, which requires overnight youth camps to create detailed plans for natural disasters and other emergencies, and establishes civil penalties for noncompliance.
Howard noted that 13 summer camps along the Guadalupe River have structures built on flood-prone land.
“These camps were allowed to operate under old statutes and agreements that have been in place for many decades,” she said. “We cannot continue to allow unsafe building practices to continue.”
Here is the entire read: Kerr County camps oppose Texas floodplain cabin safety legislation.
Tone deaf. Greedy. Just plain old stupidity. Shut them down. They don’t get it.
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This is also in today’s hard copy of the Chron:
State Rep. Alma Allen of Houston announced Thursday she plans to retire next year, endorsing her son’s campaign for her district.
And this:
Her son, Lawrence Allen, Jr., has yet to file for his mother’s seat. His career path is similar to hers: he worked as a Houston ISD teacher and administrator before being elected to the State Board of Education, serving for 15 years before stepping down in 2023.
He also ran for Texas House in 2020 for a competitive Fort Bend County district, coming fourth in the Democratic primary. That election was ultimately won by Republican Jacey Jetton.
I guess Rep. Allen’s son Lawrence moved back into Harris County. I guess. Oh, well.
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I was at Daikin Park yesterday afternoon and got to see Luis Garcia return to the mound after a 28-month absence due to Tommy John surgery. He pitched six innings and gave up three hits. All the hits came in the fourth inning including two dingers and another single that hit the wall below the Crawford Boxes on the fly. It was good to see our bats come alive.
We now have a three-game lead in the AL West with 24 games remaining on the regular season schedule. Oh, yeah, the Yankees are in for three starting this evening at Daikin Park on Dollar Dog Night.