Destructive TikTok Challenge + Gang Leader Sentenced

Happy Friday, neighbors! Here's everything worth knowing around town today.

Are you a local business owner or marketer in Houston? Our premium local sponsorships will keep you at the top of inboxes around town every morning. Contact us here for the lowdown.

First, today's weather:

Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High: 90 Low: 73.

Here are the top stories in Houston today:

1. The delta variant is powering a surge in COVID-19 cases, and a Houston doctor describes the heartbreaking toll that COVID-19 is having on unvaccinated pregnant women and their families. (fox26houston.com)
2. Some Houston area students are destroying and stealing from school bathrooms as part of a TikTok challenge. It's part of a trend that has reached schools across the country. (KPRC Click2Houston)
3. A gang leader was sentenced to life in prison for ordering the 2016 murder of a Houston teen that was a witness in another case against him. (KPRC Click2Houston)
4. Most of the power outages from Hurricane Nicholas have been restored by CenterPoint Energy, but thousands of Houston-area residents still without power days after the storm. (fox26houston.com)
5. Five months after leaving Houston to become Miami's Chief of Police, former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo is already facing scrutiny after a series of controversies in his new role. (Houston Patch)

Today's Houston Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Houston!

Today in Houston:

• Autumn Acres Market — LD Robinson Pavilion. (10 a.m.)
• Milby vs. Waltrip volleyball — Milby High School (4:30 p.m.)
• Myoa Live! — The West End. (7 p.m.)
• Houston Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks — Minute Maid Park. (7:10 p.m.)
• The Riot Comedy Show presents Barry Laminack — Rudyard's. (7:30 p.m.)

Houston Patch Notebook

• Houston Astros: "Congratulations to Sugar Land Skeeters on winning the Triple-A West Eastern Division!" (Facebook)
• Visit Houston: "For a taste of authentic Honduran food check out Mi Bella Honduras Restaurant. The grilled beef skewers drizzled in sweet orange sauce, crispy pastelitos and plantains & cream are among the popular dishes." (Facebook)
• Visit Houston: "Houston is among four cities being highlighted in this year’s James Beard Foundation awards celebration, with Officialdemola the violinist as the headliner for our 'Celebration of Culture' musical performance! The event will be live-streamed." (Facebook)
• Houston Health Department: "As of September 16, 2021, #Houston has a total of 265,135 cases of #COVID19. This includes 445 cases dated with the past 14 days that were not included in previous updates, 124 additional backlog cases, and the removal of 63 duplicates." (Facebook)
• City of Houston Solid Waste Management: "September 16, 2021 Recycling services are delayed for Week-B. We're working to complete these routes. Please leave your container at the curb." (Facebook)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Add your business here

Events:

• Jeff Coffey Former Singer & Bass player of Group Chicago (September 17)
• YTA Insights—A Journey Into the World of Classical Music, Ep. 3 (September 19)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll see you soon. If you're feeling these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Jeffrey Perkins

About me: Born in San Antonio, I was raised in Arkansas but got back to Texas as soon as I could to attend Texas A&M University, where I earned a bachelor's degree in Telecommunication Media Studies. I started my journalism career as a copy editor at The Eagle in Bryan, Texas, in 2014 and later became the high school sports beat writer for the paper. My seven years at The Eagle strengthened my passion for journalism, and I love getting to know people and telling their stories, both on the field and off. I've seen firsthand the importance of hyper-local journalism in a community, especially in an eventful 2020, when I helped with news coverage and design in addition to my high school athletics beat responsibilities. I joined Patch in 2021 as Texas Field Editor for the Conroe-Montgomery County area. I welcome your questions, comments and story ideas! Please contact me at jeffrey.perkins@patch.com or (479) 264-5801.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Houston Daily? Reach out anytime to jeffrey.perkins@patch.com.