ABC13 helps Houston Food Bank deliver meals

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Because of the success of this year's ABC13 Share Your Holidays food drive food drive and the GE Phone Bank, the Houston Food Bank went from helping 14,000 families last year to 19,000 this year.

And that meant a day of hard work Saturday for a great cause.

Our viewers gave boxes and boxes filled with food to their neighbors in need. Dozens of volunteers packed thousands of pounds of donated meals into more than 21,000 boxes at the group's warehouse in east Houston.

Saturday, the ABC13 family, led by President and General Manager Henry Florsheim, rolled up our sleeves to help the Houston Food Bank distribute thousands of meals collected during our Share Your Holidays food drive.

We spent the day loading boxes onto trucks so that the food can be given to 19,000 needy families. That's 5,000 more families than last year, they said, and every little bit helps.

"This is our 32nd Share Your Holidays event that we have had at ABC13, and behind me is the result of the hard work of our viewers who have donated so graciously from their homes from their hearts," said Cynthia Cisneros, ABC13 vice president of community affairs. "Over 300,000 pounds of food."

Saturday was also a day of service for the many corporate volunteers who help make this happen each year. Many use the day to teach their children about the joy of giving.

Year after year, we see just how much Houston cares. Because of you, thousands of area families will have a happy holiday. And for that, we all say "thank you."

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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ABC13 coverage helps FBI catch featured gang fugitive

Carlos Romero, 30, was wanted on a federal firearms charge.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Just days after we featured him as our StopHoustonGangs.org Fugitive of the Week, the FBI tells us they've caught a gang member wanted on federal charges.

Investigators say media coverage led Carlos Romero to turn himself into authorities on Monday. Romero, 30, was wanted on a federal firearms charge and a known member of the Tango Blast Gang.

He was of more than two dozen suspects named in a federal indictment unsealed last week. The indictment was the result of a four-year investigation into what the FBI calls the Texas Mexican Mafia.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of other fugitives, you can leave an anonymous tip here

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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ABC13 report leads to tree trimming for desperate family

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We have an update to an Action 13 Consumer story we first told you about earlier this week. After seeing our report, volunteers have come to the aid of a family worried about a tree that was dangerously close to falling on their home.

Action 13 reporter Jeff Ehling introduced you to Deborah and Calvin Jackson on Monday. They said they've been getting the run-around about a dying tree in a neighboring lot, which they worried could fall on their house at any moment and presented a danger for kids playing in the area.

Fortunately, Mike McDonald's wife and 3-year-old boy were watching our report. McDonald happens to run Treemasters Tree Trimming Service. They convinced him to do something about it.

"They called me and the boy said, 'Daddy I want you to cut the tree.' So I went out and cut the tree for the lady," said McDonald. "We have a saying, we are our brothers' keepers. And that lady needed our help."

The lot is owned by Sheldon ISD. The school district says legally they weren't permitted to use tax dollars to maintain the property. They were exploring their options when McDonald stepped up to the plate.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Action13 »

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ABC13 gets results after complaint of uncovered sewer vault in Midtown

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- You better watch where you step when walking through Midtown. The city has finally replaced a cover on a so-called sewer vault that was apparently taken several months ago, but only after one woman reportedly was injured by stepping into the hole.

The good news is the sewer vault was covered Friday afternoon after we started making calls about it. The bad news is it's a chronic problem caused by thieves.

At first glance, it didn't look like much.

"The woman had tripped into the hole, her foot had gone up to the knee and they were trying to figure out what to do about the lacerations," witness Sarah Frazier said.

But what looked like a puddle was actually an uncovered vault, a couple of feet deep leading to a water or sewer line.

Frazier works at a law firm next to the Midtown sidewalk where the vault was uncovered for months. She saw one woman fall into it.

She says a co-worker reported it back in April.

"They came, they flushed it out, they never put a lid on it," Frazier said.

Frazier says the hole sat for months without a cover.

But Alvin Wright with the city of Houston says a lid was put on it.

"What we find in the city is that there are individuals who are stealing infrastructure metal, they're stealing storm grates, they're stealing the metal covers, they're stealing water meter tops as well," Wright said.

And that's what happened here, he says. But after we made a phone call.

"It's there. You can say Channel 13 did it," Wright said.

That's good news to the folks who work and live and play in this Midtown neighborhood.

"There's a lot of pedestrians increasing," Frazier said.

The woman fell in over the Labor Day weekend. The city says the last complaint about it was the day after the holiday weekend, September 4.

Meanwhile, if you see a missing vault cover, manhole, or storm grate, you are urged to call 311.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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ABC13 report leads to charges against two suspects in jewelry store theft

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two men have been charged for allegedly stealing from a jewelry store after tipsters saw an ABC13 report.

On August 12, the owner of a jewelry store inside the Food Town Grocery Store at 2770 N. Sam Houston Parkway in north Houston told Harris Co. Sheriff's deputies that three black males came to his store, gained access to his showcase with a key and stole jewelry worth nearly $50,000, including 72 diamond gold rings, 108 gold rings and 75 gold bracelets.

The incident was captured on surveillance video. Court documents state that Undrake Delon Clark and Jody Tyrone Evans, along with a third unidentified male, were the alleged thieves. In the video, police say Clark could be seen removing keys from his pocket and trying to open the showcase while Evans and the other suspect were seen acting as lookouts.

Several attempts were unsuccessful and the suspects could be seen leaving, then returning with new keys and opening the showcase. Clark is then seen removing jewelry trays and loading them into a grocery bag being held by Evans.

Store owner Jacob Cho told Eyewitness News, "It was locked when he tried to steal it, so I had no idea they can unlock the jewelry showcase like this."

After that Eyewitness News report aired on August 20 showing the surveillance video of the suspects, authorities say they received numerous leads in the case.

Police say the store owner was able to pick out both Evans and Clark from a photo array, and that surveillance video of the getaway minivan is possibly the same make and model as a Chevy Venture Van registered in Clark's name.

If you have information on the third unidentified suspect, you are asked to call the Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

Court documents show Evans has prior convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in 2003 and robbery in 1994.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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ABC13 launches new alarm clock app!

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We are excited to tell you about a first of its kind tool from ABC13 that can wake you up with one of your favorite Channel 13 anchors, and that's just the beginning.

The ABC3 Houston Alarm Clock app will also bring you an instant snapshot of the news, weather and traffic before you even roll out of bed.

For a growing number of people, the smart phone is waking them up, so we wanted to give your alarm clock a boost by getting you the information you want to see in your hand the moment you wake up.

The new ABC13 Alarm Clock app will show you the weather forecast, hour by hour, before you even roll out of bed; a useful tool according to Donna Gilbert.

"It helps, it will help," Gilbert said.

The app also includes instant traffic updates so you can see where the traffic is building before your first cup of coffee. Renee Rector likes that.

"That would be convenient for me, just push a button," Rector said.

The app includes the latest news from overnight, but the most entertaining feature is the way in which it wakes you up.

"That's pretty cool," Deborah Douglas said, when we told her ABC13's Don Nelson can wake you up in the morning.

The app lets you set Don or any of the other Eyewitness News morning show anchors as your morning alarm. It's already got a big fan.

"Now that is inspirational. That's, that's what starts a day off for those who did things like invent Facebook and stuff like that. I wonder if (Mark) Zuckerberg is going to use mine," opined Don Nelson.

The ABC13 Alarm Clock app is the first of its kind from a TV station in the nation and is designed to give you the exact information you want as soon as possible.

"People can use this throughout the day. We update it throughout the day. Our weather is updated throughout the day. Our news headlines are updated throughout the day, and if you wanted to use it as a reminder, you can do that as well," said Randy Klein, ABC13 Digital Manager.

More on the ABC13 Houston Alarm Clock app

There's no need to go searching for the news that happened while you were sleeping -- now news, weather and traffic are all right there for you with a few taps.

Just set the alarm to start your day and get a special wake up call from Tom Koch, Sharron Melton, Casey Curry or Don Nelson on Eyewitness News this morning. Then instantly check the news that happened overnight.

Or you can check out the hour-by-hour weather forecast to plan your day and the 7-day forecast to plan your week.

In addition, before you leave home, you can also get an update on traffic.

It's the new ABC13 Alarm Houston Clock app, and it's free right now at Apple's App store. Just search 'ABC13 alarm' to download to your iPhone and iPod Touch. You must have iOS version 5.0 or higher.

Hear Don Nelson's wakeup message

Hear Casey Curry's wakeup message

Hear Sharron Melton's wakeup message

Hear Tom Koch's wakeup message

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Technology News »

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ABC13 Exclusive: Southwest CEO speaks out about proposed Hobby Aiport expansion

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek exclusively told Eyewitness News reporter Ted Oberg the politicians celebrating Wednesday will be to blame for hundreds of lost jobs in the future. And now a one-on-one with the man at the head of Southwest, as his airline tentatively claims victory in the battle over international travel.

Southwest Airlines says it will take 15-20 years to make back its $100 million investment at Hobby Airport. We started our conversation asking why it's worth waiting so long and why it's so valuable to do international business here in Houston.

Gary Kelly: You know what the best opportunity is? Right here in Houston. And you know why? Because the fares are so high. Why is that? Because there is no competition. It is a high fare market, that is monopolized by United out of Intercontinental Airport. Those are the kind of opportunities we look for around the country.

Ted Oberg: How long do you expect fares to stay low? Can I come back to you in two years, compare apples to apples and you're confident your flight will still be cheaper?

Gary Kelly: Absolutely, absolutely.

It is a promise that won't come true for years. If Southwest really does drive international fares down, they won't start until 2015. In the meantime, United Airlines says it will mean hundreds of job losses.

Ted Oberg: Do you think United is scared of you?

Gary Kelly: You know I can't really say what motivates any of our competitors. Clearly this is an attempt to keep us from growing.

Ted Oberg: Will it hurt United?

Gary Kelly: That's for them to assess, but clearly it should not be the policy of a city or government to protect one company.

The $100 million deal is not done -- not yet -- and while Kelly and his co-workers were celebrating Wednesday morning, he knows he's not even close to selling his first international ticket out of town.

Ted Oberg: It appears you have the votes, next week, week after, whenever council passes it on. You have a worthy adversary in United Airlines is probably a nice way of saying it. How tough do you expect this fight to be in Washington?

Gary Kelly: Well, I can't speculate about what might happen in the future. We're used to this. We've had opposition from legacy carriers from the very beginning, before we even started flying. So it wouldn't shock me if we continue to see resistance going forward. But we're on the side of right here and the administration is I know for a fact is concerned with creating jobs. This is a great way to create jobs.

Ted Oberg: Do you believe 10,000 jobs can be created as a result of this deal in Houston?

Gary Kelly: I believe it's more than 10,000 jobs. No one can guarantee what the jobs are, but opportunities to grow are hard to come by and this is a wonderful opportunity to grow, not just at Hobby but also at Bush.

That 10,000 job figure comes from a city report. It's been widely criticized as outlandish, but Southwest embraces it despite the fact they don't anticipate hiring any more than 50 to 100 additional Southwest employees at Hobby.

Our entire conversations with the CEOs of United and Southwest are in the video player at the top of this page.

Stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for the latest on this story.

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City tears down dangerous abandoned home in Fifth Ward after ABC13 report

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We have an update that's going to make a lot of folks in northeast Houston happy.

Bulldozers Friday turned an old abandoned building into a pile of rubble. We first told you about this dangerous property on Jensen on Tuesday. Neighbors were worried the building could collapse at any moment, and someone could get seriously hurt or even killed.

After our investigation, today the city finally did something about it.

"I think once they do that the property value will come up, the kids will come out and play and it'll just be a lot nicer," said resident Brett Forward.

The city says it still hasn't found the owner, but because it was a serious and immediate hazard, they cleared all the legal hurdles to tear it down.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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ABC13 photographer helps rescue elderly man

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- One of our news photographers saw someone stall out in high water and then jumped in to help.

Chris Graczyk was shooting video in southwest Houston and saw a Cadillac going down a washed out road. The car started to float away, so Chris and another man drove down in a pickup truck to help the driver.

"I appreciate you, my goodness. You saved my life and made me more comfortable," said stranded motorist Myron Steves. "Marvelous. I don't know them and there's still some good Samaritans left. Those two guys were it."

The driver was OK.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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ABC13 helps man propose to girlfriend at New Year's Eve Live

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Many people celebrated the stroke of midnight with a New Year's Eve kiss.

But for one couple in Houston, it was more than just a kiss.

Mike Nooney first met his girlfriend, Lori, at The Tasting Room. A year ago, he got up the nerve to tell her that he loves her.

At New Year's Eve Live in downtown Houston, he decided to pop the question before popping the cork on the champagne.

He asked us for help to do it publically.

Adding to the surprise, we had her believe she was on TV for a kissing contest.

"I want to see your kiss," ABC13 reporter Rebecca Spera told them.

"I think I can do a little bit better than that," Nooney replied.

That's when he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring.

A bit overjoyed and surprised, Lori did say yes!

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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