Title: Sun’s Out, Buns Out: Happy National Hamburger Day!
Sourced From: www.visithoustontexas.com/blog/post/suns-out-buns-out-happy-national-hamburger-day/
Published Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0500
Tilman Fertitta | Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Haute Living
The billionaire restaurateur says that putting his employees back to work is the “greatest thing in the world”
Houston restaurateur Tilman Fertitta praised Texas governor Greg Abbott’s decision to reopen many of the state’s businesses, including restaurants, on May 1.
In an interview with KPRC Houston, Fertitta called Abbott’s executive order that will allow restaurants to open their dining rooms at 25% capacity a “wise decision.” Fertitta was a member of the Governor’s Strike Force’s Special Advisory Council, which provided “advice and counsel” to the governor as he developed plans to reopen businesses, alongside other prominent Texas business figures like Michael Dell and Houston’s own Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.
Following Abbott’s order, Fertitta plans to open his Houston restaurants, including Willie G’s Seafood and Mastro’s Steakhouse, at 25 percent capacity on Friday. “What I’m most happy about is putting employees back to work!” Fertitta told KPRC. “That’s the greatest thing in the world.” His company’s entertainment venues, including Galveston’s Pleasure Pier and the Kemah Boardwalk, will remain closed.
Reopening restaurants and other businesses will, of course, be financially advantageous for Fertitta, who said in an interview earlier this month that his company is burning $2 million in cash daily while his establishments are closed. Even more shockingly, Fertitta made headlines when he offered lenders a sky-high 15% interest rate on a $250 million “lifeline” loan to keep his businesses afloat during the crisis.
Fertitta’s been a controversial figure since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurateur and Houston Rockets owner sparked outrage when his glitzy Houston hotel the Post Oak announced that it would end paid time off for workers back in March, before ultimately reversing that decision. Fertitta also furloughed more than 40,000 hospitality workers across the country, calling it a “favor” to his employees who have been trying to stay afloat without paychecks.
Eater has reached out to a rep for Fertitta for more details on how many Houston-based employees will return to work on Friday. Stay tuned for an update.
By: Amy McCarthy
Title: Of Course Tilman Fertitta Thinks Reopening Restaurants Right Now Is a Good Idea
Sourced From: houston.eater.com/2020/4/28/21239414/tilman-fertitta-praise-governor-greg-abbott-for-reopening-texas-businesses-restaurants
Published Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:00:00 +0000
Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen/Facebook
Russell Ybarra, owner of Houston-born chains like Jimmy Changas, filed the suit this week
Russell Ybarra, the prominent Houston owner/operator of Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen and other homegrown Tex-Mex chains, just sued his insurance carrier for coverage denial during the coronavirus pandemic.
Defendant YBarra Investments, which also owns Jimmy Changas and The Lunch Box, wants plaintiff Scottsdale Insurance Company to pay up in excess of $1 million to cover business losses sustained during the crisis. YBarra’s portfolio also includes Bullrito’s and Burger Libre.
Gringo’s, which originated in Pearland, is known for menu items like seafood enchiladas, fajita bowls, and many margarita options. Jimmy Changas is a family favorite, with Jimmy’s Jungle playgrounds and “Little Jimmy’s” menus at each location.
The complaint, filed in Harris County District Court, centers on YBarra’s business interruption insurance policy and its virus and bacteria exclusion. Slater, an insurance agent in Sugar Land that sold the policy to YBarra, is also a named defendant.
The complaint states:
“The ambiguous ‘virus and bacteria’ exclusion in the Scottsdale policy does not refer to pandemics,” … “Despite their experience with coverage during SARS and H1N1, neither Scottsdale Insurance Company or agent Terry Slater advised YBarra that coverage would be denied from the loss and damage caused by a virus pandemic outside the insured properties.”
The suit claims YBarra was also denied coverage under its policy’s “civil authority” clause, which protects against business income losses and extra expenses caused by the actions of a civil authority that bans access to the insured premises. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo’s “stay at home, work safe” order issued March 24, set to run through the end of April, required all “nonessential” businesses like restaurants to close in the interim.
Via his Twitter account, Ybarra has been a vocal critic of Hidalgo and the “stay at home, work safe” order. “This shutdown is an unequal opportunity destroyer of businesses and families alike,” Ybarra wrote. “If the suffering of the shutdown were truly equal for all Americans, then economy would have opened already.”
Al Flores, attorney and president of the Houston Restaurant Association, vocalized his support of the newly filed suit. “Restaurant owners have been paying for this coverage for decades and the one time they truly need this assistance, they get a boilerplate denial letter from their insurance company,” says Flores, in a statement.
Not surprisingly, Ybarra plans to open his restaurants on May 1, when Governor Greg Abbott’s statewide executive order allowing restaurants to reopen goes into effect.
By: Tierney Plumb
Title: Houston Restaurateur Files $1 Million Lawsuit Against Its Insurance Company Over COVID-19 Claims
Sourced From: houston.eater.com/2020/4/29/21239882/houston-restaurateur-russell-ybarra-sues-insurance-company-covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic-claims
Published Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:30:00 +0000
By: Porsche
Title: A Night at the Porsche Museum with Max Leitner
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgjP18IKlpw
Reliable Hyster® electric lift trucks are helping manufacturers of finished metal goods to reduce damage, and the associated costs, at every stage of their operation, while keeping productivity high.
“Metal handling is not just about big trucks handling steel pipes and slabs or tough forklifts working in hot foundry applications,” says Botros Hanna, Industry Manager for Hyster Europe. “Almost every industry imaginable uses some sort of metal product at some point.”
Numerous manufacturing operations worldwide transform metals such as aluminium, copper or zinc into finished goods, from tiny components to car parts. Hyster® equipment can be found reliably supporting these operations at every stage of the process.
Materials arrive as coils
The first handling challenge is receiving delivery of small metal coils on a trailer. Here Hyster® lift trucks help to unload the coils, which are usually small enough to be handled with standard forks, from the lorry and transport these to the warehouse.
A typical lift truck used for this operation is the durable Hyster® J3.5XN four-wheel electric forklift, which features a robust chassis, with strong side covers that offer protection against possible impact damage.
“Damage at this stage could mean that the metal cannot be used in production, leading to unnecessary costs,” says Botros. “The Hyster® J series lift trucks are popular in these operations as they provide good stability, a strong mast and smooth handling as standard, helping to prevent the loads from being shaken or damaged.”
The reliable Hyster® J3.5XN electric forklift trucks offer equivalent performance compared to a Hyster® IC lift truck and are suited for operation both indoors and outdoors. This makes it the ideal truck to transport goods from an outdoor loading area to an indoor warehouse.
Thanks to three-phase motor technology for the drive and lift, the trucks are particularly well-suited to demanding applications during long shifts. Easily accessible components and on-board diagnostics also help reduce downtime.
Into production
In metal goods manufacturing applications, there is a choice of Hyster® solutions to collect the coils from storage in the warehouse and take them to the production line.
Some applications opt for a Reach Truck, such as the Hyster® R2.5, which includes an ergonomic driver’s cab with efficient operation via touch screen and joystick, as well as an adjustable steering column for comfort. Others opt for Hyster® Low, Medium or High-Level Order Pickers, or depending on their warehouse configuration, may use a forklift.
“No matter which type of electric truck the application chooses, they will benefit from zero emissions – something that is increasingly important to customers in the metal industry,” says Botros. “Electric trucks also tend to operate more quietly, contributing to a more pleasant warehouse working environment.”
As this part of the operation is highly repetitive, there is also potential for applications to automate tasks with affordable Hyster® Robotic solutions, such as tow tractors, pedestrian counterbalance trucks and low-level order pickers. Hyster ‘Driven by Balyo’ technology combines reliable Hyster® lift trucks with robotic control systems to help improve accuracy, boost efficiency and reduce damage, keeping busy production lines running smoothly, while driving down cost.
Handling finished goods
When the metal components or products are complete, they will typically be collected from the production line by a Hyster® lift truck and loaded into lorries for transport to the end user. The finished goods may be packed onto pallets or handled directly on forks.
“A big challenge at this stage is manoeuvrability, as space in the production area and the loading bay is often at a premium,” says Botros. “Three wheeled Hyster® electric lift trucks are a great solution.”
For example, the tough J2.0XNT model, with a two-tonne capacity, has a Zero Turning Radius (ZTR) axle that provides a narrow turning circle, allowing the forklift to be used in narrow aisles and on busy loading and unloading ramps.
Despite its compact design, the lift truck includes an ergonomically designed operator compartment that supports productivity by maintaining driver comfort, helping them to stay focused and operate accurately, even during long shifts.
“We know that metal handling operations can be demanding,” says Botros. “However, by choosing the right trucks to meet the specific needs at every stage in the production and supply chain, metal applications can reduce damage, increase efficiency and achieve a low total cost of ownership.”
For further information, visit www.hyster.com or contact one of the global network of local Hyster® distribution partners.
By: Editor
Title: Hyster® Electric Trucks keep handling costs low
Sourced From: warehousenews.co.uk/2020/04/hyster-electric-trucks-keep-handling-costs-low/
Published Date: 04/28/20
Hugo’s [Official Photo]
Treat Mom to DIY Bloody Marys, sizzling steaks, pasta, and more
Mother’s Day 2020: All moms are stay-at-home moms — and have been for at least a month — which is reason enough to celebrate bigger and better than last year. With DIY activities taking over, restaurants are making it easy and fun to take food and beverage packs home to experiment with.
In this unprecedented time, when Mom is surely working overtime in the kitchen, treat the superwoman in your life to a leisurely lunch with all the trimmings via one of these beloved Houston restaurants serving take-out Mother’s Day eats. With everything from fajitas to fancy Champagne on the list, there’s something for moms of all kinds.
By: Amy McCarthy
Title: Houston’s 11 Best Mother’s Day Takeout Options
Sourced From: houston.eater.com/maps/houston-restaurants-mothers-day-takeout-menus-where-to-eat
Published Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:05:14 +0000
By: Porsche
Title: Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Teaser Race #1 Zandvoort
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AxkU52PwBg
If you’ve ever tried to sweep large floor areas with a broom, you’ll know what an endless task it is. It stirs up dust into the air which is unpleasant to breathe in and coats you, your colleagues and your goods. It takes forever and is back-breaking. The floor never even seems clean afterwards – you’re still left with that gritty, slippery feeling underfoot.
With a Big Brute Warehouseman Industrial Vacuum Cleaner, cleaning large floor areas is quick, easy and effective.
The Big Brute Warehouseman has an extra-wide floor brush mounted on the front of its trolley. Just switch on and push along at walking pace – the floor brush cuts a swathe through the dust. The floor brush hugs the floor as you go, due to the Big Brute Warehouseman’s powerful suction, ensuring it follows the contours and bumps leaving the floor really clean in its wake.
Dust, dirt and debris is swept and sucked up, even that really fine dust that’s been ground up by the wheels of your forklifts.
And because all the dust is sucked up as you go, none of it gets stirred up into the air. Cleaning up with a Big Brute Warehouseman doesn’t leave you and your staff coated in dust, or breathing in clouds of dust. Its trolley is extremely manoeuvrable making it easy to push and turn. And its ergonomically positioned handles ensure your comfort by minimizing strain in your wrists and back.
Add to this the Big Brute Warehouseman’s long, big-diameter suction hose and cleaning tools. With its powerful suction, you can clean into corners, under and between racking and even each up walls and window ledges, without losing suction. You can clean all those hard-to-reach areas without having to drag your Big Brute around behind you.
The Big Brute Warehouseman’s huge capacity lets you clean for longer without having to stop so often to empty it. And with its many ways of emptying it, even the heaviest of loads can be disposed of safely without putting your staff at risk.
The Big Brute Industrial Vacuum Cleaners were originally designed in 1986 to cope with the dust, dirt and environment of industries. With their no-nonsense engineering and performance, Big Brutes have been helping industries the world over clean-up for decades.
All Big Brutes are designed and manufactured in the UK by Michael Williams Engineering Ltd – a family-owned UK company, based near Cambridge.
By: Editor
Title: Big Brute – Loves the jobs you hate!
Sourced From: warehousenews.co.uk/2020/04/big-brute-loves-the-jobs-you-hate-2/
Published Date: 04/28/20
An innovative 3D camera and SensorApp solution from SICK has enabled rapid, damage-free guidance of automated and driver-assisted high-bay forklifts into pallet pockets, as well as the precise and efficient pick-up of dollies by automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
The SICK Pallet Pocket and SICK Dolly Positioning SensorApps run on SICK’s Visionary T-AP 3D time-of-flight snapshot camera. They promise to cut out delays associated with lining up both automated and manual forklifts to load pallets in high-bay warehouses, as well as positioning AGVs to collect dollies.
The new Apps, developed in SICK’s AppSpace software environment, work by positioning the camera in front of the pocket or dolly chassis within a working range of 1.5m to 3m. Using a single shot of light, the SICK Visionary T-AP 3D camera captures a 3D image, then pre-processes and evaluates the co-ordinates of the pallet pocket or space under the dolly, before outputting to the vehicle controller. The information can also be sent to a driver display to aid manual forklift operation, particularly useful in high-bay warehouses.
“For autonomous industrial trucks, and in manual high-bay forklift operations, where the driver cannot easily judge where the forks are entering into the pallet pockets, there is a high risk of damage to the forks, pallets, bay or the products themselves. Manually, it’s a trial and error process of aiming for the correct position, which can be time consuming. Automated systems using distance or photoelectric sensors could require significant programming effort and may not be as reliable,” explains Neil Sandhu, SICK’s UK Product Manager for Imaging, Measurement and Ranging.”
The SICK Visionary T-AP is a robust 3D imaging camera that captures high-resolution 3D data with a single shot of light. It builds up a detailed and accurate real-time 3D image of fixed or moving objects with excellent results regardless of angle, surface finish, material or shape of object. It combines different aspects of the light scattered by the object to build up a detailed picture of shape, distance, reflectivity and object depth.
The SICK Pallet Pocket and SICK Dolly Positioning SensorApps are supplied already loaded onto the SICK Visionary T-AP camera and ready for use. As self-contained hardware components, they are easy to fit to existing machinery, as well as being available for use in new industrial truck designs. Setting up the sensor is easy with the SICK SOPASair configuration and diagnostics tool, and it can be easily adjusted to a wide range of pallet and dolly types.
The SICK Visionary T-AP uses Time-of-Flight measurement of a light signal between the device and the target for each point of the image. The CCD/CMOS imager develops a pixel matrix, with each pixel containing depth and intensity information. The camera is designed to capture more than 25,000 distance and intensity values to create real time 3D images at up to 30 frames per second.
For more information please contact Andrea Hornby on 01727 831121 or email andrea.hornby@sick.co.uk.
By: Editor
Title: SICK SensorApps Ensure Smooth Docking for Pallets and Dollies
Sourced From: warehousenews.co.uk/2020/04/sick-sensorapps-ensure-smooth-docking-for-pallets-and-dollies/
Published Date: 04/28/20
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Rapidly moving storms brought high winds to Houston, knocking out power to thousands Wednesday morning.
Nearly 160,000 customers were in the dark just before 6 a.m., according to
CenterPoint Energy.
The outages came as winds in excess of 60 mph blew through Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston counties, according to Harris County Flood Control District Meteorologist Jeff Lindner.
Some areas may not see power restored until 11:30 a.m. according to CenterPoint's outage map estimates.
Photos from viewers showed minor damage, including a gas station canopy that was blown over in the Fifth Ward.
Traffic in the region slowed to a crawl as vehicles navigated through blinding rain and high water in some places.
After the storms clear on Wednesday morning, sunshine and lower humidity are expected Wednesday afternoon.
Another stormy cool front may arrive in the area late Tuesday or early Wednesday next week.
SEE MORE: ABC13 weather forecastCopyright © 2020 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.
By: KTRK
Title: Storms leave thousands in the dark across Houston
Sourced From: abc13.com/weather/storms-leave-thousands-in-the-dark-across-houston/6136973/
Published Date: 04/29/20
The mandatory order issued by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo follows those of other metro areas, but some Texas judges claim it’s not allowed under state law.
HOUSTON — It’s become a polarizing issue about citizen rights and the government’s reach, with public health and safety stuck in the middle.
The mandatory face-covering order issued by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo follows those of other metro areas, but some Texas judges claim it’s flat out not allowed under state law.
“I do not find a statutory or legal basis that would allow me or anyone else in government to issue an order requiring citizens to wear a mask in public,” Montgomery County Jude Mike Keough posted on his official Facebook page.
“My general counsel was crystal clear,” said Galveston County Judge Mark Henry. “It's unconstitutional and you will get you sued.”
The Harris County Attorney’s office interprets the law differently.
“I think the law is pretty clear. It’s just a literal reading of the law and it says what it says,” said First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard. “Now they may disagree with the policy and that’s certainly the privilege that other elected officials have, but it doesn’t change the law."
Chapter 418 of the Texas Government Code deals with emergency management. It designates a county judge is as the emergency management director of their jurisdiction and gives the judge “the powers granted to the governor under this chapter on an appropriate local scale.”
Under the declaration of a local disaster, the county judge or a mayor of a municipality may “control the movement of persons.”
“Our view is if you can tell somebody they need to stay in their house, or tell them they cannot go into a certain building you can also put reasonable regulations on that movement,” Soard said.
He claims mandatory face coverings are legal. But that interpretation has gotten governments sued, from the Connecticut governor to San Bernardino County commissioners in California.
Now, Harris County Judge Hidalgo, too.
“She has no authority to do this whatsoever under the Texas constitution,” said conservative activist Dr. Steven Hotze.
Hotze filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction to block Hidalgo’s order, which is set to take effect Monday.
The petition claims Hidalgo has exceeded her authority by issuing more restrictive orders than Governor Greg Abbott, who has not issued a directive for face coverings in Texas. It also argues that the directive deprives Texans of “liberty and freedom” under the state’s constitution.
"The rights we enjoy under the Texas Constitution are being trampled on by Judge Hidalgo, while millions of individuals have lost their jobs and thousands of businesses are on the brink of bankruptcy," Hotze’s attorney Jared Woodfill said in the lawsuit.
Woodfill and Hotze organized a group of more than 200 protesters downtown Thursday to voice their opposition to the order.
“That’s people’s rights. I respect them,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “Sometimes they speak favorably about you, sometimes they don’t.”
Soard said the Harris County Attorney’s Office is prepared to defend Judge Hidalgo’s order in court.
As for policing the directive, both Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and Houston Police Art Acevedo said their deputies and officers will be taking an educational approach to enforcement seeking voluntary compliance. Acevedo added that citations would only be written “as a last resort.”
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Some patients also have nausea, body aches, headaches and stomach issues. Losing your sense of taste and/or smell can also be an early warning sign.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for becoming seriously ill. However, U.S. experts are seeing a significant number of younger people being hospitalized, including some in ICU.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Get complete coverage of the coronavirus by texting 'FACTS' to 713-526-1111.
Title: Legal? Constitutional? Harris County order requiring face coverings challenged
Sourced From: www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/legal-constitutional-harris-county-order-requiring-face-coverings-challenged/285-08bda52b-b3f4-4493-b187-13dced0bd3bc
Published Date: 04/24/20
Here is a look at the latest COVID-19 headlines from around Houston, Texas for Thursday, April 23.
HOUSTON — We are continuing to track the latest headlines and updates regarding the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Get the latest updates and top headlines below.
Here are the latest updates from around the Houston area and the world (all times are Central/Houston time):
APRIL 23 5 a.m. — The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Americans should be prepared for a second wave of the coronavirus in the winter. On Tuesday, Dr. Robert Redfield told The Washington Post that the United States could see a flu epidemic and coronavirus epidemic at the same time, which could be more dire. He claimed two respiratory outbreaks would strain the country's healthcare system. Read more here.
APRIL 23 3:31 a.m. — VA medical facilities struggle to cope with coronavirus | The Department of Veterans Affairs is struggling with shortages of workers at its health care facilities as it cares for veterans infected with the novel coronavirus. Read more here.
APRIL 22 10:15 p.m. — Risking a possible fine and jail time, Dallas salon owner says she will reopen on Friday | "We're about to lose everything and we haven't gotten any help, so I had to make a decision," owner Shelley Luther said. Get the full story here.
APRIL 22 9:06 p.m. — A world-renowned infectious disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine says he thinks we will see another spike in coronavirus cases later this year.
Dr. Peter Hotez, professor and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and the Co-director at Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, took to Twitter to make the prediction.
He said it in a reply to a video in which the mayor of Las Vegas was talking about reopening casinos. In the video, Mayor Carolyn Goodman seemingly shirks the responsibility of safely reopening the public places. She says the responsibility lies with the individual companies.
Hotez said it's a situation he's seeing a lot of lately: "No one (is) taking ownership." Read more here.
APRIL 22 6:45 p.m. — Galveston County Health District is reporting 1 death, a woman age 81 to 90 years old with preexisting medical conditions. Officials said she died on April 14.
Officials are also reporting 12 new cases, bringing the county's total number to 491. There are also 11 new recoveries, 227 total for the county.
APRIL 22 5:05 p.m. — The Houston Police Officers Union has reached out to the Texas attorney general to ask if Judge Lina Hidalgo's face covering order is legal. HPOU President Joe Gamaldi called the order "draconian" and advised HPD officers to use "DISCRETION, DISCRETION, DISCRETION."
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Some patients also have nausea, body aches, headaches and stomach issues. Losing your sense of taste and/or smell can also be an early warning sign.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for becoming seriously ill. However, U.S. experts are seeing a significant number of younger people being hospitalized, including some in ICU.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Get complete coverage of the coronavirus by texting 'FACTS' to 713-526-1111.
Title: Coronavirus updates: CDC director clarifies warning on winter wave of coronavirus
Sourced From: www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/houston-coronavirus-updates-news-and-cases-thursday-april-23/285-22fe0908-41a9-48a0-829f-d65c7fb74da8
Published Date: 04/23/20
Chicken and waffles at State Fare | State Fare/Facebook
A running list of the local eateries that will reopen their dining rooms at 25 percent capacity this week
On May 1, restaurants across Houston (and Texas) will be able to open their dining rooms after weeks of being closed. Governor Greg Abbott’s latest executive order requires these restaurants to reduce their dining room’s capacity to just 25 percent of what is normally allowed, but plenty of local favorites are planning to reopen as soon as possible.
As such, Eater will keep a running list of restaurants that plan to reopen in the coming days. Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to send your intel on spots that are making a comeback to houston@eater.com.
Restaurants Reopening May 1
By: Amy McCarthy
Title: These Houston Restaurants Will Reopen On May 1
Sourced From: houston.eater.com/2020/4/28/21239989/houston-restaurants-reopening-may-1
Published Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 18:07:59 +0000
Goode Co. Barbecue | Goode Company/Facebook
Goode Company’s Levi Goode teamed up with a local clinic to get his workforce tested
In anticipation of reopening dining rooms at limited capacity in the coming days, Goode Company owner Levi Goode is offering free COVID-19 testing to all employees at his restaurants.
Goode Company, which operates popular spots like Goode Company Seafood, Goode Company Taqueria, and Armadillo Palace, collaborated with Houston-based “microclinic” Hamilton Health Box to provide COVID-19 tests to its workforce. According to a press release, the tests were administered by medical professionals at Hamilton Health Box, and results were “privately” shared only with workers.
“These screenings allow us to provide the highest possible care to our employees and in turn to our guests,” Goode said in a statement. “Our guests deserve transparency and the knowledge that we as a company are doing all that we can to keep them healthy and safe in our restaurants.” In an effort to encourage employee safety while they’re working, Goode Company will also provide workers with personal protective equipment like masks and gloves.
Even though some Houston establishments will likely choose to stay closed after Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order allows them to reopen on May 1, Goode plans to open all of his restaurants next week. The governor’s order does not require restaurants to test their employees, but does require the implementation of new health protocols like requiring more frequent disinfection of surfaces and spacing tables six feet apart.
As the governor’s Open Texas guidelines suggest, Goode Company will screen employees before they’re allowed to serve diners, and anyone who comes to work with a fever or other COVID-19 symptoms will be sent home.
When Goode Company’s restaurants return next week, expect even more changes in the dining room in addition to masked employees — the restaurant plans to increase the space between its tables, use paper menus, and only provide single-use condiments.
By: Amy McCarthy
Title: Houston Restaurant Group Provides No-Cost COVID-19 Testing For Its Employees
Sourced From: houston.eater.com/2020/4/28/21239779/goode-restaurant-free-coronavirus-covid-19-testing-employees
Published Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 17:35:54 +0000
By: Gary
Title: Social Distancing with Sea Shells and HMNS Collections
Sourced From: blog.hmns.org/2020/04/social-distancing-with-sea-shells-and-hmns-collections/
Published Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:45:26 +0000
By: Porsche
Title: Porsche Track Precision App
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD_Vdig_lG0
By: Dan
Title: Tyger Tyger Burning Bright: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sourced From: blog.hmns.org/2020/04/tyger-tyger/
Published Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:38:43 +0000
By: Porsche
Title: The Craft behind the Taycan || 03 | That Porsche passion
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FKV9FSDe_o
By: Jeff Jeffrey
Title: Will Covid-19 change building design? Houston-area architects weigh in
Sourced From: feeds.bizjournals.com/~r/bizj_houston/~3/7nLeVQwLBGw/will-covid-19-change-building-design-houston-area.html
Published Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 11:00:00 +0000
By: Joshua Mann
Title: Houston energy co. lays off 70 amid latest downturn
Sourced From: feeds.bizjournals.com/~r/bizj_houston/~3/cvynQ4uDo9o/houston-energy-co-lays-off-70-amid-latest-downturn.html
Published Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:14:36 +0000
Federal American Grill in Hedwig Village | Federal American Grill/Facebook
City council member Michael Kubosh described his dinner at Federal American Grill as “civil disobedience”
On Friday, Houston city council member Michael Kubosh started a viral frenzy on social media after he compared his decision to dine out at a restaurant during the COVID-19 crisis to acts of civil disobedience carried out by civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
Kubosh made the comment in an interview with Houston television station KPRC on April 24, the same day that Hedwig Village restaurant Federal American Grill reopened its doors in defiance of the county’s “stay at home, work safe” order. “Sometimes civil disobedience is required to move things forward, and so that’s why we remember Rosa Parks,” he said in the interview.
Houston city council member Michael Kubosh explains why he's at a restaurant open for dine-in service in violation of Harris County's stay-at-home order:
— Jen Rice (@jen_rice_) April 25, 2020
"Sometimes civil disobedience is required to move things forward, and so that's why we remember Rosa Parks." (via @KPRC2) pic.twitter.com/PpOCrrrlTW
The extremely offensive comparison inspired immediate scorn on social media after Houston Public Media reporter Jen Rice tweeted a video of the KPRC segment. “It is shameful that Kubosh would invoke Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement,” wrote Twitter user @nonsequiteuse. “There’s a special place in hell for people like that, and all the hand-lettered Bible verse signs and faux-piety in the world won’t exempt someone from it.” Houston Chronicle dining critic Alison Cook even chimed in, calling Kubosh’s choice of words “maximally unbecoming.”
The restaurant that Kubosh dined at, Federal American Grill, has been both criticized and cheered for its decision to reopen while the city’s restaurants are closed in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus. Some have described owner Matt Brice‘s decision as “taking a firm stand against a tyrannical government,” while others say that he’s endangering public health.
As the Houston Chronicle reported, Federal American Grill was not forced to close its doors on Friday night, and Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo declined to issue a fine to Brice.
By: Amy McCarthy
Title: Houston Official Compares Himself to Rosa Parks For Dining Out During a Pandemic
Sourced From: houston.eater.com/2020/4/27/21237802/houston-city-council-member-michael-kubosh-rosa-parks-comparison
Published Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 14:45:17 +0000
By: Porsche
Title: Porsche Community Legends - Qualifying Race 1: Hockenheimring
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSIm69h0CO0
Phopto by Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images
Governor Greg Abbott’s most recent executive order allows dining rooms to reopen at 25% capacity
As Harris County residents prepare for a new order requiring that people wear masks in public spaces, Texas governor Greg Abbott announced plans to reopen restaurants across the state with severely limited capacities.
Abbott announced the plan, which allows restaurants to reopen their dining rooms at 25% of normal capacity on May 1, in a press conference on Monday afternoon. The order also implements several new health protocols that restaurants must implement if they choose to open, including a requirement that all tables be spaced six feet apart and a ban on parties of more than six people.
Restaurants must also provide new, disposable menus to each customer in the dining room, and condiments should only be provided upon request. Buffet restaurants will have to have employees serve patrons, and restaurant operators are encouraged to “consider having all employees wear cloth face coverings.”
Abbott noted that his most recent executive order “supersedes” any decisions made by Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo, who just ordered last week that Harris County residents be required to wear face masks while out in public. Harris County’s “stay at home, work safe” order is currently in only in effect until April 30, which means that it is not in conflict with Abbott’s statewide order.
By: Amy McCarthy
Title: Houston Restaurants Will Be Allowed to Reopen on May 1
Sourced From: houston.eater.com/2020/4/27/21238898/houston-restaurants-allowed-to-open-may-1-governor-greg-abbott
Published Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 21:06:14 +0000
