Take heed!

You can commence panicking: The West Nile Virus has been detected in a mosquito trapping site in northeast Harris County (ZIP Code 77346), according to Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services Mosquito Control.

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"Map the Meal Gap" study shows Houston has work to do on feeding the hungry.

It's really amazing to think that in a city that has become so renowned for its restaurant scene, nearly 20 percent of the population doesn't have consistent access to food. But a new study from Feeding America found that to be the case. Even worse, in 18 southeast Texas counties, one-third of children who deal with hunger every day are not eligible for government programs like school lunches, breakfasts, food stamps or WIC.

Feeding America's "Map the Meal Gap" study estimated the rate of "food insecurity" for both the general population and specifically for children under the age of 18. "We are particularly concerned about children who are undernourished. A child who does not receive adequate nutrition may experience behavioral problems, have difficulty concentrating in school and has an increased risk of medical problems," Dr. Craig Gundersen, Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois and lead researcher of the study, said in a release.

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If you don't work or spend much time in downtown Houston, you probably have no idea what Greenlink is. But if you do work downtown or spend time here, particularly in the summer, Greenlink might be your knight in shining green armor. In simplest terms, Greenlink is a free shuttle bus that runs a two-and-a-half-mile 18-stop route downtown between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. It gets people to and from the light rail, parking locations, the convention center and lunch...always lunch.

The service, run by the Downtown Management District, has been in operation since last June 11 and has carried more than 225,000 riders thus far -- that's nearly 900 every day.

And yes, we joke about how it transports many people to lunch -- that and the tunnels -- but the truth is that Greenlink has been invaluable for moving people to and from George R. Brown Convention center, particularly during busy events like this year's NBA All Star Weekend.

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Via Google Maps

Woodland Park satellite view

A Houston developer has taken responsibility for the clear-cutting of a large swath of public park property in the Heights.

Bill Workman told Hair Balls that a contractor affiliated with the development of seven townhomes along Wrightwood Street, abutting Woodland Park, mistakenly razed three-quarters of an acre in the city's second-oldest public park.

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Photos by Groovehouse

If Houstonians hold our breath even slightly when we hear or read about a fire, you'll have to forgive us. We just lost four firefighters a week ago. Last night around 12:30 a.m., a fire engulfed the Vintage Oasis costume shop at 1512 Westheimer. Fortunately, no one was inside but a firefighter was treated for exhaustion due to the heat according to KTRK Channel 13.

One of our regular photographers just happened to be near the scene and snapped a few quick photos.

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Photo by TexasDarkHorse via Flickr

Hi, fellow Houston drivers.

Listen, if you ever drive on 610 or Interstate 59 and use the intersection of those two freeways, we need to talk. There's a real problem. You should probably sit down.

This week alone, there have been two serious accidents at that location. One involved an overturned truck that blocked the freeway for the whole day. The second was Thursday morning in rush-hour traffic and log-jammed the place yet again. That interchange has been ranked as one of the worst in the entire state of Texas. It's an awful place, filled with angry drivers and the twisted metal rubble from accidents of days gone by. It's freaking Thunderdome.

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You know you want a cat!

If you've been sitting around your pad, thinking to yourself, "Gee, I really should adopt a cat, but I should probably wait until the shelter is freaking overloaded with like a gazillion of 'em," then you're in luck!

Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care took in 82 cats Tuesday -- 29 of which came from two homes -- which brings the total feline population to 275.

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Okay, maybe not THAT happy.

I think it is fair to say Houstonians are a friendly lot. We say "hi" to people on the street whether we know them or not. We take in hurricane victims and wave at our neighbors. Syndicated sports talk show host Travis Rogers once explained to me how confused he was when a total stranger started up a conversation with him in line at a grocery store right after he moved here. A friend of mine, after moving here from the Northeast, said she was suspicious of a cashier's motivations when she said, "Have a nice day!" with sincerity.

It's just sort of who we are, which is why no one will find it surprising that company review and career Web site CareerBliss.com ranked Houston No. 3 on its list of happiest cities for job-seeking college graduates. What is a bit surprising is that Houston is, by far, the largest city on the list.

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Reading all the recent praise that has been heaped on Houston for our economy, gay mayor, food and whatever else people can dream up has made me a little nervous. From Hellhole to City of the Future in just a few years? How can that be?

Well, according to The Atlantic, it's because we are an unstoppable juggernaut of job-creatin' fools. They've got graphs and quotes and EVERYTHING!

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Some people don't want KIAH run by a couple of Kochs.

Some Houstonians who don't want their beloved CW affiliate bought by the right-wing Koch brothers are planning a protest outside the station's Westpark Drive building today, and we can't really figure out why.

Ronald Gonzalez, who plans to speak at the demonstration, tells Hair Balls that the Kochs "can't be trusted to provide an unbiased account of the news" and that he's afraid of KIAH becoming the "Tea Party Channel."

Okay. But what exactly is KIAH -- provider of such journalistic beacons as NewsFix and Eye Opener -- now?

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