We’re nearing the end of September, which is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, a time when we stop and think about how important libraries are to our communities. A library card gives you access to much more than books, and local libraries enrich the spaces around us with resources for education, job opportunities, and life skills.

Visit your local library and sign up for a card this month. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX) 

Texas libraries have also been quietly powering our economy, adding value to our neighborhoods and communities.

A recent study even found that libraries generate $4 billion for our state.

For locals, that’s a $5 return for every $1 invested in local libraries.

As we near the end of the month, I’m hoping folks will also sign up for a different card: Oct. 5 is the last day you can register to vote for the November election. You can check your voter registration with this handy guide Courier Texas put together. Like a library card, a voter registration card unlocks more than a vote. It gives you a say in Texas’ future.

Can we count on you to register to vote before Oct. 5? 

A windshield broke on a passenger plane from Houston to El Paso last weekend. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX)

🚓 The officer who shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo has been identified by a private source and published after the federal government withheld his identification from the public. (Texas Tribune)

🥩 This Houston steakhouse is selling 79-cent lunches to the first 200 guests to arrive on Friday, paying homage to the price of a meal the year the restaurant was founded. (Fox 26)

⛑ A Houston developer is being sued after firing a blind engineer on the first day of work. Find out what happened. (Chron)

✈️ The windshield on a passenger plane shattered out of Houston on the way to San Antonio last weekend. Listen to the pilots’ conversation.

This is it. Our support drive ends today. 

Going out into the community, meeting you all, and writing this newsletter is a true pleasure. It’s a chance to connect with and serve my city.

If this kind of work means something to you, could you show your support with a donation of any size?

We mean it when we say every single dollar counts. If that’s what you can give, it means the world to us. Thank you for being a reader and showing up for Houston with us.

A community fair in Cypress over the weekend helped dozens of Houstonians clear their criminal records. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX)

In Houston, being charged with a misdemeanor for having marijuana in your possession can follow you around for decades. That one charge can impact your long-term ability to advance your career, find stable housing, and even secure loans or financial aid.

Local community leaders, organizations, and politicians are trying to change that.

Last Saturday, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office hosted “Clean Slate Day,” an expunction clinic for residents to clear their criminal records, in collaboration with Fallbrook Church. The event gave special attention to clearing the records of young people charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

The event was put on after Mayor John Whitmire blamed the District Attorney’s Office for the recent rise in marijuana related arrests.

Fall is finally arriving in Houston this weekend with themed fairs, festivals, and markets. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX) 

🗓 Friday, Oct. 02

Spooky Hunt

Beats on Bayou

Houston Makers Market

🗓 Saturday, Oct. 03

Southern Smoke Festival

Drunk Dracula

Nigerian Food Festival

🗓 Sunday, Oct. 04

Music & Poetry for Peace

Texas Street Food Tour

Zoo Boo

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Anna Raj and edited by Paula Solis.

Courier HTX is free to read for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.