📬 Your mailman could be headed to jail

August 26, 2026

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Good morning, Houston!

In a newsletter earlier this month, I told you about a theater in Houston at risk of demolition and the ongoing efforts by Arthouse Houston organizers to save it.

Well, those efforts are in their final week as the Aug. 31 deadline to close on the property approaches. Organizers still need $1.3 million to buy the theater before its demolition and are asking members of the public to step up to save this Houston landmark.

The exterior of Garden Oaks Theater during its most popular years. (Courtesy of Arthouse Houston)

If the theater is demolished, Houston will not only lose a piece of film history, but also an architectural monument with original art deco architecture, terrazzo floors, and hand-painted murals.

🏗️ Save it or scrap it?

How well do you know Houston’s lost landmarks? Guess which one of these Houston icons is still standing. (Find the answer 🔍 below.)

Astroworld

Shamrock Hotel

River Oaks Theatre

Anna Raj

Newsletter Editor, Courier HTX

Your news roundup—a quick stop for stories happening across the state that deserve a little more attention.

📪 Three Houston postal workers have been caught in a $23 million stolen check scheme. Here’s how they did it. (Houston Public Media)

🏛️ A judge has ordered the release of the second witness to ICE’s murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. The US Attorney’s office will weigh in later this week. Find out what they’re expected to decide. (Houston Public Media)

✔️ The Houston Texans have revealed their brand new Nike Rivalries uniform for 2026 with a design inspired by Houston’s local landmarks. Watch the uniform in action. (KHOU 11)

🇺🇸 President Donald Trump is set to visit Houston on Thursday with an excursion to the Johnson Space Center on Friday. Here’s why. (KHOU 11)

A story worth sharing with your neighbor

A pilot program in West Houston is helping homeless people find permanent housing, employment, and food assistance. (Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash+)

How one West Houston program is giving homeless residents a fresh start

West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) and the Energy Corridor Management District have teamed up to spearhead a pilot program in West Houston designed to provide homeless people with a more sustained form of assistance.

Working alongside city officials and local law enforcement, organizers of the program (now in its second year) help place homeless people in nearby hotel rooms as a temporary housing solution.

The individuals are put up in the hotel for a period of two to four weeks, during which time they’re provided with additional services like food assistance and employment coaching. WHAM also helps people find employment and permanent housing opportunities, and provides them with the food and basic necessities needed to get back on their feet.

Read about the difference WHAM is making →