12/16/2006 HOUSTON (AP) - When Jeff Bagwell joined the Houston Astros in 1991, they were a last-place team having trouble drawing fans to a stadium that had seen its better days.Bagwell's enormous popularity helped triple the team's annual attendance in the 1990s and his slugging helped lift the team from mediocrity to perennial pennant contention.Bagwell's 16-year career with the Astros came to a close Friday, ending his time as one of Houston's best-loved athletes. Along with his teammate and friend, Craig Biggio, Bagwell helped convert Houston to a far more savvy baseball city.Ultimately, his arthritic right shoulder forced him off the field."Physically, I can not do it anymore," the 38-year-old Bagwell said in announcing his retirement. Visit Houston News for more news.

Chen made the speech two days after his wife and three aides were indicted on charges of document forgery and misusing state funds. Around 10,000 Taiwanese marched to the presidential office in Taipei today to call for his resignation, while the main opposition party has said it will introduce a third recall motion in less than five months into the legislature this week. To read more, visit Taiwan President Corruption . For other news, visit Houston Community News today.

10/3/2006 Houston News (Marketwire)--The bridging of China's profitable businesses with the world's most advanced capital markets is a reflection of the risks and rewards of today's global economy. Without a Chinese background and active participation in modern China's business activities, it is easy to misunderstand China's unique culture and its companies. With almost 20 million registered businesses and a large and rapidly growing economy, China represents a significant growth opportunity to international investors. It is important to understand the business environment and market forces at work. To read more, visit Unveiling the Mystery of U.S. Listed Chinese Companies

As a result of problems related to the mass production of a key component of its Blu-ray DVD player, Sony (SNE) will delay the European launch of its next generation video game console, the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3). Sony will also reduce the number of PS3 units immediately available in both the U.S. and Japan. The fact that there will only be 400,000 Sony Playstation 3 units available for sale in the United States on November 17th is totally unimportant. The launch date itself is unimportant. What matters is how many units will be available for sale in mid to late December. To read more, visit Houston News .

Houston News - President Bush has staked his reputation on winning the war on terror. Since 9/11, the FBI has reinvented itself and is focusing on catching potential terrorists before they strike. The FBI Houston office has agents who have cast a wide net, from Houston to Baghdad.

8/22/2006 Houston, TX - The Texas First Time Homebuyer Program is helping Texas homebuyers, lenders, and realtors live big. Brought to you by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, this statewide effort encourages first time home purchases by offering incredible deals through our the Texas First Time Homebuyer Network of participating lenders. To read more, visit Houston News .

Houston, Texas-- The word is getting out on the streets and on the air about a plan to drive panhandlers off of the roads. The call to stop contributing to street solicitors is being heard loud and clear. Houston Mayor Bill White is calling an end to panhandlers asking citizens to stop giving money. Instead, people who wish to give should give to the local charities that will help these people find jobs or treatment. Visit Houston Panhandlers to read more.

Bearing much of the brunt is the Mexican free-tailed bat - the species suspected in the teen's death and one of 11 species known to thrive on Houston's plentiful supply of insects. When it's not afraid of them, the city has coexisted peacefully with the winged mammals - even taking pride in its bat population, which is estimated at a million or more. visit Houston News for more news in Houston.

With a 30 percent Hispanic population and residents from all over the world, Houston has long had a live-and-let-live attitude toward immigrants. But that attitude is being challenged this year with the national debate raging over immigration law and the political season heating up. Anti-immigration billboards have sprouted up, and city leaders considered ending funding for a large day labor site. To read more, visit Houston Community News .

7/24/2006 Houston-- Houston Mayor Bill White and Shell Oil Co. President John Hofmeister have already reported positive results in the midst of a weeklong trade mission to China.According to the mayor's office, a number of agreements have been reached between the City of Houston and the City of Shanghai that are expected to bring closer ties and increased economic opportunities to both cities. "We've worked hard to reach deals on a number of fronts, and we believe they will add more business and more jobs," White said in a statement. "China is booming, and Houston businesses are in the game. These are not just promises. We have some real deals and action items to pursue."Visit Houston News to read more.

The 2006 Miss Chinatown Houston Beauty Pageant will be held this Saturday, July 22nd at the J.W. Marriot Hotel in the Galleria Area. For more info, please visit www.chinatownconnection.com/miss-chinatown-houston.htm . This will be a great event as a portion of the money will be given as scholarship prize money for the winner.

China today launched the first-ever passenger trains to and from Tibet on the world's highest railway, an event described by President Hu Jintao as a "great miracle" and "another magnificent" achievement in the communist nation's march towards modernization. The Qinhai-Tibet Railway travels between two countries through the Himalayas, to a height of 15,000 feet above sea level. Already the First Train to Llhasa, Tibet caused problems for passengers as they stepped off the train weary, and suffering from altitude sickness. Nevertheless, it is still a sight to be seen. Visit Houston Community News for more news reports.

Houston Asian Newcomers have grown tremendously since the 1990's. There are now more than 250,000 Asian people in the Houston, Texas area. One of the reason for the tremendous growth is the cheap cost of living and doing business in Houston. To read more, visit http://www.chinatownconnection.com/asian-houston.htm .

The Houston Joint Chinese College Alumni Scholarship Award Banquet was held this past weekend at the Chinese community center. Hundreds of people came out to dine and celebrate Asian students who have excelled in academics, leadership, and extracurricular activities. Visit Houston Joint Chinese College Alumni Scholarship Award Banquet to read more about this exciting event.

Houston has one of the highest gas prices in Texas . Not suprisingly due to the specially formulated fuel Houston drivers have to put in their gas tanks due to higher pollution. Visit Houston News for News in Houston.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today announced an asset freeze and temporary restraining order against the owner of a Houston auto auction, seeking an accounting for millions of dollars in fees fraudulently assessed against those who participated in auctions to purchase vehicles according to Houston News .Arie (Eric) Shalev’s auction at 8335 North Freeway uses several business names, including A&R Distributors Inc., E.S. Auto Sales Inc., Best Buy Motors Inc., Giant Mart Inc. and Golden Aribah Investments, L.L.C. “Our investigators secured this asset freeze because we had reason to believe this individual would likely abscond with money owed to numerous consumers,” said Attorney General Abbott. “The defendant’s mode of operation is to skim lots of cash up front and impose a strict no-refund policy. This kind of operation cannot be tolerated.”Shalev required auction participants to pay a $10 entry fee, and what he described as a refundable $200 deposit before bidding on a vehicle. If a bid was accepted, Shalev represented that this money would be applied to the total cost of the vehicle. Consumers! , many of whom spoke little or no English, were hurried into signing a “terms and conditions” form after paying deposits. This instrument, written in English, supposedly set the ground rules for the auction, but in reality it set a trap enabling Shalev to withhold much more money from consumers.A consumer who won a bid would be required to pay up to 50 percent down in cash the first day, then Shalev or his staff insisted the consumer return the next day to pay in full. When a consumer asked about the balance owed, Shalev or his employees would give vague answers or tell the consumer they should discuss it the following day according to Houston Community News . Upon returning to pay in full, the consumer would often find he or she owed much more money than expected, and Shalev also assessed several fees that were not previously disclosed. When customers became irate or refuse to pay, Shalev would summon his “security detail” to the site to escort them away, resulting in the loss of all money paid up front. T! hose who did pay the exorbitant prices and fees sometimes discovered that the vehicles they purchased were not even in working condition, as promised, and should not have been auctioned. Shalev also often shredded consumers’ paperwork, sometimes in their presence, to evade records of sales.The Attorney General’s investigation into Shalev’s bank accounts indicates he only accepts cash or cashier’s checks and his profits have soared into the millions of dollars. The lawsuit requests that penalties be assessed against Shalev and his businesses of up to $20,000 per violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The suit also asks that Shalev relinquish all funds wrongly taken from consumers and that restitution be ordered.

6/13/2006 Houston -- Apple’s newest retail store opens in Houston, Texas on Saturday, June 17, 2006. The new Apple store opens at the Memorial City Mall at 10:00 AM. To read more about this, please visit Apple Store in Houston News.

On Wednesday, May 31st, Houston City Council narrowly approved the red light camera proposal. Within 45 days, cameras will go up in 10 different intersections throughout Houston catching red light runners. The plan has been debated for more than a year and has now finally passed. Violators will receive a $75 fine according to Houston News . However, they will not get a black mark on their driving records.

Taken from http://www.chinatownconnection.com/houston-evacuation-plan.htm , 14-hour traffic jams and gasoline shortages that accompanied last year's killer hurricanes led to improved evacuation plans for some hurricane-prone states. Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,500 people, many of whom could not leave because they did not have cars, or who did not want to endure snarled traffic. "It's a simple equation: if you have too much demand, you're going to overwhelm your capacity," Wolshon said. "There's a limit, and we're stretching it about as far as we can go using contraflow." During a hurricane drill in Texas last month, emergency officials planned for everyone to leave and for some families to evacuate in two or more cars. To improve evacuations, Texas focused on fuel shortages and evacuating the elderly and those without cars. Plans are now in place to put external, rubber fuel bladders at gas stations to double fuel capacity. Officials say they have also lined up trains, each capable of transporting 1,600 people. Whatever happens, she just wants it to be quicker next time.Visit Houston Community News for more News in Houston.

Splash Art Gallery art exhibition opening reception in Houston. 5/24/2006 Houston-- Splash Art Gallery will be holding an art show for three artists from May 19 to June 18. The public is invited to the art exhibition. The three artists featured are:William Wong - Oil on CanvasGeorge Melchor - Acrylic on CanvasUri Kelmen - Charcoal on Paper Artist William Wong (second left) and Ms. Gloria Chiu (first left) and his other students on the art show reception Visit Houston Community News for more local news in Houston.