Month: September 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

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    September 22, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — Houston has drilled for oil, launched astronauts, built the world’s largest medical complex and helped redefine American energy. Now the Bayou City is adding another economic engine to its résumé: manufacturing medicines that could reach patients around the world.

Eli Lilly and Company officially broke ground September 21 on its massive $6.5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing campus at Generation Park in northeast Houston, launching one of the most consequential life-sciences manufacturing projects in Texas history. The active pharmaceutical ingredient facility is expected to create approximately 4,000 construction jobs and more than 600 permanent high-wage positions.

And among the Houston-area leaders helping mark the milestone was Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis.

Generation Park is located within Harris County Precinct 1, making the development especially significant to Ellis and the communities his office represents. Ellis joined Gov. Greg Abbott, Lilly Chairman and CEO Dave Ricks, Lilly Houston Site Head Diane Tennenhouse, San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer and other community leaders at the groundbreaking.

Ellis’ involvement stretches back to Lilly’s original Houston announcement in September 2025, when he joined state and local officials welcoming the company to Harris County.

At the time, Ellis called Lilly’s decision “a powerful testament to the strength of our community,” emphasizing the potential for living-wage employment, workforce development and broader economic opportunity. He also pointed to the combination of Generation Park infrastructure, San Jacinto College workforce training and the region’s labor pool as important ingredients in Houston’s emerging life-sciences ecosystem.

Now, shovels are officially in the ground.

The 236-acre campus will manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients for medicines including Foundayo (orforglipron), Lilly’s first synthetic oral GLP-1 medication. The FDA approved Foundayo on April 1, 2026, for long-term weight reduction in qualifying adults with obesity or overweight when used with diet and physical activity. Unlike the injectable medicines that helped ignite the GLP-1 revolution, Foundayo is taken as a daily tablet.

But Lilly’s Houston ambitions go considerably beyond one medication.

The company says the facility will support production of small-molecule medicines and advanced therapeutics spanning cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience, while strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chains.

Then comes perhaps the most Houston-style part of the story: training people for the jobs before the doors even open.

Lilly announced $12.5 million for San Jacinto College to expand workforce training, facilities and equipment supporting advanced chemical synthesis manufacturing. Another $2.5 million will support scholarships through the San Jacinto College Foundation.

For Houston, the Lilly groundbreaking represents more than concrete, laboratories and corporate investment. It connects the region’s historic strengths in medicine, engineering, education and advanced manufacturing.

Houston will always be Space City, an Energy Capital and home to a world-renowned medical community.

Now, with billions flowing into Generation Park, Houston is increasingly making another case for itself:

The medicines of tomorrow can be made right here at home.

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Eli Lilly Information Eli Lilly

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Burt Levine

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    September 22, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — The calendar has officially turned from “sometime this fall” to countdown mode.

As of Tuesday, September 22, Texans are just 27 days from the start of in-person Early Voting for the November 3, 2026 General Election — and only 13 days from the voter-registration deadline. The Texas Secretary of State confirms that the final day to register is Monday, October 5; Early Voting runs October 19 through October 30; applications for an eligible voter’s ballot by mail must be received by Friday, October 23; and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

In Harris County, Early Vote Centers will operate 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Sunday, October 25 hours from noon–7 p.m.Election Day Vote Centers will be open from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Harris County voters may use any countywide Vote Center during Early Voting or on Election Day.

Fort Bend County voters also have countywide voting options, allowing registered voters to cast ballots at any open county Vote Center. Fort Bend’s official election page confirms the same October 5 registration deadline and October 19–30 Early Voting period.

Long before voters step into the booth, however, election workers are putting democracy’s machinery through its preseason workout.

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and her Elections Department began Logic and Accuracy testing September 15. More than 10,000 pieces of voting equipment are expected to be tested before deployment throughout Harris County. Election workers use predetermined ballots with known results to verify that machines properly record and tabulate selections. Representatives associated with both major political parties participate in or observe the testing process. Texas election law requires logic-and-accuracy procedures before electronic voting systems are used.

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And voters have plenty of homework before reaching the booth.

Texas’ certified statewide ballot includes a U.S. Senate contest featuring Republican Ken Paxton, Democrat James Talarico and Libertarian Ted Brown, while the governor’s contest includes Republican Greg Abbott, Democrat Gina Hinojosa and Libertarian Pat Dixon.

Those races arrive with notable history. Democrat Lloyd Bentsen in 1988 was the last Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas, while Ann Richards’ 1990 victory was the most recent Democratic win for Texas governor. Those dates tell voters where Texas politics has been; November voters will determine where it goes next.

Closer to home, the Harris County Judge contest features Democratic nominee Letitia Plummer and Republican nominee Orlando Sanchez. In Fort Bend County, Republican Daniel Wong and Democrat Dexter McCoy are the nominees for County Judge.

Houston voters will also decide a proposed City Charter amendment that would deprioritize enforcement of certain low-level marijuana offenses and prohibit no-knock warrants by city law enforcement.

The smartest Election Day move may happen weeks beforehand: preview your ballot.

Harris County’s voter-specific ballot tool allows residents to see the races tied to their address. Voters may bring a printed sample ballot or handwritten notes into the voting booth for reference — provided they take those materials with them when they leave.

Texas voters should also bring an acceptable photo ID. The state recognizes seven forms, including a Texas driver license, Texas personal identification card, U.S. passport and certain military, citizenship and handgun-license identification. Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable photo ID may qualify to use supporting identification and complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

Houston Style Magazine encourages every eligible citizen — regardless of party, candidate or issue preference — to verify registration, review the ballot and make a voting plan. The clock is ticking.

VOTER INFORMATION Harris County: HarrisVotes.com Texas Voter Information: VoteTexas.gov Fort Bend County Elections: Fort Bend County Elections & Voter Registration

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Francis Page Jr.

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    September 22, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — For Adrian Garcia, public service is not simply a résumé line—it is the through-line. Born and raised in Houston’s Northside, Garcia still lives in the community that helped shape him. His career has moved from 23 years with the Houston Police Department to leadership of the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office, service on Houston City Council and as mayor pro tem, election as Harris County Sheriff, and now service as Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner. Official records describe a career anchored in the same part of Houston he has called home for decades.

That history is the foundation for the “DELIVERS” message Garcia’s campaign is emphasizing. The useful question for residents is what the public record shows.

On property taxes, Harris County has repeatedly expanded relief for homeowners age 65 and older and residents with disabilities. For tax year 2026, the county exemption for qualifying senior and disabled homeowners increased to $336,000, in addition to the county’s general homestead exemption. Garcia has publicly supported expanding that relief. At the same time, the broader tax picture is more complicated: Garcia joined the Commissioners Court majority that approved higher countywide tax rates as part of the FY2027 budget in September 2026.

Housing affordability has been another focus. Garcia backed a county land-trust initiative designed to create permanently affordable homeownership opportunities, pushed changes intended to make down-payment assistance easier to use, and supported rental-assistance and housing-stability programs.

Public safety remains central to his record. Precinct 2’s documented initiatives include the $2.6 million VIPER warrant task-force programtargeting people wanted on violent felony warrants, alongside investments in law enforcement, body cameras, overtime and community violence-prevention programs.

Health access became especially visible during the pandemic. Precinct 2 partnered with Baylor College of Medicine and others to deploy Access2Health SmartPods—adaptable health-care facilities placed in medically underserved communities and intended to provide testing and longer-term access to health services.

Then there is infrastructure—the decidedly unglamorous work residents notice immediately when it fails. Garcia’s current campaign materials say he helped secure more than $500 million for flood-control projects and that Precinct 2 completed more than five million feet of ditch and drainage maintenance. Commissioners Court records separately document Precinct 2 surpassing one million linear feet of drainage maintenance in individual years.

Environmental monitoring also joined the portfolio. Precinct 2 funded work with the Houston Advanced Research Center to improve air-quality analysis and expand stationary, semi-stationary and handheld monitoring around the Houston Ship Channel.

Taken together, Garcia’s record forms a long arc: police officer, anti-gang official, council member, sheriff and county commissioner. His campaign calls that record “DELIVERS.” The public record gives Precinct 2 residents the underlying facts to determine what that word means.

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ADRIAN GARCIA: adriangarcia.com

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Francis Page Jr.

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    September 22, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston’s hospitality scene just received another international stamp of approval. The 2026 MICHELIN Key selection recognizes five Houston hotels, placing some of the city’s most distinctive properties among 2,832 Key hotels worldwide. Michelin’s newly released global selection includes 470 first-time Key recipients across 79 destinations, with 2,020 hotels holding One Key, 657 earning Two Keys and 155 receiving Three Keys.

For travelers wondering what a Key unlocks, think of it as Michelin’s hotel counterpart to its celebrated restaurant Stars. One MICHELIN Key represents “a very special stay,” recognizing hotels with personality, character and service that rise above the ordinary.

Houston’s newest addition is Hotel Daphne in the Heights. Opened in December 2025, the 49-room boutique hideaway became Houston’s only newly added Key hotel in the 2026 selection. Its design-rich personality, neighborhood sensibility and Hypsi restaurant give historic 20th Street a sophisticated new sleepover address.

The city’s four returning honorees show just how many versions of luxury Houston can deliver: Hotel Saint Augustine brings intimate, art-conscious hospitality to Montrose near the Menil; The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston delivers grand-scale Texas luxury in Uptown; Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District keeps things eclectic, theatrical and unmistakably Houston; and Hotel ZaZa Houston Memorial City gives West Houston its own polished, playful retreat. All five appear in Michelin’s 2026 Houston selection.

Houston Style Magazine Hotel Order & Links Hotel Daphne — The Heights — Houston’s newest MICHELIN Key address and a fresh showcase for neighborhood-centered boutique hospitality. Explore Hotel Daphne

Hotel Saint Augustine — Montrose — An understated, design-forward escape tucked into one of Houston’s great cultural neighborhoods. Explore Hotel Saint Augustine

The Post Oak Hotel — Uptown Houston — Big-city glamour, serious dining and unapologetic Texas luxury under one roof. Explore The Post Oak Hotel

Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District — Art, personality and theatrical style steps from Houston’s museum corridor. Explore Hotel ZaZa Museum District

Hotel ZaZa Memorial City — Contemporary boutique luxury serving Memorial, West Houston and the Energy Corridor. Explore Hotel ZaZa Memorial City

EDITORS NOTE: Michelin places all five Houston properties in the same One-Key distinction rather than ranking them first through fifth.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, the real headline is bigger than five shiny Keys. Michelin’s recognition strengthens the city’s case as a destination where cuisine, culture, neighborhoods and hospitality increasingly belong on the same world-class itinerary. Houston isn’t merely checking guests in anymore—it is giving them another reason to stay.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Ben Jealous

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    September 22, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — I woke up Monday thinking about Troy Davis. Fifteen years ago, Georgia executed him. He was innocent. I was outside the prison that night.

As the old song goes, that’s the night the lights went out in Georgia.

No physical evidence tied Troy to the killing of Officer Mark MacPhail. The case rested on eyewitnesses. Seven of the nine later recanted or changed their accounts. Several swore the police had pressured them. They pointed instead to another man at the scene, the man who first gave police Troy’s name. One witness testified he saw that man fire the shots.

Good people spoke up. William Sessions, who ran the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) under three presidents, wrote that the case was permeated in doubt. Bob Barr, a Republican who supports the death penalty, wrote that condemning a man on the skimpiest of evidence does not serve justice. I am grateful to them. But they did not have what I had. I worked that case for fifteen years. I read the affidavits myself. I did not come away with doubt. I came away certain. Georgia killed the wrong man.

Troy saw what we could not. He kept telling us the only way to break the killing machine was to make the country watch it work. So we built our campaign around a hashtag, #TooMuchDoubt. His execution became the second most tweeted event on earth that year. Weeks later, Gallup found support for the death penalty at a 39-year low.

The next spring, Connecticut abolished the death penalty with a horrific murder case still in the headlines. Troy made that possible. A year later, Maryland became the first state south of the Mason-Dixon Line to abolish. I watched that vote from the Senate balcony in Annapolis, beside Kirk Bloodsworth. Maryland had sent Kirk, a White waterman and former Marine, to death row for a murder he did not commit. DNA freed him. Virginia followed in 2021, the first state of the old Confederacy to abolish.

Then we stopped. No state has abolished the death penalty since Washington struck it from its books in 2023.

The machine kept running. Since 1973, at least 203 people have been exonerated from death row. For every eight people executed, one has been exonerated. Two years ago Missouri executed Marcellus Williams, after the very prosecutor’s office that convicted him asked a court to throw out the conviction.

The death penalty preys on the poor. About 95 percent of the people on death row could not afford a lawyer.

Lynching still haunts us. At least ten Black people have been found hanging this year. Most have been ruled suicides. Their families want independent reviews. This month Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and 59 colleagues asked the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate every one.

Frederick Douglass is often called the father of the civil rights movement. He was the first civil rights leader to call publicly for abolishing the death penalty. He said its roots were intertwined with the roots of the lynching tree. Both had to be cut down.

I learned the path thirty years ago at the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. The Eighth Amendment bans cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court judges what is unusual by looking at the states. In 2005, once most states had barred executing children, the Court ended the practice. The threshold for ending the death penalty is 26 states.

We have 23. We need three.

Ohio is closest. Its Republican governor, Mike DeWine, has not carried out a single execution. In June he called for abolition. Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, refuses to sign death warrants. North Carolina has not executed anyone in twenty years.

Much of the country is moving the other way. States executed 47 people last year, the most since 2009. Florida alone killed 19. In January 2025 the president signed an order pressing states to seek more death sentences.

These are hard times. We carry many fights. We cannot set this one down.

Two weeks before he died, Troy asked me to be an uncle to his nephew, De’Jaun. I said yes. I had known him since he was three. Today he is an engineer, helping build a dental school in Savannah, his uncle’s hometown. Troy should have lived to see it.

Three states. Call your governor. Call your legislators. Douglass told us to cut down both trees. One is still standing. And it is time for the lights to stay on in Georgia.

Ben Jealous is a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania and a former national president of the NAACP. He is the author of Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing. photo Ben Jealous

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733