Harris County's political battle over its annual budget comes to an end. Here's what it means.

Plus: The latest on a canceled vax contract. Family Halloween events. Tomlinson on Medicare Advantage.

View in browser October Sale: 6 Months for 99¢! Keep up with important local news, fall events and more. Subscribe Today. J.R. Gonzales Web Producer john.gonzales@chron.com On pumpkins and newborns. In a field across from Hope Community United Methodist Church in Pasadena, something wasn't quite right as the church's annual pumpkin patch took flight. Seems there were fewer pumpkins around this time to give to kids coming from nearby Golden Acres Elementary. It's a tradition for classes from Golden Acres to walk from the school to the patch and receive a pumpkin. Sensing a problem here, Golden Acres Principal Amy Clury stepped in to help. Robert Avery has the details in his article. In breaking baby news, J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai Watt announced the birth of their first child Tuesday on Instagram. Find out the child's name, and see a picture of the happy family, in Matt Young's article. The pleasant weather continues. Skies will be sunny today with highs in the upper 70s.   Today's top story   Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photographer Harris County adopts lower tax rate after a long GOP quorum break Harris County's lengthy political battle over its annual budget came to an end Tuesday, with the three-Democrat majority on Commissioners Court forced to adopt a lower-than-planned tax rate.    Five other stories to read today   Harris County has recouped a small share of a canceled vax contract. Officials from the Harris County Attorney's Office have said they expected to recoup some $1 million from Elevate Strategies, while the firm would keep the rest for "legitimate expenses" incurred before the contract was canceled.   Tomlinson: Medicare Advantage offers low cost but with limits. The plans offer many bells and whistles, but they come with restrictions that Original Medicare does not have, writes Chris Tomlinson.   Harris County Republicans just defunded the police. [Editorial] By not attending meetings, Commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey forced a budget that means less funding for public safety, flood management and public hospitals, writes the Editorial Board.   Reassuring ways help coach Josh Miller make the most of Astros' arms. Pitching coach Josh Miller's calm, reassuring style helped him replace a legend and guide Houston pitchers to another World Series.   Zoo and The M-K-T, Color Factory offer family Halloween events. Activities at these locations include Zoo Boo, Hike Bike + Fright Fest and Halloween-themed Instagram opportunities.   One last thing ...   In this space yesterday, I mentioned that I had pulled a Jeff Millar column from 1981 about VCRs. Pretty good one, too. Only problem was that I forgot to include a link! You can check it out here. As it turns out, we're actually doubling up on old columns today. Here's a Leon Hale column that originally published in the Houston Post in 1966. It's about the phone calls he would get at 1 a.m. — J.R., who learned a new word from Hale's column: snootful       October Sale: 6 Months for 99¢! Unlimited Digital Access Act Now No Commitment | Cancel Anytime Unsubscribe  |  Manage Preferences  |  Privacy Notice Houston Chronicle 4747 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77027 © 2022 Hearst Communications