Houston tax incentives skip over neighborhoods in need

Plus: Saluting the women of R&B. Can I get out of being the executor of an estate? Texas school dropout rate soars.

View in browser FALL SALE! Unlimited Digital Access: 6 Months for 99¢. Subscribe Today. J.R. Gonzales Web Producer john.gonzales@chron.com When the prize patrol comes knockin'. You've seen the commercials. With much ballyhoo, the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol appears at some unsuspecting resident's door to award them a ton of money. My dad has, for decades, tried to get the prize patrol to show up to no avail. Those PCH envelopes with Ed McMahon's face were a common sight in our mailbox. On Monday, someone in the Houston area actually won a big prize from Publishers Clearing House. You can read more about it ... and learn why it's always a good idea to wear shoes when answering the door.  Expect more of the same today, with a few extra clouds in the forecast. Highs will be in the upper 80s.   Today's top story   Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff Photographer Houston tax incentives skip over neighborhoods in need The Houston Chronicle's latest investigation found tax increment financing traps public funds in stable or even thriving neighborhoods while needier areas compete for scraps in strained city budgets.   Five other stories to read today   Texas public schools see dropout rate soar 34 percent. Tens of thousands more students either dropped out or otherwise left Texas public schools during the 2020-21 school year, compared to previous years, according to the most recently available records from the Texas Education Agency.   Can I get out of being the executor of an estate? A reader asks, "If you agree to serve as executor but later change your mind, can you refuse to serve after the person dies? Are there any legal ramifications for you in doing so?"   Abbott will win. His debate with O'Rourke won't change much. [Opinion] Letters: I didn't realize that my fellow teachers and I were assuming the role of scientists and it is ridiculous for someone to say so.    Lance McCullers Jr. is in playoff form, loss to Phillies aside. The righthander totaled only 47⅔ innings this season, but after a strong start Monday, he figures to be in the ALDS rotation.   Capathia Jenkins and Houston Symphony salute the women of R&B. The music of Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Adele, Gladys Knight, Toni Braxton and Sade will be saluted in the "She's Got Soul" concert   One last thing ...   Your humble newsletter scribe is back after a week's vacation, or, more to the point, staycation. After a hard-fought struggle, I managed to get the yard trimmer working again, though now I need to figure out why it won't properly shut down. So, yes, we've gone from it won't start to it won't shut down, now. Momma didn't raise a small-engine mechanic, apparently. Anyway, our front page for today takes us back to 1948 and a deadly fire on Smith Street. — J.R., who also saw the new "Fletch" movie while he was away ... not bad!   FALL SALE: Get 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