Texas' death row is shrinking, but it still leads the nation in executions

Plus: A test at Ellington. A biotech center could bolster the life sciences sector. Rockets vs. Heat.

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View in browser END OF YEAR SALE: 6 MONTHS FOR 99¢! Start 2023 as a digital subscriber. Subscribe Today. J.R. Gonzales Web Producer john.gonzales@chron.com 'This is its own kind of weird.' A grieving family. A tense phone call with a medical examiner. And now, a lawsuit. Simon Atkinson died in June 2020. His widow stands to gain $1 million in insurance benefits, which she needs to keep the family business running and provide for her son, writes Matt deGrood. Problem is, the family can't get a death certificate. "I've worked plenty of weird cases, but this is its own kind of weird" said an attorney involved in the case. See for yourself in deGrood's article. Skies will be partly sunny today with highs in the mid-60s. Expect some showers for part of the weekend and early next week. By this time next week, though, it will get colder. Much colder.   Today's top story   Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Photographer / Staff Photographer Texas still leads the U.S. in executions as its death row shrinks. Some of those who are now executed or marked for death for crimes years or decades in the past would likely not receive that punishment if they went to trial today, a new study shows.   Five other stories to read today   A test at Ellington has become a starting point for sending people with disabilities into space. More than a dozen with mobility, hearing and vision disabilities were preparing for a taste of spaceflight – and an opportunity to prove people with disabilities can fly to space.   Exclusive: A biotech center planned for San Jac could bolster the life sciences sector. San Jacinto College is working with McCord Development to bring a biotech training institute to Generation Park in northeast Houston.   Border charities do the Lord's work. [Editorial] El Paso is a welcoming city. We should be a welcoming nation, writes the Editorial Board.   Heat 111, Rockets 108: Home winning streak comes to an end. The Rockets have the second-ranked defense in clutch situations in the NBA, but it showed up too late on Thursday.   Listen: Houston's Christina Wells takes on 'Chicago' the musical. Wells, currently in the national tour of "Chicago the Musical" as Matron Mama Morton, has released her own version of the character's signature song, "When You're Good to Mama."   One last thing ...   A long-gone area of Houston makes a small appearance on this front page from 1951. In other news from the day, Houston school administrators were wondering what to do with the old Sam Houston High School building. Funny to think that before Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts relocated downtown, there was another public high school on that block for many years. Anyway, have a good weekend. This is a good time to stock up and prepare for the freezing weather likely coming Christmas weekend. — J.R., who would like to wish those celebrating it a Happy Hanukkah                 END OF YEAR 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