Convenience Big Store: The priciest real estate in Houston can be found in tiny tracts used for roads and drainage

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J.R. Gonzales
Web Producer
john.gonzales@chron.com

So you waited until now to get a Christmas tree.

Actually, that might not have been a bad idea.

For a number of reasons, tree sellers overestimated demand, resulting in a ton of Christmas trees available for practically nothing. Megan Munce has the details on the economics of selling Christmas trees and where you can find one. So if you're looking to get the living room all decked out for Christmas, check out her article.

Hey, it's not a bad way to pass the time as the arctic cold settles in.

It's going to be dreary today, much like it was on Tuesday. Highs will be in the mid-50s.

Today's top story

Photo: Karen Warren, Staff Photographer

Houston city government pays millions a year on right-of-ways

Houston has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in the past five years to improve its aging street infrastructure, and, in the process, created some of the most expensive real estate in the city.

Five other stories to read today

Migrant kids who come to Houston alone face trafficking risks.

They face risks of human trafficking and abuse when they're released from government custody, according to a new report by U.S. Senate Republicans.

Prices for new homes are flattening in Houston.

Homebuilders are contending with a drop-off in demand and rising inventories, a new report from HomesUSA suggests.

Hello, winter. Bye-bye, power grid? [Editorial]

A winter freeze this week will put Texas' grid reforms to the test, writes the Editorial Board.

Solomon: The Texans can show if they are building a winning culture.

In a season with only one win, recent performances against the Cowboys and Chiefs have shown Houston can improve heading into its final three games vs. AFC South teams.

David Archuleta talks Christmas, crisis of faith and loving Selena.

Archuleta rose to fame on "American Idol." After a crisis of faith, he's comfortable as a queer man and is learning to love Christmas again.

One last thing ...

Sig Byrd takes us back in this Chronicle column from 1955. Rather than write about life in Houston, he's up in Huntsville, checking in on what the inmates at The Walls Unit will be doing for the holiday.

Before we go, here's a profile by Sam González Kelly on an award-winning slam poet known as "The Shootah." That's her stage name.

By day, the 31-year-old is an oil-and-gas engineer and president emeritus of the National Society for Black Engineers' Houston Professionals chapter. Her daughter Mya has already made a name for herself at Houston open mics. Her stage name? "The Baby Bullet."

— J.R.