Convenience Big Store: What Houston was like the last time we sent humans to the moon

April 10, 2026

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Good morning, Houston.

Here's what you should know to start your day:

Need to know: Judge Nathan Milliron told a critic of his viral video to appear in court. A dozen criminal defense lawyers showed up instead.
Top of the chart: One of the most-read stories on our site yesterday was the latest on Discovery Sands, a proposed Galveston development featuring a large lagoon attraction and a lazy river.
Artemis II return: Follow along as NASA’s Artemis II astronauts return today. Plus, see photos from the historic journey so far.

Here's the rest of the news.

1

1970s - aerial of Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Downtown skyline in background

What Houston was like in 1972, the last time we sent humans to the moon.

As mentioned earlier, the Artemis II astronauts return home later this evening. For more than a week now, seeing the Johnson Space Center back in the news as the center of human spaceflight has put us in a nostalgic state of mind.

The last time we had astronauts returning from the moon was in 1972 during Apollo 17. Don't ask me for my memories; I wasn't around then.

But maybe you were. What was Houston — population 1.23 million in 1970 — like in those days?

For one thing, Loop 610 wasn't finished. That wouldn't happen until 1973. (The traffic jam came five minutes after that.) HISD was still desegregating. And the acoustically challenged Astrodome hosted a jazz festival.

Oh and the Astros had a winning record. The Oilers, not so much.

That's what Yvette Orozco and Catherine Dominguez found while looking through the Chronicle archive.

Though much has changed in our town since those days, the nickname "Space City" is just as apt today as it was 54 years ago.

2

HISD Board of Managers approves reduction in force to allow job cuts and changes.

The unanimous approval allows HISD leaders to cut staff or reassign virtually all teaching positions and some central office jobs. The agenda documents did not name any school for specific layoffs. It comes as at least two HISD schools saw recent principal changes.

Also: Hours before they were set to leave on a four-day trip, cosmetology students at Milby High School learned they didn't have the district's permission and couldn't attend the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Corpus Christi.

3

Who pays for Texas’ data center surge? Lawmakers press for answers.

Texas lawmakers spent hours grilling grid officials, data center developers and energy companies on the potential impacts of the state’s data center boom, as public backlash grows over its heavy demands on water and power.

4

AI firms pour money into Texas congressional primaries and runoffs.

As tech giants race to build massive data centers to fuel the AI boom, Texas has emerged as a key battlefield in the fight over who shapes rules for the industry in Washington.

5

The Art Car Parade. An HISD-protest car. And a freakout over political speech.

Last year, parade organizers gave a trophy to a car protesting Texas' state takeover of Houston Independent School District. This year they're changing rules.

6

A Splendora High teacher is accused of falsely reporting an attack by a student and causing a lockdown.

Nicole Truelove, 53, a first-year teacher at the school, will be charged with filing a false report and tampering with evidence in connection with the incident, a sheriff's official said.

7

The biggest problem for Black America, according to Al Green.

The Houston Democrat said for decades, discrimination against Black borrowers has prevented communities of color from building capital. That means less generational wealth to pass along than communities with easier access.

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💬 Quote of the Day

“

We're cooked for sure.

– Andrew Cates, a campaign ethics attorney, on how the growth of platforms like ChatGPT and Polymarket is far outpacing legislative efforts to limit their impact on elections

”

🏀 Sports

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) steals the ball from Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) at the Toyota Center in Houston on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

Rockets: Not only did the team get its eighth straight win by beating the 76ers, but it put pressure on the Lakers to keep winning to hold on to the No. 4 seed in the West.
Longhorns: Jim Schlossnagle was everything Texas A&M loved as a baseball coach until he left for Texas. The schools meet today in College Station.
Cougars: Kelvin Sampson is starting the biggest roster overhaul in his 13 years with the team but he knows what will fit and has the money to compete.

🗣️ Opinion

Activists haven't declared victory yet as the federal government sends threatening letters and construction crews to West Texas, writes columnist Joe Holley.
"It’s as if bringing down two of our aircraft is a sign that it’s not going well," writes Alana McCormick in a letter to the editor regarding coverage of the Iran war.

🎨 Things to do This Weekend

Hundreds of art cars gather for The Houston Art Car Parade on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Houston .

Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer

It's Art Car Weekend. The Houston institution returns for its 39th year. See the full schedule of events planned for the next few days.
At the cinema, "You, Me & Tuscany," "Outcome," and "My Father's Shadow" are some of the films hitting screens this week.
Around town, "Spamalot," Coltrane at 100 and the Classical Theatre Company's "Othello" are just some of the events we recommend this weekend.
The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, a spring tradition, returns this weekend. It features more than 200 jury-selected regional, national and international artists.

Speaking of the Astrodome, the "Eighth Wonder of the World" apparently meets the criteria for consideration as a National Historic Landmark. If it were to become one, that would put it in the same league as the Alamo, the Battleship Texas and the Brooklyn Bridge.

But what does that actually mean for the building's future? Amber Elliott spoke to some of the players involved in its preservation to see what's next.