remembering barbara bush

HPD releases road closures, safety details on Barbara Bush funeral

Houstonians can expect closures and heightened security ahead of the services.

Map courtesy of ABC13

As Houston prepares to welcome former presidents and international dignitaries for the visitation and funeral for Barbara Bush, the Houston Police Department and other agencies have released safety and road closure information.

With the Obamas, the Clintons and Melania Trump expected to attend the private funeral on April 21, locals can expect delays and heightened security and scrutiny.

Visitors who plan to attend the public service at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church — at the corner of Woodway Drive and Sage Road in the Tanglewood/Uptown area — must first go to the Second Baptist Church campus at 6400 Woodway Dr. — enter the parking lots via Voss Road — to park and go through security.

A shuttle service from Second Baptist to St. Martin’s and back (for both days) will be provided, as no one is allowed to walk up or drive to St. Martin’s.

As for closures and safety:

Woodway eastbound will be closed from Chimney Rock to Post Oak Lane.
Woodway westbound will be closed from the West Loop to Pine Shadows Drive.
Sage northbound from Longmont to Woodway will be closed, except to residents.
Photography and firearms will not be permitted inside the church.
St. Martin’s will close at midnight April 20, but the lines will close at Second Baptist prior to midnight based on the number of people in line.
St. Martin’s also asks that visitors turn off all cellular devices out of respect for the Bush family.
On April 20, parking at Second Baptist opens at 10 am; shuttle service begins at 11:30 am.
On April 21, parking opens at 8 a.m., and shuttle service runs from 8:30 am to 10 am before the private funeral begins.
The West End Brew Run 5K, which starts at West End Pub on Westheimer and Yorktown on April 21, has been moved up to a 7:45 am start time, to accommodate the services.

The Bush family motorcade will travel through Memorial Park on the way to the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum at Texas A&M University in College Station. It will enter College Station from northbound Highway 6 and proceed north on to Texas Avenue, according to information from Texas A&M. (Get map information here.)

Those wishing to pay their respects as the motorcade passes through College Station are asked to be in place by 2 pm.

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that's baller

Houston hypes FIFA World Cup with new Guinness World Record

World Cup Guinness World Records soccer balls

Courtesy of Airbnb

DaMarcus Beasley, Bun B, and the Guinness World Records adjudicator.

Houstonians continue to show enthusiasm for the arrival of the FIFA World Cup this summer. On Saturday, April 11, local politicians, celebrities, and youth soccer players contributed to setting a new official Guinness World Record for the longest continuous line of soccer balls.

Held at Hermann Park, the effort lined up more than 1,000 soccer balls to set the new record. DaMarcus Beasley, the only American to play in four World Cups, and Houston hip-hop legend Bun B participated in the event. An official Guinness World Records judge was on hand to confirm the feat.

All of the more than 1,000 soccer balls used in the record-breaking event were donated to Grow the Game, a collaboration between the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Foundation. The program aims to expand access to soccer for underserved youth across Houston through free and low-cost programming, including clinics, tournaments, and more.

“Today’s event is about more than breaking a world record, it’s about celebrating Houston and investing in its future,” Airbnb executive Laura Spanjian said in a statement. “As the world prepares to come to Houston for the FIFA World Cup 2026, we’re proud to support programs that ensure local communities, especially young people, can be part of that moment in a meaningful and lasting way.”

As Spanjian notes, Airbnb has committed more than $1 million to helping Houston get ready for the FIFA World Cup, which will feature seven matches between June 14 and July 4. These efforts include money for improvements along the Green Corridor, a 14-mile long path connecting multiple major landmarks in Houston through safe, walkable paths that include shade trees and other improvements.

Airbnb expects that Houston will welcome more than 31,000 visitors during the World Cup, generating an estimated $372 million economic impact, according to Deloitte.

Courtesy of Airbnb

DaMarcus Beasley, Bun B, and the Guinness World Records adjudicator.

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