remembering george floyd

Here's what to know about George Floyd's public viewing in Houston

George Floyd will be laid to rest on Tuesday, June 5. A public visitation is scheduled for Monday, June 4.

Photo courtesy of Ben Crump Law/ABC13

Since George Floyd died in Minneapolis while in police custody on May 25, the nation has seen widespread marches and demonstrations, many rocked by clashes between protestors and police.

A memorial service was held in Minneapolis on June 4, marked by a fiery and passionate speech by national figure, Rev. Al Sharpton. Protests and demonstrations followed the service.

Here in Houston, where Floyd attended high school and spent his formative years, a public viewing is planned for Monday, June 8, at The Fountain of Praise Church from noon to 6 pm. The church is located at 13950 Hillcroft Ave.

People who plan on attending the public viewing of Floyd will be provided with transportation. Guests will be taken to the Fountain of Praise Church from FountainLife Center and Kingdom Builders.

Mayor Sylvester Turner asked that guests do not all arrive at noon, as to avoid massive crowds. Those attending will be required to social distance and to wear masks and gloves, CultureMap new partner, ABC13, reports. Backpacks or large bags will not be allowed; casual attire is permitted to attend the memorial.

Only 15 people will be allowed in the church at a time, and guests will not be able to stay any longer than 10 minutes after viewing, church sources tell ABC13.

Funeral services for Floyd will be the following day (11 am Tuesday, June 9) and will be a private, ticketed event, with members of his family and invited guests including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner; U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee; Sharpton; Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump; retired boxer Floyd Mayweather, (who has committed to covering the funeral expenses); entertainers Slim Thug, Leela James, and Paul Wall; and U.S. Rep. Al Green.

Presidential candidate, Former Vice President Joe Biden, is also slated to attend on Tuesday. Houston Texans coach, Bill O’Brien, has encouraged team members to attend, as well.

Floyd is expected to be buried at the Houston Memorial Gardens in Pearland.

city-news-roundup

are you happy?

Houston continues sad streak as one of the 'unhappiest' U.S. cities

Photo by Damaris Martin on Unsplash

Even with a poor ranking, you still shouldn't ask us to "smile more."

A new nationwide study analyzing the happiest cities in America has determined Houston is slightly happier than it was last year, but it still appears to be one of the unhappiest U.S. cities in 2026.

Houston currently ranks as the 128th happiest U.S. city. Last year, it was No. 151.

WalletHub determined the happiest cities in America based on 29 relevant metrics based on "positive-psychology research" across three main categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. As with most WalletHub studies, it compared the 182 most populous U.S. cities.

Fremont, California claimed the top spot as the happiest city nationwide for another year. Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectfully, rounded out the top three.

Here's how WalletHub ranked Houston across the three key dimensions:

No. 107 – Emotional and physical wellbeing
No. 148 – Income and employment
No. 158 – Community and environment

Despite its low ranking, Houstonians are working hard to improve their city's quality of life year after year, whether its through opening new restaurants, inviting Houston-born stars to perform at the rodeo, or having a strong job market. We also have some of the best museums, a diverse culinary scene, and iconic institutions like the Johnson Space Center. And considering that people keep moving here, Houston must be happier than other places.

Having a good job and a fun social life can qualify as factors that measure happiness, but WalletHub separately emphasized that making more money doesn't necessarily mean "more" happiness.

"For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability," the report said. "Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness."

Elsewhere in Texas
The Dallas suburb Plano and its residents' happiness far outshines the rest of Texas, according to WalletHub. Plano ranked as the 16th happiest U.S. city, and the No. 1 happiest statewide. Austin was the only other Texas city to rank among the top 50, landing in the No. 39 spot.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 70 – Irving
No. 92 – Garland
No. 106 – Grand Prairie
No. 111 – Dallas
No. 113 – Fort Worth
No. 119 – Arlington
No. 135 – Lubbock
No. 137 – El Paso
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 150 – Brownsville
No. 154 – San Antonio
No. 155 – Corpus Christi

reports san antonio wallethub