R.I.P., Mayor Turner

How to pay respects as late Houston mayor Sylvester Turner lies in state

Former Houston mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner died on March 5, 2025.

Photo courtesy of Mayor's Office, City of Houston

The City of Houston is remembering the late Sylvester Turner - the former mayor of Houston who won election last November to fill late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's seat in District 18.

He died Wednesday, March 5 at 70 years old.

Turner was in attendance at President Donald Trump's Joint Address to Congress last week. According to his family, he was taken to the hospital Tuesday night and later released while in Washington, D.C. At 5:45 am Wednesday, he died at home from enduring health complications, the family said.

Turner will lie in state at the Houston City Hall rotunda on Tuesday, March 11. The memorial began at 9 am with brief remarks from Mayor John Whitmire. The rotunda will be open to visitors until 7 pm Tuesday.

Members of the public are invited to sign the book of condolence at the entrance to City Hall. Visitors are asked not to stop in the rotunda to talk, take photographs, or video so that the line continues to move without delay.

After he's honored in Houston, Turner will "lie in honor" at the State Capitol in Austin on Thursday and Friday.

Then, he'll return to his hometown for the last time for his funeral on Saturday at 1 pm at The Church Without Walls on Houston's northwest side, where Turner attended church for 35 years.

Turner's family is asking guests attending the service to wear blue.

A private burial will follow.

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Read the full story, with video, on CultureMap's news partner, ABC13.com.

deaths politics obituary

have more patience

Texas drivers are the 2nd worst in the nation for road rage, study finds

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

It may be tempting to lose your temper behind the wheel, but it's not really worth it.

While Texas is one of the best states to drive in, apparently Texans need to pay more attention to their speeding habits and check their tempers. The Lone Star State has landed on top of a new list of states with the worst drivers in 2025.

The unlucky ranking comes in a new report by personal injury law firm Easton Law Offices, which analyzed driver data – including road rage incidents, speeding, fatal crashes, and more – to determine the top 10 states with the worst drivers.

Overall, Florida was ranked the No. 1 state with the worst drivers in the nation, and Texas followed close behind in second place.

According to the report's findings, Texas had 2.5 road rage incidents and 7.2 aggressive driving fatal accidents reported for every 100,000 residents from 2014 to 2023. Aggressive and careless driving behavior was cited in 37.4 percent of all accidents, and it was a factor in 38.8 percent of all fatalities.

Additionally, 1.2 speeding violations were reported in the state for every 100,000 residents.

Texas has previously been ranked the second most dangerous state for young drivers, in 2023.

But it's not just typical vehicle drivers that need to exercise more patience when getting behind the wheel – motorcyclists also need to be on high alert while on the road, and remember to wear their helmets.

"Texas also has a high rate of total vehicle crashes (3,966) and motorcycle fatalities (558), with a sizable 37.32 percent of motorcycle deaths occurring among unhelmeted drivers," the report said.

Houston drivers specifically have been called out in previous years for their less-than-stellar driving habits, and Memorial Day is often one of the deadliest holidays for drivers in the city.

The top 10 states with the worst drivers in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Texas
No. 3 – California
No. 4 – Colorado
No. 5 – Louisiana
No. 6 – Arkansas
No. 7 – Montana
No. 8 – New Mexico
No. 9 – North Carolina
No. 10 – Ohio

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