This Week's Hot Headlines

10 tasty new additions to Houston Restaurant Weeks and more top stories

Murray's is a Restaurant Weeks newcomer.

Photo by Michael Ma

Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, from great dining deals and a sudden closure to stepping inside an ex-NBA star's Houston home. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then plan your weekend right here.

1. 10 eateries participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks for the first time. As a follow up to our initial list of 11 newcomers, here are 10 more first-time participants in Houston Restaurant Weeks, which runs through Labor Day.

2. Houston chef Thomas Bille sounds off on his Beat Bobby Flay appearance. Add another Houston chef to the roster of cooking competition champions. Belly of the Beast chef-owner Thomas Bille won the Tuesday, August 4 episode of Beat Bobby Flay.

3. Houston ice cream shop from 'World's Best Pastry Chef' quietly closes. An ambitious, socially-conscious Houston ice cream shop has served its last scoop. Rocambolesc has closed, the business announced on Instagram.

4. Ex-NBA star's resort-style Houston home hits market for $11.99 million. Los Angeles Laker’s Nick Van Exel generated excitement on the court, with his deep three pointers and All-Star status. And the home he used to own at 3201 Noble Lakes Ln. in Houston is no slouch in the stat department, either.

Detail of the 18-foot front door of 3201 Noble Lakes Lane. The front door of 3201 Noble Lakes Ln. Photo by Steve Chenn for Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

5. Texas Hill Country uncorks No. 3 spot among best U.S. wine regions. The Lone Star State's booming Hill Country wine scene is about to get a lot busier, as it was just declared the No. 3 best wine region in the country for "a grape getaway."

Cannabis Clash

Texas' new ban on hemp THC products challenged by federal lawsuit

Photo by Elsa Olofsson on Unsplash

The cannabis battle rages on in Texas.

A new federal lawsuit is challenging Texas' ban on many hemp-derived THC products just days after the law officially took effect.

The lawsuit filed Friday, July 31, by a Texas hemp retailer, a national hemp product manufacturer, and a consumer who says he relies on hemp-derived THC products, argues the state's ban conflicts with the 2018 federal Farm Bill, which legalized hemp nationwide.

The plaintiffs are asking a federal judge to remove the banned THC products from Texas' list of controlled substances and prevent the state from enforcing the law while the case moves forward.

The legal challenge comes after Texas began enforcing the ban Friday, making products containing hemp-derived THC variants such as delta-8 and delta-10 illegal to sell in the state. Some qualifying CBD products and certain hemp-derived delta-9 THC products that meet state requirements remain legal.

The latest lawsuit follows years of legal battles over hemp-derived THC products in Texas. In 2021, state officials classified several hemp-derived THC variants as Schedule I controlled substances, prompting lawsuits from members of the hemp industry. Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in the state's favor, clearing the way for enforcement of the ban.

Local retailers are now adjusting to the new restrictions.

Craig Bethards, who owns multiple hemp retail stores in the Coastal Bend, said his biggest concern is what the changes could mean for customers who have relied on those products.

Read the full story at our news partner KVUE.com.

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