After three years of discussion, Harris County will request input from law enforcement and the community about the possibility of a review board.
McKenna Oxenden / Staff writer
McKenna Oxenden is a reporter covering Harris County for the Houston Landing. She most recently had a yearlong fellowship at the New York Times on its breaking news team. A Baltimore native, she previously covered criminal justice and breaking news at the Baltimore Sun. Prior to working for her hometown paper, McKenna worked at the Tampa Bay Times in a variety of roles including, reporter, social media/homepage editor and podcast producer. Her work has also appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. McKenna is a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a degree in journalism, photography and digital media. She is a self-proclaimed “horse girl” who competes in three-day eventing. McKenna is also an avid ultimate frisbee player, firmly believes that being the cool aunt is a personality trait and is always looking for a new brewery to try.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Harris County OKs $11M contract to send 360 inmates to Mississippi to ease jail overcrowding
Harris County has struggled to ease jail overcrowding in the face of a criminal court backlog. More than 70 percent of inmates are awaiting trial.
Posted inElections
Judge upholds 2022 Harris County election results, throws out GOP lawsuits
A judge threw out all but one of the remaining GOP lawsuits against Harris County and upheld the results of the 2022 election.
Posted inElections
Voters approve $2.5B Harris Health bond issue to renovate, expand LBJ hospital and clinics
The bond will fund a new Level 1-capable trauma center at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and expand and renovate clinics across the county.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Harris County getting back into tax reinvestment zones, reversing course from previous years
Commissioners say Harris County joined the sometimes controversial zones to push specific projects and affordable housing for their precincts.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Shedding interim title, Diana Ramirez becomes first Latina Harris County administrator
After six months serving as acting administrator following the departure of predecessor David Berry, Diane Ramirez was named to the job permanently.
Posted inElections
Hudspeth pledges more workers, ballot paper to ensure smooth election after critical audit
Hudspeth’s remarks followed the release of a Texas secretary of state audit that found Harris County had “multiple failures” during the 2022 election.
Posted inPolitics & Government
County Judge Lina Hidalgo returns to work after leave of absence for clinical depression
Commissioners Court continued to meet in Hidalgo’s absence, with Precinct 1’s Rodney Ellis presiding over passage of the budget and tax rate.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Houston wins over developers, surprises neighborhood groups with new development rules
The code changes allow developers to keep building “frontloader” homes on narrow lots that have become a point of contention in some neighborhoods.