The City Council elections are well on their way and members are busy as usual. Melissa Noriega, City Council Member At-Large Position #3 is maintaining her positive energy, composure and dedicated momentum during this busy time in an effort to continue serving Houston. The Venture spoke to Noriega and …

  During their third annual “We Have a Dream Summit” on Saturday, activists from FIEL, an immigrant youth organization, stressed to the audience the existence of the Texas Application for State Financial Aid. Through TASFA, qualified undocumented students are eligible to receive grants and pay in-state college tuition. “People think …

  On Saturday, University of Houston alum and former opinion editor of The Daily Cougar, Andrew Taylor, passed away at the age of 23 after a cycling accident. Taylor was riding his bike with his cycling group when, according to a blog by spacecitycycling.com, he fell off his bike and …

   After a series of meetings and public sessions, Houston mayor Annise Parker, approved a redistricting plan that the city and community leaders felt was more representative of demographic realities. District J is one of the two new districts created this year. The district encompasses Gulfton, Sharpstown and a small …

In a political atmosphere where the phrases “illegals,” “DREAM Act” and “racial profiling” are constantly thrown at the public, individuals known as Latino Republicans seem unusual to people on both sides of the argument. What exactly drives this group of Latinos, especially younger ones, to gravitate toward a party that …

  The Venture met with Soledad O’Brien while she was in Houston promoting her latest documentary, “Latino in America 2: In Her Corner,” which follows a Houston female boxer on the road to the Olympic trials. O’Brien is an award-winning anchor and special correspondent for CNN. The awards bestowed upon …

    In the late 80s, nothing distinguished Jacob Monty from the other people working with him in construction. He had no dreams of going to college and was happy making $10.66 an hour right out of high school to support his fledgling family. After three years on the job, …

  The 82nd Texas Legislature has passed bills that, together, change the days of the state’s annual Sales Tax Holiday from August to July beginning in 2012. The Sales Tax Holiday for 2012 will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 27 and end at 12 a.m. (midnight) Sunday, July …

  Tony Diaz the founder of Nuestra Palabra, a Latino literature and literacy organization, has announced a state-wide book tour in Texas for critically acclaimed Latino authors.  The group’s book events in Houston have been hugely successful.  They plan to build on their grassroots efforts in Houston to draw large …

The Occupy Wall Street Protests have spread to major cities across the United States which now include Houston. Protesting began on October 6th in Market Square Park with pro-bono legal advice.