Houston Daily: Early Voting, Downtown Shooting, New Tech Campus

Local Headlines

Houston, TX — February 17, 2026 — Early voting begins, a downtown shooting shocks residents, and a new technical training campus readies to open.


Houston Daily Briefing

Here’s a quick look at what’s happening around Houston for Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Downtown shooting leaves sergeant’s son critically wounded

Houston police are investigating a weekend shooting on a busy downtown sidewalk that left the son of a Harris County Sheriff’s Office sergeant seriously injured. The victim was reportedly shot as many as nine times outside a Chipotle on Texas Avenue near Main Street after a verbal confrontation.

Witnesses said the suspect had been selling cookies nearby before the argument escalated. Video reviewed by investigators appears to show a brief exchange before the gunman opened fire. Officers quickly arrested a 21-year-old suspect a short distance away.

The suspect is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and prosecutors are asking that he be held without bond. The charge could be upgraded depending on the victim’s condition. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities say they are reviewing surveillance and witness statements to understand what sparked the violence.

Early voting begins for March 3 primary elections

Early voting for Texas’ March 3 primary elections starts today and runs through February 27. Voters in the Houston area will help decide party nominees for high-profile statewide offices such as governor and U.S. senator, along with a long list of congressional, judicial, and local races.

Sample ballots are now available for counties across the Houston region, including Harris and surrounding counties, so residents can preview the contests and candidates they’ll see at the polls. Election officials are urging voters to confirm their registration, check their polling locations and hours, and review ID requirements before heading out.

With competitive races up and down the ballot and the potential for May runoffs if no candidate tops 50 percent, turnout during the early voting window could play an outsized role in shaping the November ballot.

Lincoln Tech prepares to open new Houston training campus

A new technical training campus is opening in Houston this week as Lincoln Tech readies a grand opening for its facility on South Lockwood Drive. The campus will offer hands-on programs in automotive service, welding, electrical and electronic systems, and HVAC.

The school says the programs are designed to feed directly into high-demand skilled trades across the Houston area and the rest of Texas. Local officials and industry partners are expected to attend the opening event, which will include campus tours and equipment demonstrations.

Lincoln Tech leaders say they see the new campus as a way to help close persistent skills gaps in trades that keep the region’s homes, businesses, and industrial facilities running.

Sources

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