Morning Roundup: Cooler than cool edition

Good morning, Houston. Today's question: How cool are you? According to Ken Hoffman, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau is trying to find the 10 coolest people in Houston to form a focus group that'll help promote the city. Hoffman saw the list of nominees and wasn't impressed — but seriously, when was the last time anyone was impressed by one of the GHCVB's marketing plans? So here's the deal: If you can think of someone who you think is cool enough to promote Houston, e-mail Hoffman with your idea. And tell us, too.

>> Please excuse ... everyone: A handful of Texas schools have decided to close because so many of their students have come down with the flu, the AP reports. Two districts in East Texas were closed yesterday and will stay closed today; in Dallas, a school shut down after more than 100 students called in sick; and in Eustace, students were told to stay home earlier in the week and today. February is usually the height of flu season in Texas; the virus has been considered widespread here for the last three weeks.

>> Teen held in fatal beating: A 14-year-old boy is being held in connection with the beating of his 2-year-old cousin, Daveon Adams, who died just after midnight Thursday. The teen was babysitting Adams and four other kids Wednesday and said he struck the child, causing chest abrasions, head contusions and internal bleeding. It was a surprise, according to CPS spokeswoman Estella Olguin: "The 14-year-old had never exhibited any aggressive behavior," she said.

>> Insulation flambée: The owners of Sofia's, a new restaurant going in on Market Square downtown, charred a bunch of insulation Thursday evening when they fired up the restaurant's ovens. Though the restaurant filled with smoke, no flames were visible; firefighters dumped the burned insulation on the sidewalk, then doused it with water. No word on how this will affect the restaurant's opening.

>> Today's weather: Well, it's cooler today — and not sunny. Look for clouds all morning, with the possibility of a little sun in the afternoon; the high will be around 58, but a north wind should make it feel a few degrees cooler. Overnight, the clouds will dissipate a little, with a low of 44. Saturday should be pretty nice, if chilly, and we'll be back near 70 by Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

Follow the jump for some more news ...