Morning Roundup

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, Houstonist is doing our best to gather news about what's going on in Southeast Texas each morning, with quick links to some of the most important topics first. If you know something we missed, or if you have updated information, please leave us a comment — we, and our 11 readers, will appreciate it.

• Electricity: As of Tuesday night, 1.43 million CenterPoint customers were still without power, down from 1.56 million Monday night; however, the company says 50 percent of its Houston customers may still be in the dark next Tuesday
• Water: The city of Houston still hasn't lifted its advisory to boil drinking water based on high bacteria levels found in two locations
• Gas: The Chronicle has started a gas availability database; check it out to find and report where it's available
• Curfew: The city of Houston's curfew has been changed to midnight to 6 a.m., effective through at least Monday morning
• Missing persons: Are you looking for someone you've lost contact with since Ike, or do you know where someone is who people might be looking for? Here's the site to check out
• Legal aid: The Houston Bar Association has set up a legal aid hotline for people affected by Ike: 713.759.1133, operational from 2 to 5 p.m. every day through Oct. 1
• What's open and closed: Get the latest information on which stores are open, other general openings and school closures
• Other questions: Find a lot of answers at — and submit your questions — the Chronicle's Ike Answers blog
• The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office has counted nine Ike-related deaths in the county, five of them attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning from generators
• Area mail and delivery services began returning to normal Tuesday, with the USPS resuming operations across the Houston region
• Metro will be operating at near-normal status today, though some buses may be late; MetroRail service will come later, likely Friday
• Qualifying hurricane victims can get emergency food stamps from the state, the Texas Health and Human Services Department announced yesterday
• From KUHF, a list of some handy tips for post-Ike living
• Galveston residents had their first look at the city Tuesday during a 'look and leave' session
• However, after one day of look and leave, Galveston suspended the visits, with officials saying they can't support bringing more people onto the island
• CenterPoint crews checked out Galveston's power system Tuesday and found it ruined
• And, at the Galveston County Jail, officials are complaining that the feds are keeping them from getting generators
• Once it was Bolivar Peninsula — but now it's three separate islands with no bridges and no ferry service for the foreseeable future
• Following the devastation, coastal officials are trying to figure out how to force holdouts off Bolivar
• Here's more on those folks who rode Ike out with a lion inside a Bolivar church
• In Baytown, officials are having to deal with rumors and crime in Ike's wake
• And, with damage to five of its schools, the Goose Creek ISD has called of classes until a full assessment can be made
• A Pasadena police officer shot and killed a man Monday for approaching him with a knife in the parking lot of a grocery store
• Most Woodlands residents should have power by Friday, Entergy Texas said yesterday
• In Oak Island, a Chambers County community, the storm destroyed 90 percent of the homes
• Residents of Orange County are getting on with their recovery despite extensive damage, but in Bridge City, hit hard by the storm surge, moving on will take a while
• In Beaumont, officials are working to clear the road to the city's landfill so that debris removal can proceed
• The more than 1 million people who evacuated the Texas coast pre-Ike are beginning to return home, some unsure of what they'll find
• The Houston Texans are considering playing their first home game at Rice Stadium if repairs can't be made to Reliant in time
• President Bush: With Gulf Coast refineries just getting back online, 'there's going to be a pinch' in Texas' gas supplies through September
• Continental Airlines has lowered its fares from Houston and Beaumont for travel between Sept. 19 and Oct. 1
• Carnival Cruise Lines has diverted two of its ships to New Orleans until a full assessment of damage to the Galveston port
• Unfortunately, the post-Ike scum wasn't limited to what was left behind when flood waters receded: Scam artists are also on the loose as recovery continues
• Ike was the storm we all saw — but there's also a political storm brewing that's not so readily apparent
• Via Swamplot: If you're wondering how to attract CenterPoint's attention, here's a pretty good idea
• Today's weather: Beautiful yet again – expect a high around 83, with lots of sunshine, and a low tonight of 61 under clear skies.