We don't know about you, but Houstonist would do almost anything to get through airport security faster. It's not that we don't value the level of security we're getting — trust us, we'd much prefer taking our shoes off to being aboard an exploding aircraft — but we'll admit that we do get frustrated by other travelers who apparently haven't heard a word about the increased restrictions the rest of us have been dealing with......

Good morning, Houston. Want to hear something weird? Investigators say a North Texas man had a stolen bone implanted in his neck. The man, Jim Livingston, had a herniated disk in his neck; in 2005, a surgeon replaced it with a small bone from a donor. Everything was fine until last year, when Livingston got a call informing him that the bone was believed to have been stolen from a body at a funeral......

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor darkhairedgirl. This fantastic perspective shot was taken near Hobby Airport. Great capture. If you have a passion for Houston and photography, consider joining over 345 of Houston's best photographers in the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. If Houstonist uses your photo for Photo Of The Day, submit it here. For more great photography check out the Houston Photobloggers.......

Good morning, Houston. Did you happen to be in the West U. area last night? If so, maybe you noticed the train derailment in the area, which prompted the evacuation of a handful of houses and the closure of a section of Bissonnet Street. The derailment, which involved seven cars, happened on the Union Pacific line near the corner of Community and Judson; four of the cars were carrying wheat and lumber, and another......

So we're three-quarters of the way through June — and in case you haven't noticed, it's powerful warm out there. But is it really hotter this June than it has been in previous years? As a matter of fact, it is, reports the Chronicle's Eric Berger: The temperatures so far this month have been two degrees above normal, and it looks like that's not going to change this weekend, when the skies are expected to......

Good morning, Houston. If you're a fan of the Early Show, you probably caught Mayor White's national television appearance Monday morning. He appeared on the show seated between two foxy ladies, Caroline Kennedy and Doris Voitier, to discuss his receipt of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Like we told you before, he and Mrs. Voitier are sharing the award for their outstanding public service during and after Hurricane Katrina. This award......

The Chronicle's Matt Stiles and KTRK's Miya Shay reported earlier this week on the "courtesy" program that allows certain local elected officials to park free at Houston's airports, noting that more than 100 city officials, state legislators and members of Congress have racked up around $100,000 in free parking under the perk. Officials have been offered the free parking since the 1980s; it's intended for use during official business, but some of the instances were......

Hey, guess what? It rained again yesterday — and we mean a lot, in case you didn't notice. Not only was there a bunch of rain, but also high winds and hail of all varieties: "I got a lot of reports of hail — pea-sized, marble-sized, from Sugar Land to Tomball out toward Pasadena, Hobby Airport, League City — dime-sized hail is being reported there," KPRC meteorologist Frank Billingsley said. Most areas reportedly got 1......

Houstonist's new year's resolution: More shelterporn in 2007! To kick things off, we take you to this ultra-cool house in Glenbrook Valley, the jet-era neighborhood along Broadway just north of Hobby Airport. Because we have a soft spot for mid-century modern homes, Glenbrook is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Houston (and we've shelterporned there before, in case you've forgotten). The house — which has only had two owners since it was built in......

All this week we're featuring our favorite photos from a year of great contributions to the Houstonist Flickr Photo Group. They're all our favorites in different ways, but there were four that stood out as jewels amongst the gems. This shot is from phototainable, another frequent contributor and an excellent photographer. We fell in love with this photo the moment we saw it. Maybe it's because of our love of old firetrucks, maybe it's......

Over the next two years, city officials hope to spend $105 million to upgrade 6,000 apartments near Hobby Airport and on the southwest side, a move they hope will attract stable tenants and new business investment to shoddy neighborhoods — and reverse urban decay. Who knew the secret to improving Houston's neighborhoods was interior decorating? "We have many good people living in these projects," [interim city housing director David] Mincberg told the City Council. "They......

More on the case of Juan Leonardo Quintero, accused of shooting HPD Officer Rodney Johnson to death last week: In an interview in a Harris County jail, Quintero said he couldn't explain what happened when Johnson was shot Thursday, saying only that he "got scared" after being pulled over in a traffic stop. Johnson pulled Quintero over for speeding Thursday afternoon near Hobby Airport and decided to arrest him after he discovered Quintero had no......

Juan Leonardo Quintero, the man accused of killing HPD Officer Rodney Johnson during a traffic stop last week, is scheduled to appear in court today — but Quintero's case may have farther-reaching effects than his own fate as it again brings up discussion of Houston's immigration policy. First, what we know about the shooting Thursday afternoon: Johnson had pulled Quiintero over for driving 50 mph in a 30 mph zone near Hobby Airport. Because Quintero......

Bad news from southeast Houston yesterday evening: Rodney Johnson, a 12-year veteran of HPD, was apparently killed by a suspect sitting in the back seat of his patrol car. It started just after 5 p.m., when Johnson pulled over a pickup with two people inside; a female passenger fled the scene, but Johnson detained and handcuffed the male driver. Later, Johnson was found at Randolph and Braniff, on the southern edge of Hobby Airport, shot......

HPD officer William Archer was relieved of duties today while an investigation into improper sex acts with a woman in custody continues. The attorney for the unnamed 36 year old woman says the event happen near Hobby Airport, after she was pulled over for outstanding warrants. The victim claims that the officer offered to let her go free if she did the deed with him. She agreed, and they proceeded to get it on the......

After we showed you KHOU's look at airport screeners' jobs, a related tale is reported in today's Chronicle. A July 31 episode in which a New York resident was arrested after walking through a totally empty security checkpoint at Houston's Hobby Airport has led to disciplinary action against the team of screeners on duty at the time and to dire warnings from TSA officials, who call the mistake a "serious problem", according to the Chronicle.......

This week's shelterporn takes us to a hidden jet-era gem near Hobby Airport. If you haven't noticed, Houstonist has a thing for contemporary homes, and this one fits the bill as a classic mid-century modern. Plus, it's located in Glenbrook Valley, a classic 1950s neighborhood that we keep being told is about to really take off. Remember, you heard it here first ... unless, of course, someone's already told you about it. The 1959......

We figure the next couple of days might be among the safest for air travel, considering all the security regulations that went into effect yesterday after British authorities foiled a terror plot involving transatlantic jets. But they may also be your best chance to be on TV or in the paper if you're in the right place: Local media has descended on airports to check up on travelers and see how they're coping with life......

SWAT officers shot an armed man at a Hobby Airport-area motel last night after a nearly three-hour standoff that involved threats and a female hostage. It started at about 10:30 p.m. when police got a tip that the man, wanted on suspicion of armed robbery, was at the Motel 6 in the 8800 block of West Airport. Cops showed up at the motel, knocked on the man's door and got threatened: "Those officers and supervisors......

Remember the flap over who was responsible for stopping a suspicious passenger at Hobby Airport? Well, the TSA and HPD aren't the only ones taking about it: The passenger, Mohamed Ahwar Bataineh, said he lost his job and was unfairly put on a terrorist watch list. Bataineh, a 31-year-old Jordanian, was on his way to Atlanta for a truck-driving job June 26 and was stopped at a security checkpoint at Hobby, the TSA said, because......

An HPD officer has been transferred to desk duty in a disagreement over who was responsible for letting a man with a non-bomb board a plane at Hobby Airport recently. It happened June 26, when a man "with a Middle Eastern name" and a ticket for a Delta flight to Atlanta told airport screeners he didn't have a laptop in his baggage, though an X-ray machine indicated he did. Screeners searched the man's bags and......

The shot from flickr user and houstonist photo contributor phototainable. This shot was most likely taken at the 40's terminal at Hobby Airport, given the background and a helpful comment. The rusty red coloration of the fire truck is great and it stands in nice contrast to the modern cars that have replaced it. In case you were wondering, this truck was formerly part of the Fairfield, TX Fire Fleet. Try saying that three......

And the water keeps coming: The Chronicle is now reporting that as much as 10.5 inches of rain has fallen on parts of the Houston area today, and there's more on the way. Among the hardest-hit areas is the east side, where the Red Cross has opened shelters at Channelview High School and Denver Harbor Community Center (6402 Market St.) and is looking at opening others. Near Hobby Airport and Pasadena, 6 inches of rain......

So if you fly out of Hobby Airport often, you might want to take note of the $3 fee on each ticket you might have to start paying later this year. It's a charge City Council approved yesterday to put the burden of extreme budget overruns off on the traveling public. Yep, that's right: You, too, will have the privilege of helping finance the Hobby renovation and expansion project. Southwest Airlines, the major carrier......

City Council today approved a $3 fee for travelers flying out of Hobby Airport; the fee is intended to help pay for airport renovations Southern areas of Houston and Harris County had up to 4 inches of rain this afternoon as a line of strong storms moved through the area A bus carrying the Beaumont West Brook girls' soccer team crashed on Highway 90 near Devers today, killing two students; the team was headed to......

A Lear jet landed safely at Hobby Airport late last night after experiencing problems with its landing gear Two armed men robbed a local man, then shot him and stuffed him in his car's trunk overnight; the man was able to escape and get treatment, but police are still looking for the robbers Police have released a sketch of a man who they say has sexually assaulted four women at their apartments in various parts......

Passengers at Hobby Airport were delayed for an hour this morning when security personnel decided to double-check a piece of screened baggage. A female passenger went through security and had her luggage X-rayed, but "shortly after that, they wanted to take another look," spokesman Richard Fernandez told the Chronicle. Officers decided the luggage wasn't a threat and Fernandez stressed that the woman didn't do anything wrong. Security has been on the Houston Airport System's mind......