Parent of Texas First Bank acquires Preferred
Texas First Bank’s parent company will acquire Preferred Bank, expanding its presence in Houston, since receiving approval from federal regulators Thursday.
Texas First Bank and its parent company, Texas Independent Bancshares, headquartered in Texas City, will have a total of 27 locations in the Houston area when the acquisition of Preferred, a Houston-based community bank with $282 million in total assets and five Houston locations, is complete.
“We’re excited to add locations in Houston, The Woodlands, Spring, and Conroe by joining forces with such a wellestablished, local bank with strong community ties,” said Chris Doyle, CEO of Texas First Bank, in a statement.
Episcopal Health announces grants
Houston’ Episcopal Health Foundation announced $17 million in grants to help the state’s communitybased clinics offer more services, increase access and go beyond just medical care to address underlying issues that can affect health for low-income and underserved Texans.
More than 40 clinics and organizations will receive individual grants ranging from $100,000 to over $1 million. Twenty groups in the Houston area are among the recipients.
Access Health in Fort Bend County is among those receiving the largest grant of $700,000. Other large recipients include Texana Center in Rosenberg and Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which each received $600,000.
In addition to assisting clinics, other foundation grants will go to efforts to expand health insurance coverage in Texas. Texas continues to lead the nation in both uninsured adults and children.
“Low-income populations are less likely to have health insurance, leaving them at greater risk of poor health,” said Elena Marks, Episcopal Health Foundation’s CEO, in a statement announcing the grants.
She added, though, that traditional medical care is not enough to help at-risk Texans. The grants, she said, will also help clinics “become change agents to move health resources beyond the exam room.”
Small oil spill hits Liberty County
State authorities responded to a small oil spill from an inactive well in Liberty County, the Railroad Commission confirmed this week.
Officials are estimating about 20 barrels of oil were spilled into wetlands in Daisetta about 55 miles northeast of Houston. That’s equivalent to about 840 gallons. Railroad Commission contractors began cleaning up on Thursday and were scheduled to continue clean up Tuesday.
The state is paying for the cleanup after the company, Kody Petroleum, said it could not. The oil and gas industry pays fees into this fund, which is used to clean up abandoned oil field sites.
The commission is citing Kody for a handful of violations related to the spill, including having an inactive unplugged well. The well was initially drilled in 1969 and has been inactive since 2016.
Stroopwafels all day on United
United Airlines is giving travelers more snacking options — including its beloved stroopwafel, which will now be available all day, every day.
This snacking favorite, a caramel-filled waffle, was previously available on flights departing before 9:45 a.m. (motivation for booking an early flight, anyone?) and as part of a rotation, meaning it would be offered on morning flights for a period of time and then swapped with other treats.
It’s now a permanent option. As of July 1, economy customers on every United flight will get to choose their snack of preference: stroopwafel, pretzels and Byrd’s Maple wafers.
The stroopwafel and pretzels will be permanent snack options. United will rotate the third selection (the maple wafers initially) to continue offering a variety of choices that appeal to a broad palate.