Retail rising: Inquiring readers want to know about that retail center rising across the street from the University of Texas Medical Branch, 427 Market St., on the island. As previously buzzed, J.T. Bolger, the developer, is constructing two buildings, each 6,500 square feet. Bolger is build…
The impact of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement will differ for companies depending on what they produce and whether they have sales overseas.
Homestays — rooms, apartments or homes rented directly from the owner, typically for vacation accommodations — are certainly nothing new. But a handful of websites, including Airbnb (the largest, with more than 3 million global listings), HomeAway, VRBO and FlipKey, have made them easier tha…
Resort report: Longtime Biz Buzz readers may recall an intriguing rumor circulating in June 2006 that Hyatt Regency Hotels Corp. was planning a massive $300 million resort on the island’s West End. If there were real plans for such a resort, they likely got scuttled by Hurricane Ike in 2008,…
DEAR BRUCE: My husband cosigned on some student loans for his son, and now his son is refusing to have any part of them. At the time, my husband felt he was doing the right thing in providing his son with the opportunity to get a degree. His son abruptly quit school and never graduated. He s…
If you haven’t been to one of Galveston’s beach parks lately, maybe you should consider it. Within the last few years, the park board has worked diligently to make many improvements and add amenities to the parks it manages.
Galveston County construction wages are rising as a nationwide labor contraction squeezes the industry.
Brown grass? The first thing you need to do is find out if it’s really dead.
Tilted tattle: Astute readers — mostly male mind you — have faithfully been reporting sightings of young women in tiny tartan uniforms around League City. It’s a good guess that these women are training for Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, which plans a June 19 grand opening at Pinnacle Park, a…
DEAR BRUCE: I recently retired at age 62. I have no major debts. Between my wife and me, our pensions and Social Security cover our mandatory costs, including medical insurance and taxes.
This season, Galveston is the setting for HGTV’s “Brother vs. Brother” starring celebrity real estate and home design experts Drew and Jonathan Scott. It’s a great coup for Galveston, but it didn’t happen on its own.
The era of the shoulder-mounted camcorder has come and gone.
American dream: June is a major milestone month for John White. This month, White marks the 10-year anniversary of his business, John’s Shutters and Repair and the completion of a new, 4,800-square-foot office and manufacturing plant at 10511 state Highway 6 in Hitchcock. Meanwhile, White re…
DEAR BRUCE: I owe $120,000 on my mortgage. The interest rate is 3.25 percent. I have the cash to pay it off in full, but I’m trying to decide if it’s a better option to invest that money, average around 8 percent and pocket the profit. Which is the best decision and why? — Todd
On Thursday, communities all across the globe will celebrate World Oceans Day and Galveston is no exception. To commemorate this special day, the Galveston Park Board and local conservation group Artist Boat will host a free festival at the Stewart Beach pavilion.
Deli dish: The island’s downtown continues to attract investment, while increasing dining and drinking options. Business partners Margaret Lejeune and Patrick Wheeler earlier this month opened Old Moon Deli & Pie, 408 23rd St.
The paint aisle can be a lonely and mystifying place. Store shelves are stacked high with cans that look almost identical, bearing names full of promise: Premium, Premium Plus, Premium Plus Ultra and so on. Prices per gallon hopscotch from $20 to $60 to $100, and it’s difficult to know wheth…
DEAR BRUCE: My father prepaid $17,000 for a three-year lease on a Lexus. He passed away six months into the lease. Is there any legal way his estate can recoup some of that money? — D.M.
Here we are — in the midst of Memorial Day weekend. This time of year marks the start of tourism season and the time when Galvestonians flock to the one-way streets. It also coincides with the time when the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau reveals its annual Galveston Tourism …
First quarter auto sales in the Houston region fell 14 percent to the lowest level since December 2009, according to the Houston Automobile Association, which points to an economy that’s sending “mixed signals.”
Sometimes, heart disease erupts as a full-blown emergency with sudden, crushing chest pain. That’s when immediate intervention to restore blood flow to the heart can be lifesaving.
Room service: In 2007, this column buzzed that developers Thu Lam and Boch Lam had applied for permits to build a six-story hotel at 802 Ave. L in Galveston.
DEAR BRUCE: My parents left me and my two siblings money from their estate. We received the bulk of the estate almost two years ago. Now, the executrix, a niece, is withholding $20,000. In three years, there have been no claims against the estate. I called the attorneys involved, and they ar…
Jaw-dropper: Notice that green fence around the building formerly occupied by Domino’s Pizza, 2424 Seawall Blvd., next to Chick-fil-A on the island? Crews will soon demolish the building to make way for a Landry’s Inc. amusement attraction called Shark Attack The Mysterious Underworld 5D. Th…
Driver’s seat: If ever a business had reason to celebrate, it’s McRee Ford, one of the oldest family owned dealerships in the nation.
Galveston is poised to receive $10 million in funds for two ambitious projects that will enhance the East End Lagoon and keep our beaches healthy. For the next six weeks, the Galveston community will play a key role in making sure these projects become a reality.
There are two ways to combat surprise medical bills, whether they come from an air ambulance, a ground ambulance or a health care professional: Prevent them in the first place or fight them later.
DEAR BRUCE: I am fortunate to have an employee-funded retirement. I am 67 and retiring in three months, and I must decide on one of these options: 1. A single cash payout of $780,000. 2. Monthly annuity of $5,300 for life. 3. Monthly annuity of $6,100 guaranteed for 10 years plus life (there…
Supply side: When it comes to economic development initiatives, Santa Fe is reaping what it sowed.
Longtime Daily News employee Debbie Keith has been promoted to advertising director.
Room service: League City is about to get a little more hospitable.
Texas' struggling shrimp industry is lobbying Congress for changes to a visa program amid labor shortage concerns.
Wok this way: Inquiring readers want to know about all that dirt turning in front of Wal-Mart near the new Coastal Community Credit Union in La Marque.
More than a quarter of a million cases of skin cancer can be attributed to tanning-bed use, according to a new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That figure is for 2015, when the total skin cancer cases numbered about 2.4 million.
Comite de Negocios is a committee and task force of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce whose mission is to advocate for and assist Hispanic-owned businesses in the Galveston region. Recent workshops offered by the task force provided professional instruction and assistance with writi…
DEAR BRUCE: I was taken by a person who ran a seminar selling a publication that claimed to have movie rights to the Ninja Turtles. Believing that this movie would be a hit, I invested $50,000 in that stock. Up until and even after the movie came out, I was promised that the moneys made woul…
The coastal plains are bustling with plant life and animal life only to be seen in this part of the country. A piece of legislation could soon help to designate this habitat in undeveloped parts of Galveston and surrounding counties as a national park later this year.
The maritime industry accounts for about 20 percent of Galveston County’s jobs, according to an economic assessment recently conducted by Martin Associates.
Simmering speculation: A sizzling rumor that soul food restaurant Simp’s Kitchen plans an island return has some tasty truth to it.
Finding a trouble-free used car has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with applying good research and investigative skills.
DEAR BRUCE: My husband has a 401(k) and 403(b) with Fidelity Investments. When he started drawing at 70 1/2 he requested 15 percent to be withheld toward his taxes. Fidelity did this until 2016, when they said they would no longer honor his written request. He would have to call every year a…
While volunteering at a Rotary Club youth camp in East Texas earlier this year, I overheard some students talk excitedly about a new development in their town — a Dairy Queen was moving in. Hearing that made me stop and think about how fortunate I am to live in a town with so much to experience.
On the bayou: They’re known for good barbecue, but this week Keith and Holly Lilley added Gulf Coast casual and Cajun-inspired dishes to their restaurant repertoire.
More than 100 Galveston area employers will participate in the 12th annual Oceans of Opportunities Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort, 5600 Seawall Blvd., in Galveston.
DEAR BRUCE: My friend, who is 71, is considering a long-term care policy that sounds like life insurance along with LTC. I’ve had a stand-alone LTC policy for a number of years, the premium being $3,000 a year. Her premium would be about $8,000 a year, but would include a death benefit. Is t…
Tony Mendoza cut the hair of a lawyer eight years ago who advised the barber not to retire but to just cut back on his hours.
Home to roost? Fast-casual restaurant chain Chick-fil-A is hatching plans for a Friendswood eatery. But a zoning change request for a parcel on which the chicken sandwich purveyor might roost has ruffled some feathers and has even become election fodder for the city council race.
YouTube TV, Google’s new streaming package of about 40 television channels, is the tech industry’s latest bid to get cable-shunning millennials to pay for live TV over the internet.
Too many drivers don't think about their tires until they have to swerve or brake suddenly, or they have a flat — often with serious consequences.
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