Good afternoon, Houston.

To celebrate the launch of the Houston Chronicle’s first-ever guided food tour, we’re giving away several pairs of tickets for an exclusive experience on Sunday, August 24 at 1 p.m. Here are the details.

Here's the rest of the news.

Lauren Mitchell, Digital Production Editor lauren.mitchell@houstonchronicle.com

3 stories you shouldn't miss

The 15 best sweet and savory pastries from Houston bakery Lil’ Koffeteria

From Dr Pepper fig bars to buttery croissants, we ranked every pastry at chef Vanarin Kuch’s new Lil’ Koffeteria in West Houston.

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Why Texas school districts are cutting budgets despite $8.5B boost

Texas lawmakers’ bipartisan school funding deal is one of the largest one-time investments in public education in recent memory. But for several schools, financial crises still loom, as most of the new funds are earmarked for specific purposes. Our searchable map shows how much more your Texas school district may receive, per student.

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Alexis Cardenas's Harris County Jail death ruled in-custody by state commission

Cardenas's death will be considered the Harris County Jail's 12th in-custody death of 2025.

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The ultimate Harris County property tax guide We created custom data tools to make protesting your property tax appraisal as simple as possible. Never pay more for taxes than you have to.

1 story to bring you joy

Unable to find a reliable map of where to bike in Houston, she created her own

Frustrated with the lack of biking maps in Houston, a woman created her own community-sourced guide of where Houstonians should —and shouldn't— bike around the city.

7 stories you may have missed this week

Hurricane Erin now at Category 5; Puerto Rico faces flood threat While a Gulf disturbance that moved into Texas on Friday seems to have run its course, Hurricane Erin in the western Atlantic intensifies.

Houston's top-performing public companies The Chronicle 100 ranks the top public companies in the region based on their performance. Here’s who made the cut.

Astros vs. Orioles: How to watch as Jason Alexander pitches Jason Alexander, coming off two strong starts in a row, pitches against the Orioles as Houston tries to bounce back from near no-hitter.

Crime is surging in this Houston neighborhood Houston’s Meyerland neighborhood is seeing a surge in crimes like shoplifting, vandalism and assault. We interviewed city officials, residents and reviewed police data to find out what’s going on.

Houston Kmart at center of controversy will soon be demolished by officials The Kmart was at the center of controversy between the developer who owned it and a council member who asked him for personal favors.

Big Time Rush’s Logan Henderson talks Texas roots & comeback tour Big Time Rush performs Sunday at the Woodlands Pavilion and will do every song from the TV show. Joey Guerra sat down with Henderson to discuss Texas roots, the power of nostalgia, and the band’s comeback tour.

Test your news knowledge Find out how much you know about the week’s local and national news. We’ll upload a new batch of questions Saturday morning.