Texas
Judge Morris Overstreet, first African American elected to statewide office in Texas, dies at 73 | Houston Public Media
Warford-Overstreet Mortuary
The first African American elected to statewide office in Texas died Sunday in Houston. Judge Morris Overstreet was 73.
Overstreet was born in Amarillo and earned his law degree at Texas Southern University in Houston in 1975. He began his legal career in the Potter County District Attorney’s Office. After several years in private practice, he was elected a county court at law judge in 1986. Then in 1990, he won election to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, serving until 1998.
“He gave African Americans a belief that it could be done,” said James Douglas of TSU’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, who considered Overstreet his closest friend. “But also, he brought a different perspective to the Court of Criminal Appeals in terms of the way you look at the law and the way it affects other people.”
After leaving the court, Overstreet taught at TSU for six years.
“He was a tremendous teacher, and students had a great deal of respect for him,” Douglas said. “He was extremely demanding and made the students better than they thought they could be.”
According to the law firm Hance Scarborough, where he worked after leaving TSU, Overstreet was a close ally of former President Bill Clinton. He also worked on the campaigns of President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, former President Jimmy Carter, former Governor Ann Richards, and former Governor Mark White.
In his later years, Overstreet ran unsuccessful campaigns for the Democratic nominations for Harris County district attorney in 2016 and for Harris County commissioner for Precinct 3 in 2020.
Services for Overstreet will be held in Houston’s Brentwood Baptist Church on Saturday, March 9, and in Amarillo’s Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church on March 16.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources as a massive storm system threatens much of the state with hurricane-force winds, giant hail, and the risk of tornadoes.
Severe weather in Texas
The severe weather, expected to last through Monday morning, covers a vast footprint including West, North, East, Central, and South-Central Texas. Forecasters warned the system could produce wind gusts exceeding 75 mph and hail larger than 2 inches in diameter.
What they’re saying:
“Texas is prepared to confront the severe storms that pose a threat to communities all across our state,” Abbott said in a statement. He urged Texans to monitor local forecasts and warned motorists never to drive through flooded roadways, invoking the phrase, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
Heavy rainfall is expected to be widespread, with some areas potentially seeing isolated totals of 3 to 6 inches, which could lead to significant flash flooding. As the system progresses, the threat is expected to shift toward the South and Southeast Texas coasts.
LIVE RADAR
In preparation, the governor has deployed a wide array of state assets to assist local officials, including:
- Search and Rescue: Swiftwater and floodwater rescue boat squads and urban search and rescue teams from Texas A&M Task Forces 1, 2, and 3.
- Aviation and Marine Support: Helicopters with hoist capabilities from the Department of Public Safety and Texas Parks and Wildlife, as well as Tactical Marine Units.
- Infrastructure and Recovery: Texas Forest Service saw crews to clear debris from roads and Department of Transportation personnel to monitor highway conditions.
- Medical and Utility Support: Emergency medical task forces with ambulances and all-terrain vehicles, along with monitors from the Public Utility Commission to coordinate power outage responses.
State agencies are also monitoring the state’s natural gas supply and water quality as the storms move through.
Officials encouraged residents to assemble emergency kits and check road conditions at DriveTexas.org before attempting to travel.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Governor Greg Abbott Press Office.
Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.
Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River.
A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.
Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned!
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