In Houston’s Fifth Ward, a newly released archaeological report is shedding light on a troubling discovery beneath a heavily traveled roadway—one that may hold the remains of hundreds of people tied to a historic Black cemetery.
In Houston’s Fifth Ward, history isn’t just remembered — it’s lived. For generations, the neighborhood has been built on faith, family and fierce community pride. It’s also the place that helped shape champions and changemakers like George Foreman, Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland. But alongside that proud history, the community now faces a modern-day challenge: the loss of affordable housing.
A man was shot during a gunfire exchange in the parking lot of a restaurant in the Fifth Ward afternoon after a meetup over a stolen tailgate turned violent, according to Houston police.
One person has been detained after another person was shot outside a gas station in the Fifth Ward Monday.
Experience the third annual Houston Bluesfest 2025, celebrating Texas blues, art and Fifth Ward’s legacy with live performances, dance and community spirit.
The vastly overgrown lot in the 4700 block of Salina Street had become more than just an unsightly nuisance – it represented a serious safety threat to the community, especially children walking to nearby Fleming Middle School.
Houston Police are searching for two men wanted in connection with a July shooting where a 16-year-old on a scooter was shot after being hit by a car. The teen survived the incident.
Organizers say the goal of Empower(ed) to Restore is to break down barriers, restore opportunities, and uplift communities by creating pathways to justice and second chances.
It looks like a patch of wilderness dropped into the middle of a proud Houston neighborhood — years of unchecked growth have turned into what neighbors call a “jungle” just a few doors down from their homes.
Get ready for an amazing day of giving back and gearing up for the school year!
Skeletal remains found in a cooler on Hirsch Road have been identified as Dionne Williams, a 35-year-old woman who was reported missing from Houston’s Fifth Ward in August 2024.
Native Houstonian Kyle Cokinos played golf for 24 hours straight, starting at 6pm Monday, June 23rd and continuing through the night at East River 9, just east of downtown. By 5:30am he had reached his 421st hole, smashing the world record for the longest game of golf ever played. He continued though, pushing through for a full 24 hours, in an effort to raise $100k to support Camp Aranzazu, an inclusive camp near Rockport, Texas, that allows campers of all ages and abilities to enjoy accessible, empowering, and intentional camp experiences.
As Union Pacific works to clear the wreckage, residents say they want more than just cleanup — they want answers, and better communication moving forward.
A town hall meeting at the Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center tonight will focus on educating residents about clinical research opportunities and healthcare options, building on a free cancer screening initiative that launched earlier this year following the discovery of a cancer cluster in the area.
The incident happened in February when she was found in a ditch in Houston’s Fifth Ward. On Tuesday, Jackson spoke with KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel on the phone from her hospital bed.
Union Pacific has released the final round of soil testing results from the area surrounding the former Houston Wood Preserving Works site in the city’s Fifth Ward, confirming no immediate health risk, consistent with previous findings.
Juneteenth Houston, formerly known as The Juneteenth Houston Citywide Committee, announced its 160th commemorative series of celebrations and community initiatives for 2025.
The City of Houston is set to vote on more trucks for solid waste as well more contractors to help pick it up.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold an open house meeting at the Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center on Thursday to update residents on the agency’s testing related to cancer-causing chemicals in the area.
The crash scene was so graphic and their injuries were so severe, that Houston PD said he could not even determine if the person killed was a man or woman.
A new early cancer detection program, the Cancer Stage Shifting Initiative (C-SSI), has been launched in Houston's Fifth Ward to combat rising cancer rates in historically underserved communities.
A woman from the Fifth Ward is in the hospital fighting for her life after being viciously mauled by a pack of dogs. This type of attack has prompted BARC, the city’s animal shelter, to make changes in how it handles at-risk animals as they respond to an increase in calls.
Known for its welcoming atmosphere, loyal customers, and flavorful menu, the Black-owned business has become more than just a restaurant; it’s a community staple.
Harris County officials, including Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Congressman Sylvester Turner, will address the public about the EPA's findings of dioxin contamination at the Julia C. Hester House in Fifth Ward.
The Houston Health Department is launching a $20 million EPA-funded initiative for climate resilience, beginning with the Trees and Trash 2025 event in the Fifth Ward.
We’re getting a look at some of the mission-based games, where you must work as a team to disarm a “bomb” before you get blasted with either paint, foam or slime.
Have you seen 36-year-old Dionne Williams? Her family fears something horrible may have happened to her, because she hasn’t contacted anyone in months.
The area was designated as a cancer cluster in 2019 when it was found that significantly higher than normal diagnoses of the deadly disease were found among residents of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.
Investigators say a homeowner was able to get out of the home safely but the home was completely destroyed and the flames spread out to about two cars in the driveway.
Houston’s Fifth Ward, long known for its deep history and vibrant culture, is entering a new chapter of transformation with the opening of the reimagined Japhet Creek Park, a long-anticipated green space along Buffalo Bayou.
Homeowners typically pay $2,300 a year for a Texas Windstorm Insurance Association policy. The rate increase would bump premiums by 10%.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is a longtime member of the Fifth Ward Church of Christ and a member of the board of a summer enrichment program
Just before the deadly summer heat, an elderly Fifth Ward couple has a central air conditioner for the first time in more than a year. We have their story, plus other groups in the Houston area that can help with A/C repair if you are in need.
Ahead of Juneteenth and World Sickle Cell Day, a Houston organization is hosting an event to bring awareness to the disease and the community it disproportionally impacts.
Crews from Union Pacific have started another round of testing in Houston’s Fifth Ward to determine whether or not the area contains dangerous chemicals for its residents.
Union Pacific has begun the process of testing soil surrounding the former Houston Wood Preserving site in Fifth Ward.
We've been discussing the Fifth Ward cancer cluster for years, but have you ever wondered what chemicals were found and what health risks they might pose? We have looked into some of the chemicals found in the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Garden areas and listed the health effects,
KPRC 2 has been covering the cancer clusters in the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens area extensively over the past few years. We will also have the opportunity Thursday to watch crews sample the soil at Boyce Dorian Park and speak with a project manager to learn how the process works.
Officials say due to a "considerable amount of debris" caused by the deadly windstorm, testing soil samples in the Fifth Ward Cancer Cluster could be complicated and therefore have been postponed.
Attorney for cancer victims says oversight and testing are also being done by the EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency provided an update Tuesday night to people living in Houston’s Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens on the investigation into a cancer cluster.
In recent months, environmental investigators have been on the hunt for toxic chemicals with robotic rovers in the long-standing communities of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens.
Cancer Clusters: New developments continue to pop up in Fifth Ward, Kashmere Gardens despite contamination concerns. Learn more about the ongoing situation and the residents fighting for accountability. #CancerClusters #EnvironmentalJustice #StayInformed
A woman is dead and three others have been transported to hospitals after a series of shootings at several different nearby locations in northeast Houston Wednesday.
The conversations surrounding the Fifth Ward ‘Cancer Cluster’ continue for dozens of residents in that Houston neighborhood.
People who live in neighborhoods known as the Fifth Ward cancer cluster voted in 21 members of the community who will be liaisons between people who live in the affected areas and the environmental protection agency.
Soil samples were being collected by a private company in a community inside the Fifth Ward where residents have been claiming the earth is contaminated, resulting in illnesses including cancer.
During a city council meeting on Wednesday, newly-elected John Whitmire decided not to vote on a major agenda item this week, which involves a $2 million investment to help Fifth Ward residents being impacted by cancer clusters.
The cancer cluster in Houston’s Fifth ward affecting hundreds of families is something we discuss all the time in our newsroom.
Authorities said a burglary suspect was shot at a Fifth Ward junkyard after he tried to spray paint a security K9 and assault a security officer at the property.
Houston City Council will provide $5 million to help residents who want to voluntarily move out of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens cancer cluster.
Councilmember Letitia Plummer is sharing the reason why she delayed a vote on creating the ‘Fifth Ward Voluntary Relocation Fund.’
Last year, the Houston Health Department said it found cancer-causing chemicals in the soil around the Union Pacific Railroad yard. The soil contained dioxin, a highly toxic chemical compound associated with cancer and other severe health risks.
Mayor Sylvester Turner will be joined by the Houston Health Department to announce new developments related to the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) contaminated site.
A 9-year-old is hospitalized after officers with the Houston Police Department said he was shot by a neighbor late Thursday in the Fifth Ward.
Khambrel Marshall spoke to officials about the cancer cluster in Firth Ward reportedly caused by creosote and about a summit held to obtain answers for the community.
Throughout the past several years, the Fifth Ward community has seen a high incidence of cancer cases, and Monday’s summit looked at factors that might be contributing to this trend.
Parents and students of the Houston Independent School District decried the state’s decision to take control of the school system. Despite the news, many questions remain about how it would affect them.
Union Pacific Railroad has announced a collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and community partners in an agreement to move forward with additional environmental assessment and testing at the former Houston Wood Preserving Works site in Fifth Ward.
New Year celebrations were dampened for a Fifth Ward homeowner, starting 2023 off hoping for justice. This after he says two people burglarized his brand new house, just about eight hours after appliances were delivered.
This brand-new outdoor destination just opened in the Fifth Ward, and the entire family will enjoy it.
Many Fifth Ward residents are seeking some sort of relief, complaining that stalled trains in the area have become a major nuisance, sparking safety concerns. Federal officials were touring the area with city leaders on Wednesday in an effort to stop the proposed merger of two rail lines which, they said, could worsen the problem.
A proposed plan could offer some Fifth Ward residents some relief, as stalled trains have become a major nuisance and sparked safety concerns.
Houston police released surveillance video of a man wanted for allegedly killing a woman in Houston’s Fifth Ward on Sept. 10.
Neighbors in a Fifth Ward neighborhood said they want the rodent and fly infestation coming from a community garden to go.
The Texas Health and Environmental Alliance (THEA) held a press conference Thursday to call on the state to conduct in-depth studies on the health of residents living in Kashmere Gardens and the Fifth Ward.
Houston police have released photos of a possible suspect wanted in connection to a shooting that left one man dead and another injured outside a convenience store in Houston’s Fifth Ward area Saturday evening.
Two people are dead and one other hurt after a series of shootings took place within a three-block radius in Houston’s Fifth Ward area Saturday night, police said.
The City of Houston, Harris County, and nonprofit Bayou City Initiative have started negotiations with Union Pacific related to its remediation plan for the creosote contamination at the Houston Wood Preserving Works Site (HWPW) impacting the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.
Houston and Harris County will be joined by environmental experts and Kashmere Gardens - Fifth Ward residents to announce the next step in seeking justice for families living in near the cancer cluster.
Tuesday’s announcement that both Harris County and the city of Houston each plan to pursue legal action against Union Pacific Railroad over long-standing contamination in Houston’s Fifth Ward was welcome news among residents who have long fought for accountability.