TURN TO TED: Pastor says church next to Union Pacific railroad nearly hidden by overgrown grass

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- On Houston's northeast side, tall grass and wild trees were threatening to overshadow the worship inside the Grace Assembly Kingdom House of Prayer, a small but proud church that sits right next to Union Pacific's Settegast Yard.

Pastor Evangeline Hewitt told Ted Oberg, "It was like a forest."

Hewitt shared photos, which show weeds and tall grass threatening to grow taller than the small building.

The overgrowth belonged to her neighbor, the Union Pacific railroad.

It was all that stood between her and the company's rail yard. The photos she took show the locomotives are nearly lost behind the growth.

"I have grandbabies that run outside," Pastor Hewitt said. "I can't afford to have them (out there next to the tall grass), you know, it's just, it's ridiculous."

Hewitt says she called Union Pacific and conducted research online, trying to get their attention.

"I've got so many case numbers where Union Pacific says, 'Okay, we're going to write down your case number, we're going to add it, we're going to send it to the district manager, we're going to send it to all these people,'" Pastor Hewitt said.

But the trees and tall grass continued growing higher until she called the Turn to Ted team.

"The only person (that) called me back was you," Hewitt told ABC13's Ted Oberg. "One thing I know about you, you'll get the job done. You will know. If you don't know, you will find out who we need to contact, what we need to do to get the job done."

Days after we called the railroad, their team stepped in to clear the weeds and trees.

Pastor Hewitt says it took them five hours to get rid of it all.

"It looks great compared to where they was. It looks great," she remarked.

Union Pacific hired a crew the day after we called to ask about the issue. The crew told Pastor Hewitt they will be back to put down a weed block; she is thankful for that.

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