Officials from Japanese entertainment company Round1 celebrated the 1-year anniversary of their location at Deerbrook Mall in Humble on Feb. 15.

The details: According to the company's website, the Humble location features more than 200 arcade games and a victory zone where players can redeem points for prizes. Deerbrook Mall officials said the venue is located in a suite previously occupied by Palais Royal.

The entertainment venue has locations across the U.S., including two in the Dallas area and one in San Antonio.

• 20131 Hwy. 59 N., Ste. 1240, Humble

Humble ISD officials established a Parent Comment Portal for parents to submit comments to campus administrators, Superintendent Roger Brown or the district’s board of trustees, according to a Feb. 27 news release.

The details: Officials said the portal is designed to be used for general comments from parents about their child’s school experience or district operations and suggestions or feedback parents want leadership to consider.

Officials noted the portal should not be used for:

• Urgent safety concerns or emergencies
• Student-specific issues, discipline or services
• Formal grievances or appeals
• Public record requests

Following an hours-long March 19 public hearing, Harris County commissioners unanimously approved the acquisition of 8.9 acres of Hermann Park for the expansion of Ben Taub Hospital, one of only two adult Level I trauma facilities in the county.

The long-awaited vote comes after months of contention about whether or not Harris Health—the county's hospital system—should acquire the land by eminent domain, which grants local governments the legal power to use land for public use.

What happened: Commissioners authorized the condemnation March 19 after Harris Health officials confirmed that no "feasible alternative" exists for the $410 million expansion of Ben Taub's campus.

Why it matters: Ben Taub Hospital consistently operates beyond its 402-bed capacity, and officials expect emergency room demand to increase over the next several years as Harris County's population grows, Community Impact previously reported. Porsa said the hospital's ER regularly suffers from hours-long wait times due to chronic backlogs.

Looking forward: Officials expect to have legal possession of the land within 6-9 months and break ground on the project in late 2027. 

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from March 16-20.

• Fleet Week Houston ship lineup announced
• Photos: Houston officials give HUD Deputy Director tour of new hub for individuals experiencing homelessness
• Houston Methodist announces $104M expansion in Cypress
• Greater Heights Strategic Connections Plan to see final round of resident engagement in March
• See when these 9 Greater Houston-area water parks will open for the 2026 season

On March 31, Texas’ roughly 9,000 licensed consumable hemp retailers will face sweeping regulations, including a more than 3,000% increase in annual licensing fees and a ban on most smokable cannabis products.

The overview: The new rules, which also include age verification requirements, stricter packaging guidelines and more rounds of product testing, were originally proposed in December. The Texas Department of State Health Services, which regulates the state’s hemp industry, adopted the rules March 2.

The debate: Supporters of the increased regulations previously said they hoped the changes would result in more comprehensive oversight of Texas’ hemp industry and improve consumer safety. 

Some experts said they were concerned the new rules were taking effect too quickly and could lead some hemp businesses to close their doors.

"It is really tragic that these entrepreneurs are being faced with this, especially in a state like Texas that touts being pro-business ... and here we are shutting down businesses and relegating consumers to an illicit market," said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center.