Construction on a new Popeye's location in Porter is projected to begin in May, according to a Jan. 19 filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The details: The $1 million project will consist of the construction of a roughly 2,500-square-foot facility for the restaurant, per the filing.

Popeye's offers a variety of fried chicken and sides such as mashed potatoes, biscuits, rice and Cajun fries.

The timeline: While a projected opening date is not yet available, the filing states construction on the project is expected to wrap up in January 2027.

• 21467 FM 1314, Porter

From a new mobile coffee trailer to a locally-owned snow cone and lemonade stand, several businesses and organizations have updates to share in the New Caney and Porter areas. This list is not comprehensive.

Coming soon
Cinco Vidas Coffee Company co-owner Stephanie Leyva said the business plans to open a new mobile coffee trailer in New Caney.

• Opening in early 2026
• Exact address TBD

• Construction expected to wrap up in early 2027
• 21194 Loop 494, New Caney

• Opening in March
• 18978 FM 1314, Conroe

Montgomery County commissioners moved Jan. 29 to schedule a dedicated agenda item to discuss the future of the county courthouse footprint after a presentation on historic preservation sparked pushback over how far restoration plans should go—and how they intersect with the county courthouse nearing capacity.

What happened: During a presentation from the Montgomery County Historical Commission, Jason Smith, deputy chief of staff for Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, said a historic courthouse preservation master plan has already been sent to the Texas Historical Commission for review, a step required before the county can apply for state preservation grant funding. 

He also said the first grant phase would support design and schematic planning, while later construction funding would require county money as a match. Official floor-by-floor drawings have already been shared with judges for feedback.

But commissioners quickly zeroed in on a bigger question: What’s the county’s long-term courthouse infrastructure plan—and who decided what “restoration” should look like?

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Jan. 26-30. 

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• IAH to wrap up $1.46B Terminal Redevelopment Program in early 2026
• 7 Harris County judge candidates raised just over $1M for March primary election campaigns
• Harris Health nears $100M capital fundraising goal less than 3 years after bond vote
• University of Houston launches new online film leadership certificate

Four Republican candidates are running for Texas lieutenant governor—the second-in-command to the governor—in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Republican incumbent Dan Patrick is seeking a fourth term in the lieutenant governor's office. The lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

Patrick is challenged by three Republican candidates: Timothy Mabry, Perla Muñoz Hopkins and Esala Wueschner. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Republican primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26.

Stay tuned: The winning Republican candidate will face the winner of the Democratic nomination in November. The winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.

Three Democratic candidates are running for Texas lieutenant governor—the second-in-command to the governor—in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: Vikki Goodwin, Courtney Head and Marcos Vélez are seeking the Democratic nomination for Texas lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

Stay tuned: If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Democratic primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26.

The winning Democratic candidate will face the winner of the Republican nomination in November, and the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.