The city of Katy’s first citywide trail is set to begin construction in late 2026. 

Latest update: At a Sept. 28 meeting, Katy City Council approved a $1.16 million construction contract with Castillo Aranda LLC for the first phase of the Snow Goose Trail.

The roughly 7,300-linear-foot concrete trail is expected to go from Morton Road to Franz Road, according to agenda documents. City Engineer David Kasper said the main trail will be 9 to 12 feet wide, while certain connecting sidewalks to existing ones will be 5 feet wide.

What’s next: Construction for the trail will begin in mid-November and end in mid-May 2027, Kasper said. Additional phases will begin in mid-2027 and potentially continue to 2029. 

Thai Thai Restaurant has opened its doors in Katy, owners confirmed. 

What’s on the menu: The fully halal eatery offers pad thai, thai green curry salmon pasta and crab fried rice as well as various salads, appetizers and curries, according to its website. 

• 3522 S. Mason Road, Ste. 100, Katy

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced a one-year extension for Harris County disaster recovery and mitigation projects totaling more than $1.1 billion.

The federal grants, administered through the Texas General Land Office, were at risk of missing a February 2027 and March 2028 spending deadline due to project delays.

What you need to know: The extension, which is the final one approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will apply to existing infrastructure and mitigation project contracts. If the county submits a documented need, the new timeline could allow the Harris County Flood Control District more time to spend:

• $322 million allocated for 11 disaster recovery projects

• $546 million allocated for 17 flood mitigation projects

Buckingham notified county leaders of the extension while expressing concerns about the county failing to meet contract expenditure benchmarks. If the county fails to meet the new benchmarks, the GLO would reallocate the unused balance to other projects.

The Texas Education Agency is asking state lawmakers to spend $97.3 billion on K-12 education initiatives and staffing in the next two years, up from about $91 billion in the current state budget.

The details: During a Sept. 29 hearing on the agency's legislative appropriations request, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath noted that the TEA is "largely a pass-through vehicle to fund schools around the state of Texas." This means that while funding would be allocated to the agency under Article III of the state budget, the majority of that money would be sent to school districts, outside of funds used to pay TEA staff and cover operations for associated entities, such as the State Board of Education.

The TEA is asking for about $49.6 billion for fiscal year 2027-28 and $47.7 billion for fiscal year 2028-29, totaling $97.3 billion for the 2028-29 biennium. Morath said those amounts would "preserve 100% of all funding for public schools" through the Foundation School Program, which is the state's main funding source for K-12 schools, and other initiatives.