Missouri City property owners will now be required to maintain grass and weeds along the public right of way.

The details: The updated ordinance—which was approved by City Council on March 2—adds to the previous requirements to remove garbage, debris and rubbish as well as maintaining trees and vegetation in rights of way, said Daniele Stewart, parks and recreation assistance director.

The public right of way includes publicly owned property or areas subject to public easement adjacent to a lot or tract, which is generally between the property line and the back curb or edge of the street pavement, according to the city's website.

Going forward: The city is currently in its 90-day public notification period with enforcement beginning June 1, Stewart said.

Smiles at Telfair is now seeing patients in a newly expanded office space, officials announced in a March 7 social media post.

Read all about it: The family and cosmetic dentistry practice offers a range of services, including composite fillings, teeth whitening, routine cleaning, extractions and dentures, according to its website. 

Renovations in the recently completed project include:

• The addition of more treatment rooms to implement shorter wait times

• Heated syringes to provide warm water cleanings

• Overhead TVs for patients to enjoy while receiving treatment

A closer look: The practice was founded by Dr. Insiya Hussain, who graduated from Rice University with a degree in biomedical engineering and studied dentistry at the University of Texas at San Antonio. 

• 1227 Museum Square Drive, Ste. D, Sugar Land

A public-private partnership called Let's Play Houston will distribute $60 million worth of park upgrades across all 11 Houston City Council districts. Two to three parks per district were selected for improvements through the citywide program.

Why it matters: The program is led by Mayor John Whitmire's administration, the Houston Parks Board, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, along with corporate and foundation support. Once improvements are complete, Let's Play Houston will represent the largest investment in neighborhood parks in the city's history, according to a March 31 news release.

What you need to know: A total of 25 parks will be revitalized through the program, a process that will be advanced in phases. As of late March, 11 parks are currently in the design phase, with the other 14 conducting initial community engagement to help develop the scopes of work for the park renovations.

Project officials said more than 40 engagement events were conducted during the initial phase of the process.

Over the last five years, more than half of public school districts across the Greater Houston area lost students, with one district seeing a more than 15% decline in enrollment, according to Texas Education Agency data released March 6.

The overview: Community Impact analyzed data from the TEA to learn how many students were enrolled at public school districts for the 2025-26 school year compared to the 2021-22 school year. 

Zooming in: The districts with the highest percentage of students gained over the last five years—from 2021-26—are:

• Splendora ISD with 34.6% enrollment growth
• Lamar CISD with 23.3% enrollment growth
• Tomball ISD and New Caney ISD with 14.9% enrollment growth each

• Aldine ISD with 15.4% enrollment decline
• Houston ISD with 13.3% enrollment decline
• Pasadena ISD with 10.5% enrollment decline
• Alief ISD with 10.4% enrollment decline