Office and retail sectors in The Woodlands area saw slightly higher occupancy compared to the previous year in early April, while industrial occupancy declined slightly compared to the first quarter of 2025, according to data from Caldwell Companies.

Imperial Sporthorses is now open in the Conroe area.

What you need to know: The facility opened in March in the Conroe area. It offers full-service stall and pasture boarding, private and group riding lessons, training programs for horses and riders, horse sales and consignment, and show coaching and competition programs.

Quote of note: "Our grand opening marks an exciting step forward in creating a welcoming, high-quality program where riders of all levels can grow, learn, and enjoy the sport," owner and head trainer Katherine Palmer said.

• 15715 Old Conroe Road, Conroe

At its April 21 regular board meeting, the Conroe ISD board of trustees adopted a new plan, dubbed the “homecoming plan,” to decentralize its special education program for the 2026-27 school year. CISD Deputy Superintendent Ted Landry presented the decentralization plan, the motivation for which is so that special education students no longer have to leave their zoned campuses for education.

About the program: Landry said the program currently operates as a centralized system in which students are bused to campuses where they are not locally zoned. The core idea behind the decentralized plan is to “ensure every student feels connected to their local zoned school community,” Landry said, while also making sure they are distributed in a way that allows every campus to provide individualized attention and resources for their success.

More details: The plan itself has been in motion for the last three years at the district’s secondary schools; this new adoption will be the “final stage,” Landry said.

According to the April 15 Houston Association of Realtors’ March Rental Market Update, Houston's rental market has seen an increase in leased listings.

The details: For March, HAR reports there were 4,718 leased listings for single-family rentals on the market, a 15.8% increase compared to last March. For pending listings, there was an increase of 7.8% compared to last year, totaling 6,172 homes on the market. Lease prices in comparison to last March dipped by 2.1% to $2,242 from $2,290. Homes have also spent slightly longer in the market, from 43 to 47 days.

What else: According to HAR, the townhome and condominium market has also seen changes in March; 673 properties were leased this March, leading to a 12.4% increase compared to the 599 properties last March.

Alongside the rental market, the number of new listings for townhomes and condominiums has grown by 10.1% to 1,082 properties; last March’s listing amount was 983 properties. Meanwhile, the number of days on market has grown to 61 days this March from 53 days last March.

TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is now available at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or IAH, and William P. Hobby Airport, giving eligible travelers another way to move through security, according to an April 23 news release from Houston Airports.

What you need to know: The system "enhances security screening by using facial comparison technology to verify identity faster and more efficiently," the news release notes.

Enrolled travelers with participating airlines can move through dedicated lanes at Hobby Airport and at IAH TSA Checkpoints Terminal A-North, Terminal C-North and Terminal E.

More details: Passengers must meet the following requirements to be eligible for TSA Precheck Touchless ID:

• Have TSA PreCheck
• Have an active airline profile with a participating airline
• Upload valid passport information to their airline profile