Fort Bend County finalizes Citizens Redistricting Advisory Committee
Fort Bend County filled the final spots of the county’s new Citizens Redistricting Advisory Committee at an Aug. 26 meeting.
Appointments come after a July 8 Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meeting, where a 3-2 vote approved the creation of the committee, and a July 22 meeting in which Republican court members appointed six members to the committee.
Zooming in: Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage and Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy each appointed two members to the committee, including:
Pamiel Gaskin, financial officer of the Fort Bend County Central Appraisal District
Richard Morrison, former Precinct 1 commissioner
Nicole Roberts, attorney and municipal utility district board director
Dora Olivo, former Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives
Looking ahead: The committee’s first official meeting will be Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. at Fort Bend County’s Historic Courthouse, located at 401 Jackson St., Richmond.
The committee plans to hold four public meetings—one in each commissioner precinct—to gather community impact, although a schedule has not been finalized, Lee said.
Solis Mammography expands access to breast health services in Missouri City
Solis Mammography, a specialized breast health service provider, has expanded its footprint in the Greater Houston area with a new facility in Missouri City.
The gist: The new location—located at the Sienna Crossing complex—is the result of a strategic partnership with HCA Houston Healthcare, according to an Aug. 25 news release. The opening marks Solis Mammography’s 26th center in the Houston area.
What they offer: The new Missouri City center uses a 3D mammography tool and AI-powered diagnostic software for early breast cancer detection, per the release.
According to its website, services include:
Screening mammogram
Diagnostic mammograms
Breast ultrasound
Breast biopsies
Bone density scan
Quote of note: “As we further expand into the Greater Houston area, it’s not about the number of centers we’re opening, it’s about the number of patients we’re reaching,” Chief Executive Officer Grant Davies said in the release.
9010 Sienna Crossing Drive, Ste. 150, Missouri City
Harris County commissioners authorize letter urging updated flood maps from FEMA
Harris County commissioners are urging officials from The Federal Emergency Management Agency to release updated floodplain maps.
The gist: Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia brought the motion to the Aug. 26 court meeting, where commissioners unanimously voted in favor to authorize a letter signed by court members to prioritize and expedite the maps which guide infrastructure and insurance decisions for a county with a growing population of more than 4.7 million residents and nearly 1.8 million households, according to the latest data by the U.S. Census Bureau.
“We respectfully urge FEMA to prioritize and expedite the release of these new flood risk maps for Harris County," Garcia said.
Zooming out: The last time frame FEMA was set to release Harris County’s preliminary flood insurance rate maps was in 2023, according to Harris County Flood Control District officials, as previously reported in Community Impact. Previously, the HCFCD projected FEMA would release maps in the spring or summer of 2022, but has continually pushed back its estimate.
Amid Democratic criticism, Texas lawmakers vote to overhaul STAAR and launch new tests in 2027
Both chambers of the Texas Legislature have voted to overhaul the state’s standardized testing system, putting public school students one step closer to taking new exams in the 2027-28 school year.
The details: House Bill 8 would eliminate the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and replace it with three shorter tests, which students would take at the beginning, middle and end of each school year.
Bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, said HB 8 would “reduce test anxiety, provide teachers with immediate feedback and create a pathway for trust in our system again." The majority of House Democrats and a few Republicans disagreed, arguing Aug. 26 that the bill would increase the amount of time students spend on exams and essentially create “another STAAR test” developed by the Texas Education Agency.
Next steps: After state senators passed HB 8 with a 21-7 vote Aug. 27, the bill returned to the House for consideration of a Senate amendment. If House lawmakers sign off on the changes, HB 8 will be sent to the governor.
