Gold Sponsors

Additional Sponsors

After meeting at a gym and forming a friendship rooted in their love of fitness, Jason McCourt, Jeremy Koger and Matt Caldwell started dreaming about what it would look like to open their own gym. 

The trio said based on their own experience in the fitness industry, they felt like a gym focused on strength training was missing in the Katy-Fulshear area. 

In 2024, they opened Arco Fit Gym and Wellness, a 27,000-square-foot gym that emphasizes science-backed fitness and features over 120 pieces of equipment. 

The approach: When individuals have health issues, they go to the doctor, Koger said. He wants more people to apply that concept to strength training and fitness. 

More details: Along with strength training, Arco also offers group fitness, Pilates and yoga, as well as amenities such as a posing room, custom saunas and a kid's club. 

• 6527 Skyline Drive, Building C, Fulshear

Fulshear residents could see a May or November ballot item to create a Crime Control and Prevention District, which would collect $0.25 of sales tax to fund law enforcement.

The breakdown: The police salary committee compared Fulshear’s wages to surrounding departments, including Katy, Richmond and Stafford, finding the department currently sits around the 55th percentile in pay, said At-Large council member Jason Knape, who spoke on behalf of the committee.

Funding the project: While Fulshear continues to grow in population and adds people to the tax roll—with an additional $299,347 expected from 571 new homes built this year—the city is “not just the police department,” and would have to find other ways to fund salary increases, Knape said.

Why it matters: Houston Police Department officer salaries will increase by 36.5% by 2030 after an $832 million police union contract was approved May 21, Community Impact reported.

What’s next: City Council will meet for a special meeting Feb. 3 and could call an election for the creation of the CCPD, per Knape’s recommendation.

• Aldine ISD
• Alvin College
• Alvin ISD
• Clear Creek ISD
• College of the Mainland
• Conroe ISD
• Cy-Fair ISD
• Friendswood ISD
• Fort Bend ISD
• Harmony Public Schools
• Houston City College
• Houston ISD
• Humble ISD
• Katy ISD
• Klein ISD
• Lamar CISD
• Lone Star College
• Magnolia ISD
• Montgomery ISD
• New Caney ISD
• Pearland ISD
• San Jacinto College
• Splendora ISD
• Spring ISD
• Tomball ISD
• University of Houston
• Willis ISD

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County announced in a Jan. 14 news release the expansion of an initiative which aims to increase the amount of law enforcement officers across the system's facilities.

The details: Per the release, METRO is partnering with the following law enforcement agencies for additional uniformed officers on trains, buses, platforms and transit centers:

• Houston Police Department
• Harris County Sheriff’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 6 Constable’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 7 Constable’s Office

Chuck Wemple, Houston-Galveston Area Council executive director, announced Jan. 23 that he will retire in August following nearly 24 years with the agency.

The impact: During Wemple's time as executive director, H-GAC's operating budget nearly doubled, reaching $600 million, and the organization's team grew to almost 500 members, according to a news release. H-GAC consists of local governments representing 13 different counties in the region, which collaborate to prevent and solve shared issues, per its website. 

What's next? The board of directors will conduct a national search for Wemple's replacement, per the release. His retirement is effective Aug. 20.

Quote of note: "After working alongside Chuck for over a decade, I can say there's been a lot to be proud of and even more to be thankful for," Jay Knight, Liberty County judge and chair of the H-GAC board of directors, said in a statement. "Chuck's steady vision, can-do spirit and willingness to try new things have truly set this organization apart. Thanks to his leadership, we've become the benchmark for councils across the country."