It was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Lone Star College System noticed a lot of students who didn’t have the necessary items needed to make ends meet. That’s when Carolina Redmond, who is the executive director of care programs at LSCS, said the college developed a centralized tracking system, or care request form, so students could log in through their school portal and identify in confidentiality what it is that they need, whether that be food, clothing or hygiene items.

In a nutshell: Now, LSCS operates multiple care centers at its campuses, including LSC-University Park, LSC-Tomball and LSC-Montgomery. 

By the numbers: Redmond said LSCS has seen a rise in student visits at a few of its care centers in the 2025 spring semester. Redmond said in the spring, the LSC-Montgomery care center had about 2,037 visits, the LSC-Tomball location had about 5,125 students visit and around 3,676 students visited the LSC-University Park care center.  

O’Reilly Auto Parts has plans to open a new location in a former Big Lots, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.

The details: Per the TDLR filing, construction to renovate the former 31,500-square-foot Big Lots will begin in May and be completed by November of next year. With 6,000 locations nationwide, O’Reilly Auto Parts offers auto parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories, according to the website.

• 1404 N. Loop 336 W., Conroe

Waymo is gearing up to roll out fully autonomous driving in Houston and Dallas.

The gist: The move comes as Waymo begins driverless operations in Miami, with launches planned in four additional cities—Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Orlando—over the next several weeks, according to a Nov. 18 news release.

Waymo leaders said expanding to new markets has become increasingly streamlined thanks to its “generalizable” Waymo Driver and a consistent operational playbook.

According to the company, the shift to fully autonomous driving—once viewed as a major technological leap—has become routine as its safety systems and deployment strategy mature.

Diving in deeper: The company reports its vehicles have already shown strong safety performance, with 11 times fewer serious-injury collisions compared with human drivers in its current operating areas.

Despite the heat and humidity in Texas, Houstonians can go ice skating in the Greater Houston area this holiday season. This is not a comprehensive list.

Ice at Discovery Green
Green Mountain Energy presents Ice at Discovery Green, where park-goers can enjoy skating in the heart of Houston. There will be multiple theme nights, such as DJ Skate Night Saturdays, Skating with Santa and Inclusive Skaters Night.

• Open through Feb. 2; operating hours vary
• $20.99; includes skates
• 1500 McKinney St., Houston

• Open through Jan. 19; operating hours vary
• $7 (age 5 and under); $15 (ages 6 and older); includes skates
• 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands