The Jersey Village City Council approved an $8.1 million guaranteed maximum price for the first phase of the City Campus project in a 4-1 vote on Oct. 27. With architecture, engineering and construction fees, the total cost for phase one is $9.3 million. Funding of $9.5 million was adopted in the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, meaning no new city debt was issued.

The project follows three unsuccessful bond proposals in 1990, 2002 and November 2025, leading the council to use a pay-as-you-go approach. Construction is expected to begin around Dec. 1 and take eight months to complete.

Phase one of the City Campus project includes:

• Renovations to two buildings
• A new lobby
• Demolition of three buildings
• Site improvements

NBA player Jimmy Butler's coffee company, BIGFACE, is opening its first Texas location in Cypress. The mobile cafe is scheduled to open mid-November outside the Fairfield Market H-E-B at 28550 US-290.

The company plans to operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The Cypress location will serve:

• Espresso drinks

• Cold brew

• Pour-over coffee

Butler, who is originally from Tomball, started the business in 2020 during the pandemic-induced NBA bubble. He began by serving fellow players from his personal espresso machine. BIGFACE brand director Christina Hayes described the Texas opening as a homecoming for the company. In addition to its flagship cafe in Miami and the upcoming Cypress mobile cafe, BIGFACE operates an online store that sells whole-bean coffee, gear and apparel.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County will offer complimentary rides to and from the polls on Election Day, Nov. 3.

How it works: To receive a free ride, riders must show their voter registration card to a METRO operator or fare inspector when boarding. Regular fares still apply during the early voting period, as the complimentary rides are only available on Election Day.

Available fare services for the offer include: METRORail, local bus routes, METROLift, curb2curb and community connector.

“Every voter deserves the opportunity to make their voice heard, and transportation should never stand in the way,” said METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock via news release.

One more thing: METRO leaders encourage riders to plan their trips using the transit authority's Trip Planner and to confirm polling locations before traveling. Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

More than 4.5 million Texans cast ballots in the first seven days of early voting in the Nov. 3 election, state data shows.

The overview: From Oct. 19-25, 23.8% of Texas' 19 million registered voters had voted in-person or by mail, according to voter turnout data submitted by counties and reported by the secretary of state. This is slightly below early voting turnout at the same point in 2018 and several percentage points above turnout in 2022.

Some context: Turnout this fall follows voter enthusiasm during the March primary election, when more Texans voted early than in recent primaries. In total, about 4.5 million people—or one-fourth of voters registered at the time—cast ballots in Texas' March election, setting a primary turnout record.

At the polls: Registered voters can visit any polling place in their county through Oct. 30, the last day of early voting. Election Day is Nov. 3. Texans can read Q&As with dozens of candidates, find local polling sites and print a custom sample ballot at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.