HTX-CYP: Impact 9/30/2025

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has reduced the number of jail inmates housed outside of the county since June, a Sept. 18 quarterly jail data report shows. However, outsourcing inmates at other facilities was still a top expense in the fiscal year 2025-26 county general fund budget, approved Sept. 24.

What’s changed: HCSO oversees four different facilities in downtown Houston, with two jail facilities outsourced in Louisiana and Mississippi. As of Sept. 9, the Harris County jail was outsourcing about 16%—or 1,388 inmates—of 8,793 total inmates to facilities outside the county or state.

Cost to the county: Outsourcing inmates to jails outside of Harris County’s overcrowded jails is the single most expensive budgeted item taxpayers pay for. The county set aside $48 million in its FY 2025-26 budget for inmate outsourcing, about an 8% drop from the $52 million budgeted in FY 2024-25.
 

A new antique shop offering 2,000 square feet of vintage shopping is now open off Spencer Road.

The details: Copperfield Trading Co. offers both antique and vintage home articles including rugs, furniture and decor items, as well as a nice selection of restored vintage guitars.

Meet the owners: Owner Sue Ann Goby decided at the age of 74 to create another business in her retirement, according to a September news release. Co-owner Matthew Ellinger told Community Impact they held a grand opening event Sept. 26 and customers can find unique items such as original artwork and even an organ from the 1800s.

A number of celebrations for National Night Out, an annual community campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, will be held Oct. 7 in the Greater Houston area.

Conroe
City of Conroe police are participating in National Night Out with free food and music in the community.

• Oct. 7, 5-8 p.m.
• Free
• JCPenney parking lot, 3165 I-45 N., Conroe

• Oct. 7, 5-8 p.m.
• Free
• Katy City Park, 5850 Franz Road, Katy

Base Power, an energy company founded in 2023 and headquartered in Austin, officially launched in Houston on Sept. 24, according to a news release. 

Community Impact previously reported that the energy company originally opened in the Cy-Fair, Spring, Cinco Ranch and Mission Bend communities following its launch in Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth.

What you need to know: Co-owned by Zach Dell, Base Power is the only Texas energy provider that comes with a home backup power, according to the news release. The energy company offers an all-in-one energy plan that includes an entire home backup battery. When the grid goes down, the battery automatically powers the home, according to the release. 

Quote of note: “Houston has long been the energy capital of Texas, yet it has also endured some of the nation’s most painful lessons about unreliable power,” dell Said.