Construction of safer pedestrian crossings on Ella Boulevard is expected to kick off in the first quarter of 2027.

In a nutshell: Houston City Council approved a $157,500 agreement between the city and the Memorial-Heights Redevelopment Authority on July 29 to install a pedestrian hybrid beacon along Ella Boulevard at the intersections of W. 22nd St. and W. 23rd St.

A pedestrian hybrid beacon, also known as a HAWK signal, is a traffic control device designed to help people safely cross busy or high-speed roads by allowing pedestrians to press a button that sends a signal to the beacon to tell drivers to stop or slow down, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

A representative with the MHRA said the project will give residents a safer way to cross the street to the nearby park and neighborhood.

• Timeline: early 2027
• Cost: $157,500
• Funding source: city of Houston

Officials with the popular family-friendly Texas barbecue joint Terry Black's announced July 29 that they will open the first Houston location this August.

Craving barbecue: Terry Black's Barbecue is famous for its classic Central Texas-style smoked meats, including its slow-smoked prime brisket, bone-in jumbo beef ribs and savory pork ribs.

The Houston Heights location will offer the same signature menu as the other Texas destinations, including options such as the popular Dino beef ribs, brisket and smoked turkey, as well as scratch-made sides like mac n cheese, green beans and cornbread muffins. 

In their own words: Mark Black, co-founder of Black Family Hospitality, said the company is excited to open its first Houston restaurant and become part of the community.

"Our goal is to create more than a place to enjoy great barbecue," he said. "We want to become a neighborhood gathering place where people celebrate life's big moments, enjoy everyday meals with family and friends and feel at home every time they walk through our doors."

• 1329 N. Shepherd Drive, Houston

Walmart on July 23 announced a multiyear workforce development grant in Houston aimed at helping workers in several communities prepare for higher-quality career opportunities over the next five years, according to a news release.

Walmart and Walmart Foundation announced an initial $250,000 grant to the Greater Houston Partnership to expand the workforce priorities of the Houston Economic Mobility Coalition, while United Way of Houston, Houston City College and San Jacinto College will also be partners in the effort, according to the release.

Another detail: The announcement was made at the Walmart location at 3040 College Park Drive, Conroe, which is also the location of the Walmart Academy in the area, officials said. The grant coincides with the 10th anniversary of Walmart Academy, a private training program that has seen over 4 million training completions since 2016, according to the news release.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from last week? Check out six trending stories from the South Houston area from July 27-31.

1. Sugar Land updates green waste collection requirements

2. Katy ISD attendance incentive initiative sees 3 years of growth

3. Houston council member aims to lock down on unenclosed cargo loads while driving on city streets, highways

4. Bellaire begins to prepare for demolition of buildings on Beechnut Street to advance ditch project

5. New mahjong spot opens in Friendswood

6. New private school opens in League City

This summer, Texas is launching a new process to study the viability of data centers and other large projects seeking to connect to the state’s power grid. The process’ strict requirements could deter major industrial projects from coming to the state, experts warn.

The overview: The Electric Reliability Commission of Texas’ new "batch study process" will require that large projects be evaluated in groups, rather than individually. The process was developed in response to Texas’ data center boom.

What they're saying: All projects that would use at least 75 megawatts of electricity will be required to participate in the batch process—including industrial and hydrogen production facilities. However, industrial and manufacturing projects operate differently from data centers and may not be able to meet some of the batch requirements, industry representatives said July 29.

In a state that works to attract major companies and bills itself as business-friendly, that’s a concern, lawmakers said.

"Where are y'all at on trying to differentiate those types of traditional, enterprise, big commercial, large load projects?" Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, asked.