Fort Bend County’s monthslong redistricting process has come to an end, with commissioners voting 3-2 to approve a new map at an Oct. 13 special meeting.

The move comes after a February letter stated 37 of the county’s 174 voter precincts didn’t meet state population requirements for voter precincts, which cannot have fewer than 100 or more than 5,000 voters.

What happened: The new map was one of five submitted to the court by the Citizens Redistricting Advisory Committee and keeps all elected officials within their districts, except Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace, committee Chair Jacob Lee said.

Key changes include:

• Rosenberg will now be split between Precinct 1, 3 and 4
• Kendleton and the surrounding area are now in Precinct 1
• Needville and most of Fairchilds are now in Precinct 3

The Katy Area Retired Educators has grown into one of the “most active” Texas Retired Teachers Association chapters in the state since the organization’s inception 25 years ago, officials said. 

With over 76,000 volunteer hours logged last year alone—and a goal of 100,000 hours this year—nonprofit and community officials gathered at a Nov. 12 anniversary dinner to laud the organization’s influence, which extends from classrooms across the region to the state Capitol.  

What they're saying: State Rep. Michael Schofield said KARE's grassroots activism has helped prevent proposed premium hikes for retiree health insurance plans and paved the way for much-needed benefit adjustments for retirees at the state level. 

“I know when we’re in session because I see a lot of red shirts coming out of my office,” Schofield said, noting the organization’s signature color. “When you go up and tell lawmakers about your concerns, you’re having an outsized effect on laws that impact 31 million Texans and 400,000 retirees.”

Snap-a-Box, a fast-casual Chinese restaurant, is now offering robot-assisted cooking in Jordan Ranch.

On the menu: The Chinese restaurant offers several traditional delicacies, including go-to American Chinese favorites, authentic Sichuan flavors, dumplings, wontons and robot-assisted stir-fry, according to its website.

The background: Snap-a-Box was started by husband and wife duo Ryan Liu and Hongkan Qian, who met working part-time at a small Chinese restaurant after moving to the United States, per the website.

• 29807 Jordan Crossing Blvd., Ste. 700, Katy

Texas’ power grid will likely remain stable in December and January, recent reports from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas show. However, grid conditions could become tight if a winter storm hits large swaths of Texas, driving up demand for electricity.

The overview: ERCOT, which operates the electric grid for 90% of Texas, found in a Nov. 7 report that there should be “sufficient generating capacity available” to serve customers throughout January.

ERCOT forecasts that the tightest period this winter will be from 7-8 a.m. daily, when little to no solar power is being produced. During that time, ERCOT found the chances of a grid emergency are 1.81% in December and 1.4% in January.

More details: If a severe winter storm causes demand on the Texas grid to near record levels, there is a roughly 35% chance of a grid emergency in December and a less than 10% chance in January, ERCOT reported. Texans last experienced a grid emergency in September 2023, and the grid withstood three cold snaps in early 2025.