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Joining Houston’s growing pickleball scene, the Katy area has seen the addition of six dedicated pickleball courts in the last few years—including another on the way early this year.

What's happening: Since opening in February 2024, Pace Pickleball Club owner David Rowe said he continues to see the community outpouring daily. The facility even expanded to full-time access with a key pad to ensure members have the opportunity to play when it is most convenient.

Meanwhile, Pickle Point owner Harry Singh said Katy was the perfect location for the business to get its start, given the growing area before the sports popularity helped to expand to Cypress and Meadows Place.

Zooming out: Pickleball has seen a 223% increase in participation from 2020 to 2024, with a projected annual increase of 15-20% in 2025 and 2026, according to recent data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Looking ahead: Electric Pickle will bring nine high-tech pickleball courts to Katy near Katy Asian Town, Community Impact reported.

Schools, government buildings and some polling places will remain closed on Jan. 26 as Winter Storm Fern had a late arrival to the Greater Houston area Jan. 24.

Current situation: According to the National Weather Service, the Greater Houston area can expect continued temperatures below freezing into Jan. 27. Per information on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ Grid and Market Conditions dashboard, power supply continues to outweigh demand.

Government closures: Meeting plans Jan. 26 for Roman Forest City Council and Fort Bend ISD have been postponed. Meanwhile, it is still unclear if Katy City Council's Jan. 26 meeting will take place as planned. 

Additionally, all early voting centers for the special runoff election for Congressional District 18 closed Jan. 25-26 due to inclement weather. 

Additional warming centers: More warming centers have opened across the Greater Houston area, in addition to the 13 warming centers that were announced in Harris County Jan. 22. All warming centers will be open through at least Jan. 26; however, residents are encouraged to call ahead if possible.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Jan. 19-23.

In a nutshell: Montgomery County commissioners took a step toward a new countywide transportation roadmap Jan. 15, discussing a mobility study they said will be the first to outline a 10-year plan for the entire county. 

County Judge Mark Keough said the project will kick off in January and is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete. Once finished, he said the county plans to initiate a county thoroughfare plan update.

What else: The project to extend the Grand Parkway through League City has made progress after the city recently sold a 1.8-acre highway easement to the Texas Department of Transportation.

League City City Council voted unanimously to transfer the highway easement, also known as Parcel 315, to TxDOT for a sum of nearly $319,000, according to city documents.

One more thing: The Hallmark, a luxury senior living community, is expanding its campus in Greater Uptown by 2030. 

A set of permanent regulations for thousands of Texas businesses selling consumable hemp products took effect Jan. 21, after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission adopted them one day earlier.

The overview: The latest hemp rules do not bring significant changes to the roughly 60,000 businesses under TABC oversight. They replace similar emergency rules adopted Sept. 23, prohibiting Texas alcohol retailers from selling hemp-derived THC products to customers under 21 years old.

“The key you heard today… is the effect of THC on younger folks' development—much like alcohol, the same reasons we regulate alcohol for those 21 years old [and up],” TABC chair Robert Eckels said.

Zooming in: The TABC has limited jurisdiction over the consumable hemp industry and can only require age limits and ID checks, agency leaders said. State health officials are considering more comprehensive regulations on the industry.

“The Department of State Health Services’ rules are going to be much more robust,” TABC general counsel James Person said Jan. 20. “They actually cover the products themselves: the [THC] content, the testing and whatnot."