Willis ISD trustees Nov. 12 approved the name of the new Elementary School No. 7 as Ruth Castleschouldt Elementary School.

The gist: The new school is part of the district's $143 million 2022 bond and is set to open in August to serve grades kindergarten to fifth grade, as previously reported by Community Impact.

The campus is located at 8150 MP Clark Road in Conroe, according to the district.

The Back Nine Golf is coming soon to Shenandoah, owners Fernando and Diane Mladineo said.

The details: The Back Nine Golf is a 24/7 indoor golf experience that offers simulators, lessons, leagues and private events within a 3,000-square-foot building.

• 17947 I-45, Ste. 216, Shenandoah

The Willis ISD board of trustees approved a one-time retention payment of $1,000 to each employee at the Nov. 12 meeting.

What to know: WISD Chief Financial Officer Garrett Matej said the funds will be from the district's general fund and will have a total cost of approximately $1.35 million. The payment will be made Dec. 15, officials said.

Matej stated the district anticipates recouping the funds from the state in early spring.
 

There are several turkey trots taking place on Thanksgiving day across the Greater Houston area.

Addi's Faith Turkey Day 5K & Kids Wishbone 1K: This Thanksgiving morning event will include a 5K for all ages and a 1K option for ages 3-12. Proceeds will benefit Addi's Faith Foundation in their mission to fund pediatric cancer research and assist families as they care for their child with cancer.

• Nov. 27, 8-11 a.m.
• $25-$50
• Town Center Park, 8 N. Main St., Kingwood

• Nov. 27, 8 a.m.
• Free
• 6501 Memorial Drive, Houston

• Nov. 27, 8 a.m. (run), 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (feast)
• $40 (run), free (feast)
• 12100 Champion Forest Drive, Houston

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.