Officials with the Montrose Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone held a second open house Aug. 3 for the controversial West Alabama Street reconstruction project, giving neighborhood residents and business owners a chance to give feedback and receive answers to questions submitted ahead of the meeting.

About the project: The West Alabama Street reconstruction project includes a full roadway reconstruction of the 1.6-mile stretch of road between Shepherd Drive and Spur 527. Montrose TIRZ officials have said in previous presentations that the project aims to improve mobility and drainage while promoting a pedestrian-friendly environment.

Public input: After a brief update, Montrose TIRZ and project officials answered some of the questions submitted by residents ahead of the meeting, including those related to crosswalks, gutters, artwork, tree preservation and turn lanes. Some questions were also submitted by residents during the meeting that David Greaney and other project officials answered related to pedestrian safety, drainage and project scope.

Going forward: Residents can continue to submit questions through Aug. 17, with answers posted on the website in the following weeks.

Officials with the Audrey Restaurant & Bar rolled out the red carpet on Aug. 5 for its new Houston location, officially welcoming residents into the heart of the Hollywood-inspired concept.

The 5,480-square-foot restaurant features Tiffany blue interiors, a lively bar, an outdoor patio and the "Secret Garden" private dining room, with a menu that highlights sophisticated dishes such as Beef Wellington, handmade pastas, premium steaks and fresh seafood.

How it happened: Omar Khan, president and CEO of Culinary Khancepts, the Houston-based hospitality and restaurant group that owns the Audrey, said in a July 23 news release that opening a new location in Houston has always been a part of his vision after the success of its flagship location in The Woodlands.

"The response to our Woodlands location confirmed what we hoped—that guests were looking for a restaurant where exceptional food, genuine hospitality and timeless design come together naturally," he said. "Audrey Hepburn represented elegance, warmth and kindness, and those values continue to inspire every detail of the guest experience."

• 1616 Post Oak Blvd., Houston

Houston ISD students will be welcomed back to campuses Aug. 10, but families might have a few tasks left to complete before the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The big picture: New HISD students must be enrolled, while the Annual Student Update must be completed for returning students, according to HISD’s website. To enroll new students, items needed are:

• The student’s birth certificate
• A parent/guardian’s ID
• Proof of grade
• Proof of address
• Vaccination records

• Updated primary contact information
• Emergency contacts

At least 85,000 students will use Texas' new education savings accounts during the 2026-27 school year, an Aug. 3 report shows. Enrollment may grow as the school year kicks off and more families opt in to the program.

The overview: The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program gives families state funds to send their children to private schools or homeschool them, with priority going to students with disabilities and children from low-income households.

About 24% of students participating in the TEFA program have a disability, according to state data, and 80% of participants are from low-income families.

Zooming in: The largest numbers of students participating in the program live in Texas’ largest school districts, data shows. The report lists that 3,327 participants live in Houston ISD’s boundaries, followed by 2,645 participants from Dallas ISD, 2,271 participants from Northside ISD and 2,024 participants from Fort Bend ISD.

Previous state data showed that about 43% of students selected for the program had previously attended a Texas public school, although the Aug. 3 report did not include that information.