Sam Houston State University began a renovation this November of The Woodlands Center to increase the capacity of its nursing school, SHSU School of Nursing Director Dr. Devon M. Berry said.

In a nutshell: While the campus's footprint will not be expanding, its interior space will be renovated, approximately tripling the amount of space for the School of Nursing. The project will increase the number of simulation and skills labs, and the number of active learning classrooms.

Quote of note: “It was our desire to see what we could do to help reduce the need for nurses,” Berry said. “So that meant for us, asking, ‘What can we do to expand our enrollment? Can we graduate more nurses per year to try to meet those workforce needs in Texas?’”

At a glance: The renovation is estimated to cost around $13 million-$14 million. Berry said SHSU has been planning the renovation for around 2 1/2 years.

Discovery School of Innovation will be opening a new campus for students in Pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade in August 2026, the school announced.

What to know: Discovery School of Innovation is a private school with a mission of cultivating curiosity, creativity and community, while preparing students to thrive, according to the school.

Notable quote: “This expansion marks an exciting new chapter for our school,” said Catherine Sagar, founder and director of Discovery School of Innovation. “We’ve seen incredible growth since our founding, and this campus will allow us to meet the needs of more families who share our vision that learning should be joyful, rigorous and personalized for each child.”

• 28277 Sweetgum Road, Magnolia

Waymo is gearing up to roll out fully autonomous driving in Houston and Dallas.

The gist: The move comes as Waymo begins driverless operations in Miami, with launches planned in four additional cities—Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Orlando—over the next several weeks, according to a Nov. 18 news release.

Waymo leaders said expanding to new markets has become increasingly streamlined thanks to its “generalizable” Waymo Driver and a consistent operational playbook.

According to the company, the shift to fully autonomous driving—once viewed as a major technological leap—has become routine as its safety systems and deployment strategy mature.

Diving in deeper: The company reports its vehicles have already shown strong safety performance, with 11 times fewer serious-injury collisions compared with human drivers in its current operating areas.

Homebuilding company David Weekley Homes is now selling homes within the single-family community Two Step Farm, according to a Nov. 17 news release. Two Step Farm is a 2,000-acre master-planned community located north of FM 1488 in Montgomery County.

Diving in deeper: There are 26 floor plans across three sections of homes on 35-, 42- and 50-foot homesites, according to the release. The homes will be priced from the low $300,000s and range from 1,370 square feet to 3,370 square feet.

What else: Amenities in Two Step Farm include a dance hall that features live music, gatherings and events, a community co-op, a children’s play area and a future swimming pool. The community is zoned to Montgomery ISD, according to the release.

Several places are kicking off the holiday season with holiday light displays this weekend. 

Sugar Land Holiday Lights
Attendees can enjoy millions of dazzling light displays, a new 9-hole mini golf course, a carnival, a synthetic ice rink and vendors. Santa Claus will also be visiting the lights in Sugar Land through Dec. 23.

• Through Jan. 1
• $18.24 (admission)
• 1 Stadium Drive, Sugar Land

• Through Dec. 31, noon- 10 p.m.
• $24.47- $47.10 (admission)
• Marriott Marquis Houston, 1777 Walker St., Houston

• Through Jan. 4
• Free
• 2101 Riva Row, The Woodlands

• Severe storms, tornado cause damage across northern Harris County
• New Caney ISD high schools to add 15 minutes to each school day
• Major projects in Humble and Kingwood result in increased water rates
• Waymo to launch fully autonomous driving in Houston and Dallas in coming weeks
• NRG Energy to build 455-megawatt natural gas power plant in Houston