Conroe City Council voted March 12 to deny Mustang Express Pipeline access to city-owned land at the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.

What happened: Council denied the company’s request for a survey access form for the wastewater plant property after city staff said they did not have enough information to support the request.

During the meeting, Norman McGuire, assistant city administrator and public works director, said staff were not comfortable with the language included in the application and wanted to avoid repeating issues tied to the Blackfin project. 

A closer look: According to a March 3 staff memo, city officials were concerned that the project documents authorized a wide range of pipeline-related infrastructure—such as valves, compressors, pumps, meters, pigging stations, dehydration facilities, electric and communication facilities, risers and regulators—even though Mustang’s land agent said by email there would be no compressor station in Montgomery County.

Crispy Cones is opening in April, officials confirm.

The details: Crispý Cones offers hand-rolled dough cones covered in cinnamon and sugar or specialty powder, and filled with spreads and soft serve ice cream, as previously reported Community Impact.

• 2200 N. Frazier St., Ste. 135, Conroe

There are several transportation updates around the Conroe and Montgomery area. Check them out below. This list is not comprehensive.

I-45 direct connector
Project: A direct connector is being constructed to connect northbound I-45 with eastbound Hwy. 242. This project also includes drainage improvements.
Update: This project is 20% completed, according to a Feb. 18 media update from the Texas Department of Transportation.

• Timeline: second quarter 2025-third quarter 2028
• Cost: $42.63 million
• Funding sources: federal, state funds

• Timeline: second quarter 2025-first quarter 2026
• Cost: $1.26 million
• Funding sources: federal, state funds

• Cajun cuisine, New York-style sandwiches: 6 restaurants to try across the Greater Houston area
• Katy ISD approves nearly $41.02M construction contract for 49th elementary school
• 6 new, coming soon and renovated stores in The Woodlands Mall
• The Best Stop Cajun Market brings a taste of Louisiana to Katy
• Toro District estimated to have $34B economic impact in Cypress region
• Tomball moves to lock down Main Street property next to city information center

Families have until 11:59 p.m. March 17 to apply for the first year of Texas’ education savings account program, according to the state comptroller’s office.

The big picture: Under the $1 billion program, participating students will receive state funds for private education or homeschooling during the 2026-27 school year. It is unlikely that all applicants will be accepted, as application data shows more students have applied than the program can fund.

The program offers $2,000 to homeschooled students; $10,474 for private school tuition and related expenses; and up to $30,000 for students with disabilities. With demand set to exceed available funding, applications will be prioritized based on need and household income.

How we got here: State lawmakers created the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program in 2025, with proponents saying it will expand options for families who don't want to send their children to public schools. Critics of the program have said it will unfairly benefit students already in private schools and divert funding from public schools.